A Hundred Steps Ahead

The One Who Fell

"You misunderstood," The Sannin smiled at the genin, "I wasn't giving you a choice."

Sakura frowned as she eyed the distance between the two of them. 'They better get away as fast as they can.' Neither Shikamaru nor Shino had sent a clear signal for her to signify that they were far enough from the Sannin and she didn't like the predicament that she was in, Rookie of The Year she may be, she wasn't cocky enough to think that she could take on a Sannin.

"Okay...," She bit her lip in hesitation, "What did you want to talk about?" If talking with him would buy them some time, she was going to risk it.

"Are you not curious about what I was trying to give to your precious friend?"

"I'm sure it's not something legal, you don't have a pretty track record with those."

Orochimaru chuckled in amusement, "The Cursed Seal of Heaven is not something that can easily be judged as right or wrong," His long tongue slithered, "I am in a journey of attaining immortality, you see."

He vanished and reappeared in front of the pinkette. "It's a long process that requires me to change bodies every now and then. An Uchiha's body would have been the ticket to getting closer to my dream." Golden eyes clashed with wide emerald eyes.

Sakura glared at him and immediately jumped to a new branch away from him. "Immortality can never be attained. Everyone dies someday. It's basic knowledge that even the dumbest people acknowledge."

"Ah yes, the unassuming assumption that life ends. Not really interested in that concept, to be honest," Orochimaru looked at her with a smile, "The thought that life is a never – ending cycle is so boring and mundane. What I am interested in is how far you'll fall."

"How far I'll what?"

"I've kept my eye on you for a while now. Child Prodigy, Genius, Rookie of The Year. I'm sure you've heard of those titles now. You have lived through the life of being the best among the rest, but have you heard of the other side of that?" He moved to walk towards her but stopped when the pinkette summoned a kunai.

"Stay where you are before I blow this place sky high."

He chuckled, "That's a petty threat, but I'll entertain your ruse." He crossed his arms with a grin on his face, "Now, answer my question."

"I've never heard of that particular story. But what do I know? I'm just a low Genin ranked child with a higher IQ than the rest of my peers. Truly, I'm not really that special."

"My dear, people like us don't simply identify as 'people with a higher IQ'. Going back, it's not a story; it's a fact of life. More like a never – ending life cycle." Orochimaru gestured to the sky, "It's a fact just like how the sky is blue and that the grass is green. People, blessed people, fall when greatness and the favor of the gods have left them."

"People like you?" Emerald eyes narrowed, "I don't see why you'd rather chat with me than go for your precious prey."

"No, it's for people like us." Orochimaru smiled, "I'd admit that I can go after Sasuke – kun, but talking to a fellow prodigy is more entertaining. I'm curious and excited to see the day you fall from your pedestal, little princess."

"Let's say that you and I are alike," Sakura frowned, "I would never 'fall'. Unlike you, I have people I have to protect."

This made Orochimaru laugh like she just told the joke of the year, "My dear, we always fall. And when we do, we fall alone."

Sakura glared at the Sannin, face still set into a frown when she hears a chakra enhanced whistle. Regroup. 'Took them long enough,' she thought as she thinks of the fastest way to get away from the crazy man. Her emerald eyes glanced at the chakra seal she had set on a tree branch above.

"Eyes on me!" Orochimaru yelled as he appeared in front of Sakura with a kunai, his stance poised to slash her cleanly on the face.

'Shit!' She clenched her teeth as she was forced to activate the chakra seal on the branch above and reappeared there. Her prototype chakra seal only worked once before they become useless. Unlike the Yondaime's Hiraishin seal, hers were still in their early works and had a severe disadvantage with both functionality and range.

"Never take your eyes away from the predator, little princess."

"I'm done talking with you," She said before she activates the trap she had set up earlier, 'This was for Plan D, but...' "Release!"

She leaped to the other side of the clearing the moment three trees exploded and a series of chakra threads trapped the Sannin. A futile effort, yes, but the pinkette was not going to pull a Naruto – move and throw a bunch of jutsu to the experienced man. 'Just distract him enough to get away,' she thought as she placed her hands together.

"Suikusari no Jutsu!" Emerald eyes watched as chains made out of water appeared and reinforced her trap, the Sannin calmly watching her despite his predicament.

"We'll meet again, we always do. Life has the tendency to draw us all together at some point," Orochimaru began but Sakura was having none of it. She already felt like she was pushing her luck with how long she had spent conversing with the deranged man, she wasn't keen on seeing this to the end.

Feeling for the nearest pull from the chakra seals her team had placed, she activated one and disappeared from the Sannin's view.

X

"You sure you guys will be alright?" Sakura asked as she and her team watched the roughened team 7 with worried eyes.

Hinata gave out a soft smile to the pinkette, "W – We still have to finish the - the exam," she mentioned before turning around to catch up to her teammates that were waiting for her a few paces ahead. "We'll see you at the tower." She waved.

"Stay safe, you guys!" Naruto grinned as he excitedly waved his arms goodbye.

Sasuke sighed before he turned to lead the way for his team. He lazily waved a hand over his shoulder in a typical 'cool' boy pose.

"Let's get going," Shikamaru said as he watched the sky from whatever space he could see from the giant trees, "We're losing daylight. At this point, we might get there around dark." He groaned before he began to walk away.

"That man," Shino murmured, "Is very dangerous." He turned to the pinkette, "You were amazing to have held a few minutes with him."

"Gee, I wonder why I was there in the first place." Sakura scowled before she moved a gloved hand to re – tie her hair into a bun, "Plus, he wasn't serious at that time. It was like he was playing tea time with me."

"That's an odd way to state it," Shino wondered.

"Perfect. It matched the odd situation we were in."

"Before anything else, Sakura," Shikamaru called out from the front, "Plan D."

"Yeah, yeah..." The pinkette sighed as she caught up to both boys and teleported to the chakra seal nearest to the Tower.

Team 10 walked quietly towards the entrance before they stopped in front of a large writing on the wall. Not even troubled, Shikamaru simply looked at the pinkette before he gestured to the forest. A soft 'release' was heard before Training Ground 44 set off like a minefield.

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