Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto.
Author’s Note: The idea for a Groundhog Day-style time loop centered on the Chuunin Exam originates with Perfect Lionheart’s story “Chuunin Exam Day” (at least, that’s the first place I’d ever seen the idea). But as will quickly become apparent, that plot device is about the only thing this story and that one have in common.
1. Looping
I’m ashamed to admit it, but despite all my claims of being a strong, independent kunoichi I’d looped a half-dozen times before it ever occurred to me that this was one problem I’d have to solve for myself.
My first time was especially embarrassing, though at least I had the excuse of ignorance. I started awake with a scream, my head still full of the disastrous fight with that snake-wielding ninja who’d attacked my team in the Forest of Death. I’d died slowly, drowning in my own blood while poor, brave Naruto went down trying to defend me. He called out more of that strange red chakra than I’d ever seen before, so much that it formed a solid aura around his body, but it didn’t make any difference.
Sasuke had long since run away.
Mother burst in to see what was wrong, and I realized I was in my own bed at home. My arms were no longer broken, and I could feel my legs again, but it was several long minutes before I could get my sobbing under control enough to realize I was completely unhurt. I dragged myself to the bathroom with my poor, confused mother in tow, and stared into the mirror in shock.
“Sakura, honey, it’s ok. Whatever it was, it was just a dream.”
“No, mother. That was a genjutsu.” Nightmares can be vivid, but my memories of the first two days of the chuunin exam had way to much detail to be just a dream. But why would a genjutsu master spend half the night inflicting such an elaborate nightmare on me? I’m not anyone important.
“Sakura, if this is what comes of being a ninja maybe it’s time to consider a safer career.”
I tuned out that old argument, already mentally preparing my report on the incident. I needed to make it to the testing center in time to take the written test that was the first stage of the chuunin exam, then I could track down Kakashi-sensei and tell him about my night. Maybe he’d have some idea what was going on.
With all distractions I barely made it to the testing center in time. Maybe someone wanted to make me miss the exam? I gave Sasuke and Naruto a nod as we hurried inside and found our seats, still too distracted to pay much attention.
The exam questions were the same as the ones I remembered. That was weird. Even weirder, I recognized almost everyone in the room from my ‘dream’. Then the examiner laid out the same strange rules as in my dream, and even pulled the same trick with the 10th question!
I was a nervous wreck by the time I got the chance to corner Kakashi-sensei and explain the situation. He listened gravely to my report, then took me to see Kurenai-sensei for an evaluation. But she reported no sign that that any genjutsu had been used on me recently, and something this elaborate should definitely leave traces.
Kakashi just nodded. “That’s what I thought. You know, Sakura, there’s no need for elaborate conspiracy theories. If you don’t feel ready for this test, you can just bow out.”
“What? No way! I could never do that to Sasuke! Besides, I’m not making this up. I don’t know how it happened, but I can’t have just dreamed the right test questions! Someone who knew what was on the test did this to me.”
They shared a knowing look, and Kurenai said, “I’m sorry, Kakashi, but I’m going to have to recommend a medical disqualification.”
“I agree.” He replied.
So they sent me to the hospital, and disqualified my team. That asshole! I spent the rest of the day being poked and prodded by half the specialists in Konoha, and one of them even had the nerve to tell me I had “cognitive dissonance bordering on full-blown multiple personality disorder”, but none of it explained anything.
I woke the next day as depressed as I’d been in years. Since I was on medical leave I went for a long walk to get my head together, but it didn’t really help. Eventually I found myself down at the training grounds, where the boys were going at it harder than usual.
Sasuke scowled when he saw me, and even Naruto gave me a dirty look. But then the blond idiot shook his head, and came over to talk to me.
“Hey, Sakura. Are you ok?”
“Yeah. Just really confused.”
“Well, hey, it’ll work out. I mean, yeah, of course I wish you’d shown up for the test. But if you don’t think you’re ready yet we’ll just have to wait. Hey, if we spend the next six months training together I bet you’ll be really strong when we take the next exam!”
“What? But Naruto, we took the exam yesterday…didn’t we?”
Sasuke snorted. “Pretending you’re crazy won’t help. Useless weakling.”
“But…but…my God, what’s happening to me!”
Once again, Kakashi was no help. He insisted that today was the day of the written exam, and acted like I was crazy for thinking I’d already taken it. I spent the rest of the day at the hospital, but all they found was stress and my little inner secret.
The next day I checked the calendar when I got up, and made my way to the testing center full of nervous dread. Sure enough, everyone was there to take the written exam.
This time I went straight to the Hokage, and ended up spending the afternoon in ANBU custody. They couldn’t quite decide if I was a victim, a nut, or an enemy plant, but the room they put me in had no windows and the locks were on the outside of the door.
I woke up in my own bed the next morning, and it was July 1st again.
Tired of spending my time in interrogation rooms, I kept my mouth shut and played along. I took the written test, filling in the same answers as before, and passed along with my team. Then I spent the afternoon in the library researching genjutsu, mind control, time travel and anything else I could think of that might be relevant.
The next morning my clock said it was July 2nd.
With a rising thread of hope I confirmed the date with mom and dad, verified that the testing center was deserted, and met Sasuke and Naruto at the entrance to the Forest of Death. This time when we met the freaky snake ninja I stayed the heck out of the way while the boys tried to fight him, and he left after beating them both unconscious. After that it was hell just trying to survive the rest of our trip through the forest, but somehow we made it. I even held my own against Ino in our one-on-one fight, something I’d never managed to do before. But when we knocked each other out they counted it as a double loss.
I woke up back in my bed, on July 1st.
I kind of lost it then.
I cried. I screamed. I begged for help, for an explanation, for sympathy at least. I marched into the exam room and accused Ibiki of torturing me. I tried to convince Anko I’d seen through her mind games. I skipped the test and stayed up all night. I left town, running as far as my legs could take me to escape this curse. I even tried to kill myself, although I was careful not to try too hard.
None of it mattered. No matter what I did, I found myself waking up in my own bed at 6:45 AM on July 1st.
I sat looking out over the city from Naruto’s favorite spot atop the Hokage monument, knowing no one would look for me there. I needed to figure this out, or I’d go crazy for real.
“I’m on my own.” It was a bitter realization, but I had to face it. No matter what I did, asking for help just got me kicked out of the exam and restarted the loop.
“This is too big for any casual genjutsu. Maybe a kage-level specialist could do this to me, but why would they bother? I don’t have any rare bloodlines or important relatives, and there are easier ways to drive someone crazy.”