Hiyaz everyone! Kappa here! Just wanted 2 say a great big ty 2 my bezzie goldflake23 for introducing me to Naruto, and all Anime in general, wouldn't be here without you!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I'm just borrowing the characters, *sniff*
Well, here goes nothing, my first fanfic so please read and review, love u all! X
Gaara was bored. He sat in the konoha training grounds drinking a juice carton and watching all the other chunin training ready for the jonin selection exam. From the previously held chunin exam, there were only two faces he recognised, Neji Hyuuga and Rock Lee. As per usual, Neji was practicing his ninjutsu, and Lee his taijustsu. Earlier today Gaara had seen Lee and his sensei Gai (or Guy, however you want to say it) talking and pointing at him, Gaara didn't like being talked and pointed at, so he pretended not to have noticed, But he still watched the pair. Lee had that horribly familiar determined, fiery look in his eyes, and even had that fist held next to his chest. As Gaara wondered about what that all meant, lee realised that Gaara had stopped training and decided to take a break, he started to make his way towards the expressionless teen.
"Hello Gaara!" Rock lee stated, as per usual Lee pronounced every letter of every word, and seemed to always finish his sentences with an exclamation mark. "I wanted to talk to you!" he said proudly, Gaara was intrigued, not only did Lee seem unfazed by his presence, but actually wanted to talk to him! Not letting his surprise show, he tilted his head backwards, his emotionless blue eyes meeting Lee's determined ones, "yes?", he rasped. "Gaara of the desert, I want you to be my worthy rival! Like Gai sensei and Kakashi senpai!", Lee seemed to be talking to someone else as he spoke because his eyes were raised to the heavens, Gaara choked on his juice, "what!", he was so shocked that he completely forgot about putting up his emotion guard, Lee turned his Gaze to him, " I have chosen you to be my rival, meet me here tomorrow at noon, where I will show you the true power of the power of youth!", Gaara watched gobsmacked as Lee walked away, muttering about running 50 times round the village, juggling 6 balls if he failed.
Naruto snickered. He had the most valuable piece of information and he knew exactly how to use it. Neji would be at the training grounds, on his way there he passed Rock Lee, for some reason he looked more distant than usual so Naruto didn't stop to talk.
When he got there he grinned. Neji, as predicted was speed-poking a straw dummy to pieces, "hey Neji", Naruto said slyly. As he walked into the training aria, he was distracted by Gaara, a dazed looking Gaara had fallen over the table he'd been sitting at, Naruto's eyes widened, that was something you didn't see every day! Gaara stumbled towards the exit without a glance at Naruto, so Naruto decided to get into business. "Sooo, Neji, your clan didn't tell the village everything about your kekei-genkai, did they?". Naruto was watching Neji out the corner of his eye, "I don't know what you're talking about Naruto", Neji replied, pausing mid-poke, "oh I think you do," Naruto Snickered. "Hinata told me, it's about the way you can see through cloth-", Neji clamped his hand around Naruto's mouth and dragged him behind a wall. An evil glint came into Naruto's eyes, "what do you want Naruto", Neji Sighed tiredly. "I want a years worth of you buying me ramen", he grinned, Neji inwardly said goodbye to the new kunai he'd been saving for.
Gaara lay on his back on his bed. His hands were behind his head, you couldn't hang round Naruto for long without picking up some habit of his. Gaara thought back to what Lee had said earlier, and an idea popped into hiss head, Gaara certainly wasn't going to loose his first match against his rival!
"Hi Gaara!", Lee strode up to Gaara. Gaara was slouched against the wall with his eyes half closed. "Lee", Gaara acknowledged him, lee puffed out his chest proudly and said, "Gaara, since I have the power of youth, I will even out the score, you may pick our first gallant battle!", again Gaara felt like Lee was talking to someone other than him. But this was what he'd been hoping for, "ok Lee, for our first battle", Lee's eyes widened like a kid who'd been promised sweets, "what! Rock paper scissors? A race round the village? An eating contest?", Lee was quivering in anticipation, " No, Lee, I chose a sand castle competition!", Gaara grinned evilly.
~*~*~(one year later)~*~*~
"Hey Kiba!" Naruto ran up to his friend, "what Naruto?" Kiba turned round, "it's about Neji", Naruto grinned, Kiba's attention to Naruto increased, new info on Neji was hard to come by.
Neji looked inside his wallet tiredly; Naruto had eaten more than usual so he was officially skint. Talking of the blonde Idiot, there he was now! Talking to Kiba, Neji walked straight past them, till he heard their conversation, he stopped and his eye twitched, "SIXTY FOUR POINTS OF DIVINITY!", Kiba watched in shock as Naruto's eyes glazed over and he fell down with a thud. Kiba looked dazedly at Neji who's (horror of horrors!) hair was messed up and had come loose from its ponytail. Kiba shakily raised a hand to point at Neji's hair, trying his best to save Naruto, "N-Neji! Your hair…it's ruined!", Neji gasped in shock and clutched at his head, crouching down as if he were trying to hide. "NOOOO, NARUTO THIS IS ALL YOUR FALT!" Neji ran to the end of the street, stopped, realised he'd forgotten Naruto, and ran back. "Kiba, if you breathe a word of this to anyone, you'll get it worse than Naruto!, Neji then ran home, keeping to the shadows as only a specially trained jonin out for his honour and his hair would.
Kiba stood in that exact spot for half an hour, before his brain registered what had happened, and he walked home.
~*~*~(one year earlier)~*~*~
"Gaara, could you at least share out the sand evenly?" Lee asked Half-heartedly, Gaara, who knew he had already won, gave Lee his best death-glare, "my battle, my rules".