Chapter 02: Exam Start!
It had been simple enough for Naruto to just kill everyone who had pained her. And not to mention that it would symbolize the rebirth of the most malicious of all nine Bijuus in the world, the demon-fox Kyuubi. It seems only appropriate for the demon-fox to be reborn atop of the corpses of people that had sealed it. If only Naruto was that kind of person...
But, no. Naruto kept her dark side well-hidden. Kyuubi once thought that it preferred her other side better than the grinning idiot that was the main personality, but, that same grinning idiot confronted her dark side when she was merely seven. Naru didn't abolish her; she made her dark side a part of her. The only part of her that Kyuubi was able to manipulate.
Even though she was an incurable prankster who smiled at everything thrown at her, Naruto actually had a vital weakness. A weakness Kyuubi manipulated well, a weakness it always uses to take over her body. She feared rejection above any other thing.
That was why Kyuubi always protect her. To make her feel wholly accepted by someone- something who wasn't herself. The demon-fox will always have a trump card over its host. It can threaten to reject her; it can threaten to leave her. He'd done it once to see how her reaction was, and it went very well.
She screamed, and wailed, and practically begged it to stay. She cried her eyes out, and for the first time ever in Kyuubi's reign in her body; she went inside the cage submissively, telling Kyuubi to do whatever it pleased as long as it stays.
And for the love of demons, it would have killed all those brats who dared to bully its Jinchuuriki if it weren't for those interfering mask-wearer, what did they call them? Was it an ANBU something? Whatever. They were the ones who strained Naru before she-it massacred those brats brutally.
For years that had been the demon-fox's intention. But, as it continued the facade of being a loving and protective figure to its host, well, it could say that it was carried away. Naru became someone it cared for truly. Sure, it hated Kushina Uzumaki who abolished her dark side completely when Minato Namikaze came to love her. And it also hated Mito Uzumaki who did the same for Hashirama Senju. Hell, Kyuubi actually hated her entire family! None of them made it feel comfortable to stay on their body. But Naruto Uzumaki, the only Uzumaki Jinchuuriki currently in existence, actually made Kyuubi liked its stay.
She lived in constant fear of rejection, constant fake smiles and concerns. She might be smiling all the time, but, the times she felt lonely and sided were Kyuubi's salvation time.
Naruto had become one of its most prized things. Only second to chaos, which was a thing that it liked the most. She had become its kitling. Kyuubi had spent years to unconsciously make her dependent on it. And it wasn't going to let anyone- anything, take her away from the demon-fox's grasp.
Especially not Shukaku the Ichibi, or more precisely, its brat.
Like hell Kyuubi would give its most precious Naru-kit to a being called 'Gaara of the Desert'.
"Hi guys, sorry I'm late." Kakashi appeared out of nowhere on the bridge's gate. "Hmph," Sasuke scoffed, turning his face away. Sakura threw him a look of displeasure before returning her gaze to a certain hyperactive blond who'll jump to hug him and ask for- huh?
It struck him that Naruto, the most energetic kunoichi in Hidden Leaf village he'd ever known, was leaning on the bridge, unconscious. "What happened here?" He asked as he put his Make Out Paradise back into his pouch. "Umm, Naru-chan was..." Sakura was in the loss of words, she turned to look at Sasuke, who refused to look to her in return.
As if on cue, Naruto's eyes snapped open, and she retreated from Sakura's touch, away from the other Team 7 members. "Naruto?" Kakashi asked. His eyes were slightly widened as he asked his student. "Wait... wait..." She touched her head gently. The blond closed her eyes and a wind blew past the whole Team 7 who looked at her curiously.
"Hmmm, hmm. Yeah, I know, I realize. Okay. Okay. Sorry. Yeah."
After a few quiet murmurs of responses, Naruto opened her eyes and smiled brightly. "Oh! It's Kakashi-sensei!" She said, as bright as ever. She completely disregarded what had happened, as if she didn't just talk to herself.
"Did you get it?" She started hastily and jumpily. "Yep, they're-!"
"KAKASHI-SENSEI YOU'RE THE BEST!"
As predicted, she jumped and hugged him on his waist. Kakashi wasn't particularly disturbed by his student's behavior. So, he just smiled and hugged her back casually. "Now, now," He said with a smile. Kakashi handed the application card to Naruto and threw the other two cards to his respective students.
"By the way, Naruto…" He said in a bit more serious tone, whispering to the blond kunoichi. "Hmm? What is it, Kakashi-sensei?" She said in genuine curiosity. "What happened on your way here? Sasuke looked even broodier than usual, and Sakura can't stop looking at you with worry..." He tapped the girl's shoulder lightly.
The blond kunoichi didn't answer immediately, but Kakashi waited until she finally talked. "We... met a couple of Hidden Sand ninjas on our way here," Naruto scratched her chin as if she was trying to remember what had happened. "I was walking to reach this place with Sakura-chan and then I met a Sand shinobi bullying Konohamaru-chan. I asked him to stop and he lets go of Konohamaru-chan, but grabbed my collar instead. And then..." The blond kunoichi took a glimpse at Sasuke, who was still frowning.
"And then Sasuke-kun hit the Sand-nin with a rock. There were some bickering and whatnot but, it was stopped when another Sand-nin joined the conversation." Naruto shuddered and Sakura glimpsed to her worriedly. "And-" Naruto looked at Sakura with pleading eyes and shook her head. "But, Naru-chan! Uh..." Kakashi's eyebrow shot up in curiosity.
"This particular Sand-nin appeared without anyone noticing. He threatened his own teammate not to wreck any havoc in someone else's village. His teammates were really nervous and scared. And then when he shunshin'd from the tree, I... Ouch!" Naruto clutched her head suddenly. "Naru-chan!" Sakura materialized beside Naruto and patted her head. Even the ever-glowering Uchiha, who'd been silent ever since Kakashi arrived, perked from his leaning spot.
"Huh? What happened after that 'ttebayo?" She looked at Sakura with pure 'I-don't-know-so-explain' look on her cerulean eyes. Sakura gulped nervously and looked at Sasuke, who looked even sterner. "All I remember was haunting, blank colored teal eyes and-!"
"Shut up, loser."
Sasuke said finally. "She passed out because of the Sand shinobi, and I carried her here." The raven-haired boy shot a threatening look to Sakura, who nodded frantically. "Baaaah!" Naruto grunted, she crossed her arms and displeased frown laced on her face. "That was so lame 'ttebayo! Don't think I'd say thanks, Sasuke!" She said with a pout. "Don't think of anything like I like this dude, Kakashi-sensei. Because, I don't!"
"Naruto! Sasuke-kun brought you here!" Sakura exclaimed hastily.
"I didn't ask him to do it, did I?"
"You're an ungrateful loser, you know that?"
"What was that? Sasuke, you bastard!"
"Naruto!"
"Okay, okay stop your bickering..." Kakashi said with bored tone, and sighed. "You guys need to go to the examination place. The map's behind your application card, okay? Best of luck." Kakashi shunshin'd away, but not too far. He hid behind the tree just beside the bridge.
"Ah, um, so did I do something after I... blacked out?" Naruto gulped nervously. "Naru-chan... You were... Uhm..."
"Sakura."
"Sasuke-kun..."
"Don't leave me out 'ttebayo!" Naruto shouted and pouted. "Well, it's as I said to Kakashi, loser." Sasuke said in a very convincing smirk.
"That's no way!" Naruto whined. "Naru-chan... You changed... There was a red chakra surrounding you and-!"
"AAAARGH! IT HURTS!" Naruto fell to the ground, holding her head. "Naru-chan!" Sakura said in panic. It took Kakashi more than just his normal willpower to not just shunshin behind his sensei's beloved daughter.
"Naruto! What's going on? !" Sakura exclaimed frantically, Sasuke kneeled beside his thrashing teammate. "I suggest we don't talk about this anymore." He said broodily.
Sakura nodded in agreement. Naruto coughed loudly and finally stop. She looked over to her teammates, eyes shifting from cerulean to crimson red. "Naruto..." Sasuke whispered almost inaudibly. Kakashi gulped, did he just hear Sasuke called Naruto's name in a worried tone?
Sasuke punched the blond girl on her stomach and carried her in a piggyback. "This way's faster. Let's go to the examination grounds, Sakura."
The trio left, Sasuke carried Naruto on his back with Sakura in tow. Kakashi narrowed his visible eye in curiosity. What was that before?
Gaara leaned on the wall besides the door. This examination room was shabby, and not-so-hard to find. Only a couple genjutsu doors to pass and they'll arrive. Temari was conversing with Kankuro, mostly saying how much the genins from other village looked weak. Gaara didn't bother, he couldn't care less anyways.
He had been conversing with his mother, and looking for a striking yellow-colored hair that was unbefitting for a ninja such as them. How could a ninja, who's supposed to be doing everything under the shadow, wear such stand out-ish clothes? Orange, blue, and yellow combination in one overly bright person. And she was supposed to be a ninja, seriously?
Gaara closed his eyes, being as detached from the people he was itching to kill as possible. "OH! IT'S KIBA, AND CHOUJI! AND SHIKAMARU!" Gaara's eyes snapped open at that ridiculously loud voice. "And Shino-kun! Hi Hinata-chan! Araaa~ don't start a fight, Sakura-chan! Ino-chan!" The red-haired boy could feel Shukaku hissed from within as they saw that blond entity hugged a boy with a dog on top of his head.
"Grrr, must she do that?"Shukaku growled from within him, and Gaara agreed. The redheaded Sand-nin narrowed his eyes, concentrating on the girl's 'too-happy-too-bright' voice. "How are you and your bugs, Shino-kun? Okay now?" The blond slung her arm to the sunglasses-wearing boy. Gaara had the strong urge to just suffocate this 'Shino-kun' with his sand when his cheeks went pink from the physical contact.
But, before Gaara can plot his torture for 'Shino-kun', the blond had moved and pulled all the girls into a big group hug. "Now, now! Let's not fight 'ttebayo!" She said light-heartedly. Gaara can feel his heart warmed at the girl's tone. But, it soon turned bitter because that tone wasn't directed at him; it was for her friends over there.
"Don't be so troublesome and leave them, Naruto..." She soon let go of her hug and stuck out her tongue to a lazy-looking boy. "What's your problem, Shikamaru?" She said with a pouty tone. "It's the first gathering of the dead-last gang, right?" A fat boy said as he patted both 'Shikamaru' and Naruto's head. "Oh yeah! I missed you guys!" She soon pulled the dog-boy into their group and they hugged each other. "Here are Kiba Inuzuka, Chouji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara, and Naruto Uzumaki, and we're the dead-last gang!"
The other Hidden Leaf ninjas laughed when they looked at their rookie teams. On the other hand, Gaara was irritated beyond all measure. That girl... she's Kyuubi's host for god's sake! How on earth was she able to fit in and laugh like that? Why didn't they shun her? Gaara growled inaudibly.
"Okay sit down you bunch of brats." A group of adult ninjas appeared from nowhere. "I'm Morino Ibiki, and I'll be your head examiner for the first test: Written test."
"EEEEEEH? !" A certain blond shouted in despair.
Next chapter:
"Holy holy holy! I don't know how to answer any of this!"
"You are very noisy, Kyuubi-girl."
"I'm not Kyuubi girl! And why are you so rude, anyways? I thought we can be friends because you saved me from your fellow teammate!"
"Unthinkable. Especially after what you said to me."
"Huh? I said what to you? And... Oh, yeah, I heard I passed out in front of you, that was so uncool. I'm sorry 'ttebayo."
"What...?"
DONE! Please review XDDD