Song: Sasuke's unreleased Shippuden Theme (youtube it)
Chapter Two: Part One and Two of the Chuunin Exams
About an hour before they were required to be in the Exam room, Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara were heading to the Ninja Academy, Kiritsu on Kankuro's shoulders.
"Can you make me look like one of your puppets so I can get in Niichan?" Kiritsu asked, pulling on the 'ears' of Kankuro's hat.
"N-" He could feel her, invisible, disapproving glare on the back of his head. "Maybe I will, maybe I won't."
As he spoke, the Academy appeared ahead of them.
'Since they all trained as a group,' Temari smirked to herself. 'It's a wonder any of them could be skilled.'
"You're getting a lucky break." Kankuro said, sighing and dropping the tiny girl to the ground off his shoulders. "Just transform quick, before anyone sees."
She hugged him around the middle and quickly made the hand sign, laughing at the annoyed look on his face. Now, she resembled a miniature form of the Crow, and Kankuro sighed before strapping her to his back.
"You'd better not be trouble Dooru." He muttered, and Temari smirked at his scowl, Kiritsu giggling.
Blinking, Gaara walked past them and up the staircase. " We're wasting time. I'll kill you if we're late."
His siblings flinched and followed him, ignoring everybody else as they entered the third-floor classroom.
"What a crowd," Kankuro muttered sarcastically. Muffled giggles came from Kiritsu. "And we're early. I'm ready for the exam now."
Temari nodded in agreement, playing with the latch holding her fan shut. The group of Genin were getting restless as more joined the waiting number… and then the 'brats' they'd encountered when they'd first arrived busted in. A sharp 'annoying' yell came from Naruto while several other Konoha-nin grouped with them and began to talk, some older kid with glasses giving them a useless pep-talk until some Sound-nin went up to strait-up fight him, getting his glasses shattered. Before the scuffle could even become interesting, a scarred and battle-worn Jonin appeared in a cloud of smoke.
"Now that's what I'm talking about," Kankuro said, revealing his cat-like grin.
The first part of the Exam went off with out a hitch, and Kiritsu was waiting for the moment to come out of hiding and demand to know if she was allowed to continue with her 'siblings' and Gaara.
"So." The fierce looking woman, named Anko, said, grinning in a maniacal way. "Meet me tomorrow at training area Number _ by ten. Your Sensei's will tell you more when you get back to your apartments.
There was a puff of smoke, and she re-appeared next to Kankuro and the still-disguised Kiritsu. She made a hand motion for the Siblings to stay behind. Once the room was nearly clear, she tapped on Kiritsu's head.
"Good disguise." Anko remarked, and Kiritsu transformed back into her normal self. "The only reason I caught onto it was because of a deliberate change in chakra levels. Impressive."
"Thank you." Kiritsu inclined her head.
"Oh, and another thing." Anko waved her hand in some strange way. "It was approved that your Team have a fourth member for the rest of the Exams- so you aren't in trouble for sneaking in."
While Gaara indifferently stared at the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, Temari thanked the woman and Kankuro took the girl on his back.
"I guess Dad pulled a few strings. Nice." He remarked, and she playfully pulled on his hat. "Now you get to play with the big kids."
"Oh please." She murmured into his hat. "I always play with the big kids… then make them cry."
"And complain about not being challenged enough before laying around."
"Mph…" She began to get comfortable and started to daydream.
"This better not happen during the Exams." Temari muttered. "I've 'lost' her during training once or twice- it really brings us down as a group."
"It'll be fine- she knows when to be motivated."
"It's still a risk; if we loose and are sent home early-"
"Shut up about the stupid mission, or I'll kill you and go home." Gaara said, rolling his eyes and glaring.
"O-Of course Gaara." Temari held up her hands in apology. "I promise not to mention it again."
Kiritsu looked up and rolled her eyes, knowing Gaara noticed it.
*** In the Forrest of Death ***
"Come on Gaara, let Big Brother have some fun." Kiritsu said, half begging. 'The Rain ninja at least will live to see tomorrow if Niisan fights them.'
Gaara just kept staring at the three Amegakure ninja that they had confronted. "No. They looked at me funny, so they're gonna die."
While the other two winced in fear, their opponents taunting the boy further, Kiritsu frowned.
"Any of us could take all three of them out if need be." She said softly. "I know you have needs, but-"
"Shut up." He said, then focused on his opponents. "I'm killing them. Now."
"Then make sure you're not killing them for the wrong reasons."
While the Siblings gave her surprised looks, Gaara engaged in combat with the Rain ninja.
Senbons rained on him twice, and the needles were all imbedded in his sand shield or in the ground.
"Now I'm annoyed." He raised his hand at the larges one. "Sand coffin."
His sand snaked across the ground and around the unfortunate ninja's body, lifting him into the air.
Holding up the umbrella the senbons had rained from, Gaara ignored the panicked screams of the Rain-nin.
"Sand burial!" He said, closing his fist and crushing the ninja, his blood raining down. "I crushed him quickly, he didn't feel a thing. Now… your turn."
As the two remaining ninjas were killed in the same manner, Kiritsu sensed another team was watching them- scared to death at what they'd seen.
'Glad that's over.' Kankuro thought, picking up the scroll. "Thank goodness this is the one we needed. Let's go-"
"No…" Gaara had his hands on his knees, eyes wide. "It's… still not enough…"
His fist went in the direction of the retreating, terrified team.
"Gaara, we have what we need, let's go."
Kankuro's fist closed around the front of Gaara's shirt. "I'm your older brother, do as I say."
"You're not the boss of me." Gaara's eyes went to Kankuro's. "Let me go- or I'll kill you too."
'What to do? Save Kankuro, or get the others away?" Kiritsu's head turned from the exchange to the bushes.
Temari, shaking with fear, made the decision for her. "Gaara, please stop this. Do it as a favor for your big sister!"
A few heartbeats later, Gaara dropped his arm, and Kankuro let him go. Pausing a second, Kiritsu grabbed one of her siblings arms through her own, holding them a few feet back from Gaara as the continued to the tower.
"That could've been handled better." She muttered to them in a disappointed tone. "You guys could have tried harder…"
" 'Try harder'?" Kankuro scoffed, then could feel her look. "Why?"
"This." She motioned to the blood-splattered clearing. "Will get worse if we don't do anything about it."
A little guilty, he muttered. "I don't want to know what 'worse' is."
Temari nodded, still relieved no one got hurt.
"Trust me, you don't'." The girl walked by herself, jumping and climbing over objects instead of riding on Kankuro's back.
Instead of going inside the gate at first, Kiritsu stopped and took a deap breath, Kankuro and Temari waiting for her.
"I'm going to send a 'clone' out to explore more while my inactive body stays with you." Kiritsu said, making the hand sign. "I'll be active for the next four days if the 'clone' doesn't die."
"Sure." Temari, who was closest, caught her body when it went limp, another copy of Kiritsu standing beside her. "Be careful."
"Oh, I will." She hugged the two and smiled a little at Gaara's retreating form. "Keep an eye on him for me, okay?"
"I don't think it would be smart if we didn't." Kankuro said under hid breath. "See ya."
She waved once before walking out into the woods, dark worries in her mind. 'Sound-nin."
Their allies had caused a sense of déjà vu in her, and she wanted to know why.
*** The Morning of the fourth day***
With narrowed eyes, Kiritsu 'watched' Kabuto's teammates leave him to himself in the forest and join up with the Sound-nin. She knew he was a good spy, so why would he so openly meet with his subquardnets?
A breeze rustled through her hair, and she could tell they were aware of her presence.
"Oh little Sand brat," Dosu called out, body slightly rising from his crouched position to look in her direction. "Join us."
She 'teleported', using a time-space Jutsu, to his side.
"Dosu, Zaku, Kin." She nodded to each, having been told their names when briefed for the mission. "Kabuto."
He smiled kindle and innocently as he could before pulling on his headband tails, a little uneasy. "Why do you always say my name like that?"
"Because I don't like you."
Dosu chuckled, and the other two smirked.
"YOu may be Orochimaru's Number One, but that shouldn't grant you the right to such arrogance." SHe signeed, knowing she was getting his blood boiling. "and…"
"Why are you here?" Kabuto asked politely, annoyance in his tone.
With a shrug, she pulled a kunai over her right arm, sliding it over her bandages. "I want to make a deal with you."
He raised a curious eyebrow. "I'm listening."
"I want to make a blood-swapping oath with you." She said thoughtfully, teasing the bandage with the blade. Curious eyes watched it, wanting to see why this girl covered every inch of her skin.
"What is the oath?"
He smile was unseen. "If there's a chance for you to fight me, you'll stick around. I promise I'll make it worth your while."
"And what can I offer?"
The blade ready, she murmured. "Answers. I was found by the Sand, given to them, by what is now known as a Sound-nin."
His interest almost peaked, Dosu and the others watching closely, she continued, "And I'll get your powers from this oath. It's my ability."
"Deal." He said, and they both slashed their arms, tying them together with her slashed bandages.
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"I guess Dad pulled a few strings. Nice." Kankuro remarked, and she playfully pulled on his hat. "Now you get to play with the big kids."
~Oh, you know Kanky loves his little 'sister'.