Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, yet

Chapter 6: Could Rivals be Lovers?

"Pāfekuto Bara!" Ziara exclaimed. Her eyes glowed red, and a very large, life sized rose sprouted from the ground. Wrapped around the stem was a scroll, which she slowly unwrapped and grabbed.

Salada looked on unfazed, pulling a kunai out of her book. "Fine, I guess i'll force it out."

"Wait hold on. Aren't you guys going bit overboard." Bolt waved his hands nervously, trying to talk them out of it.

Ziara slowly unwrapped the scroll. "Kiken'na Shisen." Her left eye turned blue, while the other remained red. Half of the rose petals also turned blue. "I'm sorry Bolt, but i have no choice."

"You do have a choice, come on Salad-chan leave her alone." Bolt pleaded, practically on his knees begging. Salada wasn't hearing it, instead surveying the girl. "Interesting, you have very nice eyes." Ziara mumbled something, glaring at Salada.

"To think i used to look up to you. That face, reminds me of a face that i saw from a poster. Your father when he was a criminal."

Salada tensed, raising her fist angrily. "I don't know what games you're playing, my father was no criminal, never." She gritted her teeth, fuming. "You've really managed to piss me off."

Bolt squinted his eyes, trying to think. "Is that true? I mean, your father has always gave off a cold vibe… well when I was around you."

Salada rolled her eyes, preparing to bang Bolt upside the head for being stupid. As soon as her fist got a whiff of Bolt's hair, it was stopped. Salada quickly looked up. In front of her was Ziara, gripping her hand.

"Do not touch Bolt, i won't let you!" She said threateningly. Salada gazed on for a brief minute, then laughed, right in Ziara's face. Then her own face went serious. "I applaud your concern for poor Bolt, but I've gave him more than a lump over the years."

She shook herself loose, while the Uzumaki slithered from up under the girls. Ziara sighed, her eye returning to normal. The scroll jumped out of her pocket and wrapped itself around the rose, whicj in turn disappeared.

"I've decided that i'm not gonna fight you… yet." She looked at Salada wuth a stern tone. Salada scoffed, putting on her glasses. "Whatever." She returned to her book. Ziara growled, running over and giving Bolt a quick hug.

"Bye Bolt." She said quickly, before running off before she tried to kill someone. Bolt nodded, and looked at Salada with a disappointed face. "What was that for?" Salada looked at him with surprise, like he was stupid. "Really!? You didn't honestly believe that little sob story. Even you should have figured it out!"

"I did believe it, what other purpose would she have for coming here." Bolt asked, waiting for an answer. Salada sighed. "I… I don't know yet." She hated to admit that. Bolt chuckled, rubbing the shorter girl's hair. "Well i guess there's no reason to accuse her of something, right?"

Salada nodded angrily. Right now, she couldn't make a claim. She had no evidence. She looked up at him with pleading eyes. "You… you don't like her… d-do you?"

Bolt shook his head. "No, we're just friends, that's all." He looked at her and grinned. "You weren't jealous, were you."

"Shannaro!" Salada pounded Bolt on the back of his head. "I owed you that." Bolt grumbled, not liking how she dodged his question. "I swear you're gonna give me a concussion." Salada let a smug grin creep onto her face. "Well, i mean I'm just preparing you for what I'm gonna do when we fight."

Bolt rubbed his head, looking away. "So… that doesn't mean you should hit me." "Aww, is the little baby hurt." Salada cooed. She poked his head with her book. "I didn't think it was anything in there to damage." Bolt lightened up a bit at that, softly laughing.

"Haha, very funny." He said sarcastically. Then they were thrown into an awkward silence. Salada mentally nodded to herself. "Now's the time." She thought. Bolt looked up quickly when he felt a hand grab his and clutch it tightly.

"So Bolt… i-i was thinking that maybe we could….. could postpone the rivalry until the fight." She blushed heavily, awaiting a response. Bolt smiled. "I thought we had already agreed to that when i asked it?" Salada's lightbulb finally lit, and she sighed. "Oh…"

"But yeah, i guess i'll agree this time!" She looked up to see a wide smile from Bolt, a happy, innocent smile. In turn it made her smile, and blush more. The young Uchiha squeezed Bolt's hand, gaining his attention. "Bolt… I want to be… more than a friend or a rival." She said softly.

Bolt couldn't believe what he just heard. Did she just ask him out. "I know you probably think i'm stupid for liking you. Why would you possibly like me with the way i treat you." She rambled on and on, trying to find ways to make herself look like an idiot.

Each reason made Bolt angrier and angrier. It got to the point where he couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed Salada's shoulders, much to her surprise.

And then, he kissed her.

It wasn't just a short, stale kiss. Both kids started to get into it, making the kiss more heated and meaningful. All the emotions Bolt had built up until this point, anger, confusion, happiness, were being released. As for Salada, she couldn't even believe that this was reality.

Finally, after about two minutes of a lip-lock, Bolt slowly pulled away. Salada seemed a bit dazed, hazily fixing her glasses and hair. "Don't ever call yourself stupid again." The words of the Uzumaki brought her attention back to him. "You ain't stupid, you're smart."

Even though she couldn't help but acknowledge the sentence as grammatically incorrect, it still made her smile. "Thanks Bolt." She smiled and hugged him, making him blush.

"So i guess this means…" Bolt trailed off, waiting for a reply. "Yep, you are now my Uzumaki-kun." She gave him a peck on the cheek. Bolt couldn't help but think of Ziara. How would she feel if she found out.

He looked back at Salada. The beautiful girl in front of him, smiling and cheeks tinted pink. He knew this was who he wanted to be with, and no one could change his mind.

Salada poked his forehead. "Hello… hello? Earth to teme, i repeat. Earth to teme." Bolt jolted out of his zone, sheepishly rubbing his head. Salada giggled. "You're hopeless."

Bolt smiled. "Hopelessly handsome." Salada scoffed, before grinning seductively. "Well then, let me give you another kiss." And she did, a long, romantic one.

A/N- Yay! There together. Though this won't be the last time you hear of Ziara and Bolt hehe :P. So thanks for all the wonderful reviews so far especially you Kiwi 3 so leave a review, follow, and fav and as always…. until next time! XD