Here's the next. The Chuunin exams now. What will the foreign nin think of the soon to be hokage? Hyuuga Hanabi makes a debut in this one and I'm making her age to be about 10. Oh and check out the song 96,000 from the Broadway show In The Heights. Simply awesome.
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Naruto.
Help Me Sleep
~Liz
Naruto was sweating. In the figurative sense, rather than the literal for once.
Saki had made it through all her battles so far. This next match would be her hardest, though.
As the match before him was drawing to a close, he thought of the little girl who had come to live with him. After her parents had died she had become quiet and it reminded him of Sasuke. One day she had called him Onii-san again and he saw in her eyes that she would be alright.
Today was her shining moment. Already the Kages that sat near and around him showed surprise that such a small girl could do so much damage. Maybe this time she would become a Chuunin.
Gaara sat beside him, holding his hand, giving the little reassurance he could for such a public place.
"So why is this next one going to be tough for Saki?" Gaara asked.
"Her opponent is Hyuuga Hanabi, her best friend. The girl's talented with the Byakugan," Naruto said. "It's going to be a battle between the Byakugan and genius."
"You want to make a bet, Naruto?" Tsunade asked.
"Nah. This one's too tough to see," Naruto said.
"I'll make one," the Raikage said. "Hundred on the Hyuuga girl."
Tsunade took down the bet and others from the other kages. The two girls walked out and faced each other.
"You ready?" Saki asked.
"If I have to be," Hanabi said.
"Don't hold back. Let's give them a show. We've both done great. They've probably already made their decisions on us," Saki said, smiling.
"I won't hold back if you don't," Hanabi said.
They shook hands on it and the proctor started the match. Instantly Saki jumped back, Hanabi barely missing. Kunai appeared in her hands and she crouched, ready to attack or defend herself. Her laughter rang through the area, giving some chills, even though the sound was of pure joy.
"Be careful what you ask for," Hanabi said, smiling.
"I never did learn that. Guess I take after my Onii-san," Saki said.
The two smiled before they once again started fighting. Saki attacked this time. She ran toward her friend, but when the girl raised her hand to harm her chakra network, Saki jumped into the air and landed behind the Hyuuga.
Hanabi turned and leapt back to keep the kunai from cutting her. She ducked under Saki's outstretched arm and was close to hitting the girl, but she sprang back. Hanabi followed, but when she got close Saki took hold of the girls wrist and helped her over her hip.
Gaara squeezed Naruto's hand. Naruto had several memories of fighting the Hyuugas. He knew it was painful. He was proud of his student for doing so well, so far. The match had been going on for nearly half an hour. Both girls were getting tired. The match would be over soon.
"Hanabi," Saki gasped.
"What?"
"You're nearly out, too, aren't you?"
"Yeah."
"Last moves?"
"Yep. You ready?"
"For one last time today," Saki said. She straightened up and made two shadow clones. Hanabi attacked one and it blew into smoke, but the other two landed a hit each on the Hyuuga. Hanabi managed to hit the original Saki, though.
They stood facing each other, until Hanabi fell from exhaustion. Saki was there to catch her.
"The winner is Kaito Saki!" The proctor called.
All the genin who had participated in the exam, that could do so, stood in front of where the Kages sat. They read off names of those who had become Chuunin. Hanabi was one. Saki wasn't.
They finished reading and Naruto stood.
"Come on," Naruto said to Gaara.
"Where are we going? Saki's still down there," Gaara asked as he followed.
"That's not her- it's her shadow clone. She's gone."
"Where is she then?"
"I'm hoping that she's back home," Naruto said as they left the arena. They started running towards the apartment.
They got there and it was quiet. They checked both apartments. Saki wasn't in either, but the clothes she had worn during the exam were in her's.
"We have to start looking for her," Naruto said, worried.
"I'll go. Tell Tsunade-sama," Gaara said.
"Alright," Naruto said.
Gaara started to leave, until Naruto caught his wrist. He looked back.
"Thank you," Naruto said.
"She feels like my family now, too." Gaara said. "We'll find her."
Gaara had been looking through the village for almost twenty minutes when he found Saki. At first he'd glanced right over her, but then she hid some of her vibrant hair beneath her hood.
"Saki?" he said as he stopped near her.
She turned. He could hardly recognize her. She looked more like a boy a few years younger than her than the eight year old girl he knew.
She wore a light blue hoodie, with the hood up, and baggy jeans. The clothing hid her small frame. Most of her hair was hidden under the hood.
"You found me," she said with little emotion.
"Next time you go undercover you should make sure your hair is completely hidden."
She sat down on the edge of the roof and he sat beside her.
"This was my last chance."
"No it wasn't. You'll be a Chuunin some day," he stopped when he saw her shake her head.
"When Onii-san becomes the Hokage no one will know for certain whether I became a Chuunin rightfully or because he is my Onii-san," Saki said.
"Everyone sees you working hard. When you become a Chuunin everyone you know will celebrate and the others won't matter," Gaara said.
"But I want everyone to know I made it on my own, not because I am the adopted sister of the Sixth Hokage."
They were quiet.
"What will you do?" Gaara asked her.
Saki was quiet as she thought. "Did you know that my mother was… blind?"
Gaara was confused. "I thought she was a ninja."
"She was. When she lost her sight on a mission she gave up her life as a ninja. My father was an old teammate of hers and he took care of her. They eventually fell in love. When he had to leave for missions she would become sad. He asked her once and she told him that she felt useless. She couldn't protect her village anymore. She couldn't protect what was most precious to her.
"She then became pregnant with me. It gave her back her happiness. She may have not been able to protect the village anymore but she was able to protect me. That's where she got my name. I gave her back her hope.
"I knew Naruto almost since I was born. He was the older brother I'd always wanted. He came back from training a few weeks after I graduated from the academy. I had just told him the news when the invasion began. He told me to go and find my mother and to take her to the safe house. I ran as fast as I could, but it made no difference," one tear slid down her cheek unnoticed by the girl. "My mother was looking for me. I finally found her in the park near the academy. We were just leaving when one of them appeared. He was from sound. He attacked us with a sword, but mother stood in front of me. She took the entire force of the blow. She fell, but she was still alive. It… made me furious. I attacked him and… I don't really remember what I did, but when I was sane again I went back to my mother.
"She told me that she knew I would grow to be a beautiful, strong kunoici. That I would protect the village and my special person with all of me. She also said she was proud of me and one day, a very long time from then, she would see me. She would watch over me until then.
"They found me there. They said I was crying. I don't remember anything except feeling nothing. Hours later they told me my father had died too. Naruto begged Tsunade to make him my guardian. When she saw me at the funeral, she agreed. Eventually, Naruto woke me up. I had to move on and do what my mother told me to. I worked to be strong and protect my village.
"You ask what I'm going to do? I'm not as weak minded as Onii-san's friend Sasuke. I will protect the village until I can't do it anymore. And when that happens I will watch over those who can. I'm staying and I'll keep working," Saki said.
Gaara hesitantly put an arm around her.
"Congratulations!"
Both Gaara and Saki turned in one fluid motion. They saw Tsunade, Naruto, and Hyuuga Hiashi
"What?" Saki asked, relaxing.
"Congratulations. Saki, you passed the exam. You are now a Chuunin," Tsunade said, happiness and pride evident on her face.
"But why? Why not earlier?"
"We had to make sure you were mature enough. You are still very young. I knew you were ready, but some of the elders weren't sure," Tsunade said.
"Congratulations, Saki. You finally did it. Your parents are proud," Naruto smiled. Saki ran to him and hugged him, hiding the tears on her face.
A few minutes later she looked back up. "Does Hanabi know?" she asked.
Hiashi smiled. "Not yet. We thought you should tell her."
"I've already talked to Hiashi-san and he agreed to let you stay the night at their house," Naruto told her. "We'll celebrate tomorrow. Have a good night."
"Thank you, Onii-san!" Saki said as she kissed his cheek. She ran off in the direction of his apartment.
"Do you think she'll ever run out of energy?" Tsunade asked.
"Never," Naruto and Gaara said at the same time and smiled at each other.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow. Enjoy you're night," she said, sending a lecherous look to Naruto.
"That woman is creepy at times," Naruto said when she and Hiashi were gone. He noticed that Gaara was silent.
"I'm sorry. She didn't tell me until I told her Saki was missing," Naruto said.
"I know. Can we go home, though?" Gaara asked, tired.
Naruto was torn between joy of Gaara calling his apartment home and worry about the redheads obvious weariness.
"Yeah, let's go home," Naruto said as he took his lover's hand.
That's chapter six. Hope you guys enjoyed it. I had so much fun writing the fight scenes. They're hard! Please review! They give me ideas sometimes. G'night.