OH MY GOD!! It's been seven whole months since I last updated... I know that I say this a lot but I REALLY AM SORRY!! Please forgive me…
You see… I suffer from writers block very often, which is the main reason why updates are so patchy, when I update like crazy then I don't update at all whatsoever for an eternity…
It also happens that sometimes I have so much time that I can do what I want, and then other times where I can only barely manage to do all of my homework. I even spend my break times in the library in order to finish homeworks sometimes… Though that mainly happens on Fridays… not that you'd care about that…
I'm also very depressed at the moment, so if this chapter seems a bit odd in anyway, then blame that… Now, as to the reason why I'm depressed… Well, I got a new e-mail address, so I changed the one that I used on deviantART to my new one, but now I can't log on as the e-mail that needed to be sent hasn't been received by me and I can't use it whatsoever… I nearly cried, that's how upset I was…
Anyway…
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, if I did, then it wouldn't be what it is today…
Without having to meet with his genin team, Naruto was considerably bored. He couldn't visit Anko either as she was preparing for the second part of the exam.
He snickered slightly to himself about that. He wished he could be there to see all of their faces. He knew what she could be like, but that was one of the things he liked about her. She was individual and she wasn't a pushover; he knew that from personal experience as they'd also trained together, the pair of them.
At first, he hadn't been going all out on her, he didn't want to hurt her afterall. But she didn't take that too well and he… well… let's just say that he envied a turtle for the simply fact that they had a shell to hide in. Anko couldn't be downright scary when she wanted to be… which was why he didn't envy the chuunin candidates…
He smiled to himself, proud that his team had all chosen to enter the exams on their own accord. He didn't imagine that being a sensei could make one feel so good, he might take one another team when his current one had been promoted to higher status.
Maybe.
Or perhaps not. It probably wouldn't be the same.
Grumble…
Naruto blushed at the noise his stomach made, but he got the message loud and clear.
"Time to visit the old man…!" He said happily to himself as he jumped up onto the roof of a nearby building so that it would be easier to (and faster) to get to Ichiraku.
When he reached his destination, he sat down in his usual stool.
"Naruto!"
Said person looked up to find Ayame standing there in front of him, behind the counter, a big smile plastered on her face. He smiled back at her.
"I haven't seen you in ages… why haven't you visited us?" She pouted, looking hurt, though Naruto could easily see the amusement present in her eyes.
Naruto simply shrugged. "I guess I've been spending a lot of time training my genin team… and then any extra time I spend with Anko-chan…"
"Anko-chan?!..." She smiled and raised and eyebrow. "… Say… have you got yourself a new girlfriend?!" Which finished with a wink.
"… yeah…" He replied softly, having a far away look in his eyes.
But he was brought out of whatever he was thinking about by a loud squeal coming from the brunette. "AWW! That's so cute!"
Naruto blushed lightly, but Ayame caught it.
"Have I met her?" She asked, generally curious.
"Hmm… I don't think so, but she's got purple hair, up in a ponytail and always wears a tan trench coat… thank god…" The last bit was whispered to himself, but Ayame caught it nonetheless.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Oh… well… you see… she kind, well… she kinda has a very… individual… choice of clothing… It's kinda, well, revealing and the trench coat is the only thing covering her up properly…" Naruto blushed as he scratched the back of his head.
Ayame's eyes widened. "You're dating HER?!" Which was followed by her waving her arms round animatedly, which, surprisingly, Naruto managed to understand as her describing Anko.
"Hehe… yep!"
"…" Ayame blinked owlishly.
"What?... do I have something on my face?..."
"Oh… no, no you don't… I just didn't think that that was the type of person you'd go after… I mean… she's pretty of course, but…"
"'But' what?"
She giggle slightly. "I don't know, I guess you're just growing up, is all…"
Naruto's eye twitched, followed by a vein appearing on his forehead. "I'm not a kid you know… besides, you're only a year older them me! And I technically became an adult when I became a genin!"
"Calm down, would you. People are staring at you."
And indeed they were…
"Hehe… umm, sorry…"
"It's okay… so… what made you go for her and not me?"
"Ayame… you know that you're my sister… It'd be like… incest or something…"
Ayame ruffled Naruto's hair. "Yeah, I know kiddo!" She was gone as soon as that was said.
"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"
Chuunin exams, room 301…
"Congratulations… you all pass." Ibiki declared after he had had his fun with torturing their minds. He applauded himself for getting rid of so many teams, though there were still 26 left over. But 26 out of 138 was pretty good. A lot of teams had entered this year, but that didn't mean that they were all ready.
She should be coming soon… He thought to himself, grimacing as he wondered what would be broken this time.
He looked behind himself, looking at the desk which was there. It was new, the last one had… well… died, for a lack of better words. He mentally shivered. Anko was scary, and that meant a lot coming from him, considering who it was and what he did for a living. He just felt sorry for whatever sucker would end up with her.
At Ichiraku ramen…
"ACHOO!"
"I hope you're not coming down with a cold Naruto…" Ayame said.
"No… I don't get ill, so someone must be talking about me…" He deduced.
Back to room 301…
Fue… fue... fue… SMASH!
'Of course… it just had to be the window, didn't it Anko…' Ibiki though to himself.
"ALRIGHT MAGGOTS! You've all got exactly 20 minutes until you have to meet me at training grounds 44 and if anyone of you are late, if even by a single second, then the whole of your team is disqualified!"
Protests were about to be set in motion, however, they were interrupted by Anko.
"WHAT ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR?! MOVE IT!"
Everyone was gone a second later.
Anko smiled to herself. She turned around when she heard some grumbling behind her.
"… just one… just one time where she doesn't break anything… but NO, that's never gonna happen…"
"Aww… lighten up Ibiki!" She glomped him. "I'm sure you secretly enjoy it… I know I do!"
"Sorry Anko… You're not my type."
He was promptly released. "I'm not your TYPE?! Well… I don't care; I already got myself a GREAT MAN!" She declared as she pumped her fist in the air.
"I feel sorry for him…"
"What was that?!"
"Nothing Anko… nothing at all…" 'poor guy… doesn't know what he got himself into… though, knowing Anko, he may not have had a choice… hmm… I saw her looking at that academy teacher a few times some months ago, maybe it's him… I hope it isn't for his sake… He's too soft to let her down…'
"-lo… hello, anybody there?!"
"Wha-huh?!... Umm… shouldn't you be going to meet the genins?"
"Hmm… no, I think I'll make them wait and enjoy the… view of the forest…" She chuckled to herself at the thought.
"Umm… Okay, do whatever you like Anko…" 'as long as it doesn't involve me, that is…' He thought as he crept out of the room.
Ichiraku ramen…
"Mmm… that really hit the spot!" He said as he rubbed his belly.
"Well, you're always welcome Naruto, anytime!"
"Ahh…" He said as he stretched his arms above his head, only for his eyes to fly open when he felt something warm and soft on his lips.
"Hiya Naruto-kun!"
"Anko-chan… you scared me…"
"Hehe… well… I just couldn't resist, it was just too tempting to pass up!" She smiled.
"Umm… Anko-chan, not that I don't appreciate you being here, but, umm, aren't you supposed to be at the second part of the chuunin exams or something?"
"Well… yeah, but they can wait 'cause I wanna be here with you!" She said as she sat down on his lap. Naruto pecked her on the lips twice, his arms settling around her.
"But you can't just leave them there…"
She then feinted mock-hurt. "Aww… Nawuto-kun doesn't want Anko-chan here wiv 'im… He don't like Anko-chan…"
Twitch
"… How about I walk you there-…" The two were gone, all that was left of them was the payment for the ramen.
5 minutes later…
Hand in hand, Naruto and Anko made their way to training grounds 44. Two minutes earlier, they had been busy making out in an alleyway as Anko had claimed that she had missed Naruto terribly and that she couldn't remember what he tasted like so she had to find out. Naruto, being the ever lovable guy, couldn't refuse, even if the excuse reminded him of something Kakashi might come up with when he was with one of his many… umm… girlfriends?... Well… he'd never actually had a girlfriend, he'd simply had a lot of… experience in the field, as one might say.
Anyway…
Anko was having a GREAT day, and that was an understatement. She had just had a great make-out session with Naruto and now she got to torture all of the wannabe-chuunins for a WHOLE 5 days. And to top it all off, she'd just found a coupon for '3 for 2' at the dingo dango café in today's newspaper. She was most definitely going there later on today… and a certain someone was going to accompany her.
They stopped when they could just about make out the genins in the distance. It was much easier to see the forest, as the trees were exceptionally huge.
Naruto placed a soft kiss on her lips before stepping back a few steps, the only like between them being the hands which were still clasped together.
"I'll be going now… and don't scare them too much, they're only kids."
"Hmph, says the one who took this exam when he was 8 years old… Honestly, they shouldn't be here if they can't handle it…"
"Okay then, just don't do something I wouldn't do…"
"But then I would be 'me', now would I?!"
Naruto began walking off, waving back at her as she stood there.
"I love you Anko" He shouted back at her.
She gasped…
'He… he said that he… he said that he 'loves' me… oh… I should say it back…'
"I LOVE YOU TOO NARUTO-KUN!"
Just outside training grounds 44…
"Where is that hag?!..." The boy grumbled as he paced back and forth's.
"Calm down Kiba, she's only… 20 minutes late… maybe this is part of the test or something… you know, to test our patients…" Sakura suggested.
"Hmm… YEAH! That's gotta be it… I knew that that was what was happening, I mean, you'd have to be an idiot not to…"
Sakura had to keep herself from punching Kiba for idiocy.
Meanwhile, Sasuke was sitting on the ground, ignoring his dog-like teammate and was thinking of the first and only jutsu that his sensei had given him. He'd been practicing the whole week except for the previous day as he had to make sure that he was in top shape for the chuunin exams. He's gotten it down on the fourth day of practice, but he'd only been able to produce two whole ones. He'd feel drained afterwards as well, which was why he'd visited his sensei and asked him for advice about expanding his chakra capacity.
He's, of course, been delighted help and was proud that Sasuke hadn't been to prideful to ask for help, which he would have been when the teams were first made.
He raised his wrist and looked at the runic seal that was there. It made it harder for the chakra to get around the body and made one have to work harder to do what would normally have been easy.
He'd had it on for the last three days and this morning he had released it, and he could feel the slight increase in his chakra stores.
He wondered if either of the other two had visited their sensei for extra help. Sakura may have, but I'm sure that Kiba hasn't, he may have been tempted, but he wouldn't give in like that, he's too stubborn… Idiot…'
"Oi Sasuke!"
He simply raised an eyebrow at Kiba, after being caught staring at the brown haired boy.
"You see something you like?!" The dog-love challenged.
"Sasuke-kun isn't gay Kiba!" Sakura shouted as she 'finally' bashed him on the head.
'I guess one good think came of having fangirls… If someone annoys me, I could just send a herd of them at them, and I'd never see them again… But the cons far outweigh that single pro… hmm…'
"Okay Brats! this is where you will all be taking the next part of the exam. This is training grounds 44, or more commonly known as; 'The forest of death'. Each group will receive either a heavens scroll or an earth scroll and you will have five days in which to obtain the one you need from another team, by any means necessary. This area has a ten kilometer radius and in the center is a tower, which you are to reach when you have one of each scrolls in your inventory. But before you can begin, you must sign these forms, which state that I cannot be held responsible for any of your deaths." Anko then crossed her arms and had a very pleased expression on her face as she saw that people were beginning to have doubts whether or not to continue.
She then laid her eyes on a brown haired kid who's left eye was twitching. 'hm… I wonder what's wrong with him?!...'
Whilst his thoughts were; 'so this test wasn't about patients?! Why you old hag, I'll get you back for this!'
Anko then noticed him giving her evils, so she decided to have some fun now that Naruto was gone.
She stealthily got out a kunai and through it at Kiba, the edge of the weapon grazing his cheek, drawing blood. He yelped in surprise. The next second, he found something soft and… squishy… pressed against his back along with hot breath on his neck. He shivered at the feel of it as he realised that the proctor wasn't where she was a few seconds ago.
He yelped again when he felt her lick his blood right off of his cheek. He stood there, frozen, with his knees shaking.
"Mmm… It wasn't the best blood I've had, but it wasn't too bad I guess… for a mutt…"
Normally, Kiba would have retorted to something like that, but he was way to scared to do that right now. Besides, he doubted that he couldn't even produce a sound from his mouth, let along a single coherent word.
Anko smiled deviously at the expression plastered on the genins face. She did this every year, and the reaction was always similar, yet the details always varied. This was why she always volunteered to be a proctor for this part of the exam.
Anko was too caught up to realise that someone was approaching her. She felt a tap on her back and immediately turned around to see that it was one of the grass-nins, holding her kunai with the persons outstretched tongue.
"Here you go."
"Um… Thanks…" Anko then took the slightly wet kunai and returned to where she left off. "Ok, the forms will be given round and when your team has signed them, line up so that you may enter the tent over there to hand them in and receive your teams scroll."
Ten minutes later and everyone was ready, standing outside their designated gates, waiting for the go-ahead and for the gates to open. Many were sweating with anticipation and anxiousness, but they were all to determined to quit.
"See you all in five days… hopefully. Now, BEGIN!" And the gates swung open and all of the teams disappeared into the forest.
Wow… I feel better now, especially as I took a peak at the stats on my fics, and I found out the following.
Konoha's Scarlet Claw: (hits) – 46797, (alerts) – 375, (faves) – 223, (reviews) – 143 and (C2s) - 60…
This is probably my most popular fic, though Just One Smile isn't doing too badly either…
Just One Smile: (hits) – 66646, (alerts) – 197, (faves) – 156, (reviews) – 217 and (C2s) - 32 …
Thank you to everyone out there who has contributed to these stats!! I luv you all!
I'm sorry this is short, but I thought that that was a good place end it and this was all the time I had… Sorry not much happened, but I guess there was a but of character depth or something, righ?!
IMPORTANT! I won't be updating anything in a long, long time because I have GCSE exams coming up and they're mega important. It was only lucky that I found time for this…
05/05/2008