"Don't start anything, Kankurō." The girl leaned against a tree that was still in its youth. Protective wooden barriers were put in place around the cabin compound, outside there was a warm stream of water that seemed to bend and break around the forest trees. The river fed back and forth it seemed like; east to west.

Kankurō was a tall Shinobi who wore long black robes and baggy black pants. His handsome features were hidden behind the thick mauve colored make up that marked around his eyes, his forehead, and right along his chin to cheek area. His eyes seemed demonic with the paintings and his constant devious smile. His metal plate insignia was instead made part of the cloth helm he wore that bared two canine like ears. Tied to his back was a strange torso length package wrapped in bandages with spiny hair poking out from the top. "Tha' boss is a good fifteen behind us, so quiet down, Temari." He chuckled under his breath, they got so far ahead of him because of the violence their boss enjoyed unleashing upon any and everyone. "Those Amegakure Genin ain't stand ah'chance. Even their Jōnin seemed desperate." His accent was deep compared to the others. He often relaxed on all his vowels and combined his words as he spoke. It was delinquent for sure.

His gaze fell back upon the two outside of the compound that sat neatly by the quiet stream . Ino and Kiba, their expressions completely different. Ino's look was filled with fear and futility. Kiba on the other hand revealed his large canines, his hands flashing out like claws. His small pup Akamaru himself was even rearing back with tiny barks and growls. "Beat it, guy!" Kiba barked out.

"Beat it?" Kankurō laughed, "Please kid." He shook his head. "This ain't tha' place fer kids to be knockin' uglies-"

"It isn't like that!" Ino cried out holding her arms to her chest. Kiba got to both his feet entering a familiar stance. Their relationship was a strange one. One that Kiba had kept hoping would evolve into something real. They hadn't even kissed yet, at that point it felt like he was only around to absorb her sorrows and earnest love for Sasuke Uchiha.

"What kinda' stance is d'at," Kankurō laughed as he grit his teeth.

"I'm telling you, Kankurō, leave them alone. Your little brother won't like you messing with one of the Konoha kids." Temari's voice was much different from her brother's; Although, it was much more mature than the other Shinobi girls her age, it didn't carry some sort of urban burden with it. It was still feminine and sounding like one of the upper class. She was particularly tall herself for her age and she didn't have the darker features of her brother. Her skin was fair, but still capable of taking on the beat of the sun without frailness. Her eyes were not as sharp as her brother's, but still decisive in nature. She was covered in a one piece shouldering light purple robe that revealed short fishnets that gripped her left thigh whenever she would walk. Her chest also seemed to be wrapped in fishnets as the revealing parts of the robe showed hints of fishnets about her neck and chest area. A single fishnet stocking went up her right leg as well, but stopped under the knee. Her single piece robe was tied loosely at her waist with a thick red garment. Perhaps her most noticeable feature was her hair and fan. Her blonde hair always seemed styled to look unkept as it was tied into four separate and wild ponytails. The fan she carried looked like it required two hands to wield properly, but she held it like a half staff in one hand as it was closed. A bit of worry and urgency glowed in her features as she didn't wish to spend time on Kankurō's issues.

"Ah, they is Leaf Genin, huh?" Kankurō gripped his hand into a fist. "What makes 'dem so special, eh?" He spit to his side, staring down at the slightly younger Kiba.

"So this is the Sand Ninja?" Kiba growled, "Pretty pathetic if you ask me. Picking a fight outside a proper challenge!"

"A proper challenge?" Kankurō cooed a laugh. "Your team captain teach you that?" He looked back at Temari and gave her a smirk before looking back at Kiba, "I don't see a challenge here. I don't know what you're seeing, kid!"

"Imbecile." A cool and collected voice came from above. No one seemed to had noticed the boy who stood on the tree's thick lower branches above Temari. "Always trying to start something?" The boy's features were unlike the other two. Everyone's gaze now looked upon him. His skin was deathly pale and his eyes were black feigning to blue rings from what could only be seen as sleep depravation to the point of permanent skin damage to that area around his eyes. Veins were easily seen about his cheek and forehead from the paleness of his skin. He was rather short, shorter than Kiba by quite a few heads. His hair was a deep crimson color and spiked outward from him. On the left top most part of his forehead was the Kanji character for Love (愛) painted in red. He wore a short sleeve black shirt with loose hanging black pants that were wrapped from his shins down in bandages. Covering his upper arm were fishnets, much like Temari's. A large gourd tied to his back seemed to be much heavier than the young boy could handle. He looked at Kankurō with distaste and disgust. "You're an embarrassment to our village." He glared down at him.

"When the hell did he-" Kiba began asking, but his voice was shrouded in a strange change in Kankurō's voice.

"Ya see, Gaara. Gaara we were just chatting." His voice became more impotent than before.

"Spare us," Gaara slowly stepped along the branch and began walking vertically along the trunk of the tree. Now standing on the ground next to the much taller Temari. "I'll kill you." He said flatly to the taller face painted Shinobi.

"I'm not involved." She attempted to keep her tone strong, but even the slightest ear could hear the trembling in those words.

"Ah! So there you guys are!" Chōji's voice came from the opposite side, Shikamaru following at a slow pace behind him.

"So there are going to be other villages attending this thing." Shikamaru said, revealing himself from behind Chōji's large figure. He looked to Kiba who he had just noticed was in an aggressive stance, but he couldn't understand why as the one known as Kankurō had a big weeping smile on his face, as if pleading to the small red head.

"Are we interrupting something?" Chōji pulled out a bag of chips, crunching loudly into the awkward silence. Shikamaru glanced over to Kankurō and then to the red head and then the tall girl, Temari. He spied her fan for a moment and then came back to her features for a slight moment, but it seemed that moment was a bit too long.

"Hey, Leaf! You have a problem with your eyes?" Temari gripped her fan tightly.

Shikamaru jerked back, "Huh?" He turned his back to them then, "Ino, get your ass into your room." He elbowed Chōji, "Make sure she gets there."

"Who made you boss?" Ino struck back. With Kankurō seemingly subdued by the short Gaara, the others seemed to relax much more.

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders high to the sky his arms out, still walking away.

"You," Gaara's gaze struck the back of Shikamaru, "What's your name?"

"Shikamaru Nara." Shikamaru said as his distance grew.

Kankurō gritted his teeth. He couldn't believe that the kid Shikamaru got away with walking away from Gaara during a question. "Hey kid! Yah' gonna ask who he is!"

Shikamaru gave them another wide shrug, "The exams are soon. I'm sure I'll learn it then."

Gaara stared out, his expression unchanging, "Yes. You will." He mumbled to himself. He turned to Kiba and Ino who both seemed to come at ease. "Let's go." He led the two much taller Shinobi away from them.

Chōji continued eating the chips as he talked. "Come on Ino." He motioned towards her.

She let out a stubborn groan. Without even giving a glance to Kiba she walked off in the direction Shikamaru went. Chōji looked to Kiba and shrugged his broad shoulders high

"I don't get her." Kiba shook his head, his stance relaxing.

Chōji gave a brotherly laugh, "I'll let you know when I figure it out." Kiba gave a small smile. "And if you find out before me, be sure to let me know." Chōji could be heard leaving as he munched away at the chips.