7. Puppet Master of The Sand, And Chika's Challenge

The next few weeks were a blur for Chika. Every morning, she would rise at dawn, to train with Shino, then Team Eight would arrive and she would start training again, and began to go on small missions with her friends. Afterwards, she would have to groom Haru, and make sure he was in good health. When she was finally done, she was too exhausted to do anything else, and slept until the entire routine began again.

"She seems to be quite eager to learn." Shikaku commented one morning, when they had yet again woken up to find Chika gone from bed. Yoshino smiled inwardly at the sink, and proceeded to serve breakfast, as Shikamaru slumped at the table, yawning.

"Unlike others." She rapped the table where Shikamaru's head lay, making him sit upright. Good God. He though having Chika home was a good thing!

It was another morning for Chika. Shino had her practicing her weapon skills, as she sparred with him. He was clever and quick, and those kikaichi beetles didn't make life any easier. Chika panted, as she clutched her kunai, cheeks scarlet. Oh how she didn't like fighting, yet that was all Shino seemed to challenge her with. Chika's taijutsu had improved greatly in the last few weeks, but she lacked in genjutsu, and ninjutsu somewhat. Chika hadn't much time to practice the Nara Clan's Shadow Possession jutsu, either, not for the fact that she wasn't brilliant at them either...

As Chika's kunai flew through the air, Shino called out to end the match. Chika nodded, getting as much air into her lungs as possible, before Kiba,Hinata and Kurenai came into sight.

"Chika, why do you look so flustered?" Kiba asked. Chika shook her head, as she took a drink from her water bottle.

"F-forget it."

~ After Training ~

"W-Why am I training to be a ninja again?" Chika gasped, as she clung onto her stag. They had just finished training earlier than usual, Kurenai saying she needed to be somewhere. Chika mounted Haru, and regained her natural colour.

"'Cause your parents think you're a lazy ass like Shikamaru?" Kiba answered innocently, and then grinned as a kunai missed his ear by inches. Akamaru barked, and then padded to fetch it for Chika.

"Whaddya know Kiba? Your dog is more useful than you are." Chika returned the comment, as she scooped the puppy up, and Haru snorted angrily. Rolling her eyes, she let the dog leap back to Kiba.

"Jeez Haru, take it easy." She patted the deer, as they exited the forest. The sun was still in the sky, and light trickled out from the trees. Ahead of her, Kiba was talking to Shino and Hinata, with only Hinata listening. Hinata and Chika had developed a firm friendship ever since Hinata almost fell off of Haru. Still, she stuttered, but not as much, and smiled a lot more too. Beside Kiba, Shino walked, hands in his pockets, appearing to be listening to the human eye, but Chika knew otherwise. Shino was one of Chika's first actual friends out of Rookie 9. Although he was quite stoic, when Chika asked him for his views or opinion, he gave them to her, and she listened closely, like she actually cared. Remembering something important, Chika turned to the rest of the team.

"I have some errands to run in town, so I'll be leaving here."

"Goodbye." Hinata smiled. She had gotten to like Chika, and didn't stutter as much around her. Chika waved goodbye to her teammates.

Haru's hooves echoed on the brickwork, as they travelled down a narrow path leading to the town square. Chika heard the sound of voices, and looked up to see an angry girl with pink hair marching in her direction. What was her name again? Saku? Sakura! That was it! Ino's enemy.

"Sakura?" Chika called, puzzled. Sakura looked up, seeing Chika and gave a sweet smile, which was scary considering how twisted her face was before. Chika heard new voices, younger, and definitely male this time.

"Geez, is she even female?"

Sakura turned around abruptly to Chika's surprise, and charged for the blond knucklehead ninja from the Ramen bar, and a little boy, who Chika instantly recognized as Asuma's nephew, the Hokage's grandson, long scarf blew behind him in the breeze as he ran from the enrage Sakura yelling "Aargh!"

Chika cantered towards Konohamaru, to make sure he wasn't seriously hurt. After all, Asuma would kill her. However, just as she reached Sakura, Konohamaru ran headfirst into someone. A girl with four spiked ponytails, and a large fan strapped to her back, stood beside a boy with purple face paint, and a black jumpsuit, both looking annoyed. Chika paused for a moment, looking closer at the two. She knew them, or so she thought.

Why did one of them look so familiar?

The boy lifted Konohamaru roughly by the cloth of his clothes, and leered, "That hurt, snotface!"

Chika didn't know what she was doing until she was off of Haru, and had her hand on her kunai. As she stepped towards the strange ninja, she glared at the boy.

"It should have hurt a thousand times more to somebody like you." She commented snidely, and her grip on the kunai increased as Konohamaru struggled to free himself from the grasp of the older boy. The ninja looked up at Chika, and his eyes widened in recognition.

"You!"

Chika knew him, and by the look of things he knew her. So she decided to play this to her advantage.

"I go by a lot of names, but 'you' is a new one."

Naruto was being kept quiet by Sakura, who had the boy in a headlock, even though he struggled. Sakura was still much undecided about Chika, but at that moment trusted her. Two little kids behind Chika trembled at the strangers. Now, Chika didn't like loud people, and kids were the loudest, but she had morals.

The boy growled, "You're the swordsman who conned every man of his money in Sunagakure a few months ago."

"Ah. And you're a victim who had fallen prey to a riddle of mChika laughed hollowly. She had indeed conned many a man of money in Suna. But this boy was the worst, what with a large amount of money, and not enough sense. "Didn't you know that my riddles leave people in quite the predicament?"

"I found that out when I lost my money!" The boy growled, his grip on Konohamaru's scarf tightening, the end blowing in the slight breeze.

"Kankuro, we shouldn't keep him waiting." The sandy-haired girl interrupted.

Chika's eyebrow's came together as she worked out how much she knew about this person. One, he was from the Sand Village. Two he must be a puppeteer, or something similar, for his face paint was traditionally of that of a puppet master. Also, the strange bandage bound package on his bag was suspicious.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Chika smiled fake and widely. When she saw the infuriated face on the boy, she frowned.

"Look, I know why you're here, and beating up the Hokage's grandson isn't a great way to start off."

The boy suddenly dropped Konohamaru like he was on fire and Chika felt a blow to her collarbone as the boy pinned her against the wall.

"What do you mean you know why we're here?" He hissed. Chika was surprised and afraid at the same time. Obviously this guy wasn't talking about the Chunin Exams, and Chika wondered what he was going to say. But she was unable to move. Naruto ran to aid Chika but was easily deflected by a movement of the boy.

So he is a puppet master! Chika almost smiled at her knowledge, until she felt her collarbone being crushed. She could hear the girl say, "Kankuro, stop it, would you!"

Kankuro turned to answer, but let go of Chika as something hit his hand, taking him by surprise. Turning towards a tree, where the stone came from, everyone saw a dark-haired boy with a pile of stones in his hands, glaring at Kankuro.

"It's Sasuke!" Sakura squealed, hands joining in delight.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke sneered, not taking his eyes off of Kankuro. Beside him, Temari blushed slightly, and a new voice answered.

"My apologies- we were just going. Kankuro, Temari- I told you to wait." An eerie voice echoed Chika's mind. It was familiar, she knew who owned it. Turning, she saw a young red haired, raccoon eyed boy of Shikamaru's age, standing upside down on the branch of a tree.

"B-but Gaara!" Kankuro began to protest, but was silenced by Gaara.

"Shut up or I'll kill you."

Chika's eyes widened in surprise, and Kankuro shot her a glare, as Gaara disappeared, and appeared in a poof of smoke beside Kankuro.

"I'm sorry about my friends. I know we're a little early, but we didn't come to play." He spoke again, a cold unfriendly voice with no feeling. Before Chika could reply, Haru had galloped in front of her, and his nostrils flared, as his head was bowed to attack Kankuro and Gaara. Surprise shot across Kankuro's face, but Gaara's remained molded in the same glare. Chika nearly smiled in relief, at the stag's presence, and whistled for Haru to retreat, which he did reluctantly, his large head looming above Chika.

"I understand. You should probably report your entry form in, before the offices close. If you want directions, I'm heading there anyway, so I could show you." Chika addressed the team in a fashion that made her seem more authorative. Haru grunted unenthusiastically, but Chika silenced him. Gaara didn't answer, but his eyes set on Chika's collarbone, where a purple bruise began to from. Temari then answered.

"We would be grateful if you did."

Chika nodded curtly, and Gaara snapped out of his slight daze that no one had noticed. She glanced at Sakura who mouthed to her confused, "What's going on?" To Chika replied in the same way. "Ask Kakashi." Sakura nodded, and stayed quiet. Chika mounted Haru.

"We'd best be going if you want to make it in time."

The Sand trio nodded, and in silence, they left the Genin and Konohamaru, who were still confused to what was happening.

The three Suna Ninja walked in silence, and as Chika made her way through the town of Konoha, she attempted to make small talk.

"Sunagakure's quite a way from here. It must have been some journey."

"Two and a half days." Temari answered, not liking the silence at all, and wishing Chika had not been so forgiving. Gaara was thinking the same, as he walked in what seemed to look like a sulk. Kankuro was ignoring her completely, taking in the sights of Konoha. When they reached the Shinobi Offices, Temari thanked Chika and the Sand Shinobi headed off in one direction and Chika another.

She bustled through the crowds of people, until she found where she was looking for. The Hokage's Office. She saw the sign indicating that the room was in a meeting, and waited on a chair patiently. That morning her father had told her to come to the Offices after training, as she needed to see the Hokage. He hadn't specified what she needed to see him for, but Chika wasn't worried.

Hmm, maybe if she tried hard enough, the Hokage wouldn't let her compete in the Exams. That would be a change all right; she could then do as she pleased.

Although, when she thought about it, did she really want to stop?

Sure, training was tiring, and hard work, and she wasn't the best of them all, but she had friends on team Eight.

Did she really want to stop her friendships with the three people?

Hinata, who was shy and unsure, but was loyal, and a friend to the end.

Kiba, who was wild and rough, but funny and a great sparring partner.

Or Shino, who was silent and unemotive. However he was also closer to Chika than anyone else on Team Eight. And through all those teaching sessions, the hardships Shino had put her through, he listened to her, and talked to her, even if he was quiet, and stubbornly convinced his opinions were right, that was the fun of it all. Shino was a stranger like her, and was possibly the first intelligent person Chika had met who was near her age.

Did she really want to leave Team Eight?

"Nara, Chika. The Hokage can see you now." Someone called, as many Shinobi filed out of the Office. Chika snapped out of her thoughts, and entered through the door. She was suddenly nervous.

The Hokage sat behind his desk that was full of papers and documents, and smiled when he saw Chika. Chika stood in front of the desk, and recognized the other ninja that stood at the side of the room.

"Young Chika, it's nice to see you've returned to Konoha." The Hokage greeted, and Chika bowed, just as she had been raised, as a polite kid.

"The same returned Lord Hokage." Her voice was sincere, and she straightened up.

"You are probably wondering why you were sent here Chika."

Chika nodded, and the Hokage gestured to the ninja who stood at the side. Asuma, Kurenai, Kakashi, and her father, Shikaku came out from the shadows.

"As you know, Chika, the Chunin Selection Exams will start tomorrow, and we are expecting Shinobi from many villages. However, I have a source telling me that the Sound Village- a small remotely hidden town, is plotting something against Konoha. If that is true, then we obviously must pick out the rotten eggs. It is also said that the Sand have formed an alliance with the Sound."

Chika nodded, taking in the information. Then recalled the aggression of Kankuro, and his words echoed through her head.

"I have called you here today, to request you enter the Chunin Exams, and uncover any information at all about the matter. If you do agree, you shall compete as a soloist, and won't compete in a team. It will be dangerous, yet it requires a sound mind, and a Nara of course would be my first choice. The Jounin Elite, who mentor the Genin are already informed about it, and as I heard from Kurenai, you exceed in weaponry. Also according to Asuma your brain power matches that of far above you in the ranks. To my question, will you accept this responsibility?"

Chika was ataken back by the comments of the Jounin. Exceed in weaponry? Brain power matches that of higher rankings? Those were lies, they had to be. Then she remembered her promises to Asuma. She took her time to answer, torn between her word, and her feelings.

"I accept, Lord Hokage."

"I am grateful. Now you shall be needed this." He tossed her something material like, and Chika caught it. A Konoha Headband! But she should only get this when she became a-.

"I believe you already qualify, Chika." The Hokage turned around, "After all, it's not every day you find someone who rises at Dawn to fit in extra training."

Chika's jaw almost dropped. However she just nodded, and left the office and the Jounin Elite gave her a nod of approval, and from Asuma she felt pride in his smile. Her father followed her out, and congratulated her.

"This is where the real work starts. Your mom will be proud." He smiled, and Chika flushed red, embarrassed. She decided to tie the headband around her arm, as she saw Shikamaru do.

This was it. Her challenge from Lord Hokage!