Just to clear things up a little for the last chapter, a lot of people have been confused as to how Naruto was the one who helped Tazuna and Inari, when I wrote that it was Kagome. Well, Naruto was technically the one to help them, Kagome was just there to explain things to Inari. Naruto had the most overall effect on Inari.
Chapter Twelve:
Team Seven had saved the Country of the Waves and gotten back home. Naruto ran towards the team meeting spot, and said good morning to Sakura, but only glared at Sasuke.
'They've been like this ever since they got back from the mission.' Sakura thought to herself, exasperated.
Seconds passed. Minutes passed. Hours passed. Everyone was tired of waiting except Sasuke. He was thinking about the conversation he had with Kakashi.
xX Flashback Xx
Sasuke walked up to Kakashi when they were alone and asked the question that had been on his mind for the entire mission.
"Kakashi, who is Kagome?"
"Well, Kagome is a part of Team Seven. Age, 12. Height, 5"1. Blood type, O." Kakashi trailed off at the glare Sasuke gave him.
"Kagome has white chakra. WHITE. And she used this weird jutsu using all of the elements that completely wiped out the Zabuza clones she was battling. Naruto and me both saw it. Plus she made some weapons out of her chakra and Sakura told me she healed me with some purple energy. Kagome can also wield her katanas that sometimes has flames surround them." Sasuke said, still glaring at Kakashi. "And I looked up 'Higurashi' in the library and there have been no records of her family's existence. Ever."
Kakashi sighed at his student's perceptiveness. "I don't know anything about her more than you do. In fact, you know more about her than me. What was that about a jutsu using the elements?"
"She did this weird combination of hand signs and then I saw that in between her hands there were six balls of water, fire, earth, air, lightning and one of her pure white chakra." Sasuke explained what he saw. "It completely wiped out the enemy's clones."
Kakashi looked deep in thought. "I'm going to talk to the Hokage about her. But for now, don't show any sign that you're suspicious about her and don't tell anyone what you told me." Sasuke nodded.
xX End Flashback Xx
Kakashi poofed to the top of the bridge and raised his hand in greeting. "Yo! I was walking, but I saw an old lady that needed help with her bags so I-"
"LIAR!!" Sakura and Naruto shouted.
"Well today, you have a lot of missions, so let's go." Kakashi said, turning and walking.
"Wait, what about Kagome?" Sakura asked, looking around for her black-haired teammate.
"Oh, she has to talk to the Hokage about something, so she told me that probably wouldn't make it to the missions." Kakashi said. And so they began the missions. Naruto pulled out some lady's herbs instead of her weeds and got beat up. When they were picking up trash from the river, Naruto slipped and almost fell down the waterfall if not for Sasuke saving him. Naruto got pulled into a mine field by a huge dog he was supposed to walk while Sasuke and Sakura sighed, standing with their small dogs.
"You guys need to work on your teamwork." Kakashi said, sighing.
"Yeah, you keep disturbing our teamwork, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted.
"That would be you, idiot. And if you don't want to owe me anymore then become better than me." Sasuke said without even looking back. Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke when he saw a crow circling over his head, meaning that he needed to meet with the other people at the Hokage Tower.
Sakura ran after Sasuke and stopped him. "Um…Sasuke-kun, do you wan to work on our teamwork together?"
"You're the same as Naruto. If you have the time to chase after me, then go train or something. In fact, you're worse than Naruto." Sasuke said bluntly. He turned and walked away, leaving a depressed Sakura.
At the Hokage's Tower…
"Kagome? What's wrong?" Sarutobi (the Hokage) asked her, folding his arms under his chin.
"I found something…disturbing." Kagome said hesitantly. "On Gatoh's back, I saw a spider-shaped scar. The mark of Naraku."
"Does that mean he's going to attack you for the Shikon no Tama soon?" the Hokage asked in a somber tone.
"Well, considering how useless Gatoh was, I'd say that Naraku is still weak but he's getting stronger. Sarutobi sighed.
"Okay, thanks for the information. I have a meeting right now about the Chuunin exams, so I have to talk to you again later." Kagome nodded, and left through the window, leaving the Hokage alone.
With Naruto…
Konohamaru was running away from Sakura's wrath, when he bumped into something. 'Or someone…' Konohamaru thought, when that thing picked him up by the scruff of his clothes.
"That hurt." The person had black clothes with a cat-ears hood and he had purple face paint. Next to him was a girl with four ponytails and light clothes, carrying a huge fan on her back.
"Stop it Kankurou." Temari (the girl with four ponytails) said. "We're going to get scolded later."
"Hey! Let go of him!" Naruto shouted. Sakura was scared because she didn't know who these people were.
"I want to play around before some noisy people come." Kankurou said, smiling wickedly. Then he noticed a girl beside him who had appeared out of nowhere. She was glaring at him coldly.
"Let him go, or I make you let him go." Kagome said, her voice icy. Kankurou smirked.
"Just go ahead and try girly."
"Oi, Kankurou, stop-" Temari was cut off by a yell from her teammate. Kankurou was cradling a broken wrist and Konohamaru was back with Naruto and his friends. Kagome was now in front of them, still staring at them icily. Kankurou ran towards Kagome, yelling but was stopped when a rock pierced his foot.
Sasuke was sitting on the nearby tree branch, juggling two rocks. Kankurou cursed.
"More brats."
Kagome looked at him coolly, then she stiffened and turned toward the tree where Sasuke was. A moment later, Gaara appeared, hanging upside-down from the branch next to Sasuke. He had blood-red hair, teal eyes and had the Chinese character for 'love' etched on the side of his forehead. No one else had noticed him yet. Gaara looked at Kagome curiously, before turning to his teammates and speaking out.
"Kankurou, stop." Everyone looked at him. "You're a disgrace to our village. What do you think we came to Konoha for?"
"Gaara, they started it and-"
"Shut up. I'll kill you." Gaara glared at him.
"Got it. It was my fault. Sorry."
Gaara turned towards Sasuke and Kagome. "Apologies to you guys."
'To be able to hit Kankurou with a rock so easily…he's good. And that girl…she broke his wrist in a split second without him even noticing…'
"Let's go." Gaara said coldly. Disappearing from the branch and reappearing next to his teammates in a whirl of sand, he walked away from the Konoha group. The other two started to follow him, but they were stopped by Sakura.
"Wait! Judging from your hitai-ates you guys are from the Hidden Village of the Sand. Our countries may be allies, but it is forbidden to enter other villages without permission. What-" Sakura was cut of by Kagome.
"You guys are here for the Chuunin exams, right?" Temari nodded and started to walk away, yet again. And they were stopped yet again.
"Hey, you there. What's your name?" Sasuke asked. Temari blushed.
"Me?"
"No, the one next to you with the gourd." Sasuke said.
Gaara turned. "Gaara of the Desert. I'm also interested in you and the girl. Your names?"
"Uchiha Sasuke."
"Haruno Sak-" Sakura was happy because she thought he meant her, but her happiness turned to outrage when Gaara turned and looked at Kagome.
"Not you. The other girl." Kagome looked at him blankly.
"Higurashi…Kagome." Gaara nodded and walked away, this time getting farther than two steps. Three ninjas from the Sound Village were looking at Team Seven from some trees.
"What do you think?" the guy on the side asked.
"Nothing serious, but…the black-haired girl and guy from Leaf and the one from Sand with the gourd…Let's keep our eyes on them." the one with bandages asked.
The next day, once again at the bridge for a meeting…
After waiting for hours once again, Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke.
"Hey, good morning. I got lost on the road of life." he said cheerily.
"Sure, LIAR!" Naruto and Sakura yelled.
"This might be a little sudden, but I've nominated you guys for the Chuunin Exams." Kakashi said, handing them each an application. "But, this just an application. It's up to you whether or not you want to take the exam. Those who want to, fill out the paper and take it to the school in room 301 by 3 p.m. six days from now. It is up to each individual."
Kagome, Sasuke and Naruto were absolutely sure that they were going to take it, but Sakura was reluctant. It was going too fast, and she couldn't keep up with her teammates.
Iruka made them all go through a test before he reluctantly agreed to let them take the Chuunin exams. There were still six days before the Chuunin Exams.
