Wow…. The last time I updated was last year. Anyway….
Chapter 21
Reunion
Munch munch munch munch
"…"
Munch munch munch MUNCH munch
"Gr…"
Munch munch CRUNCH munch CHOMP
"NARUTO!"
"What?" he said innocently through a mouthful of ramen… dry.
"Quit smacking!" Tenten scolded, bonking him on the head, and therefore making him spit out his ramen.
"Hey, what was that for?" he shouted, rubbing his head.
"Nothing…"
Sakura glanced at her watch (where'd it come from?). "We'd better get back to class… what's next?"
"Botany," Neji offered.
They all groaned. "Not with Orochimaru!"
"Hey, you guys have it everyday!" Sakura accused. "You shouldn't be complaining! You're used to it."
"You have it everyday too," Tenten pointed out. "And you're going to have to get used to it."
Ayame sighed with boredom. "Come on, then, let's go."
They individually threw away the remnants of their lunches: grape juice, water, tomato juice, ramen juice, dry, uncooked ramen, smelly egg-tuna-potato sandwiches, a huge salad of turnips and grapes, tomatoes, more ramen, this time cooked, and a double helping of… fried chicken with string beans.
…
They headed to the classroom of Botany. The door still had pictures of palm trees on it.
"I hope Orochimaru doesn't use the smokescreen again," Sakura whispered to Tenten, who agreed readily.
"Come on, I think we're late. If only we could slip by…" Ayame began, but she was stopped by a snake poking its head out the tiny crack between door and wall to hiss at them.
"Uh… hi," she said to it, her voice cracking.
"I think Orochimaru is using him as one of those things you can use to look out your door without opening it to see who it is. And no, I don't mean a window," Sasuke muttered.
"Yeah, sure. Just hope that he has no idea of what we're attempting…"
"Why, hello there. Sneaking to class, are we?"
You can imagine the trouble that got them into.
Let's just say that somehow, miraculously, they managed to snake out of it. Get it? Snake? Hah! Haha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Ok. Sorry.
They're to serve detentions on Wednesday.
-Time skip to 4:15-
"Uh-oh. I gotta run!" Sakura shouted, bolting through the halls. Echoes of the racket bounced through the hall as a speeding pink blur zipped past, making loosely held paper from the arms of passing students fly and flutter away like butterflies. In a second she was gone.
"MoveasidepeopleIgotta'pointmentwith'sorayuki!" That phrase was reported to be heard often whenever the blur passed. But before anyone had a chance to comprehend what was being said, the blur would have disappeared.
Sakura sped out the double doors of her new school and, books loose in her arms, rushed towards the training grounds. She had discovered the clearing much earlier, dubbed it "the training ground", and knew that it was where her instructor had wished for her to go when she mentioned "training".
She was in such a hurry that little did she know about the shadow slinking after her…
"I-I'm here," she announced, panting slightly after her mad dash. She looked around to see the wind blowing peacefully through the leaves of the few trees, squirrels chattering amiably, and the grass waving lazily.
"I know you're here," she grumped, and a chuckle emanated from what seemed like the sky. But a second later, a flash of black arrived, springing down from a nearby tree.
"Sharp as aways, I see."
Sakura allowed a smile to slide onto her features.
"Let's just say I've been practicing."
Asorayuki shifted. "Good. That means you will be quite fit for the lesson, hm?"
A second later, she disappeared.
Sakura quickly scanned the landscape. She blinked and jumped backward as a kunai came hurtling down at a slanted angle toward her, and another, and another.
The shadow that had been following her was now safely up a tree, watching. His eyes grew wide when he saw what they were doing.
A shuriken flew at her from behind. Sakura drew into her weapon pouch and threw a kunai to counter it. Before she could turn forward again, someone landed a sharp kick to her back. She gasped, and then poofed into a log.
"Good tactic! Keep it up!" Asorayuki called. She performed several swift hand signs and muttered something. Immediately a huge gust of wind tumbled from the trees of her left side, successfully displacing several weak trees and a pink-haired girl.
Sakura growled and, right after the wind subsided, threw another kunai at A. (let's just call her that…). She slightly shifted her arm and it flew past harmlessly. A barrage of pointed weaponry, all related to knives in some way, came at A. from all sides. She began a complex cartwheel move that, somehow, saved her from harm. By the time she fixed her attention again on Sakura, she was already landing an ax kick toward her head. A. ducked her head and grabbed her ankle, twisting it.
A noise between a snarl and a whine left her mouth, but she quickly countered with a few stabs of her kunai, which forced A. to dodge and let go. Taking advantage of this, Sakura flipped forward, leashing a barrage of shuriken, and stomped on the ground hard. The compact dirt under their feet began to rumble and shake.
It was an earthquake.
A. jumped back in surprise. She landed in the branches of a nearby tree, but was forced to seek another safe spot as the violently shaking ground tore the tree.
As soon as it was over, A. flipped forward, the kunai in her hand clashing with Sakura's. They fought with taijutsu for several moments in silence, each trying some of her hardest. Sakura was swift and agile, while A. was more experienced and deft.
Sakura ended it with a pair of double kicks, a jumping hook kick, punches and fake, quick gestures meant to confuse, and a downward and side slash. She stopped, panting, with her kunai tip resting at A.'s neck.
She pushed up, smiling and also breathing heavily. "Well, Sakura, I see you've improved greatly over the past few weeks. Your techniques have been polished. I take it you've been practicing extensively…?"
"Yeah…" Sakura wheezed, attempting to stand up. She walked away with slow steps. "I think I need to get some rest."
"That's right, but first let me tell you of something." That stopped her. "Soon, they are holding the annual ninja festival…"
Sakura perked up. Brightening, she chirped, "Really? It's always so fun…"
"So, do you have someone in mind?"
"Sorta…" Sakura put a finger to her chin, thinking. "It's barely been anything since I've gotten here, but it seems so long already… I think I know who."
The figure up in the tree was puffing in relief that his tree had not been uprooted. Brushing past, he leaned forward, trying to hear what she was going to say next. He was so focused on the goal that he didn't notice as he tipped forward… falling…
Suddenly the ground seemed much closer than it had been before.
A/N: owch… the figure fell. Do you know who it is?
I didn't update since last year… omg… I started the chapter but then forgot about it… sorry… anyway was the fighting scene okay? I'm not good at that kind of stuff.
Plz review:D