Shadowy Things And Silent Serpents

"Shit." Nobara hissed, coming up to Sasuke's side. He was still staring rather blankly at his name, flashing on the display.

"Kick his ass, Sasuke!" Naruto thumped Sasuke on the back, making Sasuke twitch and break his stare to scowl at Naruto.

"Just don't use any chakra, Sasuke." Nobara murmured, keeping her voice barely a whisper so no one else would hear. They'd found out the hard way that Sasuke's chakra was…..out of commission for the time being. "You can beat this guy's ass with just taijutsu."

"Hnn." Sasuke grunted, jerking his chin in a nod. His teeth were clenched and Nobara knew that even though he hadn't said anything, the seal on his neck was painful. She'd seen it in the sporadic muscle twitches and the way he'd been clenching his fist periodically.

"Everyone but the two opponents, clear the floor and go to the upper level." Hayate instructed, gesturing with a cough.

Kakashi appeared beside them before Nobara and Naruto could move away. He flicked his one eye over the three of them before settling it on Sasuke. "Sasuke, don't use your Sharingan." He said solemnly.

"You know?" Sasuke asked incredulously as the three Genin eyed their sensei.

"If that seal on your neck gets out of control, your life could be in danger." Kakashi warned, one eye very serious.

"We know." Sasuke sniped, turning away to eye his opponent. The other Genin was an older man, maybe in his twenties, but they couldn't see much around his mask and glasses.

"Just so you know, if it gets to that point, I'll have to intervene and end the fight. Good luck." The silver haired Jounin said before walking away.

"Tch. Ass." Nobara said with a slightly fond shake of the head before turning back to Sasuke. "I'll be disappointed if you lose." She told him with a smile before following after the Jounin.

"You'll win." Kiiromaru said with a firm nod, trotting after his mistress.

"Cha, this guy's no problem." Naruto exclaimed with a wide grin, patting Sasuke roughly on the back before scrambling after his female team mate.

Sasuke couldn't help the little curl that found its way to his lips as he watched his team walk away. They all believed in him. They knew he could do this. It felt nice knowing they were behind him no matter what. Sasuke subdued his smile, turning back to his opponent and getting serious.

Leaping up to the plat form that surrounded the room on either side, Nobara found a good spot to watch the match. The Rookies and Team Gai had taken one side of the room and the Sound Team, the Sand Team and the other Konoha Genin had picked the other side. Yellow eyes flicking over the room, Nobara spotted the Sound Jounin and casually placed herself on the other side of Kakashi, just out of the Jounin's view.

"Kakashi-sensei." Nobara murmured in greeting. Naruto, completely oblivious, parked himself on Kakashi's other side, further blocking Nobara from the Sound Jounin's eyes. Nobara knew he hadn't done it on purpose but it suited her objective all the same.

"You guys look like you had it rough." Kakashi said, turning his head to scan Nobara.

"You wouldn't believe what we went through!" Naruto exclaimed, his focus mainly on Sasuke.

"Yeah." Nobara drew the syllable out. "We ran into some pretty big snakes in there. Seemed like they were Summonings to me." That drew Kakashi's complete attention, his one eye meeting Nobara's grave stare.

"Summonings, huh?" Kakashi echoed, his hand coming up to scratch his chin.

"Yeah, one ate me!" Naruto said in outrage, looking completely put out. He was still completely unaware of the current going from Nobara to Kakashi.

"Snakes have a pretty distinct smell." Nobara continued, eyes flickering but not looking for the Sound Jounin. She didn't want to draw his attention. Instead she made sure Kakashi covered her lips. She was speaking quiet enough no one would hear but if Orochimaru could read lips she needed to keep her face blocked. "Actually I can't seem to get the scent out of my nose."

"I can't smell anything." Naruto said in confusion making her want to scowl, but Kakashi seemed to have gotten her message. His single eye widened just a fraction and if she hadn't been so close she wouldn't have seen his muscles tense before relaxing again.

"Well, you don't look worse for wear." Kakashi said airily, standing straight even as Sasuke's fight began down below.

Nobara stepped back just slightly, staying behind Kakashi's shoulder. "We didn't come off too bad, but they really seemed to be after Sasuke." She shrugged, looking the very picture of exasperated instead of tense like she wanted to be. "In fact, I caught three little ones trying to sneak through the grass to bite him. They made a lot of noise." Her reference to Grass and Sound was vague but she trusted Karachi to have gotten her message anyway.

"Mah, no need to worry about it." Kakashi said lightly, patting her on the shoulder as he moved past her towards the other three Jounin, standing at the back of the balcony together. "I'll take care of it."

Nobara nodded, feeling a little more at ease, turning her attention to Sasuke. He was raining his opponent with a hail of kunai, keeping the taller older man at a distance for now. No doubt he was trying to buy himself time to think. She scanned the battle with a frown, crossing her arms, half of her mind still on Orochimaru. She felt almost sick with worry but didn't show any of it. She could see the black clad figure at the edge of her vision but she refused to look at him again.

"Hey, don't worry, Sasuke's got this guy handled." Naruto told her, nudging her with his elbow, sensing her tension even though she looked relaxed.

Smiling affectionately at her team mate, Nobara looped her arm though his. "Yeah, he's too strong for a guy like that to beat him." She replied as Kiiromaru finally flopped himself down beside her.

But then the other Genin revealed his chakra absorbing talent and the match looked a little grim. But only for a minute. Nobara let out a loud cheer as Sasuke unleashed his version of Lee's Lion Combo. After a move like that, Yoroi Akado was pretty much finished.

"Winner; Sasuke Uchiha." Hayate announced with a cough as the medics swarmed down to carry Yoroi away. Nobara let our a loud piercing whistle, drawing Sasuke's eyes. Kiiromaru even let loose a few deep barks, making Ino and Chouji jump, surprised. She waved with a huge grin, Naruto cheering beside her and she could see the curl in the Uchiha's lips even from where she stood.

"I'll be back. Gai?" Kakashi turned to look at the green clad Jounin.

"I will watch them with the eyes of a VERY YOUTHFUL hawk, my ETERNAL RIVAL!" Gai assured, striking a pose, making everyone but Nobara grimace. The Inuzuka merely shook her head fondly at her cousins boyfriend.

"Riiiiight." Kakashi drawled before using a Body Flicker to appear at Sasuke's side. After a short moment the two headed out after the medics. Nobara and Naruto both gave Sasuke waves as he disappeared. Nobara had no doubt that Kakashi would be looking over the seal on Sasuke's neck and trying to figure out some way to counteract it.

"I hope they get rid of that mark." Naruto said as the two Sharingan users left the room. For once Naruto's face was a little grim. Nobara had taken the time the other day to explain the implications behind the seal and it's more than grave consequences.

"Yeah, me too." Nobara agreed.

She suddenly shuddered, feeling her neck prickle. Raising her eyes, Nobara looked straight across the room to the other balcony, meeting the Sound Jounin's speculative gaze. The Jounin had moved, now standing straight across from her. Baring her fangs in aggression, Nobara snarled at the Sound-nin's placid face. A little smile curled the Jounin's lips and he waved two fingers at her before turning and casually leaving the room.

Tensing Nobara almost turned to follow but a large hand dropped onto her shoulder. "Do not worry!" Gai said, his deep voice serious. Then in a blink he was smiling again. "My Eternal Rival is with the young Uchiha and he will be perfectly safe! If he is not I will run around the village 1000 times on my hands as punishment!"

Nobara gave Gai a smile, even as Naruto gaped up at the eccentric man. "I guess I'll leave him to Kakashi then." Nobara said, not really talking about Sasuke, but then Gai hadn't really been either.

* Shino Aburame vs. Zaku Abumi*

Nobara glanced over her shoulder at the stoic bug user, giving him a nod and a smile as he swept past her. She didn't know him well, she didn't think anyone knew him well but he seemed like a good shinobi. He was her brothers team mate above all and that meant he was part of the pack, whether he wanted to be or not. So that meant she had to support him too. Which wasn't a hardship since he seemed like such a passive person.

"He uses air and sound jutsu from his palms." She murmured when he was almost out of hearing range. His head turned briefly, light glinted off his glasses and he gave her a nod before he leapt down to face his opponent.

"How YOUTHFUL!" Gai exclaimed over her shoulder, making her grimace from the sheer volume. "Lee, do you see? She has shown a compassionate and CARING example of YOUTH by helping a fellow comrade!"

Lee appeared at his sensei's side, having crossing the balcony in a flash. He leaned closer to the kunoichi, making her lean away with wide eyes. "Nobara is TRULY a perfect example of what a perfect blossum of ELEGANCE a TRUE kunoichi can be!" He said in a booming voice, staring at Nobara in what he might think was a manly way. Instead it came across as weird and more than a little creepy.

"Hey, stay away from her!" Naruto shouted, planting his foot in Lee's face and shoving him away violently. "I told you already!"

"What's this!?" Kiba shouted, suddenly right there, scowling at Lee. He pointed a finger stiffly and bared his teeth. Even Akamaru at his feet barked sharply. "Don't you come near my sister!"

Nobara blinked, wincing as the three boys began to squabble. Gai watched in amusement, standing over the boys with massive arms crossed. Looking down at Kiiromaru, who looked just a put out about the whole thing, she jerked her head towards the other end of the balcony and they both slinked away from the three boys.

As Shino's match began down below, Nobara ended up beside Shikamaru at the far end of the balcony. The Nara was slumped down against the rail, chin resting on his knuckles as his dark eyes surveyed the room. As she came up beside him his eyes slid over to her, with a look she'd never seen in them before. Hot, irritated, dark. His scent was a little sharper than usual too, a little spicy.

"What was that?" He asked, his tone low and almost rough. She'd never heard him angry before, in fact she'd never seen him really angry before but this must be what it looked like.

"Lee?" She raised her brows, looking at him in stark surprise. Kiiromaru huffed and threw himself down to lay on the cool tile.

"Yeah…..Lee." Shikamaru confirmed, glancing down the balcony to the still arguing boys. They hadn't seemed to realize that she'd given them the slip.

Nobara squinted at the Nara for a long silent moment and Shikamaru's eyes slid back to meet her eyes. They stared at one another for a long drawn out minute. There was something in his eyes, something dark and …shadowy. Shikamaru was an intense person by nature, she knew that, most shinobi were, but she'd never seen him look this…..intent before. He was staring at her like he could see every thought crossing her mind, every intention in her soul, every feeling in her heart. Her breath was suddenly short and her heart was thumping in her ears. Absently her fingers clenched on the railing and her instincts screamed. For once she had no idea what they were telling her.

Then Shikamaru blinked and his lips curled, just a little, at the corner and she sucked in a breath. A smile automatically pulled at her lips and suddenly she felt warm all the way to her toes. She was sure she looked like an idiot, smiling so wide but she didn't care. Only Shikamaru could ever pull such a ridiculous smile out of her, a smile just for him.

"You think Lee's any competition?" She asked, sounding oddly breathless as she quirked a brow at him.

"Not anymore." Shikamaru murmured, blinking sedately, that intense something gone from his eyes. That curl at the corner of his lip was still there though.

"Good, I don't have my eye on anybody else." She told him honestly, slumping down against the rail, her arm brushing his.

"Mah, less troublesome for me that way." He said as they both turned their attention back to the end of Shino's match. The Aburame had clearly won, Zaku's arm more than a little mangled. The medics were already swarming the room, circling around the boy.

"Good job, Shino!" Nobara called with a wave as the Aburame leapt back up to the balcony.

"Thank you for the accurate information." Shino said in return, slotting himself beside Hinata, who looked about like she was going to have a heart attack.

"Next match Kankuro vs. Misumi Tsurugi." Hayate called, voice rasping on a cough.