Author's Note: Here's the second chapter! I know I am behind, but I am hoping to catch up by the end of the weekend...fingers crossed.
Also, in case anyone didn't realize, I rewrote the first chapter-it's the same, but I extended the ending.
This chapter's prompt is "Cliff Hanger." As you'll read soon, I took it a little too literally. Naruto's older in this one-about 20 or so. It's told in the POV of my OC, Misao Nara.
I hope you guys enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, just plot...and now OCs :)
Nara Misao grits her teeth as she struggles to hold on.
"Don't let go!" her teammate, a Yamada Takeshi, yells from below her. Takeshi has his arm around her thigh. Misao feels she should be embarrassed but she's too scared to care.
"Help!" Her third, and final, teammate yells. Nakamoto Sora was a decent enough ninja, but he's also an idiot if he thinks anyone can hear, much less be able to help them.
Misao curses her sensei for the seventeenth time today—yes, she's been counting. He didn't want to teach them, and they all knew that—heck, everyone in the village probably knew that. Did he hate them that much that he would want them to die?
A muscle cramp breaks Misao from her thoughts and she tenses. She's going to slip. And then, they are going to die.
"Are you okay, Misao?" Takeshi yells from below her again.
"Why are you asking if she's okay. She better be okay!" Sora's voice cuts in. "We're all going to die if she isn't okay!"
Misao closes her eyes. Sora, the idiot, is right. They are going to die, because she can't hold on any longer.
"Be quiet, Sora." Takeshi scolds. "And relax. We're going to be just fine."
…what?
Misao bites her lips.
Hard.
She was mistaken. Sora's not the idiot; Takeshi is—ow.
Another cramp erupts from her hand. This is it.
"I—," she starts, her voice breaking, "I am so sorry."
Her hand lets go.
Earlier that day:
"What is this supposed to be!" A voice yells from the hallway. Misao can't tell if the owner's really asking a question or exaggerating a statement.
"It's a genin team assignment. Your genin team assignment." Another voice from the hallway. Misao recognizes it as the Hokage's.
Godaime Senju Tsunade.
Misao's sensei—er, well now her ex-sensei already told them to expect the Hokage on team placement day.
But the second voice—Misao can't place where she recognizes that voice from.
The door slides open and Nara-dono's son Shikamaru walks in. His teammates, the Yamanaka and Akimichi, follow behind him.
Another jounin also walks in—a Hyuga. He eyes the students for a brief moment before walking over to Hinata-sensei's desk.
Misao's class graduated fifteen students. They are due one more jounin before team placement can begin.
After several more minutes of wait, the Hokage walks through the door and behind her is none other than Uzumaki Naruto.
Misao's mouth drops as Hinata-sensei clears her throat.
She's introducing the jounin, but Misao can't take her eyes off Uzumaki Naruto.
She wonders why he's here. He doesn't seem like the type who would sign up to teach genin students.
Behind her, a few students erupt into excited chatter. Misao wishes they hadn't though. They couldn't possibly think that Uzumaki Naruto, of all people, would be teaching them…could they?
"Quiet down now, please." Hinata-sensei calls. "I am going to begin team placement so listen carefully!"
All eyes are on Hinata-sensei as she calls Misao's classmates—now, ex-classmates—and places them in teams of three.
Yamanaka Hana is placed in a team under Shikamaru-san. Misao winces. She feels bad for her clan head's son. Hana can be quite—
Hinata-sensei's voice cuts Misao from the rest of her thought. "…Misao Nara, Yamada Takeshi, and Nakamoto Sora. Your jounin sensei will be Uzumaki Naruto."
Misao's eyes widen.
No way.
Behind her, she hears Nakamoto Sora suck in a deep breath.
"No way." Yamada Takeshi laughs. "I can't believe it. We got Uzumaki Naruto!" He laughs again.
Misao doesn't feel like laughing though.
She especially doesn't feel like laughing when Uzumaki Naruto's eyes fall on them.
He meets her eyes then beckons them forth with a jerk of his head.
Misao and her new teammates get up from their seats. She throws a small smile to Hinata-sensei—her old sensei—and then proceeds to follow her new sensei down the hall and up to the roof.
Misao feels like an idiot.
Uzumaki Naruto is staring at her—at them.
And, they're staring back.
Minutes pass and nothing else happens.
Misao tries to come up with something to say—anything to say. What does one say to the Uzumaki Naruto?
"Ah, hello?" Yamada Takeshi croaks.
Hello? He just said "hello" so casually to Uzumaki Naruto. Misao doesn't know if she should be impressed or embarrassed for him.
She settles on impressed, when Uzumaki Naruto raises an eyebrow and smirks.
"Hello back." He stares at Yamada Takeshi for a minute before turning to them all.
"I figure you know who I am." He doesn't ask us, just states.
Misao and her teammates nod their heads anyways. It's quiet again.
"Do you—" Nakamoto Sora starts then clears his throat. "Would you like us to introduce ourselves?"
Uzumaki Naruto smirks again. "Go ahead."
Nakamoto Sora clears his throat again. "My name is Nakamoto Sora—you guys can call me Sora. I like to—"
"Next." Uzumaki Naruto cuts in.
Misao feels her ears go red. She's glad she didn't go first.
"I'm Yamada Takeshi," Yamada Takeshi laughs like nothing just happened. "Call me Takeshi."
"Nara Misao." Misao hurriedly adds in. She nods her head at Uzumaki Naruto and is surprised—and a little glad—that he nods back.
"Your assignment was a mistake." Uzumaki Naruto doesn't let the silence linger on this time. "I am not supposed to be your sensei—anyone's sensei."
Misao looks down. She doesn't let herself be too disappointed though. She knew Uzumaki Naruto's presence was odd at team placement.
"That being said," Uzumaki Naruto continues, "I can't help the fact that I am your sensei—"
Misao looks up. Is he serious…?
"—temporary sensei." Guess not.
"What do you mean 'temporary sensei'?" Sora asks. His tone's a little angry. Misao can tell he is embarrassed by his earlier introduction.
Uzumaki Naruto tilts his head. "What I mean is that your so called graduation exam was only the first of two tests."
First of two tests?
"The Academy's graduation exam is to determine who are all ready for the genin exam, which is proctored by the assigned jounin-sensei."
Misao isn't sure what to make of this. This is the first time she's heard about two genin exams. Although, Uzumaki Naruto doesn't seem like he's joking.
"What do we do for this second exam?" Takeshi asks.
Uzumaki Naruto smirks and Misao's heart sinks. Oh no.
"I'm glad you asked." He smirks again. "You all have until tomorrow night to complete the task I set out for you."
Misao perks up. That doesn't too bad.
"What's this task?" Sora questions. Something about his tone makes Misao look up at him. He's suspicious.
What Uzumaki Naruto says next makes Misao want to kick herself.
She spoke too soon.
Present:
They go down fast.
Really fast.
Sora shrieks—he'll deny it later and Misao will be too shaken to say otherwise.
She hears the paint cans thunk and splatter below.
She imagines the drops and splashes of red, blue—and what other color did they have? Oh yes, purple. She loves that color. Maybe Hana will remember and leave out some lavenders by her grave.
Oh Kami, she is going to die.
Misao shuts her eyes tighter.
Here we go.
As Misao braces for impact, the world stops moving. There's no more wind rushing in her ears.
Is she…? Are they?
She hears Sora take a deep breath beside her.
Beside?
Misao opens her eyes. They're on the Hokage Monument again.
But, how?
She looks up.
Uzumaki Naruto is standing before them. He meets her eyes for the second time that day and this time, he smiles.
"Hey there," his voice is lighter this time. Takeshi helps Sora up and comes to stand next to her.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like ramen, dark sunsets, and the ocean. My hobbies include traveling and drawing maps. I dislike…well, I don't particularly do people. My dream for the future is to make a map that details every aspect of the Ninja World and…Hokage, if I get bored."
He smiles again.
"You can call me Naruto-sensei."