AN: References in manga translations come from Narutofan.com.
PLEASE EXCUSE MY WRITER'S BLOCK!!!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Tracking a Fox: Chapter Three
They arrived in the village just after noon, the sun just barely at its peak. A well-worn road had been their guide to Leaf Village taking far less time to travel than the forest. Temari and Kankurou having been relieved for the night, managed to move much more quickly than the day before. There wasn't even any dirt on them when they passed through the gates.
Checking in to the Leaf Village was a simple chore. All it really demanded was that Gaara and his team to find the Hokage and present themselves. If the Hokage approved, they would be awarded their passes and allowed to stay in the village.
__________________________________________
Sliding the wooden frame and its thin covering, he had stepped into the room bordered by Kankurou and Temari. The room seemed relatively old. Dusty white banners hung from the ceiling like the abandoned remains of a spider's web, a cracked cobble stone floor partially covered by a green carpet lead to a small man crouched behind a wooden podium. He seemed surprised to see them for a moment before his expression twisted into a frown, the pipe in his mouth jutting out from a thin face.
As he stood, his gaze swept over them.
"There's a meeting in a few minutes, so I'll make this quick."
The Hokage passed by them in an orderly fashion, heading through the open door and into the same compact hallway that his team had just been in. The elderly man's voice echoed down the hallway for a few moments before they took it as a signal that he wanted the three to follow him.
"As foreigners, it is expected you follow the guidelines set down by the pact between our countries. Taking the Chuunin exam is something that can not be considered easy by any means, especially for younger gennin. There is the possibility of death and failure in taking on this challenge and I cannot be held accountable for the actions of teams or individuals."
Several doors down the Hokage chose to stop and enter another room. Gaara paused and waited as the old man fumbled through various boxes with the leaf symbol embedded in them. Finally, after minutes of constant shuffling and box shifting their passes were recovered. Adjusting his pipe, the Hokage smiled at the group as he returned to the doorway.
"The Kazekage sent your paperwork in rather early, which was a bit surprising. Normally gennin wait a bit longer before taking the exam, though I expect that we too, will have some of our brightest entering. Good luck to all of you."
After administering the desired items the Hokage continued past them, one arm resting against his back and the other holding onto his pipe. The three siblings watched as he disappeared into his conference room, not once sparring them another glance. Kankurou shifted momentarily, succeeding in being awarded in both Gaara's and Temari's attention. The eldest of the trio swept his eyes across the floor momentarily while his comment echoed down the hall.
"Bastard."
______________________________
There was no doubt in his mind that one of these gennins the Hokage had referred to was the 'demon'. It was evident in his pride, the way he smirked at them.
The Leaf were already the most prosperous of all the Hidden Villages. They had the most clientele, the most resources, and their shinobi were often more able-bodied than everyone else's. Competition was almost non-existent to them. The only thing that really threatened them was the Sand's forced upgrade in shinobi.
Shinobi like Gaara.
Which was why they made their own, right? To not be outdone, to be the best.
It was a cycle that constantly repeated itself with jealousy and pride running the show, continuously clouding the minds of each nation's leaders. Eventually it would ruin the residents of the country themselves, filling them with bitterness that couldn't be soothed.
Behind him, Gaara could hear his siblings express their disgust for the Leaf Village. Both complaining in irritable voices over how arrogant and snobbish the city was, the nerve of the residents for simply breathing.
None of that mattered to him. All he desired was to reach his goal and continue on with the mission of his life, that and...
And...find his way through this town.
The displeasure of his siblings continued on, changing tone when they were once more assaulted with the vision of wooden fencing and concrete.
"Crap! Where the hell are we now!?"
"Don't look at me! I'm following you two!"
It was...frustrating to say the least. The way this city ran together, so many buildings and people crammed into one another. Searching for the demon one person at a time was out of the question. To do so would take longer than the week remaining before the Chuunin exam. It would be safer just to keep a low profile and wait for them to be flushed out.
Coming to the next intersection, Gaara stopped. There was no use in stumbling around blind. All he had to do was scout the area for an inn and lead his team there. Temari and Kankurou were still following behind him, bickering in low voices. They dropped the conversation abruptly when his head swiveled to the right and he stared at them from the corner of one eye.
"I'm going to scout. Stay here."
__________________________________________
The small inn they had been searching so diligently for turned out be entirely just around the next corner. A fact that in itself was sure to set fire to his team's already highly explosive tempers. Taking a slight amount of pleasure in the bit of irony that presented itself, Gaara was almost unaware of the surprise awaiting him. Almost.
There were six of them in total. Four boys and two girls. Three were Leaf gennin and close to his age. Two were currently in the streets and appeared to be of no threat. But the third...the third, was a sizeable enemy based on the way he had thrown that rock. He could turn out to be a worthy adversary, perhaps even the demon Gaara had sought for so long. However, there was no way to confirm such a suspicion until the Chuunin exams. The same exam that Kankurou was currently ruining with his troublesome temper and only weapon.
"Kankurou, stop it. You're an embarrassment to our village. To lose yourself in a fight, how pathetic. Why do you think we came to leaf village?"
"Listen Gaara, they started it! And..."
Voice filled with panic and eyes wide, Kankurou gestured at the leaf gennin and their companions. It was desperate attempt to place the blame on others, to distract him in order to save his own hide. A cowardly attempt that he would not overlook.
"Shut up. I'll kill you."
Seconds passed and he could feel his eyes narrow in distaste. His brother was shaking so badly now that any moment he might just break. If Kankurou wasn't careful, the situation could end up a repeat of yesterday's events. Or rather, a continuance. A continuance that would certainly prove that he did not give out second warnings.
"Okay! I...I'm sorry!"
"I'm also sorry, really sorry..." Temari added on hastily.
Though the apologies had been for the Leaf, they were still forcibly directed to him. With their cowardice showing through, Gaara would have to take matters into his own hands. His eyes once more swept over the five in the street before continuing on to the other boy in the tree. As the strongest, it was only natural for him to be the leader.
"Sorry to you guys."
As soon as he said the words he was on his way to the street below. When he landed both teammates backed away slowly, allowing room for the swirling mass of wind that had accompanied him. Bits of dust sifted through the air and around his body as Gaara stood.
The Leaf had been dealt with, now to handle his own team.
"It looks like we got here too early but we didn't come to play around...let's go."
"Wait!" One of the Leaf gennin had chosen to speak out. A weak female with pink hair, a scarlet dress, and...and was that her forehead? Her eyebrows became furrowed, the smooth expanse of skin lifting higher. She was focusing on him, talking, wait...what was she saying?
"What?"
"...shinobi from the Hidden Sand village, right? You may be allies with Leaf Village but it's forbidden for shinobis to enter each other's village without permission. State your purpose. Depending on it, we may not be able to let you go."
Obviously no one had noticed his blunder.
"Hah! Talk about clueless. Don't you know anything?"
It was Temari who responded, probably taking offense to the forehead girl. The pass granted to her from the Hokage was now displayed proudly in her hand, an arrogant smirk gracing her features. More than likely it related back to the issues of the village upkeep. Still...that forehead...
"You're right; we're gennins from the Hidden Sand. We've came to your village to take the Chuunin selection exam. "
"Chuunin Selection Exam?" The last of the Leaf gennin then chose to chime in. This one blond, male, and apparently ignorant of the shinobi ways.
Temari again responded, this time with her arm crossed and eyes closed. "Geez...you really don't know anything. The Chuunin exam is where outstanding gennins from Sand, Leaf and other neighboring villages assemble to take an exam to become a Chuunin. "
"Why do they take it together?"
"The main purpose is said to be to improve relationships between the allies and to raise the shinobi level. However, each country likes to maintain a power balance and..."
The words faded away as the forehead seemed to expand. What was she exactly? How could anyone have such a huge fore...
"Hey you, what's your name?" The leader of the Leaf gennin had phased to the ground in front of him, choosing to drive his attention away from the forehead...girl.
"Huh? You mean me?" His sister uttered hopefully.
"No, you with the gourd."
His siblings paused, Temari flushed with embarrassment and Kankurou with alarm. They were watching, waiting for his response.
"Gaara of the Desert...I'm also interested in you, your name?"
"It's Uchiha Sasuke."
The leader of the Leaf gennins was smirking at him with understanding. He obviously knew who he was, what he was. Even if this boy was not the demon, he still knew. Yes, somewhere around 'Uchiha Sasuke', the demon of the Fire country would appear.
"HEY! WHAT ABOUT ME, HUH?"
It was the blond once more, someone whom Gaara was beginning to suspect was a complete and utter imbecile.
"Not interested." His reply was flat and cut off any further attempts for conversation. Glancing at his team, he immediately sent out his instructions. "Let's go..."
He left a moment later, Temari and Kankurou directly behind him. Neither said a word as he lead them to the inn from earlier. They were either too afraid or contemplating the meeting that had just occurred. As they checked into their rooms, Temari was the first to speak out.
"Uchiha Sasuke...He's pretty cool looking, though I don't think he's too bright."
"Yeah, there's no way he could go up against Gaara." Kankurou replied. "Though look at the rest of his team and those whiny brats."
"...That girl had a really big forehead though."
"Yeah..."
He made no comment.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Tracking a Fox: Chapter Three
They arrived in the village just after noon, the sun just barely at its peak. A well-worn road had been their guide to Leaf Village taking far less time to travel than the forest. Temari and Kankurou having been relieved for the night, managed to move much more quickly than the day before. There wasn't even any dirt on them when they passed through the gates.
Checking in to the Leaf Village was a simple chore. All it really demanded was that Gaara and his team to find the Hokage and present themselves. If the Hokage approved, they would be awarded their passes and allowed to stay in the village.
__________________________________________
Sliding the wooden frame and its thin covering, he had stepped into the room bordered by Kankurou and Temari. The room seemed relatively old. Dusty white banners hung from the ceiling like the abandoned remains of a spider's web, a cracked cobble stone floor partially covered by a green carpet lead to a small man crouched behind a wooden podium. He seemed surprised to see them for a moment before his expression twisted into a frown, the pipe in his mouth jutting out from a thin face.
As he stood, his gaze swept over them.
"There's a meeting in a few minutes, so I'll make this quick."
The Hokage passed by them in an orderly fashion, heading through the open door and into the same compact hallway that his team had just been in. The elderly man's voice echoed down the hallway for a few moments before they took it as a signal that he wanted the three to follow him.
"As foreigners, it is expected you follow the guidelines set down by the pact between our countries. Taking the Chuunin exam is something that can not be considered easy by any means, especially for younger gennin. There is the possibility of death and failure in taking on this challenge and I cannot be held accountable for the actions of teams or individuals."
Several doors down the Hokage chose to stop and enter another room. Gaara paused and waited as the old man fumbled through various boxes with the leaf symbol embedded in them. Finally, after minutes of constant shuffling and box shifting their passes were recovered. Adjusting his pipe, the Hokage smiled at the group as he returned to the doorway.
"The Kazekage sent your paperwork in rather early, which was a bit surprising. Normally gennin wait a bit longer before taking the exam, though I expect that we too, will have some of our brightest entering. Good luck to all of you."
After administering the desired items the Hokage continued past them, one arm resting against his back and the other holding onto his pipe. The three siblings watched as he disappeared into his conference room, not once sparring them another glance. Kankurou shifted momentarily, succeeding in being awarded in both Gaara's and Temari's attention. The eldest of the trio swept his eyes across the floor momentarily while his comment echoed down the hall.
"Bastard."
______________________________
There was no doubt in his mind that one of these gennins the Hokage had referred to was the 'demon'. It was evident in his pride, the way he smirked at them.
The Leaf were already the most prosperous of all the Hidden Villages. They had the most clientele, the most resources, and their shinobi were often more able-bodied than everyone else's. Competition was almost non-existent to them. The only thing that really threatened them was the Sand's forced upgrade in shinobi.
Shinobi like Gaara.
Which was why they made their own, right? To not be outdone, to be the best.
It was a cycle that constantly repeated itself with jealousy and pride running the show, continuously clouding the minds of each nation's leaders. Eventually it would ruin the residents of the country themselves, filling them with bitterness that couldn't be soothed.
Behind him, Gaara could hear his siblings express their disgust for the Leaf Village. Both complaining in irritable voices over how arrogant and snobbish the city was, the nerve of the residents for simply breathing.
None of that mattered to him. All he desired was to reach his goal and continue on with the mission of his life, that and...
And...find his way through this town.
The displeasure of his siblings continued on, changing tone when they were once more assaulted with the vision of wooden fencing and concrete.
"Crap! Where the hell are we now!?"
"Don't look at me! I'm following you two!"
It was...frustrating to say the least. The way this city ran together, so many buildings and people crammed into one another. Searching for the demon one person at a time was out of the question. To do so would take longer than the week remaining before the Chuunin exam. It would be safer just to keep a low profile and wait for them to be flushed out.
Coming to the next intersection, Gaara stopped. There was no use in stumbling around blind. All he had to do was scout the area for an inn and lead his team there. Temari and Kankurou were still following behind him, bickering in low voices. They dropped the conversation abruptly when his head swiveled to the right and he stared at them from the corner of one eye.
"I'm going to scout. Stay here."
__________________________________________
The small inn they had been searching so diligently for turned out be entirely just around the next corner. A fact that in itself was sure to set fire to his team's already highly explosive tempers. Taking a slight amount of pleasure in the bit of irony that presented itself, Gaara was almost unaware of the surprise awaiting him. Almost.
There were six of them in total. Four boys and two girls. Three were Leaf gennin and close to his age. Two were currently in the streets and appeared to be of no threat. But the third...the third, was a sizeable enemy based on the way he had thrown that rock. He could turn out to be a worthy adversary, perhaps even the demon Gaara had sought for so long. However, there was no way to confirm such a suspicion until the Chuunin exams. The same exam that Kankurou was currently ruining with his troublesome temper and only weapon.
"Kankurou, stop it. You're an embarrassment to our village. To lose yourself in a fight, how pathetic. Why do you think we came to leaf village?"
"Listen Gaara, they started it! And..."
Voice filled with panic and eyes wide, Kankurou gestured at the leaf gennin and their companions. It was desperate attempt to place the blame on others, to distract him in order to save his own hide. A cowardly attempt that he would not overlook.
"Shut up. I'll kill you."
Seconds passed and he could feel his eyes narrow in distaste. His brother was shaking so badly now that any moment he might just break. If Kankurou wasn't careful, the situation could end up a repeat of yesterday's events. Or rather, a continuance. A continuance that would certainly prove that he did not give out second warnings.
"Okay! I...I'm sorry!"
"I'm also sorry, really sorry..." Temari added on hastily.
Though the apologies had been for the Leaf, they were still forcibly directed to him. With their cowardice showing through, Gaara would have to take matters into his own hands. His eyes once more swept over the five in the street before continuing on to the other boy in the tree. As the strongest, it was only natural for him to be the leader.
"Sorry to you guys."
As soon as he said the words he was on his way to the street below. When he landed both teammates backed away slowly, allowing room for the swirling mass of wind that had accompanied him. Bits of dust sifted through the air and around his body as Gaara stood.
The Leaf had been dealt with, now to handle his own team.
"It looks like we got here too early but we didn't come to play around...let's go."
"Wait!" One of the Leaf gennin had chosen to speak out. A weak female with pink hair, a scarlet dress, and...and was that her forehead? Her eyebrows became furrowed, the smooth expanse of skin lifting higher. She was focusing on him, talking, wait...what was she saying?
"What?"
"...shinobi from the Hidden Sand village, right? You may be allies with Leaf Village but it's forbidden for shinobis to enter each other's village without permission. State your purpose. Depending on it, we may not be able to let you go."
Obviously no one had noticed his blunder.
"Hah! Talk about clueless. Don't you know anything?"
It was Temari who responded, probably taking offense to the forehead girl. The pass granted to her from the Hokage was now displayed proudly in her hand, an arrogant smirk gracing her features. More than likely it related back to the issues of the village upkeep. Still...that forehead...
"You're right; we're gennins from the Hidden Sand. We've came to your village to take the Chuunin selection exam. "
"Chuunin Selection Exam?" The last of the Leaf gennin then chose to chime in. This one blond, male, and apparently ignorant of the shinobi ways.
Temari again responded, this time with her arm crossed and eyes closed. "Geez...you really don't know anything. The Chuunin exam is where outstanding gennins from Sand, Leaf and other neighboring villages assemble to take an exam to become a Chuunin. "
"Why do they take it together?"
"The main purpose is said to be to improve relationships between the allies and to raise the shinobi level. However, each country likes to maintain a power balance and..."
The words faded away as the forehead seemed to expand. What was she exactly? How could anyone have such a huge fore...
"Hey you, what's your name?" The leader of the Leaf gennin had phased to the ground in front of him, choosing to drive his attention away from the forehead...girl.
"Huh? You mean me?" His sister uttered hopefully.
"No, you with the gourd."
His siblings paused, Temari flushed with embarrassment and Kankurou with alarm. They were watching, waiting for his response.
"Gaara of the Desert...I'm also interested in you, your name?"
"It's Uchiha Sasuke."
The leader of the Leaf gennins was smirking at him with understanding. He obviously knew who he was, what he was. Even if this boy was not the demon, he still knew. Yes, somewhere around 'Uchiha Sasuke', the demon of the Fire country would appear.
"HEY! WHAT ABOUT ME, HUH?"
It was the blond once more, someone whom Gaara was beginning to suspect was a complete and utter imbecile.
"Not interested." His reply was flat and cut off any further attempts for conversation. Glancing at his team, he immediately sent out his instructions. "Let's go..."
He left a moment later, Temari and Kankurou directly behind him. Neither said a word as he lead them to the inn from earlier. They were either too afraid or contemplating the meeting that had just occurred. As they checked into their rooms, Temari was the first to speak out.
"Uchiha Sasuke...He's pretty cool looking, though I don't think he's too bright."
"Yeah, there's no way he could go up against Gaara." Kankurou replied. "Though look at the rest of his team and those whiny brats."
"...That girl had a really big forehead though."
"Yeah..."
He made no comment.
