Okay… I got bored with this story for a while and started a couple other projects. No, not stories… though I have been meaning to. Anyway, I've been getting an urge to restart this story. So, here goes. I hope my former reviewers and a few new readers will be pleased with this new chapter.
Ninja Games
By Lunauc
He sat alone on one the benches of the picnic table. Staring purposefully at the ground, he watched grass do whatever grass does. Sitting still and digging his fingers into the wood of the bench, feeling at the rough grain, he focused his eyes on the grass. Meanwhile, he's ears idly picked up on the chatter of his surrounding company. Most of the dummies were joking around. There was some laughter and a bit of bickering, but nothing of his concern. He was much more unnerved by the barely there, inaudible whispers coming from just a few yards away. There the blonde girl and the pink-haired girl sat on the grass. They whispered and giggled and he was sure it was about him. He should just ignore them. It's not like there opinion matters. But why did his stomach feel fluttered? Why was his face hot? Why was he afraid to look there way? He was acting like an idiot. He knew that. So, with a determination beyond his few years he looked over to the girls, and at just that moment the blonde one pointed to him as the pink-haired one convulsed in a giggle. Quickly his gaze shot back to the grass as his face got hotter. 'Stupid girls.' He complained to his mind while he gripped the bench. A moment passed, and he heard someone coming his way. Glancing over a bit he saw two shadows on the ground followed closely by two pairs of feet. It was them.
"Hey." The soft voice greeted him. But he took a moment before moving his head round to face the girls who stood nearby. The Blonde one stood to the front, her hands behind her back as she smiled at him, the Pink one stood a bit behind, biting her lip to restrain another giggle as a blush accented her cheeks. The blonde one spoke again, offering in a complimentary manner. "Sakura thinks your Ninja-kitty undies are cute."
"INO!!" The pink-haired girl lost that near giggle as she yelled at her friend.
Sasuke meanwhile, felt his cheeks enflamed and his tummy was bubbling with nervousness. In a weak tone he retorted, "Shut up." He groaned as he hopped from his seat and ran away from the girls, who continued to giggle behind him.
"Baka…" Shikimaru commented idly a he glanced at the scene before returning to his work at hand. Standing beside the incapacitated Ebisu on the bench with Naruto, chouji and Hinata, he asked thoughtfully, "Do you think this part needs more red?"
"Hmmm…" Stepping back to look at their work, Naruto nodded, agreeing, "Yeah, definitely… and some blue here." Moving to the side he asked the seated Hinata, "Do we have more blue?"
"H-hai." Shifting her gaze from Ebisu to Naruto she answer then rifled through the activities bag for the blue finger paint. As she handed it to the energetic blonde boy, she asked unsurely, "Na-naruto-kun… sh-should we be d-doing this? It doesn't seem v-very nice."
"Heh?" Looking back at Hinata he gave a chuckle and assured her, "Don't worry. He's supposed to keep us happy, right? Besides, he likes it, right Glasses?" Grabbing a tuft of Ebisu's slack head, Naruto pulled it up right, displaying the sloppy oni mask they'd painted on it, and puppets a nod of the young ninja's head. Then letting Ebisu's head fall back again, he turned a smiled to the white-eyed girl. "See?" She returned a coy grin and a meager nod of agreement. She wasn't particularly use to this sort of activity, but it sure was funny. Though, maybe not everyone was happy.
"Yo! Dobe!" Naruto, Chouji, Shikimaru and Hinata looked over to the find Kiba, standing nearby, with his puppy clamoring over by his feet.
Groaning in annoyance, Naruto bit back, "What now, dog freak?"
Kiba glared back but was tired of arguing over name calling. Instead he offered his complaint, "This is boring. There's nothing to do."
"What?! There's plenty to do!" Naruto retorted. "There are swings, and a carousel… and a teacher to draw on. This is fun!"
Picking up his puppy, Kiba insisted, "We already played with that stuff. It's boring."
Scowling down at him, Naruto threatened, "We could try the hostage game with you in the hole being sprayed with the fire hose." Kiba just glared back as they began an angered staring contest.
Nara's lazy tone broke the optical combat, as he concurred, "He's right, ya know." In a bit of shock the boys looked to the pony-tailed youth, who explained, "I mean, Ebisu-sensei can be a real pain a lot of the time, but at least he gives us games to play and activities to keep us busy. Just sitting around like this is kinda boring."
"See, Dobe!" Kiba cited and stuck out his tongue at Naruto who raspberried back with a passion.
"I wanna play red light, green light." Chouji broke in.
Shikimaru, shook his head back, replying, "Nah… Hide and go seek." Naruto and Kiba cut off their stare downs as the other kids spoke up.
"Tag!" Lee called from the swings.
From the swing beside him, Tenten complained, "Tag's boring. Dodge ball's better."
"Duck, duck, goose!" Sakura called out.
Ino called next, "Dating game!" That got a few odd looks, to which she indignantly demanded, "What?"
Hearing them argue over what to play left Naruto wondering what to do. 'Damn. I'm gonna lose control if this keeps up. I gotta think of something quick. A ninja has to be resourceful.' "Hmmm…" A sly grin crossed his foxy face, as a solution came to mind.
The kids continued to argue over what to play, squabbling between each other one voice called out, "I KNOW WHAT WE WILL PLAY!" They looked up to the bench, where Naruto stood defiantly, red bullhorn in hand and his foot triumphantly planted on Ebisu's stomach.
Sakura, shook her head, muttering in frustration, "Who let him have that dumb thing again?"
Meanwhile, Kiba skeptically demanded, "What's that, Baka?"
Naruto gave a snicker before proclaiming with a bold cry, "WE WILL PLAY NINJA!!!"
The children looked amongst each other for a moment before Shikimaru asked, "How do you play that."
Naruto was silent, and he looked a bit nervous, before answering, 'I DON'T KNOW."
The children gave a collective sigh of frustration, while Sakura complained, "Don't use the horn if you're going to say stupid things."
Half an hour of arguments and name calling later, the children had worked out the rules of their new game, and they sat around the sand box once more as Sakura-"Sensei" stood before her imaginary blackboard, explaining the agreed rules. She gave a cough to clear her throat before speaking, "Alright, the name of the game is Ninja. We will form two teams who will have to battle against each other to defeat the opposing team. No one should be hurt!" She exclaimed as she stared down Kiba and Naruto. "Since, that would get us in trouble with our parents. Instead we'll use these dirt bombs." She held up a tissue wrapped ball of dirt in presentation, instructing, "If you are hit with a dirty bomb by an enemy or a trap you are considered captured and taken back to their base. If a teammate gets into the base and leads you by the hand back to your own base you are back in play. If an enemy hits you with a dirt ball while you are in your own base, you are only out of play until that enemy leaves your base. The first team to capture all of their enemies is the winner. Any questions?" Sakure smiled proudly at her own display of sophistication as she looked about her "students". Chouji raised his hand and the "Sensei" addressed him, "Yes, Chouji?"
"What are the teams?" He asked.
Sakura gave a nod and replied with consideration, "The fairest way to do this would be to choose two captains who will pick their teams. So who wants to be Captain?"
With out a second's hesitation, Naruto hopped up to proclaim, "I WILL BE THE CAPTAIN!"
Sakura scowled back, "Put away the stupid horn already!" Quickly he hid it behind his back, not wanting to get hit again. Easing up, Sakura cited, "Fine, that's one. Who else?"
Kiba stood to announce himself, but he was cut off by Ino's sudden cry off, "I nominate Sasuke-kun!" They all looked to her like she was crazy, especially Sasuke, who sat under a tree nearby, pretending to ignore them all.
"Wha-what?" The Uchiha youth asked back, as his cheeks burned crimson.
Kiba yelled back at Ino, "What?! Him? But I…"
"Quiet, dog boy." Ino silenced him. "Sasuke is much stronger and cuter." Kiba's face twitched in aggravation while Sasuke's managed to go a tinge dark in crimson.
"I agree." Sakura chimed in happily. Bounding over to kneel in front of Sasuke she pleaded, "Please, Sasuke-kun. Won't you be our heroic leader?"
Staring into her eyes begging, aquamarine eyes, Sasuke gulped back a bit of nervousness. He really wasn't use to playing with other children, and especially not getting so much attention from them. Annoyed by his own silly behavior, he turned his head away and closed his eyes. Controlling his voice, he answered in a bored manner, "Alright then."
Kiba gave an annoyed growl, but called over to Sasuke, "Fine, but I'm on your team. There's no way I'm working with Naruto."
The blonde brat in question made a sneering face in replying, asking rhetorically, "Who wants ya, dog boy?"
"Shut up you stupid fox!" Kiba growled, as he was about ready to pounce Naruto.
Sasuke broke it up. "Enough." Now standing as he stepped up to the side of the sand box, he was all business, save for the redness of his face. "Kiba, you're my first pick then. Naruto, it's your turn."
Naruto gave a grin and nod before looking over the children. "Alright…. I choose… Shikimaru." The thin boy gave a sigh and moved to sit next to Naruto.
Sasuke looked around for his next pick, and quickly found two persistent girls blocking his view.
"Choose me. Choose me." Ino demanded.
Sakura argued, "No, take me. I'm smarter and better looking."
"You wish!" Ino retorted.
"Um…" Sasuke really didn't know how to respond to this.
"Well who's it going to be?" Sakura asked of him.
"Remember, I'm the one who nominated you. You owe me." Ino pointed out.
Flustered, Sasuke weakly answered, "Okay, the blonde then." Sakura gaped at him in disbelief, and Ino stuck her tongue out at Sakura, earning a glare in reply before Ino hopped over to hang on Sasuke's arm.
"You're going to pick me next, right Sasuke?" Sakura pleaded. Sasuke just kind of mumbled in reply, distracted by the girl on his arm and trying to pay attention to Naruto's next pick.
"Uummmm… I'll take… thick-brows." Lee stood and moved beside Naruto giving a quick bow.
The disciplined youth assured, "I will serve you well, Captain."
"O-okay…" Naruto scratched his head at the boy's odd actions, suddenly regretting picking him.
Sasuke's turn once more, the pink-haired girl looked to him expectantly, and he was about to give in before Kiba grabbed the boy's other arm, pulling him away from Ino to suggest, "Not her…. Take Neji, He's strong."
Glancing over to the white-eyed boy with the long black hair, Sasuke answered, "Alright, we'll take Neji." Sakura whined, while the older boy moved beside his team.
Naruto scanned for his next pick, when Shikimaru suggested, "Take Chouji. Me and him work good together."
With a shrug, Naruto took heed, "Chouji."
Again Sakura moved pleadingly before Sasuke, but before he could speak, Kiba called out, "Ten Ten."
Glaring at the boy and his dog, Sakura shouted, "You can't decide. You're not the Captain!"
Coldly, Kiba crossed his arms and replied, "As co-captain, I do what must be done for the good of the team."
"Why you little… Sasuke?!" Sakura turned to him pleadingly, but he could only give a coy titter and shrug as Ten Ten came over to join them.
Naruto stood forth about to makehis next call, when Lee spoke up, "Sir, I think we should take Sakura."
"What?!" Naruto and Sakura demanded back at the boy in unison.
"I don't want to be on his team!" Sakura spat back vehemently.
Naruto reiterated, "No way. She's evil and violent."
With a blush to his cheeks, Lee cleared his throat and explained to his captain. "Maybe, but if she's on our team, that violence will be directed at our enemies and not at you, correst, Sir?"
Naruto took a moment to think it over, while Sakura looked on in disamay. Finally he answered, "Okay. We'll take Sakura."
"NNNOooooooo!" Sakura cried out. "I don't want to be on that Baka's team."
"THERE IS NO ARGUING ALLOWED." Naruto's declaration got her to stop whining as anger clouded her eyes.
"What have I told you about that stupid horn!?" Sakura launched at Naruto, grabbing him by the shirt and shaking him like crazy.
"Shino." Sasuke's naming of the odd boy, got Sakura to stop her rampage as she watched Shino join his team, where Ino hugged her self to Sasuke's are. With a self-pitying sigh, she release Naruto and allowed her shoulders to slump in defeat.
Jumping a few feet from her once he was free, Naruto eyed her carefully to make sure she was done before returning his attention to the sand box and the last player. "Hinata, you're on my team then."
The shy girl, who had been sitting quietly in the corner through out the ongoings, twiddling her fingers, looked up to the blonde boy. A bit of blush tinting her cheeks and a slight grin to her lips she gave a stuttered yet confident reply, "H-hai." Standing unsurely she moved beside her team.
Stepping forth, Naruto Proclaimed, "The teams are set. Prepare to get your butts kicked by the 'Uzumaki Six'!"
Shikimaru glanced over to proclaim, "That's a dumb name."
Well, that's the fifth chapter. Hopefully I'll get the next one out a lot sooner. It's going to by chibi warfare all around. See ya then. And love it or hate it, please review. -Lunauc
