Growing Up
Love And War! Sakura and Lee! Kankurou and Mamimi!
"Sa-Sakura-chan?!" Lee's mouth gaped open as his eyes went blank, slowly turning away from the window as his eyes pried themselves from the scoreboard baring their names. His fists closed tightly around the railing as he stared to the pink haired nin who was already speaking with her partner for the day, the ninja of the sand and puppeteer Kankurou.
"Sakura-chan, I-" As Lee began to speak, both Kankurou and Sakura struck the tiger seal, disappearing in puffs of smoke. Turning quickly, Lee stared down to the field as she and Kankurou stood, looking up to the fighter's lounge, awaiting Lee and Mamimi.
"So, Haruno-san. Shall I take fuzzy eyebrows and allow the girls to fight amongst themselves?" Pulling the strap off over his head, Kankurou set Karagusa down with a heavy thud as the puppet rests inside the wrappings.
"No, I want to fight Lee… just promise me you will have my back if I get in trouble. Okay, Kankurou-kun?" She looked to him with a soft smile as she untied her headband, placing it and retying it across her forehead. "Lee has a huge crush on me, so I know he won't fight with all his heart. I should have no problem, so me and you will make it to the finals in no time,"
"If that's what you wish, m'lady," Chuckling lightly, Kankurou placed his hand firmly on Karasuga's head. As finally Lee and Mamimi made their way into the arena from the tunnel entrance.
"Don't say that… just call me Sakura alright?"
"If that's what you wish, m'lady Sakura,"
"Say m'lady again and I WILL hurt you," Sakura giggled quietly to herself as Lee and Mamimi took their places before them.
"Sakura-chan… I don't want to do this, you know that, right? I don't want to hurt you," Lee sighed lightly as his arm rose, rubbing the back of his head lightly as his eyes traveled towards the ground. "Should I forfeit? Then we wouldn't have to fight,"
Mamimi's eyes were shooting daggers as she scolded at her elder, grabbing Lee's shoulder she growled. "Don't you dare forfeit! If you do, I lose also, baka! This is my chance to shine in front of Konoha and my aunt Anko!"
"I don't want you to forfeit anyway Lee-kun. I want to fight you… with everything I have,"
"BEGIN!"
With some surprise, Mamimi was the one to make the first move as she leapt at Kankurou, the eldest ninja in the entire tournament, what better way to test her abilities. She span in midair, connecting with a harsh wheel kick to Kankurou's temple, sending the puppeteer skidding along the ground. Sakura and Lee stared in amazement as Karagusa fell to it's die, Kankurou slowly stood, shaking his head roughly as he growled, teeth gritting.
"Bad move little girl," Kankurou planted his feet as he connected his chakra lines to Karagusa, the wooden puppet awoke, ripping out of the wrappings.
"Come on Lee!" Sakura grinned as she threw a kick to Lee's head. Ducking under it with easy Lee swiftly moved behind Sakura, one arm slipping under her arm and around her neck as his other forearm pressed against her throat. She gasped suddenly as he applied pressure, choking her slowly.
"I am sorry, Sakura-chan. But this is the easiest way without having to hurt you,"
Reaching up slowly, her face turning a deep pink, she gripped Lee's forearms. Arching her back she would quickly throw her weight forward. Flipping Lee over her head and onto the ground, he would stare up to her in surprise as he fell to the ground, losing his grip as a kunai was held above his head. Falling to her knees, kunai pointed downwards Lee rolled out of the way as the kunai stabbed into the ground.
Blocking a punch from Karagusa, Mamimi stepped up onto the puppet's platform like hip. Kicking off it, she leapt over the wooden fighter, kunai drawn she dashed towards the black clad nin.
"Fight for yourself coward!" With those words she drove the kunai into Kankurou's chest… blood splattering over her young cheeks. She smirked softly as she turned, looking to the crowd she rose her hand into the victory sign. "Yatta! I won!"
"Foolish little girl!" Kankurou smiled to himself as he a puff of smoke over took his body. Karagusa stood in his place, kunai driven into the wooden torso. Pulling back, Mamimi was driven back with a heavy forearm, sending her skidding right into the arms of the real Kankurou. Wrapping his arms around her small body, Kankurou leapt into the air.
"Supreme Taijutsu of the Sand! Sandstorm Burial!" Spinning in midair with Mamimi closely pressed to his body, he flipped into a headfirst fall towards the ground. Trying to squirm away, Mamimi screeched in fear. Finally releasing her body, Kankurou grabbed her and held her tightly by her head alone. Throwing her over his body, Mamimi's young frame was smashed into the ground as Kankurou's knees were driven into her spine. A cloud of sand rose from beneath them from the pure impact the two had caused. A crack in the ground the end result.
"Mamimi!" Lee gasped as he watched the horrid attack take place.
"You have more to worry about then her, Lee-kun!" Sakura leapt forward, catching Lee of guard this time, her foot met the back of his head, sending him into a spinning fall. Catching himself Lee skidded to a stop. Sakura landing in a crouching position the same as Lee's.
"Sakura-chan… don't make me hurt you!"
"If you want to win, you have to fight me!" Standing up slowly, with a twist of her legs, she span her body into a standing position.
Lee cried out in pain suddenly as a needle appeared, driven through his heel. Shaking lightly Lee reaching to his Lee, pulling the needle out from the bone. Standing slowly as blood trickled down his foot he stared to Sakura. "Where did that needle come from?"
Kankurou panted softly as he rose up slowly, dusting himself off as a drop of blood slipped down his lip to his chin. That move doing damage even to the user during the suddenly harsh impact. He stepped aside, reaching to Mamimi's fishnet shirt, he lifted the young girl from the ground. Her body dangling as he clutched her above his head.
"Tanaka Mamimi… do you forfeit to me?"
Her body shook softly as her closed eyes tightened in pain, coughing as blood fell from her lips, staining Kankurou's shirt as it drizzled down her lips. Arms and legs were torn and bloody as her clothes were nearly ripped to shreds.
"No… I can't ever forfeit," She spoke softly as she sniffed softly before coughing once more, sneezing blood from her nostrils.
Kankurou's eyes slowly slid open as he stared up to the small girl… his lips parting slightly as he watched her arms raise to grip his hand tightly around her throat.
"Aunt Anko is watching… I'm going to make her proud,"
"Anko, don't you think we should stop this. She may die in there," Kurenai sat beside Anko in the stands. Looking to her softly as she placed her hand on Anko's.
"No, Mamimi doesn't look like much but she is strong. Even, you just have to wait and see… she still hasn't used the training I gave her yet,"
"Training? What did you teach her?" Kurenai's attention turned back to the fight.
"You'll see,"
Fist met fist as Sakura and Lee finally engaged in battle. Sakura's leg drove in for a kick, only to be caught by Lee, he span Sakura around. Stumbling back in pain, Lee looked to his chest, seeing a needle sticking out from his pectoral. Ripping it out, he threw it to the ground. "What's going on here?"
Keeping her momentum with the spin he gave her, Sakura leapt slightly, connecting with a second kick to Lee's head, spinning to the ground to keep from falling, Sakura moved back into a crouched ready position. Seconds after that kick Lee cried out in pain once more as blood fell from his cheek, a needle laying behind him.
"How? How is she stabbing me without even touching me? There aren't even needles in her hands when it happens?" Lee panted softly as he wiped the blood from his cheek.
"Lee-kun… do you really want to know my secret?" Her eyes fell softly as she stood slowly. Taking a few slow steps towards him, Lee rose his arms for defense. Her hands open, no weapon was held, she slipped past his arms slowly and calmly. Suddenly pressing her head to his chest she closed her eyes, nuzzling into him lightly. "Lee-kun… do you like my hair?"
"What?"
She pulled away from him slightly, suddenly spinning in his arms. Needles drove themselves into Lee's chest, sending him falling to the ground with a heavy thud and a smear of blood. It was then that Sakura stood, her back to Lee. She slowly ran her fingers through her hair, there it was seen. A small needle holder tied to the tails of her forehead protector. The needles dyed and nearly the exact same color as her hair.
That was the answer, every time she span around Lee was stabbed. The force of her spin is what pulled the needles from their case and drove towards Lee.
"I don't want to hurt you either Lee-kun. That's why I'm not using poison needles… I want to win Lee. And until you fight me for real, you don't stand a chance against me. I'm not the same Haruno Sakura you saved from the Sound Nins six months ago!" She stood over him. "Get up and fight me! I want to test myself,"
"Don't you understand, Sakura-chan?" Lee coughed lightly as he stood up slowly, blood stained his jumpsuit as he ripped a handful of needles from his chest. Wiping blood from his chin, he looked to her slowly. "I love you… and if I fight you, I may kill you. I don't want that to happen. Same Sakura or not… I want you to live and be happy. I already offered to forfeit, but you refused my offer. You said you wanted to fight me. If that's what will make you happy, I will fight you. But I have to refuse you your happiness, so I will not harm or kill you,"
Lee-kun.." Her eyes filled with tears slowly as her hands balled into tight fists. "I don't love you! And you shouldn't love me because I will never love you! Fight me now, or you will die if you don't defend yourself!"
"Maybe I want to die, if I can't have you with me,"
"Why are you making everything so difficult Lee?! We are ninja, we live to fight… if you die then you go back on your promise to all of us. Your promise to be a great shinobi without ninjutsu and genjutsu,"
"Then don't kill me,"
"I don't want to! But you won't fight back! If you don't want to live just because I don't love you, then you are the weakest ninja - no the weakest person I have ever met! What do you want me to do Lee? What do I have to do to get you to fight me?"
"There isn't anything you can do, because I will never fight you,"
"Fine then! I won't kill you Lee-kun, but if your not going to fight back, I'll just take you out of the fight! But you know this means another six months as a genin don't you?"
"If I don't have to hurt the one I love, I can stand being a genin another year,"
Growling softly Sakura raised her hands. Quickly she struck various seals, tears now moving down her cheeks slowly.
"Poison Gas Breath!" Dashing to Lee, his arms wrapped around her tightly. Holding her breath tightly, she leaned up to Lee quickly. Pressing her lips to his tightly she exhaled, sending the poisonous gas into Lee's mouth and deep into his lungs.
"I don't want to kill you Mamimi-chan," Kankurou growled lightly as he drove his fist deep into the girl's stomach, again and again as she coughed blood from her throat. Holding the fist he held her with tightly, her legs kicked and swung beneath her.
As Kankurou drew his fist back for another punch, Mamimi swung her body upwards, wrapping her legs around his arm, she held it tightly. Pulling against his hand at her throat, her mouth opened widely, biting down into the flesh of his wrist. Kankurou grimaced in pain as he released Mamimi's throat, throwing her off his arm.
Her small body rolled along the ground, but then as if new life had arose in her Mamimi rolled into a crouching position. A small smile on her face as she wiped the blood from her chin, licking her fingers clean as she giggled to herself.
"Kankurou-san, so big and strong likes to beat up little girls,"
"Huh?" Kankurou took a step back as he watched her with weary eyes, no normal being should be able to stand up to a beating like he had given her.
"But what Kankurou-san doesn't know I the little Mamimi-chan is going to beat him up now. That little Mamimi-chan is going to beat up Sakura-san up now too since Lee-san is gone," Mamimi smiled lightly as she left her crouch, sitting on her knees lightly. Her eyes wandered up to the crowd, spotting her Aunt Anko.
"What are you talking about?" Kankurou took another step back, this girl was almost as creepy as Gaara was last exams. Something wasn't right about this… a drop of sweat slowly moved down Kankurou's face as Mamimi giggled.
"And little Mamimi-chan isn't going to do it alone," Quickly Mamimi rose her right hand, wiping the blood from her lip onto her thumb as she drove her palm into the ground.
"No, it can't be! Don't tell me this girl knows how to----!" Kankurou shook with fear as he reconnected his lines to Karagusa, pulling the puppet in front of himself.
Sakura rose as she laid Lee's unconscious body on the ground, turning just in time to see Kankurou standing behind Karagusa in fear as the huge cloud of smoke engulfed the small blood covered girl, Mamimi. Drawing her kunai she left Lee's body, moving to Kankurou's side.
"Sakura-san! Be careful… she is summoning something!"
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Finally I was able to finish Chapter 13 without any problems. Hope you all enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
I have always loved writing out battle scenes.
NEXT CHAPTER: Mamimi Summons!