It's been over a year since the war with Sand and Sound ended. Naturally, we kicked ass. I mean, we suffered a lot of damage, but missions are finally starting to pick up again and reconstruction is making progress at least. I don't know too much of what happened like, politics or whatever, but I know we gave Sand a pretty good beating and completely wrecked Sound, so these days we don't have much to worry about. As a city, anyway. I'm still broke as hell and if I have to work one more lame-ass C rank I might have to bust some heads. At this rate I'll be Hokage for one day before I die of old age. In my opinion I should be Hokage already but nooo I have to go through all these trials and pass all these tests and survive the training and lay a goddamn gold egg first. Well so what, I'll do it. And then I'll demand a public apology for all the crap they put me through. Everyone in this entire city, Sasuke first, that bastard. He still won't let go of the fact that he made chuunin before me. Woo hoo, by like, six months, big deal.
I don't know a lot of what went on during the war because I wasn't in it. The old hag tried to keep genins out of it as much as possible, even though I was an elite genin who could have ended the war like ten times faster. Of all the kids I know only Neji and Shikamaru had to go, but Neji just had to protect the main house or something. I think he mostly just hung around to make sure Hinata and her sister didn't get killed. Haha, man he must have been so mad. Maybe they got some good cousinly bonding time in, I don't know.
Anyway, so instead of going to war, me, Sasuke and Sakura went to the Chuunin Exams. The first one, at Mist, Konoha didn't do so hot. I mean, we did alright, but only Sasuke got promoted. The second time was at Grass with me, Lee and Tenten on a team and we friggin cleaned up. The whole point of us taking the exam was to show off in case any other villages were thinking of attacking us, and by the time me and Lee finished, they probably didn't think it was such a hot idea. Grass probably had to build a new stadium. All three of us, Lee, Tenten and me got promoted, which never happens to a whole team. It's because we rocked. We worked okay as a team, too. I mean, well, Lee's a little wierd, but I liked Gai-sensei alot. He wasn't around a whole lot, but he's the only teacher I've had whose not a complete pervert. Except for Iruka-sensei.
Anyway, I still like working with Sakura and Sasuke best of all, even though Sasuke's a pathetic whiny bastard who copies my moves. Now that me and him are chuunins, Team Seven doesn't work together all the time, but we still get sent out every once in awhile, or else we work in pairs. Sometimes it's great when it's just me and Sakura, but sometimes it's me and Sasuke the Prick and I don't want to think about those times right now since I'm in a good mood and I don't want to spoil it. I had a good laugh yesterday when me and Sakura met up with S the P after our birthday mission. Turns out he was helping some old lady move her furniture. I hope his back is good and sore today. It would serve him right for being such an asshole puppy-kicker. Plus I got birthday cake at the end of my mission and he got tea and a couple stale scones. Sometimes my life isn't fair, but sometimes it really is, and I have to milk those times for all they're worth. That's why my head is all bruised today because sometimes when I'm milking something for all it's worth Sasuke and Sakura just can't see the humor and they get all violent. I tell you, some people just lead bitter, humorless lives. Not Sakua so much, but Sasuke definitely.
You know what I really hate? Waiting. I really hate it like nothing else. Kakashi-sensei used to drive me nuts with that crap he always pulled. Saving a Gramdma my ass. I'm surprised he even became a genin since he probably only ever made it to school after classes let out. He seriously has a problem. I think it's ADD. I asked him about it one time and he almost answered me but then he changed the subject randomly and I don't know If he was kidding or not.
Well anyway I was saying how I hate waiting, and I only bring it up because that's what I'm doing right now. Waiting. For lazy-ass Shikamaru who I know is only taking so long because he doesn't feel like going any faster than one mile per hour. Sure, you think I should be used to it by now, right? Because of Kakashi-sensei I'm like, Patience of Steel Man or something? Wrong. Anyone who's been kept waiting every day for three years knows that people are born with a certain amount of patience and once it's used up, that's it, so I ration mine pretty good. I don't like to waste it because you never know when you're going to need a lot of patience and I don't want that day to come and find out I used it up on Kakashi-sensei or stupid Shikamaru.
I throw stones at a pole until I miss, then I watch an ant crawl over my foot. It's weird how an ant can exist if you think about it. I mean, it just kind of does. If I kicked my foot that bug would go flying, and then what? If suddenly I went flying through the air and landed fifty miles from home I'd probably shit myself, but an ant doesn't even care. Do ants know they exist? The closest you can get to not existing is waiting. There's nothing worse in the entire world. You can't do anything, because what are you doing? Waiting. I've never seen an ant waiting so I guess that's how they keep existing. Can you imagine if you stopped moving you stopped existing? Shikamaru would be long gone.
Speaking of which, here he comes, finally, making his slow way up the street. What the - he just stopped. I guess he needs to take a break. Fuck it, I'm not waiting for him to get here or I'll starve to death.
"Hey you bastard!" I call as I jog towards him. "I've been waiting here for a half hour! Where the hell have you been?" Rumor has it that Shikamaru's really a super genius with an IQ of over two hundred. I've known him for the past seven years, and I know that's a bunch of crap because everyone with an IQ over 60 realizes that slow people have to leave earlier to be on time. Even Sasuke knows this, but Shikamaru doesn't get it so I know he's an idiot.
"Che," he says. "You could be a little grateful since I'm doing you a favor."
Yeah right. He owes me a favor now since I've been waiting for so long. I almost stopped existing, but does Shikamaru care about this? No. All he cares about is how much the grass is going to grow without him lying on it. But since I don't feel like getting in a fight about it I just give him a death glare as we head into the ramen shop. Any smart person can see I'm pissed off but Shikamaru doesn't even notice because he's dense.