A/N: This is a pretty drabblish chapter, don't kill me!
oOo
(Kyandii's POV)
Our team is much like Kakashi-sensei's.
Ari is Naruto. Ari is not shy at all, outgoing and she knows what she wants. She wants to be the greatest Hokage ever, just like Naruto. She is thick-skulled and ignorant and stubborn, but we all love her anyway.
Keitorin is like Sasuke. Mysterious, daring, good looking. Anyone of the opposite gender finds themselves attracted to them. Both are naturally talented ninjas. Both are smart and quiet and determined. And both have asses for brothers.
I am like Sakura. I am boy crazy, I am lively, I am not afraid to fight for what I want. I have an eternal rival, someone I am close to. My rival and I, we compete for the love of a boy. And although Sakura-chan and Ino fight for the love of Sasuke Uchiha, Ari and I fight for something much more important to me than any stupid boy.
We fight for the love of Rock Lee, our brother. It's no secret that Lee likes Ari better than me. Because Ari is what he always wanted to be. She is a skilled ninja. She inherited all the greatest jutsu, she is beautiful and considered a genius in Konoha. She is celebrated and loved. Me? I am too much like Lee. All I can do is taijutsu. I am ugly and childish looking. I will never be a skilled ninja.
oOo
Kakashi sat on one side of me, Keitorin on the other. When I looked across the table, I saw into Sasuke Uchiha's pretty black eyes, looking down into his ramen bowl as he ate. Apparently, Chansu-sensei knew the sensei of Team 7. How convenient. The next thing I knew, I was sitting in a restaraunt, eating ramen. I can think of 100 things I'd rather do...number 100 being to make out with Iruka-sensei. That's how bad I thought it would be. Until I saw Kakashi-sensei.
It was the same man I had seen in the forest only days ago. The man I had argued about with Ari. Kakashi-sensei. I vowed, from the time I saw him, that I would make him mine. And now was my chance. "Hi Kakashi-sensei!" I exclaimed cheerfully. "I'm Rock Kyandii!"
"Rock...Kyandii?" Kakashi's one visible eye looked slightly amused, and I clenched my chopsticks tighter in my hands.
"I'm aware that my name is a pun."
"Oh...kay." Kakashi nodded. He looked back at the table. He had refused to get a bowl of ramen, because apparently, "he wasn't hungry."
The rest of the meal went okay. Keitorin and Naruto talked on and on about god knows what. Mostly, Chansu and Kakashi talked about...well, whatever it is that senseis talk about together. Training and missions and stuff. Me and Sakura seemed to get along okay. She brought up the topic of boys and we pretty much went from there. She was amazed that I could put up with Lee and I was amazed that she can put up with Naruto. Ari and Sasuke ate in silence, shooting angry glares at one another after Ari's initial comment ("Uchiha? That sounds like a disease.") My sister was definately not good at making friends.
I looked over at Keitorin. Her blank eyes were trained in one direction, showing no emotion, but the ends of her mouth were turned up in a little smile. Following her gaze, I saw what she was looking at: Gaara, sitting with his brother and sister on the other side of the resteraunt. I smirked. Even though she never really said anything, I could tell that Keitorin liked Gaara of the Desert.
oOo
(Keitorin's POV)
Chansu was going to kill me! I have never been late for training in my life, and puctuality has come to be expected of me. I raced through the forest to where we normally trained. As far as teams go, ours is one of the strongest, in my opinion. I'm pretty much the brains of the team. And with my Byakugan and other special jutsu of the Hyuga clan, I can be a formidable opponet when pushed. Ari, as I explained before, can perform several jutsu, and is a very skilled ninja. However, much like Chansu, she speicalizes in ninjutsu. Her attacks are very advanced considering her age and level of experience. As mentioned before, Kyandii uses only taijutsu and weapons. She specializes in punching and kicking attacks.
Anyway, I ran through the forest, quickly dodging trees and rocks. But I failed to dodge Gaara, because he stepped out into my path so suddenly. I nearly blacked out when I hit the ground. As I opened my lavender eyes, I saw Gaara's mint green ones, cold and unfeeling. "You should watch where you're going, Hyuga."
I had a pounding headache and a huge bump on my forehead where it hit Gaara's. Despite his words, Gaara extended one arm to help me up. "S-sorry." I stuttered, rubbing my head. I felt an uncomfortable feeling as the redhead's eyes burned into me. "Do you remember still...where we met?"
Gaara looked a little confused. "...at Naruto's house?"
I shook my head. "Before that. You don't remember? I was...around 8, I'd guess..."
(Flashback)
The harsh desert wind blew into my face, carrying with it rough sand. I coughed slightly, covering my face with the neck on my shirt. My light eyes blinked to avoid the painful rock particles flying around my face.
"You shouldn't be out here alone." A tiny voice spoke behind me, laden with concern. "Where is your family?"
Family. The word cut through me like a knife. Where was my family? Did they miss me? Did they even care that I was gone? "I have no family." I replied, turning to look at the other person. A tiny redheaded boy, face showing a little concern but mostly curiosity. A native here, I realized, who had probably never seen a Hyuga. "And if it's so dangerous, why are you even here? Shouldn't you be with your...family?"
"I live here!" His happy tone vanished. "N-no family? You live out here...alone?"
"Pretty much." I glanced away uneasily.
I didn't realize that he had come closer until I heard his voice by my ear. "What is your name?"
My cold glare fixed on the boy. "I have no name." Without a family, or friends, what good was a name?
"Why?"
"Because I have no family to give me a name, of course."
"I am Gaara. Gaara of the Desert." Gaara smiled slightly. I couldn't help but smile back. "Wait here! I'll be right back!" I stared curiously at the boy's retreating back. A few minutes later, he returned, thrusting something into my hands. I looked down at my tiny hands. A rice ball rested in them, slightly misshapen but unmistakably a rice ball.
"It's for you." Gaara sounded out of breath. "My older sister made it. You can have it." He grinned, flashing shining teeth at me.
I smiled, raising the rice ball to my mouth and taking a big bite. My empty, frowling stomach welcomed the food to fill it. "Thank you, Gaara of the Desert." I murmured, returning the impossibly large grin.
(End Flashback)
"That was you?" Gaara looked absolutely amazed. "I thought you had no family!"
"I didn't have family to speak of, because I ran away." My features darkened. "My father was dead. I lived with my uncle and cousins and brother at home, but I was sick of my perfect brother and my beautiful cousings." I scowled slightly.
"You are beautiful." Gaara murmured. I snapped my eyes up. Gaara was looking at me casually, as if he did not understand the significance of what he had said. "Very beautiful."
My heart seemed to flutter, and my stomach flipped violently. What was this?
"Thank you, Gaara of the Desert." I murmured, nervously pressing my lips against his cheeks in a quick kiss. When I pulled away, Gaara's eyes were widened and his face was red.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Of course."
oOo
Oooh, love. Hehe, read and review!
