Chapter 22
A Balancing Points Duty: Preparation for the Chūnin Exam Begins!
When deprived of sleep and sore from training, irritation became a festering darkness that continued to spread until the smallest of annoyances caused someone to—
"Arghhh! Why?! Why?! Why?!" Sakura screamed in irritation. "This never changes! Kakashi-sensei tells us to meet him at a specific time and then we end up waiting hours for him! Doesn't he realize I could be training right now?!"
…Explode.
Amari sighed deeply through her nose. Can't say I disagree, but does she have to yell about it? It's too early for that. Covering her mouth as she yawned, the Nara used her thumb to turn the page of her book while Naruto joined Sakura's complaints. She understood Sakura's current disheveled state and empathized with her feelings on Kakashi's consistent tardiness, but yelling solved nothing. It wouldn't get him here faster; it wouldn't soothe anyone's disgruntled feelings on wasting time. Tardiness was just Kakashi's quirk.
Better to get used to it than complain about it.
She might have voiced her feelings if the claws of exhaustion didn't have her in their grasps, but they did. Quite frankly, she barely had the energy to keep her eye open. Speaking would be an even harder task at this point. Even now, a few hours later, her entire body still felt heavy from lack of sleep, as if a hundred sleeping Shikamaru's were lying on top of her to keep her from fully waking up.
Troublesome boy would do something like that to keep me restrained.
It'd be preferable over waking up in a cold sweat with her arm on fire, that was for sure.
Every inhale and exhale of air was labored, sounds of restrained agony escaping her. Every pain receptor in her arm burned. Amari fought in futility against the trembles, the memories of mist consuming her senses as her body dripped with sweat. Gripping the burning scars of her forearm, she hunched forward in her bed and slammed her eyes shut against the shredding pain. "Gah!" The sound of pain was followed by a desperate breath of air as the oxygen in her lungs refused to be enough.
Why? Why wouldn't the pain stop? She just wanted everything to stop hurting so much.
"M- Mom!" she cried out in her agony, tears spilling over as the heated whispers of a pain filled child echoed in her ears.
She couldn't fight this alone.
Amari inhaled sharply and tried to shake the night from her mind. Hasn't been long enough for the nightmares to lessen their frequency, she reassured herself, holding onto the distant hope that time would dull the intensity, as it had with her nightmares of Ryu. Hope alone would have to get her through this. Well, that and her mother's hugs. Warm hugs cured the chill in her bones faster than any warm blanket or Medical Ninjutsu could.
She hadn't heard the hurried dash to her room or the sound of her door opening or the sound of her mother's voice. She didn't even feel the shift of weight on her bed, too lost in the past to recognize the present. Drowning, she was drowning in the chilled depths of despair where only searing pain acted as warmth.
Then she felt arms envelop her and pull her trembling frame from the cold waters into a place so warm and secure. Kurenai didn't have to ask what hurt or why. She didn't ask how long she tried to fight the pain alone or scold her for trying to. Her embrace fought the chill, and the soothing hand rubbing circles on her back beckoned her back to reality, away from the mist back to the safety of her home and mother.
Even as the mist faded, tears continued to cascade down Amari's cheeks, broken sobs mirroring her shattered heart. But she still leaned further into the embrace where everything felt okay. Where a hand always reached out to pull her away from the drowning darkness.
"I 'm here, little one. I'm here," her mother soothed.
She always was when she needed her most.
"You'll be okay. I promise."
As long as her mother believed that, she could to. Sometimes that was enough.
I'll be okay.
Still, she understood the cause of Sakura's irritable mood. Over the last two days she had been run into the ground by Amari's training. Between being woken up earlier and Kakashi's tardiness when they could very well be training, Sakura's emotions churned a vile concoction until finally exploding. Personally, Amari wanted to just lie around or find Shikamaru to watch clouds with him, but for Sakura's sake she'd push through her exhaustion and keep training her.
This was her duty as a balancing point. For the sake of her team, and for Sakura's growth as a kunoichi, she'd gladly keep training her. Once they were able to start moving, she'd wake up and once again be overcome by the fulfillment of helping her teammate grow stronger. Together they would keep forging ahead until Sakura could keep pace without any help.
That was her promise to Sakura, and she would fulfill it to the letter. Even if it meant being surpassed in chakra control prowess or pushing aside her exhaustion, she would show Sakura she could be just as strong as them. That she could walk side by side with her teammates and take the lead if she put her mind to it. That she wasn't useless.
This is my duty. This is how I can be helpful. This is early training for becoming a Sensei later on.
These were reasons to keep fighting, to keep living.
Amari yawned again and shook her head. But man, I could use a nap right about now. Preferably without nightmares. Glancing behind her, she looked down at the stream crossing under the bridge they were waiting on. And preferably without falling into a cold stream. If she tried to nap now as she sat on the railing of the bridge she'd either end up faceplanting onto the cement, which would be a drag, or falling backwards into the water.
It'd wake me up.
Pursing her lips in thought, she considered putting her book away and taking off her ninja tool pouch and box to "accidently" fall into the water. But there was another question to consider: was waking up worth the agitating knotted mess of hair she'd gain from it? She had already forced herself to brush through her hair this morning despite having no motivation to do so. Brushing through it again when she had even less motivation now wasn't appealing, especially with the knots.
Too much work, she decided and turned her attention back to her book.
Knotted hair was a drag.
She was flanked on both sides by Sakura, who was still going on about Kakashi, and Sasuke leaning against the railing. Naruto stood a few steps away, agreeing with their kunoichi teammates point and adding his own, needlessly dragging their pointlessly loud conversation on. Can't they give it a rest? Perhaps her duty as a balancing point also included ending this stuff, but Amari couldn't bring herself to. Too tired to speak.
Her book provided a decent distraction and helped tune out the extra noise. So far her studies into the Fire Style version of the Lightning Blade turned up with nothing promising. At this point she theorized no one had ever tried it, although she wasn't sure if that was because of the dangers or simply because exhaling fire was easier than summoning it into a hand. Good news though, she had learned about Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu and different tactics it could be used for.
Launching a large barrage of small fireballs could prove useful as a diversion and setting up hazardous conditions on the field better with less chakra. Rather than molding her chakra into one continuous flame to exhale or one fireball after another, she'd have to mold the chakra differently. To oversimplify it, it was like creating and storing several smaller fireballs in her belly and then expelling them simultaneously instead of one at a time. Although there were more fireballs, the size and strength was nowhere near her other Fire based jutsus, in turn making the toll on her chakra less.
Her research hadn't ended up a complete bust, however. Through her research into the Fire Nature, she did come across interesting mentions of Shape Transformation—an advanced variation of chakra control. Where her Fire Style or Kakashi's Lightning Style revolved around changing the Nature of their chakra, Shape Transformation revolved around changing the form and movement of their chakra.
For instance, rather than expelling a continuous flame from her mouth, with more training and experience she could expel a flame shaped like a dragon head—a technique known as Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu. But why stop there? One could shape their chakra into any shape for any purpose as long as they had the skill necessary to do it, thus altering any normal technique.
That got her thinking, what about her chakra shroud? Could she reshape it with enough focus? By releasing her full power, she became surrounded by a chakra shroud that simultaneously helped her and drained her. To add Shape Transformation on top of that she'd end up draining her chakra even faster, at least that was her theory. But to give it shape, to spin it or flow it fast enough in a shape of her choosing, would that add a defensive quality to it?
The shroud wasn't solid. It couldn't shield her against anything physical from what she experienced. She hadn't tested ninjutsu on it, though to be fair she didn't plan to. Having a clone set her on fire seemed like a bad idea. But if she could speed up the flow of chakra in a similar fashion that she used when she and Kakashi dispersed the mist, could it become a defensive move? How much chakra would it take? Did she even have the control or chakra necessary to pull it off?
I have some tests to run…
"Hey Sensei," Amari said without looking up from her book. Sakura and Naruto's words died as they looked at her like she was crazy.
"You're getting better at sensing chakra without your eye, Amari," Kakashi's voice broke the silence. Startled by his voice, Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke's head shot up to see Kakashi crouching on the red Torii above them. He waved in greeting. "Good morning, everyone. Sorry I'm late. I'm afraid I got lost on the path of life."
Amari giggled quietly at the excuse and closed her book, placing it in her hip pouch—a trick she picked up from Kakashi. My day wouldn't be complete without a Kakashi-sensei excuse.
"You liar!" Naruto and Sakura shouted in unison.
Their Sensei dropped down from the Torii to regroup. Hopping off the railing, Amari joined her team in forming a line to learn what this surprise meeting was about. "Chūnin Exams?" Amari asked, voicing her theory out loud.
It could have easily been surprise training or a new mission, but the timing was suspect. Just this morning she learned her mother planned to meet with her team to offer them a chance to take the exams. Apparently even Asuma intended to sign his team up. Shika's going to love that, she thought, giggling internally. She could already hear him groaning in annoyance at having to exert energy.
According to Kurenai, Kakashi hadn't been forthcoming on whether or not he planned to sign them up. "He's being coy about it." Amari could only assume he did so to avoid her finding out through her mother. That or he just wanted to keep his decision secret until he himself was certain about it. They were all still rookies, after all. Taking the Exams in their first few months as shinobi wasn't a requirement. The entire thing was optional.
I have to assume Guy-sensei kept his team back a year to gain more experience if they're taking it this year. No way Mimi wouldn't have passed on her first try. She hadn't even revealed her full power and she still forced Amari to use every ounce of her intelligence, strength and luck. Still, if Asuma and Kurenai were recommending their teams, she didn't see the sense in Team Seven not going too.
She didn't doubt the possibility of Shikamaru's team and Hinata's running into dangerous situations like they had. But neither team had faced off against Zabuza Momochi or Haku. Of course her team had gotten crushed, to put it mildly. But they proved their ability to push beyond their limitations in the heat of combat to survive against a deadly opponent. That experience was something their classmates did not have.
Not to be arrogant, but if Team Eight and Team Ten could handle the Exams, Team Seven could, too.
This year's Genin were skilled, with specialties that made them dangerous opponents not to underestimate. Going against such tough enemies would force them again to overcome their weaknesses in the heat of combat.
It'd definitely bring us closer together.
Kakashi affirmed her suspicions with a nod. "Yes. I know it's a bit sudden, but I've recommended all four of you for the Chūnin Exams." He pulled out four tan pieces of paper. "These are the application forms."
"Application forms?" Sakura questioned.
"The Chūnin Exams are a voluntary event," Amari explained. "You have to apply to take part in it. You can't just show up on the day of the exam and expect to be welcomed. They have to prepare appropriately for the individuals who apply."
"What do you mean by that?" Naruto asked.
"How many proctors do they need? How many shinobi do they need to monitor the groups? What kind of accommodations for the shinobi coming from foreign Villages? What kind of security do they need? Etcetera, etcetera. It's the reason why security has been getting tighter and tighter the last few days."
"Hm. Figured that was the reason for the increased patrols," Sasuke said.
Amari nodded. The foreign shinobi wouldn't notice the difference, but for Leaf natives like them the increased numbers were noticeable. They weren't blatantly in the open; shinobi were artists of stealth, after all, but keen eyed natives could see the shadows beneath the shadows.
"Anyway, point is the Chūnin Exams require applications to keep the process smooth. Having someone like Kakashi-sensei recommend us, though, practically guarantees we'll make the cut."
I wish we had more time to prepare, though. Another month of training would be wonderful. She knew Sasuke and Naruto were already committed to the idea, but they hadn't fought Team Guy. They hadn't seen the level of skill those four possessed, they hadn't felt the strength behind their fists or jutsus. She had. The Chūnin Exams would be full of talented shinobi with more experience than them, and that wasn't including the likes of Gaara.
A chill shot down her spine at the memory of his cold eyes. I don't know if we can beat him with our current level of skill. Her two boy teammates would be too stubborn to admit any inferiority. They were the type to jump straight into the problem without considering all options. For their sake she needed to be rational and ignore her inner warrior spirit. For Sakura she couldn't jump head first into this.
In two days they had made leaps and bounds in her training, then again you could only take so many hits before learning to close off such a blatant opening. But Sakura needed more time. The boys wouldn't stop to hold her hand. Naruto's golden heart wouldn't ever let him intentionally hurt a friend, but he had a dream to chase. His eyes were always looking forward to the seat of Hokage. Sasuke's cold nature kept his eyes narrowed on his goal, oblivious to anyone around him if they weren't on his level.
Sakura, unfortunately, walked behind them. She hadn't gone into the Academy with an audacious dream like Naruto's or been burdened by the death of a Clan like Sasuke. She went in as a normal kid, one who had been more interested in making friends and chasing a crush than actually training for shinobi life. Now that they were neck deep in the reality of shinobi life, she was stuck trying to play catch up while her team kept moving ahead.
Amari understood that feeling better than anyone on her team. She had watched Ryu and Kasai grow exponentially as she tried her hardest to catch up. Three years it took her to finally feel like she was on the same footing as them, as if she could match their pace. Sakura didn't have that kind of time.
We'll keep training. If that means not entering the Chūnin Exams, so be it. It'd take time for her to have the experience necessary to be a Jōnin Sensei, and who knows how long to track down Kasai. In the here and now she could fulfill her duty as the balancing point. Naruto and Sasuke wouldn't stop looking ahead unless she captured them in her Shadow Possession Jutsu. Even then, though, she doubted she could hold them back forever. She also couldn't bring herself to stunt their growth. It falls to me to be at Sakura's side until she can keep pace.
As the balancing point it was her duty, as her friend it was her pleasure.
"Amari's right, if you decide to sign up you're guaranteed to be accepted. Keep in mind that this is all voluntary." Kakashi looked at them individually. "It's up to each of you whether or not you want to go. There's no rush if you don't feel ready. You can always wait until next year."
"Woohoo! You're the best, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto jumped forward and tackle hugged Kakashi. Their sensei could only furrow his brow as he tried to detach the knucklehead from his body. A smile tugged onto her lips at Naruto's unrestrained excitement and Kakashi's awkwardness, but Naruto's action only nailed home Amari's decision to restrain her desire to take the Exam.
If she didn't remain neutral, Sakura could feel pressured to join in because they all wanted to. That wasn't fair to her. I won't let her feel left behind.
"Don't slobber on my vest." Kakashi scolded Naruto, finally clawing the boy off of him and placing him back on his own feet. "Whoever wants to take the exams, sign the application form and come to Room 301 at the Academy. It's at 3:00 pm five days from now."
The first of July.
I wonder if we will be testing for a full week or a month?
She hoped it wasn't any longer, especially if there were written tests. Written tests were a drag.
Kakashi handed off the application forms to them before leaving for a meeting with the Hokage. With their own meeting over, the four Genin started their trek back into the main part of the Village.
As they walked, each silently contemplating the exam, Sakura suddenly halted. Amari noticed it immediately; the boys kept on walking, never once realizing their kunoichi teammates stopped.
Sakura's crestfallen features made it clear what exactly was on her mind.
"Sakura," Amari spoke her name, causing the emerald eyes to hesitantly meet onyx. "This is a choice. No one is forcing us."
"Us?"
"Yeah, us." They were a team. That meant they were in this together. "I don't really know if I want to." A half-truth. Her heart wanted to go, but her mind pointed out the rational arguments against going—her fight against Team Guy being the biggest piece of evidence. Sakura looked at her in disbelief, silently asking for a valid explanation. "Sensei is right, there's no rush. We can wait another year, get more experience under our belts and go in confidently."
Amari lifted her left hand up and frowned down at the scars peeking out from under her mesh sleeve. She blinked once and saw crimson trails dripping off her fingertips. "I've…" Felt like I've been drowning. Again she blinked and the crimson was gone. No, she couldn't drop any of that on her teammates. Those were her struggles to bear, not theirs. They didn't need to worry about her. "The Land of Waves left its mark on me," she said instead. "It opened my eyes so I could finally see my own hypocrisies and arrogance. I thought I was so far ahead of you three, thought you three were still acting like kids and that I was somehow already a shinobi. But I've still got a long way to go."
Lowering her hand back to her side, she met Sakura's gaze with a neutral expression. "So if you want to wait and get stronger, then I'm with you. If you want to go through with it, I'm with you then as well. Before we make our decision right here and now, how about we see how we both feel after training for the next four days," Amari said.
Her teammate smiled. "It's a deal."
They'd get through this together. That's what friends were for.
Loud. Voices from every direction piled one on top of the other in a crashing landslide of social interactions. Too much noise for the young girl to keep her bearings. 'Tis why she chose to travel when the population slept; in silence she moved through the darkness with perfect sight, but among the roaring waves of sound she was blind to all. Konoha being a foreign Village shifted her foundation further, throwing off her balance until she could not stand any longer.
She did not have time for setbacks. Her mission was to learn the layout of Konoha in a short time frame so she could walk these new streets as if she were home, unhindered by these foreign voices and their sounds of commerce. 'Tis why she decided to go out during the populated hours of the day. Time was of the essence. To waste what little given to her would prove disastrous to her plan. Or, 'twould be that way if her attempt to learn Konoha hadn't left her disoriented by the noise, surrounded by foreigners who could not see the chains they shackled her in.
Too much noise. Chaos. Chaos of voices equivalent to a deafening waterfall that never ceased. Could they not hear it? Were they deaf to how loud they were making the world? Sharp, piercing, jagged sounds everywhere. She couldn't see, couldn't breathe. Too much. Too many voices curving and blending together in an orchestra of disorientation.
Lost and alone in a foreign Village, 'twas an embarrassing and frightening experience.
Fighting the panic, the young girl reached out with her hands, searching the ground around her for the item she lost when she fell over. Grains of softened dirt beaten down by years of foot traffic rolled across her palms, warm yet by no means sands of a desert.
Where did it go? Where had it rolled to?
"Here, let me help." The voice among the jagged sounds was soft, velvety, smooth and round without edges or pointed knives. Reaching out with her senses, the young girl felt the presence of another directly in front of her. The way the cacophony of sounds bounced off her hinted at a smaller frame, possibly in a crouch. Pitch of their voice revealed the girl was around her age, possibly another kunoichi on the verge of being a teenager.
Not a moment later her precious item brushed against the back of her hand. The young girl turned her hand over and gripped the round bottom, sighing in relief at finally having the familiar weight back in her possession. "Thank you," she thanked, sitting back to tie the item back to her sash.
"I'm sorry no one else helped you."
'Twas strange, she had to admit, to hear such a genuine apology for something this stranger had no hand in. No one back home ever cared to offer her a kind greeting, let alone an apology. The girl waved the stranger off as she pushed herself back onto her feet. "'Tis nothing to apologize for. 'Twas my own fault to venture where I cannot see."
"That doesn't make it right for people to ignore you when you actually need help."
The young girl felt her lips twitch upwards in a smile. She had forgotten what even the smallest grain of kindness felt like. 'Twas like a gentle caress across her heart, soothing the soul with its feather touch.
"'Tis the cards I am dealt," she said. You grow used to being ignored. "But your help is appreciated." She paused, unsure of what to say next. Rare was it anyone ever actually spoke to her on their own willpower. Most feared her back home or scorned her for simply being alive. This girl, however, showed no fear or hesitation. 'Twas unlikely she'd find anyone else kind enough to stop and aid her, and she did not have time to stumble through the noise without guidance.
"I do not wish to impose, but I am truly lost in this sea of sound. If you are not busy, could you please guide me to a quieter location?"
Without vision, she learned to "see" through sound, but in a foreign village where too much sound overwhelmed her acute sense of hearing she returned to full blindness. I will acclimate in time. I have to.
'Twas the cards she was dealt, and she would play them until the end.
"Sure thing."
And the stranger did without hesitation. Offering a mesh covered bicep to hold onto, the young foreigner held onto the Konoha native as she guided her further and further away from the blinding sound. Without the waterfall of noise, her senses reacclimatized to the quiet, granting her the ability to "see" once more.
"Thank you again," she thanked.
"Glad I could help."
Another honest answer that brought a smile to her lips. 'Twas good to know at least one person here in Konoha did not ostracize her. Imprinting the memory of the silky and warm chakra into her memories, the young girl turned to leave, only stopping part of the way. "What is your name?"
"Amaririsu Yūhi."
She smiled. "I will not forget your kindness, Amaririsu. I hope we have the chance to meet again."
Before everything falls apart, she added silently, clicking her tongue and listening to how the pop bounced around the structures around her to map the new area into her memory.
When she finally returned to her quarters, she had learned only a small part of Konoha, but 'twas progress. She entered her small, lonely room, sensing the chakra of her team leader waiting for her within before she even entered the building. "Baki," she greeted without any emotion after shutting the door.
"How did scouting the Leaf go?" he asked, gruff and straight to the point. What else would she expect? Although he had helped her to become a shinobi for the Sand, Baki did not pretend to care for anything beyond his mission and the safety of the Kazekage.
If they only knew. She tried to inform them of the truth, and what did she get in return? Assassins were sent to kill her, again.
Blind fools, all of them. The entire Council of Fools did not realize their daft plan would only lead innocent shinobi to their doom.
"I plan to go out tonight to resume my scouting," she answered. Explaining how she got lost, or how her knee was throbbing or Amaririsu did not interest him. Baki wanted results, not excuses or anecdotes. "I will be fully acclimatized soon."
"Good. You are an integral part of this mission, Hikari. Your kekkei genkais will crush all who stand in your way."
Yes, the Council of Fools had made that abundantly clear. She was to be a weapon of the Sand. Nothing more. Their plan meant to use her kekkei genkais to destroy their desired targets.
I have a plan of my own.
"I will complete my mission for the sake of the Sand's honor."
No matter what, she would stop them from completing their plan.
Even if it killed her.
I can't believe no one helped her, Amari thought, a pensive frown on her face. How hadn't anyone noticed the blind girl on the ground fumbling around for her small gourd shaped container? Sure she wasn't in the middle of the street, but it wasn't like she was in an alcove or something.
Maybe they hadn't realized her predicament? At a glance she had only tilted her head in confusion as to why anyone was sitting on the ground. But that strangeness had been all she needed to investigate further. When she noticed her desperately searching the ground around her without seeing the object clear as day a few feet in front of her, Amari understood.
She's blind. Nothing on the surface hinted that she was. If anyone were to assume anything, they'd think her knee was injured based on the brace she wore. But not blind. Her amber eyes didn't appear damaged, nor was there any scar on her face as there was on Amari's.
"'Tis nothing to apologize for. 'Twas my own fault to venture where I cannot see."
Amari hadn't said anything about her possible lack of sight to avoid accidently insulting her. Those words, however, confirmed her belief. It amazed the Nara how she could traverse the world on sound instead of sight. Then again, she relied heavily on dōjutsu's.
I wish I had gotten her name.
Nothing she could do about it now. Nice as the girl had been, she had left before she could ask after her name. Shrugging off the encounter, Amari refocused on ninja tool shopping. On the chance she and Sakura did sign up for the Exams, she wanted to be fully stocked and ready to go.
After purchasing paper bombs, senbon and replenishing her supply of kunai and shuriken, Amari headed home to drop off her book to free up space in her pouch. As soon as she finished with that she'd be heading out again to the practice field to start training with the senbon until Sakura showed up to train.
Her mother was still out when she made it back home. Not wanting to waste time, Amari went straight to her room, placing her book on her desk. Light shimmering in crystalline blue caught her eye and coaxed her to approach Haku's flower.
A clash of wills and strength, torn hearts, shared pain, warmth, hope, forgiveness, friendship, every petal of the flower symbolized a piece of their connection.
Haku…I wonder what you're doing right now. Are you and Zabuza still seeking a new path? Have you found it yet? Do you…do you ever think about me? Do you feel the same strong connection I feel when I think about you? Walking forward to her table, she traced the petals of the flower with the tip of her finger. Please, stay safe. Both of you. We have a promise to keep to meet again.
In truth, she missed Haku. The grumpy old man too, but mostly Haku. Their time around each other hadn't been long, but it didn't need to be to have a lasting effect on them. One battle was all it took for them to connect on a deep level. As their blades clashed, their hearts desperately tried to reach out to tie together a thread of peace. And when the mist finally faded and their wounds healed, the thread knotted together.
She traced the petal one last time before leaving it behind for the practice field. Upon arrival Amari created four clones, two to spar on the water and practice casting the Demonic Illusion: Death Mirage Jutsu, the other two to safely attach paper bombs to her kunai. As those four worked, she activated her Sharingan and lined herself up with a target dummy. In her mind she replayed her memories of Haku throwing the senbon, dissecting every movement he made down to the smallest twitch.
Near eidetic memory certainly helped.
For an entire hour she practiced throwing a single senbon. Admittedly, she failed many of her first attempts. Senbon were different from shuriken and kunai in weight and size. Their thinness required nimbleness with her fingers she wasn't used to. By the end of the hour her accuracy with a stationary target was close to a hundred percent.
Guess I should start practicing on my other hand, Amari thought. First, though, she would check in on her clones. She deactivated her Sharingan and walked over to the clones working on the paper bombs. "How'd it go?"
"Good to go. You should—" Her clone stopped speaking and furrowed her brow. "Looks like we have a visitor." She dipped her head to a nearby tree.
Amari nodded, having sensed the sudden presence of chakra at the same time as her clone. She dispelled the two clones fighting on the water and let their experience hit her. The claws of exhaustion clutched her limbs even tighter, though not nearly enough to make her want to fall over and sleep. The Water Walking Technique is getting easier to maintain without thinking about it, she thought, feeling internally the experiences of her clones as if they were her own. And my use of genjutsu is improving. Using my Sharingan over the normal way still is more difficult. I keep putting too much chakra into it.
It was something to work on. But for now she had another issue to deal with. Activating her Byakugan, she turned to search the tree for the shinobi. On a branch of the tree stood a man wearing a Hidden Rain marked headband—four straight vertical lines in a perfect row.
Amari smiled at the man and crossed her arms over her chest. "Iruka-sensei, I know it's you. Come on out."
Iruka still in his Hidden Rain shinobi Transformation appeared down in front of her. "Sharp eyes, Amari." She struggled not to laugh when she heard his modified voice. He sounded rougher and, at a guess, attempting to sound evil. It was a cute attempt. Iruka dispelled his Transformation Jutsu, a sheepish smile pulling at his lips as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"You were going to test me, weren't you? To make sure I was ready for the Chūnin Exams," Amari stated rather than questioned. Why else would he go through the trouble of trying to hide his identity? He must have learned from Kakashi-sensei or on his own that we were recommended for the Exams.
Iruka exhaled a guilty laugh. "I guess I should have expected this. You were my sharpest student."
Amari's cheeks flushed at his compliment. "I tried my best."
"That you did, Amari." Iruka's smile dropped. "You know you don't have to take these exams if you don't feel ready. There is no shame in waiting another year."
"I know. If I'm honest, I'm a little nervous about it," she admitted, thinking back to her fight with Team Guy and then the encounter with the three Sand shinobi. The strength in their attacks, and the evil presence that surrounded Gaara…"I've personally met seven ninjas who will take it. They're all strong and without a doubt more experienced than us…but..."
Iruka raised an eyebrow. "But?"
"Part of me wants to try. I'm not aiming for the promotion, not yet anyways. I want to see and feel the strength of stronger shinobi with my own eyes and body. I want to be pushed to my limits and have no choice but to surpass my current limitations to succeed. It's the only way I'll ever be strong enough to fulfill my dream and goal."
Even if she didn't get far, at least she would learn more of her weaknesses so she could strengthen them. She needed to be pushed. She needed to fight other shinobi who thought and fought differently than her to expand her ability to think on the fly and create new tactics.
In the end it wasn't in her hands to make this choice. "As much as I want that, though, it's not my choice anymore. I've left entering this up to Sakura. If she does then I will go. If she doesn't, I won't," Amari explained.
"Why Sakura?" Iruka asked.
"Because she needs to find her will to do this without being forced by the boys. If I told her I wanted to do this, she'd feel obligated to sign on with us and that isn't fair for her."
Iruka nodded thoughtfully. "I see. By giving her the option to back out and not be alone in doing it, Sakura won't feel as if she's letting the team down. Her confidence won't suffer and Sasuke and Naruto won't look down on her."
"Right. It keeps the balance of peace and power from shifting so much that Sakura is left behind."
"Are you sure about this, Amari?"
He was worried. He didn't want them to jump into this too soon when they were still so young and fresh out of the Academy. No one needed to rush to earn the promotion and become leaders in their own rights. They could wait, gain a year more experience and be fully prepared for the trials ahead of them.
Amari smiled up at her former teacher. "Yep. Besides, you left me in charge of watching after my team and keeping them in line. I promised I wouldn't let you down and I intend to keep that promise."
Her words had the desired effect. The tension in Iruka's body and on his face faded for a big smile. "You're right, I did. I know you will do your best if you take on this exam. Just be safe if you do." She gave a sharp, confident nod. "Would you mind if I still tested your abilities?"
She grinned. I've always wanted to spar with Iruka-sensei. "I'm ready if you are."
Iruka smiled, hopped back and took up his fighting stance. "Come at me when you are ready, Amari. And don't hold back—"
Iruka barely had enough time to block her first strike out of a Body Flicker. "You better not take it easy on me because I'm your favorite student, Iruka-sensei!" she jeered before pressing her assault.
She would show him how much she had grown.
Kakashi sat on a tile-roofed building, staring out at the nearly full moon as it loomed over the Leaf Village. Down below the streets of Konoha were all but empty. Somewhere out there someone clicked their tongue at steady intervals, the pop echoing through the empty streets as the soul responsible quietly walked alone on the path they chose. Within the darkness were the shadows guarding their village. With so many people from civilians and traders to foreign shinobi arriving for the Chūnin Exams, the heightened presence was necessary to weed out any individuals with bad intentions.
All loyal shinobi took the safety of their home seriously. Even with alliances, no one let their guard down; too much bad blood splashed across the world map to wash away in a few years. Kakashi himself once harbored a great distrust and anger for two foreign shinobi villages after the loss of his comrades in the war. Now he only harbored the usual suspicion of a shinobi worried about the safety of his home.
Regardless, he wasn't here to reminisce on those particular memories. He was waiting for the arrival of a specific shinobi. The sound of light footsteps landing behind him signaled their arrival. "So, how'd it go?" Kakashi asked casually.
"They all passed," a rough voice answered. "Your squad and the others. All ten rookies proved themselves ready for the Exam." The sound of a dispelling transformation preceded Iruka speaking normally. "You were right, Kakashi. They're good, all of them. They've each developed impressive skills."
"Mm," Kakashi agreed. Upon his, Asuma's and Kurenai's declaration to put forward recommendations for their full teams to take part in the Chūnin Exam to Lord Third, Iruka voiced his heated disapproval. Kakashi understood, mostly. Iruka was just protective over the kids he helped to nurture and teach over the years. In his shoes, he'd probably feel the same if those same kids were being recommended for the Exams so early into their careers.
"Iruka needs to realize that they're not his students anymore. They're mine."
It wasn't like he was sending them in without reason. He knew how tough the Exams were, he had taken them when he was six years younger than the ten rookies. But Kakashi had seen his students grow in their short time together. Although Sasuke and Naruto always seemed to be at ends, their rivalry pushed them to become stronger and stronger. Sakura was beginning to find her footing with Amari's help and would surely keep pace as soon as she caught up, and Amari's new drive was already showing promise in every aspect of her life.
Sure they had plenty of room to get better, and of the entire team he believed only one might be Chūnin material at this age, but the Exam would give them the chance to learn more about their weaknesses and continue their growth as shinobi.
"But the Chūnin Exams can break anyone," he said to himself mostly. "We'll see if they can tough it out."
He hoped he wasn't wrong about this.
Later that week
Mimi covered her mouth to conceal a tired yawn. It had been a long day of training for Team Guy; night had fallen over the Leaf and they were still out at the training field. She personally had been done training for a little bit now, same as Neji and Lee. All three were waiting for Tenten to finish her target practice, standing among the several target dummies set up in the forest. Mimi stood behind Tenten, leaning against a tree as she watched her teammate throw three more kunai at her desired target.
Bullseye again, not that I'm surprise, Mimi mused, a fond smirk tugging at her lips. Tenten could cut the wings of a fly off with one kunai and kill the fly with a second kunai if she wanted to. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. Flies were pretty tiny and hard to hit, but she'd still say it to anyone who asked. Tenten was on the road to becoming a weapon master, a little exaggeration would add to the legend she'd make.
"You ready to call it a day yet, Tenten? I'm pretty sure you've shown these dummies who's boss," Mimi jested, reaching up to her head to scratch Aoko behind her ears. Dozens of kunai were sticking out of the target dummies.
"One more and I'll be done, you big whiner," Tenten teased good-naturedly, half turning and placing a hand behind her back as she twirled a kunai in her hand.
"Oh, you wound me!" Mimi stuck her tongue out as she dramatically mimed stabbing herself in the heart.
Tenten shook her head and smiled, amused by her antics. "Didn't realize you were so sensitive."
Mimi grinned and lowered her hand. "Only when you wield such a sharp blade."
Her friend rolled her eyes. Behind her Lee leaned his hand against the dummy Tenten had just punctured. "Did you three hear? We're going to have rookies at the Exams. First year Genin, that has not happened in five years."
Mimi's grin fell for a look of intrigue as Tenten started flipping her blade in her hand. "First year Genin, huh?" I wonder if that means Amari and her team signed up. She didn't know much about the rest of Kakashi's team; Guy focused them specifically on Amari, claiming she was Kakashi's protégé. Still, the thought of having a real rematch with Amari ignited a flame in Mimi's heart, giving her a sudden rush of adrenaline she couldn't medically explain. There was something there, something she wanted to grab hold of and feel for herself.
Best part about it, she could tell Amari wanted the same. Some kind of connection formed in their fight, something that had yet to take shape. Mimi didn't know how else to explain it but whatever it was urged her to seek out the rookie kunoichi in a fight. I'll fight her again after the Exams if she isn't in them.
"No way," Tenten sighed. "I bet it is just some Jōnin trying to boost their egos."
"Don't be such a pessimist, Tenten. Where's your thrill for hoping they might put up a decent challenge?" Mimi teased, earning a bark of agreement from Aoko.
"No. There is more to the story than that," Lee countered, a challenging smile on his face "Kakashi's whole team has signed up."
Mimi couldn't help but grin. Haha! I knew it! Excitement bubbled up inside her at the slim possibility of having the chance to fight Amari in the Exams, and she wasn't alone in the feeling. Because it had been one of Guy's challenges, none of them heeded his warnings about Amari's skill. What chance did one girl have against their entire team? It'd just end up being boring, an event that didn't require her to go all-out.
Mimi had never been so wrong about an opponent.
Intelligent, perceptive and tough were three of the first words she could think of to describe Amari. A tactician to her core, she used her Shadow Clones for one of their best purposes: scouting and intelligence gathering. It took Mimi too long to realize her clones were imprinting their fighting styles for their original, deciphering any and all techniques they may use. Lee, of course, had no restraint. He went all-out against the clone, Tenten too. Both revealed their specific fighting styles, never realizing how the clones were pretending to follow through with the orders Mimi had overheard.
She said to destroy us, but something isn't right. Her will isn't in it. That thought turned the light bulb on and destroyed the shadows around her. Mimi quickly restrained the clone and tried to get her team to stop, but it was too late. Amari had gotten far into Neji's head, picking apart his biggest insecurities in a matter of minutes and her clones already picked up enough information on the others. I'm the only one who didn't reveal everything, she had realized.
All of Guy's warnings had proven true. They weren't dealing with an average rookie. Someone who could force Neji to lose his cool and begin losing his fight inch by inch, that was a dangerous opponent.
Then the hidden seals under the bandages happened. Mimi hadn't thought anything of them. Neji wore bandages, too, but not with weight seals underneath them. Her increased speed was impressive, though still not faster than Lee or herself. But damn, Mimi mused, she's faster than most kids her age.
Excited by the challenge, Mimi lost herself in the battle without going all-out. Could anyone really blame her, though? This girl's fierce will to refuse defeat sparked a fire in her. Anyone else would have forfeited in her position, but she kept fighting until it was just down to the two of them. Even then she could have bowed out, conceded to defeat and walked away with her head held high. Instead she let Mimi bring their fight to the water where she held the distinct advantage. Amari had known it, and she hadn't perfected the Water Walking Technique, but she still gave it her all.
It's a testament to her character. In a fight, Mimi wanted someone like Amari on her side, someone who gave everything they had regardless of how desperate a situation might be.
Amari had earned her respect as a shinobi, a feeling she knew was reciprocated by the Uchiha girl to all of her teammates for their skills.
"Hmm. Interesting," Neji said at length.
"But not very. Ha!" Tenten said as she tossed her kunai.
The kunai impaled the practice dummy right above Neji's head, who was sitting underneath it. "Either way, it's too bad for them," Neji said, voice as smug as always.
Says the one who ended up neck deep in the ground, Mimi thought, rolling her eyes. Overconfidence had been each of their mistakes, a distinct mistake she wouldn't make next time.
"Maybe," Lee spoke, "but I'm looking forward to the possibility of fighting Amaririsu one on one. If the chance comes, I would like to be the one who fights her next."
Mimi curled her lips downward in a sad frown and put on her best puppy dog eyes. "But Leeeeee, I wanted to fight her when she isn't tired. Can't I go first?" she pleaded.
Lee shook his head, smiling at both her pleading and the idea of fighting Amari again. "I am sorry Mimi but I must fight her. She proved herself a worthy adversary, one who relies equally on strength and intelligence as you do." He clenched his hands into fists. "One miscalculation, one moment of arrogance was all it took for her to defeat me, as it did with each of us. Do you remember what she said to you, after she escaped your Water Prison Jutsu?"
"I…can't give up. I have…a promise to keep!"
Mimi nodded. "She can't give up because she has a promise to keep. Why's that on your mind?"
"Amaririsu has given her word to someone to never give up, that means she won't stop fighting to overcome the obstacles between her and her dream." Lee smiled sheepishly. "What can I say, she has inspired me to work even harder to overcome her as an obstacle on the way to my dream."
I get it. Mimi smiled at her teammate. Neji used his destiny speeches and claims of superiority to try to get her to give up, but instead she did everything in her power to prove him wrong. And in the battle of ideals, hers won. Something we haven't been able to do. By defeating Neji, she became a new obstacle for Lee to overcome. Neji would always be an obstacle to him until he did win, but Amari punched a ticket right to the top of his list of opponents to defeat.
"All right, Lee, but I call second dibs."
Amari had also punched a ticket to the top of her list as well.
He gave her a thankful nod. "Deal."
"Well we aren't fighting now, so let's head home. Mimi, can you help me with my ninja tools?" Tenten asked.
"Fine," Mimi faked an exasperated sigh. "I feel like you only see me as your servant sometimes Tenten and it hurts."
Her teammate gave a laugh before jabbing her in the arm. "Oh no, not the 'you kicked my puppy' voice." Aoko huffed at the word puppy. "You know I don't mean you, Aoko," Tenten said, scratching her behind the ears.
Mimi looked up to Aoko. "No, she means it Aoko. Don't take the bait again. She thinks you're a puppy," she teased her ninken. Aoko ignored her for Tenten's attention. "Oh, you've betrayed me yet again. Here I thought we were in this together. Traitor."
Lee and Tenten laughed at the Inuzuka's defeated voice. Neji, notably, remained in contemplative silence over their previous conversation. He won't admit it out loud, but he wants a rematch too. There was also the other Uchiha boy to consider. The Uchiha Clan had once been the strongest Clan in Konoha. As a Hyūga, now the strongest Clan, Neji wanted nothing more than to test the full-blooded to see his strength with his own eyes.
Obviously he forgot what Guy-sensei said. According to him, Amari was stronger than her teammate. Neji, of course, refused to believe it. Mimi had yet to see the other boy fight, which left her on the fence of believing her sensei's ramblings to push Lee to become stronger than Kakashi's protégé.
Still, I've seen her intellect and abilities first hand. She began going around to the dummies to grab Tenten's ninja tools. I haven't seen her teammate fight, but if he is even close to her level of skill…Mimi grinned. This exam is going to be fun.
The Next Day
After four days of serious training and Iruka's test, Sakura and Amari both agreed to join their boy teammates in taking the Exam. It'd be a challenge, no doubt about that, but Sakura found her will to make the decision without any interference from the team. Amari was proud of her, for both how far she had come in such a short time of training and for finding her confidence. But the time for preparations was over.
Today was the day. Today was the first stage of the Exams. It was time for Team Seven to step onto the stage of the shinobi world and show their strength to everyone they encountered. First step on that journey was meeting up at the Academy. Amari arrived first, early as always, followed by Sasuke and then Naruto. Now they were waiting for Sakura, who was running a bit late.
Nothing to be worried about yet, Amari thought. Plenty of time for them to get to Room 301 for the Exam. Naruto and Sasuke were relaxed as well with Naruto of the pair looking around now and then in search for Sakura. Otherwise the trio remained silent. She and Naruto already went over everything they needed to and Sasuke still wasn't one for conversation.
As Amari reached into her back pouch for one of the novels she picked up, she caught sight of pink hair in her peripherals and immediately halted the action. "Ah, there she is," she said out loud.
That meant it was time. Well Iruka-sensei, you said my skills had improved tremendously. Time to prove that yours and Kakashi-sensei's trust in us is not misplaced.
"Sakura!" Naruto greeted.
Sakura offered a small wave. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late."
"Ah, it's no big deal. We've still got time to get in," Naruto waved off her apology.
"You ready to kick some butt, Sakura?" Amari asked. Sakura nodded confidently. "In that case, I say we go see how big and bad this test really is."
Sasuke snorted cockily and smirked. "It won't be anything we can't handle."
"Right! Let's go!" Naruto announced, pumping his fist enthusiastically.
I wish I felt as confident.
Team Seven entered the Academy building and ascended the stairs in search for Room 301. As they made it to the second floor, a disturbance strummed warning chords in Amari's body, causing her to halt and furrow her brow.
Naruto looked at her in confusion. "Amari?"
Genjutsu, she noted. I'd bet they're trying to weed out anyone unable to see through such a simple jutsu.
"You felt it too?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto, still lost, turned his attention to Sasuke. "Felt what?"
"I did too. There's a genjutsu on this floor," Sakura explained.
Amari nodded in agreement. "Keep your guard up," she warned her team. "I'm betting it's a sort of pre-test to get to the real Exam."
She received silent nods of understanding before continuing through the genjutsu floor. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It didn't seem the casters intended it to disorient them or change the entire surrounding area to something different. In all likelihood, they planned to lure them to a different room than the one they were meant to go to, thus eliminating those who couldn't see through it in time to make it to the designated room.
Proof to her theory came when they came across a large crowd of people hovering around a door marked with 301.
"They tricked a lot of people," Sasuke commented.
"From what I can tell, they only changed the number on the door," Amari said. "It didn't even disorient us into forgetting we only came up one flight of stairs. It seems to be a test to see how close you're paying attention to your surroundings, or an elaborate prank."
"Eh, I wouldn't call it elaborate," Naruto said, placing his hands behind his head.
"And an eraser in the door is?" she teased her friend.
"Hey! That was short notice, and it totally worked too!"
"Because Sensei let it," Amari reminded, rolling her eye at his attempt to twist the truth. "Anyway, are we moving on by or are we going to ruin their fun?"
"Hmph. What the hell, let's put an end to this prank," Sasuke said, smiling at the idea.
Amari smirked at her Uchiha counterpart. "You know, I'd usually say this is troublesome, but I think I might enjoy this a little."
"I think Naruto's troublemaking may have rubbed off on all of us," Sakura said, chuckling lightly.
Her knucklehead grinned and snickered. Their amusement died off at the sound of someone taking a punch somewhere from the front of the crowd. Back on high alert, the team of four scanned the crowd for the source of the fight. Amari noticed a familiar bowl cut shinobi sitting on the floor. "Lee?" she whispered in confusion.
It could be no one else. No one besides Guy and Lee would wear those green spandex jumpsuits without second guessing themselves. Searching through the crowd for the other members of the team, Amari's eye landed on Neji's back and then Mimi's, both standing off to the side as they watched Tenten take the next punch. A small tightening in Mimi's fists and a snarl on her lips revealed held back anger; a small sign, but enough for Amari to piece together their plan.
"Those are the four you fought?" Sasuke asked, his voice carrying disbelief.
Amari nodded once as a frown creased her lips. "Yeah, but don't underestimate them. Their taking the hits on purpose."
"Smart, I'll give them that," Sakura said. "They're obviously hiding their real strength so someone later will underestimate them in battle.
"Exactly," Amari agreed. "Tread carefully guys. From here on out we're in the lion's den. Appearances are merely that—appearances. Don't take any of these people at face value and never let your guard down. We can only trust each other."
"Right," all three of her teammates responded in unison.
Sasuke took the lead and walked through the crowd without even looking at them or Lee and Tenten as he passed them. Amari flanked his side, her face neutral to keep her thoughts hidden to all those around them.
"We're just thinin' out the herd," a man that appeared to be a handful of years older than them said. He wore his Leaf headband like a full bandana to cover his entire head. His partner, on the other hand, wore his normally, allowing his spiky hair to be free. It seemed he had a nasal problem, that or just a stuffed up nose since he kept sniffing now and then. On his back were two blades, though the chakra she sensed from these two made it clear their appearances were meant to deceive them.
I couldn't feel it back there, but up close I can tell they're not actually Genin, Amari analyzed. They must be using a Transformation Jutsu to appear younger, to hide the fact they're Chūnin as they play a prank on the Genin hoping to pass the Exam.
She had nothing against them. They were probably just having fun. Unfortunately for them, she was about to burst their bubble. "Cute speech and cute Transformation Technique," Amari started, crossing her arms over her chest as she smiled at the two. "But surely two Chūnin have better things to do than pick on a bunch of Genin."
"We can see through your illusion anyways, so why not drop the genjutsu and let everyone go to the third floor already," Sasuke said cooly.
There were murmurs in the crowd questioning what the two Uchiha meant. Certainly they were at the right door standing in front of two Genin, not two Chūnin. Wrong.
Both of the fake Genin frowned at them. "Well well," the one with the blades said.
"You noticed the genjutsu and Transformation Technique, huh?" his partner finished.
Amari turned to Guy's team briefly to send a teasing smirk at them, earning a grin from Mimi. Sasuke looked back over his left shoulder to Sakura. "Go on, Sakura. I'm sure you saw the genjutsu and transformation before anyone else did. You have the sharpest eyes and best analytical skills on our squad; you must have seen this coming before we even entered the Academy."
Good play, Sasuke. Deceiving others to believe Sakura has sharper eyes than you and I.
Sakura took on a proud smile and determined eyes. "Of course. I spotted it right away. Their Transformation was easy to see through and the genjutsu was only Academy level."
Amari slapped a hand to her mouth to keep a laugh from bubbling out of her as the frowns on the two fake Genin tugged even further down. Oh Sakura, you are amazing! Talk about really pushing their buttons.
"Right," Naruto chirped.
They reversed the genjutsu and revealed the 201 on the sign. "Well, aren't we the smart ones. So you noticed an illusion," nasal problem said in a condescending voice. Then aggression flashed in his eyes. "Now let's see how you deal with this!"
The man spun quickly, his leg moving to kick Sasuke. Sasuke, having seen the fake Genin's body tense in preparation for a strike, was already moving to counter the attack with a kick of his own. Before the kicks could land, a green blur flashed between them, blocking both strikes to prevent a fight spilling out.
"Heh, nice one, Lee," Amari complimented as everyone's eyes adjusted to see him standing between the two, easily holding their strikes back. She turned her gaze to her teammate. "Come on, Sasuke. This is becoming bothersome."
Fighting with these guys was a waste of time, especially over something as trivial as a genjutsu trick.
Sasuke and the man dropped their legs without argument. The fake Genin moved into the room they had been guarding with his buddy, disappearing into the shadows within the empty space. Sasuke stared at Lee's hand pensively, finally understanding only a fragment of the speed and strength of the bushy browed shinobi.
Neji and Tenten approached Lee as Mimi approached her and her team. Amari offered her a nod of greeting and a smile. "Hey Mimi, Aoko, fancy meeting you two here."
A broad grin split her lips. "Fancy that. Guess things aren't going to be as boring as I thought."
"Looks like things are going to be more troublesome than I thought." She turned to her team. "Guys, this is Mimi Inuzuka and Aoko. Mimi, Aoko this is Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha."
"Yo." Mimi waved to the trio, who gave her a mix between nods and waves. Lee suddenly walked past Amari and Mimi to approach Sakura directly. "Oh no. Lee, wai—"
"My name is Rock Lee," he introduced himself to Sakura. He then shoved a fist out in a thumbs up and grinned like Guy. "Please be my girlfriend. I vow to protect you with my life!"
Next to her, Mimi sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Lee, you've got a heart of gold, and you're going to get it broken like this," she muttered under her breath.
Wow…I-…wow. Amari was at a loss of words. She couldn't deny the level of confidence it took for him to do that. No way could she ever just walk up to someone she didn't know and ask them to be her boyfriend or girlfriend.
"Definitely…not," Sakura responded flatly.
"Why?" Amari could hear the sad disappointment in Lee's voice.
"I don't even know you."
Lee dropped his head and let out a sad sigh.
"I'm…happy that's not how our introduction went," Amari whispered to Mimi. She would've frozen up like a startled deer if he had up and asked her out.
"I'd bet it's because of Guy-sensei is rivals with Kakashi-sensei that he didn't," Mimi explained.
Fear gripped Amari's heart as she turned her full attention to Mimi. "Don't tell me Guy-sensei is prepping Lee to be my eternal rival." The grin she received made her groan audible and sink down in depression. "Kakashi-senseiiii," she whined, "you dragged me into this again!"
One of these days she was going to have a chat with him so she could figure out what she did wrong to be dragged into his rivalry.
"Hey you. What's your name?" Neji questioned upon approaching Sasuke.
"I guess his ears still aren't flawless," Amari muttered under her breath.
"Hehehe, nope! Still not flawless," Mimi laughed.
"It's common courtesy to give your own name before asking for someone else's," Sasuke responded without flinching.
Neji didn't let the comment get to him. "You're a rookie, aren't you? How old are you?" Neji asked.
"I'm not obliged to answer."
Agitation crossed Neji's face. "What's that?"
Next to her, Mimi was on the verge of bouncing on the balls of her feet as she barely contained her excitement. "Oh, Aoko check it out! Neji's getting out smugged!" she said, grinning wildly. Aoko barked in…appreciation? She was going to have to learn how to read the ninken's response better. Mimi turned her shining blue eyes to Amari. "Your team is definitely going to liven up this place."
"Glad we're entertaining you," Amari said, smiling in amusement at the Inuzuka.
"Hey Naruto, Sasuke, Amari, let's go," Sakura called to them.
Amari looked back to Sakura and nodded. "I'm ready if you three are." She turned back to Mimi. "Good luck to each of you."
"Who needs luck when you've got skill?" Mimi retorted. Aoko followed her statement with a bark, likely concurring with her partner.
Amari laughed and waved goodbye before following after Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke.
Well let's see what these exams have in store for us.
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