-Morning of final Exam-
Skylor Chen, Elemental master of Ember, rubbed her eyes as she read over the new figures of her business. The Chen noodle house was having a difficult in Ninjago city, the result of the disaster after disaster. Sighing, she placed down the paper and reach for some calming tea.
"Your on vacation Skylor," she muttered after taking a sip. Out of chance she glanced out the window to see the kid master Wu asked her to keep an eye on. To her annoyance he was fast asleep snoring. 'Is he for real?'
She opened the window and opened her mouth... only to close it when a group of academy students raced by. Shaking her head she blamed the stress for the stupid idea of yelling at Naruto from her hotel window. What sort of ninja alerts potential enemies to their location?
Multiple ninja suddenly sneezed.
"And I was hoping to stay in as long as possible." Yawning she slipped her false files into the locker and made sure her custom lock box was hidden away with the real files. This was a ninja village after all and the chances of espionage was high. Taking one last look around she picked up a small package with Naruto's name on it.
Weighing it in her hands she smirked as a chicken fluttered into the room with a cluck cluck. She had an idea what it could be as she had gotten a similar package from Kai after the events of the invasion of the Oni. That was one conflict she did not want to go through again.
Oni were horrible noodle shop customers.
Exiting her hotel room she suddenly pressed against the wall as several konoha nin raced towards the roof entrance. Shaking her head she made her way over to Wu's youngest student's home, wondering why Wu didn't just ask his students-
"Hey watch it!" Skyler stumbled back as a merchant shoved passed her in a hurry.
"... Ass." She muttered with a frown as she fingered her hidden metal chopsticks... and the heavier coin purse she had swapped with the pick pocket for her one full of pebbles. Ducking down the alleyway she jumped over the fence as a yell rang out from the street path. "That'll teach him."
Humming the tune Kai danced to, the look of horror on his face when she showed him the copy of him and friends dancing (ninja fighting) for the blade cup, she didn't notice kicking a small stone that was supporting a beam.
Pythor was getting rather hungry after traveling along the sewer system. He had been able to avoid several dangerous traps, a man with a false face talking to one with glasses, several large snakes, a group of black masked men fighting ninja with a musical note (he wasn't one for music after all) and finally a creepy doorway sent him fleeing from the smell of blood amd sound of screaming. Yes, Pythor was having a poor day.
"Oh why didn't I just go into the woods or better still stay in Ninjago?" The serpentine complained as he made his way to an access hatch. His belly rumbled and he patted it to calm it down. "How can a sewer not have a single rodent? I'm starving and all this sneaking around isn't good for my scales."
Slowly climbing up the ladder he paused to look though the holes. To his surprise the fire ninja's crush happened by.
"Oooh what good fortune this is!" He snickered as he slowly moved the sewer cover up so he could ambush the unaware girl. "Ah revenge and a free meal, my luck is finally turning around... Oh no!"
A shadow blocked out the sun making him look up to see a pile of trash and crates falling towards him. Ducking back into the sewers he avoided being crushed by the trash avalanche, but no longer able to follow the ninja girl at this time.
"Curses!"
Unaware of Pythor's frustration, Skyler found herself in front of Naruto's front door. Shifting the package out of her hidden pocket to be under her arm as to not arouse suspicion from the boy on where it came from, she raised her hand and knocked.
Nothing.
Frowning she tried again, this time harder.
"...Mmm no Ramen don't leave me!..." She heard from behind the door making her eyebrow twitch. Clearly the boy was a heavy sleeper, amusing yes, but when your a ninja enemies can attack you just as often as you sleep as your are awake. Then again he had been training hard for the exam so it was possible his body had succumbed to exhaustion.
Making sure no one else was around she twirled her chopsticks in hand in thought. Sighing she took her tools and began working on the lock. It took a few tries but she was in though the door with it closed behind her in less than two minutes.
'I'll have to thank Ronin for the lock picking lessons next time I see him, perhaps when he tried to rob me again.' With that thought and the smile brought forth she began to move through the apartment complex room.
It was evidently clear that Naruto lived alone and had been so for a long time. It wasn't clear however who else had been inside the room in the last few hours if the alarm clock was any indication. One look told her enough that it was sabotage.
'Another gennin looking to reduce the competition in the game?' She wondered as she set the alarm down, making sure it would go off in ten minutes. It would give him enough time to sleep and have an hour until he had to run to the arena. Opening the refrigerator she noted that the food wasn't as fresh as it should have been. Checking around the back she slipped off a piece of paper and the sound of the machine rumbling filled the air.
It was clear to Skyler that someone was out to prevent Naruto from competing in the game. Skaing her head she got out the last of the food that was salvageable to make breakfast for the boy.
He was family after all.
Naruto awoke with a start as his alarm went off. Groaning he slipped out of the bed with a yawn. After slipping on his clothes he made his way over to the kitchen for some breakfast, only to stop and look at the table with wide eyes.
There, on the table, was an omelette with orange juice, rice and three strips of bacon along with a package and letter with his name on it. Sitting down he opened the letter.
Naruto,
Sensei Wu wanted you to have this gift for all your hard work. Consider it a sign of how far you've come under his care. The breakfast was my idea. Make sure to eat up now and show them what you got.
-A friend.
"Huh." Placing down the letter and opening the package he grinned at what was inside. "...Cool." 'But who's this friend? I don't think the old man or that strange chicken scary cat left this for me.'
Making a mental note he took a bite of his food and let out a moan of happiness. Today was going to be great he decided as he scarfed down his breakfast. To think he was going to have cold ramen but to have a home cooked meal? Kami-sama was looking out for him and today he felt like was his luckiest day ever!
Naruto in his happy state of mind did not notice a smiling red head watching from the window or when she left as he appreciated her meal. Skyler mission wasn't to make any formal contact just yet but she couldn't help herself with watching Naruto enjoy her cooking. What could she say, she was a people kind of noodle owner.
"Let's see if he can pass this exam." Flipping to the street with no one batting an eye, ninja village, she made her way to the arena to get to her spot. 'I wonder what master Wu and his ninja students are doing right now? Then again Kai and the test of them are being lazy all over again. Why are the odds of me meet a more lazy group of ninja?'
Skyler did not know it but on the street running parallel to the one she was traveling down Shikamaru let out a sneeze as he and the rest of team ten along with their sensei shared a meal together.
"Ew! Shikamaru that's gross!" Ino complained as she wiped off her cheek as her teammate rubbed his nose.
He sniffled. "Sorry Ino I don't know what came over me."
"Probably your sound nin opponent talking about defeating you in the tournament." Chōji took a wipe at a beef slice but was stopped by Asuma sensei who took the meat. "Hey!"
"Too slow." The man chuckled as he placed it on his rice. Asuma tapped his cigar into the tray before setting it down. "Ready for your match Shika?"
"Not you too... man this is such a drag." Shikamaru mumbled under his breath as he placed his head down on his arms in an attempt to get some more sleep. Chōji and his sensei laughed as Ino slammed her fist into his skull.
"Nara you baka! How do you expect to win with such a lazy attitude!?!"
Shikamaru cracked open one eye. "... I made it into round three unlike you who fainted with your rival."
Ino sputtered as Asuma hid his grin by taking a quick drink. It was frustrating knowing that his team only had one member in the final round like team eight under Yūhi Kurenai. Kakashi team from what he read in the reports didn't have that much in terms of training, only in the feild work and tree climbing. Asuma frowned as he thought of his fellow ninja. Kakashi had said to him and Kurenai how he hoped by observing the teamwork of Team eight and ten his own could emulate them.
Then again, Asuma took a quick smoke, Kakashi's own experiences weren't favorable to learn how to take care of gennin team, being that he was fast tracked and the third shinobi war. He wasn't a therapist like many in Ino's family but it was clear that Kakashi was suffering a form of PTSD. Losing his teammates one after another, his sensei, the missions as ANBU... Guy's challenges?
Yes it was clear Kakashi had intended to fill the void the lost of his ream with team seven. It wasn't like his old team but the similarities were there, possibly why his father cleared him for teaching duty...
Asuma shook his head from his rumbling thoughts as Ino berated her teammates. Shoulders sagging he waved over a waiter to pay for the meal before they got kicked out. The exam would start in less than an hour after all and it wouldn't be prudent to be late like Kakashi was told not to do.
'What a drag.' He thought, stealing Shikamaru's catch phrase. He stood up getting the attention of his students. "You better start moving to the arena Shikamaru. Don't want to be late."
Shikamaru groaned as his sensei puffed into a cloud of smoke. He had enough to deal with with Ino and his mother about the exam. Rubbing his head he began ro mutter under his breath making Chōji snicker.
"What was that lazy ass!?" Ino yelled.
"Nothing Ino... Hey Chōji want to go cloud watching?"
"Sure, got any snacks?"
"You two bakas! We need to get to the arena so Shikamaru can show that team ten isn't weak! So help me I'd we are letter I'm telling your mother Nara where you go to avoid doing your chores!"
Shikamaru paled. "You wouldn't."
Ino's grin was down right evil. "Try. Me."
Both boys shivered at the look and fell into line with Ino as she walked out of the building. If Chōji was the heavy hitter and Shikamaru the brains, it was Ino who was the defacto decision maker slash leader... In her mind that was the proper order as Sensei Asuma went with the flow and was just as lazy as her teammates. Fingering her weapons pouch she wondered if it was too late to get a resupply at Tenten's family shop.
Then again a resupply could help not only herself but also make sure she could possibly get some intel. She might not be in the exam anymore but that didn't mean she wouldn't help out her teammate. Changing streets she made her choice to head over to the store. It was a detour to be sure but worth it.
And if Sasuke was there to resupply then she could show him her feminine side without forehead getting on the way...
"Come on boys we're taking a quick stop at Tentens!" She yelled out before bumping into someone. Annoyed she grabbed the red head's shoulder. "Hey watch it! You owe me an apology!"
'Seriously?' Skyler thought as she shook off the rude girl's grip. "Frist off you ran into me. Second off who are you ninja to grab a guest to your village?"
Skyler they shifted her stance and smirked. "Then again I would grab me too if I was as ugly as you
Ino sputtered as Shikamaru and Choji groaned. Ino consistently considered herself a hime of Konoha and hearing she was ugly from a stanger triggered her. Seeing Ino turning purple Shikamaru and Chōji each looped an arm around hers.
"Let me at her!"
"My apologies but we'll be going now." Chōji shouted as he and his buddy race away with Ino between them yelling profanities and swears."
Skyler cracked a hidden smile as Ino's actions remained her of Nya. She would make a good ninja one day but that blonde needed to get some meat and training under her belt. What sort of ninja also didn't notice they were pick pocketed anyway?
Sliding the few shuriken she stole from the girl into a pocket she hummed in thought as she forced the power of Ember to see what sort of power Ino had. To her disappointment it was similar but a far weaker version of the master of the mind's power.
"Well, let's hope Naruto's fight will be better." Pausing to pop her back she sighed in relief. So far enough was enough... Although the looks from the older ninja at her hair color was getting annoying. Skyler shivered as a white haired man giggled and wrote in a book, glancing at her hair before going back to writing.
She'll have to keep an eye on him. But for now she couldn't wait to see how Naruto will do.
Happy New Year everyone! Please review and keep an eye out to see what will happen in the exams.