Chapter 21

"Why, Why, Why, it's always the same! He sets the time then we have to wait hours for him!" I walk onto the bridge to hear this with a sigh. I came a little extra late in hopes to avoid this. Looks like I failed.

"It's Not Fair!" Naruto yells.

"Tell me about it, I rushed here so fast I didn't even have time to blow dry my hair!" Sakura's exasperated tone complains shrilly.

"And I didn't even have enough time to brush my teeth or change my underwear!"

"You uh... Didn't? that's really disgusting Naruto." Sakura wrinkles her nose in distaste as she stops and looks at him.

"You know there is a simple way to avoid things like that. If you want to be here on time." I say as I set on the railing of the bridge opposite of the side Sasuke was leaning against. I figured to put as much space between Sasuke and I as possible for a little while just to try and avoid causing more trouble with Sakura.

"Coming from the girl that always gets here late!" Sakura yells accusingly at me. I just shrug.

"If Kakashi Sensei is going to be late, I adapt. Anyway, if you want to be here on time why not just wake up earlier so you can properly get ready?" As silence follows I look at them. "Don't tell me you two idiots didn't think of that?" I smirk before looking down at the water behind me.

"Hey, good morning everyone. Sorry, I'm late. I'm afraid I got lost on the path of life." Kakashi says as we all look up at him.

"You liar!" Naruto and Sakura yell accusingly up to him at precisely the same time. Sliding off of the railing I walk over to the group as Kakashi jumps down.

"I know this is a bit sudden but I recommended you for the chunin exams, all four of you." He says before pulling out four pieces of paper. "These are the application forms."

"Application forms?"

"You're repeating me Sakura." Kakashi teases. "This is all voluntary, it's up to each of you, if you don't feel ready you can wait till next year."

"Alright!" Naruto yells running up to Kakashi and hugging him throwing him into a spin.

"Hey don't slobber on my vest." He says as he puts Naruto down and handing him his application. "Whoever wants to take the exams, sign your name to the application form and come to the room 301 at the academy. It's at 3 pm five days from now, that's it."

"Hahaha, chunin exams, chunin exam!" Naruto speaks excitedly as the rest of us take our applications as well. Once the last of us has our forms Kakashi poofs away in a puff of smoke. Successfully leaving us to do whatever we feel like.

As we are walking away from the bridge, Naruto looks at his application. "Chunin exams, I'll be up against some really wicked ninja!" He speaks closing his eyes momentarily then shifting a glare from Sasuke to me causing me to raise a brow in wonderment at what idiotic thoughts are going through his mind this time. Looking ahead as I walk I push Naruto and the others out of my mind. I can't help but feel excited. Thinking of Gaara and going against Sasuke along with plenty of other nameless ninja that are equally as strong. I feel my hands twitch as I smirk. This will be a true test of how strong I have become. Splitting off from the others I make my way to the training area to find Aphro already waiting for me.

"Sorry, I'm late cuz." I mutter landing in front of her. She just smiles as her clear blue eyes sparkle in the sun.

"Oh, it's alright. I just got here myself. Kurenai Sensei needed to speak with us." She reaches into the bag she had begun carrying around and tossed me some weights. "I had these made for you. I hope you don't mind. Since your arm and leg warmers were destroyed I got into the other fabric left from that outfit and made these for you." Looking down at the weights covered in similar-looking coverings to my mentioned clothes I smile. She once again went out of her way to help me. "Hurry up, put them on. I already have my usual training weights built into my outfit as well." Nodding to her I yank them on and clasp them securely around my extremities.

"Let me guess, the chunin exams?" I more state rather than question, going on with the conversation we had been having. Pulling my right blade from its sheath and falling into position. The recognition clears the star-like sparkles from her eyes as she becomes more serious. Retrieving a kunai for herself.

"Yeah, let me take a crack at guessing. Kakashi needed you guys for the same reason?"

"Yup. I have my application form in my pouch. You?"

"Same." Leaping at each other, she brings her kunai towards me ready to dig deep into my skin. Blocking with my blade caused the sound of metal scraping against metal to echo in the silent area.

The sun was well on its way to setting by the time I fell onto my back on the grass. My chest rising and falling rapidly as I try and catch my breath. "You did much better today." Aphrodite comments as she sets down next to me. Brushing her long blond hair out of her eyes behind her ears.

"Thanks. I feel as if I managed to push you further as well." I nod closing my eyes with a smirk.

"You did, but you still have a long way to go before we can train on equal ground." Why does she have to point out how much better than me she is? Yes in jutsu I can complete more than she can in one setting but in terms of fighting. She blows me out of the water. I guess I have more energy than she does. "Oh, have you come up with a solution yet?" Looking towards her I nearly question what she meant before it dawns on me.

"No. I figured I would try consuming more than necessary but when I think about it. It would just cause my body to adapt to having more so I would need more, more often."

"I see. You do remember that the stronger you get the more you will need. Also, you know with the chunin exams coming up you are going to have to be on your toes. There is a great deal of chance that what your body requires will be revealed."

"I know." I mutter sitting up and looking towards the horizon. "It will be difficult."

"But not impossible. I'm going to start stocking extra fluids in your scroll for you. Remember in the death note world? You used to consume large amounts of coffee to curve your thirst. Maybe we can use it to our advantage now. As for craving a fresh supply, it is possible that we can figure out which fluids you can heat up and already have your blood mixed into it. So it's warm."

Nodding to her as she stands and pulls her hair up into a high ponytail to keep it out of her face. I too stand when she holds out a hair tie for me. Taking it I smile at her as I tie my hair up. "Sounds like it's worth a try but we don't want to break the seal on any of the contents until it's near the time I will need them. It will keep it fresh for me."

"I know, that's where the problem is. If you can't get off on your own in order to mix the two contents then you will need them premixed. I have five days to figure out this dilemma."

"I'll help as well. It is my problem after all." She giggles just before we smack our hands together in a high five.

"Let's go until the moon is high tonight." Nodding to her I laugh. But before we could take off running, two ninja with straw hats and dark clothes land in front of us. Noticing the markings of their forehead protectors I raise a brow.

"Aphro?" I question glancing towards her seeing her eyes had narrowed.

"What do you want?" She questions annoyed.

"You know you are interfering in our training." I mention it as if it was a huge crime.

They just laugh before the one in front of Aphro tugs his hat down lower. "We will not let you join the chunin exams."

"You are too weak. You will die there anyway." The other continues.

"So we figured why not just end you here!" The first one finishes. Rolling my eyes I nearly laugh. "What's so funny?" I point to my side where Aphro had just been, causing them to freak out. Running forward at the second they had become distracted wondering where my cousin went.

"Don't become distracted!" I snap at the one who had been standing in front of me as I leaped into the air and was bringing my punch forward to hit him. Using what I have been practicing when not training with Team 7, Sasuke, or Aphrodite I focus my chakra into my fist. The chakra circulating in my fist caused me to laugh as his eyes held true shock just before I made contact sending him flying. From beside me, I heard the sound of the other being clocked in a similar way from behind by Aphro.

Slowly walking up to the one I had hit I look down at him with a smirk. "You made a big mistake interrupting our training. You should have done more research to see what we were capable of. It's quite obvious we were more than you guys could even begin to handle." Turning around letting him go once he can regain his sense of self I walk towards Aphrodite. Meeting her in the center in between our attackers as Aphrodite's vanishes in a puff of smoke. Hmm... A shadow clone.

"Ready?" She asks as I stretch.

"Yes, I need to burn off more steam now." She laughs at my words before we take off running to begin our laps around the village. Leaving the assailant behind.

Five days later, I walk up to the Academy to see my three teammates waiting for me. "Hey Kira, you're late." Naruto says as I stop and look at him.

"That's nothing new. But I got caught up in training. You ready?" Walking up the floors of the academy I nearly lost track of where we were. Already feeling us walking into a Genjutsu as we reach what should be the second floor. Walking with my squad we step up to a group where the sound of someone being beaten up was coming from.

"You're taking the chunin exams but you can't even get past us?" A guy says smugly, hidden by the group of genin.

"Really you should just give up now." This time both of the guys chuckle.

"Yeah, I think I hear your mommy calling."

"Please let us through we are supposed to go in there!" A girl sounds as if she is begging as we make our way through the crowd. Revealing a girl with brown twin buns holding a guy wearing a green jumpsuit and an ungodly haircut, before she leaves him to the ground and walks towards the door only to get hit back. Growling under my breath I clench my hands into fists. Who do these guys think they are?! Hitting a woman for no reason. Sasuke's hand suddenly on my shoulder made me look to him in time to see him shake his head. His way of telling me to calm down.

"Did you say harsh? Don't kid yourselves we're being nice by comparison. The exams are going to make this look like a picnic." The one with black spiky hair and an off-colored nose says with a smile.

"Some of you won't survive the exams, others will be wrecked for life and some of you may go crazy, for chunin it's always life and death." The brunette boy says.

"You think it's a joke? Chunin are qualified to lead missions. The lives of your squad members are in your hands so you better be tough enough to take the heat. Delicate little girls don't belong here."

"We're just thinning out the herd so just go home and play with your dolls."

"Real nice speech, now both of you step aside and let me through." Sasuke says walking up to them. Sakura steps from behind us to take her spot on the end next to me. "And while you're at it reverse the genjutsu we can see through your illusion anyway. We're going to the third floor."

"Well well."

"So you noticed the Genjutsu."

"Go ahead tell them Sakura. I'm sure you saw it before anyone else did." Hearing Sasuke say that causes my eyes to roll. But then again she has seemed a little off today. She didn't even yell at me for being late. Maybe this will cheer her up.

"Huh?" She asks dumbly being brought out of her thoughts.

"You have the sharpest eye and the best analytical skills on our squad, you must have seen this coming a mile away."

"I must have?" She pauses before smiling and closing her eyes. "Well sure." She looks ahead at the two in front of us. "Of course I spotted it right away. This is only the second floor."

"Right." Naruto agrees though I doubt he noticed at all. Watching the genjutsu release to reveal the true numbers as 201 I sigh.

"Well aren't we the smart ones. So you noticed an illusion, now let's see you deal with this!" One of the guys says as he moves quickly flipping and spinning to send a kick at us. I just look at Sasuke so he knows he can take this. Watching him move quickly and raising his leg to kick before the young green guy rushes in and catches both of their legs. So he's fast. I raise a brow. But I wonder how good he is in other areas. The boys separate, and Sasuke just looks at the boy in green's hand confused.

"Hey what happened to the plan?" A long hair brunette in a tan jacket and brown shorts asks. Irritation lacing his words as his pale eyes pin a glare at the boy in green. "I thought you were the one who said to keep a low profile and don't let anyone see our skill level?"

"I know but.." The green guy looks at Sakura with red coloring his cheeks. How cute another dork to fall for Sakura.

"Never mind." The girl sighs and shakes her head. "It's over forget it." After a few moments, the green guy walks up to Sakura.

"My name is Rock Lee. You are Sakura right?"

"Huh?"

I look over to the other two curiously trying to ignore what is happening with this... Rock Lee... "Please be my girlfriend." My eyes widen as I spin around to look at them nearly busting out laughing. Can anyone say random! "I vow to protect you with my life." Sakura's face turns blue in disgust.

"Definitely... Not."

"Why?" Lee wines as his shoulders slouch disheartened by her response.

"Because you're a weirdo."

"Awe.." He looks down as if his heart was shattered.

"Hey, you two over here." The long-haired brunette asks causing Sasuke and me to turn around. "What's your names?"

"It's common courtesy to give your own name before asking someone else's." Sasuke states. The boy's pale whitish-grey eyes glance at me then back to him.

"Hey, you're a rookie aren't you? How old are you anyway?"

"I'm not obliged to answer."

"What's that?" Great now the boy looks angry. I nearly smirk as my hands twitch at my sides. Turning back around with Sasuke we walk over towards the other two ignoring the giggling twin buns. I glance over my shoulder at the boy curiously.

"Hey, Naruto... Sasuke... Kira... Come on let's go." Sakura takes the two boy's hands as I keep mine at my sides, walking ahead of them. Shaking my head I turn around to walk backward, looking at the three of them.

"This... Is going to be fun." I smirk at them seeing Sakura and Naruto smile. The familiar smirk showing on Sasuke's face. Yup, we are looking for good times ahead.