A/N - Okey dokey, I felt like this story needed an update after so long with nothing. I actually really enjoyed writing this chapter, despite the fact that there's a distinct lack of humor in this chapter. It's also a rather short chapter, but I think it turned out rather well.
Anyways, my thumb is absolutely killing me, so I won't say too much more. I'll explain in the author's note at the bottom.
WARNING! There is a lemon in this chapter. Feel free to skip if you're not interested.
Chapter 8 – Finals Begin!
Naruki smiled happily as she hopped around with the bunny known as Cushy. After moving into their new home, they had set up an entire room for Cushy, allowing him to roam free within that room, poop to his heart's content, and generally just enjoy his time within his new home. And, at the moment, Naruki had decided to have a hopping contest with Cushy to see who could reach a makeshift finish line first. Cushy didn't seem to mind, though. He was happy to spend time with Naruki.
Haku couldn't help but watch this strange sight with a bemused grin on his face. Together with him were Anko, Sakura, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, and Zabuza. They were all pretty amused by the sight they were seeing. When Naruki and Cushy finally crossed the finish line, Naruki plopped down on her tushy and said, "Dang Cushy! You make it look so easy. All that hopping around is kind of exhausting. You're one awesome little dude!"
When Cushy seemed to look proud of himself, the others blinked in astonishment at what they were seeing. This bunny was feeling smug! "Umm, Cushy? Everything okay?" Haku questioned unsurely. Cushy looked up into Haku's eyes and seemed to puff out his chest somewhat. Seeing this, Haku simply nodded before taking a step back next to the others. "He's never been this expressive before. Naruki-chan's had quite the effect on him."
"I don't know. I think it's kind of cute in a way." Sakura said with a smile on her face. "More important than that though," looking at Naruki, she asked, "shouldn't you be training for the finals? You're up against Tenten and you know what she can do with her weapons."
Naruki blinked a couple of times before she looked into Sakura's eyes. "Maybe? I dunno. I kinda just go with the flow and let things happen. So long as I have fun, I don't really mind. I think I can beat her though if I absolutely have to. I can totally take her if I want. Buuut, what if I don't feel like it?"
Haku frowned at his girlfriend and asked, "Don't you want to be a Chunin, Naruki-chan? I thought you wanted to be Hokage someday."
The perky blonde shrugged and said, "Even if I don't become a Chunin right now, I can still become one laterish. There's no big rush. Buuut, if you reaaaally want me to, I'll kick Tenten's butt and then whoever else's butt I need to kick. But…could I do anything to prove that I'm worthy of the rank of Chunin? I don't know if I have what it takes. My randomness can only get me so far, you know?"
Zabuza frowned at her before he knelt down and pulled her into a hug. Gently running his fingers through her hair, he said, "All you can do is try Naruki-chan. You're already incredibly skilled for your age, and I've seen some of the things you can do firsthand. Just give it your all and show everybody exactly what you can do. And just know that even if you don't make Chunin that I'm proud of you, okay? But I have a very strong feeling that you'll make Chunin no problem. So give it your all."
Naruki hugged her father back and smiled as she listened to his heartbeat. "Thanks Dad. I'll give it my best. I'll definitely be sure to make you proud of me."
Zabuza chuckled a bit and gently patted her back. "I'm still getting used to this 'dad' thing. Feels so strange, I swear. Regardless, I'll always be here for you Naruki-chan. I'll always protect you, I'll always love you as if you were my real daughter, and I promise to always cherish your smile. I'll protect that smile of yours with everything I have."
The whiskered teen giggled a bit and said, "Thanks. It makes me really happy to hear you say that."
"Anytime kiddo." Zabuza replied before he stood up and helped his daughter up as well. "Now, why don't we go out back and get some training in? I want to hone the skills you already have, and I'm thinking of getting you an appropriate weapon. Then again, you have the Monkey summoning contract, don't you? Have you begun learning how to use a bo staff?"
Naruki nodded and said, "Yep yep! I kinda don't have one though, but they've at least taught me how to use one! Yugao-chan has taught me kenjutsu as well. Before, I didn't have a sword of my own. But now I have Excalibur! So I can really put Yugao onee-chan's teachings to good use! Though I'd still like to get a bo staff of my own. It'd be neat-o!"
Zabuza smirked at her and said, "I want to test something, Naruki-chan. Follow me." Afterwards, he led Naruki and the others out back to their own private training ground. Looking at his daughter, he took hold of Kubikiribocho and thrust it downwards, the sword standing straight up. "Try and lift my sword, Naruki-chan."
Blinking at this, Naruki shrugged and walked over to the sword. Reaching a hand out for the handle, she paused for a moment and looked into her father's eyes. Seeing the supportive gaze he was giving her, she grasped hold of the might zanbatou's handle and lifted it out of the ground. Blinking a few times in shock, she said, "Wow. This thing's a lot lighter than I thought it would be."
While the others watched in shock, Zabuza found himself smirking. Patting his daughter atop her head, he said, "My sword has chosen you to be its next wielder. When I finally do pass away, I want you to take up my sword. Bond with her and show her that you can make good use of her if and when the time comes. For now, I think we should go and get you a staff like you wanted. That Tenten girl, her father is a blacksmith, isn't he? Perhaps we should ask him to make you one. We'll have to place certain seals on your staff once it's made, but I assure you it's going to be a fantastic weapon for you."
Naruki glomped her father and nuzzled her cheek against his chest. "Yaaay! Thank you Dad! But…" Looking up into his eyes, she said, "Don't even talk about dying yet, okay Dad? You're going to live for a looooong time. Okay?"
Zabuza chuckled and gently pet her hair as he hugged her back. "Don't you worry, Naruki-chan. I have no intention of going anywhere anytime soon. We'll be a happy family for a long time. Now, I've got a lot to teach you. After we're done training for the day, we'll go to the Higurashi Weapons Store and talk to Tenten's father about getting you a custom-made staff. Sound good?"
"Yep yep! That sounds wonderful! Sooo, what are you going to teach me first?" Naruki asked excitedly.
"Well, we'll begin with…"
Three Days Later
"Goooo Enma! Use Double-Edge!" Naruki exclaimed as she pointed towards a tree dramatically.
Enma simply stared blankly at his summoner. Naruki had summoned him today so she could learn from him about a variety of things, such as how to use her new staff. She already had he basics down pat, but she still had so much to learn. He would have allowed her to use him in his staff form, but she was hyper again and he didn't want to risk some kind of brain injury because she used him to whack random things. Actually, that wasn't a worry at all. He just didn't want to be held by her while she was hyper as hell.
As he continued to stare blankly at her, Naruki tilted her head cutely and asked, "What's wrong Enma Denma Fenma Kenma? You don't want to play with me?"
Facepalming himself, Enma soon released a sigh before looking into her eyes once again. "I thought you were going to take this seriously, Naruki-chan. And besides that, I'm not one of those Pokemon things you mentioned to me before. I don't even know an attack called Double-Edge."
"Awww. Oh well." Naruki said with a shrug. "Okey dokey Mr. Pokey! Let's get to training seriously then. Whatcha gonna teach me Mr. Kong? Donkey Kong? Or do you wanna be Cranky Kong? He's kinda grumpy, but he's still cool!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about anymore." Enma said with a groan following. "Anyways, we're going to go through an advanced form today that you can and should use with this new weapon of yours. I'll show you what to do and I want you to try and copy my form. Unless you're planning to just beat people's brains in with that thing?"
"Ooooh! I didn't even think about that possibility! That sounds fun. I wonder, do you think people would get mad if I broke that Neji guy's head? He's such a jerk!" Naruki exclaimed with a pout on her face.
Facepalming for what felt like the thousandth time today, Enma simply started showing her what to do. "Focus Naruki-chan. I know you'd like to bash Neji's brains in for everything he said, but doing so wouldn't do you any favors. I know you're upset, and after hearing what he said, I'm upset too. Maybe you'll get a chance to put him in his place later. I don't know. For now though, focus! Once we're finished, we'll spar. I want you to put everything I've taught you to use during our spar so I can see where you need improvement."
"Yes sir Mr. Monkey Doodlehead! Let's have some fun!" Naruki exclaimed before she began her training in full.
As she and Enma trained, Gaara and Haku watched from the patio, the two of them smiling. "She's really something, isn't she Gaara?"
The redhead nodded and said, "I like her. She's the first friend I've ever had. Though that birds and the bees talk certainly taught me a few things. I'm amazed I can even look at her without blushing."
"Yeaaah, you get used to it. She seems to really like you, Gaara. I'm not entirely sure what kind of relationship she wants with you, but I'm willing to accept you as part of the family. Just, try not to maim and/or kill anyone during the finals, okay? Unless you're killing an enemy, in which case, knock yourself out." Haku said with a shrug.
Looking into Haku's eyes at this point, Gaara asked, "And what should I do if she and I meet in the finals? I don't want to hurt my new friend."
"That's entirely up to you, Gaara. I'm sure she'd be happy if you fought her with everything you have. At the same time though, I don't want to see her hurt. However, I'm not entirely sure what Naruki-chan wants. Still, I think you'll know what to do when the time comes for you two to fight in the finals."
Gaara frowned and said, "I do not wish to fight her. She is…dear to me. And she'd be upset with me if I killed her friends or maimed them in any way. I will do what I must to earn my promotion to Chunin, but I do not know if I can fight Naruki. I just hope she understands."
"I'm sure she will. Naruki couldn't bring herself to hurt you either. So if you two do end up meeting in the finals, one of you likely has to forfeit. But again, that's dependent on what you both choose to do."
"I understand. Tell me, what should I do against Ino Yamanaka? She and Naruki-chan are friends, correct? I've never fought someone without the intent to kill or maim at the very least. How should I fight her?" Gaara questioned, hoping he'd get a suitable answer.
The ice user shrugged and said, "I can't really help you there. I suggest spending the rest of this month to train and realize new uses for your sand. Perhaps learn a few elemental ninjutsu. Surely you could figure out some way to defeat your opponent without killing her. If you'd like, I could teach you how to utilize your sand senbon in a way to render your opponent unconscious. I can put my targets into a deathlike state, so it shouldn't be too hard to teach you."
"You would help me?" Gaara questioned curiously.
"Why not? You're a friend of ours now, Gaara. Besides, it might be fun teaching you some new things. I'm curious though, what will you do if you end up facing Sasuke in the finals? He's up against your brother in the first match after all. And, considering the fact that your brother uses puppets to fight, they likely wouldn't fare too well against Sasuke's fire jutsu. If your brother was smart, I'd say he should forfeit before anything can happen to his puppets. Unfortunately, Kankuro isn't likely to listen to me. You, on the other hand? He'd listen to you. So, with that in mind, I have to ask you: what will you do if you fight Sasuke Uchiha?" Haku questioned.
Before Gaara could respond, a clone of Naruki popped up in Gaara's face and giggled. "I don't care what you do to Sasuke. He's a meaniehead. So go wild Gaara-kun! If you reaaaaally wanna feed your mother some blood, then you should give her Sasuke's! I don't think he'd mind. Besides, the blood doesn't flow properly. After all, he obviously can't get it up! I mean, if he couuuuld, playing with himself would definitely help relieve some of his stress. But nooope. He's always grumpy and he's always scowling too. He claims he wants to restore his clan, but I don't see it happening. So yeah! Go ahead and feed mommy his blood, okay Gaara-kun?"
Gaara chuckled and said, "Very well, Naruki-chan. I'll destroy him for you. But how do you know he can't, erm… 'get it up'?"
The perky blonde shrugged and said, "I already explained that. But really, I don't think he's got a sex drive. He has all these fangirls after him, and despite how pretty some of them are, he doesn't care about any of them. No reaction of any kind. He's always an abrasive asshole to everybody and he's NEVER happy. Masturbation can really help relieve stress, but I don't think he can."
Haku frowned in thought for a moment. "You might be right about that. I don't think he can feel an attraction to anybody on any level. He's obsessed with one goal: revenge against his brother. He's a mean person that doesn't care about anybody else but himself. Naruki-chan…what are the odds that he'll go to somebody like Orochimaru for power? Because it's obvious he doesn't feel like he's getting stronger being cooped up in the village like this."
The whiskered girl scowled and said, "Oh, he'll definitely go to Orochimaru for power. And a bunch of us will likely be sent to retrieve him. Big ol' mission, attempted murder, he puts up a huge resistance, blah blah blah. Did you know that in canon, he got away with all of his crimes without any repercussions? And he tried to kill Sakura-chan so many times, and yet somehow, they still ended up together? Even had a daughter. If that isn't fucked up, I don't know what is!"
Haku and Gaara couldn't help but blink a few times in confusion. After a moment, Haku looked into the clone's eyes and said, "Might want to stop breaking the fourth wall now, Naruki-chan."
"Awww. It's fun though!" Naruki's clone complained.
Gaara scowled and said, "If he tries to hurt you and your friends, I will destroy him."
"Awww. You're just the sweetest Gaara-kun." Naruki said before she pressed her lips to his. Once she had finished the kiss, she stepped back, spun around in a circle, and then went poof, leaving only the real Naruki. She was still training with Enma, but it was obvious she got her clone's memories when she paused for a moment.
Haku smirked as he looked at the blush Gaara had on his cheeks. "Trust me, you get used to her antics after a while."
"So I can imagine." Gaara said as he tried to will his blush to go away.
Two Days Later
Naruki was happy as could be as she skipped along the busy market street. She was currently on a date with both Gaara and Sakura and she was having a blast. Together, they had gone to see a movie and had eaten lunch together immediately afterwards. The entire time they were at the theater, she had held hands with both her boyfriend and girlfriend. Now here they were, watching as Naruki bounced around from one store to the next, trying to decide on what she should get.
Looking at Gaara, the pinkette asked, "So how are you feeling Gaara-kun? Are you getting used to life here in Konoha? Are you excited to be on a date with the girl of your dreams?"
Before the redhead could reply, he suddenly felt a foreign object land on his head. Blinking a couple of times, he turned to face Naruki before asking, "What is this?"
Naruki beamed at him and said, "It's a hat! I wanted to see if it fit you, buuuut…"
Sakura giggled a bit and said, "That's just not the right look for you. If you want to go shopping for some outfits for the three of us, I know the perfect place. Follow me."
As they followed Sakura, Naruki took Gaara's hand in hers and began skipping with him again. Upon arrival at the store Sakura had mentioned, Naruki frowned a moment before saying, "They won't allow me in here. I tried before, but…"
"Oh." Sakura said. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
"It's okay. Umm, now that I don't have to hide my true gender, do you think they'll still be able to recognize me? I mean, the whiskers are kind of a dead giveaway that it's me. Maybe…"
Gaara interrupted her as he dragged her inside the store. "You'll be fine with us here, Naruki-chan. If the shopkeeper tries to kick you out, we'll handle it."
When the shopkeeper saw Naruki, her initial reaction was confusion at the new face. Then she noticed the whisker marks and scowled fiercely. "So, the rumors were true. You ARE a girl now. Regardless, you're still not welcome in my store you filthy…!"
Before the woman could finish speaking, she felt something constricting her airway. Glancing down, she saw a hand made out of sand squeezing the life out of her. Looking towards the redheaded boy that had entered beside Naruki, she saw that the sand was coming from him.
"Either you let my girlfriend shop here, or I drag you before the Hokage and see what he wants to do about you and all the others like you. And trust me when I say that you'd rather I kill you here than see what Hokage-sama does to you." Gaara said.
"L-Let me g-go. Hokage-sama…won't do a thing. H-He…never has. So get lost." The woman commanded, only for the sand to tighten around her throat further.
Sakura stepped up to Naruki and patted her on the shoulder. "Send a shadow clone to meet with Hokage-sama. Inform him of what's going on. And Gaara-kun? Can you please let her down. It wouldn't be a good idea to go killing people willy-nilly whenever they make you angry."
Gaara frowned deeply, but did as she advised. When the woman was freed from the sand, she coughed and rubbed her neck, trying to soothe the pain. Afterwards, she stood and glared at Gaara. "I want you three out of my store this instant! You are NEVER welcome to come here again!"
Naruki looked visibly upset, but she did as Sakura had suggested. Afterwards, she stepped behind Gaara and Sakura, not even able to face the shopkeeper. "Sorry…" she mumbled apologetically.
Sakura simply turned and hugged her girlfriend. "You have nothing to apologize for, Naruki-chan. You've done absolutely nothing wrong. These…these monsters, on the other hand, deserve to suffer for treating you this way."
"Funny, you're calling us the monsters when the real demon is standing right there! If only Fourth-sama had killed the damn thing instead of sealing it into a human vessel, we wouldn't have to suffer its presence!" the woman exclaimed, not at all caring about the law that the Third had put into place.
Gaara was scowling now as he looked at the woman. "You monsters create jinchuriki like us. You monsters seal bijuu into normal people like us. And then you treat us as if we're the monsters that we contain? How does that make any sense to you? To anyone? No, woman, we aren't the monsters. You are."
Before the woman could say anything in response, the Hokage walked into the store, followed by Naruki's clone. "You are quite right, Gaara-kun. As for you," he said, facing the shopkeeper, "I do believe I forbade anyone from speaking about the Kyuubi. The crime for breaking said law is execution, but I'm willing to cut you a break."
The woman looked quite pleased with herself as she looked from the Hokage to Naruki. "See? I told you he wouldn't do anything."
Hiruzen scowled at her for daring to interrupt him. Slamming her with his killing intent, causing her to collapse to her knees and vomit the contents of her stomach onto the floor, he continued. "You didn't let me finish, you insufferable wretch. As I was saying, before you interrupted me, I was willing to cut you a break. Treat Naruki-chan and Gaara-kun as you would a regular customer, give them the same deals you would anyone else, and we'd have no problem. But now I think you should be given some time to think on your actions. Anbu, take her to Ibiki and tell him to have some fun with her. I think there's something really important I need to do that should have been done much sooner. However, it would be best to wait until after the Chunin Exams are over and there aren't so many foreign shinobi present."
Naruki looked up into his eyes and asked, "You're planning something, aren't you Gramps?"
The Third smiled at her and said, "Indeed I am, Naruki-chan. For now, why don't you three pick out some outfits that you'd like to wear? I'll pay for everything you want today."
"Thanks Grandpa!" Naruki exclaimed before she giddily went about browsing all the outfits on display. "Ooooh, this one looks nice! Oooh, that one does too! And this would look GREAT on Gaara-kun! That one totally fits Haku-kun. So many outfits I never got to try before. This'll be fun!"
Hiruzen could only chuckle as he watched the three of them pick out different outfits and trying them on. One of the outfits Naruki had chosen was a tad on the risqué side and it caused both Sakura and Gaara to blush deeply when she modeled it for them. You deserve to be happy like this, Naruki-chan. Let Grandpa handle all the bigots.
Night before the Final Exam
Haku groaned as he was awakened by a soft knocking on his door. Groggily opening his eyes, he looked to the door to see Naruki standing there in her see-through nightgown. He immediately started blushing as he realized she wasn't wearing any form of undergarments. Absolutely everything was visible to him and he was completely incapable of uttering a word. He stammered for a good while, but nothing would come out in any sensible way.
Naruki blushed prettily as she placed a seal on the door and the wall beside it. Afterwards, she locked the door before stepping slowly towards her boyfriend. "S-Stop staring so much. I…I…"
Haku frowned slightly as he hugged Naruki close. "Sweetheart, you don't have to do this if you're nervous about it. I won't push the issue, and I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do. I love you Naruki-chan, and I only want you to be happy."
Naruki fidgeted a bit before settling down and kissing her boyfriend's lips. Looking him in the eyes, she said, "I want this, Haku-kun. I'm just nervous. I…I wanted to do this before the finals tomorrow. I'm ready, I promise. And I'll even use that contraceptive jutsu too! I just…I can't help but be nervous. What if it hurts? What if I'm not good enough to please you? What if…?"
Kissing her to quiet her down, he smiled lovingly at her and said, "You don't have to worry about any of those things. It'll be my first time too, but we'll take it slow and I'll try to be as gentle with you as possible. Let's start by taking this off." And with that, he helped Naruki remove her nightgown, leaving her bare before him.
When she saw Haku taking in her naked form, the normally perky blonde blushed deeply before shoving him backwards on the bed. "No fair! Y-You get to see me naked, and you've still got those pants on! Take them off Buster!"
Lemon begins! (Not interested? Feel free to skip!)
Haku chuckled as he proceeded to do as she commanded. Once he was nude, he laid her back on his bed and proceeded to place kisses along her neck and collarbone. Slowly, ever so slowly, he moved downwards, kissing her body again and again until he reached her breasts. Kissing them lightly, over and over again, he smirked as his girlfriend squirmed under his touch. She was letting out quiet moans as he explored her body with his hands and lips. Eventually, he moved one of his hands down to her honey pot and parted her nether lips as he slowly inserted a finger inside.
"Mmm, H-Haku-kun. More. I-I want m-more." Naruki pleaded as she wriggled on his bed a bit.
"Your wish is my command, milady." Haku teased as he inserted another finger, probing her inner sanctum. When she let out a loud moan followed by a whimper, he knew he had found her special spot. So, massaging that particular spot gently, he couldn't help but grin when she reached her release. Bringing his fingers up to his mouth, he licked them clean before he positioned himself over his girlfriend. "Activate the jutsu and then we'll continue. Okay, Naruki-chan?"
Doing as instructed, Naruki activated the jutsu, watching as a type of seal appeared above her pelvis. Once she was ready, she wrapped her arms around Haku's neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Taking this as his cue, Haku thrust the entirety of his length into his girlfriend. When she whimpered into the kiss, he held her close and kissed her lips, her cheeks, her forehead, her jaw, and then her lips again. "I won't move until you're ready sweetheart. Just let me know when."
Naruki felt tears trickling down her cheeks, but she nodded once to signify she understood. It was a good few minutes before the pain died down and she was ready for him to begin. Kissing him again, she whispered, "It's okay now. Please, Haku-kun, make love to me."
Haku smiled at his girlfriend and began slowly thrusting into her, smiling more when she began to moan. While continuing to make love to her, he began kissing and sucking on her neck, leaving a couple of hickeys as he did. For a time, they kept up the slow pace, neither one wanting this moment to end. However, after a number of minutes, they began to pick up the pace, Haku groaning as her inner walls were constricting his penis. "T-This feels so good, Naruki-chan. I don't know how much more I can take."
Naruki buried her face into his neck and mumbled out, "I-I'm close, Haku-kun. Just a little more. I love you so much."
Hugging his girlfriend flush against him, he brushed his fingers through her hair while using his other hand to gently fondle one of her breasts. When he felt his release coming, he grunted and began to pour his semen inside of her, thankful that she had used the jutsu beforehand. When his girlfriend screamed out her release, he was quite thankful that she had the foresight to put up silencing seals, otherwise they would have woken up everyone in the house!
Once they came down from their highs, Naruki flipped them so she was on top this time. "I-I'm not done yet, Haku-kun. I want more. So much more." She whispered as she began to grind along his length, grinning when she got the reaction she was hoping for.
Haku chuckled softly as he began to gently play with her breasts, loving the feel of not only them, but the sex they were having. This is going to be a long night. I just hope she can walk tomorrow…
Lemon Ends! (safe to read again)
The Next Day – Final Exam
Naruki was all sunshine and rainbows as she stood in a line of her fellow Chunin hopefuls. She couldn't stop giggling and it was starting to worry some of the other contestants. However, they figured it was just another weird Naruki thing and decided not to concern themselves with it. One of the females in the arena knew what was going on with her, though.
Ino, ever the curious one, stepped up to Naruki and asked in a whisper, "Sooo, how was it? I assume you gave your virginity to Haku-kun?"
The whiskered teen blushed a bit and said quietly, "Yes. And it felt wonderful. It hurt at first, but once the pain went away, it was pure bliss. Haku-kun was so gentle and understanding with me. I'm kind of amazed I can stand here, let alone walk here. I can't stop thinking about it!"
Smiling at her friend, Ino said, "I'm happy for you, Naruki-chan. I'm really glad you snagged yourself a nice guy like that."
"Thank you, Ino-chan. Anyways, any idea where Sasuke is? I thought he'd have been here by now. He's up in the first match, after all." Naruki questioned.
Ino shrugged and said, "Probably thinking about making a flashy entrance. Gotta stroke that big ego of his, after all."
Before they could say anything more to each other, the proctor for the final stage of the exams spoke up, getting their attention. "All right kiddos, here's the deal. Hayate's busy, so I'll handle things from this point forth. The name's Genma Shiranui and that's all you need to know about me. Here's a look at the pairings, just for reference." He said as he held up a sheet of paper with the matchups listed on it. "Got it? Good. We'll wait for Hokage-sama to give his speech, then I'll ask that you take your places, whether that's down here or up in the waiting area."
Hiruzen took this moment to step forward and addressed everyone. As he gave his speech, everyone paying attention to every word he spoke, Naruki couldn't help but frown. The man up there with her Gramps was mighty suspicious. If she had to fathom a guess, she'd say it was Orochimaru in disguise. But if so, why would Hiruzen allow him so close? It seemed awfully dangerous!
Once the Hokage had finished his speech and commanded Genma to begin the matches, Naruki frowned further. Still no sign of Sasuke. Would he really run the risk of being disqualified so he could make the flashiest entrance possible?
Shrugging it off, Naruki and the others left the arena floor to go and take their positions in the waiting area. When Ino stepped up beside her, Naruki asked, "Do you think he'll show up?"
The ponytailed blonde shrugged and said, "Hell if I know. It's not like him to miss a chance to show off like this. You sure he's not just late because of your sensei, right?"
Naruki shook her head. "Not a chance. Kakashi-sensei knows better. So if he doesn't show up soon, my bet is that something's happened to him."
Ino frowned and was about to say something before she heard cheering coming from the audience. Looking around, she blinked a couple of times in confusion. Glancing down at the arena floor, she couldn't help but sigh in agitation. "Of course he'd make a flashy appearance. The idiots that fawn all over him are eating it up. How can they not see what an asshole he is? It's not like he cares about any of them."
"Hell if I know." Tenten said as she took up a position on Naruki's other side. "I think they're all morons. They've put him on a pedestal and can't see that he's not as great as they seem to think he is. How can you even tolerate being on the same team as that ass?"
Naruki chuckled dryly and said, "Patience. Lots and lots of patience. Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan are cool, but Sasuke? He's a pain to try and deal with."
"I can only imagine." Tenten said in response. "Man, just look at that smug grin on his face. He's eating this up."
The whiskered teen sighed and said, "Yeah, that's Sasuke for you. Oh well, not much we can do about it. I think I would've preferred it if he was disqualified."
"You and me both." Ino said. "I wonder if Kankuro will fight him? Doesn't he use puppets or something?"
Naruki nodded affirmatively. "Yep yep! I got him to make that Danzo guy dance in the street with his puppets! That was a fun day for me."
Ino giggled. "Yeah, I remember seeing that. That was pretty funny."
"Poor Kankuro looked so defeated then. Like he was resigned to his fate. You sure you weren't just trying to pick on the poor guy, Naruki-chan?" Tenten asked.
"Naaah. I like the guy. Real nice, kinda dumb, but an all around good guy. He's my friendly friend of happy-dappyness!"
Ino found herself giggling even more at this. "I'm sure he's happy to have a friend like you, despite you picking on the poor guy sometimes."
Naruki pouted at this point and said, "I don't mean to pick on him. I just wanna have some fun! And I want him to have fun too. I don't want him to turn into another Sasuke. All grumpy, never wanting to wear pants, small wee-wee, yada yada."
Tenten and Ino both sweatdropped at this. "Umm, Naruki? What are you talking about? You totally lost us just now."
The perky blonde shrugged and said, "I dunno. I just like to say random things sometimes. It's fun!"
"I see. Well, so long as you're having a good time." Tenten said with a shrug.
Down in the arena, Kakashi patted Sasuke on the shoulder and said, "Remember to be careful, Sasuke. That seal will only do so much to prevent the curse seal from spreading. If you start to call on its power, you will be disqualified."
Sasuke scoffed and said, "Fine. I won't use the damn thing. Now can we please get this match started?"
Kakashi sighed at the blatant disrespect. Glancing towards Genma, he nodded his head once before disappearing to go and join the others in the audience.
Once he was gone, Genma looked between the two fighters and was about to announce the start of the fight, only for Kankuro to raise his hand and shout, "Proctor, I forfeit! I'm a puppeteer. Mr. Uchiha over there has an arsenal of fire jutsus that he could use to torch my creations. I'd rather not risk losing them just for a chance to become a Chunin. I can always take the exams another time and hope I have better luck next time."
Sasuke scowled, furious that his opponent had declined to fight him. However, rather than lash out at the coward, he scoffed and turned around to join the others in the waiting area. He didn't even listen as he was declared the winner by forfeit.
"Ino Yamanaka and Gaara, come down! Your match is up next." Genma called out, waiting for both Genin to join him in the arena.
Ino turned and smirked at Naruki. "Well, looks like I'm up. Wish me luck." She said before placing a kiss on Naruki's cheek just to tease her. Afterwards, she walked off to join Genma in the arena.
Naruki blushed a bit at the unexpected gesture. However, rather than dwell on it, she turned to Gaara and smiled at him. "Just gimme a sec, Gaara-kun. I've got a surprise for you!"
Gaara tilted his head in confusion before he simply started down the stairs to join Ino in the arena.
Upon arriving in the arena, Ino and Gaara blinked when they saw Naruki bouncing around from one side of the arena to the other, and then another spot after that. When she finally finished moving, she glomped onto Gaara and gave him a kiss on the lips. "I made you a promise, Gaara-kun." She said before bringing out an umbrella for her and Ino to share. "One, two, three…" and with that, Naruki snapped her fingers.
Everyone was horrified to see blood shoot out of the ground like a multitude of miniature fountains. As it rained all around them, staining the arena floor red, Naruki smiled at her boyfriend and said, "See? I made it rain blood for you Gaara-kun! Just like I promised I would."
Despite the grotesque scene, the redhead found himself chuckling. "Yes. Yes you did. Thank you Naruki-chan. But…who's going to clean this all up?"
"Meh, they'll get a crew in here to fix everything up in a bit. For now, enjoy the shower of blood. It's all for you cutie pie!" Naruki exclaimed before she snapped her fingers, making the fountains of blood stop. Afterwards, she made her umbrella magically disappear before she skipped off to rejoin the other contestants.
Ino could only stare at the scene before her in horror. She knew Naruki had made a promise to Gaara to do this very thing, but she was still horrified by it all! Glancing towards Genma, she saw him twitching angrily. He was drenched with blood and it was obvious that it would take a LOT of showering and a lot of washing to get the blood out of his hair, his face, and his clothes. She could hear him mumbling something to himself, but she couldn't hear what he was saying.
A few moments later, just as Naruki had predicted, a crew of specialists rushed into the arena to clean the grounds and make things presentable once again. When they had finished, they looked at Genma and presented him with a new set of clothes. "Thanks." Genma muttered, still feeling miffed about what happened.
Looking between Ino and Gaara, Genma asked, "Are you both ready?" Seeing them nod affirmatively, he said, "Then begin!"
Gaara looked Ino in the eyes for a moment before he commanded his sand to lash out at her. His goal was to keep her on her toes so she couldn't do anything in response. However, Ino surprised him when she donned a few trench knives and pumped wind chakra through them. She proceeded to cut through his sand like it was nothing and was now rushing towards him. Frowning at the problem he now faced, Gaara decided to use what Haku and the others had taught him over the month.
Quickly withdrawing his sand, the redhead formed a shield out of sand in front of himself, blocking him from Ino's view. When she dashed around to the side, Gaara was ready for her. A large, circular block of sand slammed into her chest, sending her flying into the arena wall. Looking at her calmly, Gaara said, "Please forfeit, Ino-san. I don't want to hurt you. Naruki views you as a dear friend."
Ino smiled at him and said, "Heh, and here I was about to say the same to you. I'm not giving up just yet. I'm going to make sure I at least cut you once before this fight is over."
Despite the threat, Gaara found himself smiling in appreciation of her efforts. "Very well. Then how about we make a wager? If you manage to make me bleed, I'll forfeit the match to you. However, if I make you bleed first, you will forfeit. Does that sound fair?"
The Yamanaka heiress found herself grinning despite the implications of such a wager. "That's fine by me, Gaara-kun. Though I think you'll regret making such a wager. After all, I have no plan to lose to you. So let's have some fun!"
Gaara smirked at her and said, "Give me your best shot. I won't accept anything less." And with that, their match began in earnest. No matter what, I plan to win this fight, Ino Yamanaka. I want to teach Sasuke a lesson. If you're this confident, then I'm looking forward to what you can really do, Miss Yamanaka. Bring it on.
A/N - And that's the chapter! I know, not a nice place to leave it, but I REALLY want to hear your opinions on who should win the match between Ino and Gaara. Remember: this is an Ino who took her training seriously and didn't fawn over Sasuke all day, every day. She has the use of Wind Release jutsus and has access to her clan techniques as well. However, at the same time, Gaara has learned a lot over the month from those he is close to.
So this raises the question: who do YOU want to see win this match and go on to face Sasuke? I'll put a poll up on my profile so you can all vote. Lemme know what you think peopleheads!
Alrighty, I said at the top that I'd explain what's going on, sooo...
Last month, or was it two months ago? Doesn't matter. Point is, my thumb started hurting really bad. After some time, the pain spread to my wrist as well. I saw my doctor about it and she says I've developed tendonitis. The nerve in that particular area is inflamed/swollen and it's causing a LOT of pain. I should probably get in to see her again soon and see what else we can do, because what she had me trying didn't work out too well. x.x Point is though that I'm in a LOT of pain, so if I try to type for too long, the pain flares up and damn does it get hard to type. My thumb also goes stiff sometimes to the point I can barely move it. I can say it now: tendonitis SUCKS!
Anyways, there's more stuff besides that going on, but I really need to end this author's note. Between my thumb and being sick lately, I just need a break from typing right now. I am trying to update my fics though so you all have something to read from me! I'll continue doing my best, but updates miiiight be a bit slow.
Anywho, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I dunno what I'll work on next. I never do. lol