A/N: And the Chuunin Exams finally begin! Thank you to cutiekyoto, CookieKrisp, lovelyanimeangel, WhiperInTheRain, OkamiChey3X, animerox023 and jenjenjojo1012(cangratulations on the 50th review!), thanks to your support and feedback I have reached this chapter and finally reached the 50 review mark! Next up, 100 reviews, let's see how quick we can reach it! xD Thank you also to my readers, favouriters and alerters!
Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto does not own Kari or Kita but Masashi Kishimoto does own Naruto and all associated characters, settings and plotlines. All material from the original anime and manga belong to him.
Claimer: Kari and Kita are creations of my own little mind.
Eien no Shasai
(The Edited Version)
Chapter 14;
Saishono Tesuto
First Test
When the chance comes, one is often determined to prove ones talent.
-x-
Never again. Kari was not allowed to do those damn puppy eyes again. If she did, he'd blindfold her. Deciding she didn't want to walk back to Sasuke's when it was raining and dark outside, she decided that she may as well spend the night with Kakashi. The Jounin didn't know how she did it, but he woke up the next morning and she had almost all of his blanket, an extra pillow and was sleeping on his chest in one of his old shirts (he had sniggered at the fact it looked like a tent on her).
He was going to be branded a pervert - even more so than already!
So he decided. He was going to ease up on showering his affection and teach her that he was not a bank or a hotel. He was going to make sure that the villagers didn't hiss their nasty gossip and make lies up about her. He was not going to be a human teddy bear at night and not have the heart to get her off because she looked adorable when she slept (he also wanted to sleep shirtless because it was hot and he couldn't because she was there!)
Nodding resolutely to himself, he managed to detach the little arms that were linked around his stomach and headed for a shower and to change his clothes. Once done he went into the kitchen and turned on the oven to prepare to make her something nutritional to get her through the Chuunin exams.
"Kashi...?"
He looked round with a raised eyebrow, his silver hair flopping into his eyes without his hitai-ate, Sharingan eye closed. She yawned and rubbed her eyes with her small fists, golden hair a mess around her head and shoulders as she looked at him blearily.
He would not give in.
"Can I have pancakes please?"
She blinked and smiled up at him, pulling his shirt back up where it was slipping on her shoulder. Her ears were a little droopy from her drowsiness.
"Pancakes?" he repeated, mentally comparing them to the nutritional value of his planned breakfast. There was no competition, it was to be his breakfast.
"And syrup."
He would not...
...Damn it all. He'll be stricter tomorrow instead.
Half angry at his lack of denying her and half gushing about how incredibly cute she looked when having just woken up, Kakashi relented and started to get the necessary equipment for pancake making.
-x-
"This is why you're late, ne?" Kari asked as she looked at the odd shaped stone in front of her, her fingers whispering their touch as she traced unknown names engraved into the surface.
"This is the K.I.A memorial, to honour those that died in battle," Kakashi explained gently watching her fingers as they brushed one name before moving to the next.
"Is someone special to you written here?" Kari asked and he guided her hand to brush against three points, stopping at the third and letting her feel the indents of the name.
Namikaze Minato,
Rin,
Uchiha Obito.
"My Genin team," Kakashi said his eye focused on Obito's name. "Minato-sensei was a very kind man though an astoundingly brilliant ninja, Rin was a medic-nin, alike to a less eccentric Sakura with kindness like yours and Obito... he was a bit like Naruto, just with a little more brains and a little less... over-dramatic excitement."
"Uchiha... Is that where your eye came from?" Kari asked softly, careful with her question.
"Yes," Kakashi replied quietly. "He died on a mission and gave me his eye due to my own being injured. I was a little younger than you at the time."
Even if he was masking it well, she still felt it. The guilt, the pain, the deep aching sadness that festered like a disease eating him up from the inside out and spreading like a savage cancer.
"Kashi," Kari said glancing up at him. He continued to stare at Obito's name before glancing down at his student, allowing her to grasp his hand in an attempt to comfort him. "You made them proud, ne? Obito-kun's eye is famous and protected you continuously as though he fought with you." A kind smile graced her face. "It's nice that you let him see the world even after passing. Even if he does have to see far too much of that book."
She was trying to make him feel better with such tenderness and he didn't miss it. Nothing could ever replace those he lost and he would continue to return to this stone hours a day, making up vague excuses for his tardiness. Nothing would ever bring his precious ones back and nothing could ever replace the empty space they left in his heart.
She squeezed his hand and his heart ached seeing the tears that glittered in her eyes for him, clinging to her lashes a breath away from falling.
"They wouldn't want you to be sad anymore, ne?" she said, her smile shaky. Her smile eased and she instead gathered up strength to cast the sorrow out her eyes. "You should be happy Kashi. I want you to be happy." The strength softened, her eyes painfully kind. "Your too soft on me, ne? You can't deny me something that means so much, right?"
Her laugh was small and shaky and she felt his hand come and rest on the top of her head.
"Don't cry for me."
"Strong kunoichi don't cry," she said stubbornly. "But if your sad then I'm sad and if you don't have the balls to, then I'll swallow my pride and cry for you."
He caught her tear before it could stain her cheek and the red droplet settled on his finger where it trembled a second before sliding down his knuckle. It was a silent for a moment before he slowly bundled her tightly in his arms.
"Thank you..." he murmured into her hair. "It's okay now, you don't give me much of a chance to be sad."
"Good," she said content, closing her burning eyes and embracing the lost little boy hiding in a man's body. "You can only be sad now and then, not all the time okay?"
"Okay," he agreed, wishing to take the girl in his arms and keep her near forevermore. The thought of her going to dangerous situations where he couldn't protect her scared him, but he knew he had to let her go. She was a strong kid, stronger even than he had been at that age and though innocent she was a lot more mature. "And you're not allowed to go and get yourself killed."
A small smile.
"Promise."
-x-
"Kari-chan!"
Just head towards that building he had said, did Kakashi not notice Konoha had walls?
Luckily, Naruto had run up and without pausing had grabbed her hand and led her towards the Academy, chatting excitedly as he went. Kita, who had been off exploring, trotted behind them content as she glanced around, observing the almost cloudless sky.
They arrived to find Sasuke in a typically aloof mood and waited until a familiar blob of pink suddenly appeared, walking glumly towards them.
Kari was nervous of the new ninja faces she saw and tensed whenever a strangers gaze would touch upon her. She felt like they all knew she was hiding her ears and tail, all knew she was different. It made her feel nauseous.
"Nervous?" Sasuke murmured, onyx eyes shifting to her as Sakura explained the form to Naruto. Kari's eyes flitted momentarily to him before looking away. She bit her lip and tried to steady her pounding heart.
"A bit uneasy," she murmured, discreetly looking from one new face to the next, attempting to burn the faces of her potential enemies to memory. He didn't question her further and let the matter drop, seeing she was getting jittery.
They filed in behind the crowd and Kari felt her ears twitch slightly as she recognised Lee's voice followed by two new masculine voices she had never seen before.
"Ha! You plan to take the Chuunin Exams like that? You should quit now!"
"You're just a little kid."
"Please, let us through," a voice she recognised at Tenten followed by a loud smack that sent a shudder down her spine.
"Horrible..." someone murmured in the crowd.
"What did you say? This is our kindness. The Chuunin Exam isn't easy, even we failed three times. Those that take the exam and end up quitting as shinobi's, those that die during the exam, we've seen it all. Chuunin's often become the captains of military teams. The failure of a mission, the death of a comrade, that is all the captain's responsibility. Yet, kids like you think you can pass? We are just thinning out those that will fail, what's wrong with that?"
Kari's eyes took in Lee and Tenten's bruises and recalled how she had never seen them with more than a scratch before. She knew this was a trick to hide their strength, but the mere thought of the strangers daring to hit her comrades made Kari's blood heat and boil from rage. She grit her teeth, her hands clenching into fists.
"I agree, but..." Sasuke said and took a small step in front of Kari. A silent warning with his body, an order to calm with his voice. "You will let me pass through and remove the Genjutsu surrounding this area. I'm going to the third floor."
"Ah, so you noticed," the boy said, smirking as Sasuke returned with a cocky one of his own, leaning back to put light pressure on Kari's foot with his heel.
Calm down.
"Sakura, you must have noticed first right? Your Genjutsu know-how is the best of the team," Sasuke stated with the merest hint of a complimentary tone. Kari was momentarily distracted from glaring murder to give Sasuke an incredulous look. Was he being nice?
"Of course, I noticed a while ago because we're only on the second floor," Sakura said with her usual confidence finally returning. Kari managed a small smile to her dark-haired team-mate as he smirked slightly.
The number 301 changed to 201 and Kari felt suddenly right, as though the air had cleared.
"Hmm, not bad. But all you did was see through it!" the talletr of the boys declared and his leg shot towards Sasuke's side.
Sasuke hurriedly brought his leg up in defence as he felt Kari's Chakra simmer dangerously again, damn it he had only just calmed her temper.
In an instant, a green blur shot between them, bandaged hands smoothly catching their kicks. The boy let go and turned to Kari and beamed.
"All is well, Kari-hime!"
Hime? Sasuke thought in utter confusion. How in the world was his idiotic kunoichi team-member in any way regal? Nonetheless, he noticed her tension at least half and she smiled back in a mixture of happiness and relief.
"Hey, what happened to the plan? You were the one who said we shouldn't draw attention to ourselves," Neji chastised as Lee rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"Ne, Lee-sempai's youth cannot be missed," Kari said wrapping a fond arm around the boy and grinning up at Neji.
"And you," Neji turned his disappointed glare onto her. "What do you think you're doing? Keep your temper, I could sense your Chakra from here."
Kari hung her head and looked up at him dolefully.
"Gomen sempai."
Lee suddenly caught sight of Sakura and blushed before a determined look came over his face. Kari blinked at the sudden change in emotion then promptly felt the blood draining out of her face.
'What are your team-mate's like Kari-hime? Are they anywhere near as youthful as you?'
'I suppose so. I'm not as good as judging youth as you Lee-sempai. But Naru-kun and Sakura-chan have youthful moments.'
'Sakura-chan?'
'Yeah. She's quite nice and she's really pretty.'
'She seems a fine target! Yosha! I will see for myself the beauty of the blossom known as Sakura and determine if she is the youthful flower of my dreams!'
Kari hoped he had forgotten about that. Even more appallingly, was that Lee seemed to have fallen in love at very first sight. At least, their supposed bruises and injuries had already healed.
"Hi!" Lee declared, walking up to Sakura. Kari discreetly stepped very close to Neji in case she needed to hide in shame. Even if it was by a tiny margin, Neji was more likely to offer her protection from Sakura's wrath than Sasuke. "My name is Rock Lee, so you are Sakura." Kari paled and pressed into Neji's side, ignoring the annoyance he looked at her with. "Please go out with me! I'll protect you until I die!" Lee declared shooting his thumbs-up, teeth-sparkling, nice-guy pose.
"Definitely..." Sakura began and Kari's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Irritated at her lack of composure, Neji promptly grabbed her chin and closed her mouth, giving her a scolding look.
"Not." Sakura said, emphasising the 'not'. She miserably wondered why it couldn't be Kari who attracted this weirdo instead of her. "You're lame..." Sakura said in utter horror.
"Hey you," Neji declared with a pointed stare down his nose at Sasuke. "What's your name?"
"You could've just asked me," Kari pointed out but was ignored in the heat of the alpha-male stare-off.
"When you want to know someone's name it's common courtesy to give your own first," Sasuke retorted arrogantly.
"Neji-sempai," Kari offered gesturing to the taller boy beside her. "Sasuke." she said pointing at the (also taller) Uchiha with less enthusiasm. It felt slightly like they were glaring over the top of her head and she suddenly realised that she was unfairly short in comparison to them. Luckily for her bruised pride, she noticed Neji was taller than Sasuke and felt a little bit better.
"Sempai," Sasuke stated, eyes narrowing at the identity of Kari's trainer.
"Plural Sasuke," Kari said pointing to the back of the disappointed Lee and the blushing Tenten. Kari gave her female sempai an incredulous look. You too? Sasuke's not that all-mighty girls!
"You're a rookie right? How old are you?" Neji demanded coldly.
"I don't need to answer you," Sasuke replied snottily.
"About three months older than me," Kari offered.
"Urusai baka," Sasuke shot with a glare.
"Tori-atama! Watch your manners in front of Neji-sempai," Kari retorted irritably. Neji watched the interaction, slightly pleased his apprentice wasn't fawning over the good-looking Uchiha like Tenten was slightly doing. He allowed her a pleased smirk and a small blush and a grin lit her face, glad she was receiving praise for whatever reason.
"Sasuke-kun, Kari, Naruto, let's go," Sakura called and Kari patiently took hold of the depressed at being left out Naruto's hand and Sasuke's wrist before heading over to her. The Uchiha shot a lightly smug smirk back at Kari's sempai at Kari's choosing her teams company over theirs and was repaid with a small glare that made him feel satisfied.
Pleased that the older boy was irritated with him, he didn't even snap at Kari for pulling him along or initiating unwanted contact.
He didn't like her sempai's. Especially the pale-eyed one.
"Hey you!"
They stopped on their journey through what Kari assumed was the gym and glanced up at Lee who had appeared on the higher level.
"Guy with the dark eyes. Will you fight me right here?"
"A fight right now?" Sasuke asked and Lee jumped off the railings to land in front of them.
"My name is Rock Lee, when you want to introduce a person you introduce yourself first, right? Uchiha Sasuke!"
"Heh. So you know?" Sasuke stated.
"Of course. I should know my youthful apprentice's team-mates," Lee said with a glance at Kari who smiled, pleased he had actually listened to her (she expected Neji had been uninterested). "I want to fight you. I want to test my techniques against the offspring of the Uchiha clan. Plus..." a bright blush adorned his cheeks as he turned to look at Sakura. With determination, he winked.
"Eww! Those thick eyebrows are just like – ewww!" Sakura shrieked in repulsion as she shuddered and tried to rub the goosebumps away. "And that bowl haircut is so lame..."
"You are an angel!" Lee declared and with all the youth he could muster, blew a kiss at the object of his affections with an enthusiastic "Mwah!" Sakura lurched so far backwards her head slammed onto the floor as the innocent kiss floated over her and stuck to the post behind her.
"Hey! Don't throw weird things! I barely escaped with my life!" Sakura half screamed at him.
"You don't have to be so mean..." Lee said sadly with his feelings hurt. Kari honestly didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She just hoped Sakura never found out that she was partly to blame for this.
"Challenging me knowing the Uchiha name, frankly you're a fool," Sasuke stated ignoring Kari hiss of 'cocky, overconfident, arrogant...' "You're about to learn what this name means Gejimayu."
"Don't insult my sempai you pompous ass!" Kari snapped immediately in defense. "And pull that stick out of your behind and stop your underestimating!"
"Wait. I'll take care of Gejimayu. Just give me five minutes," Naruto stated irritably.
"Naruto," Kari began in an attempt to warn him off.
"Who I want to fight is not you, it's Uchiha," Lee replied.
"K'so! I'm sick of hearing about Sasuke!" Naruto roared as he charged ignoring Kari's urgent gestures not to. He threw a punch and Lee tensed his hand into the shape of a bird beak and sharply hit Naruto's punch towards the ground. Kari's eyes analysed each boys moves, watching how they moved, guessing what would be next, predicting how she would react to the situation. Frustrated, Naruto turned and aimed a kick for Lee's ankles. Lee twisted in a flash of movement almost too quick to see, but after training with him, Kari could see what he was going to do and instantly figured out how she would move to counter.
"Konoha Senpuu!"
Lee's leg shot out in a lightning fast sweep kick and Naruto was sent flying into the wall behind Lee.
"I will say this. With the exception of possibly Kari-hime, you cannot defeat me," Lee stated. Lee wasn't one to brag unnecessarily despite his over-dramatic tendencies. As Kari had struggled to improve she was slowly able to see more of Lee's attacks, slowly being able to catch the odd punch and kick and occasionally managing to land a strike or two of her own. "Because right now, I am the strongest Konoha Genin."
Kari's brows furrowed. That wasn't right. Though Lee was exceptional, he wasn't the best.
"Sounds fun, I'll do it," Sasuke agreed.
"I want a spar," Kari grumbled, shooting her sempai a hurt look.
"Kari-hime, our training sessions are too youthful and would most certainly we would lose track of time as we bonded through the sweat and tears of reaching physical perfection," Lee apologised sincerely and Kari huffed, folding her arms as she grumbled at the unfairness of it all. Naruto was right, it was always about Sasuke.
Speaking of Naruto, Kita was unsuccessfully trying to persuade the knocked out boy to wake up.
"Sasuke-kun, don't!" Sakura said spotting the clock. "We only have thirty minutes left until the meeting!"
"This'll be done in five minutes," Sasuke said as he shot forward. Kari rolled her eyes in exasperation. Did he learn nothing from watching Naruto? Neji always lectured the importance of observation.
"Konoha Senpuu!" Lee cried as his legs moved at high speed Sasuke barely ducking the first attack and moving to block the second. Kari's eyes narrowed as she caught in observation the little details she missed in battle. She saw how Lee moved and hit a space in the guard where Sasuke had been left open sending the Uchiha hurtling back.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried in alarm but then gasped when Sasuke looked up with a smirk, eyes gleaming with a two tomoe Sharingan in each eye.
Slightly taken back by the appearance of the Kekkei Genkai, Kari's eyes hurriedly blazed with a montage of images from the big Namigakure battle with Zabuza and Haku. A chill tore threw her spine and her arms wrapped around herself instinctively. She was slightly distracted by Sakura as the girl pulled a silent squeal of glee as Sasuke charged again, Sharingan spinning.
Sasuke was rewarded for his overconfidence by Lee's foot shooting up at the last moment and striking the Uchiha's chin, causing Sasuke's head to snap back, blood slipping from his mouth.
"Yes, my technique is neither Ninjutsu nor Genjutsu," Lee said before jumping to where he was in the air, parallel to Sasuke's horizontal body.
Kari frowned. She didn't recognise this technique, not recalling Lee ever using it on her. Did he think her of a lower level than Sasuke? The foreign movements made Kari nervous and the instinctual need to attack and defend curled itself into her muscles in preparation.
"Kage Buyo!"
"Sasuke!" Naruto cried in alarm, waking to see his rival in mid-air.
"Hai, my techniques are simple Taijutsu, Sasuke-kun. You may not believe it because it is so basic, but... They say the Sharingan has the ability to reveal all types of Ninjutsu, Taijutsu and Genjutsu. It is true that by reading Ninjutsu and Genjutsu which need Chakra to be raised and seals to be performed, you get an advantage through the Sharingan, but Taijutsu is a little different," Lee verified.
"What do you mean?" Sasuke demanded.
"Even if you can read my movements with your eyes, your body does not have the speed to react to my Taijutsu. Basically, even if you can see it, if your body can't move, you're useless," Lee explained. "Do you know this? Among the strong their exists the genius and the hardworking types. If your Sharingan is a genius type from the blood of an Uchiha, mine is the hardworking type who has mastered only Taijutsu. You could say that my ultimate Taijutsu is the worst possible match for your Sharingan and I'll prove with this technique... that hard work surpasses genius."
Starting to feel uneasy, Kari reached for her katana handle. Her fingers twitched before reaching to touch her blade, moving to close her fingers around it. But before she could intervene, a small windmill flew and trapped the end of Lee's bandage to the wall from where it had unraveled at the wrist.
"That's enough Lee!" came an authoritative yell. Kari glanced to see the interrupter only for her jaw to drop when her eye settled on a giant turtle. Remembering Neji scolding glare she quickly closed her mouth.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screeched as Sasuke was quickly dragged down by gravity. Kari hurriedly raced towards him, only for her catch to turn into a mere landing cushion as he all but flattened her underneath him.
"Mou!" she hissed a string of curses angrily. "I'm almost healed you ahou! I told you not to underestimate people didn't I? But no, of course what I said couldn't possibly have any hint of actual importance could it?"
Sasuke grunted and pulled itself into a crouch as he leaned on her, waiting for his body to recovered.
"Sasuke-kun, are you alright?" Sakura cried worriedly, hands hovering over him checking for wounds. "You didn't try to protect yourself from the fall!"
"And you're not exactly light, ne?"
"Kari-chan!" Sakura immediately scolded and Kari huffed.
"So you were watching..." Lee said, hanging his head in shame. "Sumimasen... I... I just..."
"Lee, you know that technique is forbidden!" the turtle roared.
"But I wasn't planning on using the other one!" Lee cried hurriedly, his voice rising higher with each word.
"Ano sa! Ano sa!" Naruto cried, rushing over to the rest of his team. "That's... That's a turtle, ne? Ne?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Sakura cried.
"Ano sa! Ano sa! Can a turtle become a sensei?"
"How the hell would I know?"
"Bakayarou!" the turtle bellowed. "You think you can get away with an excuse like that? You already know what it means for a shinobi to reveal his special techniques! Are you prepared to pay?"
"Yes..." Lee whimpered, giving off the air of a kicked puppy.
"Then here comes Gai-sensei!" the turtle declared and Kari attempted to make herself smaller in an effort to hide behind Sasuke. Gai's exuberance... it was a little too much to handle without Neji to hide behind.
"Geez!" a deep voice boomed, filling every corner of the large room. "You guys are the epitome of adolescence!" Gai appeared in a cloud of smoke on top of the turtle striking a (what he assumed to be incredibly) cool pose. Kari peeked from her hiding place to peek at her team-mates expressions at the older version of Lee (complete with matching outfit) only to burst into a fit of maniacal giggles at the horrified trauma etched into each and every one of them.
Kita, couldn't fathom what all the fuss was about and sat at the corner, away from the strange reactions should they attack her too.
"Eww! He's got even bushier eyebrows!" Sakura cringed.
"Super thick..."
"Super faggy..."
"Those are incredible eyebrows... I never seen one's like that before..."
"Hey! Stop insulting Gai-sensei!" Lee roared in defense of his idol.
"Urusai, dattebayou! All these freaks are appearing! How are we supposed to react?" Naruto shouted back.
"What did you-?"
"Lee," Gai said simply.
"Oh! Yes..." Lee said, remembering he was to be punished.
"BAKAYAROU!" Gai bellowed delivering a super right hook to his students jaw. Kari's teammates all pulled delightfully hilarious expressions again. Kari felt sorry for her poor sempai, glad they usually refrained from being quite so rough with her. Well, they didn't aim for her face at least. "You are... You are..."
"Sensei..." Lee said looking up pitifully from the floor with shining eyes. Kari blinked and then sighed in exasperation seeing both already had rivers of tears flowing down their faces. She smacked her forehead on Sasuke's back with a light 'thunk', knowing what was coming next. "Sensei... I... I..."
"That's enough Lee, you don't need to say it!"
"Sensei!"
Lee flung himself into his sensei's youthful embrace as they sniffled heartily. Kari had found their relationship actually rather sweet until she had been in the middle of that weepy hug for twenty minutes before Neji and Tenten could get her out. Needless to say, her training was never dull.
"I lost... to him..." Sasuke murmured, his pride well and truly chewed up, spat out and stamped on. He was half tempted to slam his forehead into the wooden floor in exasperation and shame like Kari had on his back.
"Yes! This is what youth is all about!" Gai declared over Lee's cries of 'Sensei!'
"Y'know, that's some good stuff. Why don't we have that kind of relationship with Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked grinning.
"No way!" Sakura immediately argued. "Too dangerous! Too dangerous!"
Kari giggled softly, take Lee and Gai's enthusiasm down a few thousand miles and Kari did kind of have that relationship with her lazy, perverted sensei.
"It's alright Lee, youth and mistakes go together."
"Sensei... you're too kind..."
Perhaps more than a 'few' thousand miles, ne?
"But you did start a fight and almost broke my rules. Your punishment will take place after the Chuunin exams," Gai declared.
"Hai!" Lee cried with a salute.
"Five hundred laps around the practice range!" Gai cried with an enthusiastic punch to the air.
"Hai sensei!"
"Stupid..."
"What the hells with that turtle?" Naruto asked again, still confused at the large reptile that popped up in the middle of the academy.
"Ah... No he's looking over here!" Sakura squeaked and Kari smoothly snuck behind Naruto and stealthily hid her head and upper body in the back of his orange jumpsuit jacket.
"Hey, you guys, how's Kakashi-sensei doing?" Gai asked in a friendly boom.
"You know Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke asked after shooting Kari a look of confusion. Why the hell was she hiding? And in Naruto's jumper no less. Naruto didn't seem to mind at all.
"Know him?" Gai repeated with a chuckle as he held his chin in thought. Sasuke's eyes widened. "People refer to us as 'eternal rivals'," Gai said appearing behind them and placing a hand on Kari's head. "50 wins and 49 losses, that makes me stronger."
"When did he?" Naruto blanched as Gai promptly lifted Kari out of her hiding place and set her down to beam at her.
"See, Gai-sensei is incredible!" Lee cried in delight.
"I'm sorry about Lee, I swear it won't happen again. I swear on this beautiful face!" Gai promised. "And as for you, Kari-hime!" he declared excitedly.
Oh dear.
"How strange to see you without the company of Neji! And for my students youthful apprentice to be taken the exams so soon!"
"Gai-sensei, we've told you before Neji-sempai does not think of me romantically," Kari said as her face quickly started to heat up.
"Nonsense! Such a beautiful blossom of a young lady that is quickly blooming into a youthful strong kunoichi under our tutelage! For Neji to agree to train you in the first place it must be the youthful case of a budding romance based on the magic of love at first sight!"
"Neji-sempai was nosy, that's why he agreed to train me."
Kari said as she wished the floor would swallow her up. She was mortified Gai had chosen to declare the non-existent romance between her and Neji in front of her team-mates. Anyone with half a brain could see that Neji hadn't dug up a shred of romance in his soul yet and if he did, he certainly wouldn't bother wasting it on her.
"Ehh? Kari-chan! The guy training on you likes you?" Naruto cried.
"NO!"
"It's not allowed!" Naruto declared. He pointed a thumb at himself. "I decide who is best for Kari-chan, dattebayou!"
Kari was torn between the urge to cry and the need to bang her head against the wall until she knocked herself unconscious.
"You guys and Lee should head over to the classroom, no doubt Neji's waiting for you Kari-hime!" Gai said with a wink.
"I'm going to help Lee re-wrap his hands," Kari grumbled desperately flinging any excuse as she ran away from Gai and over to Lee. Mercifully, Lee didn't share the idea that Neji liked Kari in that way (possibly the only thing they didn't actually agree on) and so offered a smile full of sympathy instead of teasing as she wrapped his heavily scarred knuckles quickly and carefully. She had already seen them more than once, so the damage didn't phase her. She knew by the time she could be called strong, her hands would probably be just the same unless she continued to heal as quickly as she did now. Apparently her healing time was at least half of what it should be and any cuts and bruises she received in training only lasted two to three days. Her small injuries had yet to leave scars on her skin though she was pretty sure once her major injuries had finished healing her torso would be lined in pale scare tissue.
"Good luck Lee, Kari-hime!" Gai offered before disappearing off.
"Sasuke-kun, I'll say one ore thing," Lee said as Kari finished folding the ends of his bandages neatly underneath a lower layer. "The truth is I came to test my abilities. I lied before. Most probably the strongest Konoha Genin is on my team, he is Kari-hime's main sempai. I entered this to defeat him. You are also one of my targets, be prepared in the exam." Lee said with a small competitive smile. "Gambatte Kari-hime!" and with that Lee flipped up onto the second level again and headed to join his team.
"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura said noticing Sasuke's hands clenched into shaking fists.
"Oh well, the Uchiha clan aren't worth much these days," Naruto said nonchalantly.
"Naruto!" Sakura shrieked and the blond winced slightly when Kari gave a small tug on his ear.
"Naruto, just because Sasuke insults people doesn't mean you should," she chastised.
"Urusai... Next time I'll beat him," Sasuke grumbled.
"Yeah right, you got your ass-kicked," Naruto said and took Kari's closest hand in his. "You saw his hand too." he removed Kari's glove and looked at her small pale hand, running his thumb over the half healed cuts and bruises from her training. "Gejimayu must have trained really hard everyday. More than you. That's all it is," Naruto said. "He's probably trained like Kari-chan does, but for years." Naruto placed Kari's love back on her hand and then kept his grip on her fingers.
"Pft..." Sasuke scoffed. "This thing is getting fun, this Chuunin Exam."
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said smiling at his excited smirk.
"Yeah!" Naruto agreed and Kari offered a half smile as Kita came up to join them.
"Ready to go, Naruto, Kari, Sakura?" Sasuke asked and his team-mates cheered in affirmation.
-x-
"Kashi!" Kari cried in delight promptly pouncing on her sensei when she caught sight of him. He caught her and held her up as she giggled, arms wrapped tight around his neck.
"Oh, so Sakura came too. Now you can properly take the exam," Kakashi said.
"And you're not happy to see the rest of us?" Kari asked, poking her sensei in the side of the head.
"It's always delightful to see you Kari-chan, when you're not persuading me to buy sweets."
"What do you mean, 'properly take the exam'?" Sakura asked.
"The Chuunin exam can only be taken by teams of three, with the occasional exception of a four with a mountain of paperwork and a recommendation from the village Kage," Kakashi explained, hoisting Kari up so she was more comfortable.
"But you said taking the test was an individual choice, you lied to us?" Naruto asked.
"If I told the truth, Naruto and Sasuke would have pressured Sakura into the exam though I'm sure Kari would support whatever Sakura wanted. Even if you didn't want to, if Sasuke asked you, you would even though it wasn't in your heart, for the sake of Sasuke and well, Kari and Naruto too."
"So if only the others had shown up?" Sakura asked.
"The exam would have ended here, they would go no further. Even though the Chuunin Exam can be taken in groups of three, Kari is registered as a team extra and wouldn't properly fill your place. More to the point, I would stop you at this point if you didn't all go together." Kakashi smiled under his mask. "But! You all came of your own free will, you guys are my proud team. Now go." He gestured towards the door and put Kari down.
"I'm proud of you too Kaka-sensei," squeezing her arms tightly around his middle affectionately.
"Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, bear in mind Kari's inexperience and prepare to make up for it," Kakashi reminded and Kari shot him an irritated pout at being considered a nuisance. "Kari, for all that is holy, be careful."
"Hai."
"Don't worry Kakashi-sensei, we'll make sure Kari-chan's okay!" Naruto said with a grin and Sakura smiled in agreement while Sasuke offered a small nod. "Let's go!"
"Wait..." Kakashi said and rummaged around in his pouch fr a moment. He pulled out a carrot and his lazy pride turned to glee as he held it out to Kari. "You don't think I'd allow you to head into the exams just on pancakes did you?"
"Damn it Kashi! I am not a rabbit!"
"Let's go," Sasuke said grabbing Kari's arm and escorting her away from glaring daggers at her sensei and towards the door. Naruto took Kari's other side and Sakura joined Sasuke as they pushed the door open and headed inside.
-x-
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