A/N: Aaah, I had a brilliant birthday thursday :D Thank you so much to cutiekyoto for the stunning fanart (go and look, it's amazing xD!) We achieved EIGHT reviews last chapter, the most so far! :D Thank you to all my beautiful reviewers; lovelyanimeangel (congrats on first review of the chapter!), jenjenjojo1012, Cookie Krisp, Kaylatheninja (Congrats on longest review of the chapter! It's perfectly fine, don't worry! xD any review is loved xD), animerox023, MyutsuChey3X, WhisperIntheRain and Anindoufu (possibly, pairing options are open for discussion :))
Disclaimer: I lack the genius, perseverence and skill to own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto is the creator :)
Claimer: This story and all material not associated with the original anime, manga, ova's and etc are property of Ookami Tsubasawa. That includes the handsome stranger. He's mine. xD
A/N: Gomen, formatting is screwed. Will attempt to fix later. -.-
Eien no Shasai
(The Edited Version)
Chapter 16;
Yuukan
Bravery
The brave are honoured, idolised.
Though how many get to reap the rewards of their efforts?
Is bravery mere stupidity?
-x-
"First, for this tenth question, you must decide whether you want to take it or not," Ibiki explained.
"Choose? What happens if we choose not to?" Gaara's female team-mate demanded from a few rows back. Ibiki closed his eyes a moment and breathed deeply.
"If you choose not to, your points will be reduced to zero, so you fail! As do your other team-mates!"
At once participants were in uproar, why would they voluntarily drop out? Of course they'd take the exam! Kari herself felt there was more to it and her eyes narrowed trying to figure out what on earth was going on inside the head of their sadistic examiner.
"And now, the other rule," Ibiki continued, pausing a moment to let the loud complaints settle into a nervous mumble. "If you choose to take it and answer incorrectly, that person will lose he right to take the Chuunin exams ever again!"
"What kind of stupid rule is that?" came an outburst from Kiba, Akamaru barking along in agreement. "There are guys her who have taken the exam before!"
Ibiki chuckled darkly and Kari's stomach coiled tightly with nerves.
"You guys were unlucky. This year it's my rules," Ibiki revealed with a menacing smirk. "But I m giving you a way out," Ibiki continued his voice softening ever so slightly. "Those who are not confident can choose not to take it and try again next year. Now, let's begin the tenth question. Those that do not want to take the question, raise your hand. Once your number is confirmed, leave."
The tension in the room sky-rocketed. It wasn't long before the first person raised their hand in surrender.
Kari glanced at the back of Sasuke's head. If it were just her at stake she'd consider this strange compromise. She knew she was highly inexperienced and their team had to compensate. However, they were in this together and if she failed she would drag them down with her, something she just couldn't do. It was against her nature to back away from a challenge, but she wasn't completely blinded to a point she couldn't recognise she may be biting off more than she could chew. Another year might do her good. But, it was her team and she couldn't let them down. If any one of them lifted their hand, she would support them. But if they were confident, she would take the risk. Being a Genin forever wasn't a completely horrid thought to her, she wouldn't mind chasing Kakashi around on D-ranks for the rest of her days.
Her mind made up, Kari sat back and focused her eyes on a nervous looking Sasuke, following the tilt of his head to see his attention directed on Naruto. Kari frowned slightly. Other than herself, Naruto also had a high chance of getting the question wrong. She half wanted him to raise his hand but knew, similar to herself, he hated running away. She smiled sadly and decided to hope for the best.
After the first hand, more and more raised. The boy next to Naruto all but jumped off his seat, murmuring apologies to his team-mates before half running out the door. Glancing at her own neighbour, she saw he seemed reasonably calm. He turned his honey gaze to hers, offering a small reassuring smile before turning back to the front.
If this was her only shot at a Chuunin exam, at least she had a nice person to admire sitting next to her, ne?
Oh, but Kashi would chain a steel chastity belt to her and come and castrate the nice boy if he ever found out she had a mild interest! She bit the inside of her cheek to stop her small smile turning into mad giggles.
Bless that idiotic sensei of hers.
Kari's eyes darted about the room, keeping up with the raising hands. Not many people felt confident it seemed... including her team-mates.
Naruto was shaking with tension and Sakura nervously kept throwing pitying stares at his back. She bit her lip and kept clenching her hand, itching to raise it. But not for herself, for Naruto. Kari's eyes widened slightly as she saw Sakura's hand raise off the table, but her heart skipped at least three beats as her jaw went lax, her eyes on Naruto's shaking hand in the air.
"Naru...?" Kari murmured in confusion. She ignored her neighbours curious look as she tried to figure out what was going on. This was completely out of character for Naruto, it went against his very soul!
Kari jumped out her seat when Naruto suddenly slammed his hand onto the table with a loud bang.
"Don't underestimate me! I will not run!" Naruto roared in determination. "I'll take it! Even if I'm a Genin forever! I'll will myself into becoming Hokage someday anyway, so I don't care! I am not afraid!" Naruto ended his speech with an angry exhale through his nose and Kari's face split into the biggest beaming grin. Naruto glanced up at her and grinned back.
"Ehh..." Kari suddenly became aware she had clung to her neighbours arm in her sudden jump of fright. Appalled and with a face brighter than Sakura's dress, Kari promptly scooted to the other end of the bench.
"I'll ask you again, the rest of your lives are riding on this. This is your last chance to drop out," Ibiki stated.
"I follow my unbending words, that is my ninja way," Naruto declared proudly and Kari smiled even wider. The tension had dropped significantly and more faces than not were lit with smirks and smiles. After a while longer, no one had raised their hand.
"Good decisions. Now, to the eighty two still remaining... I congratulate you on passing the first test!" Ibiki announced.
Kari stared blankly for a moment. Then her face contorted slightly into absolute confusion.
Say what?
"What do you mean? We already pass? What about the tenth question?" Sakura asked with similar feelings to Kari.
"There never was such a thing, or you could stay those two choices were the tenth question," Ibiki said grinning.
"So the first nine questions were pointless then?" Temari cried.
"They weren't pointless, they had already served their purpose," Ibiki explained. "To test your individual information gathering ability. First, as the rules explained, success on this test was based on the whole team doing well. This puts pressure on each member of the team not to mess things up for the others."
"I had a feeling this test was like that," Naruto said, nodding sagely. Sakura's eye twitched in irritation and Hinata giggled softly.
"But the questions on this test were not the types that a mere Genin could answer. Because of that, I'm sure most of you came to the conclusion, that to score points you would have to cheat," Ibiki continued and Sasuke smirked to himself. "As cheating targets, we had a couple of Chuunins who knew all the answers mixed into the crowd to help you guys out."
Naruto looked horrified and started laughing nervously.
"Of course! You'd have to be an idiot not to see that! Ne, Hinata?" Naruto cried turning to his admirer for much needed support.
"But those that cheat poorly, fail of course." Ibiki slowly untied his hitai-ate to reveal the violent burns and scars across his scalp. Kari flinched slightly, the thought of being in a situation where her team could be tortured to an extent such as that... it really unnerved her. "Because sometimes, information is more important than life. On missions and on the battlefield, people risk their lives trying to get a hold of it." He retied his hitai-ate into a bandanna. "If the enemy notices you, there is no guarantee your information could be accurate. I want you to remember this; important information in your hands, can be a powerful weapon for your comrades and your village. So we had you gather information through cheating. This clearly separated those that did not have the right ability."
"But, I still don't understand the final question," Temari said with a scowl.
"Question ten, is the true purpose of the test. The 'take it' or 'not take it' decision. Obviously, these were painful choices. Those that choose the latter fail with their team mates, those that choose to take it could lose their chance forever. A true leap of faith. How about these two choices, say you guys become Chuunins, your mission is to steal a document. The amount of ninjas, their abilities etc are unknown to you and of course their could be traps set all around you. Now do you choose to accept or decline? No matter what the danger, there are some missions that you can't avoid. The ability to be courageous and survive any hardhip, this is the ability needed to become a Chuunin captain. Those who can't put their lives on the line, who cling to the uncertain future of 'there's always next year.' and walk away from their chance. Those pieces of trash that make cowardly choices don't deserve to become Chuunin! That is my belief!"
Kari smirked slightly, feeling a large amount of respect blossom for their scarred proctor.
"Those who chose to take it," Ibiki glanced at Naruto for a moment. "Answered the tough tenth question correctly, you will be able to survive any challenges you face in the future. You have made it through the entrance, the first test of the Chuunin examination is now complete." The proctor smiled, though it was dwarfed by Naruto's enormous grin.
"HELL YEAH!" Naruto exclaimed and jumped out of his seat, hurtling up the rows and diving over a desk, hurtled into Kari. "We did it! WE DID IT KARI-CHAN!"
Torn between embarrassment and delight, a red-faced Kari giggled sheepishly. One of the windows suddenly shattered as a dark blur hurtled through it, the glint of a kunai flashing out.
"What's this?" cried in confusion as the woman straightened.
"You guys! This is no time to be celebrating!" she bellowed the pinned sign behind her flapping slightly. "I'm the proctor for the second test, Mitarashi Anko! Now! Let's go! FOLLOW ME!"
Kari blinked and then grinned as she recognised the trench-coat and booming voice.
"...You're early," Ibiki commented, peeking around the banner with Anko's name scrawled across it. The woman frowned as her cheeks heated in embarrassment. She paused as she looked at those that passed.
"Eighty-two? Ibiki, you passed twenty-seven teams?" Anko cried in disappointment. "The test was too easy this time."
"This time, there are a lot of outstanding ones," Ibiki countered with a smile.
"Pah! Fine! I'll eliminate at least half in the next test!" Anko said confidently. "Ahh I'm getting excited. I'll explain everything soon. Dismissed!"
-x-
"We did it!" Naruto announced happily. "We really did it!"
"We only passed the first test Naruto," Sakura stated.
"Celebratory ramen!" Naruto declared, ignoring Sakura.
"Definitely not. My wallet is still burning from the first time, there won't be a second."
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto whined, pouting at the silver-haired Jounin that had just appeared out of thin air. "We just passed the first exam! Do you have any idea how hard it was?"
"I do, and I'm still not buying you ramen." Kakashi said simply. "What do the rest of you want?"
"Hn."
"I don't mind, but I'm on a diet."
"Ice-cream and pocky!"
"YEAH! Let's get pocky!" Naruto agreed, oblivious to the looks he and Kari got from their team-mates.
"Ninja need a balanced diet. Naruto you can't live on sweet red bean soup, ramen and pocky. Kari, you need to gain a few pounds and not from sweets. Sasuke, you need more vitamins. Sakura, you're not on a diet, and if you are, you're stupid," Kakashi said bluntly.
"Eh! But vegetables are yucky sensei!" Naruto complained.
"Yeah! And sweets are fattening!" Kari agreed.
"Oh! How about that new barbecue place then?" Sakura cried in delight and without giving them a chance to argue, started heading towards the food source.
-x-
"Ah." Kakashi heaved a big internal sigh at the sight of all the Konoha rookie teams and his eternal rivals team all sitting around a large table.
"Told ya we should've got ramen, dattebayo," Naruto scoffed. Kakashi debated whether to just walk out again, then again there was a nice secluded table over in the corner, if he could just sneak over there.
"Kakashi!"
"Gai," Kakashi greeted back unenthusiastically. Kurenai and Asuma shot him desperate looks for help and Kakashi just stared at them unsympathetically.
"Come join us! There is plenty of room for you and your cute students!" Gai said beaming at Sasuke and Sakura's disgusted expressions.
"Actually -"
"Hai Gai-sensei," Kari agreed and headed over to a seat next to Neji.
"Sensei?" Kakashi murmured narrowing his eyes. He was Kari's only official sensei! He raised a hand to his silver hair as he realised the situation was dire than he thought. He couldn't let Kari be corrupted and forced into those hideous green jumpsuits! Deciding to brave his irritation and delve into masochism, Kakashi reluctantly took a seat next to Gai. "I didn't know you were teaching my student?" Kakashi cringed slightly at the emphasis he put on the 'my'. Luckily, Gai didn't seem to have noticed.
"Indeed! She is our youthful apprentice and is blossoming under our tutelage!" Gai boasted with glee.
"Really?"
"Undoubtedly! And, between you and me, I see love blossoming in the springtime of youth!"
"...come again?" Kakashi murmured, feeling his cool exterior crack slightly.
"Surely you have noticed Kakashi! The discreet glances, the frequent touches, the blossoming blushes! It is the most youthful of all beauty! The budding relationship between apprentice and tutor!"
Kari looked mortified, eyes wide as face promptly began to colour.
"I can't say I have," Kakashi said. "Who is it?"
"Why it is Neji!" Gai declared and with a flourishing movement, gestured to the Hyuuga beside Kari. The Hyuuga who was completely ignoring the idiotic situation and leaving the denying all up to Kari.
"...sou ka..." Kakashi managed through gritted teeth. Neji glanced up at the commotion and felt chills at the look of murder being thrown at him by the Jounin.
"Kashi! It's not like that! The 'frequent touches' are Taijutsu, painful Taijutsu! A-and the blushing is me being embarrassed when I get things wrong!" Kari whined, annoyed Neji couldn't be bothered to back her up.
"Yeah, Kari-chan already said, besides, she's not allowed a boyfriend unless I approve dattebayou!" Naruto added helpfully.
"Dobe. You'd only approve of yourself," Sasuke scoffed under his breath.
"Who're you calling a dobe, temee?"
"Neji! It seems your youthful quest for love has some hurdles to face! You must win our lovely apprentices heart before your rivals snatch her from your grasp!" Gai boomed passionately. Kari sank lower into her seat and tried desperately to recall any mention of an invisibility jutsu. Neji frowned, but otherwise continued to ignore his sensei.
"Maa, why don't we eat?" Asuma offered, feeling the male tension on the other end of the table. Kurenai's red eyes gleamed as she mentally prepared Kari's next lady-lesson. Kakashi was right, her teaching was absolutely necessary!
As all of them ordered something from the menu, Kari immediately chose her desired meal.
"Ice-cream!" she declared to the lady who came to take her order.
"For dinner?" Ino repeated incredulously. "Kari-chan, how are you not f-" she was discreetly interrupted when Shikamaru kicked her shin under the table. "Ow!" she glared at him and he motioned to Chouji. "Ah, e-eto... how are you so skinny when you eat such unhealthy food?"
"Hmm? I'm normal sized," Kari said happily and Ino and Sakura felt themselves becoming depressed. If that was normal, they were huge! "Well, normal for me," Kari corrected seeing their downtrodden expressions.
"Nah, Kari-chan is tiny!" Naruto chuckled.
"Am not!"
"Hn. For once, I'm inclined to agree with Naruto."
"Urusai! Tori-atama!"
"Did... did she...?" Ino began with a horrified look at Sakura.
"Hai... she calls Sasuke-kun 'bird-head'..." Sakura sighed.
Ino was shocked at the insult to her crush, but on a more positive note, at least Kari-chan wasn't competition! Ino couldn't help but think the girl was too pretty for a rival and too close to her Sasuke-kun to be fair competition.
"Your orders!" the waitress chirped and placed meat on the grill before rushing to get their side orders. Kari thanked her in delight as a large bowl of ice-cream was placed in front of her.
"My youthful apprentice, you should rejoice in the joy of vegetables! How will you become a green beast without your healthy dose of greens?" Gai urged. Kakashi's eye twitched at the words 'green beast' and he resisted the urge to stab Gai with his chopsticks.
"Kashi makes me eat them," Kari said simply as she scooped up a large mound of the creamy substance and shoved the spoon in her mouth. Her face immediately brightened with glee at the sweetness.
"Kakashi, not enforcing a healthy balanced diet..." Gai said shaking his head in disappointment. Kakashi rolled his eyes discreetly. Had Gai not been paying attention to what Kari had just said? "I'll have to offer my assistance!"
"Don't stop Lee-sempai buying me ice-cream!" Kari cried in distress. Lee paled at his idol's look of disappointment.
"Gomen, Gai-sensei! It was those youthful eyes!" Lee cried apologetically. TenTen shook her head as Lee and Gai had a mini student-master-bonding moment.
"Ice-cream?" Kari offered, waving the spoon in Neji's direction. The Hyuuga looked apalled and shook his head in decline. Naruto was more than happy to take the declined offer though and eagerly leaned across Sasuke to accept the spoon into his mouth.
"Indirect kiss!" Ino squealed as she and Sakura blushed slightly and looked hopefully at Sasuke.
"Disgusting," Sasuke grunted.
"Hmm? You want some?" Kari asked offering the spoon to him.
"Disgusting," Sasuke repeated, glaring at the spoon as though it were diseased. Kari shrugged and put the spoon back into her mouth.
"Ino's right, you're gonna end up huge Kari-chan," Kiba sniggered and Sasuke's disgust was replaced by a small mocking smirk in agreement.
"Don't listen to 'em Kari-chan, dattebayo! I'll still be your best friend no matter what!" Naruto reassured while Kari grinned and continued devouring her ice-cream only pausing once with a high squeal of 'brainfreeze!'.
-x-
"Shouldn't little girls be in bed at this time?" Gaara murmured as he felt the soft tap of little feet hitting the roof. Kari straightened before sitting down next to him. He felt uneasy at the proximity, but brushed such feelings aside. It was the middle of night, the moon had fully risen and the sky was an dark, ink-coloured and seemingly endless.
"You should be in bed too, ne?" Kari asked curiously.
"I don't sleep."
"Really? So that's why you have those dark circles, ne? Why can't you sleep? Do you have bad dreams too?"
Gaara glanced at her, confused over the inquisitive child. He was used to being avoided, having someone seek him out for conversation was unnerving.
"No. I can't sleep because if I do it takes control."
"It?" Kari repeated in confusion. She frowned as she tried to figure out what Gaara was speaking of.
"Shuukaku. A sand demon," Gaara verified.
"How does it take control? Does it follow you?" Kari asked.
"No. It was sealed inside me before my birth."
She frowned and he waited patiently for her to leave. She would naturally be wary of him now. He was eager for her to disappear so he could settle back into normal things, being avoided, being feared.
"What's it like?" she asked. "Having a demon inside you?"
"Why all the questions?" Gaara said, starting to get irritated. Why wouldn't she leave?
"I'm curious," Kari replied, leaning forward onto her knees and looking up at his face. "You're different. I'm different. So I'm drawn to you."
"You're looking for your answers in me?" Gaara questioned. He didn't understand how she could possibly see similarities between him and her. He was like the barren sand, she was like the forest and sky.
"Not exactly," she said and stared up at the night sky, following the patterns the stars made. "It's just nice y'know? I'm an outcast because of amnesia and you come off as a loner." His gaze was rather intense for a stare, but it didn't make her feel as uneasy as it should have. "And you're strong, really strong. Misery loves company, ne? Maybe that's why I'm so interested in you. Maybe I'm looking for understanding for something I don't even understand myself." He could see she was getting frustrated as she tried to put her feelings into words. He recalled feeling a way familiar to what she was describing. But it had been buried a long, long time ago.
"Ah, perhaps I'm just nosy," Kari said frowning. "Gomen, I've just confused myself."
"How much memory do you have?" he asked, though was certain he didn't care. He supposed he asked because her feelings were so strong he could almost taste them and it made him uncomfortable.
"A month or two. I woke up here and no one knows who I am."
He was surprised she had managed to settle in such a short time into this village. He could see what she meant now, knowing no one, he supposed she was very isolated and vulnerable.
"I don't remember anything," Kari admitted solemnly. "Not even my own name."
"Sou ka. Why are you explaining yourself to your enemy?"
"Enemy?" she repeated and Gaara irritably wondered if she was stupid. "I don't see you as my enemy."
"Hn." He scoffed at her foolishness. She would surely be killed in the exam and if not, on a mission soon. Such naivety made for a weak shinobi.
"I suppose that's one of my weaknesses ne?" she asked and he grunted in agreement. "I befriended an enemy before, even though I knew we had to fight to the death." Her fingers ghosted over her chest and he wondered if her heart was hurting at the memory.
"You killed him?" he questioned, not able to believe such a thought.
"No. He jumped in front of my sensei's attack to protect his master," Kari replied and Gaara mused that it was no wonder they became friends. The boy was just as foolish as her. "And I..." His aquamarine eyes glanced at her curiously. "I tried to save him. I jumped between him and my sensei's attack."
Gaara's eyes widened a fraction.
"Seems crazy, ne? It was a powerful attack too, I'm gonna have a real big scar. But you know what, I'm glad I did it."
"It is foolish to love anyone but yourself. Others are merely a hindrance," he stated. To his surprise, she smiled.
"We're opposites in some ways, ne? That's why I'm interested in you, opposites attract. Clearly the feeling isn't mutual though, ne?" she said happily. He made no answer and turned his gaze back to the sky. He couldn't say he wasn't interested. He didn't speak for the rest of the night and when he glanced back at her, curious of her silence, he found her curled up asleep beside him. Close enough that he could feel the slight warmth of her body, but far enough that there was no phsical contact. His sand shifted ever so slightly but then settled to become completely still.
She was no danger to him as he was for her. Reluctantly, he decided to tolerate her sleeping form, feeling more uneasy about her at her most vulnerable than he did while she was awake. It was strange to have willing company. Curious, he lifted his hand and after a moment of hesitation, brushed a finger against her hair. She didn't stir, comfortable at his side. His finger traced her cheekbone once before he retracted his hand as though burned. He frowned, realising he still was nervous of touch. He would have to conquer that fear. She mumbled something in her sleep and curled tighter as the winds picked up slightly, teasing her hair away from her face.
He sat silent and still throughout the rest of the night, the dragon guarding the princess as she slept.
-x-
Good, bad, stupid?
Favourite part/worst part?
Review please. :)