Chapter 7- The Preliminaries
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto
Near the end of day five of the second exams all the expected teams were there. I still didn't know whom I would be fighting, but I hope it would be Kabuto. The teams that were already here were told to meet in the room with the hand statue. Soon enough Kabuto and Team 7 enter the building.
For once I pay attention as my father told the group why we toke the exams. For the next few minutes or so he talked tell Hayate interrupted him to tell us about the preliminaries.
"Is there anyone who would like to leave, cough?" Hayate asked, and to my surprise no one raised their hand. "Alright then, cough, we'll start right away, cough."
I heard the screen rattle and the first names were called, then the next, tell it got to the last two people.
Sasuke Uchiha Vs. Yoroi Akado
Sasuke winner.
Zaku Abumi Vs. Shino Aburame
Shino winner.
Misumi Tsurugi Vs. Kankuro
Kankuro winner.
Sakura Vs. Ino Yamanaka
Tie.
Tenten Vs. Temari
Temari winner.
Shikamaru Nara Vs. Kin Tsuchi
Shikamaru winner.
Naruto Uzumaki Vs. Kiba Inuzuka
Naruto winner.
Hinata Hyuga Vs. Neji Hyuga
Neji winner.
Rock Lee Vs. Gaara
Gaara winner.
I couldn't stay in the room for that one, since I couldn't really do anything. Besides I knew he'd get better.
Choji Akimichi Vs. Dosu Kinata
Dosu winner.
Kabuto Vs. Shi No Ko Himura
'As I thought I'm ageist Kabuto, he'll probably use this opportunity to learn some things about me, I'll go easy on him then.' I jump right down from the stands and landed perfectly in a crouch, while Kabuto toke the stairs.
"So I'm against the person who ripped up their own ninja card. Well it's nice to meet you Shi No Ko." Kabuto greeted,
"That's funny since I didn't really want to meet you." I walk right over to him and whisper so only he could hear. "How's you snake friend anyway I bet he's pretty old by now." I made sure to put a large emphasize on snake to get my point through.
"Oh so you know him?"
"Well I know of him I never really meet him. Besides I hear he's been chasing mice, isn't that right?"
"Well right now he's not, he is taking a small break."
"Oh that's right. He's been running a village."
"Are you guys ready to fight? Chough" Hayate asked.
"Yes we are we were just chatting before our match." I back up a few feet and face Kabuto.
"Alright then begin!" He called and backed away.
Neither of us made a move; we stood there trying to anticipate the others first move. I decided to reach in my pouch to pull my book out. Kabuto mistaking it for a kunai and jumped to the side, as I whipped it out.
"You're going to fight me with a book?" He asked stupidly.
"No that would be stupid. I'm going to draw while fighting you." I replied.
"Do you really think I'm that week?"
"No I just think your and idiot." That must of got him really mad since he charged. I sensed chakra building up in his hand and I dodged right away. "See you can't even hit some one." He turned towards me as I pulled out my pencil.
"What should I draw maybe a… Oh I know I'll draw a snake with glasses to remember this moment." I place my pencil on my page and try to picture a snake wearing glasses.
"You're really getting on my nerves." Kabuto gritted his teeth.
"What ever happened to the mellow guy that was just standing here, the one who didn't get angry easily?" I ask smirking under my mask. I knew how to push people's bottons to the breaking point, and I was glad it was working.
Kabuto didn't say a word, but I did feel his eyes narrow on me. I continue to write while make the one-hand-hand-sings that Haku showed me, but I made sure to make it look like I was playing with my pencil. "Sand Fog." I breathe under my breath. Just like that sand started to lift up around up making the air smell like home.
"What just happened?" Naruto yelled. "I can't see them.
'Good my plan is working.' I make one hand sings and clones appeared around me. I focused on Kabuto's chakra the whole time so I didn't lose him. 'Alright Kabuto, your going to wish that you didn't fight me.' I move swiftly forward with my clones while they weaving around me, and switch out, once in awhile. I close in on Kabuto fast and I made sure to hide my chakra extra well.
I pulled out a kunai and commanded my clones to do the same. My clones threw their kunai and I added a burst of speed to appear behind Kabuto, but he raised his hand and said.
"Your lucky Kabuto I would of slit your throat in an instant.' I whisper.
"Think again." He replied.
I notice at that moment Kabuto's lowered hand was direction back at me and could kill me at any moment, and I knew if I slit his throat he wouldn't die.
"You dirty little…"
"If I were you I wouldn't continue with that line." I could feel chakra start to radiate off he's hand.
"Yeah, well I know I can't kill you and you know that to. So if you really wanted me dead you would of done it by now."
"I only want to wound you so you would be out of commission for the final round."
The chakra filled hand swung up towards my chest, and it was too close to dodge so I had to bock. My free arm flew in front of his hand, and even with the weights, fire raced threw it. I gritted my teeth refusing to scream.
"That's it I'm going to kill you." I put away my book before pulling out kunai and throw them with enough force to split a tree in half, but with the pain my aim was sloppy, and kept hitting the wall, sending cracks in every witch direction.
It sounded if gunfire was constant in the building like a machine gun was going off. Every hit I made on Kabuto most likely hurt like hell, but he wasn't dead. Just then he raised he hand again and said, "I forfeit."
I drop the kunai I was holding while I grabbed my wrist, which has swelled a considerable amount. The sand fell away and some stuck to the sweat on my forehead. I drop to my knees while sending healing chakra into my wrist trying to see the damage he made.
'A fractured bone, and quite a few ripped muscles, this is going to take a while to heal.'
"Winner of this match is, cough, Shi No Ko Himura." Hayate said. "Now with that fight the preliminaries are over."
"Shi No Ko!" Temari ran up to me and knelt down. "What happened?"
"Stupid idiot…" I muttered.
"Wow Shi No Ko I never seen you miss before. And look and that wall it's half destroyed." Kankuro said, and Temari hit him over the head for me.
"Thanks, and Kankuro you try throwing straight with a fractured bone, and ripped muscles." I retort.
"Is it really that bad?" Temari questioned.
"Just be glad he didn't hit my heart."
"He was aiming for your heart!"
"He knew I'd block, I think he was just trying to get information on me. But he didn't even touch the surface of speed, or what I'm capable with, jutsu wise."
Hayate walked over to me finally and summoned a medical team. "You need to go to the hospital to take care of this." One said.
"I would like to stay here if at all possible." I reply.
"There's to much damage to deal with it on site, and it needs to be tended to quickly.
"Well then I'll stay here tell he's done speaking, and don't even try to convince me other wise.
"All… right."
"Now everyone I'll explain the last round." Minato said after being signaled by the medical team who did what they could here, for my arm. "For the last round, you will show your battle skills, and demonstrate your power and control, that you've learned. The battles will happen in one month."
"Were not going to start right now?" Naruto practically yelled.
"We need time for preparation."
"What do you mean?" Neji asked.
"We need to send the results to the other countries leaders we also need to send out a summons for the final exams. You'll need to prepare for an event like this too."
Kankuro happened to be standing be side me and started to talk. "Look I don't really get this, what's the point."
"I mean you'll need to prepared to fight your appoints. In the real world you'd be fighting an unknown enemy, but you've already fought each other so you know how to prepare." The Hokage explained. "So to make this exam fair you must use this time to train for your fights. Learn some new techniques since you already know everyone's. Now that I said all that, I like to finish things up. But we have one last thing to do."
"Alright let's get on with it!" Naruto yelled.
"I need all of you to take a piece of paper from the box Anko has."
"Just stay there, I'll come to you guys." Anko instructed.
When the Anko came to me I use my good hand to pull out the second last paper. "Now that you have a paper, please read out your numbers." Ibiki ordered.
When it got to me I ran my finger over my number and called it out. " 10."
"Sasuke is four then, now I'm going to tell you how this exam works." The Hokage said.
"So the numbers are for picking lots!" Shikamaru said.
Ibiki held the paper he was holding up after being told to, and I cursed my blindness. I wanted to make sure I was ageist Dosu, but my blindness had to get in the way of coarse.
"May I ask a question?" Shikamaru asked.
"You may." Minato replied.
"If this is a tournament then there is only one winner and one person becoming a Chunin?"
"It's actually the opposite. You could all become Chunin exams or you all could fail and not. It all depends on what the judges think. Now I thank you for your time, now I'll see you all next month." With that the teams started to file out.
"What was that all about?" Temari asked as we walked to the hospital.
"You mean my fight? I meet Kabuto before when I was really young, like before I came to the Sunagakure. I just said I few things to him." I lie.
"Well it seems you really didn't like him."
"Yeah I could kill him, he's such a creep. And if I ever get the chance I will."
"Remind me to never make you mad." Kankuro said.
"Your all ready told me to do that only it was said a bit different." I remind him.
"Oh I know."
"Oh you do. Well that's good it means you're not as big of an idiot, as I thought."
"Yep… Hey!"
-Time Skip-
When we got back to Suna sensei put us into exercises and we went through battle drills. We didn't learn many new jutsu since I didn't show much of mine and my arm was in a cast, Gaara didn't need to, Kankuro just had to add to his puppets, and Temari learned one new jutsu.
"So you fight that Shikamaru kid?" Temari said to me.
"Wait what!" I yell.
"You didn't know you were in the room when we picked numbers right?"
"Yeah I was, but I didn't really pay attention." I mumble. 'Well I guess it's ok if Dosu dies now, then Temari can fight Shikamaru like there suppose to.'
"We'll you'll have to figure out a plan to beat him…
"Temari you want to spare?" I cut her off.
"W-why?"
"I have a feeling we'll be fighting each other in the exams." I answered.
"I guess, but what makes you think that."
"It's just a feeling."
"Alright then."
-Time Skip-
The Chunin exams were in two weeks and I haven't slept a wink since we got to Suna. The nightmares I've been having just keep getting worse. So I usually sat on my buildings roof and tried to image the stars. The one thing I longed to see since I was put in the dark.
"What are you still doing up?" A voice said behind me.
"I'm looking at the stars." I relied. "Would you like to join me, Gaara?"
"…" In just a few moments Gaara was sitting beside me on the roof.
"Please don't kill anyone after the exams, unless you truly have to. I know it's a lot to ask, but I don't do well with death. Even when I was assigned to those few missions I never could kill anyone." I try to explain. "I could smell the blood, and there was just so… much."
Every word I said was true, I didn't like blood and I didn't like death, but if there is a few certain people in this world I could kill.
"Aren't they beautiful?" I question changing the subject. "I wish I could see them for real, some time." For the rest of the night we sat on the roof 'looking' at the stars.
When I felt the suns morning heat on me, I stood up and extended a hand to Gaara. "You want something to eat?" I ask. Gaara was hesitant as if touching me would kill me. "Don't be shy, I know you won't hurt me." I made sure to give reassurance in my voice, and it seemed to work since he toke my hand.
I lead him to my apartment and sit him down at the table while I started to make breakfast. "Do you like omelets?" I ask.
"Omelet?"
"Yeah they have eggs, milk, onion, ham, and you can add other ingredients too. So what do you like?"
"…"
"I'll just make you a simple omelet then." I start to mix in the ingredients I listed before, and poured them into a frying pan. In a few minutes I served half to me and half to Gaara. "Eat up."
I used a genjutsu on my face, then started to eat and waited for Gaara to do the same, but he didn't touch his food. "Are you going to eat, or sit there tell it grows old and moldy? If you are going to eat it I suggest you do it now, it's better when it's warm…" At that point it donned on me that people could of tried to poison Gaara when he was younger. I take my fork and take a piece of his omelet and eat it showing him it was ok to eat.
It took him a few minutes, but he picked up his fork and started to eat. I smile at the thought of Gaara eating an omelet for the first time. After we finish eating I wash up and I leave Gaara to change.
After we walked together through town. "So… do you want to get anything?"
"No."
"All right, let's go for a walk in the desert then." I grab Gaara's hand and pull him to the front gates, right passed the guards and into the desert. "This is nice is it not? We should do this more often. Take our minds off of things just for a while." I was acting different in my options, and I couldn't figure out why.
"Why aren't afraid of me?" Gaara asked.
"What is there to be afraid of, well sure there's the Shukaku, but he's not all that scary, at lest not compared to Kurama, well I guess he's not that scary when you get to know him." I explain. "And you don't even what to meet the Jubi now he's scary."
"Kurama? Jubi?"
"Yeah, they're kind of like Shukaku, but they're made of chakra and not sand, that and they have a lot more power then the Shukaku. That's manly why people shouldn't be afraid of you when there are a lot scarier things out there."
"…"
"I think we should get back to the village Temari and Kankuro will be wondering where we are." At that moment I realized I was still holding Gaara's hand and my whole face heated up as I let it go.
Together we walked back to the village when I sensed something out of the ordinary. I walked over to that spot and Gaara fallowed. "It's a flower? In the desert?" I pick the small flower out of the ground and at that moment I knew I should of have been more careful. Something snapped by my leg and it burned like fire. "Ahh!"
I dropped the flower and grabbed at my leg were a metal contraption sat, it was almost like a bear trap that hasn't been cheeked in months. I try to unclamp the devise from my leg, but it was shut tight and it was rusty, so it didn't want to budge.
"Gaara help me with this. Just great now a have a broken leg to, it's like I'm cursed." I hiss. In a flash the chain for the trap was broken, but it still held fast on my leg. Gaara knelt down beside me and used his sand to unhook the trap. I pulled my leg free as soon as it got lose enough, but that didn't help the pain at all.
"We need to get back to the village." I panted, while trying to stand, but I feel over right away. "Gaara help me." Gaara hesitant, but soon lifted me so my arm was slung around his neck. We started to make our way back to Suna but it didn't take that long to get there.
"What happened?" The guard asked when he saw me.
"Trap… help." I managed to say.
As soon as the guard heard that he told the other guard to get a medical team and toke me from Gaara.
"Gaara… come." I said before the ninja started to carry me to the hospital. To my surprise Gaara fallowed like I asked.
After the medial team meet up with us, I couldn't stay awake and passed out. When I woke up, I sat up in the bed I was in and found my change of clothes before standing up. Like expected I had a cast on my leg too, so I had to hop over to my clothes and hop to the bathroom to change. It wasn't that hard for me to do since I've broken my leg before in my past life. Once done I found a pair of crutches by the door that I used to leave the hospital undetected, and get home.
After I got home I feel asleep, and when I got up I went for a walk to the training grounds. I sat behind a dummy and started to write.
Entry 958
The Chunin exams are coming up and I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Minato could die and I have to prevent that, but I need to go with my team so it doesn't look like I'm betraying Suna. If I could some how slow down Orochimaru, or even tell Minato in some way… I could write him a letter as Raifu Ko telling him to be careful during the exams, and then hide a clone on the roof, for extra… I think that's the best way to go.
I'm also thinking about telling someone of the future so I don't have as big of a burden on my shoulders. I'm not sure who I'm going to tell, but I'll figure something out.
Another thing is that I think I'm developing feelings for Gaara. I don't really know what to do about this; I am from another world after all. After the exams I'll see how I feel, but for now I'll leave it alone.
After that I started to draw a picture at the bottom of the page, I didn't know what it was and I had a feeling I never would.
It was around midnight when I decided to head home even though I knew I wasn't going to sleep. The next morning I decided to visit Temari, it was hard to get around with the crutches, but I managed to get there.
"Hey Temari open up!" I yell, not bothering to knock.
"Oh Shi you got out of the hospital?" She said after opening the door.
"Actually I got out yesterday."
"You want to come in?"
"Sure."
"Good because we need to talk about what happened." She jumped behind me and started to push me towards her room. "You have to tell me everything that happened."
After we got settled into her room I explained to her what happened starting when Gaara visited me on the roof and ending with getting back to the village. "…As you can see I just wanted to go for a walk as friend nothing else."
"You do realize it was stupid to pick a flower in the desert."
"I know I just a had to pick it, kind of like a childish longing."
"I know how you feel… It's like how I was the Kazekage's daughter during school, and I always got picked on, there was only one person who ever stood up for me. But I still longed for a friend."
"I know what you mean… Temari I'm going to tell you about my past, I never told anyone else, and you cannot tell a soul… Before I came to Suna I was the daughter of a powerful man, I had a twin brother, and my mother died the day we were born due to a mass attack on our village… My life after that was filled with training, and learning jutsu so I could protect myself… When I was in school there was this kid named Moji who picked on us a lot. One time I got so mad at him during target practice I threw my kunai towards my target then punched him in the face, breaking a few of his bones. The kunai I threw did something similar, it went through the target, and the tree which spit in half… but the kunai didn't stop tell it went half way into the fence behind it. A while after that I had to leave."
"You really don't kid when you say you go easy on Kankuro… You know other jutsu how come you never told us?"
"… I had my reasons, but I do know a lot more then you think… I know at lest two heavy hitter ninjutsu, sealing, a lot of taijutsu, and quite a bit more." I reach out and touch the mask Kakashi gave me after I learned Chirdori.
"Is that why you were the mask, your old sensei gave it to you?"
"Yes and before you ask I were the glass since I don't really like people seeing my eyes."
"How come you didn't talk when you got here?"
"That… For every sound, you shall burn. For every tear, you shall scar. For every laugh, you will die." I recite the poem I was told in my old life, when I first got kidnapped.
"Where did you learn that?"
"Before I left, even before I started ninja school, I went to visit some one and I was kidnapped. They told me that poem and I didn't believe them, and they proved me wrong, but my biggest mistake was that I laugh at them… They said they would come for me, and that they would pay ransom… I laughed at the though, my dad didn't know I was kidnapped, and if he did it was already to late for that." I touch my chest where they fatal blow was made. "I thought I was dead, but someone, something saved me and I was able to live."
"…" Temari didn't say I word, as if she was told it was the end of the world, but what can you say I was like a sister to her.
"That's all behind me now. I just look to the future and not dwell on the blood that has been spilled in the past. Now let's go get something to eat." I stand up and Temari fallowed.
A.N. I posted this chapter early because the last one was so late. I also noticed I forgot to put a preview in the last chapter so I'll make sure to add one into this one. Remember to ask questions if you have any, because I will answer them for you.
Also big thanks to who ever has fallowed, favorite, reviewed, or even continued reading this story and I'll make sure to keep updating so you can find out what happens. But for now farewell and see you next chapter.
Preview:
'Every thing is over, he standing right there. I think I'll tell him the future, he'll at lest think reasonably before he acted upon it.' I thought as I made my way over, while drawing in my book. I let a little bit of my chakra to seep out, before saying. "Hey sensei I'm starting to turn into you, only I'm writing in books, while fighting, not reading them."