There's many many things unsaid (like Sasuke's reaction toward Sakura's hair, Naruto's talk with Sasuke, Tsunade's view etc etc...) But they'll come just next chapter! The rating changed back to T. There will be less swearing.
05. The Competition
"Now. There won't be any cheating, understood?" Tsunade told the students, each one holding a scowl. It was plain obvious that most of them were being forced into this.
"Competition?" Sakura asked Tsunade after hearing her principal's question with a hint of malice. "Yes…We should give this trip a shake! It would be too boring to stay doing nothing. And I noticed people have groups formed already. That's clearly not socializing," Tsunade replied grinning, a plan forming in her head.
"I see…And when do you want to hold this?" Sakura asked, fearing for the worse. When her teacher used that grin, she should worry. "After lunch," Tsunade replied. "Go and call all the students and the staff," she ordered. The cherry blossom nodded and left to do the task. She was sure this competition would do them no good.
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"Now that we got this all settled, come and pick a paper from the box," Kurenai told the students seated in the cafeteria while the staff talked about Tsunade's great competition. The students were really annoyed. They didn't want a competition. They were fine like that.
All of them got up and walked to a box that they suspected had papers on it. They had to close the eyes and get a paper, without opening it. They were ordered to sit and wait until everyone had one paper.
"Now open up. Without noise," Kurenai told them. They opened and after, they tried catching friend's number but it was clear that they should respect what the teacher said. "Now…who's with number one?" Asuma asked and four students raised their hands. "Grab this bag and try finding Gai outside," Kakashi told them. The group nodded and left, with a light bag.
"Number two!" Kurenai shouted. The students were being rather impatient with the whole thing. Forward came Shikamaru, Tayuya, Ino and Kiba.
She saw her rebel student; Tayuya, walking to the table, with an annoyed look in her face, Ino with a look that she'd rather join her friends, the pineapple-like haired kid saying how troublesome things were, and Kiba and his dog (…a dog?) walking confidently toward the team.
"Three!" Kurenai shouted again. It was Sakura's number. She tried to get a glimpse of her team. She saw the red-haired boy; Gaara. It was Temari's brother. When she stayed at Temari's, he would greet her and then leave for God-know-where.
"Eer…Hi," Sakura tried a weak wave. He ignored her and went outside to find the spandex-beast. She felt really awkward. It was obvious they wouldn't have a heart-to-heart talk, like her friends did while being with her. Neither would he try a conversation with her, and she was afraid to try one…How to deal with that?
Along came Naruto, who was all hyper and shouting and she noticed, thankfully, that Hinta, whom was blushing slightly when Naruto spoke to her, was with them. At least she wasn't alone.
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"Four!" Kurenai shouted again. Man…She was wasting saliva for those kids.
"Yoshhh! It's --" Lee tried saying before he fell on the ground. He looked startled for a moment but then he was all shouting. He ran toward the table, only to find Tenten there looking really angry with the bag already in her shoulder.
"Youthful Tenten! I'm sorry for making you wait! I'll run 500 laps after as an apology!" He shouted, making Tenten cover her ears. "What are you talking about, mini-Gai?" Kurenai asked him. "I'm number four!" He said, proudly showing his number to her. "Eh…Kid, your number is five," Kurenai told him, getting angry because he was making the line wait.
"Maybe you read it wrong, Lee," Neji told him, smirking. Lee was suspicious but after a second shrugged and returned to have his number called. He then realized that maybe Neji changed their numbers when he tripped. Nah…Neji wouldn't do that. It's Neji, after all. He thought, waiting for his number.
Tenten was rather ok with her team, except for Neji persona. It was her, Neji, Chouji and a random girl (she knew the girl was from her chemistry class and part of the Neji fan-club).
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"Five!" The teacher called. Sasuke came and looked at his partners: Lee, fan-girl number one and Shino. What an amazing luck (sarcasm). He was paired with a loud baka, a squealing weak girl and a nature freak.
"Now, group six go with Kakashi! Number seven, you follow Asuma!" Kurenai shouted at the students that were waiting. Man, they better not complain after finding what they were doing.
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"Shit…This whole crap is a waste of time, damn" Tayuya said to Shikamaru, who tried to ignore her and her swearing. They found Gai-sensei waiting in a path fifteen minutes from the Inn. Shikamaru had an idea what the competition would be.
He was already bored to death and Gai-sensei wouldn't tell them where they were going. He was beyond mad because the girl, Tayuya, would swear about the trip and about the Boys School how they were a lot if shit.
Ino would ignore him and listen to Kiba ramble about the various types of dogs and which one he'd like to have when Akamaru got the chance to find a partner (It's finding a bitch, Shikamaru thought – having a strange feeling inside him).
They waited until the last group found Gai-sensei. Shikamaru counted and noticed there were missing students.
"Now, youthful students! Pay attention because there can't be a waste of energy!" Gai told them with a good-guy pose and a smiling 'ping'. "We are allowing students to change! Who wants to change groups raise your hands!" He shouted. Most of them had their hands up.
"No Gai…You won't do that because I wasted plenty of time having them paired," Kurenai told him in a disapproving way. Gai-sensei lowered his head and nodded. "Now…You guys stay like that," Gai told them. "Now…Let's call Tsunade, because she will explain!" He then did a dance and shouted for Tsunade.
"Now listen up! I will only tell this once, and then you may ask if you have any doubts!" She told them, looking for someone who wasn't paying attention. "This competition is a little different, because for one it will last for three days! Secondly, you'll have to camp outside," She told them, receiving annoyed expressions.
"We are starting the competitions tomorrow!" She told them.
The competition was almost simple. The group had to find as many clues that lead to some treasures they had to find and return to the starting place without being robbed. Those 'treasures' would be hidden around the Inn (not in the rooms) and in the forest nearby. They had to cooperate to get to the end with as much 'treasure' they could.
It sounded childish for people in their age, but they soon got interested when Tsunade promised extra grade and the winners would receive a day in the hot springs. And, after the competition she told them they'd go to a special place to celebrate.
If party was involved, then why not?
"I have to be in the baka's team!" Tenten yelled, throwing an imaginary punch in the room. The girls were currently on the room, gossiping the events. "I can't believe the jerk! He changed Lee's number! How could Lee not notice?" Tenten asked again.
"For someone who isn't interested in girl's stuff, you are pretty excited about the whole thing," Ino said smirking at her friend. "And besides, you didn't even complain to Kurenai-sensei about Lee's number," Sakura teased, making Tenten blush.
"It's not like that!" Tenten yelled. "Oh, really?" Ino and Sakura teased her again. "Yes! I'm only happy because err…! Wait, I'm so not happy because I'm in his team!" Tenten shouted, blushing again.
"At least I'm with Hinata-chan," Sakura smiled. Hinata smiled back, remembering she was also in Naruto's team. Maybe she could get together with him…
Sakura was still awkward having silent Gaara in their team. She could already see; Naruto, Hinta and her talking while Gaara stood there, only watching. It was making her uneasy.
She tried really hard not to glace at Sasuke's direction today. In fact, she avoided almost everyone. She felt bad for not telling Tsunade about the fiasco, but she promised. Even now, after the happened, she couldn't hate Sasuke. Maybe it's because he was the first boy to ever make her feel something different, like she could like him more and more, never stopping.
She concluded that her feelings for Sasuke weren't a simple crush. She liked liked him. It wasn't love. Love is a deep feeling. She is attracted to Sasuke. His whole being. And she realized that was a problem.
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"Inooo…You are teasing me with Neji, but what about you and Shikamaru?" Tenten asked, smirking. It became a habit. Neji would smirk every time while being with her, so she got used to it.
Ino had a faint blush but she wasn't like that. She had control. "It's not a big deal. We are friends, just like Sakura and Naruto. I still like Sasuke," She told them, while thinking that she should do what her mouth says. But why is that she feels really warm around the lazy-idiot?
"Hinata…You hold a very special thing for Naruto, right?" Sakura asked Hinata gently. "Yes…I don't know if he likes me. He's so energetic. I don't know how to talk to him without stumbling in my words. He must think I'm his younger sister," Hinata told them softly. "Because I see the way he looks at you, Sakura-chan…" She said, lowering her view. She almost felt jealous again.
It's so…so confusing.
If she could only be less shy. She was just shy around him and him only. He has so many qualities that she was left in the darkness. Sakura also possessed that happiness, someone who deserved to be around him.
But she wasn't going to judge her friends because of that. Maybe Naruto can start liking her after knowing her.
Right?
"Each team has a color. When you find your team color in a paper, you read the clue and try to do the task that's asking. In total, there are four tasks for each team. Each team member can do only one task. I think there won't be a need to have three days to the end," Tsunade told them, explaining again.
Group one had green color. Two got sky blue. Three had fuchsia. Four got black. Five had orange (Kakashi chose that color).
If they couldn't find the clue in a day, then they would camp in tents that the teachers (and helping from group six) had up yesterday. They were going to take clothes in the bags and they'd eat when they heard a bell (in that time, the competition stopped).
"No…GO!" Tsunade shouted. The teams started running to find something that was color-related. She noticed that Sasuke was having trouble keeping away a girl from his arms (the girl was saying she could fall and he was saying 'good for you').
Tenten was complaining at Chouji who said he wouldn't leave without his chips. Ino and Tayuya were fighting because they both wanted to be the leader. Sakura and Naruto arguing to which side they should go first.
In the end, Shino scared the girl away saying that a bug could separate her with her smell mixing with Sasuke's. Neji offered a space in his back to carry Chouji's chips. Kiba decided that Shikamaru should be their leader. And Hinata chose another way for her team to follow.
Tsunade could already se the improvement of this competition. She smirked and remembered what Asuma told her what he and the student wrote as clues:
"There is kidnapping, chemical research, food stealing etc. But don't worry, Tsunade, it's pretty much safe…And socializing"
A/N: Err…Hi! Sorry for the late update, but well, I tried. The competition is almost formed; I just need to write it. It will turn pretty funny. Thanks for those who reviewed (and read), I really appreciate. If you can, please review? Err…Hi! Sorry for the late update, but well, I tried. The competition is almost formed; I just need to write it. It will turn pretty funny. Thanks for those who reviewed (and read), I really appreciate. If you can, please ?
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