Naruto and Tenten seemed to be adjusting well to their groups. Naruto even seemed to like that pink-haired terror, despite her obvious and annoying affection for Sasuke. But she figured at long as he was happy, it didn't matter.
The days passed, and through their missions they began to know one another. Shino was actually a sweetheart, just a silent sweetheart. Ayami knew one day she was lose herself to the temptation of giving him a hug. 'He's so cute without trying!' Akamaru was equally cute. She was resisting temptation there too.
'Too much...cuteness...concentration!'
It was always the worst when they had free time, and were pursing their individual hobbies. Shino collected bugs, never killing them, always putting them in a jar. Like Naruto's need to know what lay under Kakashi's mask, it was Ayami's wonder what Shino did with these bugs. She didn't think he used them for fighting...and he would certainly never stick them on pins for a collection. But perhaps the secret wasn't that interesting.
Kiba 'walked his dog' which was more like teaching the dog ninja tricks, and Ayami read up in a tree. So peaceful, until...
"Mi-chan! Watch out!" And she was knocked out of the tree.
♥ ♥ ♥
"Hey, are you okay?" Kiba's face swam to her through the darkness.
"Wha...what?"
"You...er...hit your head when you fell out of the tree."
The words, 'And who's fault was that, IDIOT!' formed in her head, but never reached her lips. All she managed was a groan. Akamaru jumped up onto her chest, making noises of sympathy. Kiba dragged her to the tree and sat her up. "Ugh...your...heavier...than you look." She didn't take offense at this, because she knew it to be true. It was actually one of her strengths, for whenever she was fighting, anything that required weight judgment was to her advantage. They often underjudged her, and as a result their move didn't work to its full extent, or completely failed. "Hmm...not saying anything to that? Unusual girl."
She looked annoyed. "I don't care. I have no problem with the way I look." She glared haughtily at him.
"You and are very similar, aren't we? We both have pride." Akamaru barked to this, as if in agreement.
"Similar? What are you talking about? That's certainly not true concerning hygiene! Personal...or otherwise."
"Hey! That's not true! I've gotten better!"
"Oh really? How often do you clean the toilet?"
"Ummm..."
"We clean it every week! Every single one! Sometimes more often!"
"Well, we're still similar in other things. Maybe our good habits will rub off on one another."
"What good habits do you have?"
"You can teach me uhh...cleanliness. And I can teach you to fall asleep in class!"
She hmphed, but secretly she was interested. She had tried for years to do it just once. Iruka-sensei had seen her at it and knew she was never sleeping. He could tell by the way her eyes twitched when important information was given out. Even so, he teased her about it.
"I know that look...you want to know."
"No, I don't!"
"Stubbornness, another similarity!"
"NOOOOOOO!"
"Well then, how about I let you...pet Akamaru?" This was totally too much for her. She couldn't resist the adorable face of Akamaru. Adorable barks, adorable ears...adorable paws.
And she was already picking the dog up and loving him. It was all over. Allllll over.
He sat next to her, and they both looked up at the sky. It was covered with stars. "Where's Shino?"
"He went home...didn't want to, but I said I would stay. He likes you better than he likes me."
"I don't think so."
"I know so. He doesn't like my bossy behavior. He doesn't know you're so similar to me. Maybe he wouldn't like you then, ne Mi-chan?"
She didn't say anything. He kept cornering her. Maybe it was the fact that he was right, or better at this annoying battle of wits than her. She didn't want to admit to either one. They sat there in silence for a while, looking at the stars.
"Hmm...time to go. You know...maybe we should do this more often."
♥ ♥ ♥
The next day, Ayami caught herself looking at her Kiba. The way she used to look at...
'No! Boys are useless right now! Look at those silly girls, fawning over Sasuke. Tenten looks dreamy eyed all the time too...it's affecting her work. Even Hinata likes Naruto, though...' She watched her comrade in the corner of her eye.
'Though...it makes her stronger.'
Training ended late that day, and Ayami lay on the ground, gaining some energy before walking home. It was early summer and no bugs of the annoying kind were anywhere to be seen.
"I see you've joined me again under the stars. Are we going to do this every day? Or did you just really want to find out how to sleep during class?"
"This is impossible to teach me, just as it is impossible..."
"I cleaned my toilet yesterday."
Now this shocked the composed Ayami into sitting up, and looking at the boy lying not so far away from her. Then she collapsed onto the ground again. "Okay...how is it done?"
"Well it is a technique only mastered by the greatest of ninjas..."
"Kiba-kun..."
"...passed down through the ages, in basically an advanced bloodline..."
"Kiba-kun..."
"...although it has become quite a dispersed bloodline..."
"KIBA!"
"Alright! Alright! Well it's simple really. First you have to be bored. Are you ever bored in class? Or does everything just thrill you?"
She didn't answer.
"I'm sure it doesn't. No one has reached that level of insanity. But anyway, you find a comfortable, but inconspicuous position. Slowly easing yourself into your folded arms usually works. I've seen Naruto do it with just his face on the table, but only professionals can do that. You'd have to practice. A lot."
She sighed, watching the clouds drift by.
♥ ♥ ♥
It happened again the next night. "What do you have to teach me now!" she said.
"Well, even though your the Hokage's daughter, you have to be able to pull pranks right?"
And so and so on. Eventually Kiba stop trying to teach her the ways of living on the edge. Of teacher's nerves that is. And they just talked. Sometimes even Shino joined them, but then there was always a lot less talking and a lot more stargazing. She found out that she was an item of interest to the other school children, due to being the granddaughter of the Hokage, and defender of Naruto. Tenten apparently had been pumped numerous times, but she had always remained loyal. Besides she didn't really know that much anyway. At least anything interesting. Still...
'Talking to a boy like this...I never thought I would. Well, maybe someone like Shino. But as only as casual friends, not like...not like...'
Kiba starting poking her. "I know that look..."
'Not like this.'
♥ ♥ ♥
Ayami was at home for a rare family dinner. She was sitting next to her father and mother, and should have been such a happy occasion. But she found herself looking outwards at the dark, thinking..."Ano, Okachan...what's wrong with Oneechan" said a perspective Hikarinotsu. Her parents looked at her. Caught in the intensive concentration of worried parents, she smiled under pressure.
"Just...tired!"
Her parents thought this over, and accepted this. But she saw her grandfather keeping an eagle's eye on her throughout the meal. She excused herself early, trying to escape the eye that seemed to go through wall and person alike. She quietly stepped into her room, and shut the door behind her. 'Ugh...this is not good. Boys only create problems! And this is a bad boy! And he's the cutest one you've ever...'
'Darn. Maybe this is something else. It's this lack of a dream. Or...or...something.'
She hopped out her own window.
♥ ♥ ♥
Wandering around by moonlight was so peaceful; it immediately made her feel better. The night air the smell now connected with comfort. So calm, she didn't even realize why this was. She let her feet lead her into the forest. Soon it was so dark that she could only see the outline of the leaves that shaped the trees. She wandered into a small clearing and the light poured in there as if it were a trap. She sat on the rock, not really daring to look at the stars. It was so warm and quiet and dark, that she soon began to fall asleep. But then she felt movement against her. "You missed this...didn't you?"
"How did you find me?"
"Akamaru says you smell like soap ten miles away. He recommends that you never ever anger the Inuzuka clan, due to the fact that they will smell you coming before you have a chance even to do anything else wrong."
"Well then, I guess your here now."
"Yeah..." and he turned to look at her. She looked at him, and his forehead protector. She untied it from his head. "What are you going to do with that? I know it annoys you. But even though I'm like a dog, I can't tie it around my neck in a bow like a cat."
"Disapprove of my choice?" she said, referring to her own fashion of wearing the hitate. "The neck is important too." She began tying it around his arm, so that the symbol was still clearly visible. Then she pulled down his awful coat hood. "Better. You can see your eyes now."
"They're just black. Not blue...like someone else I know."
"Well, the eyes are most important. And someone smart must have told you to wear this." She drew a finger under his eye, a little pinprick of black showing up on her fingertip.
"You're not wearing anything at all..." he touched her face. She smiled.
"The Hokage doesn't like it. He always says 'This makeup...it covers true beauty. Ruins the face.'"
"Unusual man. Unusual granddaughter."
"I guess so."
"Hey, see that? Looks like you Akamaru." He was pointed to a particular cluster of stars.
"It does!" She rubbed Akamaru's head and they both laughed.
♥ ♥ ♥
"Alright team! Today there is a special announcement! The chuunin exams...will be in one week!"
"One week!" Ayami sounded a little frantic. Kiba looked unconcerned, and Shino had no reaction.
"Yes, and we will be training hard! They are not to be taken lightly...genin have even died." Everyone looked a little whiter at this. When Ayami saw Shino the emotionless react as the rest of them, she had to work hard to hide a smile. Cute as always!
"Hopefully your new techniques that you have learned since graduation will help, and if you work hard, you may even be able to learn a new one!" All of them looked interested in that.
♥ ♥ ♥
"Report!" said the stately Hokage.
"Yes, sir! Team 8 is doing well, all advancing quickly. Their teamwork is perhaps, the best of all the teams this year," she said, not a little proud.
"Oh? And how is that?"
"It's because of your granddaughter Hokage. She treats both boys very well, and doesn't seem to care for one less than the other. Both have formed a healthy relationship with her, and like her. Because of that, they treat one another better."
"If I didn't know both you and Ayami-chan, I would think you were trying to butter me up Kurenai. But it's true, if she trusts you, her kindness is endless." He turned to his wife, smiling as she worked beside her husband. "She gets it from you honey!"
Kurenai smiled at the old couple. "I have confidence in them all."
♥ ♥ ♥
"Alright it's here!" shouted Kiba as they marched along to the Chuunin exams. He looked over to a quiet Ayami. "Don't get nervous, okay?" he said concerned. Shino looked too, but he didn't see any nervousness.
"What are you talking about Kiba? She seems fine."
"Look at her eyes, idiot! When she gets nervous they go blank like that! She's thinking about what's bothering her. Probably she can't even hear us right now. She's on auto-pilot."
Shino looked closer, and could see that she wasn't totally cognizant, so he tentatively poked her. She shook her head, turned to the source of the poke and smiled. "Did you need something, Shino?" He shook his head slightly, and watched her as she slid back inside herself. Kiba was right, she was nervous.
♥ ♥ ♥
"Mi-chan!" shouted a welcome and familar voice. It was Tenten, pretty and happy as ever.
"Hey!" It had been a little while since they'd seen one another...about two weeks in fact. "How are you?"
"Better than ever!" she smiled and gave the 'V' for victory. "Hey...I have a favor to ask."
"Anything!" Ayami said willingly, but a little confused.
Tenten tiptoed near her, pushing her to the side of the crowded hallway. "You know Shino? Well, I hope your not into him too...but...he's really cute. So talented, and always composed. I heard you're close, so..."
Ayami was surprised. 'The Chuunin exam right now...and she's thinking about a boy. Terrible.' And she said as much. "...but I'm only saying for your sake. I don't like him like that."
Tenten nodded, a little ashamed.
"Hey..." Ayami started, "It's alright. Everyone's been working hard, it's easy to lose focus. After the exams, I'll tell you everything I know, okay?" Tenten nodded happily.
"What's going on here?" Shino loomed over them. Tenten, unused to this went pink. Ayami merely looked up at him.
"Stop that Shino. Your scaring people. Tenten is my friend. If you're nice, I'll introduce you." Shino had no reaction to this but slid off.
♥ ♥ ♥
The first part went well, although Ayami seemed a little too scared to move for a while. She answered the first question, but remained stuck on all the others. She had never learned this nonsense; it was only for the knowledge obsessed. She then realized something was wrong. Akamaru kept barking during the exam, and Kiba kept saying things like 'Good boy.' She could hear him even from where she was. She then realized that fear had paralyzed her into not noticing the true meaning of the exam.
'I'm supposed to...cheat!'
She started fidgeting, trying to figure out how she could do this. She didn't have any kind of technique for this situation, unless...
She requested to go to the toilet and when the door was closed made the signs and whispered, "Aibyouka no Jutsu!" and a cat spirit materialized before her, but remained unseen to anyone else. This was an old technique passed down through her family, mainly used to spy on an enemy from far away. But...
She whispered what she would need to this cat, and it bowed politely before scampering off to find the answers. Now she only worried for Naruto. Her teammates...well, they would both be okay.
♥ ♥ ♥
Kiba pounced on her as soon as the test was over, and even Shino showed some concern. "Hey! Did you figure it out?"
"Yeah...thanks to you and your adorable mutt."
Shino nodded, "I thought of sending a bug your way...but..."
"No it's okay. I uhhh...used something I haven't used in a while. I forgot about it."
"What? WHAT?" Kiba howled.
"I err...summoned a spirit?"
Shino nodded his approval. Kiba jumped at this, "Hey, that's what Akamaru was yapping about! He kept saying 'There's something here! It smells like Ayami!'
♥ ♥ ♥
The rest of the exam went smoothly. Shino and Kiba had excellent survival skills, what with the both of them being so in synch with nature. Ayami only had to add her extra cleverness to traps and came up with the idea of a password, which she never spoke aloud, but drew her teammates close to the ground to draw it in symbols. They got the message, and it was absolutely secure, never having been spoken out loud. She had brought lunch and dinner in case of the test lasting all day, but not for five days. She also had a few energy snacks, which proved to be useful and were used quickly. It didn't matter...Kiba found them food quickly anytime they needed it. They caught several people in only a few hours and eventually obtained a heaven scroll to go with their earth scroll. However, at one time Team 8 could be heard having a rather lively discussion in the forest.
"Well, did you make this or not?"
"So what if I did, or didn't!"
"It shows your ability as a wife!"
"And what do YOU care about that!"
"Nothing! But if you're this argumentative and you're cooking sucks, it's my responsibility to warn the man marrying you!"
"MAYBE I WON'T GET MARRIED, BECAUSE IDIOTS LIKE YOU SEEM TO RULE THE EARTH!"
It was a relief to have it over with.
♥ ♥ ♥
Then the preliminaries started.
Ayami started to fret over this, seeing no way everyone she cared about would get through this to the final exam. She stood with her teammates, watching the screen announce the matches, its beep like a bell tolling. Shino was fine, knocking out a strong opponent with his ever useful bugs. Tenten was knocked out by that girl from the sand village. Then Kiba and Naruto names appeared on the screen. Kiba said, "Oh look, I think you and I just won the lottery Akamaru." Ayami inwardly squirmed at that. It only got worse as the match went on, Kiba steadily torturing Naruto.
"Hey, you want to be Hokage? What a joke."
Ayami had to force herself to be quiet; knowing that yelling at might disturb either one. She fumed silently at Kiba for his ways. 'How dare he?' Shino saw his comrade's reddened face, but assumed it was fear for Kiba, and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. She calmed a bit, touched by Shino's concern, but knew it would take a long time for her to forgive Kiba. And when he lost, she cheered loudly for Naruto. Kiba looked at her as she did this. She didn't take note.
♥ ♥ ♥
It was her turn next, against Hyuuga Hinata. She wasn't taking her seriously, which actually turned out to be unfortunate for Ayami. She hadn't known about the Hyuuga special bloodline abilities. Thinking she wouldn't even need to perform anything special, just use her speed and power alone to beat her, she didn't think much of the light punches that Hinata threw at her. Hinata kept getting up, looking at Naruto in that way that let everyone know just exactly how she felt about him. Just as Hinata fell to the ground unconscious, and she was about to apologize for having to do this to her, a searing pain grasped her insides and she...
Fell into the dark herself.
♥ ♥ ♥
Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto
Notes for the Reader
• Neji has been removed in order to make room for Ayami.
• Please review!