Caranril: And now, the much-awaited (and much put-off) Chuunin exam semi-finals! I will define Kaori's techniques at the end of the chappie, for those of insatiable curiosity. Yeah, I could have used regular Earth techniques, but where's the fun in that?
Legolas: Thank you WindDancer18. For everyone else, just say hi!
Caranril: Yup yup yup. Eh, the techniques might make no sense to those who actually know Japanese. I had the vocab, my sista is taking Japanese at college, so it was a combined effort to produce semi-reasonable techniques. If I'm totally wrong, correct me please.
disCLAIMER: While I do not own Naruto nor any affiliated subjects therein, Kishimoto-sama does and therefore he owns my soul.
Chapter 11: It Takes Two
"Gaara-sama wanted to apologize for your discomfort last night," Kakashi said, handing Kaori a scroll. Kaori opened the message, read it, then closed the scroll quietly.
"He wants to talk to me in private," she muttered.
"When?" Naruto asked.
"This evening. With dinner." Kaori placed the scroll in her backpack.
"A private dinner with Gaara? Like a date?" Naruto said incredulously. "You hardly did anything! How could you have caught his eye? It's not like you're hot or anything!"
"Thanks, Naruto," Kaori sighed, sprawling on her bed.
"You're welcome," he returned quickly, unaware of what she had been thanking him for. "I know Gaara's never been a ladies man, except as the Kazekage. But those girls just like him for his power and title. I swear, you girls..." Naruto shook his head.
"I didn't do anything, as you pointed out a second ago," Kaori sighed again, strapping her pack around her waist. "But I guess I should say yes, since he allowed me into the exams without a real team."
"That would be sensible," Kakashi agreed. "I don't personally know Gaara myself, but if he's friends with Naruto, he can't be all that bad."
"Haven't you seen the rest of Naruto's friends?" Sasuke said with a sneer.
"Geez, Sasuke, are you back to normal already?" Naruto complained. "What did I ever do?"
"Apparently you didn't notice exactly who and what you were talking about last night," Sasuke said bitterly, tying on his hitai-ate.
"Eh?"
"Dumbass," Sasuke muttered as he shoved his way out the door. "Come, Akumako."
Kaori rolled her eyes. "He's back to normal all right." She followed.
"Hey hey! Where're you goin'?" Naruto whined.
"Training."
"I'm coming too!"
Kakashi grabbed Naruto's shoulder. "No, Naruto. There are only two days before the final exam, and Kaori needs to focus today."
"I'll just watch. I promise!"
"Sorry. But you're too much of a distraction." Kakashi shoved Naruto onto the bed. "You'll see what Kaori can do when she fights Mao."
"Ooh, Mao," Naruto growled. "I want to kick his ass."
"Don't you think Kaori should be the one to kick his ass?"
"Yeah, but..." Naruto trailed off. What if she can't?
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Kaori was shivering in the cool night air. Not because it was cold; no, the coldness in Sunagakure were long past. She was nervous. She'd managed to return to the Kakekage's home without getting lost, but she almost wished she had. The same girl servant greeted her at the door, and after directing her to wash, took her past the large hall. The table and chairs were gone, and a rack of weapons sat against the wall. Instead they entered another room that looked more like a study than a dining area. Yet it was set with a cozy dinner for two. Kaori had to admit, it looked very much like a date. She hadn't worn anything special, though she put her hair in a long braid down her back and rimmed her eyes with kohl.
Gaara entered the room almost at the same instant, his face sickly pale in the candlelight. For a man of the desert, he definitely didn't look like he lived under the sun. He wore a maroon tunic with long sleeves and a dark orange sash draped across the chest. As he drew near the light, Kaori could see he still had those tired eyes.
"Greetings, Kaori-san," Gaara offered with a bow, which Kaori returned.
"Thank you for the invite, Kazekage-sama," she said nervously.
Gaara politely pulled out her chair and scooched it in when she sat. He took his place opposite the table and folded his hands against his chin. The gesture reminded Kaori a lot of Tsunade. After the wine and food were served, Kaori focused on her eating, finding the situation to be slightly uncomfortable. And of course she was quite hungry after training all day. They managed to eat most of the meal before Gaara chose to speak.
"Kaori-san. You are aware that Hokage-sama intends to send Leaf nin on a mission to your country?"
Kaori nodded.
"I'm not sure if you know that I intend to send a few Sand along with you."
She nodded again.
"Unfortunately, there are no specific details planned yet. And because of this I'm a little worried about the entire situation. I'm wondering if you would tell me about your country."
Kaori blinked, then nodded. "Of course. Um, where should I start?"
"How about with the situation with the government?"
"Right. Well, there is no situation because there is no government. Well, there may be now because Temujin was planning on getting one started. Pretty much, there are a whole bunch of sects fighting over the land. There are lots of them, but there are also three big ones. They basically keep each other in check."
"I suppose the economy is suffering then?"
"Yeah. There are some villages that support themselves and are able to defend against the sects, and then there are those that are neutral. And then there are those that get burned to the ground."
"There is no group of enforcers who try to keep things peaceful?"
"No. I mean, there could be. I became a sailor when I was fifteen and have been doing it ever since. I don't pay much attention to the situation on land anymore because it doesn't really affect the ships. Everyone need us and we simply work for whoever pays the most to have their cargo transported. We also take passengers when business is slow."
"So is it safe to say the your country's commerce survives on the shipping industry?"
"I guess." Kaori stared at her plate. "I'm not entirely sure, but I think there's also an underground slave industry."
"Slaves?"
"That's partly why I kept getting attacked. Orphans, people alone in the world, and especially young women disappear. Only the powerful sects purchase and trade slaves, but I don't know who controls the underground. When we go back...I'm gonna put a stop to it." Kaori's eyes were dark when they met Gaara's. "I hate the people there. They've done nothing but fight and kill each other, and then fight and try to kill me. But I can't stand the thought that there are others like me who are being hunted for slavery or even sport. They deserve the same chance as me to become ninja and use their powers. Also..." Her eyes cooled off. "I want to make things better for those who don't care about things like powers and differences. Like my 'mates. They teased the hell outta me, but it was never out of cruelty. People on those ships were the outcasts and weirdos of society, and we kinda had a bond."
"Outcasts of society," Gaara said quietly.
"What?"
"Outcasts of society," he repeated louder. "That sounds so very familiar." Gaara pushed his empty plate away and a servant cleaned it up. "You feel you're an outcast in your country. Do you feel that way in Konoha?"
Kaori lowered her eyes and was silent.
"My father was Yondaime Kazekage. He tried everything in his power to kill me."
Kaori looked up, startled.
"No one wanted to interact with me, no one wanted me living. I spent my life killing others to make myself feel alive. I had every intention to destroy Konoha those five years ago. But then I met Naruto. Actually, I wanted to kill him then, but after we fought..." A smile worked over Gaara's surprisingly white teeth. "I no longer felt like an outcast. Or maybe I felt less like one with Naruto being one himself. The truth is...people can change Kaori."
"Are you referring to me or to the people in my country?"
"Both. If you look back on how you were when you came to the Land of Fire, would you say you've changed?"
"...Yes..."
"And with Temujin-san working hard to change things over there, don't you think it's possible they might change?"
"...I don't know."
"We shall see. But for now, don't give up on your people. Idiots are still trying to kill me today, but now I am revered by those very people who once hated me. And it's because we both changed." Gaara stood and bowed. "Thank you for joining me for dinner."
Kaori returned the gesture. Then she smiled. "After the second exam you said you weren't known for eloquence and speeches, and you're right." She smiled more at the slight furrow in Gaara's brow. "But what you told me tonight will give me plenty to think about. Thanks."
Gaara smiled, and then after a moment, offered his hand. "Good luck in the finals. And can we say this is the beginning of an alliance between our countries?"
Kaori took the hand and shook it firmly. "Definitely."
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The atmosphere was tense, each person silent as Kaori double-checked her equipment. The room was somewhat crowded as the inhabitants plus Naruto, Izumo, and Kotetsu waited for her. No one could explain why there was a throbbing sense of worry in everyone's mind. Kaori herself felt it was no longer just the final exam but also the chance for vengeance against Mao. And because he already tried to remove her from the picture, he was bound to try again when battle was the name of the game.
She drew in an unsteady breath and forced a smile at her comrades.
"Wish me luck, guys," she tried in a cheerful voice. Naruto snapped and leapt upon her.
"You're going to be just fine, Kaori-chan!" he encouraged with a big hug.
"With those swords, you can't go wrong," Kotetsu promised.
"And those chopsticks," Izumo added.
"Thanks guys," Kaori said sincerely. "I never really realized it before but..." She flushed slightly. "It's great having you as friends."
"Aw, Kaori-haisha!" Kotetsu whined, throwing his arms around her and Naruto. Izumo joined in on the other side, and Kaori gasped as she giggled breathlessly.
"Okay, guys, enough!"
The trio each patted her head as they left the room, determined to secure good seats for the semis.
"Well," Kakashi said, "make sure you warm up before you fight. You have a whole battle to focus beforehand. Take your time, stir up your Chakra, relax. And, good luck." He reached up and straightened her hitai-ate. "Kick that bastard's ass."
Kaori giggled again. She was very un-Kaori-like at the moment, but focus could come later. Kakashi patted her shoulder then followed after Naruto. Kaori watched him leave, then sat on the bed with her head in her hands.
"I can do this," she sighed. "I have to show what I can do. Have to prove I'm not...a failure."
A throat cleared. Kaori jumped, then realized Sasuke never left. She'd come to ignore his brooding silence and tended to forget when he was around. He stood silently and headed towards the door. He stopped in the frame, and turning his head only slightly to speak.
"You're not a failure. Trust me." He walked out the door. Kaori paused for a moment before attacking him from behind with a hug. He let out a grunt as she squeezed him tightly.
"Thanks, Uchiha," she snorted into his back. When she released him, they continued in silence towards the stadium, the mood feeling very much like they were headed for an execution.
Noise. Unearthly noise. The stadium was filled with spectators both rich and poor, vendors exchanging hot food for money, and the occasional guard just in case. Children weren't allowed to watch the final exams due to the graphic violence inherent to said battles. All walls surrounding the arena were natural formations of rock. Carved into the highest of these walls was a seating area designated for the Kages intending to watch the finals. By squinting hard, one could see the Kazekage and Hokage already seated. A third seat was prepared for the Tsuchikage.
The stands roared in appreciation as Kankurou stood in the middle of the arena with the first two finalists. The battle was looked forward to, being between a nine year old genius from Rock and a promising young Sand. During the battle, Kaori kept to herself in the locker room, discovering only one other girl to be in the finals. It was disheartening to say the least, especially since the girl was only twelve.
Judging by the yells she could hear clear downstairs, the battle was going as well as everyone had hoped. Kaori couldn't stop the stabbing flutters of nervousness that shot through her heart. She found herself pacing in alarm, realizing no amount of techniques were going to calm her down. There was a presence, and she stopped pacing. Turning around revealed Neji standing at the door.
"You really shouldn't be in the girls' locker room," she tried to jest.
"And you really should be calming down," he jabbed back.
"No matter how hard I try, I can't," she sighed, plopping back onto the bench.
"Here. Sit like this." Neji gestured for her to sit cross-legged facing him. He touched his fingers to his temples and gently massaged them. Kaori stared at him a moment before closing her eyes with a sigh and immitating his actions. "Send a small amount of Chakra into your fingers." She sat there for several minutes, releasing the stress that was giving her a headache. When she finished, she slowly opened her eyes and managed a smile small.
"Thanks Neji."
Neji nodded and stood. " It's time to go. The battle will be done shortly." Kaori watched him leave before standing and walking her separate way to the waiting area. The other ninja were already hanging around, including Mao. His beady eyes flared angrily when they saw her, but his face remained stone-still. Kaori managed to push her way to the front and gazed into the dust below. Kankurou declared the Rock nin to be the winner. A team of medic nins came out with a stretcher to remove the bloodied Sand ninja. Kaori swallowed hard. Not because of the blood. Blood didn't bother her. Because the next body to be hauled away could be hers.
"The next match will be between Sand's Mao and Leaf's Akumako Kaori," Kankurou announced in a mighty voice. The Rock kid joined the other finalists in the balcony. Kaori followed Mao as they leapt to the ground. As they met with Kankurou, Mao's stone face cracked and his expression turned gleefully evil. The dark eyes were hungry for blood. Kankurou sensed the blood-lust and glanced at Kaori, who looked deceptively calm.
"You've heard and agreed to the rules. I will stop the match to declare a winner before any deaths, if possible. You may begin." Kankurou quickly stepped out of the way.
Mao stared down his nose at Kaori. "Aren't you a little old to be in the Chuunin exams?"
"Same to you. How many times have you failed, now?"
Mao growled. "That's none of your business."
"I guess not. But payback is." Kaori touched the pommels of her swords. Mao reacted quicker than Kaori expected. Shuriken whizzed through the air. She ducked and rolled, her swords drawn when she returned to her feet.
"Ooh, pretty," Mao purred. "Where did you steal those from, foreigner?"
It was Kaori's turned to growl and attack. She ran at Mao, careful to remember defense as she sliced with her swords. Mao was able to block one with a kunai, but the other swung too quickly and cut into his shoulder. He leapt away, holding the wound.
"That's not fair," he hissed. "In that case..." He formed seals, then without speaking launched a wall of fire at Kaori. Her eyes went wide as it barreled toward her with an intense heat. With each sword she cut two kanji symbols in the air.
"Mamoru!" Just as the flames reached her, they slammed into a barrier that lit up with the kanji for protect. The barrier stop the fire, but the force threw Kaori back several meters. She landed ungracefully on her behind.
"Neat trick," Mao mused. "But it won't be quick enough next time!"
He formed more seals, and again silently performed a technique, only this time flames danced around his arms, roaring as he flexed and threw a punch. Kaori watched as those several meters were breached by an arm of fire. The fist connected with her stomach, and she was thrown back again. After landing hard, she rolled about in the dirt to extinguish the flames eating her suit. She wiped the blood that trickled down her chin from biting her tongue, then stood. Those wordless techniques were troublesome; they kept her from calculating against his moves. She'd heard about ninjas who performed such techniques, but very few could do it.
"Time to get serious." Kaori threw her swords high up in an arch that would land them behind Mao. She ran beneath the swords and formed seals.
"Mai no Kodachi no Futago no Jutsu!" A kage bunshin was formed, which slid beneath Mao's legs. The clone caught the two now-translucent swords and flung them right through Mao to be caught by the real Kaori. She flung them back to her clone, which had dashed to another position near Mao. He tried to block the blades, but they were immaterial to his kunai. The two women ran around him, the flashing blue swords were difficult to see. The game of catch-and-throw-through-Mao continued until threw his kunai at one of the Kaoris. She disappeared in a poof of smoke, and the real Kaori stayed her hands from throwing her swords again.
"You found the weakness in my technique," she said grimly.
"It wasn't hard," he smirked, then his eyes widened as he coughed up blood. It splattered at his feet, staining his pants on the way down.
"What did you do to me, you bitch?"
"That's not very nice," Kaori replied snottily. "I sent enough Chakra into my swords to make them completely energy. Then I struck you in several vital Chakra points in your body. I may not have Byakuugan, but a friend of mine taught me the best spots to strike. You'll be feeling kinda down for a while, hemorrhaging Chakra from those wounds and all. You'll run out soon."
"Then I'll have to kill you before I run out," Mao grinned evilly. He formed seals quickly and then clapped his hands together tightly. His arms flared with fire once again, but the flames spread over his entire body, eating away his features and leaving only red eyes. Those eyes laughed at Kaori's expression, then hardened as he flew at her.
Incredible. Kaori barely managed to dodge Mao as he moved like a rocket. He bounded off the cliff wall, shuddering the stands in the process, and shot for her again. Kaori didn't have time to think out a plan as she ducked and rolled, extinguishing the flames that had caught on her clothes. She could smell burning hair, and touched her face as she realized it had been scorched.
"Looks like you need to cool off," Kaori muttered as he narrowly missed her. She didn't know any water techniques, but the one was close. She formed the necessary seals, bruising her elbow as she fell away from the fire again.
"Doton: Mizutamari no Doro!" She slammed her palms into the ground. There was a moment of nothing, and then a pool of dark brown formed from her hands, as it grew, it sucked her into it head-first. Mao had stopped and kept his distance as she disappeared into a mud puddle. He snorted, wondering why anyone would want to do such a thing.
Mao blinked. Instead of one puddle, several now surrounded him, gurgling unpleasantly. A slurping sound arose behind him, and Mao turned quickly, the flames dancing with his movement. A humanoid figure was arising from one of the puddles, head bowed. It snapped up and unrealistically large red eyes stared at him. They bulged outwards, looking in different directions as they observed their surroundings. The mud around the mouth split open widely, strings of mud still dangling from the maw. It grinned eerily, stretching from ear-to-ear, if the being had ears.
With a shocking speed, the mud monster dashed from the puddle and rammed a fist into Mao's stomach. Mao spat more blood as his lungs protested the forces against them. And just as quickly as it had emerged, the monster dove into another puddle. Mao steadied himself and looked around wildly. She had disappeared again. The slightest squelch sounded, and before Mao could turn a fist connected with his fiery jaw.
Fast. She was too damn fast for him. He couldn't believe it.
"I never thought I'd use this technique so early in the exams," he said with a wry smile. "Are you ready, bitch?" He formed two seals, then stretched out his arms. Before Kaori could hit him again, the corporeal body disappeared in a roaring flame. She managed to dodge it before running into the core, but as the fire raged bigger still, she returned to her safety of her mud puddles.
Whatever was left of Mao in the fire roared as it exploded with a fury unlike any had seen. The crowd shielded their faces against the heat, which raged around the entirety of the arena. It swirled like a whirlpool, the hottest part pooling in the centre, at which stood a small figure glowing white-hot. The laughter could barely be heard above the screaming fire. Someone had signaled for the medics to be ready, and concern filled the hearts of the Leaf nins. Sasuke gripped the railing so hard his knuckles turned impossibly whiter. Kakashi's face expressed little, but his eye was wide in shock. Naruto screamed Kaori's named and was held back by Izumo and Kotetsu as he tried to dive into the fray.
The flames died, but the arena was filled with smoke. No one could see what had become of either ninja. A sudden rush of wind blew the smoke away, and Temari could be seen in the stands wielding her fan. Kankurou had signaled for her intervention in case he needed to stop the match. Two figures could be seen in the arena: one limping towards the other on the ground. The body on the ground looked completely blackened. There were murmurs and gasps among the crowd as they saw the body. Kankurou walked out to meet them.
Mao kicked at the body. The blackness cracked, then started flaking. Tan flesh could be seen beneath the hardened mud.
"So. You're still alive." He pulled out a kunai and bore it down on her throat. He choked as his motion stopped just above the kill. Chakra strings ran from his body to Kankurou's fingers. The Sand nin had a "don't fuck with me" look on his face. Medic ninja were right behind him, holding a stretcher between them. Kankurou kept his strings on Mao, watching his face carefully. The other ninja was pissed beyond all reckoning that he hadn't gotten to slit Kaori's throat.
"She's still alive, Kankurou-sama!" one of the medics reported.
Kankurou gazed down at the body, the black slowly being chipped away by the medics. The mud had managed to prevent her from being burned alive, though how he could never guess.
"It's so hard she can't breath," the other medic added, giving the shell a good whack with a kunai. It made an odd noise against the metal. The small group started when a powerful Chakra landed next to them. Tsunade shoved Mao out of the way and knelt beside Kaori. She carefully held a finger near Kaori's stomach, then flicked. The shell shattered into dust. Kaori coughed, heaving her chest as she regained her breath. And then she passed out.
Kankurou released his strings on Mao, who glared at him indignantly. He sneered in return.
"Winner of Match 2 is Suna's Mao," Kankurou announced to the crowd. "This match is over."
With Izumo and Kotetsu still restraining Naruto, no one was able to stop Sasuke before he leapt over the railing. Kakashi watched as he practically flew to the ground and up to where Kaori lay. Instead of following suit, he slowly turned and headed for the hospital.
Sasuke clamped his hands on the edge of the stretcher, bearing down a little too hard for the two medics to lift. He ignored their complaints.
"Kaori? Kaori. Hey, Akumako!"
"She's completely out, Sasuke," Tsunade said loudly. He slowly released the stretcher so that Kaori might be taken to the hospital. He remained on his knees, his hands balled into fists. His head shot towards Mao, his eyes wide in a malevolent expression. Despite his bravado, Mao took a hesitant step backwards from the angry ninja. Then just as suddenly, Sasuke returned to his stoic manner, heading after the medics.
Tsunade and Kankurou watched him depart, while Mao sneered and returned to his place among the other finalists.
"Make sure Mao doesn't have a chance to fight again before I've had a chance to question him," Tsunade ordered Kankurou. He looked at her questioningly.
"There's something wrong with his Chakra."
Kankorou clenched his teeth. "How can you be certain?"
"It felt wrong." Tsunade glanced back up at the stands. "I need to speak with someone beforehand. Just...do as I ask."
"Of course, Hokage-sama."
As Kankurou announced the next match, Tsunade returned to her seat with the other Kages. She'd heard of his attempt on Kaori's life, but she hadn't expected this. The wrongness of the Chakra reeked of Orochimaru. Yet another experiment left behind, and another problem to clean up. She sighed heavily. What wouldn't she give to have normal Chuunin exam...
mamorudefend
Mai no Kodachi no Futago no JutsuDance of the Twin Swords Technique
Doton: Mizutamari no DoroEarth Element: Mud Puddle