Alright, thanks for reviewing, even when I had my little 'writers block'. So hope you all enjoy chapter 18, and the flashbacks will be continued in this chappy!
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Chapter 18 – Katayanagi Returns
Unwanted
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Flashback:
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"That food was really good!" Ayame complemented the chef as she pushed her empty ramen bowl away so she could lean on the table.
"It was." agreed Cagalli. She paid and they left.
"Where'll we sleep tonight, outside the village again?" asked Ayame, a slight moaning tone in her voice.
"I want to sleep in a good bed for once, too, but right now we have to sleep on the rocks." they found a place to lie down and rest, and soon they had fallen asleep.
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They awoke to the bright sun shining on their faces, and they squinted and sat up, rubbing their eyes. Ayame yawned.
"Shh!" Cagalli clasped her hand over Ayame's mouth, which was still wide open. "I hear someone; maybe an ambush." she whispered.
"Who would ambush a couple kids who are sleeping right outside the cheapest village of all time? It's obvious we're broke." Ayame whispered when Cagalli took her
hand off of her mouth.
"Doesn't matter. They think we're weak." she replied as they both took cover behind a rock. In an instant they saw a shadow cast across where they had just been, and they looked up at a silhouette of a small girl, the same height as them.
"Halt!" yelled Cagalli as she jumped out from behind the rock, kunai in hand.
Ayame joined her. "State your name, business, and what you are doing here!"
"Dumb ass!" Cagalli said to Ayame. "Business and what they are doing here is the same damn thing!"
"Oops…"
"My name and business?" the girl said drowsily.
"Yes. State them now."
"My name? I've forgotten." the girl replied as she sat herself down in front of a rock to rest.
"You've…forgotten your own name?" Ayame asked, shocked. She suddenly noticed a choker around the girl's neck. It had a name on it. "Isn't that your name on your necklace?"
"Could be." she replied simply.
"What do you mean by that? You can't read or something?" inquired Cagalli.
"Yes, I can read, I just haven't looked at it before. I'm tired, and it's hard to breath. How high up is the village?" inquired the girl as she wiped sweat from her forehead.
"It's at sea level." replied Cagalli.
"Your choker seems a little tight…here let me loosen it for you…there." Ayame took the necklace off from around her neck. "Oops!"
"It's ok." the girl took the necklace. "Wow, it's easier to breath now! Please read my
name for me, I can't see right now. My eyes are still blinded from that sun shinning."
"Ok." Ayame looked closely at the Katakana on the necklace. "Your name is…Katayanagi."
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End Flashback:
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"Ha…that was a good day." thought Katayanagi. "I was young and had no idea of what lay ahead, but now I'm aware. I know. I know that if I stayed with Naruto I'd end up killing him. But how I love him…he is so…innocent."
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Katya awoke, she had no idea that she had fallen asleep. The sun wasn't up yet, so she decided that she had only dozed off for a moment. She stood up, but the surroundings didn't seem like they were before. She took a step, she bumped something. Katya looked down to see what was in the way of her feet, it was Naruto.
"Naruto?" she gasped. "When did you find me? How did you find me!?"
"Katya." he opened his eyes and stood up. They were filled with hate and anger. "Why did you run away? You could have told me! Why did you leave? Why do you not trust me? Why did you run away?"
"N-Naruto, I ran away because I…"
"Enough." he interrupted her. "No excuses, you left because you were scared. Don't
lie to me, you want to piss me off more?"
"What are you doing, Naruto? This isn't like you?"
"And this is you, Katya? I'm looking into the eyes of a completely different person than who I love. I don't love you. I love Akira Katayanagi."
"I am Katayanagi! What are you saying?"
"Ha! Don't make me laugh! You are the woman I love? I'd never love a coward like you!"
"B-But Naruto! I'm not a coward, I'm…I'm…I…"
"Stop it, Katya. What you're doing is cowardly, ugly. So unlike the Katya I know and love. Wake up, Katya. Wake up…"
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Katya sighed as she realized it was only a dream.
"A dream!" she laughed. "Haha! I was scared because of a silly dream of Naruto…" she looked down, "Naruto…he called me a coward…no, I won't sit here and pout. I'm not just going to let myself disappear! I'm going to be there when Naruto wipes the floor with Uchiha Sasuke!"
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Lady Tsunade finished her urgent business in two days, and started the chuunin examination up again. The next match…
"Aburame Shino vs. Ryuga! announced Anko, and the two participants moved up to the ring.
"I won't lose as fast as Hinata, I assure you." Shino said to the mist ninja, as they waited for Anko to start the match.
"Heh. 'I won't lose as fast as Hinata, I assure you'?" Ryuga laughed.
"What's so funny? Don't mock me." growled Shino. "I fought your blind partner, if
you are even close to the same level as her, this will be over fast…for you."
"What's so funny?" asked Ryuga sarcastically, "I'll tell you what's so funny. How can you assure something that you have no control over?" replied Ryuga. "And I can 'assure' you, I'm not close to that weaklings level."
"Begin!" yelled Anko, finally tired of their yapping.
"Die!" was the last word Shino heard before he fell back onto the ground.
"Dammit!" cursed Naruto. "We didn't get to see how he fights…again! How am I, or Sasuke, supposed to fight him if we know nothing of his fighting style?"
Naruto looked around. "Where is Sasuke, anyway? Is he doing this again?"
Sasuke walked up behind Naruto, and with a whispered, "boo", Naruto fell over the railing and onto the arena ground, about 45 feet or more from where he was standing seconds ago.
"Sasukeee!!" he yelled up at him, and Sasuke joined him on the arena.
"Hehe," laughed Shikamaru, "serves him right! It's called karma!"
"I guess you two are already here, but the next match will be Uzumaki Naruto vs. Uchiha Sasuke…please get up, Naruto." at Anko's will, Naruto got up and both him and Sasuke went to the middle of the arena.
They took stance, all their unspoken words were in their faces, (A/N: weird sounding, huh?).
"Begin!"
At the word, both Naruto and Sasuke dashed forward, clashed kunai, and were repelled back so that they were on opposite sides.
"He has improved." they both thought.
Sasuke shot forward with a Fire Ball Jutsu, and Naruto dodged and used his Uzumaki Barrage, which Sasuke also dodged. Taijutsu, they moved in for closer combat. Strikes, blocks, evades, all took place in the few moments of their very quick Taijutsu struggle. Flaming balls of…fire came hurling towards Naruto, who quickly dodged one, then a second.
Sakura gasped.
Naruto was hit.
The crowd cheered for Sasuke.
Someone jeered Naruto.
Sasuke's name went up in chant.
"Why are they so 'for' Sasuke and so against me?" thought Naruto as he got to his feet, only to be knocked over by a stray fire ball. They cheered louder. Flashbacks from Naruto's past flew through his mind, causing him pain and regret, especially the ones of Katya.
"Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke!" the whole crowd cheered. Someone else jeered Naruto, who lay flat on his back, thinking of a certain blonde who was absent.
"Katya…" he whispered under his breath.
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"You have to let me through!" Katayanagi argued with the men standing at the gate.
"I'm sorry, miss, but we cannot do that. The chuunin examinations are under way, and we were told we cannot let anyone through." one of the guards replied.
"That's why I'm here! I need to get it, and if you won't let me…" she pulled out a
kunai.
"Now, now." she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She turned around to see who it was. "Wouldn't it be terrible if my protégé and I had to capture you because you killed two of Konoha's guards?"
"G-Guy-sensei? Lee-sama? W-Why are you…late?" inquired Katayanagi as she put the kunai away, which made the trembling guards stop trembling.
"We could ask you the same question. Now, please stop stuttering, it puts my nerves
on edge." said Guy-sensei in his cool way.
"S-Sorry…Sorry! I mean s-sorry, sorry! Sorry for saying sorry so much!" she apologized.
"It's okay!" he laughed. "I was kidding."
"Hi, Katayanagi. Naruto has been looking for you since three days ago, I think. I'm glad you came, he seemed really worried." Lee walked through with Guy, who told the guards to let Katya through also.
(A/N: ♪♪really cool yet sad/happy music plays♪♪)
"Naruto!" Katya ran through the dark hallway, and in moments she was flooded with the sunlight, and the crowd chanting Sasuke's name. The dark then the sudden light confused her, so she ran almost blindly to the rail and looked down. Naruto lay on his back, Sasuke formed hand signs, and Anko ate dumplings right beside the 'no food or drink' sign that stood in the arena.
"Naruto!" she yelled as she looked straight down at the orange clad boy. Everyone stopped chanting and looked towards the blonde. "Naruto get up! Don't be a coward! Get up and fight!"
Naruto's eyes flung open as he looked up at Katya, who looked back down at him. He felt something moist hit his cheek, Katya was crying, and the tears reached him. He stood up, now ready to fight his friend.
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CLIFFY!!! Yay, my second update this year is a cliffy! Well, happy new year everybody, and please continue to read my fic in the new year! (guess I should have said that last time :) ) but whatever. Please review, and I'll update soon!