"It's not to say that you're not doing well," Iruka told the class one morning. "It's just that I've decided to go a little beyond the norm. I know that by now, most of you probably know a thing or two about special jitsu, so I'm going to test you on that. You'll be matched up randomly to spar with each other. Any questions?"
The class hummed like a hive of anxious bees as murmured conversations broke out everywhere. Sasuke's first thought was that the steadily crescendoing noise would wake Hikitsuko and scare him, but he quickly thought better. The fox kit was used to people talking back and forth by now. But still...matches? Sasuke raised his hand. "Uhmm..."
"Uchiha?"
"Yes. Isn't fighting usually reserved for the chunin exams?" Sasuke asked. People stopped talking to look at him. Iruka nodded knowingly.
"Usually," he said.
"Ah," Sasuke breathed, nodding. Yes. Usually. That was the catch. Still, it was a little unusual. He exchanged glances with Naruto below him. The Uzumaki boy's face said plainly he couldn't find a reason to have fighting matches, but he wasn't going to protest.
Every day over the weekend, Sasuke had trained with Hikitsuko, using Naruto as a sort of translator. He had found himself starting to open up to the boy he had once thought of as being the ultimate screw-up. Now that they were back in school, he noticed that whenever little huddles of whispering broke out in class, he no longer closed his eyes and waited for Iruka to bring his students back together again. Instead, he started glancing reflexively over to Naruto, and usually found those blue eyes staring right back him. He didn't know why.
And now, as he found himself once again looking to Uzumaki Naruto in the tumult of the class, he wondered briefly how much Naruto knew about him. It wasn't hard to know all about Naruto. He had a tendency to blurt things out at the top of his lungs and didn't seem to know what it meant to say something "in a thought bubble." Hope no one says anything to him, Sasuke thought, smiling behind his folded hands. I can hear him now:"I'm gonna win and prove to everyone that I can be the next Hokage!" He shook his head slightly in wonderment.
"Real drag, huh, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura murmured behind him. "It's not like we need to prove anything to him. I wonder who'll go up against who."
Sasuke gave his usual Sakura/Ino grunt.
"Of course, you're not going to have a problem, no matter who you get matched up with, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura continued, oblivious to the fact that Sasuke was ignoring her with all his might. "I just hope I'm not up against anyone too freakishly powerful. You know, keep it easy without being so simple a baby could do it."
Just make it so simple a Sakura could do it, Sasuke thought dryly.
Iruka waited for the buzz of conversation to die down before he continued, "Tomorrow, we'll meet in the arena instead of here. Come prepared because the match-ups will be completely random, and you won't know for sure when you'll be up." He waited until comprehension appeared on the rows of faces before going on with the lecture he had planned for the day. Sasuke let his mind wander.
Now he was really glad that he had spent all those hours over the weekend drilling Hikitsuko on fighting tactics and setting up signs. If he was selected to fight tomorrow, he would need the fox kit's help. He was almost glad Iruka had sprung something like that on the class. It wasn't a graded exam. If his and Hikitsuko's tactics fell apart and he wound up losing the match, it wasn't like he would be held back. It was just a good excuse to practice with his new partner against an actual opponent. Leaning forward slightly to hide his hand, Sasuke felt around his belly for the furry bundle that was Hikitsuko and stroked the kit through his shirt. Hikitsuko stretched in his sleep and rolled towards the touch. Sasuke smiled faintly.
;-:-;-:-;
The next morning dawned overcast. Dull, pearly gray clouds hung heavily across the sun, dampening its brilliant rays. The result was very muted, and the air felt heavy as Sasuke walked to school with Naruto. The two boys had gone back on their former promise to never walk together again after a few days, and now made their way to the academy every morning. Hikitsuko poked his white muzzle out of the boy's high-collared shirt and sniffed the air hesitantly. Sasuke lifted the fox out and sat him on his shoulder for the walk.
It was amazing what a single week had done to Hikitsuko's condition. His thin, patchy pelt had thickened and become glossy as new ice. No longer did every bone stick out from his gangly frame; rather, he had become somewhat plump. He was no longer small enough to fit in the palm of one of Sasuke's hands, but he was not unusually large either. Hikitsuko was still a kit, but he was starting to grow. He had gone from a scrawny, flea-ridden, quivery alley beast to a muscular, sleek, strong fighting fox. The transformation was incredible.
"You know what I just realized, Sasuke?" Naruto asked. Sasuke cocked his head to the side. "Once you get your chance to fight, everyone will know about Hikitsuko! After all, Kakashi-sensei did say you had to register him when we got there. But once everyone knows about him, you don't have to hide him!"
Sasuke smiled. "You're right!" He ruffled Hikitsuko's ears fondly. "Thank God for that, too! He's getting so big these days, everyone will notice if he keeps hiding in my shirt." Hikitsuko licked his ear and barked. Sasuke, on the spur of the moment, rubbed his head against the fox's furry side in a brief show of affection.
"Look at the two of you," Naruto cooed sweetly. "Aww, awen't you just da cootest!" He squinted and stuck out his tongue. "Better hide that fox, Sasuke, coming right up on our destination here," he added seriously. Sasuke nodded and tugged at one side of his collar. In a whoosh of golden red and white, Hikitsuko's tail vanished down into Sasuke's shirt. The boy smoothed out the fabric, brushed off any stray fox hairs, and gave his head a quick shake to scatter black hair from his eyes.
"All right. I'm ready. Let's go."
The two of them started walking a little faster. Not running—Sasuke had made carefully sure that they would not be even a second late—but just walking quickly. By the time they had reached the arena, half the class had assembled, and there was still ten minutes for the last people to arrive. Uchiha Sasuke spotted Kakashi not far off and went over to him. "Are you ready?" the man asked. Sasuke nodded. "All right. Like I told you over the weekend, Hikitsuko just has to go through a few examinations and such, and you have to sign for him."
Kakashi led Sasuke over to a small table, where he signal for Sasuke to produce the fox kit. Sasuke set Hikitsuko down on the table, keeping a hand on his soft flank to keep him calm. Inuzuka Hana winked up at him. "Oh, he's a little cutie. What's his name?"
"Hikitsuko."
"Precious." Hana lifted Hikitsuko up to study him closely. She felt his paws; parted his fur with her fingers; pulled down his lips to observe his teeth; peered into his bright, dark eyes; then placed him back on the table when her examination was finished. "Don't tell me you picked him up off the streets or out of the woods. I won't believe you. He's too healthy for that."
"Oh, I did," Sasuke muttered as he scratched out a signature on the form. "He's practically doubled his size, too."
"You're lying!" Hana was smiling. Sasuke grinned back, shaking his head.
"Not at all. Why? Does he look that good?"
"He looks fantastic." Hana scanned the completed form before nodding and signing it herself. "All right. He's official. Good luck if you're fighting today, Sasuke! Although, if he's going to be helping you, I doubt you'll need it."
Sasuke nodded his thanks and slipped Hikitsuko back down into his shirt. "Keeping him a secret," he said as Hana gave him a curious look. "I'd never live it down if they saw him with me right now." Kakashi put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.
"Our Sasuke has a bit of a stoic reputation," he explained, smiling with his eye again. Hana nodded, and the two of them left. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"
"Was that Kiba's sister?" Kakashi nodded. "Why was she there?"
"I told her you were going to be registering a fighting partner and asked if she could look him over for you. After all, she's an expert when it comes to small things like him." Sasuke nodded understandingly. "All right, Sasuke! Get a move on. Your class is about to start up. Don't want to be late!"
I just want to say I find it very ironic that Sasuke is obsessed with being on time for a fighting match, when in fact, he was really, really late for his chunin exam. Which...I'm not entirely sure if that's happened yet. This is set kind of weirdly in time...I don't know for sure when this is happening. o.O
When Sasuke stepped up between Naruto and Shino, the names on the screen were already spinning. The Uchiha youth watched intently, waiting on pins and needles for the first two combatants to be revealed. Beside him, he felt Naruto clench a fist and Shino shift from foot to foot. Words flickered and jumbled until finally...finally...
Inuzuka Kiba.
Kiba leapt into the air with a wild whoop. Akamaru yapped his agreement. Sasuke nodded. So that Inuzuka hothead would be up first. Fine. That worked out for him just fine. He wondered if he would watch Kiba get pounded by someone. That would be amusing to say the least. His heart gave a jarring, icy throb as the second name spun to a stop.
Uchiha Sasuke.
"Looks like our first match has been decided!" Iruka declared. "Inuzuka Kiba versus Uchiha Sasuke!"
Sasuke smiled with a mixture of excitement and plain shock. He was going to be going head-to-head with Kiba in the first match? Kiba turned and looked at him. Sasuke shrugged and the smile left his face. As he walked down the stairs, he wondered what he should go with. Some kind of fire jitsu? His Sharingan eyes? If Kiba could do something to include Akamaru in his fight, Sasuke could copy it with Hikitsuko. That might work. His grin returned. He liked being forced to think on his feet. Hikitsuko stirred uncomfortably in his shirt.
The two youth stood firmly at opposite sides of the ring, staring each other down, waiting for the call to begin. Sasuke heard faint sniffing from inside his shirt and felt a paw jab him sharply in the ribs. Judging by the force of the signal, Kiba might be a little tricky. Sasuke nodded. "Go!" Iruka shouted.
Both boys twitched as the yell rang out through the silent building. Sasuke took a deep breath and was a little startled. He didn't realize he'd been holding it. By the time he recovered, Kiba was already preparing his attack.
"All right, Akamaru!" he called. "You go around one way, I'll come the other!" Akamaru nodded, growling in anticipation as he started towards Sasuke. The boy looked from side to side as his two opponents raced towards him. That wasn't something he could copy; it was just running. He was going to have to dodge—and fast—if he wanted to come out of that first clash unscathed. Gathering himself up for the leap, he sprang into the air and away from Kiba and Akamaru. The pair of them skidded to a halt, both growling at Sasuke.
"C'mon, Sasuke-kun!!" Sakura shrilled, waving her arms in the air.
"Yeah, Sasuke!" Naruto added. "You can beat him easy!"
"Don't let him get away from ya, Kib!" someone else cheered. "Corner him quick!"
Kiba winked up at his supporter and looked back down at Sasuke. The boy was gone. The Inuzuka youth snarled angrily under his breath and whipped his head around, trying to locate his opponent. He spotted Sasuke coming up from behind him and just barely bounded away on all fours as a stream of fire scorched the place where he had been. "You got lucky that time, Kiba!" Sasuke taunted. "But the next one won't miss!"
In truth, Sasuke was toying with his opponent, stalling until Kiba used some combination worth copying via Sharingan. He knew it had to be a matter of time until Kiba would try something with Akamaru. After all, Sasuke was sure Akamaru wasn't just used to trap opponents in the middle. There had to be something Kiba was withholding from him. Sasuke touched down neatly and waited. Kiba crouched down and the tawny puppy hopped onto his back. "Enough games," Kiba snarled. "Juujin Bunshin!!"
Sasuke focused on the blue glow of chakra coming from the two of them, trying to take it all in. He wanted to copy it perfectly, so he could use it later without a hitch. About halfway through the transformation, however, Hikitsuko leapt from Sasuke's shirt—breaking both Kiba and Sasuke's concentration. Akamaru started to growl low in his throat. Kiba stood up and started laughing his head off.
"Hah! I knew you were hiding something, Sasuke! But just look at that runt! He's barely half Akamaru's size! Come on, Akamaru, ignore that snack for now." He waited, then opened one eye. "Akamaru...?"
Akamaru wasn't listening to him. He and Hikitsuko were circling each other with hatred in their eyes. Hikitsuko hissed and spat. Akamaru barked and snapped his fangs threateningly. Natural enemies, the fox and the hound, faced each other down. Silence fell as everyone watched the two animals. Kiba and Sasuke could care less about fighting each other. Now it was all about their animal partners. Akamaru snapped his teeth together, narrowly missing Hikitsuko's bushy tail. Hikitsuko retaliated by darting in, nipping Akamaru's ear, then bouncing back before the dog could bite back.
"Rrrrrrr..." Akamaru rumbled.
"Heeeerowwrrrrrr..." Hikitsuko retorted, his high voice making a growl into a whine.
"Can he do that?!" Kiba blurted out, turning to Iruka. Sasuke made a move forward, but Kiba snapped his head back, stopping the boy in his tracks.
"Yes," Iruka replied. "Hikitsuko is just as legal as Akamaru is. Both were registered by your sister Hana."
Kiba let out a low growl of disappointment, which quickly turned into a doglike yelp of disbelief. "Akamaru! Come back here!"
During the exchange, Akamaru had raked his teeth over Hikitsuko's scarred ear, causing the fox kit to bolt away and towards the exit. The door to the outside world stood wide open to air out the arena, and Hikitsuko sprinted out the door as fast as his paws could carry him, Akamaru close behind him.
"Hikitsuko! No!" Sasuke cried. He and Kiba started towards their yelping, howling partners, but Iruka ordered them back. The match was still going on. But Sasuke wasn't going to leave Hikitsuko to the hands of fate. "Naruto! Go after them and keep them from killing each other!" he ordered. He half expected him to refuse, but to his surprise and gratitude, Naruto nodded and hopped down form the watchers' balcony. The blonde boy hop-skipped across the fighting field and out the door, yipping after Hikitsuko.
Kiba turned back to Iruka. "Can he do that?!" he demanded angrily, pointing at Naruto's retreating figure. Iruka shrugged lightly, a smile playing around his lips.
"Technically, no, he shouldn't be on the field while there's a match in progress, but we'll make an exception. After all, you do want to make sure Akamaru doesn't get torn to shreds, don't you?" Kiba scowled.
They waited.
Sasuke felt a burst of inspiration. Kiba wasn't moving because he couldn't do anything! Hikitsuko had drawn off Akamaru, leaving Kiba on his own and out of combinations. Sasuke was used to fighting his own battles. He had a clear advantage, and judging by the cheering, everyone else had realized that, too.
"If you're not going to do anything, Kiba, then I'll give you something to defend from," Sasuke shouted and he readied his attack. The look in Kiba's eyes told Sasuke that victory was definitely his.
;-:-;-:-;
For those who wanted Naruto-kun to have more of a role in this fic...
Naruto's POV
"Hikitsuko! Akamaru!"
The sound of their fighting had faded, and Naruto could barely hear the two quarreling quadrupeds. He followed the trail of broken plant stems and occasional splatters of blood out of Konoha and into the woods. "Hikitsuko!" he shouted again. "Akamaru! Hikitsuko!!"
A weak-sounding yip greeted his last yell. Naruto followed the sound a little further until he reached a small thicket. Hikitsuko and Akamaru, both scuffed up and beaten, lay across from each other. Occasionally, they would lazily swipe a paw at the other, only to have their blow fall short. Naruto reached down and stroked the fox kit's soft pelt. Are you all right, Hikitsuko? he asked, speaking in the Fox tongue. Hikitsuko's tail swished once with recognition.
Is the Master proud of me for helping him? the young fox asked hopefully. I tried my best. I smelled that stuff...that "chakka" stuff he likes me to smell. It was getting really strong, and I knew the dog was helping it smell so strong, so I decided to stop the dog. Did I do everything right?
Yes, Naruto soothed, taking the kit into his arms. You did very well, and I'm sure Sasuke is already winning. You kept the chakra smell from getting too strong, and you helped him win. Hikitsuko snuggled closer, seeking comfort from the human who spoke his language. Naruto scratched behind the black ears before looking at Akamaru. "Akamaru?" The pup whined. "Let's get you back to Kiba. You're in no condition to fight, though, so you'll have to lay low with Hana until the match is over."
Akamaru flashed his fangs and barked. He says he'll never come with you, Hikitsuko translated softly. He says he'd rather wait for Kiba here. He really isn't very smart, is he, Boy Who Smells Like Fox? He doesn't know you're trying to help him.
Naruto couldn't help smiling at Hikitsuko. He reached over with a free hand and grabbed the loose skin on the scruff of Akamaru's neck. The leggy dog struggled and kicked as he tried to nip at Naruto. The blonde boy smirked. "Fight all you want. You're coming back with me whether you like it or not."
He turned and started walking back out of the woods. In one arm, he cradled the calm and snoozing Hikitsuko. In his free hand, he held the gnashing and barking Akamaru. He wanted to watch the end of the match. If I hurry, I can probably get back before it's over, he thought hopefully. I hope Sasuke creams Kiba!
As he made his way back to the arena, Naruto started thinking about Sasuke. He'd been spending so much time with the other boy these past few days, and yet...He barely knew anything about him. To him, Sasuke was like a nut: no one really knew what was beneath the thick outer shell until it was broken, and no one knew how to break it. He wondered what was inside and he wanted desperately to break that shell.
Do you think the Master is all right? Hikitsuko asked softly. Naruto smiled down at him.
I'm sure he's just fine, and very proud of you, too. Hikitsuko smiled a foxy grin and snuggled down further into the crook of the boy's arm. Naruto sighed as a brief image crossed his mind. He saw himself sitting beneath a tree with Sasuke and Hikitsuko. The fox kit was darting in pursuit of a butterfly. Sasuke was laughing and leaning up against Naruto. And there was ramen! He and Sasuke had ramen! But that didn't seem so important. Somehow, Sasuke seemed more important than the ramen.
Well, he reasoned, we are friends...sort of. I don't know if that's what Sasuke thinks of me, but that's what I think of him. I guess he is a little more important than food.
But why him? Why Sasuke? Why had the lighting in that mental image been so muted, so calm? Was it. . .No! No, that couldn't be it!. . .Could it? Naruto shook his head firmly. He was almost there. Nodding to himself, he started running. Maybe if he hurried, he could catch the last part of the match. It shouldn't have taken too long for Sasuke to mop the floor with Kiba.
"Now you got him, Sasuke-kun!"
"Kiba-kun!!"
Naruto took a startled step back as he watched Sasuke deliver a smashing kick to Kiba's stomach. The Inuzuka boy crashed to the ground not far away. He was scuffed up, bloody, and thoroughly beaten. Iruka called the match, and Sasuke dropped to the floor, panting hard. Naruto darted over to him, plunking Akamaru down on Kiba's head as he passed him. "Sasuke!"
Sasuke opened one eye. "Hey, Naruto," he puffed. "How did it go? Is Hikitsuko all right?"
Naruto handed him the sleeping fox kit. "He's fine. How are you?"
"I'll be fine. God, you missed a good fight, Naruto. Without Akamaru around, Kiba couldn't do anything, so I had a huge advantage. After a few minutes, though, he stared making a comeback—but without his dog helping him, it just wasn't his strong suit."
Naruto smiled as he rubbed behind Hikitsuko's ears. "Great," he murmured. "I'm glad you had a good match, Sasuke."
Sasuke opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a chorus of squeals of girlish amusement. Both boys whipped around to see Saukura and Ino running up to Sasuke, their arms outstretched. Both of them were gazing with soft eyes at Hikitsuko. Sakura was in the lead. "Sasuke-kun! Let me hold him! Oh, he's adorable!!"
"No, me first!" Ino cried. "Please, Sasuke-kun?"
Hikitsuko, after his battle with Akamaru, was tired and in no condition to be cuddled by cute-crazed girls. Naruto and Sasuke both knew that the fox kit needed to be anywhere but in the arms of Sakura or Ino. It was Naruto who came up with the brilliant idea. He clapped his hands together. "Henge!!" he shouted, and with a pop, transformed into Sasuke. Sasuke's face parted into a grin as he duplicated the transformation, becoming Naruto. He scratched behind his head and giggled like the blonde boy.
"Gotcha!" Sasuke taunted. He nodded to Naruto, and the two of them started running away from the two girls. Hikitsuko wriggled free of Sasuke's grip and bounded ahead of them.
"Let's see you find the real ones!" the pair teased as they fled the arena, leaving in their wake a very confused Sakura and Ino.