A/N: Happy New Year everyone!
And as my Welcome-to-2013 gift, I've added the next chapter.
This one has a little suspense and some action, so enjoy=)
Huh. I could have sworn I'd locked the door before meeting Neji and the others. But then again, everyone's always telling me how forget I am.
Sekiya stared at the lock for another moment before she headed inside.
The kitchen was dark just like she'd left it.
Sekiya scanned the room slowly before she headed to the next.
Bathroom's empty, Sekiya noted as she peered inside. And it doesn't seem like anything's out of place.
She then walked towards her and Naruto's shared bedroom.
The door was closed.
As she'd remembered.
But as she touched the doorknob, she overheard sounds.
Like drawers being opened and closed.
Carefully, she reached for her white holster and quietly took out a skuriken.
Afterwards, she opened the door as slowly as she could with the hand that wasn't holding the skuriken.
Once she got a clear view of the suspicious person, whose appearance was hidden among the shadows of the unlit room, Sekiya, who'd aimed at the shady trespasser's leg, was about to fling her weapon.
"W-wait!"
Until she recognized the voice.
And rapidly stopped her intended attack.
"Naruto?" Sekiya questioned before she flipped on the light-switch.
That revealed the intruder to be who Sekiya said he was.
She placed her shuriken back in her hostler.
"Aren't you supposed to be with Kakashi-sensei and Sakura right now?" Sekiya reminded him as she surveyed him from top to bottom.
Naruto gave her an apologetic smile. "You're right. But I forgot something. I was looking for it when you showed up."
She still gave him a wary look. "How did you escape Sakura's grasp?"
He smiled.
Though it seemed somewhat stretched. "You know me."
Sounds and looks like Naruto, Sekiya told herself. And this is something Naruto would do, too.
Still, something about him seems...not like Naruto.
"What is it you're looking for?" Sekiya finally asked.
I'll treat him like I'd treat the real Naruto.
For now. Until he lowers his guard.
"Maybe I can help you find it," Sekiya offered.
"No thanks," 'Naruto' replied.
A little too quickly, which was probably why he'd added, "I wouldn't want to keep you from any plans you have."
Sekiya shrugged. "I was just going to read a book I'd gotten from the library. And since it's not due until next week, I'm in no hurry. Besides," she paused to flash a small smile, "You know me. I'm a fast reader."
Was that a momentary, almost-glare I just saw? Sekiya wondered before she strolled towards an opened drawer.
"So," Sekiya began as she searched through her clothes.
Her back faced Naruto's front. "Describe to me what—"
She was interrupted when she felt steel deeply wedged in her upper back.
"Should have just left me alone," a male's voice, unfamiliar, muffled, and cold, whispered near her ear.
Sekiya gasped as the kunai, she was sure, was pushed deeper in her flesh before being yanked out.
Blood splattered across the floor and walls.
The kunai was colored red and dripped the dark liquid.
The male, with his bloodied kunai still in his hand, expressionlessly watched Sekiya stumble.
She attempted to grab the edge of her drawer.
For a moment, she seemed to have steadied herself.
As the blood continued to flow down her back, she winced before she crumpled to the ground.
"Pathetic. And I thought Konoha ninjas offered more fight then this. Or maybe it's just the men," the male mocked as he strolled towards the motionless body.
Nonetheless, I have to make sure she's dead, the male said to myself before he added, And then find a get to get rid of the body, before someone—
He was leaning over her.
Same kunai in hand.
Raised and positioned to stab the back of the head.
Only the body vanished!
And a large puff of white smoke took its place!
A shadow-clone?!
The male coughed as he waved the smoke away.
Once the smoke cleared, in place of the body was a book!
And a substitution?!
He wildly scanned the room. Then where did—?!
Though he heard it coming, he didn't react quickly enough.
About three dozen shurikens flew at him.
With his kunai, he managed to block a couple.
But the rest pinned him onto the wall.
He struggled, unable to break free.
Meanwhile, Sekiya, alive and seemingly unharmed, revealed herself as she stepped into the room.
Through the window that was shattered by the skuriken she'd thrown.
The male scowled at her. "I stabbed you. I saw you bleed." Since shadow clones and whatever she substituted herself with can't bleed, I must've gotten her.
Even though I don't see any blood.
"You thought you saw me bleed," Sekiya explained with a triumphant grin before she added, "But that was my genjutsu. You were caught in it ever since I'd turned around."
But since my genjutsu isn't very good and doesn't last very long, Sekiya wanted to say.
Although since her attacker was obviously an enemy, she didn't and instead proceeded from where she'd left off. "Once I'd turned around, you didn't see me make a hand-sign to cast a substitution and shadow clone jutsu."
The male's face hardened in fury as Sekiya pulled out a kunai from her holster and pointed it at his throat.
"From the symbol on your headband and the rebreather on your face, you're obviously a shinobi from the Hidden Rain Village," Sekiya noted.
Before she pointed out, "But you look like you're in your thirties—maybe forties, which is a little too old for someone about to take the upcoming chunin exams."
Which led Sekiya to conclude with the question, "So why are you here?"
A/N: Hope you readers enjoyed the chapter.
Please R&R. Always much appreciated=)
And to give a little hint to the next chapter, expect some more action and clues as to why the Rain ninja trespassed.