Change is Inevitable
By Leslina
Chapter Two
Disclaimer: See previous chapter.
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"Just so you know I don't intend to go easy on you."
"Heh, I think that goes without saying sempai." The honorific rolled off her tongue in a mocking lilt that made Genma's eye twitch.
Heh, brat. The grin that ghosted his lips was brief and just as quickly he disappeared before the medic-nin's eyes.
"Tch."Shizune grunted, barely dodging a barrage of six inch senbon aimed at vital points of her body.
Bastard. He wasn't kidding.She struck back with a wave of her own, shorter, poison-laced needles spewn from hermouth.
The match continued through the haze of lethal smoke and deadly phosphorescent light of gleaming senbon for several minutes.
Genma was more than a might impressed maintaining his composure throughout the match. The medic-nin's greatest strength was her awareness of her weaknesses, and her ability to quickly compensate before an opponent could capitalize.
Taijutsu was definitely her greatest weakness. The projectile weapons made up in distance what she could not accomplish at close range. And her medic skills, well, they were just down right scary. Genma didn't want to experience any of that first hand.
Not unless he was on the receiving end of some tender loving healing anyway.
The stray thought made him pause for just the slightest moment and the contest was over.
Seeing her opportunity, Shizune produced a short, thin needle from her wrist and stuck it behind Genma's neck rendering him immobile.
Genma fell to the ground with a hard thud. He muttered a slurred, 'shit' and the senbon fell beside him.
Shizune dropped to straddle and pin down her conquered opponent, the expression on her face ecstatic.
"I did it!" She cried, arms raised over her head in victory.
"Congrats." Genma muttered from the still mobile corner of his mouth.
"Ahii! I'm so sorry!" Shizune leaned forward; oblivious of the compromising position this created and reached behind Genma to pull the acupuncture needle from the sensitive flesh at his nape.
Genma merely grunted, his face smothered in cotton-mesh covered bosom and as the medic-nin above him pulled the needle from the pressure point he felt a natural warmth go through his now mobile limbs
Shit.
Shizune caught a glimpse of the worried expression on his face and flashed him a reassuring smile.
"It wasn't poisoned," she explained with gentle reassurance. "I just blocked the chakra point at your sp—ow, hey!"
Genma shoved her off before she caught a feel of another, more wayward pressure point on his body.
"Sorry," he said lamely rising to his full height. "Couldn't breathe." Genma inhaled a deep breathe willing his body to relax.
Wrong thing to say.
"Are you implying that I'm heavy?" The medic-nin grumbled clambering to her own feet.
"No, sorry." He said quickly. "You took me by surprise and I'm a little embarrassed. You did well, Shizune."
"Really?" The medic-nin beamed and Genma felt the warmth rising again.
She really was cute.
"Yeah. You're a shoe-in for Jounin." He grinned, turning slightly to the side feigning interest at the target stumps a few yards away, all the while, her pig—the Sanin's pig, Ton-Ton, slumbered on one of the shaved trunks and Genma thought back on their first meeting seven days earlier.
"Thank you sempai! You've been a tremendous help this past week."
"Sure." He nodded.
A long moment passed and Shizune felt an awkward déjà vu feeling come upon her. The sudden silence was odd after the last weeks' training together. Her brow pinched as she regarded the quiet between them.
Genma hid his smile behind the senbon. The expression on her face was cute and he realized then the girl was much too innocent still; much too innocent to pursue her as he intended after their training and the trials.
"Sempai?" Shizune queried softly.
I bet you don't have a boyfriend. I bet you'd blush that bright shade of pink again if I asked you.
"Sorry," Genma sighed resignedly, a palm scratching at the spot on the back of his neck where she pricked him. "Tired."
Shizune nodded and looked up at the clouds and waning sun. "It's late." She said, and stretched. "Tomorrow is the trial and I have a lot of studying to catch up on afterward. Tsunade-sama…ahii Tsunade-sama!" She squeaked, realizing her neglect of her medic studies the past week. "She's going to kill me!"
Genma chuckled and turned towards her. He patted her head reassuringly, his fingers lingering for the briefest moment to learn the texture of the soft strands of her hair.
"I doubt that," he winked. "You're a hard worker and a good student. She'll understand when she sees your performance at the trials tomorrow."
"Yeah." The medic-nin nodded, cheeks blushing faintly.
Standing this close it occurred to her that Genma was nearly a foot taller than she was.
Genma's hand trailed from the crown of her head to the back of her neck, again, his fingers lingering for the briefest of moments to feel the silky softness there.
"Sempai?" Shizune murmured dazedly, lulled by the warmth of his palm at her neck. Her lashes fluttered, and Genma noticed the blush on her cheeks darken.
Shit.
"Good night, Shizune." Genma moved his hand away from her neck back down to his side. "Get some rest. You have a long day tomorrow. We have a long day tomorrow. Proctoring remember?" He smiled.
"Hm? Oh, yes, right." She stammered tearing her gaze from his. Shizune jogged the few yards to the target stumps and plucked Ton-Ton from her napping spot.
"Goodnight, sempai and thank you again!" The medic-nin called back and waved before running off in the direction of the village.
"Mm." Genma grunted, bemusedly shaking his head and tucked a fresh senbon between his teeth.
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Tsunade watched the entire exchange slacked jaw. She'd always had faith in her charges' potential for medic-jutsu, but to see the full package—her skills as a medic and a ninja—Shizune had seemingly blossomed before Tsunade's blind eyes.
Tsunade swallowed back a lump of emotion that lodged in her throat.
Beside her, Sarutobi Sandaime puffed on his pip, eyes twinkling in amusement.
"You'll catch flies Tsunade-chan." He teased, exhaling a wispy puff into the air.
Tsunade gritted her teeth.
"Dan's little niece has come a long way, wouldn't you agree?" Sarutobi puffed with pride. "You've done a wonderful job Tsunade, he'd be proud."
"Shut up." The blond spat. "Who's the whelp?" She asked suspiciously.
"Oh come now, Tsunade-chan. Genma is a fine young man and an even fine shinobi. They make a good match, don't you think?" The old man crowed jovially.
"Genma?" The blond murmured. "Shiranui Genma? The senbon Clan? I thought they were all wiped out in the last war?" She murmured thoughtfully. Soft Hazel eyes lingered on the training field the two young shinobi had occupied moments before.
"Mm, all but Genma." He said gravely. "I found him unconscious in the smoke house behind the family's property. He hadn't been out of the Academy a week when the attack happened. My guess is that Hiro or Tomoko knocked him out and hid him there. He was their only son."
"Another orphan," Tsunade sighed.
"They have a lot in common, and not just their pasts." Sarutobi continued. "They share many common interests. With a little encouragement--"
"You can't be serious old man?" The blond interjected. "She's only 16!"
"Ho? You were dating at least two years—"
"Not the point." Tsunade gritted. "I won't allow it." She stomped her foot. "I've invested too much in Shizune to allow her to get caught up in such juvenile notions and throw away everything she's worked for up to this point."
"Mm." The Sandaime regarded his former student. "Is that how Shizune would see it?" He asked. "Shizune worships you and is dedicated to her career; however, not even you can stop the inevitable Tsunade-chan. Shizune is no longer a little girl--." Sarutobi cut off Tsunade's protest with a wave of his hand.
"She's a young woman; a capable shinobi and beautiful. Sooner or later someone will catch her eye, just as Dan caught yours." Sarutobi took a long puff from his pipe. "Of course she is still naïve about those things, but it won't be long before she begins to acknowledge the changes in herself and wonder about those new feelings. That was evident today." He looked towards the empty training ground.
"You can't protect her forever Tsunade, or is it her you're protecting?"
"Stop it!" Tsunade shouted. "I've heard enough. I've wanted to leave this place for years now, but every time you've held me back. First it was the medic training program and then with Shizune. You think I can't let her go? You think I can't leave this place without her? I can make it on my own. Watch me."
"Tsunade-chan, wait!"
"Go to hell old man." The blonde growled as she stalked away.
"Oh dear." Sarutobi sighed. "That didn't go well."