Alrighty! I do not own Naruto at all! All rights and regulations do go to Masashi Kishimoto! Azuna does belong to me however! Ok now to write this fan fiction I did use the episodes and I used all of the actual sentences said from the anime so all of those rights again go to the producers, Madman Entertainment and of course the beautiful voice actors and everyone on the crew. Thanks guys... hope you like it!
Chapter Six: Sasuke and Azuna: Friends or Foes?
As the sunlight seeped through the window Naruto opened his eyes, finally waking up. Azuna however who was in the bed across the room had he back to the window so the sunlight didn't faze her. Naruto sat up in his bed and looked at Azuna who slept soundly. He took off his night cap and stood up, throwing it at Azuna.
"Wake up Azuna, rise and shine." He said tiredly moving towards the kitchen. He looked up and saw the calendar which had the date the 15th of October circled in red pen. As he realised this was the day he officially became a ninja he grinned giddily and ran over to Azuna. He poked her in her shoulder hoping to wake her.
Naruto didn't know that Azuna didn't wake up a happy person was surprised when Azuna whipped around and punched him in the gut. He let out a puff of air as he fell to the floor. "At any other time of the day." Azuna said tiredly with annoyance in her voice. "I would have been sorry that I hit you."
"But, but you're not now?" Naruto gasped clutching his stomach.
"No." Azuna grumbled turning back around.
"Today we become ninja Azuna! Wake up and celebrate with me!" Naruto complained.
Azuna who didn't really want to listen to him whine anymore threw the sheets off of her and sat up in her bed. She pulled down her black sleep shirt that was too big for her and stood up retying the tie on her grey sleep shorts she was wearing. "Alright Naruto let's celebrate." Azuna said rubbing her eyes.
Naruto and Azuna walked to the table and sat down each pouring the boiling water into their instant ramen cups for breakfast. When they both decided that their ramen was ready they pulled off the lids and picked up their chopsticks.
"Todays the day so." He announced lifting his chopsticks in the air. "Let's chow down!"
"Hurrah for being ninja." Azuna mumbled still really tired as she ate her ramen. Naruto was having milk as well but Azuna didn't feel like any so she let him drink from the carton. She noticed that something smelt funny but when she mentioned it to Naruto he couldn't smell anything so she just ignored it.
After breakfast Azuna went into the bathroom to take a shower and to change. She turned on the hot water and laid her clean clothes out on the counter along with her pyjamas. As she got into the shower Azuna felt a small tingle along all of her skin as the water rushed over it. What the heck? Azuna thought strangling as her skin continued to tingle. It must be the hot water that's making my skin tingle. She decided suddenly.
She got out of the shower after cleaning herself and wrapped a towel around her body. Azuna dried herself off and then put on her yellow Kimono dress and black sash. She quickly dried her hair and brushed it before coming out of the bathroom holding her clothes. She chucked them on the bed as Naruto was standing at the mirror putting his goggles on and pulling at the collar of his jumpsuit.
Azuna sat on her bed and pulled on her long black mask-material socks that came almost to her dress and then tied the headband onto her head, holding her hair back as she did the day before. Naruto saw her and looked at his own headband sitting at the table. He picked it up giggling before he ripped off his goggles and tied his headband on his forehead instead.
"You ready to go?" Azuna asked walking to the door and slipping her ninja-shoes on.
"Yep, let's do this!" He shouted happily doing the same as she.
They both left this apartment and started down the road. They were walking in silence, both completely comfortable when both Naruto and Azuna saw the lame disguise someone was wearing up against the fence trying to blend in with it.
The small boy from yesterday dropped the disguise and pointed at Naruto. "Your mine Naruto!" He shouted before he tripped on the fence blanket and landed right onto his face.
Azuna and Naruto stopped in their tracks and gazed at the boy. "Uh what do you think you're doing, Konohamaru?"
"That was a slick move. That's why I respect you as a rival." Konohamaru said getting up from the ground.
"But I didn't do anything." Naruto said stupidly looking at the boy.
"Alright, now fight me fair and square!" Konohamaru commanded holding his hands in a hand sign.
"Sorry I've got an orientation." Naruto apologised scratching the back of his head.
"Orientation?" Konohamaru shouted shocked.
"Yeah as of today I'm a ninja. Believe it." He laughed pointing to his headband. The boy's mouth dropped open and Azuna giggled before her and Naruto walked away to the academy.
Naruto and Azuna both walked into the classroom. Azuna spotted Kiba sitting at one of the desks a few rows down and thought she might go say hi. Naruto went and sat down in an empty seat near Sasuke and sat there staring forward.
Azuna jumped onto the desk sitting cross legged in front of Kiba. He looked up surprised for a moment but when he saw who it was he smiled and Akamaru yipped. His hood was up and it made him look scary and fierce. Azuna liked it better when his hood was down but she didn't say anything.
"Azuna hey! What's up?" Kiba asked leaning back in his seat.
"Nothing to serious. I just saw you sitting here so I thought I might say hi." She grinned.
"Well I'm glad you did." He laughed. "Hey I've been practicing walking on water this morning. I'm actually starting to get the hang of it."
"Well done Kiba!" Azuna praised giving him a high-five. "I knew you could do it!"
Then two girls came crashing into the classroom - Sakura and a blonde girl that Azuna didn't know. Azuna noticed that the classroom was starting to fill up and she needed to find a seat. She said goodbye to Kiba and jumped off the desk looking for a place to sit. She walked around the classroom and saw an empty seat next to Sasuke and about a thousand girls yelling at each other standing there. Naruto was on the floor out of it for the moment.
Azuna walked up to Sasuke and tapped his desk drawing his attention to her. "Hey Sasuke, how are you doing today?" She asked politely.
Sasuke just stared up at her confused as to what she wanted. "Ok then I'll get to the point. Is anyone sitting there?" Azuna asked pointing to the seat next to him. As Sasuke opened his mouth to speak the thousand girls beat him to it.
"YES! I AM!" Each one of them shouted.
Azuna's eyes went wide as she stared at them all. "Ok then, well I'll find somewhere else to sit. Thank you anyway Sasuke."
The boy sitting in front of Sasuke called Azuna's attention to him and winked at her. "Hey you can sit there." He said winking at her pointing to the lone chair that sat near the desk.
"Uh thank you." She said graciously and sat down.
"You excited about this?" He asked her as Naruto jumped onto Sasuke's desk and got right in his face glaring at him.
"Yeah I am actually, this should be really fun!" Azuna said enthusiastically.
"Yeah whoa this is great!" He laughed standing up slightly and knocking Naruto a little bit. He turned around to face Naruto apologetically. "Sorry did I bump you?"
Azuna turned to see Sasuke's and Naruto's lips smash into one another. All the shouting in the room stopped and the girls looked completely mortified. Naruto and Sasuke broke away from each other gagging and Azuna could no longer help herself. She fell off the chair laughing hysterically as the room was dead silent.
Soon Azuna wasn't the only one making a sound as every girl in the room took turns of beating up Naruto. Azuna was still laughing by the time he sat almost passed out at his desk, Sakura between him and Sasuke. Sasuke looked down at Azuna in a slight glare. She was truly laughing. A couple of days ago she had to force that smile onto her face. What changed?
Iruka-Sensei stood at the front of the class and everyone quieted down taking their seats. Azuna was still giggling but had managed to control herself so that she was laughing silently instead of belting out her chuckles.
"As of today you are all ninjas. To get here you had to face difficult trials and hardships. But that's nothing, what comes next will be more difficult. Now you are only Genin, first level ninjas. All the Genin will be grouped into three man squads except for one which will get four due to the uneven numbers of students. Each squad will be led by a Jounin, and elite ninja.
Everyone had different thoughts about the three man squads some more positive than others. Uh three man squads. That will just slow me down. I definitely don't want to be in the one with a group of four. Sasuke thought bitterly. I want to be with Sakura and Azuna and if I get the group of four, well, I don't care as long as it's not Sasuke! Naruto thought with happiness and resentment. Three man squads huh? I wonder if I'll get Kiba. That'll be interesting. Azuna thought pleased.
"We want each squad to have a balance of strengths and abilities so that's how we set them up. I will now announce the squads." Iruka-Sensei exclaimed happily.
Iruka-Sensei went through the first six teams and they all seemed pretty happy about. Naruto was getting impatient as was Azuna. All the girls in the room wanted to be with Sasuke and were glaring at each other wondering who would be with him.
"Squad Seven." Iruka called out. "Naruto Uzumaki. Sakura Haruno."
Naruto cheered for joy while Sakura looked down in belief she was doomed. "Sasuke Uchiha." Iruka continued which made Sakura cheer and Naruto sulk. Everyone thought that was the end of it when Iruka continued even further. "Squad Seven is also the squad that will have the fourth member. And they are: Azuna Momochi."
Azuna looked up in surprise and smiled up at Naruto who gave her the thumbs up. Sasuke silently cursed himself as he just had to be the on the team with the four members. It was just his stupid luck.
"Next Squad Eight. Hinata Hyuga, Kina Inuzuka, Shino Aburame."
They all nodded and Iruka went on calling out the names of squad nine. While this was going on Sakura and the blonde girl seemed to be having some kind of argument about Sakura being on Sasuke's team. Iruka then called out the members of squad ten. "Squad Ten. Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi."
The blonde girl Ino didn't seem happy at all with who she was placed on a team with. She held her head in her hands as Iruka continued on with his speech. "Those are all the squads"
As he was about to continue Naruto shouted out to him pointing a finger at Sasuke. "Iruka Sensei why does a great ninja like me have to be in the same group with a slug like Sasuke?"
"Sasuke had the best scores out of all the graduating students. Naruto, you had the worst scores. To create a balanced group we put the best student with the worst student." Iruka shouted. Everyone in the room started laughing except for Azuna. She didn't find it funny that they picked on Naruto.
"Just make sure you don't get in my way, loser." Sasuke said bored.
"Hey what did you say?!" Naruto yelled.
"Hard of hearing?" Sasuke mocked.
Sakura took this opportunity to ask about the boyfriend stealing blue haired twerp on her team. "Iruka Sensei! Why is Azuna on our squad? Why do we have the four maned one?"
Azuna looked up at Sakura in surprise. She knew that Sakura didn't like her but she didn't think that she hated her this much.
"It's because Azuna doesn't know much about the Leaf Shinobi way. Where she comes from the training is a little different as well as the rules. Since you are our brightest Kunoichi we put you on a team with Azuna so that you could help her out."
"Oh well that explains it. The poor girl is stupid." Sakura mumbled smugly.
Azuna head whipped to the side and she sent a glare at Sakura. What did she know? Sakura didn't understand anything about Azuna. Azuna wasn't part of the academy back home. She was trained by her father and his partner and her brother Nozomi. Not to mention the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist that her father has a part of teaching her to use every blade in ninja history. Azuna could wipe the floor with Sakura, if only she knew how good a ninja Azuna really was.
"Ahem." Iruka said clearing his throat calling attention back to him. "After lunch you'll meet your new Jounin teachers. Until then class dismissed."
As everyone started to walk out of the classroom Azuna followed them but she was quickly called back to the front by Iruka. She walked up to him confused as he looked at her sympathetically. "Yes Iruka-Sensei?"
"I just wanted to ask how you were going." Iruka smiled. In truth, Iruka was asked by the Hokage to see if she was acting suspiciously, to see if she was a spy for her father. Iruka didn't believe that she was. He didn't think that she would lie about her brother dying. Even this girl couldn't be that low.
"I'm fine Iruka-Sensei. Except for the fact that almost every girl hates me. Especially Sakura, what is her issue?" Azuna complained.
All the Jounin for the squads and the Hokage sat around the crystal ball the Hokage was using looking in on Azuna's conversation with Iruka. Her father was in their Bingo Book. If she wasn't a spy maybe they could use her to find him so that they could kill him. They all knew how dangerous Zabuza was and they were all wondering if this girl could be as strong as him.
Iruka laughed and patted her head affectionately. "All the girls are infatuated by Sasuke. They have nothing against you personally."
"Gosh what is it with girls and their stupid crushes on boys? I mean I'm a girl and I don't even understand." She grumbled crossing her arms.
"You mean to say you don't have a crush on a certain blonde haired ninja?" Iruka teased Azuna.
Azuna made a disgusted face and shook her head. "Nah, Naruto is a buddy. He's the one of the only people here who is nice to me. I think I get along with him well because nobody really likes him, the same way they don't like me."
"It's a completely different reason why they don't like Naruto!" Iruka snapped suddenly. Azuna took a step back and looking in Iruka's eyes unafraid.
"I'm sorry that I offended you Master Iruka." Azuna said respectfully unfazed by his outburst. "I'll just leave." She said and then she jumped out of the window leaving a shocked Iruka in the classroom.
"She was unfazed by his outburst." A dark haired Kunoichi Jounin stated as they watched Iruka leave the room.
"Yes, she is probably used to being lashed out at, having a father like Zabuza Momochi." Another Jounin stated.
"You never know. Maybe she is just an excellent Shinobi and doesn't show her feelings to others." The Hokage stated simply as they all stared into the crystal ball in wonder.
Azuna jumped around the village trying to find Naruto. She left her lunch at home and needed to get it. Sadly, she didn't have a key yet and needed to get the key off Naruto. She saw Ino, Shikamaru and Choji all eating lunch together on a rooftop and decided to ask whether they had seen Naruto.
She bounded down and held onto the railing Shikamaru was hanging off with her left hand and foot. He almost jumped out of his skin when he saw her there and she gave him an apologetic smile. "Hey have you guys seen Naruto?"
"Yeah, he should be in there all pathetic and tied up." Ino laughed pointing to a room across from them.
"Tied up? Why would he be tied up?" Azuna asked worried and confused.
"Because he went head to head with my boy Sasuke, and Sasuke came jumping out of there. Obviously Naruto got beat and is in there knocked out or something." Ino boasted.
"Oh poor Naruto I hope he isn't too badly hurt." Azuna said gazing sympathetically at the closed window.
"Why are you looking for him anyway?" Shikamaru asked as she was about to jump across the street.
"Well I kinda live with him and I don't have any keys to his apartment yet so I don't have anything to eat." Azuna said embarrassed that she needed to find Naruto to get a key.
"You live with Naruto!?" Ino, Shikamaru and Choji and shouted together.
Azuna was so shocked by their outburst that she almost fell off the railing. "Uh yes. Well I really got to go now. Thanks by the way." She laughed as she jumped across the gap across the street landing on the roof walking towards the closed window. Azuna pushed it open and jumped inside it swinging shut behind her.
Azuna was expecting to find her little friend clad in orange on the floor tied up but instead she faced Sasuke Uchiha himself struggling on the floor his hands tied behind his back. His legs knotted together and his mouth tapped shut. Azuna flew to his side and started to untie his hands and legs, when he sat up Azuna ripped the tape off his mouth causing him to groan.
"Ow! Do you have to be so harsh with the tape?" He hissed at her clutching his jaw.
She gave him a closed eyed smile and shook her head. "No, but it looked like fun."
"Ugh, I have to find Naruto." He muttered standing up.
"Whoa you know where he is?" Azuna asked standing up with him.
Sasuke frowned and shook his head. "No, I just said I needed to find him…?"
"Oh that makes complete sense." Azuna nodded gazing at the floor. "Me to! Let's go!"
"Wait, why do you need to find Naruto?"
"He has the key to our house." She said simply. "I need it."
"Right." Sasuke said bored before he started to walk out of the building.
"Wait! I'm coming with you!" Azuna shouted after him running to his side.
"I really don't think that we should –"
"Oh please stop being such a drama queen." Azuna complained rolling her eyes. "I'm not here to peek glances at you and plan our wedding; I'm here to help you find Naruto. I won't even talk that's how non-interested I am in you."
Sasuke sighed but let her walk with him. He didn't let people walk with him let alone insult him. Yet somehow he was letting his girl do both. Like somehow he couldn't find it in himself to hurt, insult or make fun of her. And it was all because of that smile she forced onto her face.
True to her word though Azuna stayed quiet throughout their walk. Sasuke had his hands in his pockets looking around and Azuna stared at the ground wondering where exactly Naruto could be. The two walked along the path in silence and they came upon Sakura who was really giddy and jumping up and down. When she saw Azuna she glared slightly but then ignored her presence and continued to focus on Sasuke.
"Sasuke your back don't be so shy you bad boy!" She yipped. Azuna and Sasuke had no idea what she was talking about so they just walked right passed her pay no attention to her.
"Are you ready now? I mean mentally prepared? Because I am I mean I'm raring to go! Oh hey wait a minute!" She called out when they walked past.
Sasuke and Azuna stopped and turned slightly towards Sakura. Azuna felt her eyebrow twitch at how annoying Sakura's voice was. God how she wished she could just knock some sense into her right here and now.
"Where's Naruto?" Sasuke asked indifferently.
"See there you go changing the subject again. Anyway Naruto just picks fights with you. You know why he's so annoying? 'Cause he wasn't raised right! He doesn't have a mother or father, no one to teach him right from wrong. " Sakura complain smugly.
Azuna was just about to march over there and punch the smirk off of her face and Sasuke was shaking his head at her stupidity.
"Think about it! He just does whatever comes into his head!" This sent Sasuke way off the ticked-off scale and his head whipped around as he glared at Sakura. "If I did things like Naruto forget it! I mean my parents would get mad and I'd get in trouble so of course I don't do it. But if you don't have parents to tell you how would you know? He's selfish and bratty. He's all alone."
Azuna turned around ready to kill this stupid girl where she stood when Sasuke's hand reached out and grabbed the back of Azuna's dress holding her back. "Alone. Isolated. It's not about your parents scolding you. You have no idea what it means to be alone." Sasuke growled.
"W – Why are you saying that?"
"Because, you're annoying." Sasuke snarled.
Sakura gasped and Sasuke headed off again pulling Azuna after him. "Please let me stab her!" Azuna barked as Sasuke let her go. She continued to walk next to him though as she glared at the ground.
"We can't stab Sakura, Azuna." Sasuke said in a bored tone.
"Come on we're both awesome ninja we could kill her and no one would know it was us." Azuna thought aloud. Sasuke turned his head towards her to see that she was deadly serious and even a little sad. "If only she knew." Azuna mumbled.
They continued to walk how they were before, in complete silence. They were both comfortable with it though. It wasn't awkward or tense, just relaxed. Sasuke felt like this was the first girl who wasn't obsessed with him. And even though he didn't like much he was starting to maybe just enjoy her company.
As they walked up the steps to one of the public buildings they noticed Naruto running out of the bathroom and towards them. When he saw the two of them he skidded to a halt glaring at Sasuke.
"Sasuke what are you doing here? How did you get loose?" Naruto shouted completely ignoring Azuna for the moment.
"I used the escape Jutsu. No sweat it's a very basic technique." He replied smugly. Yeah the escape Jutsu known as Azuna Momochi. Azuna thought sarcastically to herself. "Why did you do that? Transform into me?" Sasuke asked slightly ticked off.
"I thought it might be fun to try out my moves on you so I did!" Naruto yelled putting his hands into a hand sign and creating four shadow clones.
"Ah, the same technique again?" Sasuke yelled.
"He got you with five shadow clones? Really Sasuke? Really?" Azuna asked in shock raising her eyebrows.
"Oh shut up!"
"This time you'll see what I can really do! You're going down for the count! Then you'll have to admit that I'm the best! Get ready Sasuke." Naruto yelled. Suddenly from his stomach and intense groan echoed. All five Naruto's dropped from the air and clutched their stomachs. Azuna's and Sasuke's eyebrows twitched as they went running off to the bathroom all trying to shove their way in.
"What a loser." Sasuke muttered turning around.
"Oh Naruto." Azuna sighed turning with Sasuke and walking with him still. "I didn't even get the key off of him."
"You wanted him to get a key?" Sasuke asked in disbelief.
"Well yeah. He's letting me stay with him and I don't have a key yet so I can't go in and get my lunch." Azuna said looking at the floor as her stomach grumbled. "Oh well. I thought I told you this?"
Sasuke, who didn't know what came over him, reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out a rice ball, completely ignoring the last half of her sentence. "Here. I was eating this when Naruto attacked me. You can have it."
Azuna nodded gratefully and took it with a thank-you. She ate it quickly and sighed with happiness once she was done. She felt much better now and she turned to Sasuke with a closed eyed smile. Feeling bored Azuna flipped herself forward onto her hands.
"Hey Sasuke?" Azuna asked upside down still walking beside Sasuke.
"What?"
"Do you think I can walk all the way back to the academy on my hands?" She challenged grinning as her hair dragged along the ground.
"No." He replied simply.
"Oh you're on Sasuke! I will totally walk all that way on my hands!"
"Good luck." He mocked, smirking down at her.
"You'll see Sasuke. I'll make this easy!" She giggled keeping up with Sasuke as they made their way back to the academy.
She's a weird one but somehow I don't mind her company. What is happening to me? Sasuke thought to himself shocked that he was actually enjoying the company of a girl.