Same warning applies.

Standard disclaimer applies.

Chapter 45: Greens of courage

Miki stifled the urge to flee as pairs of eyes stared at her when she entered the classroom where graduating students were waiting. Everybody knew her as the only daughter of the hokage and someone who wasn't enrolled in the academy so why was she here?

Unlike the teachers and exam proctors, they didn't know that Miki was one of the very rare cases of children never enrolled at the academy but studied under someone's tutelage and took exams just to get the Konoha hitae-ate.

She looked around for empty seats and found none until someone, a boy no less, stood up and offered her a seat. Suddenly, the curious stares from all the girls in the room became hostile looks.

What's their problem?

Smiling, she looked at the boy and said, "Thanks, ah…"

"Kazuo... Fujita, Kazuo," the boy replied with a bright smile that made his fan girls' heart melt.

"Thanks, Kazuo," and she sat. It was then that she realized she was surrounded by boys who were looking at her in a too friendly manner.

Please get the exam to start now before something bad will happen to them.

-SasuNaru is love-

Miki looked smug when she arrived home, wearing the village hitae-ate around her torso.

"What do you think, Kisho? Does it look good in me?"

The boy smiled positively and reached up to glide his fingers over the engraved symbol when his sister grabbed his hand and shook her head.

"I don't want any fingerprints on the metal plate," she explained causing disappointment to flicker in his dark eyes. Trying to make up for her refusal, she offered, "Let's get some cookies, shall we?"

-SasuNaru is love-

She, Kazuo and Shuu composed Team two and fortunately, they got along fine. Unfortunately, their jounin teacher was none other than Mao, a jounin who rivaled Ibiki's cruelty and Anko's sadism. A shiver of fear ran along their spine as predatory eyes locked in on them.

"I know who you really are," she said, her voice like a whip slashing the suddenly tensed atmosphere, "and you are all wearing masks. I'll look forward in peeling your masks one by one until I can see what you're made off." With that she left the room but the three of them knew they were asked, no, ordered silently to follow.

-SasuNaru is love-

If there was another useful purpose for clones other than to divert enemies then it must be to do different tasks at different places at the same time, Miki thought. While she spent most of her time slaving around Konoha for both C and D missions and following Mao's training regimen which was more likely to kill team two rather than make them stronger, she still had to report to the research department for few more months and continue learning under Tsunade. She felt that she was getting as old as her medic-nin teacher with all these pressures and stress. But she knew, she had to endure everything for the sake of ultimate goal- to surpass Tsunade. As she learned and discovered more, her trivial wish to be strong to protect herself from perverts had morphed into something better and more meaningful.

"You're lagging behind," a voice suddenly whispered causing her to jump and whipped her head around to glare at that person. It was just Mao who was looking at the vines that had entwined along her arms in reaction to her momentary panic.

"Hm... Interesting weapon," she said so quietly it was almost a whisper. "You better hurry along now or you'd be running around Konoha for the next hour." But she was more worried of her student not getting punished rather than the opposite. Miki knew this and increased her speed.

The jounin watched the female Uchiha. Among all the students she handled, the one she wanted to destroy the most was her blond student. She wanted to make her as her masterpiece as she was her teacher's. Somehow, she saw herself in Miki and she wanted to bring out the best of her by breaking her just as her teacher broke her. She firmly believed in her teacher's words that destruction was necessary for evolution. It didn't matter that the girl would despise her. She was ready for her hatred just as her teacher was for hers.

-SasuNaru is love-

One day, Miki came to Tsunade's office crying and mentioning abuse. However, Tsunade knew that Mao was always known for her extreme training that bordered near maltreatment.

"Do you want to quit?" she asked.

She wanted to say 'yes' but the word was stuck in her throat refusing to slip past her mouth. Her Uchiha and Uzumaki pride won't let her.

"If you quit, this episode would haunt you forever and would stop you from reaching your dreams." The girl quickly wiped her face dry. "I'll continue and prove myself to her," she said between sobs.

Tsunade smiled approvingly and motioned for her to sit on her couch. When the young blonde did, the older woman brushed her chakra-charged hands on the right contact areas. Miki snapped her gaze towards her in silent inquiry.

"Let's cancel today's class so you could rest," she explained. "Goodnight, Miki."

Tsunade watched her sleeping form and chuckled in amusement. Her passion to prove herself and her determination to grow stronger reminded her of Naruto and Sasuke in their younger days.

-SasuNaru is love-

In her angry irritation, Mao seemed to breathe fire as she saw eight figures up ahead waiting for her and her team. She wondered what the scroll they need to deliver was that there were a lot of groups who wanted it. In fact, within two days they had engaged in skirmishes thrice and deviated from their original path twice to avoid more confrontation. If they'd fight or stray again they'd be late in handing the scroll over to the recipient who happened to be a powerful elitist. If that happens, the prominent woman would be suspicious and would assume incompetence on their part. From there, ruining Konoha's reputation would be a short trip. The only way to avoid such outcome was to fight at the same time continue moving.

"Guys, take the path fifteen degrees from your left. I'll join you in..." she paused to assess her would be enemies, "forty minutes tops. Now go!"

Team two's first two missions outside the village had been boring that they shared one wish and that was to have a thrilling mission. Their prayer had been answered through their third mission but whoever the god was who granted their wish he had been too accommodating to the point of being a sadist for giving them too much trouble.

They jumped sideward as few ninjas dropped from above them and slashed the branches where they had been standing a second ago.

Miki readied to attack or defend when her two teammates blocked her view.

"Go ahead, Miki," Kazuon said over his shoulder. "Shuu-kun and I will take them out and then we'll join you."

The girl nodded and left. A kunoichi was about to pursue her when Shuu's wire coiled around her feet, "your opponent is us."

Miki sighed as another kunai missed her by hairsbreadth. She need not duck or evade the kunai as the man's aim was pathetic. And he dared to attack her? What a fool!

Instead of sparing an effort to engage a fight against the man she decided to focus on crossing the border. She frowned as her vision doubled then tripled. She stumbled as she tripped over a jutting thick root. She knew her body would move to gain her balance out of reflex but it didn't and she knew immediately why. Her muscles were relax and her eyelids were getting heavy. She had been sedated but how?

With sleepy eyes she looked at her enemy hovering over her.

"My kunais aren't ordinary. They're coated with odorless sleep-inducing smell of which my fellows are immune of."

He watched as realization dawned on her pretty face. "Yes, my little one, I missed you purposely."

Miki, you big stupid fool ! was her thought before darkness and sleep heavily settled upon her.

The man smirked. He took the scroll and was about to leave when he changed his mind. The girl would serve some purpose for his group he thought and picked her up never paying attention to her hitae-ate that fell to the ground with a soft clank.

-SasuNaru is love-

Shuu's gaze met his best friend's as they finally defeated their enemies. They were worn out but they knew they couldn't rest. They had to catch up with Miki. Knowing, their female teammate, they looked at the plants and trees for any clue of her direction. He smiled as he noticed the subtle slanting of the weeds, pointing towards their left.

"Here's our first clue," he said, getting Kazuo's attention.

After following the trail, they reached the spot where Miki had stumbled. They cursed as they saw her hitae-ate. They immediately searched for blood but found none. Kazuo looked at his right and found his friend sleeping soundly.

"Hey! This isn't the right time..." he didn't get to finish his statement as he slumped to the ground soundly sleeping.

-SasuNaru is love-

A soft groan came from the back of her throat as she slowly gained consciously. Her muscles where still to relax and her hands were tightly chained against the wall but... She grinned as vines started snaking upwards to free her and when they did she took a vial from her pouch. It contained a yellowish liquid which was an all-purpose antidote.

She drank it and waited few seconds for it to take effect. Just then a man and woman entered the room and strode forward. She let her vines whipped the man to unconsciousness while she quickly moved to the woman who was about to shout out an alarm.

The two crashed to the ground with the blonde straddling the brunette. The latter was strong enough to throw her off and with a scream-

She paused as she realized that no sound came from her throat. She looked at the smirking prisoner.

"Never underestimate the student of a legendary medic-nin," she said haughtily. "I tampered your voice box".

The older woman then remembered that as they were falling to the ground, she had felt the girl's fingers brushing against her throat softly. She let her anger be shown in her eyes with her previous killing intent doubled. She would kill her slowly. She moved her hand to grab her weapon.

What the?Why did her leg moved instead of her hand?

"I also tampered your locomotors and body coordination," she informed her as an afterthought before rendering the enrage woman unconscious.

Miki need not worry what would happen if she wakes up because when she does, a painful headache would b there and she would be too busy vomiting to run after her that is if she was still there. Now, it was time to get the scroll back and complete there mission, she reminded herself.

As she ran across the maze like subterranean pathway, she ducked to save her head being a cushion for kunai and shuriken. She turned and a cat-like smile graced her lips.

"I was looking for you," she said as her gaze fell on her captor. "I won't fall for your trick the second time."

Kei gave a low whistle and his remaining subordinates appeared. His eyes bulged as vines emerged not only from her body but also from the ground. He cod hear the screams of his men; watched as their weapons and techniques became useless.

How could it be? When he saw how she fought at the forest, he knew the place was her perfect battlefield. So when he brought her with him, he knew he needed to take a precaution. And he did.

Instead of imprisoning her at their hideout in the forest, he had brought he back in their lair located at the barren part. However, how come she could still summon plants? Was this some bloodline limit?

He couldn't help but shiver as he realized he was the only enemy standing. The wild predatory look in her face and the way she fought made him think that she belonged in the wilderness.

"How?"

In reply, Miki showed a small seed, holding it between her pointer finger and thumb. Then she let it grow, "with my chakra, I could make any plants grow regardless of my place. The forest is just the most convenient place for me."

She yelped more in surprise than in pain as a small explosion happened near her neck. She would have been injured if not for her vines that immediately moved to protect her.

"This is my ace," Kei announced smugly. He had taken the girl's explanation time to prepare for his ultimate attack – the fire triangle. "The air is now contaminated with combustible and explosive particles sensitive to my chakra. Directing my chakra to any area that I want I could ignite it with a snap of my fingers."

Miki's mind refused the dread and helplessness settling within her. Her muscles were now tensed, not to fight but to flee. But to where? The facial expression of the bastard told her she had no place to run much less hide. She could make her vines cocoon around her but unlike her Uncle Gaara's ultimate defense, hers wasn't vacuum. As long as there was oxygen, the man could even ignite the area inside her shell.

She quickly made a mental note to improve her defense barrier to her uncle's level but for the meantime she needed to win the battle but how?

She leaned to her left just as another explosion ripped the place where her head was.

The man kept on snapping his fingers but with her vines protecting her, he could only graze her skin from the impact.

Miki twisted her body in the air at the same time felt sorry for her dismembered and burnt vines. As she landed on the ground, she heard a squishing sound as she stepped on something. She quickly looked down and like a bolt of lightning, a realization struck her. However, she had no time to gloat as she leaned back to save her chest.

Knowing it was futile to kill her with her stupid plants protecting her, Kei changed his tactic from immediate annihilation to consuming her chakra. He chuckled as one explosion caused few rips on her Capri pants. Almost there, he told himself as he noticed that she was panting heavily.

"Die," he shouted as she finally fell on fours. But before he could snap his fingers, he felt himself being roughly raised and his limbs pulled towards different directions. He looked at her binds and saw nothing but green.

Miki smiled as she watched her opponent suspended in the air, his face torn in pain. Her plants' gripped was tight rendering him immobile. He won't be snapping his fingers as long as he was her prisoner.

The man looked down and saw her body being outlined by a red aura and she now emitted a ferocity that made coldness run down his spine. Her eyes were now crimson that seemed to crave for blood and murder. Was this the girl he had kidnapped hours ago? Was this the same girl who was panting a moment ago looking helpless and exhausted? Or was that just an illusion? Because the girl who was standing in front of him looked none of those.

"Your flame burnt only the exterior part of my vines and with my chakra, I infused the seeds into them" she explained. It really pays to train with strongest people, she thought. "Now, time for actions," she said with a soft smile touching her lips.

Kei yelped as he was pulled to his right. His gaze fell on the biggest and most beautiful flower he had ever seen. However, his appreciation disappeared instantly as the petals opened to reveal filaments and style waving in anticipation as noozle-shaped anthers and stigma snapped their jaws revealing their sharp teeth. Worse, the inside of the petals were full of thorns. Even from his distance, he could smell the acrid and acidic scent. Never in his life did he imagine he would be eaten by a mutated and hideous monster plant. It was such a humiliation. He began struggling as pleading noises started spilling from his trembling lips.

"Don't worry, you won't be eaten. I'm not that violent," she assured him. "It will only suck all your chakra."

This time, Kei was no longer imagining the malice in her voice and he concluded that the girl in front of her was a she devil, beautiful but deadly just like her pet.

"You're the first one to see this and you're its first victim."

"Like that is an honor," he managed to snap between his futile struggling. He doubled his efforts when he was lowered on the eager and soft-as-silk petals. As satiny as the petals were, they plastered themselves to their victim as tightly as the strongest adhesive, preventing him from moving. And the scent he smelt was replaced by something sweet which encouraged his mind to conjure images he wanted to see.

A second later, he had a silly grin on his face, oblivious that his chakra was being drained by the anthers and stigma. He died in a delusional bliss.

Now that it had served its purpose, the plant also died but not before bowing to its mistress. Knowing it was over Miki returned to her usual charming self and sighed in relief. She checked herself for any injuries and found them gone. They were already healed because she was a fast healer just like her siblings and her chichiue.

-SasuNaru is love-

When Mao reached the place where her two students were sleeping, the air was already weakly contaminated that it no longer had effects on her. She walked them up.

"Sensei?" Shuu blinked sleepy and rolled to his feet. "Miki! We need to save her. She's captured."

She summoned her hounds and ordered them to trace Miki's scent. They followed the summoned animals while hoping that they weren't too late. They landed on the ground and jumped backward just in time to miss the deadly thorns thrown at them.

Realizing that it was her comrades, Miki stepped out from the boulder where she was hiding. "Sorry about that," she said.

"Miki!" her two teammates chorused as they scrambled towards her.

"Are you okay?

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," she replied, "I'm sorry to make you worry. I got the scroll back. Let's deliver it together as planned." Although she wanted to hug both guys and tell them how scared she was, she didn't want Mao to see her breaking down. No way! So she didn't.

"What do you think of my get-up?" she asked. Showing off the stitches she did with her clothes using some thin vines.

"You look… ah…" Kazuo was supposed to say 'weird' but Shuu and Miki gave him a warning look. How come those two always agreed when it comes to fashion? "You look great as usual."

"You look adorable and perfect," Shuu exclaimed.

Mao placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. She wanted to make sure her subordinate was fine at the same time wanted to see her new dents and cracks and how deep and wide they were. But what she found when Miki looked at her squarely was infuriatingly arrogance associated with Uzumaki-Uchiha children. Her steady blue eyes were as if challenging and mocking her at the same.

Break me if you can.

Mao chuckled. Her mission had now been turned as a game and she was looking forward to that moment when Miki would be absolutely shattered by her hands like a mirror.

TBC

It's all about Miki but not to worry, next chapter will be SasuNaru goodies.