Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto. I DO own Kaisuke. Aya Kiriyama belongs to AYA-SAMA3000.
A/N: Sorry this took so long to post. I'm writing as I go and my computer and my modem have been falling out with each other.
Chapter Two - Kaisuke's Exam
By the time Sakura reached six months pregnant, she felt as big as a whale. Ino and Karin continually fussed over her but it was no where near as bad as it had been.
With the slightest spike of her charka, Sakura's body guard, Aya, would appear, causing Ino, Karin or whoever was annoying her, to fall silent and more often than not, move away from Sakura altogether.
Every couple of weeks Kakashi and Naruto would stop by for a visit. Naruto would follow Sasuke around, annoying the hell out of his former team-mate, while Kakashi would spend a great deal of time watching over Kaisuke during his different training routines.
"I must admit, Kaisuke." Kakashi said during his latest visit. "You are an extremely talented ninja. What level are you, now?"
Kaisuke didn't even pause. He flipped over Gaara's head, gripped the larger man's shoulder with one hand, pulled out several kunai with the other, twisted slightly and unleashed the blades and obliterated a target over thirty feet away by following the kunais with a fireball jutsu.
"Hey Short Stuff!" said Gaara. "Stop messing about and let's start your training."
"That was just messing about?!"
All heads spun in the direction of the shocked announcement.
Naruto's mouth was hanging open, his eyes almost popping out of the sockets. Sasuke was stood beside him, smirking proudly, while Sakura just rested her head against Sasuke's chest and sighed happily.
"Looks like somebody's tired, again." smirked Kakashi.
"I'll take Sakura back for a lay down!" announced Karin as she rushed over toward Sakura, smug that Ino wasn't there for once. Karin's steps faltered at the sound of a throat being cleared. Aya, Sakura's personal guard, stood slightly off to the side.
Sakura raised her head from Sasuke's chest and, placing a hand over her mouth, yawned.
"It's okay. I'll go with Karin."
Karin beamed proudly and stuck her tongue out at Aya, until she realised she was looking.
Karin gulped loudly and quickly ushered Sakura away, not realising that Sasuke had motioned for Aya to follow them.
"Sasuke," said Kakashi pulled everyone's attention back from Sakura's departure.
Sasuke turned his attention back to his former sensei and raised an eyebrow at the man. Kakashi smirked behind his ever present mask and motioned toward Kaisuke, who was currently chasing after Gaara across the training field.
"What are they doing?" asked Naruto, completely caught up in the strange, yet controlled, violence being used by the pair.
"Tackle Tag." stated Sasuke, smirking slightly, paternal pride showing clearly in his eyes.
"Tackle what?" asked Naruto again as Gaara grabbed Kaisuke and threw him into the air. Kaisuke spun around as he flew, shuriken and fire balls chasing Gaara as he dodged them.
"It's a modified version of the game 'tag'. However, instead of just tapping each other with their hands, they use all their ninja skills." replied Sasuke.
"Full Technique Training with a twist." stated Kakashi, a smug grin on his face and a knowing look in his eyes.
"I wanna have a go!" announced Naruto, racing off to join in the fun.
As they watched Naruto racing head long into the game, Kakashi stepped closer to Sasuke. "Should we warn him?" Sasuke merely smirked and shook his head. Kakashi laughed. "How long do you think he'll last? Thirty minutes?"
"Five." stated Sasuke confidently.
Kakashi laughed again. "You're probably right. I barely lasted ten when I tried." Sasuke smirked at Kakashi. Kakashi's joking smile fell away as a more serious look overtook his features. "Don't you think it's time he took his Chunin exam? He's clearly more than ready."
Sasuke frowned at Kakashi. "He's only eight! It's too soon to be thinking of that."
"Sasuke, he's ready! I know you're protective of your son but he is an Uchiha after all. He takes after his family. He's just like…"
"Do not mention that name!" snapped Sasuke, his Sharingan flaring at Kakashi.
Kakashi sighed. "I was going to say you!"
Sasuke frowned but deactivated his Sharingan. "He's still too young."
"Too… young… for… what?"
Sasuke and Kakashi glanced over at the sound of the voice. An exhausted Naruto was gasping for breath as he struggled to make his way back over to them. They both knew how Naruto would react to Kakashi's idea and Kakashi jumped at the chance to add pressure to Sasuke's decision.
"I want to enrol Kaisuke for this years Chunin exams."
The words seemed to give Naruto an instant second wind. "Hell yeah! Kid took me down in four moves! He's gonna wipe the floor with his competition!"
Sasuke watched on in horror as Naruto turned to face the training field. He knew exactly what was going to happen next and inwardly cursed Kakashi and Naruto for doing this to him and his son.
"Hey Kaisuke!" shouted Naruto. "You're getting enrolled for the Chunin exams!"
Gaara froze mid-throw and gently placed Kaisuke back on the ground. The second the eight year olds feet touched the ground, he was racing toward his father with a beaming smile on his face.
Kaisuke's hair was bright pink by the time he threw his arms around his father's legs and buried his head into his hip.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" squealed Kaisuke, pulling back slightly and looking up at Sasuke, his eyes gleaming with hero-worship and love and his cheeks lined with happy tears.
Sasuke glared at Kakashi when Kaisuke wasn't looking. His eyes saying all too clearly what his voice could not say in front of his son. 'You Bastard!'
"Kaisuke, it's lunch time. Go home and wake your mother. I'll be there shortly."
Kaisuke nodded and wiped his cheeks. He waved to Gaara and took off running for home, his pink hair still proudly on display.
***
SMACK!
Naruto gasped as Kakashi was slammed on to the ground. Sasuke's still raised fist shaking angrily at him as he glared and raged at the older man.
"You son of a bitch!" yelled Sasuke. "You selfish bastard!" Sasuke's Sharingan was full blown and spinning wildly. "Don't you ever try pulling a stunt like that again! Kaisuke is my son, not yours! If I say no, I fucking mean NO!"
"Sasuke?" asked Naruto cautiously, not liking where this was going in the slightest.
"Stay out of this, Dobe!" snapped Sasuke, not looking away from Kakashi.
Naruto knew better than to argue with Sasuke when he went like that. He really did. He just chose to ignore his own common sense and step in anyway.
***
"…then he shouted over to me that I'm getting enrolled for the Chunin exam! Isn't that great?!"
Kaisuke hadn't stopped talking since the second Sakura woke up. She was extremely grateful that Aya had distracted him with conversation or he probably would have been bouncing off the walls by now.
"The Chunin exams?" asked Aya. "They are extremely difficult."
"Who's enrolled you for them?" asked Sakura as she sat up on the couch properly.
Kaisuke paused for a moment, clearly deep in thought. "I'm not sure. Uncle Naruto told me about it while he was talking with Daddy and Kakashi-sensei."
"Oh oh." Sakura quickly rose to her feet. Aya was by her side instantly. Sakura leaned closer to Aya and whispered in her ear. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"You go wash up for lunch, Kaisuke." said Sakura as she motioned Aya toward the door. "I'm just going to get your father."
"Okay, Mommy!" called Kaisuke as he raced to the bathroom to clean up.
***
Naruto's feet slid helplessly across the dirt as he flew back from Sasuke's right hook. His inner mind was screaming at him. 'When will you learn to keep out of things?'
Kakashi was grappling with Sasuke, trying to strengthen the protection seal around Sasuke's curse mark before it could take further hold of his former student. The entire left side of Sasuke's body was already covered in black marks. Kakashi couldn't risk letting it get any further.
Sasuke grabbed Kakashi by the throat, trying to pry him off but, just before he could, Naruto leapt on to him and tackled him from behind, causing all three men to stumble forward. Sasuke growled at them both and raised his other hand to strike.
"Aya! Their upsetting me!"
Before any of the men could register what had happened, each found themselves dangling from the end of large vines that had sprung up from nowhere.
"What the…" shouted Naruto, only to finally notice Sakura standing at the side with her arms folded over her chest and a pissed off look on her face. Naruto didn't need to guess who the crouched form next to Sakura was.
The second Sakura had spoken, Aya had performed several hand seals and dropped to one knee, placing the fingertips of one hand into the ground beneath her.
Immediately after that, three extremely large vines had sprung from the ground under each of the three men, grabbed them by their ankles and was now holding them upside down at eye level with the two women.
"What's this I hear about Kaisuke being enrolled for the Chunin exams?" demanded Sakura.
"He's more than ready!" said Naruto. "I didn't even last five minutes in Tackle Tag!"
"He's ready Sakura-san!" stated Kakashi.
"He's still too young!" snapped Sasuke, who just couldn't maintain the same level of anger while being dangled upside down by a plant. "I said no and they set me up anyway!"
"He is ready!" stated Sakura. "I think we should let him go."
Naruto cheered slightly and Kakashi looked at Sasuke smugly.
"But!" snapped Sakura. "Don't ever try double teaming my husband again!"
With that Sakura began to walk away but before she got too far, she stopped and turned slightly. "Oh, Gaara!" said man looked up toward her. "It seems my husband is rudely being double teamed. I don't like that."
Gaara smirked manically. Sakura gave a single nod to Aya, who instantly released the three men and returned to Sakura's side. Aya and Gaara exchanged a sly smile before Aya left with Sakura and Gaara went to even the odds with Sasuke.
***
Sakura chuckled as she put away the last dinner plate. Naruto was still laying on the couch, complaining about Sasuke and Gaara double teaming him with a sand and fire move. He'd been doing that ever since they came in for lunch, and that was over six hours ago.
Kakashi and Sasuke sat at the table, finally discussing, like the adults they were, the plans for Kaisuke's Chunin exams. Sasuke still wasn't too happy about it but Sakura had already said yes to Kaisuke and the boy was packing as they spoke.
It had been decided that Kaisuke would go to Konoha with Kakashi and train with a team that had been struggling to find a third man. Gaara had gone home to pack his own clothes. He had not spent so long training Kaisuke to let someone mess it up now.
Suigetsu had been summoned for and also sent to pack. At least one person from Free was to watch over Kaisuke at all times! No exceptions, no excuses, no avoiding it.
Sasuke had not taken no for an answer on that one. He would have gone himself but he was promised to a mission that started in the morning. Sakura, who also wanted to go, was under orders to rest. An order that Aya had no intention of letting her ignore.
***
Morning came and Sakura did what she could to hide her, out of control, emotions as she said her farewells to her men. While Kaisuke was heading south for Konoha with his own group of body guards, Sakura knew that only a death hungry fool would go up against Kakashi, Suigetsu and, most of all, Uncle Gaara! Sasuke was heading east with Juugo, which Sakura hated the idea of, on a intelligence gathering mission for the Water Village.
While she didn't like the idea of Sasuke being out there alone with Juugo, she knew exactly why Sasuke was taking him. The man still had trouble with that temper of his and Sasuke, while he knew Aya could protect Sakura from anything, didn't trust the idea of leaving the man, only he could calm, in the village with his pregnant wife.
To be continued…
