I guess I got to you all! Thanks for the reviews everyone! Of course, I'll keep my part of the deal no sweat! Thanks again!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Kyoko sat silently on her back, staring up at the cloudless sky in deep thought, which was extremely surprising, Nami would say. It had been weeks since they had an exciting mission. After the Cha no Kuni mission, everything got back to pulling weeds and watering flowers. BORING.
She rolled over onto her stomach and stared thoughtfully at the ladybug crawling determinedly up a stalk of grass and thought about that mission. Sure, she got to knock a few heads, but she couldn't help but be annoyed that Nami was the one who had majority importance in the only great mission they had.
The ladybug sprung off of the piece of grass and its wings appeared. Off it flew to some unknown location.
Hmph…Nami gets the entire spotlight, Kyoko thought bitterly. Marieke-sensei likes her best, I know it…she definitely makes that obvious. If I could just show her what I can do… She turned her glare towards her bored teammate who was staring at the sky sitting in a criss-crossed position. Her eyes burned with prickly hatred.
Nami, feeling the heat of Kyoko's burning eyes, looked at her teammate with an equal glare, hers full of annoyance and challenge. It was her 'I'm-better-than-you-and-you-know-it' look.
Their lesser competitive teammate noticed the friction between her friends. Only for a second did her look of minor contempt stay on her face. She immediately smiled good-naturedly, "So, what kind of mission do you think sensei will have us do today?"
"Probably a boring one," Nami said, not breaking her invisible line of contact with Kyoko. "Unlike the mission we had a while ago."
"Yeah, because that's the only time Nami was useful," Kyoko shot back. "Any other mission is just another day for her. After all, Midori, you know that she doesn't do anything."
Uh oh… Midori thought, wincing.
"You wanna say that to my face?"
"Gladly!"
"Are you just jealous or something? Huh? Jealous of how awesome I am and how you didn't do anything important?!"
"I don't need to be jealous of you!"
"Kyoko…Nami…"
"STAY OUT OF THIS, MIDORI!" the two girls screamed.
"Good morning, girls!"
"I COULD RIP YOUR COCKY ATTITUDE OUT OF THAT MINDLESS HEAD OF YOURS!"
"MINDLESS? PSH! YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MINDLESS, STUPID!"
"Um…" Marieke stared at the two screaming girls, then at Midori who was sitting there, watching the sparklers. "What is it this time?"
Midori quickly whispered a summary of what the girls were fighting about. At least, what she figured they were fighting about.
Nodding in understanding, Marieke stuck her index finger and thumb into her mouth and whistled. LOUDLY.
The two girls stopped on cue and exclaimed, "Marieke-sensei!"
"That's me," Marieke said, raising an eyebrow. "What exactly do you two think you're doing? This is no way kunoichi should behave."
"She started it!" the two shouted again.
"…Yes, yes, whatever the problem is, fix it," Marieke said. "And fix it soon because I have some very important news."
"What news, sensei?" Midori asked curiously.
Marieke silently held out her hand, three small pieces of paper were between her fingers. "These are forms for a special event Konoha is hosting. I've recommended all three of you for the—"
"Chuunin Exams!" Kyoko exclaimed suddenly. Grabbing a piece of paper within the blink of an eye, she jumped up and cheered loudly. "YES! Chuunin Exams! I love you, sensei!"
Marieke regained her composure from the slight shock of how quickly Kyoko was able to snatch the paper out of her hand. "Hm. I presume you three know all about the Chuunin Exams, huh?"
"That's right!" Kyoko said happily.
"From where?"
"From…Konohamaru, of course!" Kyoko said quickly. "Oh, thank you thank you thank you, sensei!"
"Yes, well, training will be canceled for today so each of you can have some time for yourselves for the Chuunin Exams. The information is on the form. Turn in the form at the designated place at the date stated. Oh, and another thing…"
"Yes?" the girls asked.
"Try not to embarrass me."
POOF.
The forms fluttered to the ground, leaving Midori and Nami to pick up theirs.
"I hate that she never believes in us," Midori said, annoyed. "She thinks we're just kids."
"I don't care, 'cause we're going to the Chuunin Exams!" Kyoko exclaimed, kissing her form.
"Shut up already," Nami said.
"Hmph. We'll see who'll be shutting up once you see how great I'll be in the exams, Nami!" Kyoko proclaimed.
"Yeah, yeah. You'll just have a review of how great I am when I wipe you out in the exams."
"You wish!"
And with that, the two girls parted ways.
Midori stood there in silence.
"I'm going this way!" Kyoko declared, turning around.
"And I'm going that way!" Nami said, walking in the opposite direction.
Now the girls had parted for GOOD. At least…until they all came back to the same apartment.
Midori sweat dropped and looked down at her form. Chuunin Exams…this'll be good.
Later that day, Nami was practicing once more in the woods. She had created her own personal training spot that no one else knew about. There was no way she'd let anyone interrupt her tree-bashing.
Her fists thumped against the tree in her familiar all-out fighting style. Turning a spinning kick in the air, she embedded a clear mark against the trunk.
"Hmph! Cocky, am I? At least I have something to strut about!" Nami said indignantly. "That Kyoko's just jealous. She's always jealous."
Just as she was about to pummel another tree, she felt the presence of someone else's chakra. Stopping immediately, she tossed a kunai.
A figure jumped out of a bush. It was a rain nin.
"What do you want?" Nami demanded.
"Nothing much…as long as you stay out of the Chuunin Exams!" the ninja said.
"Hmph. Fat chance," Nami said, pulling out more weapons.
"Well then, prepare to die!"
"I was gonna say the same thing!" Nami shouted, throwing the weapons towards the ninja.
He dodged the attacks with ease. "You'll have to do better than that!"
"Oh, I have," Nami said, sneering.
The rain nin heard a soft whistling sound behind him. He turned around in terror as he spotted an exploding note behind him.
BOOM!
The rain nin fell forward, helpless and scorched on the back. He groaned. "Ugh…you are truly a formidable opponent."
"That was nothin'!" Nami mocked. "I don't need to waste my best moves on someone like you!"
"Hmph. We'll see how you do in the Chuunin Exams," he said eerily. Then, he disappeared.
---
"Chuunin Exams equals other ninja equals sand ninja plus me equals Gaara and me!" Kyoko said delightedly, grinning at her wonderful math problem. She was sitting on the rooftop of her and her friends' apartment building, a happy smile on her face. But then, her face was empty. She stared down at her already filled-out form. "I have to beat Nami, no matter what. I'll show her that I can be as good—no! Better than her!"
"You're very determined, aren't you?"
Kyoko gasped as a kunai appeared an inch before her throat.
"So determined that you didn't pay attention to an attack. Some kunoichi," said a rain ninja.
Kyoko smirked. "Actually, I am." She disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"A clone?!" the ninja said in surprise.
Several needles shot at him, pinning him to the rooftop. Kyoko flipped into view and landed right above the intruder, looking down at him seriously. "Give me a challenge, will you?"
I didn't expect this from a genin…but I guess she has a clear advantage anyway, from where she's from, the rain nin thought. "We'll meet again, Shimizu Kyoko." He made a hand seal and disappeared.
Kyoko plopped back down on the rooftop cheerily. "Well, Iruka-sensei sure knows how to be dramatic! At least…his kage bunshin knows!"
---
Chuunin Exams already and I haven't made much of an alliance with anyone…looks like it's just the three of us on our own then… Midori sighed quietly. Against the best of the best…including Neji, Lee, and Tenten...this promises to be difficult. And of course, Kyoko and Nami will be not only fighting the other teams, but fighting with each other as well.
She moved down onto the grass of her team's training area. After her teammates left, she hadn't gone anywhere else. She was tired and a bit damp from the independent training, and now she had another goal for the day: think up a strategy to get her team through the Chuunin Exams.
Of course, she was no Shikamaru, but she figured that she would be able to get her team through the exam, pass or fail, without getting killed. That was all that mattered.
Suddenly, a ninja popped out of nowhere in a battle position, a familiar rain nin. "You are the one who is taking the Chuunin Exams with the other two kunoichi, am I correct?"
"Yes, you are," Midori said, slightly annoyed at the fact that Iruka had decided to bother her now.
"Well then, you should be a challenge as well!" the ninja continued. "Come and fight unless you want reconsider about taking the exams!"
"Iruka-sensei, I know it's you," Midori said, turning over onto her side and staring at him with a knowing expression on her face.
The ninja's shoulders drooped and a puff of smoke appeared. Iruka stood standing in the ninja's place. "Aw…I forgot you were from the other…universe. From what my other several kage bunshin gathered, Kyoko and Nami are fighting the 'rain nin' as we speak."
"But you're the original, huh?" Midori said. "Kyoko and Nami just want some fun."
"And you don't?"
"I don't want to fight if it isn't necessary," Midori said simply. "Peace is my game."
Iruka looked at her oddly then smiled. "I see. Yes, from the moment I saw you, I knew that you weren't as easily excited as your other two teammates...but you have to fight sometime, especially if you're entering the Chuunin Exams."
"I know that," Midori nodded. "But that's when the time comes. It isn't here yet, Iruka-sensei. And I promise you, I won't flake out."
"I hope so," Iruka said. "But are you sure you want to take the exams? After all, it would bad if you and your friends were…"
"No need to worry about that," Midori said, smilingly. "We're a capable group, even though we don't have any man-power."
"If you think so," Iruka said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with Kakashi."
Midori nodded. "You two have a bet?"
"…Maybe."
She smiled as the genial teacher disappeared.
---The Next Day---
After receiving her number, Midori walked to her seat, taking notice of where her teammates were. Nami was sitting some seats in front of her, then Kyoko a few seats away from Nami. She sighed. Knowing that the first test required pretty much nothing in Naruto's case, there was about a sixty-seven percent chance that her teammates would do nothing. However, if not only one but four papers (including Naruto's) were turned in blank…well, Ibiki would probably be able to piece together the parts of the puzzle. What to do…
As she pondered this, another person took a seat next to her, completely stopping her train of thought and making her feel oddly warm inside.
"Neji…" she whispered.
Neji, hearing his name, looked at her. "Oh. It's you."
Midori crumbled mentally. Some way to greet a person… "Good luck on the exam."
"Luck isn't needed for me," Neji stated.
Midori stared down at the blank side of her exam paper.
As Ibiki started to explain the rules of the exam, Nami balanced her pencil on the table idly. Keep blabbering, old man…she thought lazily. Man, rules are annoying. Her eyes drooped. I hate the first exam…
Tok.
"Huh? Wha?" Nami sat up in her seat, suddenly alert. She rubbed her forehead, feeling a bit of chalk dust. A white stick of chalk was rolling off the table.
"Pay attention! I'm only gonna explain this to you once!" Ibiki barked. "Lazy brats who don't care about things like this usually fail the first exam!"
Kyoko snickered quietly. She was sitting next to Temari. The first exam and she's already doomed to fail.
Nami glared at him. "Sorry, teach."
Ibiki grunted and turned back to the board. Little brat… Suddenly, he whirled around and dodged, just as the same piece of chalk hit the chalkboard.
Tok.
"Why you little…" Ibiki growled.
Nami yawned. "I noticed you were out of chalk and I happened to have some. No need to thank me." Smiling innocently, she rested her head on her arms.
"You're a disrespectful one. Therefore, you'll be starting the test thirty minutes after everyone else. I'll be watching you. Begin!" Ibiki ordered.
Sounds of rustling papers and tapping pencils rang throughout the room.
Nami glared at Ibiki with hatred. Ibiki only smiled evilly.
That idiot… Midori thought. I suppose that means Kyoko and I will have to pass the answers on to her in thirty minutes…
She looked down at her paper. Her face fell. No wonder everyone had to cheat…how could Sakura know this stuff?
Midori glanced at her teammates. Nami seemed to be trying to burn a hole in Ibiki head from across the room and Kyoko was hunched over, probably trying to figure out the answers to the questions.
Well, this isn't a good start, she thought.
Kyoko tapped her pencil to her head in frustration. I know this. I know this. I know this. I know this. I…crap! I don't know this! What am I gonna do? Gotta think…gotta think…Gotta…Gotta…Gaara…Kyoko's mind went blank for a second as her imagination drifted to the worshipping of her not-so-secret crush. A content expression crossed her face.
Ibiki, who had studied the looks of everyone in the room for the past few minutes stared at Nami, then Kyoko, then Midori. He had been told by one of the chuunin who were assisting him with the exam that those three were on the same team; all kunoichi. Let's see…one seems frustrated…that's normal…but then the other looks happy…odd…and the other is trying to burn a hole in my head, Ibiki thought, amused. Then he noticed the necklace hanging from Midori's neck and frowned. That's the Hikari Suishou…hm…so I have one of the five percent of Dokutsugakure's Hikari Clan that's still alive in my exam…interesting.
Midori closed her eyes. Meikakugan! Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing a different gaze. Her pupils had turned white and her irises had turned pure black. Midori felt her eyes pulse slightly. She stared forward, her eyes penetrating the air. Two seats forward and one seat right, she could spot a test with writing already written.
The writing started to get clearer, sharpening the image. She could read the writing perfectly and immediately began jotting it down.
Thank you, bloodline! Midori thought victoriously. Now…to get the info to Kyoko and Nami…
Nami sat idly in her chair. Her time limit was just about up. She eagerly watched the clock. She knew what she had to do, and she had to do it before she forgot.
There! Thirty minutes! Nami immediately grabbed her pencil and started scribbling on her paper.
Ibiki watched with interest. Hm…is she really that smart? Does she know the answers? Curiously, he walked around the room as if he were checking to see that no one was cheating. He passed the blond boy who was a complete wreck. The Uchiha didn't look busy; is paper was already finished. The pink-haired girl was inspecting her paper...He saw the white-eyed boy working on his, then the Hikari girl…
He turned a corner and passed by Nami, glancing down inconspicuously at her work. What he saw made his mouth gape open for a slight second.
She was writing—no, drawing on the...back of her test. And what was it she drew? A picture of the Uchiha boy…
Okay, so Ibiki had seen many tests with pictures of people who loved others on the back with hearts and stars and wedding processions, everything. But it seemed that Nami had other ideas.
There was a fairly-drawn Sasuke lying on the ground…with X eyes…in a pool of what looked to be blood…several kunai and shuriken stabbing into his backside…with Nami standing triumphantly above him.
Ibiki looked at the girl with a raised eyebrow, but passed by her quickly before she noticed him. That girl…there's something wrong with her…
So, I think I have a bit of explaining to do!
If I haven't mentioned before, I'll mention now. 'Hikari Suishou' means 'Light Crystal' if my bilingual dictionary is correct. More info about it will be mentioned later.
I made up Dokutsugakure a.k.a. the Village Hidden in the Caves (cheesy and cliche, I know) which is a village located in the small Light Country (don't hurt me) which is where Midori originated from. She's apart of the Hikari Clan and there will be more info on her background later...much later.
Meikakugan I got from "Meikaku" meaning "clear cut" or "precise" and stuck "gan" at the end. Meikakugan basically lets the user see a single object or area sharply. The only problem is when its activated, everything else turns blurry to enhance the desired spot. So its an imperfect Byakugan.
That's about it! Come back tomorrow for the next chapter, it'll be up! R&R please!
-HM