"How much longer" Ichiro whined, while tree hoping with his family through the forest. They had been at this for hours, he wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was beginning to miss the desert.
"We're almost there!" Sakura chimed, getting more and more excited with each passing of a branch. "We'll be at the gates in a few minutes!"
Gaara smiled seeing how eager Sakura was. She always got like this when she visited Konoha. Suna was her village now, but Konoha would always be her home.
"I have to meet up with Naruto when we get there, to discuss the Chunin Exams." Gaara informed Sakura.
"Im coming, too. I haven't seen that dolt in so long." She chuckled to herself, reminiscing the many bashings over the head she was infamous for giving her friend.
After about 10 minutes, the gang began to make their way towards the gate. Sakura had a huge smile on her face, she was finally home.
Ichiro caught sight of the ramen shop and saw the red ends of the Hokage robes. "Naruto-sama." He whispered to himself, he began to run through the gate when he was grabbed by a guard.
"Do you have identification, son?" the guard asked suspiciously.
Ichiro looked shocked for two reasons. One: this man had called him 'son'. And, two: he actually put his hands on him. "Yea, I've got your identification! The name's Sabuka no Ichiro!" he said, yanking his arm out of the guards grasp, nearly causing the guard to lose his balance.
"Hm…" the guard said looking down at him, as if inspecting his face to see any trace of a lie.
"Can I go now or what? I'm with the Kazekage." Ichiro glared.
The guards face suddenly perked up. "Oh! You're the Kazekage's son! Hokage-sama was expecting you all, follow me." The guard explained apologetically and began to walk towards the ramen stand. By now, Gaara, Temari, Sakura, and Koji had made it up to the gate and were following Ichiro who had a smirk on his face.
"Hokage-sama?" the guard asked, not looking under the curtain in the shop.
"Yea?" the older, yet still raspy voice came out behind the curtain.
Gaara smiled and answered, "You have visitors, Hokage-sama."
The sounds of noodles being slurped by the man ceased immediately, and he jumped from his stool and peeked under the curtain.
"GAARA!" Naruto screamed, nearly glomping his best friend.
Wow, he didn't even try to sound official. Gaara thought.
After Naruto bear hugged Gaara, he opened his eyes and saw pink. "SAKURA! It's been too long!" he screamed and hugged Sakura.
"Naruto!" Sakura screamed, overjoyed. She returned his hug back at him, nearly breaking his bones.
"Ah! AAH! Hehehe, ok ok Sakura! Let go!" Naruto tried to assure calmly, patting his former teammates back.
"Oh, sorry…where's Hinata?" Sakura blushed at her strength.
"Spending the afternoon with TenTen, I believe. Said something about clothes shop-HOLY HELL ARE THESE THE BOYS?!" Naruto bellowed, grabbing his head.
Gaara winced at the blonde's sudden change in the sentence. He never did have a good attention span.
Naruto looked down at Gaara's spitting images and gasped. "Koji! Ichiro! How've you two been?!"
"Good until your guard hassled me." Ichiro scoffed, glaring daggers at the guard that was still behind him.
"Haha, good ol' Ichiro! How are you Koji?" Naruto asked, smile stretching across his ears.
"Fine." Koji replied with a smile.
"Well, that's great! You guys want some ramen?! My treat!" Naruto beamed, practically shaking from excitement.
"No thanks, Naruto. We ate lunch a while ago. We're just gonna get these two ready for the fight. Cmon-…where's Temari?" Sakura asked, befuddled.
"She left as soon as we entered the gate." Koji explained slowly. Why was he always the one to notice little things?
"Must've been in more of a hurry to see Shikamaru then we thought." Gaara whispered to Sakura, who giggled at the thought.
The Next Day
Ichiro's POV
I wake up to the smell of mom's cooking from downstairs. Smells like eggs, burnt toast, bacon and lots of coffee for dad. I open my eyes and things are still blurry. After my eyes adjust to the light, Im shocked to find I'm not in the desert. After a few seconds I remember that we made it to Konoha, and I was in Naruto-sama's guest room.
After I stretch and yawn for the hundredth time, I get out of the bed and walk over to the calendar and my eyes instantly jerk open.
"The day of the exam!!"
I begin to furiously throw on my clothes and gather my things. I strap on my black sandals, throw on my black cargo pants with my kunai pouch strapped to the left side. Then I put on my mesh shirt, my dark blue jacket and tied my Sand Village forehead protector around my right arm.
"Let's do this." I smirk.
Koji's POV
I'm sitting on my bed kicking my legs from atop the edge of the bed. I've been sitting this way for 2 hours now. I'm too nervous to eat, and Ichiro's not up yet so I can't talk to anyone. All I can do is wait. Wait for this fight to see if I'm able to be called a Chunin. There's no doubt in my mind that Ichiro will win, but what about me? There's a lot of intimidating competition that I saw while being registered yesterday. I keep hearing Ichiro's voice, telling me not to worry, but I keep doubting myself.
"Koji! Get ready, we're leaving soon!" my mom screams from downstairs.
I hear my brother run down the stairs, "I'm ready mom! I'm ready to become a Chu-AAH!" there was a loud thud and a crash. I sigh, realizing he's fallen down the stairs…again.
I get up and put on my black sandals, then my gray shorts and I strap my kunai pouch to my right arm. I put on a white t-shirt and zip up my black jacket. I grab my small gourd in the corner of the room and swing it over my shoulder, put on my fingerless black gloves and tie my forehead protector onto the top of my head and take a look in the mirror. I sigh, shake my head slightly to rid myself of my nerves, and form a hand sign and I'm enveloped by sand, then I appear in the kitchen next to my mom and Ichiro.
"It would be smart to save your chakra, Koji. Cmon, your father's already down there with Naruto." My mom said, rushing at us both to hurry our pace.
Once we get there, I immediately spot Naruto-sama and dad. They're seated together next to other 'important people' and it looks like Naruto-sama's talking up a storm while dad has his head rested on his hand, looking bored.
The announcer calls all of the fighters forward and mom goes to sit beside dad. Ichiro gives me a nudge and smirks at me. A way to tell me to relax. I hear the announcer call a name.
"Let the Chunin Exams begin! First up: Tsuneo Yaka vs. Sabaku no Koji"
A large looking boy steps up, he's at least 16, with long black hair and piercing red eyes. He takes his place at the end of the arena and I gulp.
Normal POV
Everyone in the arena cheers as the names were called. Tsueno cracks his huge knuckles and grins at the now pale Koji as he steps forward.
Sakura looked worriedly at Gaara, and Gaara looked over and gave her a small smile. "He'll be fine, Sakura, he's ready." He said, no sound of doubt heard in his voice. Sakura sighed and smiled then looked back at her son.
"Now, if someone looks like they can't continue the fight, I will stop it. Other than that, that's all. Ready?" the announcer asked, looking at both boys. Both boys nodded and the announcer jumped back to safety and screamed "Begin!"
As soon as the announcer screamed this, Tsueno's fingertips began to glow blue with chakra. The blue glow, then turned into blue strings, forming chakra needles at the edges of his fingers. The boy withdrew his hand behind him as if he were about to throw something, then Koji gasped realizing what was happening and lept out of the way before it was too late. Tsueno swung his hand out and the chakra needles flew towards Koji in all directions, but he managed to dodge them all.
The cork plugging in Koji's gourd popped off and sand zoomed toward his opponent quickly, grabbing his feet, then squirming up his legs, then his chest, the only thing the sand didn't cover was Tsueno's head and left arm. Koji began to slowly clamp his hand shut, putting pressure onto Tsueno's body forcing him to groan slightly. Tsueno then flew his left arm back and swung the chakra needles towards Koji, stabbing him twice in the stomach.
Koji let out a small howl of pain as the long needles stuck out of his back. He wanted to pass out from the pain, but if he would do that, he would lose, he had the advantage he had to finish what he started. He began to enclose his palm once more, causing a scream to float from Tsueno's lips. Tsueno's fingertips lit up again and chakra strings attached themselves to the needles. Tsueno pushed his arm forward slightly, causing the needles to move even further into Koji's stomach. Koji let out a loud scream of pain as beads of sweat beat down his face, and he clamped his hand shut again, as Tsueno howled in pain. The question is who was going to give up first?
Gaara grabbed his arm rest so hard that his knuckles turned white. He hated seeing his son in pain, but there was nothing he could do. Sakura was beside him, her gaze not tearing away from her son, but quietly chanting "Cmon, cmon, cmon!"
After another minute of pain, Tsueno raised his only available arm and screamed "I give up!" and a few seconds after that fainted from the lack of oxygen reaching his brain.
Koji heard the plea, he heard the applause and he felt his face form a smile, before he too, blacked out.
Gaara let out the loudest sigh he had ever formed. He wasn't even aware he had been holding his breath. Sakura jumped up and screamed "YAY! THAT'S MY BOY!!" Ichiro did the same, only replacing 'boy' with 'brother'.
After 3 other fights, one resulting in a broken spine, the announcer read off the next name on the list. "The next fight up is: Rei Suzonu vs. Sabaku no Ichiro!"
"Yea! Bout time!!" Ichiro screamed so loud it made Gaara chuckle. Ichiro jumped over the railing into the arena and readied himself for the fight.
"So, where's my opponent? He'd better get ready!" he warned aloud, stretching his arms.
"What makes you so certain it's a he?" a voice called. Ichiro turned around to see a girl with chestnut brown hair and emerald green eyes.
"You gonna stand there with your mouth open all day, or you gonna fight?" she smirked.
This has to be the longest chapter to a story I have EVER written. I just got so into it. Ill update soon! Hope you enjoy it! Please review thanks :)