Disclaimer: All I own are the clothes on my back.
The Next Step
Four Konoha shinobi raced through Bird Country, ghost-like in their silence as they sliced through the tree tops. No leaves moved out of place, and no animals fled in fright. They were the best of the best; Konoha ANBU.
"Sempai… we have to stop. If we continue on, they will follow us back to the village… we can't let them know where we are from." Washi signaled.
"What do you suggest?" Kame replied.
"We must kill them." This came from Neko.
Kame sighed. He'd been hoping to avoid a fight, but the ANBU squad pursuing them were very skilled, and hadn't let up in their pursuit. In order to delay the war that was brewing on the horizon, those nin would have to die. It wasn't that he was hesitant to kill them; instead, he didn't know if his team would escape unscathed.
"Sempai? Washi and I have already devised a plan to use in this instance. In fact, the plan is already in action." Kaeru signaled.
"And you didn't tell me? Your captain?!" Kame exclaimed, foregoing the hand signals.
"There was not time, and we knew you would object. You and Ookami are not so different, in that regard." Kaeru supplies.
"You've been in this situation before." Kame stated plainly. He held in a sigh; it was for the best, he supposed. However skilled their opponents were, they were sure to lack the teamwork of his squad; despite the fact that they had neglected to inform him of their no doubt "diabolical" plan.
"Hai… but our opponents weren't as skilled." She paused, noticing Kame's unease. "Do not worry Sempai. There are five of them and four of us, but the numbers will be in our favor soon."
Kame glanced to his right, noting the position of their fourth member, Neko. She'd come a long way in her few years in ANBU, mostly because of Ookami's tutelage. She was the youngest of them, and the most deadly. And… she was a Kage Bunshin!
I've been slacking off in my training, not to notice that…
"So Neko is in or your little plan too?" He asked Kaeru.
"Hai."
"What is the plan?"
"We will stop." And they did. "In exactly twenty seconds the Iwa squad will be upon us. In the second before they demand our heads, Washi and Neko will attack the two weakest most vulnerable of the squad. They will not hold back."
And neither will I, Kame thought solemnly. The battle would be quick, and brutal.
((((((((((())))))))))))
"Sakura, eat your heart out."
Ami thought she looked good in her new clothes. It hadn't been her idea, but when she returned home, bruised, beaten, and hopeful, her Aunt had dragged her back out, saying that a "big ugly bandana" wasn't appropriate attire for a budding Kunoichi, and definitely not appropriate for a Mitarashi. Never mind that after the various wars they were the only Mitarashi left, never mind that their clan had been predominately male, never mind that she didn't give a flying fuck… but she didn't dare say no, as her Aunt was more than just unstable.
And so now Ami stood in her mirror, admiring herself. She wore a dark body suit, similar to the ANBU body suit; it was rather unremarkable now, but in a few years, when she started to fill it out…
The legs of the suit extended into her shinobi sandals. She was considerably more modest than Anko, so she threw a light colored hooded jacket over her ensemble; nowhere near as baggy as Hinata's jacket, but not as tight as her bodysuit either. It was the perfect blend between the two, but it was stylish as well, perfectly complementing her purple hair… not that she cared about those girly things. She had kunai and shuriken strapped everywhere; each thigh, her bellt, inside her sandals, and a kunai-bracelet on each wrist. Never would anyone say she wasn't prepared.
She finished her admiration, with almost twenty minutes to spare; she decided to take the scenic route to the training grounds and mentally prepare for what was sure to be hell on earth.
(((((((())))))))
Four Iwa ANBU landed in a semi-circle around the Konoha-nin, and for the first time Kame appreciated the ferocity of their masks. Snarling visages were painted upon the porcelain face plates, in contrast to the relatively calm faces upon the Konoha-nin's face plates.
The one furthest to the left opened his mouth, only for his head to roll off his shoulders and fall to the ground with a dull thud. There was a brief moment of stillness, each shinobi taking a second to marvel at the pure viciousness of that attack; and in that moment, another Iwa shinobi, directly in front of Kame, erupted in flames. The shinobi's scream's were cut short as a sword emerged from his chest, ending his agony.
"Scatter!" The Iwa squad leader commanded.
The three remaining shinobi made to get away, only for their ankles to be wrapped tightly by thorned vines. However, these three were more senior members of the corps, and managed to escape their entrapment before they could be disposed of, scattering into the trees.
"Kaeru, Washi, you two take the leader. Neko, you and I shall handle the others." The ANBU team dispersed into the shadows.
(((((((()))))))))
"Damn I look good!" Naruto said to himself, posturing in his bathroom mirror. Iruka and Mizuki had kept his personal preferences in mind when purchasing his equipment and clothing, but he had sensed a great deal of unease from Mizuki. He just chalked it up to the way in which he had fooled them and thought no more of it.
He wore navy knee length cargo shorts; both pockets had been filled with rows of shuriken. He had a matching vest; thin and durable, with a high collar. It had no pockets on the outside, but it did have a rather intricate design upon its back- a swirling pattern of vines that stretched across the garment. He wore the vest unzipped, showing off the short sleeve fleece underneath. It had light padded lining along the inside.
He completed the new ensemble with a few personal touches; bandages around his legs up to mid calf, and bandages around his arm and forearm. Instead of the traditional kunai pouch strapped to his thigh, he wore a belt lined with kunai. He didn't need many; he'd long since learned to make Shadow Clones of his kunai.
He figured he looked pretty badass without compromising his personal beliefs… he didn't understand why people believed ninja had to wear dark colors. In a world where most ninja could hear and smell as well as any animal, color's mattered very little. It was skill, not color, that mattered.
Naruto finished his posturing before leaving the bathroom, and eventually his apartment, with a few minutes to spare. Breakfast had been prepared and eaten hastily; fruit, cereal, and a tall glass of milk. Simple, but it got the job done.
Since his apartment was on the top floor, it was nothing to hop on the roof and dash off towards the training grounds.
"You are Konoha ANBU... I will take great pleasure in kiling you both."
The Iwa-nin was rather burly for a ninja, with broad shoulders and rippling muscles. His appearance alone was intimidating; tall and wide, and the snarling lion mask he wore did nothing to lessen his presence. Throw in a dash of cold rage and a heaping of killer intent, and a normal shinobi would be fleeing the scene.
Kaeru and Washi were not normal shinobi, however, and instead of fleeing, attacked.
Kaeru dashed at the burly ninja while Washi hung back in the shadows. She attacked head on, striking at his neck in a killing blow. The Iwa-nin knocked her hand aside, sending a massive fist deep into her stomach. Kaeru doubled over in pain, but latched onto his wrist, pushing fire aligned chakra into it. The man snarled, and backhanded her into a tree. As her back impacted the thick trunk, her body disappeared in a flash of fire.
"So you are the one known as Kaira? The Heart of Konoha? Your ability with Katon is noted even in Iwa." The man spoke, his voice deep and rough. "I will be praised greatly for killing you."
"You still think you will leave here alive?" Kaeru, or rather, Kaira whispered, her voice floating over a cool breeze. "You must know, that the heart holds sorrow, and sorrow brings tears… no, my friend… it is you who will die here today."
"… the Tears of Konoha… fuck." The big Iwa-nin lost some of his composure. These two nin were lesser known than the other surviving heroes of the Iwa-Konoha war, but they were just as deadly, if not more so.
"Yes… fuck indeed." Washi announced, launching her Kodachi at the Iwa-nin's back.
The man seemed to flinch, and a wall of rock rose up behind him, blocking the sword. He turned to face Washi, a jutsu on his tongue, but no one was there. A second before his skull was shattered, he ducked under a flying kick from Kaira, only to catch an uppercut from Washi. He was barely affected by the attack, shrugging off the solid blow, but had to dodge a stream of fire rocketing towards his face. He rolled to the side, trying to keep the two Konoha ANBU in his vision, but Washi slipped away.
Fuck!… they are a perfect team… alone, I could defeat each of them, but together…
His thoughts were cut short as his back was blasted with a highly pressurized thin jet of water. It bore into his back like a dull blade; not sharp enough to puncture skin, but painful enough to deter him long enough for Kaira to attack again with Katon jutsu.
"Katon: Karyuu Endan!"
The Iwa-nin flashed through hand seals with lightning speed, sinking into the ground with only inches to spare him from certain death.
"Hmm… Dochuu Senkou. Washi?"
"You can probably call me by my true name now, Kaira…"
It was well known that Kosame had amazing ability with water jutsu, but bingo books often overlooked her proficiency with earth jutsu.
She made the necessary hand seals, then called out, "Doryuu Katsu!"
The earth began to split, revealing the Iwa-nin hiding in the ground. Not wasting time, he rushed into action, launching himself at Kosame. She was vulnerable as long as she had her hand on the ground, and even if she removed it from the ground, the quick cut off of chakra would leave her disoriented for a split second. Imagine his surprise then, while in mid leap, his torso fell away from his legs with a sickening squelch.
The Iwa-nin fell to undisturbed earth, eyes wide in shock. A resilient ninja, he had a few seconds left before hell claimed him. Kaira walked over to his bleeding torso, looking down at his face, pity evident in her features.
"It was all genjutsu, my friend. From the moment I burned your wrist… that was the catalyst, you see. "
"H-how? I am… e-elite…"
"A two-headed beast is far more complex than the single-headed one. The same is said for genjutsu."
"What is your name, Iwa shinobi?" Kosame jumped in.
"O-o-oushi… Ganjou…" And the Iwa squad leader died.
Kame was frustrated. Very frustrated. The nin he was fighting just happened to by a Taijutsu specialist, and he could not get away to utilize his best ability; ninjutsu. Instead of the fight being over relatively quickly, which was his intent, he was forced to duck and dodge punch after punch after kick.
Neko was performing much better; her opponent was another Kenjutsu specialist, but not nearly as talented; as such, the nin had nicks and cuts everywhere along his body, though he hadn't slowed… much.
Kame didn't want to have to wait for Kaeru and Washi to assist them; they needed to be gone, and quickly, less an Ame squad of nin wandered upon them, or worse, a back-up squad from Iwa. That would be beyond disastrous, especially given the nature of their mission.
Kame was rewarded with a solid kick to his chest for his thoughts, and as he flew towards a tree, he wondered why he hadn't allowed himself to get hit earlier. His opponent, instead of pressing the attack, went to assist his comrade. It would be his death.
"Jubaku no Jutsu." Kame whispered, before he impacted the tree.
As the Iwa-nin attacked Neko, her previous opponent has ensnared by writhing tree beams growing from the ground. As he was no longer a threat, Neko met Kame's opponent with a sword thrust instead of an unprotected back, forcing the Iwa Taijutsu user to redirect himself right into a waiting mass of tree limbs. He was trapped just as quickly as his comrade, and killed with the same extreme prejudice. It was nothing to make the trees squeeze tighter, turning the defensive "tree restraints" into an offensive "strangle Iwa-nin no jutsu."
"He almost had you, Kame-senpai."
"That's what I wanted you to think."
"… Hn."
((((((()))))))
Ami met Naruto on the way to Training Ground 13; she had left home much earlier, but Naruto had been running full speed to make it on time. They both raised eyebrows at the other's new wardrobe, but said nothing. They walked in silence, each mentally preparing themselves for what was sure to be an eventful day. It was the first day of advanced genin training, and neither genin held any illusion's that such training would be anything near leisurely.
True to his word, Genma was waiting for them in the center of the clearing, senbon in mouth instead of grass. The hokage couldn't say that made no sense… he was a ninja, after all, and ninja used senbon.
"Good morning." Genma greeted, smiling.
"Good morning, Sensei." Naruto and Ami intoned together.
"I'll skip the rest of the pleasantries and get right into it. The both of you have fairly good bases to build from; what we will be doing from today till next month is giving you very good bases to build from. I will train you in chakra control, I will refine your Taijutsu, I will challenge your intelligence, I will build your ninjutsu repertoire… increase your speed, your power… you will be better in every aspect. This training will be hard. It will be difficult. It will be the most tiring, soul-draining endeavor you have ever encountered… if you do not intend to give your all, leave now… for if you don't, I will kill you. Am I clear?"
"Hai."
"Good. First off… have either of you done the tree climbing exercise?"
Ami shook her head no as Naruto shook his head yes.
"You do? Then why the theatrics on the Hokage Monument yesterday? You could've easily walked down the side."
"… I just like the thrill. The adrenaline rush… it's exhilarating."
"I bet it is." Genma muttered under his breath. "Anyway, make a clone, and show Ami how."
"Yessir." A second later, Ami and a clone of Naruto were on the edge of the clearing, the clone instructing the girl in the art of tree climbing.
"Have you discovered the secret to Kage Bunshin?"
Naruto nodded, pointing at his head, "Yep. They share memories."
"And how is this beneficial?"
"I could virtually learn in a month what it takes some ninja year to learn."
"Correct… but most ninja cannot use that aspect of the Kage Bunshin. Any idea why?"
"Chakra drain. I have more chakra than most, so I can utilize the technique to the extreme."
"Correct again. Some jounin could get away with training with a few clones every couple of days to decrease training time, but they could never take it to the extent that you."
"Do a lot of shinobi use the Kage Bunshin that way?"
"All of the Konoha shinobi who are able. Myself, the various Hokage's, numerous jounin, and by extent some ANBU… all one needs is a high amount of chakra. I learned in six years what it would take another twelve. You can learn in six months what it would take me six years… do you understand the magnitude of this? You are the perfect student, Uzumaki, and it is up to you to keep Ami up to your level." He stopped at the stricken look on Naruto's face. "She is your teammate, boy… you can not be one whole if you are unequal."
"How am I supposed to accomplish that? If I can learn things a thousand times fast than she can, how can we stay equal?"
Genma shrugged. "You cannot learn everything using this method. Ninjutsu, maybe Taijutsu, but that is all. However, before any of that starts, I will train your body and your minds. I will force you to move faster, react quicker, and think while you act."
"So when it comes time to learn Ninjutsu…"
"She may actually have an easier time."
"What? How?"
"Because she is nearly done with the tree walking exercise, and we've only been talking for a few minutes, at best."
"What?!"
Naruto turned to see Ami nearly at the top of the tree. Apparently he was a very good teacher… but that was probably because he understood the "technique" on a very personal level; he'd had to nearly teach himself, after all.
"Wow… so my Kage Bunshin will really just be enabling me to keep up with her, ay?"
"In some instances, yes."
"So… how does all this work? I mean… does anyone else do this training?"
"No. The majority of genin teams do team-building missions. Since your class was so full of clan ninja, they will be receiving training in their clans techniques on the side, but the time they spend with their Jounin-sensei's will be strictly team building, for the most part."
"So why are we being given this privilege?"
"Because there are only two of you. With amazing teamwork, three exceptional genin can, theoretically, defeat an average Jounin. Therefore, two exceptional chuunin can, theoretically, defeat an elite jounin. Two genin… two genin are worthless, no matter the theoretical situation. All of the genin from your class are exceptional, so with teamwork, they can become more useful to the village that much faster. I have to get you two up to chuunin level in all aspects of shinobi-hood,"
"Shinobi-hood? That ain't a w-"
Genma slapped Naruto and continued talking. "And then, you two will be useful to the village. That means a month of advanced genin training."
Naruto glared at his sensei, but made no move to retaliate. "Okay …that makes sense."
((((((()))))))
The two genin collapsed to the ground in a tangle of sweaty limbs ad bruised skin, each so beyond tired that it hurt to think. Genma had a very unique way of training. He forced them to move faster by attacking them without restraining his speed. He forced them to think faster by attacking them without restraining his speed. He forced them to work together by attacking them… period.
He noticed that Naruto was adapting quicker, and remembered what the Hokage had told him. The Sandaime had surmised that it was the Kyuubi; in order to avoid anything potentially fatal, the Kyuubi sped up the chemical processes in Naruto's body that increased muscle reaction, among other things. He, the Hokage, noted that Naruto had excellent coordination and could prefectly mimicked what he saw, if and only if he had seen it enough times.
Ami was no slouch, however; she was just so damned graceful! She was a quicker thinker than Naruto, and what she lacked in speed and strength and chakra she made up for with control, viciousness, and drive. Naruto wanted to be great, but he was in no hurry; Ami knew she was at a disadvantage, and was striving to be better faster.
Genma figured that in a month Naruto would be well on his way to powerhouse status, but Ami would have to find other avenues to invest her time in. Genjutsu and medical jutsu came to mind. She had well enough control, and more than enough drive. If she went far enough in those disciplines, he had no doubt that the girl would be able to match Naruto.
"What are your goals?" He asked them.
"... I don't know." Naruto began. "I want to be important, I want to be powerful... I want to protect those who lack the means to protect themselves... but only if they want to protect themselves."
"Ami?"
"I... I want to be the greatest ninja of all time." She mumbled painfully, blushing.
"Oh? Not making the distinction between shinobi and kunoichi?" Genma asked.
"No, and I never will. Death makes no distinction... neither shall I."
"...You both did good for today… tomorrow, same time." And with that, he was gone.
"Godamn masochist!! I'm fucking bleeding!" Naruto yelled, wincing as he did. He'd never felt so abused in his life.
"I'm with you." Ami whispered painfully. "One hundred percent, I'm with you."
"Review?"
"No… can't think."
"Me either."
"Plan?"
"Lay here. I'll be good in a few minutes… then I'll carry you to the ramen stand for…" Naruto trailed off, looking up into the darkening sky. "Dinner."
"Oh? How's that? You took the same beating I did."
"… I'll tell you, one day."
"Tomorrow?"
"… no."
"Day after?"
"…no."
"Day after that?"
"No dammit!"
"Then when?!" She yelled, grimacing when she did.
"In a month… I'll tell you in a month."
"Alright. I'm holding you to that."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever."
((((((()))))))
In the end, Naruto didn't have to carry Ami to the ramen stand. Instead, she limped along in his wake, bedraggled and oh so very tired. Along the way, the two genin ran into Team Kurenai. The Hyuuga was absent, but Kiba and Shino stood together in front of Sashimi, a sushi spot just a scant distance from Ichiraku.
"Naruto!" Kiba called, tapping Shino on the shoulder. He grinned at Naruto, who waved back tiredly.
"Hey Kiba." He replied, much more subdued. "Shino." He said, nodding in the taller boys direction. Shino nodded back, every bit the silent and mysterious type.
"Who's that with you? Is that… Ami? She looks like shit!"
If that had been the morning, or even the day before, Ami would've clocked Kiba for his insult; but instead she just grunted, leaning against Naruto's back.
"Ease up, Kiba. We've had a long day."
"So, you've started those worthless D-rank missions to, eh?"
"… something like that, only worse."
"What could possibly be worse than D-rank missions?" the stoic Aburame inquired.
"You don't want to know." Ami mumbled in reply, sighing deeply.
Kiba shuddered in reply. "So, who's your third teammate?"
"Some guy named Genma." Naruto answered. "He's pretty decent, but he wasn't in our class."
"Yeah, I figured that…" Kiba trailed off, thinking of all the things he and Naruto used to pull together. "Those were the days, eh? Dropping boiling water on Mizuki-sensei, cutting the seat out of Iruka-sensei's pants…"
"Ruining Sakura's birthday celebration?" Ami piped in, her mood considerably brightened by that particular memory. Naruto frowned in recollection.
"I didn't like that one so much. It took her mother a week to get the smell out of Sakura's hair. That was why I liked her. Her hair always smelled good, and it was such a delicious color."
Shino couldn't tell if Naruto was serious, or just being an asshole."
"But you have to admit," Ami began,
"That it was fucking awesome!" Kiba ended. The two genin laughed, though Ami's was more like a pained chuckle.
Naruto smiled as well, though his smile was not of the "haha" variety. It was more of the "I'm going to kick Kiba's ass" variety. "You idiot's still remember that? Kami, how old were we, seven, eight?"
"We were seven," Kiba supplied. "I remember it perfectly. It was where we got the idea for the rotten sewage bomb."
Shino coughed. "That… that was you?"
"Yep," Naruto answered proudly.
"Well anyway," Kiba started again. "Ami had found this old rotten bird egg on her window seal."
"The egg had baked in the sun for so long, the poor little bird inside cooked alive." Ami joined in.
"So, her idea was fairly simple; tie several fire crackers to the egg and let it explode in the middle of class." This was Kiba.
"But," and here Naruto sighed. "We got the wrong type of firecracker. They exploded in a quarter of the time we thought they would."
"So when Naruto lit the fuse,"
"The egg exploded in his face!"
Kiba started to laugh, but the frown on Naruto's face was more than enough to deter him.
"That wasn't funny!"
"But you have to admit," Kiba began.
"It was fucking awesome!" Ami ended.
I wonder would I get caught if I killed them, Naruto mused quietly.
"As much as I love catching up, we've got a dinner date. Kiba, Shino, until next time."
And with that he slapped each genin on the shoulder, Ami bid her farewells, and Team Genma continued on to Ichiraku Ramen.
((((((()))))))
"So the mission was a success, I presume?" Sarutobi asked, puffing his pipe.
"Hai Hokage-sama." Tenzou replied stiffly, his chest still sore.
"And?"
Tenzou nodded grimly.
His ANBU team stood in formation in the Hokage's office, giving their mission report. Everyone had taken off their masks, and much to his chagrin, he was the only one who appeared to have been in a fight.
Sarutobi took another puff, exhaling the smoke slowly. He reclined back in his chair, sighing.
"They are forcing our hand, it seems… what would you have me do, Tenzou?"
Tenzou did not speak for several moments, thinking deeply on the very, very important question.
"We can do little but prepare, sir. Our shinobi forcers are bolstered by several high-level ninja, but if we are to survive what is coming, we will need more."
Sarutobi nodded sagely, agreeing with Tenzou whole heartedly. "Kosame, Kaira, find Jiraiya, see what he knows… and for the love of Kami, hold your tempers!"
Kaira and Kosame shared a look before nodding in acquiescence.
"I know he's a perverted old codger, but he is also my second-ranking ninja… my personal kage, if you will. Just… keep your distance, if at all possible."
"Hai Hokage-sama."
The two women slipped out of the office immediately, as silent in their exit as they were in there entrance. The Hokage turned his attention back to Tenzou.
"You are dismissed. You have two days off, the both of you. Don't waste them."
The usually stoic Yuugao cracked a miniscule smile before bowing and slipping out of the office. Tenzou took a seat across from the Hokage's desk.
"Sir, if you don't mind me asking… what's to happen now?"
The Hokage didn't speak for a long time, instead opting to refill his pipe. Tenzou waited patiently, this time with the aging Hokage a precious thing that could not be sullied.
"We will prepare as best we can… as best as we can."
((((((()))))))
"You know, this… grovel is actually pretty good." Ami said around a mouthful of ramen noodles.
Naruto sat to her left, engrossed in his own bowls. "I mean, it's really soft, like baby food, but has a real intense flavor. Kind of like-"
"Will you shut up?! Fuck! You've been talking the entire time. Shut up and eat!"
Ami glanced at Naruto, affronted. "Fuck you Naruto."
"Fuck you too."
They sat quietly for a few more moments - enough time to finish their meals.
"So," Ami began, female insecurities baring their head, "do you think this will all work out?"
Naruto didn't reply for a while, content to sit and be still after an entire day of constant moving. "Just… stop worrying about it, alright? I'm great, you're good- we'll be fine. And, Genma's training schedule-plan-thingy is pretty damn sound."
"Your articulateness ("that's not a word!") amazes me." Ami deadpanned. "But yeah, it is sound. Very fundamentally sound. Build a solid base, then specialize…"
"Should be fucking fun."
"If you call honest to god tort-"
"Naruto! Buddy! How've ya been?" Team Genma's post meal contemplations were interrupted by a happy, grinning Ino.
"Oh lord." Ami groaned.
Naruto perked up, but only a little. Ino was pleasant company… sometimes, but right now he really just wanted to go home and sleep. He turned to face her. "I'm fine, Ino. You just saw me yesterday."
"Yeah, but I haven't seen you today." Ino said in the most annoyingly girlish fashion possible. Then, she glanced over at Ami and scowled. "…Ami."
"Bibo."
Ino's scowl deepened. "I really can't stand you."
"I love you too, Bibo." Before Ino could retort, Naruto reached a hand up and put it over her mouth.
"Just let it go." He said seriously, addressing both Ami and Ino.
Ino shook off Naruto's hand, still scowling at Ami. "I'll talk to you later Naruto… tell your pet monkey she should mind her betters." Naruto chuckled, and Ami grew angry.
"I'm three seconds away from kicking your ass, Bibo… I suggest you leave." Ino knew that Ami would follow on her threat, or atleast try too, and wisely walked away, but not before blowing a childish raspberry.
Naruto and Ami soon followed, leaving the Ramen stand to return to their respective homes.
"I still don't see why you guys hate each other. You're both fucking insane. You should be best buds!"
Ami didn't even react to the insane comment; she'd been hearing it from Naruto since she was eight."I don't hate Ino, silly boy. She's one of my best friends!"
"Oh really now?"
"… no, of course not. That bitch really gets under my skin… maybe it's her hair, or her blaring girly-ness, or that god awful grating whine she calls a voice… how did you two become friends anyway? I never really paid attention back at the academy."
"Because I put up with her loopiness, and I'm handsome, funny, dashing, charming, and generally unbelievably amazing. That, and one day I died Sakura's hair neon green. Her mother washed it out before class, but Ino saw it. Ever since then, she's been friendly." Ami laughed long and hard at that before bidding Naruto farewell.
Read. Review. Enjoy! Next Chapter: Humor, drama, and action.
I appreciate the reviews, I really do, even if I don't say it.