Rin: -sigh- No reviews yet. I'm really disappointed actually. I thought I would at least have one review before I put this chapter up. I guess you can't always get what you want, can you? Hah. I'm only realizing this now? How sad my existence is. Anyways, I don't know how everyone received the new story, so I don't know how to improve it. At least I know that my story won't come up if you type in worst fan fiction ever on Google.
Disclaimer: Anything Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto-sensei. I own Aiki, Isuzu, Kaien, and Kikyo.
Morning came and Aiki and Isuzu were sitting quietly at the gates of Kumogakure. There was a light fog and the air was cool. Both of them had their backpacks packed and set aside. Aiki was pacing impatiently and Isuzu was sitting, her back leaning against a tree.
"Argh, why did I wake us up so early?" Aiki groaned.
"Don't ask me," Isuzu muttered, taking out an orange book from her pouch. She flipped it open and began to read. Aiki paced a little longer, then knelt down beside her sister to see what book she was reading.
"Why are you always reading this?" Aiki asked, snatching the book out of Isuzu's hands.
"Icha Icha Paradise again?" she asked. Isuzu leapt to her feet and held her hand out for Aiki to put the book back. Isuzu frowned. She didn't like it when Aiki interrupted her reading.
"Izu, you know that this book is for adults only, right?" Aiki inquired, putting the book back in Isuzu's hands.
"I know! Why do you think I had to use the Transformation Jutsu to actually buy it?" Isuzu shouted, clutching the book to her chest. Isuzu remembered when she first read the orange book.
She had accidentally stumbled across it in library and read the first chapter before she was caught and the book was thrown away. Isuzu was so touched by the writer's prose that she managed to find it in the bookstore, after many weeks of searching. It was stuck in an adults' only section, so she used the Transformation Jutsu to buy it.
"It's so," Aiki snorted, "perverse, for lack of a better word."
"I read this book, but I found the author's very first book, and that very first one blew me away," Isuzu said dreamily. "He is a genius!" Aiki could only roll her eyes.
"Good morning my lovely pupils," an excited voice shouted. Isuzu hurriedly put her book away in her pouch and went over to pick up her backpack. Aiki went and slung her backpack over her right shoulder. She adjusted a bobby pin and smiled.
"Late night with Jaeru?" Aiki smirked. Kikyo laughed heartily and shook her head.
"She definitely kept me up though," Kaien mumbled. His grey eyes were lined with signs of sleep deprivation.
"Mom kept on snoring, as usual," Kaien continued. Isuzu chuckled and put on her backpack.
"Time to go to Konoha," Kikyo shouted.
"I guess we are the only genin from Kumo going then," Aiki muttered.
"That's right," Kikyo yelled.
"You have the passes, right Mom?" Kaien asked nervously.
"I made sure to pack them last night," Kikyo smiled. "They're in my pouch."
"We're wasting precious sunlight," Isuzu commented, the light becoming checkered across the sky. The four shinobi then sprinted off in the direction of Konoha.
They arrived in Konoha later than week. Apparently all of the foreign genin had to share a large building, something like a hotel. Each room had three small bedrooms, one for each person in the cell and a small common room. Kikyo was told that in a letter. They went into their respective bedrooms and set their things down. Aiki instantly collapsed on the bed and drifted off into a sleep. A dream came to her closed eyes.
"With the way things are going, we might have to pass the clan leadership on to Aiki," it was her father speaking.
"But Isuzu is the older of the two," their grandfather said.
"Yes, but you saw what Aiki can do. She was able to summon Kyo in the matter of a week after making the contract. Plus, Isuzu is still struggling with the simple Kuchiyose," their father stated.
When Aiki opened her eyes, it was late at night. She didn't want to reiterate the things she had overheard her father and grandfather speaking about the week before they had left. Aiki also didn't want to be responsible for the clan. Isuzu had always been excited about being older and being able to take over the clan. Aiki sat up groggily and massaged her temples. She had yet to tell her twin of their father's plans for the next clan leader. Aiki slipped out of her bedroom and to the window of the common room. The moon light shone down on her face. Aiki smiled and then sighed. Throwing open the shutters, she stood on the windowsill and hopped onto the roof.
"The moon is pretty,
See the stars shine in envy,
A competition," Aiki recited. She sighed again and clambered up to the peak of the roof. Aiki took a seat and continued to gaze at the moon. She reached into her pouch and pulled out a small black book. She flipped through it and found the poem she had just recited.
"Heh, I don't know why, but I always remember this one," she said. Something began to slither on her left wrist. Aiki put the book away and looked at her wrist.
"Sand?" she muttered. She tried to brush it away, but it only tightened.
"What the," Aiki muttered.
"Who are you?" A low voice asked.
"Well maybe you would like to show me your face," Aiki said sarcastically.
"Answer my question, or I'll kill you," the voice muttered. The voice made Aiki's heart pump. The sand began to move up her arm.
"Nekoshi Aiki, of the Nekoshi clan, from Kumogakure, genin," Aiki shouted. "Now would you care to show me your face and tell me your name?" There was a steady silence before Aiki could hear the sound of footsteps on the rooftop. It was a boy, crimson hair, no eyebrows, and turquoise eyes with signs of insomnia. He wore a black shirt, a long white sash going on way, a brown buckled sash with his headband tied around it at the bottom. He carried a beige gourd on his back. It bore the symbol of Sunagakure.
"Are you a genin?" Aiki asked. A slight breeze blew and Aiki noticed the tattoo of the kanji for love over his left eye.
"Sabaku no Gaara, from Sunagakure, genin," he said soberly.
"What do you want exactly?" Aiki inquired.
"I want," Gaara muttered, "you blood." Aiki flinched, but then her heart went back to normal rhythm. If she were killed, then only Isuzu would be able to take over.
"I won't go down without a fight," Aiki said. The sand then flew away from her wrist. Aiki stopped for a second.
"You letting me go?" she asked nervously.
"No," Gaara answered. "If you try to run, then I won't hesitate to kill you."
"Fun-tas-tic-al," Aiki groaned. Gaara glared daggers at the silver-haired girl, but they simply bounced off. She took out some shuriken and threw them at Gaara. He didn't move an inch and the sand protected him.
"Huh," she muttered, "I guess that weapons won't work." Aiki then took out a scroll, the one she was going to use during the last practice fight. She knew that this wasn't practice and that she could really get killed. The sand rushed from Gaara's gourd and then attacked Aiki. She hopped out of the way, careful not to waste any energy. She did some signs and then unrolled the scroll. She poured her lightning type chakra into the scroll and out appeared a cat that glowed with a soft blue light.
"Denki no Neku Jutsu: Art of the Electrical Cat," she said. She pointed to Gaara and signaled for it to attack. The cat immediately charged at Gaara. There was a bright illumination and then Aiki smirked. There was a thick haze from the destruction.
"Heh," Aiki explained, "that cat is entirely made up of lightning chakra. Smarts, doesn't it? If you are able to speak and not paralyzed."
"I didn't feel a thing," Gaara's voice said darkly, a slight bit of amusement in it. The haze began to clear and Gaara stepped out, unscathed.
"No way," Aiki gasped.
"Was that your best?" Gaara asked, a crazed grin growing on his face.
"Damn you," Aiki whispered. The sand billowed around the boy. Kikyo then appeared in between the two genin.
"Kikyo-sensei," Aiki whispered. Kikyo flashed Aiki a trademark smile.
"Go back into your room," she ordered. Aiki shook her head. Kikyo sighed.
"Then stay here until I finished talking to him," she smiled. Kikyo then strode over to Gaara. He just folded his arms and glared at Kikyo.
"Sabaku no Gaara, I presume?" Kikyo inquired. The redheaded youth simply nodded. Aiki was at a distance so that she couldn't hear the words being exchanged, but she could see their lips moving.
"Though you are the Kazekage's son, I, who was originally from Suna, won't tolerate my protégés being killed," Kikyo smiled, leaning in closer that her lips were hidden from Aiki's view. "I know that Baki wouldn't like it if you drew attention to yourself."
"Do you know what's going on?" Gaara asked threatingly.
"Yes, but beside that fact, I wouldn't kill her if I were you," Kikyo told him.
"Why not?" asked Gaara.
"Oh, I think you can find that out on your own," Kikyo smirked. "Let's just say that, she's soft hearted." Gaara just glowered at Kikyo then turned away. Aiki felt a little confused, but began to admire her sensei. Kikyo then disappeared from the rooftop and then Aiki stood to her feet. She no longer felt afraid, in fact, she didn't feel afraid at all. Aiki cursed at herself from having suicidal thoughts, but she sighed.
"I forgive you for attacking me," she said defiantly. Gaara looked back and raised a non-existent eyebrow. He concluded that Aiki must be crazy, but then a mess of thoughts flooded into his brain. Gaara grumbled, the lust for her blood was beginning to crawl into the back of his brain. He disappeared from Aiki's view without another word. Aiki sighed. She could feel it, the other side of Gaara. Not the side she had seen after she had attacked with her Denki no Neko Jutsu, but the side that made him leave without any further words.
"He's just passionate in battle," she told herself aloud, making her way to the edge of the roof. Aiki hopped into the common room and found that Kikyo had pulled the other two from bed. Isuzu was rubbing her eyes ferociously and Kaien's eyes were half open. Kikyo motioned for Aiki to take a seat and she took the spot in between the other two.
"Now that we are all here, I have something important to warn you guys about," their sensei spoke, "On Monday, three days from now, you all will be participating in the Chuunin exams. Knowing that you all just became genin earlier this year, you three are pretty inexperienced."
Way to put it nicely, Kaien thought, eyes opening a little more.
"I have to say that this is no place to fool around, these exams are pretty serious if you ever want to advance in your career as a shinobi," Kikyo continued. "I exchange letters frequently with someone in Sunagakure, and they have told me of Sabaku no Gaara." Aiki perked her ears, while concealing her excitement to hear more of the boy. Isuzu felt shivers run up her spine.
"They told me that this boy," she said, tossing each of the 12 year olds a small picture, "carries the spirit of the one-tailed Shukaku." Aiki held the small photograph gingerly, as if it would fracture in her calloused hands. Isuzu scowled at the crimson haired boy's photo. Kaien just shoved the picture into his pocket and adjusted the buttons on his pajamas.
"Avoid being along with him on a night with a full moon," Kikyo said sternly. Her students shivered, for their sensei was only completely serious if the matter was grave.
"Ah, you guys have a free day tomorrow to do as you please," said Kikyo, reverting back to her usual self as she scurried away. Aiki sighed and got up off the couch. She headed straight for her bedroom. Isuzu and Kaien were now wide awake, slightly frightened by their sensei's warning.
"What do you think all of this means?" Kaien asked.
"Maybe Aiki got into some trouble with this kid," Isuzu speculated.
"Knowing her, she was the one who probably instigated it," Kaien chuckled, "anyways, good night."
"Night," Isuzu smiled. Kaien went back to his bedroom leaving Isuzu in the common room. She took another look at the picture. Gaara's glare stared right back at her.
Meanwhile Kikyo was up on the roof, where she was meeting with a Suna jonin.
"I have a plan you see," she said, glancing over at the Suna-nin. "Of course, all I'm making are assumptions. Assuming that Aiki will break my orders, or try to find a way around them, maybe Gaara will like himself a little more."
"Kikyo, you know what you're saying sounds slightly impossible," the Suna jonin said worriedly.
"I know, Baki, but you have to believe that she will try to help him," Kikyo laughed.
"What if she betrays Gaara? Who knows what will happen then?" Baki asked.
"Aiki is a very loyal child," Kikyo stated, "Even if her sister were to betray her, Aiki would forgive her as if nothing had happened."
"So many years have passed since that incident," Baki commented.
"Which one?" she asked.
"Both Gaara's and the one that made you leave Suna," Baki told her.
"You forgot that I'm not allowed back into Suna," Kikyo smiled, "but I have this feeling that he will eventually go there and find the truth behind my past. Ah, the morning approaches."
"Indeed," Baki sighed.
Rin: Ah! We've come to the end of another chapter! How very pleased I am to find out how this turned out. I waited until posting it today, because today, July 7, is Kiba's birthday! Happy Birthday Kiba! If you haven't figured out the first pairing, I'll tell you, Gaara X O.C. How very unobvious I was with that one. What can I say? Gaara is my favourite character!
Please, please, please, please review, I want to know how well, or how bad, my writing is. Oh, and I didn't take that haiku from any book, I think. I just wrote it on the spot. RANT, RANT, RANT, RANT.
REVIEW!