CHAPTER FIVE

The Rivalry

Dear Mum,

...

I'm writing this as I finish my bacon and eggs. Not as good as your cooking, though!

...

It's day two of camp, and we're off to a fun start! Last night, some of the boys played a trick on us, so we didn't get much sleep but I feel wide awake! The girls in my cabin - Hinata, Tenten and Matsuri - are really nice. I met Hinata's cousin, Neji, at the RNR, remember? Our CIT's, Ayame and Hana, are nice too, and our counselor, Anko, is...well, let's just say she's like that sport teacher I used to have in year two. Eccentric.

...

Tsunade just announced the activities for today. The fifteen year olds are going horseback riding this morning, and then swimming in the lake this afternoon.

Penny's having fun too, she made friends with Hinata's little sister Hanabi. Their age-group is going on a nature-hike this morning, and then they're going to the arts and crafts cabin after lunch.

...

One of the boys who scared us last night, Kiba, is Hana's younger brother and guess what? He brought his dog to camp with him. Akamaru is hiding out in their dorm. I wonder how long Kiba can keep him a secret...

...

Well, we're about to head out to the stables now. I miss you heaps, and I'll write again soon!

Love, Emily.

OoO

I'd just finished my letter when Anko stood up and announced that it was time to head out to the stables.

Finally!

I stood up quickly. The thought of spending the entire morning on horseback made me feel happy and light, like I'd just had a million hours sleep.

Suddenly, a male's voice called out: "We need a counselor to supervise the twelve year olds softball game!"

"I can do that, Ibiki!" Anko called, and hurried over to him.

Hey, wait a minute!

I hurried after her. "Anko! Anko!" I called.

"What is it?" She turned around, standing beside a tall man wearing a Konoha cadets bandana over his head.

"I thought we were going horse-riding!" I said, sort of yelling to be heard over the noise of the mess hall, which had reached an all-time high, mainly because the twelve year olds really wanted to play softball

"Oh, yeah, right." Anko looked around, and her gaze landed on a silver-haired man wearing a mask. "AhKAKASHI!!" She shouted, and the silver-haired man looked up, before trotting over to us, with an orange adults book in his hand.

"Anko?" He said calmly.

"You and Ayame are taking the fifteens in A and B horseback riding, so get used to it!" Whoa! Did Anko talk like this to everybody?

Apparently so

oOo

The girls in cabins 15 – A and B trekked down to the stables. I glanced at us all. My cabin and I were wearing jeans and t-shirts and old boots, and carrying riding helmets.

Sakura, Ino and Karin, on the other hand (their bunkmate hadn't wanted to come, apparently you have a choice to do camp activities or not) were decked out in cream jodhpur riding pants and tops with high collars called rat-catchers (how appropriate). They carried black velvet helmets and riding crops, and wore high black boots.

"Won't you get hot in that?" I asked Karin.

She gave me a Look. "Sasuke's coming on the trail with us."

"Oh, of course." I hurried to catch up with Matsuri.

oOo

"Okay, is everyone here?" Kakashi Hatake looked around. "Oh dear, this is a problem. We're supposed to have buddies on the trail, but we're one camper short"

Shino Aburame suddenly came out of the stables, dressed for riding. "Is it alright if I join you guys?" He asked, adjusting his sunglasses. "I'd rather not share Kiba and Naruto's punishment."

We all snickered, even Hinata. Everyone who was everyone knew that Kiba, Naruto and Kankurou had been punished for their little trick the night before. They had to much out the stables. What a shame (insert evil laughter here)

"Well, that solves that problem." Kakashi said, and proceeded to send us into the paddocks to get our horses, which were calm, special Camp Gobi horses.

He also paired us off into buddies, which presented a problem. A BIG problem

See, Sakura, on a strawberry roan mare called (what else?) Strawberry, was paired up with Shino, on a blue roan gelding called Flik. (Lol). Well, Sakura does not like bug-freak (as she calls him) at all. Full stop.

Ino laughed at Sakura, until she and her cremello mare (blue eyes!) Cream got paired up with afat kid called Chouji Akamichi and his light bay gelding Donut.

"What!?" Ino wailed. "I wanted to go with Sasuke, not fat-ass!"

Chouji halted in his steps.

"Run." Chouji's best friend Shikamaru Nara advised her.

Ino ran. Chouji chased.

"Moving on" Kakashi said, as if nothing had happened.

He paired Shika and his dark bay gelding Trouble up with Hinata, who was riding a gorgeous dappled grey mare called Starlight, who had a perfect six-point star on her forehead.

Karin, on a strawberry roan mare called Marshmallow, got paired up with an energetic kid called Rock Lee, and his equally energetic light grey mare, Swifty.

"How youthful this horse is!" Lee exclaimed.

I saw Karin roll her eyes, and glance woefully at Sasuke.

If I get paired up with Sasuke, then I'm toast I realized, and prayed that Kakashi could read minds, because I was sending him all these signals saying 'don't pair me up with Ssauke'!

I was in luck – sort of.

Sasuke, on a jet black gelding called Charon, got paired up withNeji (on a piebald mare called Blackbird, also lol).

Everyone saw the glares those two (people) gave each other, but no one paid attention, as Matsuri on a cream buckskin gelding called Sandy got paired up with Tenten, on a piebald called Panda.

"What? But I wanted to go with Garaa!" Matsuri exclaimed. She didn't say that she didn't want to go with Tenten, but I could tell.

"Sorry." I told her, as Garaa went to get his golden buckskin gelding Red River (cream buckskins are yellow with black manes and tails, and golden buckskins are like golden-red colours, with black manes and tails). I found the horse Kakashi had pointed out to me, a stunning metallic gold Akhal Teke mare named Lunar, because of the crescent moon on her forehead. (A/n: And then the mare talked and told Emily she was Sailor Moon!)

"Well, shall we head out?" Said Kakashi, from atop his silvery-grey stallion, Silver.

"Aye!" We all said, and mounted our horses. I felt as if I was sitting on top of the world, and drew my horse up beside Garaa. He glanced at me, but didn't say anything as we set off, with Ayame on a big orange chestnut mare named Valencia riding at the back, and Kakashi at the lead.

oOo

"Teamwork is important," Kakashi said. "Very important." He stressed.

He told us this just after he told us that there would be a camp sports week, in which gender/age-groups would be competing against each other for trophies, in events such as soft ball, swimming and, of course, horseback riding.

"This won't interfere with the talent quest, will it?" Karin called, and Kakashi said no, it wouldn't.

Hmm I thought.

"It won't interfere with the two-day survival test, will it?" Sasuke wanted to know.

"No, that's still on." Kakashi said cheerfully, and you could tell Sakura, Ino and Karin wanted to groan, but didn't because Sasuke seemed to be looking forward to it

Kakashi, who had been reading whilst on horseback, suddenly seemed to sense the tension. "Okay, how about a race?" He asked, and we all perked up. The horse's ears pricked up at the word 'race', and everyone listened in. "I'll divide you into two teams," Kakashi said, and I had the feeling that these teams would be very opposing. "And we'll have a relay race from here," He pointed to a scary-looking tree. "To there." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder to a rock shaped like a piece of Swiss cheese, I kid you not

I looked around at the determined faces.

Kakashi and Ayame divided us into two teams. Hinata, Chouji, Karin, Tenten, Sakura, Shika and Sasuke would face me, Garaa, Matsuri, Ino, Shino, Lee and Neji

This was going to be interesting

"What do we get when we win?" Sasuke called out.

"Don't you mean if?" Neji replied.

They glared at each other. I rolled my eyes.

When Kakashi told us what would happen if we lost, we all vowed to win

oOo

"Go!" Ayame called. Starlight and Lunar were off at canters, which was all Kakashi would let us do. We all knew how to ride, but the ground wasn't exactly galloping-ground

I noticed that both mine and Hinata's horses seemed evenly matched, their paces were even, their strides extended and long. I tagged Garaa's hand at the same time Hinata tagged Chouji's hand, but our team pulled ahead because Red River had longer strides then Donut.

The other team managed to pull ahead during the second last leg, mainly because of Lee and Swifty, both of whom seemed to have boundless energy. Shika and Trouble didn't stand a chance

Soon, it would be Neji and Sasuke's turn to race. This seemed to be what the race was really about.

"Let's see what that old nag can do," Sasuke mocked. "And the horse too!" He added, and I watched Neji's eyes flash.

I didn't have to watch the race to know what would happen. On no accounts would Neji allow himself to lose. He wanted to win, and win he did! I don't think Blackbird liked being insulted either. I didn't like them being insulted...

Which was why I managed to call out: "Go Neji!"

I think Neji and Blackbird heard me, the horse certainly ran faster and they beat Sasuke and Charon by a nose!

"Yeah!" All of our team was cheering, and slapping high fives and our horses neighed happily. This means we didn't have to muck out the stables for the whole week!

You should have seen Sakura and Sasuke's faces! They looked livid. Furious. A twelve out of ten on the angry-o-meter.

Neji, in comparison, looked thrilled, as if Christmas had come early, but he did manage to shoot Hinata a sympathetic smile, which was soon replaced by a look of glee because Kakashi, just to be sure nobody had missed what had happened, announced that our team had won and the other team had...not.

"S-Sasuke, mucking out stables!" Ino exclaimed, almost as angry as the...not winning team.

"That's right," Kakashi looked at her calmly from atop his silver horse. "Unless you'd like to help him?"

Ino didn't reply. You could tell she was torn. Help Sasuke, and get totally dirty mucking out stables? Or not help him, and he'd get to spend more time with Sakura and Karin, who were smirking at Ino's lack of answer, even though they'd seen be up to their elbows in horse manure (well, theoretically...)

"I also noticed," Kakashi went on, looking at us winning team. "That there was a...certain, lack of cheering..."

Matsuri and I exchanged a glance, and then she said: "Hey! Kakashi, Emily cheered...once..." She finished, meekly, and glanced at Neji. "For...Neji..."

"Yeah, once." Tenten said, only half joking.

"Hey!" Matsuri didn't take it as a joke. "I didn't notice you doing any cheering, Tenten!"

"Same for you, Matsuri!" Tenten shot back.

"Guys..." I began, but Kakashi cut me off.

"Okay, I can see," He said. "That this lack of team work needs some...work. I think that all of you mucking out the stables this week won't be so bad, for not cheering on your team mates..."

All of our mouths dropped open. Eyes opened wide. Even the horses seemed shocked.

I couldn't help it. I don't mind hard work but... "Even me?"

Kakashi looked straight at me. "Are you volunteering?" He asked me.

My face flushed. I guess my cheering had been acceptable! But, I couldn't back out now...

I said: "Of course. A Taki cadet never shirks her responsibilities. I accept my mission, sir!" I saluted!

A couple of people giggled, and Karin, I saw, rolled her eyes and nudged Sasuke, who was next to her. But he, like Neji, Garaa, Matsuri, Hinata and Tenten, were staring at me, admiration in their eyes.

Kakashi regarded me carefully, and then nodded. "That's good then. Well, we'd better get back so that you can all start work!" He turned Silver around and we began heading for home, err, camp...

I kept to the back, however, between Ayame and Tenten. We'd sort of ditched our trail buddies, Sasuke was stuck in between Ino and Sakura, and Matsuri was riding right alongside Garaa.

I was embarrassed, not because of what I'd said, but because of what I'd said. My father used to say that all the time (his instead of her, of course) and some things just sort of...stick. He was a cadet too, naturally, and a well-known one. I knew without a doubt that Kakashi had recognised my father's words...

Suddenly, I realised that somebody on a black and white horse was riding beside me. It was Neji.

"Hey." He greeted me.

"Hi." I replied, feeling a little bit shy. I hadn't spoken to Neji since the RNR, and I wondered what he had to say to me.

"Long time no see, aye?" He said.

"Aye." I agreed, pulling up Lunar's head as she reached down for a bite of grass.

"It's almost like," Neji went on, thoughtfully. "Destiny, that we met again, isn't it?"

"What!?" I exclaimed, accidentally pulling back on the reins. Lunar tossed her head in protest, and I patted her neck and urged her forward again, to walk beside Neji. "Umm, d-destiny you say?" He nodded. "Hmm..."

"It's just a thought..." He said.

"Of course." I agreed. What else could it be?

Neji began humming, a song I recognised as Wonderwall. I began humming too, and then we both began singing, for something to do.

"I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now..."

Wait! What am I singing!? I glanced at Neji. He knew what he was singing...his eyes said it all.

We were about halfway back to camp when I noticed that Sasuke had managed to get rid of two of his fan girls, and was riding on the other side of me.

"Emily," He said, when Neji and I reached a stopping place (the end of the song). "I'm sorry about what happened with my friends last night."

"Don't be." I replied, staring down at Lunar's metallic mane.

"Karin and Kin can be a little bit...pushy, sometimes." Sasuke went on.

They're not the pushy ones, Sasuke Uchiha. I thought.

I only thought that, but Neji said it.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sasuke said, his eyes flashing but his face remained calm. "Are we talking about me or you?"

Neji's own eyes flashed.

I whispered to Lunar: "Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle with you..."