The next day, Ryoko woke next to Gaara in the undergrowth of the forest. When she moved she gasped painfully, she was very sore. She cursed, at midday, the last Chunin test would happen, and it looked to be about ten o clock.
'Gaara. Gaara, wake up!" she hissed. She took a moment to admire his naked form, then smiled. She activated her healing chakra and ran it over her body healing all the torn muscles and the bite on her shoulder.
″Wow... I've never slept before." Gaara frowned, ″How come Shukaku didn't destroy everything?" he asked as he found his cloths.
″Jashin-sama keeps him at bay, love." Ryoko smiled as she pulled her Scythe into it's holster at her back. Gaara frowned, ″I think.. we should change as we look. After today, we will be different, Chunin." Gaara smiled at Ryoko, ″We still have a couple hours."
″If you like. After I fixed Inuhane, I don't have very much money." Ryoko shrugged.
″My treat." Gaara smirked, ″First, I like your hair shorter." He stood, and a kunai formed in his hand from sand, ″Do you mind?" Ryoko frowned and shrugged, no reason not to cut her hair. Gaara walked forward, Ryoko had just tied her hair up. Leaving her bangs framing her face. Gaara smiled and cut her hair right under the tie. Her hair fell, it was painfully short in the back as Gaara fixed it, but her bangs were still long. She kinda looked like a pixie.
″Hmm. This feels different." Ryoko smiled. She looked at Gaara, and frowned, ″I'd give you a piercing, but I'd worry it would get ripped out in a fight."
″ha. You think someone could get that close to me?" Gaara smirked.
″Alright." Ryoko pulled a senbon from her pocket and pierced his lip with it.
″Shit that hurt." Gaara covered his bleeding lip and looked at her accusingly.
″Stop being a baby Gaara." she huffed. She pulled pone of her earrings out, a small black semi circle, and stuck it through Gaara's lip, screwing the end back on it.
″That feels weird." Gaara grumbled licking his lip and flipping the semicircle of metal around.
″OK so now what?" Ryoko frowned.
″Store." Gaara stood and healed his lip a little so it wasn't bleeding. Ryoko got up and followed him. They entered a small store, one Ryoko had never been in. but it looked cool, there were racks of coats and nin pants and shoes.
″Oh nice. Never knew this place existed." Ryoko smirked.
″Hello Kitten." Kisame loomed up behind her. He was about to smile and talk, but he frowned and leaned over sniffing her. He growled and grabbed Gaara by the hair and drug the yelping Jin-jurriki to the wall, ″Boy, you have made a mistake if you think that you will ever ever leave kitten. If you hurt her ever, I will kill you. Slowly. Painfully. You will lay bleeding for days with no sustenance. I will torture you, shove bamboo under your fingernails. Then when you beg for death? I will grant your wish and kill you." Kisame snarled. Gaara looked at him, an almost unnoticeable flicker of fear showing in his eyes.
″You are her stand in father?" he asked.
″Might as well be." Kisame growled.
″Then I ask you, once Ryoko becomes a Chunin as do I, will you give your blessing for me to marry her? Ryoko-hime is my life." Gaara said calmly. Kisame dropped him in confusion.
″Alright. So she wasn't a quick fuck for you, you do care. Alright, lets see how this goes." Kisame turned and left, not without giving Ryoko a we're-not-done-here-look. Ryoko giggled,
″You want to Marry me Gaara-kun?"
″Hmm. I've claimed you, told you I love you a million times... and you have my Seal on you." Gaara ticked off things on his fingers. Ryoko giggled and went back to look in the coats. Gaara smiled after her and looked at cloths himself. He saw what he wanted to have Ryoko wear. He grabbed it and walked over to her.
"You've got to be kidding." She growled. He was holding up a pair of black shorts that would reach mid-thigh, a tube top with long sleeves, and a long red coat.
″Nope. You are going to wear this." Gaara replied. Ryoko scowled and turned to her choice. Long black ninpants and shoes, a fishnet shirt and a black Scythe holster.
″Really?" he asked.
″The fishnet should be nice and cool in the desert." she smirked. He sighed and handed her the clothing, and she handed him the clothing in return. They each got a pair of boots to go with their outfits, and paid for them. They wore them out of the store, causing some rubbernecking as they walked. Ryoko's mark was very obvious with out her previous under armour covering it, and Gaara's mark of Jashin was red against his light skin, standing out even under the fishnet shirt.
″Hm i think we look good Gaara. People are staring." Ryoko giggled.
″Well we can give them something to stare at." he growled, and kissed her, holding her possessively. His eyes were open, although hers were closed. He was looking at a couple of the boys, boys who were looking at her with either jealousy or hunger. His gaze said she's mine.
They entered the arena together,.] although a little late. But that didn't matter. They looked like gods. People stared as they walked across the hard ground, her Inuhane struck fear in the opponent that was o be hers, a rain ninja. Ino had already quit. Up in the Kage's box, Saurtobi and the assumed Hiro watched with interest. Orochimaru was disguised as Hiro. But his thoughts were not evil. Jashin's cleansing had been true. He had already called off the attack on Konoha.
″Alright," Genma grinned around his senbon, ″You know the rules. The first battle will be Ryoko Mitsuri vs Jato Hiru. May the best Ninja win." Genma jumped back, and the other students walked to the balcony where they would watch. Gaara gave her a look, wishing her luck. Ryoko stood back from her adversary, surveying him. He was broad, and tall, with a rough and scarred face. She guessed he was in his late twenties, which suppressed Ryoko, since most gennin make Chunin by their late teens. She wasn't going to underestimate him though. Old and dumb or not, she wouldn't make that mistake.