The Path A Ninja Walks...

Chapter Twenty-One

Pride of a Shinobi

A/N: WARNING-The character known as Sage Amesawa uses a lot of profanity and colorful language as part of his "colorful" personality. Be prepared if you are sensitive to that. Please note it is not because I condone such manner of speech, and also the character does not mean to use it as a way to be harmful, it is just his personality.

Saseme, having walked ahead of her team mates, was the first among them to arrive to room 301. The real one this time. She blinked as she approached the door, noticing two more bodies just ahead. Ones that belonged to Neji and TenTen.

"Huh? Hey it's you!" said TenTen,"Where's the rest of your team?" she asked.

"Hmph...I left them at the bottom of the stairs." Saseme replied,"They'll be here momentarily." she blinked,"What about you?" she asked,"Where is Lee?"

"Same problem it seems." said Neji.

"Supposibly he went to 'check something'." TenTen sighed.

"...He'll be here momentarily." Neji responded.

Saseme rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall waiting by where the Hyuuga boy, sat.

"Whatever..." TenTen sighed,"He better get here soon...I'm gonna walk the hall a bit." she sighed,"I need to move or something..." placing both hands behind her head she began to step toward the other end of the hall way. Probably feeling knowing Lee had not yet arrived and wanted to distract herself, leaving Neji and Saseme behind, alone in each other's company.

"...I'd almost bet that Lee went to challenge your brother." Neji stated.

"Wouldn't surprise me." said Saseme,"You know Lee...he's always been that way..." She sighed as she thought back to her younger academy days, when she first met the one called Rock Lee.

XXXXX

It was the start of Saseme's Academy life... Because of her advanced skill learning she was placed in a class that was a notch above the regular expected... A year above her own twin brother Sasuke. She struggled to keep up with the bigger kids as they ran laps, focusing on the only other face she knew there, thanks to her friendship with the young Lady Hinata Hyuuga. Hinata's cousin Neji was in lead, top of the class, and due to familiarity, he was who she chose to follow. Not that they got on well. She just knew him.

"Give it up, little girl!" Neji scoffed,"You're in way over your head trying to keep up with the big kids!" he stated, "You should go back down to the level you belong!"

"Bite me, Neji Puke-A!" She huffed.

Yeah.

She even had an attitude way back then.

" I CAN keep up with the likes of you! You got that!?"

"Hmph." The young Neji scoffed, "You think you can keep pace then Sashimi? Fine!" he huffed, "Then let's see you try~" with a kick off, the older boy began to pick up the pace.

Saseme huffed in frustration. She was already having a hard time... Falling behind the rest of the class. They were all bigger and faster than she was... and she began to feel down.

I bet Sasuke could keep with them...no problem...

She pouted. She began to feel scared. A longing for her big brother Sasuke who usually stuck it out with her and held her hand. A sort of separation anxiety that only twins shared...

But Saseme had to open her big mouth.

"I don't WANNA be a house wife! I wanna be a ninja!" THAT was the arguement she told her father. And she trained day and night to improve herself and prove that she belonged there. She, Itachi, and even a young Jounin of the Anbu, who she came to know as Kakashi, a man who wore an animal mask, had great faith in her potential and did their best to convince her father to let her lead this life...So he threw her into a class above her skill level to let her know her place...

It was hard.

But she couldn't give up here!

"Do not let him get to you!"

"Huh?" the voice of another struggling breath sounded beside her. A boy in her class called Rock Lee. He was often bullied due to lacking the ability to be able to use the basic Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. And keeping up was a struggle for him as well.

"You can do it!" he said to her, "You are of the Uchiha clan, are you not!?"

Saseme's eyes widened as she nodded between heavy breaths.

"Then prove your worth!" he said to her,"Yes, you are young, but you are HERE, correct!?"

"That's right..." she said to him,

"You did not get dropped in our class 'just because' Saseme Uchiha!" he said to her,"You are here becaue you have proven that you have the mettle to keep up!" he said,"So do not give up! Or I will defeat you in a heart beat!"

With that,the boy pushed ahead, bating her to follow.

He's right!

she thought to myself.

I represent the Uchiha Clan...I can't let myself be beat by the likes of him, who can't even use ninjutsu!

she gritted her teeth.

I won't lose here!

She huffed.

Not to him! Not Neji! Not to ANYBODY!

And so she pushed herself...

Harder.

Better.

Faster.

Stronger.

A Bond was forged between them on that day. One of friendship who stuck out the gritty together, and one of rivalry, who work to make eachother better...

XXXXX

She chuckled to herself.

Push on, Lee...head strong.

"...Heh. Glad to see you're feeling better now." said Neji.

"Huh?" she blinked.

"I don't know what it is with you today...but you seemed rather off." he said,"But now, it looks like you've got your head screwed back on, if just a bit."

There was a silence between them...

Then suddenly, he asked an off the wall question. One that Saseme never expected to hear from Neji Hyuuga-

"So...How did you take that? Hm?" he asked.

"Uhm...I'm sorry?" Saseme blinked,"How did I take what?"

What kind of question is he asking me here?

She pondered.

Since when does Neji ask me anything about me or how I'm feeling anyway?

"You know." he said,"When Lee looked right passed you and asked out that other girl instead?" he huffed,"You had feelings for him at one point...did you not?"

"WHA-" she blushed," Yeah! Maybe like...Forever ago!" she huffed,"He's WAY too cringey for me now!" she stated,"What's that matter to you anyway!?" she asked,"Since when do love and loss of romance catch your interest!?"

"It doesn't." said Neji,"Not really..." he blinked and averted his gaze awkwardly," I just...have a hard time imagining you showing any sort of love interest in boys..." he stated,"...Sometimes I forget that...you're a girl."

Saseme twitched, and blushed harder, shaking her fist as she retaliated.

"Oh yeah!?" she huffed,"And Sometimes I forget that YOU don't know how to have a civil concersation!"

"Heh." Neji smirked and she heaved a heavy sigh in defeat.

Dealing with Neji was impossible...

"Besides..." she grumbled,"Who has time for love anyway?" she shrugged," I guess romance just...isn't my thing."

"Hmmm." Neji hummed and said nothing more.

Soon after that private conversation, TenTen had finally returned with Lee.

"So...Are we all set then?" Neji asked.

"Looks like it." said TenTen.

"I am sorry to have kept you waiting." Lee said as he bowed.

"No matter." said Neji,"We should be off then." he glanced back at Saseme as he stood,"...I suppose I'll be seeing you next time around." and with that, he left with his team. And it wasn't long after that her team finally arrived.

"Jeeze, so rude!" Hana huffed,"Ditching us like that."

"What does it matter, we're here, aren't we?" said Sage, and soon was disrrupted by an exploding puff of pink, rose scented smoke.

"Indeed, you are..." a familiar female's voice echoed through it, "And I'm impressed."

"Koko Sensei!" the squad called out as the cloud disipated, revealing a female Jonin, decked out in a deep red and purple color combo and a colorful dumpling stick between her teeth as she grinned.

"I must say..." she said,"I'm glad it didn't take much convincing for any of you...for your own sakes." she chuckled,"With all three of you here together, you can all formally register for the Chunin Exams."

"Why is that?" Hana blinked,"I thought you said these exams were voluntary?"

"Yeah." asked Sage,"So if they were, why would it matter if we all didn't decide to do it?"

"Well you see...I wasn't completely honest with you three." Kokoua sighed,"The truth is...only groups of three are allowed to apply for and take the exam." she stated.

"SAY WHAT!?" they all gasped.

"But if that's the case...then how can you say it's an individual decision!?" Hana huffed.

"Well...because." Kokoua blinked,"It really is an individual decision...but it still affects you all, as a unit." she explained,"The reason why I didn't clarify this, was because I didn't want a dispute amongst the squad pressuring either one or the other to do it if they didn't feel prepared." she said,"Be it due to personal feelings or otherwise." she blinked,"I believe in each one of you...if I didn't I wouldn't have suggested it in the first place...the most important part of these exams...is if you each believe in yourselves, as well as each other."

"Hmm..." Hana hummed and she and Sage both gave a quick glance to Saseme, before then shifting it quickly once again.

Hmmm...this is interesting...

Kokoua thought to herself.

It seems they still hold doubt, but aren't quite ready to abandon their trust in Saseme...

She smiled.

"If either one of you had shown up while someone else did not...that would have been the end of the line." she said firmly,"I would not have been allowed to let them in...but that doesn't really matter now, does it?" she chuckled,"You are all here, and you're here together. For the right reasons too..." she chuckled,"I couldn't be more proud." she smiled warmly and stepped aside, "Good luck...all of you..."

The squad 15 listened with whole hearted intent to their sensei's words, each one smiling and bowing their respects.

"Thank you...Sensei!" they said to her, before stepping foot inside.

Meanwhile, Kokoua stayed behind a while. She watched the door, biting her lip, a hint of concern in her eyes...

"My, My..." a male voice sounded from behind her, "Could it be the great Kokoua has feelings for her Genin?"

"Hmph...Hello, Kakashi." She chuckled.

"You're worried about them." he said to her,"There's no shame in that."

"...I suppose you unerstand..." she said,"After all...aren't you here for the very same reason involving your own team?"

"Yeah, well..." he chuckled,"You wouldn't be wrong there..."

She sighed.

"So I guess...they are taking the next step in the road to Ninja, huh?"

"So it seems." said Kakashi. Watching her intently from behind as she stood behind the door.

To Be Continued...