This chapter is quite a bit shorter. Mostly, that's because I have a few announcements. The first poll went pretty well considering. I decided I'm going to add not one, but the most popular two so I can keep things more balanced.

I'll soon be putting up a second poll to see which pairings you prefer for this story. So, I'm sure I'll have some very excited voters for that one...

ANYHOW! Here's your chapter. I don't own Naruto, or DGM, but I own the squirrel, and if anybody wants to borrow it, feel free becasue the damned thing keeps eating the story. xD

When the Boredom Sets In

'Why won't this day just end?!' Kimimaro found he was growing impatient and continually more irritable as the hours drifted leisurely by, on their own accord. He was honestly pretty sure the clock was moving slowly just to make him mad, but if he started yelling at the clock, he'd attract more attention than he already had, and that was the very last thing he aimed for. For the first long while, he just pointlessly meandered through the halls, playing his own personal memory game to be sure he'd learned every twist, turn, exit, entrance, window, and danger zone in the building by heart. Which he did. He knew it tenfold. It came to a point where he was standing in front of one of the doors to a torturous and forgotten Komui storeroom and Kimimaro actually considered opening it to look around just to find some kind of a kick.

He was bored out of his skull. His feet were going to be the death of him, this he was sure. He had to do his very best to avoid the group of younger Finders who decided it would be a good idea to stalk him for autographs and such. Allen was busy and had disappeared somewhere outside, though from a window he'd seen the boy chasing after some small object or whatever. He didn't care where that Lavi boy was, as long as it was nowhere nearby. The training grounds were a very bad place to be; as rumor had it Kanda was taking up the space for destroying any unfortunate Finder who slipped a mocking look in at him. There was NO way he would be going back in the Science Department; not as long as the coffee-high maniac was in there. Not a chance. He didn't have anything to unpack, so going up to his room was just as pointless and numbingly monotonous as every other activity he could take part in.

And so, this left near-to-no open options. What he really wanted was a mission.

He wanted danger and excitement. He wanted battle and challenge.

He wanted absolutely nothing to do with the very displeased looking dark-haired samurai that was heading in his general direction with a gleam in his eyes.

"Newbie!"

Kimimaro didn't respond. Restfully, he stared out the window and pretended not to notice anything.

"OI! NEWBIE!"

Still, no response.

"Fucking God Dammit! You! Kimimaro! Turn the hell around and look at me!"

The Kaguya made an awful and discontented sigh, and did as the samurai so kindly requested. "What?"

Kanda closed the gap between them with a bitter, hateful glare. "You any good with a sword, newbie?"

"That depends on who's asking."

"I'm asking."

The younger boy huffed a bit. He was in no mood to deal with another pointless challenge. "I'm decent enough for my purposes."

"Then how about we find out if you have what it takes to fight Akuma?" Kanda made his body seem unusually powerful, dark, and sinister. "You and I should cross blades."

"Not interested," Kimimaro shrugged. And then he turned back to the window and watched the happenings below.

"N-NOT INTERESTED?! ARE YOU STUPID OR SOMETHING!?"

"Isn't one conflict a day enough for you? Besides, if the race indicated anything of your skills, I'm already disappointed."

The Mugen-wielder growled and grumbled, but would not budge. "I'm not leaving until you accept."

"Well, it seems you're going to be there for a VERY long time, sir."

Kanda rolled his eyes. This guy was just as stubborn as he was, and twice as fast (yep, he finally accepted it). After a good five minutes of neither one giving a millimeter, Kanda spoke again. "What the fuck is so damned interesting out there?!"

"I think Allen is getting attacked by a squirrel."

"... What?"

"If you don't believe me, look for your self." Sure enough, as Kanda peered down into the dusky forest below, the white haired Moyashi was running around unpredictably. He seemed to be swatting at small, brown, fuzzy creatures, which might well have been squirrels, which kept launching out of the trees at him. But, upon closer inspection, it was the same brown animal just climbing back into the trees and repeatedly pouncing.

"... There's something you don't see every day..."

"I was thinking about going to help him, but..."

"...'But' what?"

"I think this is actually a little more interesting."

Kanda gawked with slight disgust. "You're really SO bored, that you're getting kicks from watching your friend get attacked by a squirrel?"

"And you wouldn't?"

Kanda sighed and smirked. "You have a point there." He raised a question, partly to himself and partly to Kimimaro. "And if it was Lavi instead?"

"I'd start throwing things at him to make it more difficult."

"Che, you really don't suck as bad as I thought you would. What did that baka usagi do to deserve that from you?"

"..."

"He messed with your hair, didn't he?"

"... Yes..."

Kanda wanted to just start laughing right there, but as it was in every way against his personality, he refused to allow it. "I'd have killed him right there. By the way Newbie, this doesn't change anything. I still hate your guts."

"Nice to know."

"... Doesn't it bother you at all that I'm going to kick your ass later, or are you really that much of a bastard that this is normal for you?"

Kimimaro glanced over at Kanda with a distinct expression of annoyance. "What do you think?"

After spending so much time around the Sound Four, Tayuya especially, he was just ready to be called out and insulted on everything but fighting skills. More than once she'd decided she would get away with calling him things like "fag" and "boy toy". More than once she'd gone back to her quarters black and blue and smelling of sweat from a good three hours of extra drills.

"Che... That figures..."

--

Kanda, not surprisingly, eventually got bored and left without his fight accepted. That, and because Allen at last wisely decided to leave the poor squirrel alone. Kimimaro retired from watching windows and searched for something else to do. It was darker outside than before, perhaps just an hour or so before nightfall and an appropriate time to go to bed. He'd have to find another place to linger for a while.

In search of just that, he passed by the main gate and noticed a small crowd had gathered in front of it, shifting around with anxiousness and joy. At the front, and the obviously most ecstatic of the group, was Head Officer Komui. Kimimaro went up and asked him what was going on.

"Why, don't you know?" Komui grinned in his response. "My dear, sweet little sister Lenalee will be returning from her mission any moment now!!" As if it was waiting for the very line, the door swung open and three Finders, a scientist who Kimimaro had seen in the department earlier, and a girl walked in.

"WELCOME HOME!!!" Everybody chimed in total unison. The girl giggled sweetly, ran up, and wrapped her arms around her older brother as the mass slowly dispersed. Kimimaro was about to fallow then when the superior reached around, grabbed his arm, and decided a proper introduction was in order.

"Kimimaro! This is my sister Lenalee."

"Hello," she smiled. Certainly, she was quite cute.

"Lenalee, this is Kimimaro! He's the new exorcist I told you about!"

"It's very nice to meet you." And Lenalee, on the other end of the greeting, had to admit. The new guy was cute. And, if what Komui had said about him and Kanda turned out to be true, he was impressive too.

Komui intervened before things got any farther, mostly because he knew that look in his sister's eyes. He knew when she was interested in something... or somebody... or perhaps it was a lucky guess, but that wouldn't be uncommon either. "Now! Lenalee, I know you have some work to do! And Kimimaro! I think it would be a good idea to go get your room situated now! Run along you two!!"

'And don't you dare touch my sister!' he mentally added as Kimimaro disappeared up the stairs, confused and left in the dark as to why he'd been kicked away at all.

REVIEW. TAKE THE POLL.

Message me with any questions, comments, ideas, or other. I appriciate them. Save your local writeres from writer's block before it ever happens! Do your part today!

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