Uzumaki Twins

Chapter 20

~Chika's pov~

It was a quick five days. My anxiety may have grown because I had not seen my brother, but it immediately fled when I spotted him and his team walking through the door. Sakura's hair is short. It shocked me, and I mean shocked, because that girl had obsessed over her hair before because of Sasuke. Just because that bastard likes long hair she had to grow it in high hopes that Sasuke would notice her. Seeing that she is a little beaten up made me see her in another light. My respect for her heightened and I couldn't help but look at the girl proudly. Whatever happened, she had defended Sasuke and Naruto, and that was enough for me to like her. She protected my brother, it deserves that I in turn do something nice for her. Perhaps be a little bit friendlier towards her.

Sasuke looked worse for wear. He held the base of his neck as if something had bitten him. I frowned at the deranged state the Uchiha is in. He still held his high attitude that he always seems to carry. Not much has changed, except fear is hidden behind his confidence. That little problem they have faced in the forest opened their eyes. Sasuke no longer believes he is on top of the world because he thinks he is the strongest. No, he now knows different. He will aim to get stronger and become the strongest so no one will be capable of standing in his way. I have a bad feeling already concerning the Uchiha.

Naruto…well let's say I expected him to get beaten up a little. A little he had been. It also looked like he was well rested. Either he slept far too long, or he was knocked unconscious. I was beating on the second option. My brother does not sleep for long periods of time if it involves him becoming a stronger ninja. I know my brother enough to understand that much. In fact, I know my brother more than he seems to know himself. I know his limits but he likes to surpass them until he has achieved his goal. It is one of the things that the pair of us likes to do. We do not like to stop until we have achieved our goals and promises. In fact there is not one promise that I recall we have broken.

The first to have arrived at the tower were the sand ninja. Temari, Kankuro and Gaara were bored out of their minds the past five days. I didn't approach because I was still pissed at Gaara. It was punishing enough for them in a way, but probably not enough with the way they still seemed so confident about this exam. In fact, is it even the exam they are confident enough about? They still seemed to be holding a secret, and that confrontation that time, they appeared to be holding it in more tightly than before. It was almost as if they believe I could just gain the information right out of their heads.

The second had been Kiba and the gang. Kiba, Shino and Hinata looked nervous when they arrived. Akamaru was still shaking, still scared from the incident with Gaara and the rain ninja. I felt sorry for the dog; he was the one who sensed Gaara's demonic chakra. Now the little dog has calmed and is curiously looking around at the competition. After them, the rest of the seven teams started to come. Of course over the course of five days. During that time I remained out of the way, just observing all those that came into the tower.

I looked at the seven teams, a smirk on my features although I am proud of all of them for making it this far. Why not show that I am pleased to see their matches when I cannot fight them myself? I looked over at the sound. They looked like they had been in a fight they easily lost to. They did not look like some pushovers. I know that because their chakra pulsing from them is strong. It is not always the strongest chakra that will win a fight. It is always the equality of strength, intelligence and power and everything else that comes with it.

I turned my gaze over to the sand ninja. Only Gaara remained untouched. Temari and Kankuro both had scrapes and dirt from the exam. In truth, I saw that the two had dirtied themselves from the exam, but only Gaara had been untouched, even by the tiniest speck of dirt. How can you touch a guy that is impossible to be touched? I touched him back in the sand village, I even threatened him and done what is impossible to others. I have not done everything that is impossible for others. I do not want to do everything that is impossible with him.

I ignored the Hokage's speech. It sounded boring so I zoned out. Gaara spoke up once but I didn't hear him nor did I want to. I don't even know what I am going to do during this part of the exam. I ain't part of it, just performing security to make sure that everything is going fine and okay. I am positive that nothing would happen, at least not yet anyway. It ended and the seven groups split up. Kakashi's, Guy's, Kurenai's and Asuma's team went onto the landing on my left side. Baki's – the sands' sensei – and the two unknown sensei of the over leaf team and the sound team went up onto the landing on my left. Sasuke and some dude covered with a cloth over half his face and black circle glasses stood facing each other ready to fight.

'Chika,' I looked at the Hokage who had turned to address the four of us, my team and me that is.

'Yes, Lord Hokage?' I asked knowing that he called my name but is addressing all of us.

'I want the four of you to go outside and keep an eye on the perimeter. There are plenty of ninjas inside that are capable of preventing anything from happening. Just ensure that no one who shouldn't be here remains out. Use force if necessary.'

'Yes, Lord Hokage,' the four of us replied and we immediately walked out of the room to perform the very task.

~Gaara's pov~

I watched Chika Uzumaki leave the room. I frowned and wondered why the Hokage had told her and her team to do that. To check the perimeter perhaps? Or is he preventing her from seeing the aftermath of the battles? I looked at the Hokage and saw that he was watching Chika move out of sight. A small trace of fear shot through his eyes but it quickly disappeared. He looked up and locked his black eyes onto me, almost as if feeling my gaze on him. I met his gaze, one without defiance, just a neutral expression. Didn't want him to guess that something's amiss.

But I did want to see her fight. I wanted to see if she is as cruel as I am or if she's softer. Is she fair in a fight or does she fight dirty? It is these kinds of pathetic little questions that intrigue me about her. She makes me consider the most stupid of questions when there is no need for them. She's powerful, I know that much, but I do not know how she fights or her preferred way. All I know is that she likes to torment me and keeping herself at a distance. She acts strange around me as if her feelings are tangled or she doesn't know how she feels about me or is simply denying how she feels.

Tch, how pathetic of me to be thinking about feelings.

~Naruto's pov~

I watched Sasuke fight that dude. But I was worried about my sister at the same time. She should be fighting just like the rest of us but because she is a special genin she has to perform different exams to us so she can become a Chunin. I don't understand why she must be treated differently all because she is in a different level to the rest of us. Sasuke's on another level, yeah and his arrogance is a right pain in my butt, but I don't see anyone else treating him so specially. Besides the girls!

The matches went by quickly and each of them enraptured me. I kept thinking back to Kuro. She must be feeling lonely right about now. She must have really hated changing teams. I can't believe I agreed to let her go. I should have stuck by her decision to stay with the team. She didn't want to go and I didn't recognise her feelings. I was only thinking of her progressing as a ninja. I didn't even look deep into my sister's feelings to see if she felt the same way. She was willing to wait for me to catch up. As twins she likes to do everything together with me. Yet, I pushed her away so she can further herself.

I was thinking of her but not at the same time and she was thinking of the both of us. I wanted her to become stronger and so does she, but at her own pace that will make her happy doing it. But I just didn't get that. Now she must be really miserable being with strangers, who she might be warming up to, and lonely because she has no one to talk to. I inwardly sighed heavily. I am the most terrible twin to have ever existed. From now on I will be thinking of my sister's feelings and making sure that they come first before deciding anything for her.

~Chika's pov~

Sitting vigil and waiting for something to happen is the most boring thing that I have ever done in my entire life. Is this all that a specialised genin has to do? If so I don't want to be it anymore. I do not want to be sitting around, not getting stronger, just so I can become a specialised Chunin. Just because I am at a level higher than the average genin does not mean that I should be treated differently to them. I feel like they are giving us better opportunities to level ourselves and not the other genin. They deserve every right to gain the same amount of education and training as we specialised genin get. I do not see what all the fuss is about.

I felt chakra change inside the building and knew that a new pair of fighters has begun fighting. There was another chakra operating in another part of the building and something that I didn't particularly like. One was Kakashi's but the other was strange. Something is happening there but Kakashi is capable of taking care of himself in difficult situations. I sigh and lean back against the tree. The thick branch is sturdy enough to support my weight and I just kept my senses open for all the chakras in the area. I hope that something happens so I can actually gain my next rank up for doing something rather than nothing.