Hello! Sorry for such a slow update. My hosing arrangements have changed so i'm using a public library computer! I will try and update at least once a week with a new chapter though I'd really like to do more than that! In this chapter I had a lot of fun. It makes the character seem more vulnerable. You'll just have to see. Please review and let me know about any concerns or ideas you may have for the plot. I love the criticism and can work well with adapting my writing. Thanks again for reading! Enjoy!
When she made it to the training ground at ten minutes till she noticed that she was the only one there. It was an expansive training ground that housed a river stream and a forest, the sun peaking up over the distant mountains with hues of purple and orange. She sat down now, leaning against the nearby fence; she didn't know who her ANBU tester was and more importantly she didn't know who the other two people on her team were. This bothered her more and she couldn't help but let her mind wander.
Last night she hadn't gotten any key information from Shikamaru. He hadn't mentioned the mission or even its objective. He was smart so she doubted he would just come out and start talking about mission details with her but she knew she had to try. What she was not expecting was Shikamaru's straight forward attitude about liking her. She should have figured out that he wouldn't beat around the bush about it. He was intelligent but lazy. Anything that provided too much of a hassle for him he immediately confronted and solved. It was admirable but it also played to Yuka's strong points. She could play the part for him, be the person he wanted to see her as and in exchange she could gather intel for her master's plans. She knew not what they were but was sure that Orochimaru would not act without a plan.
She hadn't expected Shikamaru to be so calm about his feelings and she definitely didn't think he'd be so quick to pick up on Kiba's feelings. Shino was just a bonus, though if she were honest to herself she'd have to admit that Shino was the most intriguing between the three of them. She didn't know Shikamaru's jutsu but knew that Shino and Kiba's had to do with tracking and this suited her well. Kiba's dealt with smell but Shino's was different, surely something to do with his insects. If she could get close enough to him to figure out what kind of insects he used she could perfect her sensory seal. It was her ace in the hole, just in case things turned south while in Konoha.
It had been a whole day since she had seen Kiba and she couldn't help but think about the morning before and what he had done. She almost felt dirty at the thought of him touching her. After it was over she felt ashamed of herself for letting it go as far as it did. She could have blown her cover entirely if he spotted her curse mark. She didn't know how long she sat there but it must have been long because she had fallen asleep and woke up and there was still no one there. It was well past ten and so far there was no ANBU tester or anyone around. She sighed loudly, slightly annoyed with the fact that she had been there that long. She couldn't help but get impatient now. As she stood back up to take off toward the Hokage tower she noticed someone walking up the street toward the grounds entrance; it was TenTen. She spotted Yuka and waved, jogging up to her.
"Yuka-chan!" she said, a grin on her face. "So, you're the reason for this test, huh?"
"You're the ANBU examiner?" Yuka asked, her eyes going wide. "You're four hours late!" TenTen just shook her head, sighing slightly.
"No, actually I'm supposed to be on your team for this test," she said, setting her supplies on the ground next to the fence. "And I was told it was at ten."
Yuka growled, shaking her head. That brat of a Hokage had tricked her. TenTen noticed the look on her face and giggled, walking up to her and patting her on the shoulder. "I'm not surprised that the ANBU tester is late, considering who it is," TenTen said, shaking her head.
"Don't tell her Ten Ten," came a familiar voice and she turned around to see Shino. He was approaching them, his typical nin gear back in place. "She'll see who it is. How are you this morning Yuka-chan?"
She smiled at him, her arms crossing over her stomach. "Good, kind of hungry… hope this doesn't take long," she said, looking up at Shino who had come to stand next to her. "Oh, and I forgot your hoodie, Shino-kun…"
"Its fine, you didn't know you'd see me this morning," he said, looking down at her. She just nodded, shoving her thumbs in the rim of her pants.
"So, you two are my teammates for whatever kind of test this is?" Yuka asked, looking from TenTen to Shino. They both just nodded. "Well, I don't suppose you can tell me about what kind of test this is…" she asked, a smirk on her face. TenTen couldn't help but chuckle and Shino just shook his head, tilting it slightly to observe her.
Yuka couldn't help but look back at him, remembering what Shikamaru had said the night before. If Shino liked her she'd make sure to be kind to him, though she had no idea how this mystery shinobi would show his feelings, if he ever did. She smiled at him, shrugging and leaning back against the fence. "Well, it looks like I'm going to have my work cut out for me then," Yuka said, stretching her arms in front of her.
"Indeed," came a voice from above and she jumped, nearly falling into Shino. She looked up at the top of the fence to see a tall, white haired shinobi, his nose and mouth hidden behind a black mask. His one hand was in his pant pocket but the other was holding a small book, propped open before his face.
"Ah, Kakashi Hatake," Yuka said, standing away from Shino a little bit before rubbing the bridge between her eyes. "Should have figured it'd be you."
"I'm surprised you didn't figure it out sooner," he commented, looking down at her. He eyed her shortly, his sharingan lazily scanning her face. He then jumped down, standing before the three of them. "Looks like everyone is here so we can begin the test."
"We don't know the rules," Shino stated, stepping around Kakashi to stand a fair distance away.
"Ah! Right, never had the bell test… its simple really," he stated, bringing his hand from his pocket and holding before them two golden bells on red string. "Get the bells from me. If you get the bells you pass. You can use any jutsu you'd like however there is a time limit. If you don't get a bell before lunch time, noon, you fail."
"So, just get one bell? That's it? I don't have to jump through hoops or do some ridiculously hard task?" Yuka asked, a bit of relief tinting her voice. At this TenTen grinned, taking a few steps away from the fence.
"They have to get the bells too," Kakashi said, motioning between TenTen and Shino. "That's their mission. If they fail it will be like failing a mission from the Hokage himself."
"But there are only two bells," Yuka said, watching as he tied them to his waist. He then looked back at the book he was reading, his eyes lazily scanning the pages. "Hey, did you hear me? I said there are only two bells. Aren't you missing one?"
He looked up at her now, his eye narrowing from the obvious grin he had under that mask. "Nope, two bells, three shinobi. Are you ready?"
Yuka's eyes went wide but she nodded, backing away from him and standing in a defensive stance. Now she understood. With only two bells it would make it much more difficult for her to just get one, especially since Shino and TenTen were after one as well. She wasn't going to let them get both bells even if they were technically on her team.
"Alright, well, begin when you're ready…" Kakashi said, glancing back down at the book in his hand.
Yuka took this as her cue and immediately ran at Kakashi, her chakra concentrated into her hand. She'd throw him off balance and then grab the bells when he couldn't counter. However, she wasn't expecting him to side step her, his reflexes fast as he avoided TenTen's volley of kunai. Yuka regained her balance and ran at him again, sending bursts of chakra to her feet at the right moments to dodge around him, temporarily confusing him to get close enough to release her concentrated chakra into his body.
What she didn't expect was his counter attack; a shield of pure earth popped up between them. She backed away but didn't do it quick enough, the wall forming spikes of solid earth. She nearly missed them, propelling herself with her chakra backward. This gave Kakashi a perfect opening to attack her and he took it, weaving some hand signs before hitting her with a fireball. She concentrated all of her chakra just in time to create a shield, lessening the damage done by the fire jutsu. However, Kakashi was quickly countering, avoiding TenTen's shuriken and knives. This proved it easy for Shino to send in his bugs, swarming Kakashi with them. However, it was a short lived victory. It turned out to be a shadow clone, much to TenTen's annoyance.
Kakashi however was standing in a tree, watching them with slight interest. He had yet to put his book down. "You're doing relatively well but time is ticking. If you want to pass you have to get these bells from me. Better be quick too; noon isn't too far off."
At this Yuka became frustrated, forming a few quick hand signs before releasing her fire jutsu. He dodged it skillfully and she grinned, the older shinobi moving right into her trap. She knelt down, placing her palm against the ground. At this a seal appeared and spread surrounding her. It then popped up around Kakashi, his eyes going wide as her trap encased him within an invisible shield. Yuka couldn't help but feel satisfied with herself. She had placed that seal the second he threw her off balance, trying to hit her with his fire jutsu. It was almost too easy. The shield she created about him would encase him in a rain of her concentrated chakra, paralyzing him to the point of vegetation. However, she was not expecting Kakashi to just explode, leaving behind a wooden log.
Another substitution jutsu; and this time Kakashi was too close to dodge. "You shouldn't turn your back on an enemy, Yuka-san…" he said before she was struck, his chakra concentrated so thickly around his fist that it looked like lightening. It hit her square on and she went limp, falling to the ground not far from him. She was still conscious, watching as Kakashi's feet came into view better. She groaned, pushing herself from the ground, moving away from Kakashi in a defensive stance. His eye just narrowed and he put the book in his pouch.
"I see you are finally taking this seriously, Yuka-san," he said, bringing his kunai from his belt and twirling it around his finger, poising to attack. Just then there was a volley of sharp knives, senbon, kunai, and shuriken. TenTen had released her twin dragon volley, making Kakashi dodge only to be encased by Shino's bugs again. This time they lifted him from the ground and began pulsing, like a beating heart.
"Damn it," she heard TenTen mutter. "Another substitution."
Yuka quickly hid, disappearing into the tree tops. She kept perfectly still, slowly scanning her surroundings. There was no sign of Kakashi, his chakra almost completely gone. She then looked down and noticed next to the tree that there was a shiny object on the ground. She squinted at it to get a better look, her eyes narrowing on the gold bell lying on the ground. She quickly sprung, landing next to it and kneeling down to grab it only to be hoisted back into the air by her ankle, a surprised scream coming from her. She then groaned, mentally kicking herself in the ass. She had fallen for such a simple bait and catch trick.
She was hanging there, by her ankle, staring at the bell on the ground. She tried stretching down, reaching it with her finger tips only to have it disappear. She groaned loudly, punching the tree. It started to splinter and the trunk became cracked but it didn't do much else. She quickly lifted herself, grabbing a hold of the rope that was tied around her ankle now. She hoisted herself until she was upright and cut the rope with her kunai, falling with a thump to the soft grass.
"You know, if it looks too easy, seems too easy, than it probably is a trap. You should have learned that on day one…" Kakashi commented, looking down from the branch above her.
She just glared up at him and she saw his eyes widen with shock and then they filled with some other sort of emotion, one she had seen entirely too often around Konoha when people looked at her. They saw Naruto and this annoyed Yuka to no end. She was her own person and she'd prove that to them. She stood up quickly, concentrating her chakra into her feet and running up the tree trunk and swinging at Kakashi. He jumped from the tree, staring up at Yuka now, his head tilted in curiosity. She jumped down after him, chasing him toward the stream with a volley of shuriken. As she was about to strike he wove some quick hand signs and suddenly Yuka was trapped in a vortex of water. It hit her with bone crushing force, forcing her backward to slam against a tree. She could feel the soreness start to creep into her muscles and bones, feeling the ache that came with some cracked ribs.
She coughed, spotting a few blood droplets that fell into her hand. She wiped them away and stood again, this time dodging as he sent bullets of water toward her. TenTen took this as an opening and sent another volley of weapons at him, sending him off balance. Shino quickly came into view afterward sending a cloud of buzzing and flitting bugs at Kakashi who managed to dodge just in time to avoid a large shuriken that TenTen had sent his way. Yuka, who had moved to position herself behind a tree, began weaving hand signs, preparing her ultimate seal jutsu. She was being pushed to her limit in this fight, her moves ineffective against the copy nin. It wasn't far off of noon and the longer the battle was drawn on, the more frustrated she became. She peered about her, noticing TenTen was now firing a rain of senbon down at Kakashi who was weaving hand signs.
Before TenTen could dodge he sent a flurry of fire balls at her hitting her head on. She screamed out before disappearing, Kakashi spinning about just in time to dodge her second attack of senbon. Shino, who had been gathering chakra since his last attack weaved a few signs before placing his hands on the ground. It began to quake around him and then spread until in encased Kakashi, making him loose his footing. Just then the ground started to split around him and up between the cracks and fissures sprouted thousands of bugs, weaving up the sharingan user's legs and rooting him to the spot.
Yuka took this opportunity to attack, sending small bursts of chakra to her feet so that she closed the gap quickly, colliding her infused fist with his side. She heard some cracking and then a loud gasp before he weaved a quick sign, sending lightning out from his body like a flash, burning the bugs at his feet and combining with the water to send electrical currents through it. The lightening struck TenTen before she could dodge and she was hit, the bright flash making her body shake violently before she landed in a heap on the wet mud of the stream bed.
Kakashi was standing on the opposite bank, his arm wrapped around his midsection and his eyes watching Yuka carefully. He looked more worn and Yuka figured he must have used up too much chakra. Her hit had collided with him, this she was sure because her chakra was infused into his body; she could feel it and the best part was that he could do nothing about it. He looked tired and worn and the longer he kept fighting the more damage her chakra would do to his body. She had made sure to concentrate a large amount of chakra into her fist so that when it did collide with his body it would do immediate physical damage as well as the damage done over time.
She didn't have an extreme amount of chakra left but it was enough to defeat Kakashi and get that bell. She concentrated some to her feet, closing the distance between them. She'd resort to taijutsu now. He was physically injured and the more he moved the more damage could be inflicted. He dodged her punch, weaving around her as they fought, his arms coming up to block her punches and kicks. Just when she was about kick him hard in his already injured side he started concentrating chakra into his hand, making her jump back to avoid his attack. It was that all familiar technique the Hokage had used on her as well; rasengan.
Before she could rebalance herself Kakashi lunged at her, Kunai in hand. He was going to hit and as she braced herself for impact she felt a set of arms pull her sideways, making Kakashi jump back. Shino had grabbed her and pulled her out of the way, springing his trap around Kakashi. It was a vortex of bugs which sent Kakashi flying backward, landing in a heap on the ground. Yuka looked up at Shino with a thankful smile before moving around him to deliver the final blow. However, Kakashi had prepared for this and before she could dodge he had placed his hand on the ground, a seal spreading from it.
It was a summoning jutsu and it had hit Yuka directly. She felt teeth sink into her skin and she screamed as seven dogs started grabbing onto her with their jaws, restricting her movement. Whatever poison their saliva held was starting to paralyze her. She struggled, trying to throw them off of her but it didn't work. In her last effort she concentrated her chakra to her pores, trying to release it into the dog's system. This proved pointless because their teeth were hard as bone, making penetration impossible. They had gotten her and were slowly sapping her chakra.
Shino however hadn't stopped. He had managed to gain the upper hand on Kakashi, using taijutsu to throw him off. She watched for a minute as his bugs began swarming around them, encasing them both in a wall of dark pulsing bugs. When it finally dropped she saw Kakashi kneeling on the ground, Shino above him with two bells in his hand. The dogs disappeared with pop and the only one that remained was a small pug, his eyes watching her wearily. She eyed it before moving to stand up again. An immediate rush hit her and she wobbled, falling back to one knee as she did. The poison from the dogs saliva was still in her system and since her chakra was so depleted she couldn't expel it fast enough.
She saw Shino kneel down to say something to Kakashi before walking over to the river bed and scooping TenTen up out of the dirt. He carried her over to the grass and set her down, looking her over. Yuka was becoming hazy now, her body feeling numb and heavy. Then she heard it and almost screamed from the surprise.
"Kakashi," the dog in front of her said, looking over at his white haired master. Kakashi glanced over at him, slowly standing to his feet again. "This girl is going to pass out without the antidote. Should I give it to her?"
"Please do, Pakun," Kakashi said, running his hand over his side. He had to have had at least one cracked rib from the impact of that punch. "If she passes out her chakra will still infect me and I could die."
At this Yuka laughed, falling to her side; the paralysis had started. The dog came up and nudged her limp arm, licking it a few times before moving to do the same thing to her face.
"Hey," she moaned, trying to pull away from his wet and sloppy tongue. "Quit it."
"It's the antidote," Pakun said, licking her face again. "It'll soak into your skin and render the poison harmless. Just sit still a second."
Yuka did, laying there a minute as the saliva dried and her body started feeling less tight and heavy. Pakun backed away, still watching her as she gained feeling back in her limbs. She was able to hoist herself to her feet after a few minutes. In the mean time Shino had been attending to TenTen, checking her body and chakra to make sure she wasn't severely injured. After waking her with a burst of chakra she looked about, her eyes wide in confusion.
"I didn't get a bell, did I?" TenTen asked, her eyes narrowing at Shino. He held them in his hand, letting them jingle together. She just sighed, moving to stand up slowly. With some help from Shino she was standing, eyeing Yuka curiously. Yuka just waved before leaning up against a tree for balance. The poison had left her weaker than she could have anticipated. "Yuka-chan didn't get a bell either?" she asked, eyeing Shino and then Yuka.
Kakashi, who was standing now, shook his head, an obvious grin behind his mask. Pakun had moved from Yuka to Kakashi now, looking up at him in expectation. Kakashi just shook his head and Pakun disappeared in a pop of white smoke. Shino moved from TenTen, allowing her to stand on her own, to Yuka to check her injuries. Yuka couldn't tell what he was doing behind those glasses of his but she had an uneasy feeling like he was watching her very intently. She shuffled a bit and adjusted so she was standing on her own, regaining her balance. She was beyond pissed with herself.
"Well, it looks like you failed," Kakashi said. He was watching her closely, his arm gripping his side still. "I'll inform Hokage-sama immediately."
"Kakashi-sensei," TenTen said, shaking her head. "You're injured. Go to the hospital. Shizune-sama can fix you up as good as new before you see the Hokage."
"It's fine, it's a minor injury," Kakashi said, patting his side gently. He winced a little bit and Yuka couldn't help but grin.
"Minor my ass," she mumbled, shaking her head. Kakashi noticed and looked over at her, an amused twinkle in his eye.
"What do you look so smug for, Yuka-san? You've failed this test so that means you'll just have to start over with the basics. Hokage-sama will be very disappointed with you," Kakashi commented, watching her reaction as it went from shocked to angry in an instant.
"I don't see the point of this ridiculous test. Bells… I had to retrieve bells to pass a test to become a leaf shinobi. How pointless," Yuka spat, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her stomach. "What exactly was I supposed to learn from this? That I can't beat the famous copy nin Kakashi Hatake?"
"No, but that is what you learned," Kakashi said, turning to walk away. "The lesson is lost on you, Yuka-chan. Even Shino and TenTen picked it up after a few minutes but you just missed it entirely."
"What the hell does that mean?" Yuka asked, her voice becoming an octave higher. "This test was completely pointless. Exactly what am I supposed to learn by being thrown into a random team that I have to compete against to pass?"
"It's a simple concept, Yuka-chan," Kakashi said, motioning for Shino and TenTen to follow him. Shino just nodded down at Yuka, placing a hand on her shoulder before following after him. TenTen walked over to her and offered her her arm, walking across the training field toward the entrance. Yuka just stayed quiet, contemplating Kakashi's words. When they got to the entrance Kakashi was waiting, leaning against the fence. "Did you figure it out yet, Yuka-chan?" he asked, pulling out his book from his pack.
"No, I haven't. You're fucking crazy," Yuka growled, shaking her head in frustration. She had been loosing her cool ever since she saw Shino with both bells, the anger boiling under the surface threatening to lash out.
"Ah, then I suppose the lesson does no good if you don't learn it," Kakashi stated, flipping a page of his book. "The lesson was all about teamwork, Yuka-chan. Instead of coming at me by yourself and attacking me individually, you should have consulted with your teammates. If all three of you had come at me at the same time you may have had a fair chance at a bell."
"But there were only two bells," Yuka protested, pulling away from TenTen. "If all three of us had come at you it would have made it that much easier for Shino and TenTen to snag the bells before me."
"Exactly, but I didn't say that you each had to have a bell. In the beginning you asked me if I was missing a bell and I said no, that there were three shinobi and two bells. I never said anything about all three of you having your own bell. The test was simply getting the bells from me," Kakashi stated, glancing over his book at her. "If you would have used team work and taken the bells then you would have passed this test easily."
"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Yuka huffed, balling her fist in frustration. She didn't care to hold back her emotions anymore; there was no point. Not only was she unable to go on the mission with Shikamaru and his team but now she had no way to contact Orochimaru. She had no leads and no idea when, or if, he would ever show up for her. She had been suppressing her anger and emotions since she first came to Konoha but right now she didn't care. She let her emotions get the best of her, overruling her better judgment. "FUCK!" she screamed, swinging her fist. It collided with the metal fence and it immediately shook violently, shaking loose from its bindings and falling every which way with loud clanks and thumps. She then turned toward Kakashi, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Next time Kakashi Hatake, you won't walk away with a couple of cracked ribs." She raised her hand, her seal glowing before drawing out some green specs of light from Kakashi's body. She then blew past him, running toward the hospital.
She didn't care that she had just threatened a senior shinobi or that her guise had been dropped, however briefly. She was beyond pissed at herself and needed to take out her frustration on something. If she wasn't careful she'd take it out on someone and that would completely strip away her disguise. If she gave in to anger any more and let herself become consumed by it the curse mark would awaken and take over her entire body. This would blow everything she had worked for, Orochimaru's plans in all. She had to release her anger before she went insane and ruined everything.
Just when she was about to leave the village, heading for the front gates, she heard a familiar voice call her name. She nearly screamed at them to leave her alone but knew that wouldn't be a good idea. It was Shino, running after her trying to catch up. She slowed down until she came to a stop underneath a tall tree, the entrance just across from it. Shino caught up and came up next to her, his hand immediately going to her shoulder.
"Yuka-chan," he said, turning her to look at him. She did and he took a step back, his eyebrows rising behind his glasses. "Yuka-chan, please calm down. It's not the end of the world. You will get another chance to beat Kakashi-sensei."
"That is not what I am frustrated with," Yuka spat, pushing his hand away. She sighed loudly, running her hand through her hair. "I'm frustrated because now I cannot go on a mission that was really important to me."
"There will be other missions, Yuka-chan," he said, shaking his head. "That's what I told myself at least."
"Shino-kun, I know you're trying to help but I feel so frustrated, angry, and annoyed by myself that I can't just roll over and let it go. I can't just forget about this mission and wait for another. It's much more complicated than that," Yuka said, turning to pace for a second, back and forth. Her fists were clenched and her eyes were dark, almost sinister. At this Shino came up to her and placed both of his hands on her shoulders, making her look at him.
"Yuka-chan, I know exactly how you feel," he said, moving so that she couldn't step away from him. "Please, listen for a second. I was left behind on a mission that all of my friends got to go on many years ago and it hurt me. More than I can possibly explain to you. I was angry at myself for not being around to help but more importantly I was angered that I didn't get the fair chance to show what I was made of."
"You think that's what this is about?" Yuka asked, looking up at him wide eyed. "Shino-kun, this mission is more important to me than anything and now I won't even be able to see the mission notes! All because I don't know how to work on a team; I was never taught this, never relied on others for help because I had my own strength. Now what good does that do me?" At this she bit her lip, looking down at the ground. "It's so frustrating…"
There was a pause, Shino's hands resting on her shoulders gently. She was looking down at her feet, an annoyed crease in her brow. She was sure Shino was just trying to help, maybe even show he cared for her in his own way but it didn't help her current situation. She knew for sure she'd be denied the mission and more importantly she'd be shut out from Orochimaru; her master. Shino was intently watching her, his eyes roaming her always changing expressions. He then sighed, making her look back up at him.
"I know what you need, Yuka-chan," he said, unzipping the front of his jacket a bit so that she could see the lower half of his face. He was smiling. "Come on, you can spar against me until you can't go any longer. Don't hold back either; you won't get any better if you don't give it your all and let these frustrations out."
At this Yuka's eyes went even wider, a small grin pulling at her lips. Shino was more than willing to be her punching bag even when she was this angry. He just nodded, motioning for her to lead the way. "Fine," she said, taking a few deep breaths. Her fist was still balled up and her frustration hadn't died down but if Shino was willing to be her human punching bag she would be willing to let out her frustrations with her fists. She just hoped Shino could handle it. She'd have a tough time explaining to Shizune why there was a nearly dead insect user on her operating table.