Chapter 18: Seduction Is Stupid But Powerful

Next up is some girl under Guy's teachings named Tenten, against a blond battle fan wielding woman named Sabuku no Temari, the oldest of the Sabuku siblings that also make the only team from Suna in these exams. It seems that the girl has a pretty good hold on Futon jutsus, seeing as Tenten's way of fighting- weapon usage- is completely destroyed by the weapons being returned through Futon jutsus and nothing else. The blond woman is a cocky little bitch, but she at least a little bit of bite to go with that bark. Still, I smile to myself. I'd to wipe that cocky smile off her face. She thinks she's good with Futon jutsu? Heh. She hasn't even scratched the surface of them.

The sixth match, is Asuma's betting horse, Shikamaru Nara of the famously lazy Nara clan against an Oto shinobi named Kin Tsuchi. The fight went on with Kin beating poor Shikamaru, apparently having seen him use his Kagemane no Jutsu. A technique that only the Naras can use. Something of a Kekkei Genkai. Kin on the other hand is a brand new book to Shikamaru, leaving him at even more of a disadvantage. Apparently the girl fights using sound to her advantage. First she fights with senbon, and throws them this way and that without bells. Until the Nara boy gets used to there being no sound. Then she starts to add in those with bells. However, those without bells still ring, due to Kin pulling on strings attached to the bells on the already thrown senbon. With the right timing, Shikamaru's ears trick both he and his eyes, and he ends up getting knicked more than once. At first it looked like Shikamaru was going to be the first one of the betting horses to lose. Meaning that Asuma would have to stop smoking for the mentioned time. However, that damn genius managaes to get his shadow to connect with Kin's. He forces her to walk around, mimmicing his moves, just like a shadow would. Until finally they both draw a kunai. These kunai are thrown. In a feat of flexibility, Shikamaru has no trouble getting under the kunai. Kin on the other hand copies him as is forced on her, and knocks herself out on the wall behind her- where Shikamaru walked her to. Thus making Shikamaru a finalist to the next round.

I look over to where Asuma is standing and get his attention by calling out, "Looks like you got lucky this time!"

The smoking man blows out a ring of the stuff confidently before replying with, "Strategy and a quick wit are needed no matter what. In most cases, brains beat brawn through and through". This makes me chuckle. Quite true, his words.

My eyes travel to the screen to see who is up against who, only to find my favorite blond boy up and ready to play. I grin and call to him as he vaults over the railing, "Go get 'im Naruto! Show him what it is to be a true shinobi!"

However, it seems that something is off about the boy. He seems a bit wobbly as he falls into a fighting stance and he and Kiba get to fighting. For a good while, it's all in the palm of Kiba's hands. Naruto doesn't seem to stand a chance against the Inuzuka. It doesn't help that Kiba has his ninken, Akamaru, to lend a helping paw by going through with a Beast Human Clone jutsu. Something I've never seen Kakashi's summoned dogs do in my entire career. For a few moments, it looks like it's all over for my favorite knuckle head, smoke obscuring even my own vision. However as the smoke disappears, is shows that the little fox has showed a bit of his skill. How? By doing a layered Henge. That's something that even some Anbu have an issue doing. Why, when Henge is so simple? Because you have to maintain two exact copies of what you're turned into. Well, two or more if it's a layered transformation. That was honestly a good move on Naruto's part. Unfortunately, it's not enoug to bring down Kiba completely, and as such he goes back to thrashing Naruto. Not only for tricking him into hurting Naruto, but also so that he can win. I blink dumbly as what gives Naruto the upper hand is him farting while trying to make a kage bushin. With Kiba's sense of smell so strong to the point of being like a dog's, the poor boy's nostrils are practically burnt off by the apparent smell Naruto's fart had. But, adapting to the embarrassing fluke, Naruto actually does manage to create a couple clones, which then help him performing something he likes to call 'Uzumaki Rendan'. In the end, it's he who wins.

"Alright Naruto!" I hug the boy as me makes his way back up to the rest of us. "Man you had me worried kiddo, but you beat him!"

Naruto smiles and beams up to me from his spot in my arms, my wings curled around his smaller body, "I really did show him, huh?"

"Damn straight," I nod. "I'm getting you ramen for dinner to night. As much as you want mister; you deserved it".

"Might I join you for that meal?" Kakashi sounds from my side, "He's my student too you know". Yea, but you went ahead and bet on Sasuke, ya ass.

I sigh, "Fine. But you're paying me back; you didn't do any fight winning today". He eye smiles to me in thanks, and our eyes return to the matches.

What's up next goes so far as to make me sad. A family rivalry so deep that one, the prodigy, feels the need to kill the other, the gentle heiress. It's Neji and Hinata Hyuga that are against one another. Cousins by blood and not just related by clan. And while he is strong in body and mind, the girl is only strong in heart. I can see it now. Neji tries to get Hinata to give in before he has to fight her. But it wasn't a sincere 'give up' suggestion. It was more of a threath, and I find myself crushing the railing again in a new spot. Poor railing, never did anything to me. But it's better than getting so pissed as to accidentally unsheathe my claws while my fingers are curled into a fist due to my anger. I've done that before- in frustration at myself during my time away from the village- it wasn't fun at all. Seriously man. Still, Hinata shows herself to be strong in her heart as I've mentioned, seemingly inspired by Naruto's perserverence to not give up nor turn away. I smile. She's so much like the boy she doesn't even realize it I don't think. She tells Neji of how she's learned to be brave through Naruto, which I'm sure touches the boy's heart. And from there they set to their fight. However, a match between two Hyugas is never like any ordinary match between two people against someone, or even a Hyuga against someone normal. I only slightly listen as Kakashi explains to Naruto and the now awake Sakura just what kind of fighting they're doing, called Gentle Fist. It's way of fighting that blocks off the chakra and causes bodily harm from the inside out. And a single place of the palm can kill a person. The fight goes on until Hinata is coughing up blood, and her frail frame collapses under the presser of the fight. Though Neji moves for the killing blow, it's Hayate that does his job and stops the boy from succeeding. Hinata is pulled away from the room on a stretcher. I'm sure she's being rushed to the hospital. Still, the end result is something I'm sure would flatter the girl. Naruto, inspired by her determination and bravery, vows to take Neji down in the final round of the exams. I grin, my eyes sliding towards Guy. That'll be an interesting fight. Neji is not Guy's betting horse, but still, Neji is from Guy's team.

The last fight that I really pay attention to- sorry Choji- is the ninth match where Rock Lee is against Sabuku no Gaara, the youngest of the Suna siblings. And probably the scariest looking. The match starts off with Lee not getting far with the tactics of simply trying to get around Gaara's sand that seems to have a mind of its own. In fact, he's barely faster than the stuff. And when the sand kicks things up a notch, Lee's no match for the stuff. That is...Until Guy allows Lee to take off the leg warmers on his legs. Like his teacher, those orange contraptions are rather heavy weights. I honestly wasn't expecting them to be heavy enough to make craters in the ground below where he removed them. Such a sight is actually...Rather scary. To find someone that was already that fast and yet for him to be even faster without the weights is insane for a Genin. I could say the same for myself. But I can tell you now that if he survives this match- win or lose- he's bound to be a speed demon like his teacher. I don't know how fast he'll be, but I'll just say this now. I don't wanna know. As Lee's speed is upped to match that of Gaara's sand, it turns out that his speed even surpasses Gaara's sand. Lee manages to get a hold of the red haired boy and use Front Lotus n him. However, that's where everything goes down hill. A sand clone had taken the brunt of that attack's force. This means that even though Lee is without his weights, Gaara's sand is still faster. It's then that Guy allows Lee to open the inner chakra gates. I pay no mind to what they are. All I can say is that they increase his power and speed immensely for however long, but I can tell that the payment for such a technique is the destruction of the body. However, despite five opened gates, Gaara is still to much and too skilled. It's the sand that he controls that makes him so hard of an opponent. And with no jutsu arsenel to pull from, Lee is at the biggest disadvantage I've ever seen. Gaara does eventually catch Lee with his sand. And he mercilessly crushes the boy's arm and leg. It breaks my heart to see such a sight, seeing as even with a broken and battered body that Lee inflicted on himself and got due to his fight with Gaara, Lee wanted nothing but to be called a splendid shinobi in Guy's words. It breaks my heart. The only thing that stops me from vaulting over the railing and going with Guy to protect Lee's prone form, as Gaara was going for a killing blow, is Kakashi. As I ready to move, he takes a hold of one of my wings and stops me in my tracks. I look at him with tearful eyes, and he shakes his head, making my shoulders slump. Another pure hearted boy that had to suffer. In the end, Gaara wins the match.

"So you're telling me that Orochimaru is here in the first place for the Sharingan?" I question as Kakashi and I stand in Sasuke's room. There's a vase filled with flowers and a card that has the boy's name on the front in Itachi's writing on the night stand next to the hospital bed. Itachi's been here.

"That's right," Kakashi states. "And you're telling me that Orochimaru came to see you, acting like some sort of twisted father and telling you that apparently you get your eye color from him personally?"

"That's right," I ground out, unhappy at the thought of the man. I turn and lead the way out of Sasuke's room, wanting to not wake the sleeping boy. "I've already reported to Hokage-sama about it. He says that my apparent relation to the snake will remain a secret between myself, him, and now you. I'm not to tell anyone else. If the villagers knew that I was in the slightest related to him...Who knows what would happen".

Before Kakashi can answer, there's the shouting of, "Cross-sensei! Kakashi-sensei!" From Naruto behind us.

"Be quiet Naruto," Kakashi chastises, "It's a hospital here; there are people resting. What do you need?"

"I was wondering...If maybe either of you could train me?" He questions excitedly.

I grin, jumping on the train so to speak, "I can do that, mister. In fact, I was gonna come looking for you to offer to train you in the first place. You just got to me first".

Stars light up in those blue eyes. "What? Really?"

Laugh and place a hand on his head, "Yup! But first, I want someone to check on that 'friend' of yours," tell him glancing quickly at his stomach to tell him who I'm talking about. "Just to make sure he's in tip top shape. Okay?" I'd heard from Hiruzen after reporting to him that Jiraiya has come to the village due to the news of Orochimaru being here. However, I plan on hunting him down and making him check on Naruto.

The boy is silent before he nods once, "And then we can get to training, right?"

I grin as I wave to Kakashi with one hand and rest another hand on the boy's shoulder, "Naruto, my dear friend," I tell him, "When I'm done with you this month you've got to train, you're going to be a force to be reckoned with". As we step out of the hospital and onto the streets I mutter just low enough for him to hear, "And then maybe you can drop that mask you've been keeping. I know you're not some hidden genius or anything like that, but it'd be nice if I saw the real you you carry in you".

Naruto's excited smile falls for a second, "I can?"

I nod once. Where I lead him to is a well known hot springs bathing resort that many women go to simply because most women- kunoichi and villager alike- like to bathe in hot water instead of shower all the time. But it's not there that we walk into. No no, we walk around the building, into the back where I know a certain man to be. Before we get to this man, however, I pause and make Naruto face me. "Listen to me carefully, Naruto," I tell him. "The words I say, and the stuff I do, are just to get the man to cooperate, alright? Nothing more, nothing less. I'll be doing a bit of seduction work, but nothing major, okay?"

"So you're going to trick him," Naruto nods out.

I nod before looking to the strings that lace up part of the low cut of my shirt, and then I begin to fiddle with them so that they're more loose and more cleavage is showing. Not that more needs to be shown but...Just in case. My hands pull my braid in front of me and with swift and skilled movements, my hair is out of the braid, flowing and long and wavy from being in said hair style for so long and so often. A few strands fall to the front of my shoulder while the rest go onto my back and lay in between my wings. I look to the boy and smile a fangless smile. A flirtatious one; the same one I'll be giving the old coot. "How do I look?"

Naruto looks me up and down with glazed over eyes and a smile that's a bit too big on his face. Is that drool? "You look awesome".

I smirk, "Good". It's with that, that I find Jiraiya right where I figure the famous author of an even more famous book to be. Peeping in on the woman's side of the bath house. I smoothly walk up to him, and place a hand on his back between his shoulders, under that long white pony tail of his. "Hello handsome," I coo into his ear, bending at the waist, "What brings you to this neck of the woods, hmm?"

Dark eyes meet golden, and together we stand with me taking my hand off his back, only to be replaced on his chest lightly. His eyes wander downwards to my bust as any pervert's would, and as expected his eyes widen and drool begins to dribble from his mouth. "Well hello there! My name is Jiraiya! And who might you be, lovely lady?"

I giggle in a way that I should never giggle, and lean against him, pressing my form against his much older- but still admittlingly rather firm for an old man- frame. "My name isn't of any importance right now. Let's just say that I'm a huge fan of yours. The women you base those in your books off are so beautiful. They make me jealous but I can't help but enjoy your stories all the same".

Hands slither around my waist smoothly, just as my hands are now up around his neck, "Is that so? Maybe you could model for me? You're beyond beautiful," he tells me, his face lowering into mine, and his voice dropping into a seductive octave. My my, what a smooth and practiced flirter this man is. Still, this feels gross.

I smile and let our lips hover just a few centimeters away from one another, or noses brushing ever so gently, "I'd love to model for you...Jiraiya-sama," I coo. God, this is getting old really fast. I'm gonna throw up any second. "Do you think...Do you think my friend could join me?"

"Of course!" He assures with gleeful laughter.

"Wonderful! But you see...My friend has this little problem. She's shy...Will you help me bring her out of her shell?"

"I'll help her with anything she needs!" He coos.

"Excellent!" I remove my person from his and take his hand in the 'gentle' way I've read the way women do in his books and pull him along. "She's this way". And so, I pull him along through the village, giggling and laughing at whatever the man says. He sometimes lets a hand rest on my hip here and there but it's nothing I can't handle. With a clone having escorted Naruto to my destination, I stop and announce, "We're here!"

Jiraiya's eyes fall onto Naruto and he turns to look at me, "Where's your friend? I just see a runty blond brat".

My smile falls, and it's now that I start fixing up my clothing. Covering my cleavage as it should be by drawing the strings tighter. My loose hair is pulled over my shoulder and my hands begin to rapidly and skillfully braid the strands into a standard loose braid. "Yea. About that," I tell him, my face blank while my tail so kindly unwraps from my waist and points at the hitai-ate around my throat before wrapping back around my waist. "There was never another girl and I was never some ditzy wanna be model. That kid is Naruto. I'm sure you know about him and his status".

His own smile falls and he sighs, putting a hand to the back of his head, "Ahh, fooled by a pretty woman. Who are you exactly? I never got a name".

I offer my hand for him to shake, which he does firmly, "My name is Cross. I'm one of Naruto's teachers and I've decided to go ahead and train him so that he's strong enough to take on his opponent, Neji Hyuga, during the third round of the Chunin Exams. What I need your help with is simple; the Kyubbi's seal. Naruto's chakra seems to be way off- looked that way during the preliminary rounds. He and his team came into contact with Orochimaru so I suspect he's the one that fucked Naruto over".

Jiraiya sighs again, "I did say I'd help you," he mutters. "Alright Naruto," he tells the blonde, "Lift up your shirt and channel chakra into...Your feet". The boy complies cluelessly, and I tilt my head as the man mutters something about a five elements unseal seal, before suddenly slamming his hand into Naruto's gut and sending him flying. He stands straight and looks to me blandly, "That should do it".

I grin before nodding, "Thank you". I make my way towards him, and he seems like he's waiting for something. I sigh as I realize that yes...He's definitely looking for more than just words of thanks. I place a pretty smile onto my face and trail a hand up his chest, his neck and under his chin as I walk passed him, "Thank you Jiraiya-sama~," I coo. I feel him melt like the perv he is, and turn my attention towards Naruto. "You alright kiddo?"

Naruto groans, "Yea...I think so".

I smile, "Goodie. Let's see if that acting went to waste or not, shall we?" I question as I help him to his feet. I lead him to the stream that's not far from us, and motion to us. "The next exercise after tree walking is water walking. You remember how Zabuza stood on water right?" I get a nod. I'm gonna teach you to do the same. It's simple but it's not. With a flat surface, you can find and maintain a steady flow of chakra to let you stick to that surface. However when it comes to a moving surface, water, you have to fluctuate your out put on each foot so that you don't over or under do it. Do it wrong either way, and you sink into the water. We'll work on that until you get it down. And then we'll work on your taijutsu and I'll teach you some really cool jutsu".

Naruto nods with determination and steps towards the river that I stand on with no issues. He concentrates before, when he thinks he's ready, stepping onto the surface. What's the result? Splash! "Ahhhh! Coooooold!"

I grin, "Sorry kiddo. It should be a bigger initiative for you to learn this faster now, that you know that it's pretty damn cold". He glares at me before ridding himself of everything save his boxers and trying again. With the same result. It's gonna take him a little while to get it down I think.