Hey there! I'm still alive and updating!

Thanks for all those lovely reviews I recieved! They were the main reason I updated this fast. But unfortunately I can't promise anything for later chapters since the creative part of my brain starts to fail again...

Anyway! If you want leave me a review and apart from that, enjoy!

Sins and Sunshine

Chapter 24: The invasion

The highlight of the day would finally start. The battle between Sasuke and Gaara was the most anticipated battle of the chunin exams since years and for a about a third of the spectators the sole reason to actually watch the fights. Poor other contestants must feel so unloved now.

The audience was bubbling over with excitement. They were shouting and cheering, exclaiming their personal favourites, jumping out of their seats. The names of the two boys in the ring echoed through the arena. And even I couldn't hold back my excitement any longer.

"Go, Sasuke-kun! Go Gaara!" I shouted, my hands forming to a cone in front of my mouth.

"You can't cheer for both, you know?" Kiba complained. Why that bothered him so much, I didn't know.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because they are opponents. Why would you want to cheer for that Suna kid anyway?" he asked curiously.

"Because he was my best friend when I was still living in Suna." I explained a goofy smile on my face. No need to tell him that our friendship wasn't in its best condition right now. He'd just start gossiping like a teenage girl.

Anyway. After I shouted their names, they both stared at my general direction. Then they continued glaring at each other even more intense than before. If someone stood between them in that exact moment they would have definitely combusted!

The proctor announced the start of the fight and hurriedly jumped out of their way. Who could blame him, he was about to fall victim to the boys' deathglares of ultimate death, doom and destruction.

Most of the fight consisted of Sasuke trying to outrun Gaara's sand defense and to my great surprise he was actually able to. He was fast, really fast. Kakashi-sensei trained him well. Why didn't he train us more often? Stupid teacher, being too lazy...

Sasuke managed to land some blows on Gaara but keeping up this incredible speed seemed to drain his stamina. So after a few minutes they both were already panting heavily of exhaustion.

Gaara then shut himself in a sand cocoon and Sasuke tried to punch him in the face but was too slow.

Instead he ran up the arena wall and formed some hand seals. Blue lightning-like chakra gathered in his right hand and emitted a loud noise similar to thousands of birds screaming. This jutsu oddly reminded me of the one Kakashi-sensei used back in the Land of Waves.

Then he began to run down the wall, the concrete breaking from the force of the chakra in his hand. At high speed he ran head on towards the sand cocoon and stabbed it with his arm as if it was a sword.

The seconds felt like an eternity and complete silence covered the stadium. Then Gaara's scream filled the air as it seemed that Sasuke's attack was successful. He then tried to pull out his arm but couldn't. He finally broke out after using his lightning chakra again and we could clearly see some sort of deranged monster arm hold onto the boy.

'Shukaku?' I thought nervously. This didn't look good.

The cocoon broke and released the redhead who held his bleeding shoulder.

'That's probably the first time he sees his own blood.' I mused.

"Be careful. Things are getting into motion." Kumiho warned in my mind.

Confused I looked around to see was she was talking about.

People on the stands started falling asleep, only some ninjas staying awake while all made the same hand sign. As I, too, got sleepy I finally got the hint and quickly released the genjutsu that was cast on us.

Hinata to my left did the same, but Kiba wasn't that quick. I looked over at the boy who was snoring like the idiot he was.

I watched him silently, then hit him on the head. Nothing happened except for a bump that now grew on his head.

"He's out cold." I deadpanned.

"W-We should wake him." Hinata suggested nervously.

"That would be a bad idea." I retorted and pointed at the ninja that were streaming into the arena and started attacking every shinobi that was awake.

"We're under attack. Kiba would definitely want to fight too. I don't want that idiot to die yet." I explained with a forced grin.

Hinata nodded, knowing exactly what I meant.

"Hinata-chan, just act like you're asleep and you should be safe." I told her with a serious face. She nodded then looked up to me concern in her eyes.

"W-What about you?"

My gaze wandered into the arena. The sand-siblings were fleeing, Temari and Kankuro carrying Gaara. Sasuke quickly followed after them.

"I have to help an old friend." I replied and turned to go after them. But just as I took a step forward a shadow appeared behind me.

"You're going nowhere." the figure said and I turned around to see the sand-team's jonin instructor Baki behind me, a kunai in his hand. Just as he wanted to slash my throat, another shadow appeared. A hand caught the jonin's arm just as the weapon was mere millimeters away from my throat.

"You think I would let you kill my student so easily?"

"Hatsuru-sensei!" I cried out in relief. I really thought I was done for!

"You don't know anything. She's dangerous! If I don't kill her now, you will all regret it!" Baki roared and slashed at the man. Hatsuru retreated and I followed suit hiding behind my substitute-teacher.

"Minari. You and your little friend should go hide. Don't worry I told Nobu and Ayano to protect you. Those shinobi from Suna won't hurt you."

I smiled thankfully at the man, then took Hinata's hand and together with her we fled into the inside of the building.

After a few turns we found an empty storage room. There I shoved the girl into a locker where the swabs where kept.

"Hide here."

"Y-You, too." she pleaded but I shook my head.

"I have to go. And don't worry about me. My teammates are strong, they'll protect me."

After that I quickly made my way out of the building and to the direction where I saw Sasuke and Gaara disappear to. Hopefully Nobu and Ayano would soon catch up to me. With all those Suna-nins around me I'd be screwed if they discover me!

I ran through the streets to avoid the enemies that were fighting Konoha-nins on the rooftops. I also noticed Oto-nins fighting our forces. Looked like Suna and Oto were allies... Yep, we're screwed!

I dashed around the corner but quickly came to a halt as two Suna-nins were standing right in front of me.

"Uhhhh 'sup?"

"That's the Takanaki. Kill her!" they roared and quickly followed after me as I turned on my heels and ran in the opposite direction.

I concentrated chakra in my feet to get quicker and dodged the weapons they were throwing at me. Turning into a alley to escape their attacks I soon found out I made a big escape as I ran into a group of three more shinobi from Suna.

"Kill the Takanaki!" yelled my pursuers from behind me, as they caught up to me.

"Oh great." I grumbled and dived trough the broken down entrance of the building beside me, as they lunged at me. I took a kunai with an explosive tag on it out of my pouch – good thing I happened to bring my weapons with me today – and threw it at the entrance to block their way in with the following explosion. Unfortunately the pressure flung me through the whole room and against the opposing wall.

"Outch!" I rubbed my hurting head and found some blood on my fingers. Just great, I hope that doesn't have to get stitched...

Unfortunately my little explosion didn't help as much as I hoped, since even though the doorway was blocked with rubble, a giant hole now decorated the wall next to the entrance.

"You little..." one of the Suna-nins growled as he entered through the hole. Blood was running down his face so my little explosion wasn't as useless as I thought. Yeah, let's blow up all the bad guys!

I pulled myself up from the ground and leaned against the wall. I felt dizzy and couldn't stand straight not to mention run away.

The ninja made another step towards me but suddenly a blur broke through the wall on the side and rammed into the man, ramming him into the opposing wall, the only one that still remained intact, and created yet another hole. The owner of this building is so gonna kill us!

"You should protect the village, not help destroying it, Minari-chan!" a familiar voice lectured me. A grin grew wide on my faced as I identified the blur that saved me just now.

"Shut up, Nobu. You just destroyed two walls, so you're one wall ahead."

The boy straightened himself and smirked as his steel fist turned back to normal.

"You didn't see the building on the other side of the street yet. Your little explosive tag did make quite some damage there."

I gulped and laughed nervously. It's collateral damage so it should be okay, right?

"Nobu, behind you!" I shouted as I saw one of the other ninjas get up from the ground and swing his sword at the boy. But before he could reach him, he literally fell apart. Behind him Ayano appeared, blood spraying from the still rotating pendulums that she used to cut the man in half.

"Time you showed up." Nobu said to her with a smirk before he activated his Kekkei Gankai on both his fists, turning them to steel. Then he started to pummel the still unconscious ninja on the ground to prevent them form getting up ever again.

"I'm so glad you're here." I admitted to Ayano a tired smile on my face.

"Don't worry. We'll escort you to wherever you plan on going." Nobu answered for her, a knowing grin on his face.

I laughed and thanked my teammates as they led me through the streets, killing everything that got in their way. I wondered how these two could still be considered genin, they were freaking killing machines. Good thing the dizziness from before was gone so I had no problem getting back my orientation.

We reached the outer wall of the village. Nobu punched in the face of the last Oto-nin that was trying to stop us. The blood dripped from his fists and a mad smirk crept on his face. Nobu on a killing spree is really something you wouldn't want to happen. Maybe it was for the best his opponents all quit before their fight.

But just as we wanted to pass the wall, a giant tail crushed into the concrete in front of us.

"Oh holy sh-"

"That's some really big snake!" I said impressed incidentally interrupting Nobu in his swearing. He abruptly punched the giant reptile with full force but didn't even leave a scratch on the enormous body.

"That one's gonna take a while." he growled before his craze smirk reappeared on his face.

I took out a kunai, ready to assist my comrades, but Ayano stepped in front of me and nodded to the direction of the forest behind the wall.

"Ayano's right." Nobu translated for me "You go and catch up to your boyfriend. We'll take on that oversized slow worm."

"Thanks." I replied smiling and jumped to the top of the wall, then turned around to shout down to them.

"And he's not my boyfriend!"

Then I faced the forest and finally took up pursuit of my friends.

While running one small question popped up in my head.

"Who exactly did me mean with 'my boyfriend'?"

Unfortunately that chapter wasn't that funny but my brain fails at jokes at the moment. The next will be more serious as well but after that I'll try my best to make it more funny again.

If you have any questions, complaints etc. just leave me a pm, I try to reply as soon and possible.

Now I wish you a good night (or day, depending on when you're reading this) and I'll see you next time hopefully ;)