V 5 Ch 6

The Lotus Competition!

"Hey, beautiful, you ready to go to our event next," Shikamaru asked as he looked at the kids. They were hanging around the food stands looking at everything being cooked. The Star Lantern search was next.

Onari nodded her head slowly as she watched Idai bounce around Daiya. "Onari go Shikamaru find star," she said confirming she understood what he had just said. Idai yelped as he was tackled by Saori. She smiled at him. Onari tilted her head, watching Saori tickle him.

Yanagi walked up with Gin following her. "Gin, you won fair and square. Stop worrying about it. I tried to trick you and you knew better."

Gin looked at Yanagi before she averted her eyes. "But-," she started to say. She watched as Idai came running towards her as Saori chased after him. He flew behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. Gin's heart was beating wildly in her chest. Why were his hands on her? She didn't mind it, but it made her panic a little inside.

Idai stayed behind Gin using her as a shield from Saori. "I warned you that I kick when I'm tickled. I couldn't help it, Saori!"

Saori put her hands on her hips looking at him rather seriously. "If you didn't mean it, then come out from behind Gin." She watched him hide behind Gin more as he shook his head. "Idai…"

"I'm not moving! You're going to hit me," Idai said as Saori nodded. "Well, that leaves me only one option." He paused for a moment as he stood up. He pushed Gin at Saori. "Go get her, Gin! She's all yours," he said as he took off.

Saori caught Gin. "Idai! Get back here!" She ran after him at high speed.

"Wow, look at all of the lit stars in the tree," Saori said as she stood next to Takeru. They were waiting for the announcer to tell them when to go. She was determined to find a star with a good prize charm in it.

"They all remind me of Christmas ornaments," Takeru said. The whistle was blown. Takeru took off with Saori. They jumped high into the trees searching for a star piece. "Saori, what about those over there," Takeru asked as he pointed at two small stars hanging close together. They were shining a purple light.

Saori smiled. "Let's go get them before someone else spots them!" She and Takeru went after them fast. Saori snatched them off of the strings the moment she came into contact with them. She threw Takeru his. "I wonder how the others are doing."

Hire pulled her partner up onto the branch. She looked at the girl she had been paired with. "Point to the two stars you want me to retrieve. I'll go get them since you can't climb."

The girl looked around for a moment. "Hey, I see stars that are glowing certain colors. Do you suppose the colors have anything to do with the prizes you get?"

"Who knows? There wasn't any mention about it at the announcements. Well, which color should I go after?"

The girl pondered. "How about the ones that have orange light coming out of them?" Before she could utter another word, the long dark headed girl was off. Her partner plucked the stars down. She waved at her. "Wow that was fast."

Shikamaru looked up into the trees. People were climbing as quickly as they could to get to the stars. They were using all sorts of methods to get the stars down. "I wonder which ones we should go after."

"Onari like red," she said as she pointed high. She noticed to red stars spinning on the tree. They didn't have light coming out of them like a few of the others. They were basic, normal simple stars.

Shikamaru followed her finger as he looked in the direction she was pointing at. "So those are the two you want me to get? Alright. Hold on, Onari," he said as he leapt into the trees with her on his back. She clung to him hard. Within moments, Shikamaru was handing her the stars.

Idai jumped from limb to limb with Daiya following him. "Which ones do we pick? They're all different. Some have colored lights, or are plain. I even see a few with glitter on them, or some other form of patterns. Does it matter?"

Daiya landed on a branch. He stared for a moment at the heavens above the tree. The stars sparkled beautifully in his gray eyes. He looked around at the stars spinning with the wind. They were waiting for someone to claim them.

Idai walked up behind him. He smiled softly. Daiya really admires the stars. Idai took out his flute. He held it to his lips blowing softly. A low tune proceeded out of his flute into the wind. The melody he played skipped thoughtfully from one note to the other. Daiya turned his head around to look at him. "Sorry. I couldn't resist." He tucked his flute back into his shirt. "So which ones are we going after?"

Daiya saw a star he wanted high above the trees. It wasn't shiny or painted like some of the others. If it wasn't for the moonlight hitting it as it spun, he would have never seen it. "I want that one," he said softly as he kept his eyes on it. He leapt off.

"Which one?" Idai went after Daiya. "Hey, Daiya, wait!" Idai had to run up the tree after him. Man, what's gotten into him? He sure is fixed on something. Idai skidded to a halt at the same time Daiya did. They avoided running into two bigger guys who happened to be after the same set of stars.

Daiya clenched his fists. "I saw those first! Those are ours!" He was ready to explode as the men placed their hands on the stars. "Go somewhere else!"

"Look, kid, there are well over a hundred stars in this tree. Just because you saw them, doesn't mean they are yours. You have to be the quickest to claim them. Go snatch one of the others," one of the men said with authority. He put his hand back onto the star.

Daiya shook his head closing his eyes. "No! You go somewhere else! I saw them first! I don't want other stars! I want those!"

Idai narrowed his eyes. He placed a hand on one of his swords. They were in a special holster on his back. He was cautious about the two in front of them. The two men weren't ignoring Daiya's tantrum. They were tensing as if they planned on doing something about it. "You lay a hand on him and I'll send you off of this branch," he warned lowly.

The other guy smiled. "Aw, isn't that sweet? He wants to protect the loud-mouthed brat." He started to walk towards the two boys. "Why don't you go cry to your mommies about how the two bad men had to teach you a lesson?"

Idai's eyes stared at the two men. His body felt as if it was being lifted into the clouds. Idai was watching the scene from the back row now. He saw himself moving towards the two men. The sword on his back was unsheathed. Idai watched as his wrist flicked and sent two quick air blasts at the two men. They fell into the abyss below the tree. Daiya was looking at him rather alarmed. He was saying something Idai couldn't hear. He blacked out.

"Idai? Idai, why did you do that?" Daiya froze as Idai's black eyes looked at him with no emotion – no concern, or recognition. "I-Idai?"

Idai gave Daiya a cold smirk. "Those two aren't very good at flapping their wings," he said in a low, serious voice. "You're Daiya, aren't you…? I thought so. Nice to meet you, Daiya."

Daiya's breathing increased. Idai had changed. It wasn't Idai. His eyes were different along with his personality. Who was this person standing before him? The facial expression was sinister and mocking. "Who-Who are you?"

"It's a secret," Idai said as he put his finger to his lips. "I can't tell you. Sometimes, what I hear, he hears, too. Let's not ruin a good thing. Those two are gone like you wanted. Take your prize," he said with a wicked smirk.

Daiya moved back. "I want Idai back," he said as the male started to walk towards him. "Idai," he called in a panic. "Idai!"

Idai laughed lightly. "Oh, come on, Daiya. Don't you like me, too? I'm better than Idai. I know what kind of power I hold in my grasp. He doesn't have a clue what he's really capable of."

"I want Idai! Idai," Daiya called again. His voice was practically screaming his name. He watched as something started to happen to Idai.

Idai's form began to loosen up. He was less tense. For a few seconds, Idai remained still as if something had stopped him. Daiya watched as Idai rubbed his eyes. It was as if he was coming out of a dream. Idai looked around the area a few times before his orange eyes met his. What is going on?

"Hey, it looks like those two guys left," Idai said with his playful smile. "Maybe they were afraid I'd sing and make them go deaf." He giggled. Idai let his long bangs flop over. "Daiya, you okay?" He handed his best friend one of the stars. "You're not tired again, are you? We can go rest if you need to."

Daiya shook his head slowly. As Idai leapt off of the branch, Daiya leapt off with him. He didn't know what to expect from Idai. He had changed so suddenly and reverted back to his old self in a matter of minutes. I don't know who that was just now, but it wasn't Idai. It's like someone borrowed his body. The voice wasn't the same. Everyone will think I'm crazy if I tell on him. He did it to protect me, but I feel afraid of him. Will Ryu think I'm losing it, or imagining it if I tell? If everyone finds out, they'll start to believe that what the others say about sound-nin is true. I can't put Idai in with that crowd! Idai smiled back at him as he normally did when they traveled together. Daiya only glanced at him, his body was slightly tense.

Kiba Inuzuka and Sasuke Uchiha made it to the very top of the large tree with dangling stars. They saw the two small white stars spinning on a thin branch high above the crowd below. Sasuke plucked the stars from their strings. "It looks as if the effort is really worth its sweat and tears," Sasuke said. He showed Kiba the small scroll linking the two stars.

Kiba read the scroll. "It appears we win that beautiful silk painting hanging at the Astrology Café. I'm not all for astrology."

"Neither am I," Sasuke said as he tucked the scroll into his vest. "However, I know someone who is. Do you mind if I give it to Daiya?"

"Not at all. You know, he was at the café when he had his attack yesterday. Yanagi kind of told me he was looking at that very same painting."

Sasuke nodded slowly. "Yeah, I have a feeling the reason behind Daiya's interest in stars has to do with the life he's had." He looked into the sky himself.

"How do you figure that," Kiba asked.

"Daiya's never had anything of his own. If you had grown up without someone to look after you – not knowing what it was like to be happy – how would you spend most of your time," Sasuke asked. He could see Daiya as a small boy staring out of a window, wishing upon a star for a life he didn't have.

"Stargazing," Kiba said as he, too, stared into the heavens.

Shikamaru waved them over as Onari showed Takeru and Saori what she and he had won. "Hey, I see you guys won something, too. I think everyone won something, technically."

Kiba placed his hand on Onari's head. "What'd you win, Sprout? Oh, you and Shikamaru won astrology charts. Those could come in handy for finding your way at night."

"What lines," Onari said as she pointed at the chart.

"Those are constellations, Onari. A long time ago people charted stars and gave them names. The patterns represent certain pictures based on the society the astrologer came from," Sasuke said. Onari tilted her head. "You have no idea what I just said, do you?" Onari shook her head. "I figured as much," he said sighing.

Hire showed Areku the prize she had won. "I think it's an extra charm for another event. I don't feel like participating anymore after we do the Lotus Competition."

Areku touched the charm that was hanging around Hire's neck. It was a silver star with etching upon it. "Well, um, what are you going to do once we get back to the village?"

Hire was watching him. Areku was looking away, concentrating on the charm. Why is he acting so oddly? "I don't know exactly. All I do is train or avoid my family. Why are you asking?"

Areku looked away. He kept his hand on the charm. "Do you want to um… hang out together? It's okay if you don't," he said softly.

Hire smiled at him a little. "Areku Inuzuka, you're acting as if you like me or something," she said teasingly. He looked at her slowly. "You do…?" He nodded at her. "Um… why?"

Areku turned himself fully around. "I think your mental determination is a turn on." Hire blushed badly at that point. "If you're not determined to meet your goals in life, you fall behind and become at a stand still. I'm constantly moving, as you are."

Hire bent forward to kiss Areku on the lips. She felt him place his hand on her cheek as he kissed her back. Hire pulled him closer. She felt that small spark of Areku's wild nature come through his kissing. She liked it. He could be what she couldn't. They parted the kiss and stared at each other with a soft gaze. "Why wait until we get back to the village…?"

Areku blushed badly. He caught Hire as she jumped at him. Areku wrapped his arms around her waist and swung her around. As Hire looked at him, he gave her a toothy grin. She smirked back at him.

Idai held up the iron stars he and Daiya had won. "What are you going to do with yours? I think I'll hang mind on the ceiling in my room," he said as he spun it with his hand. Idai glanced at his best friend. "Daiya, you've been awfully quiet since we got back." Idai stepped towards him. Daiya immediately tensed. "What's wrong? I'm not going to hurt you."

Daiya kept his eyes on Idai. "Why did you hurt those two men, Idai? You could have killed them!"

Idai looked at him with a shocked expression. "I didn't harm anyone. They left… didn't they," he said rather unsure of it all. He saw the two men being flung off of the tree in his mind. "I've never attacked anyone unless they harmed me first. I… don't remember what happened. I blacked out. It's the truth, Daiya! I saw you saying something to me… but I was asleep. It was a dream."

Daiya stood up. "You weren't asleep, Idai! You were moving! Your hand was on your sword the entire time! You used it on them! I saw you do it!"

Idai looked down. He moved away from Daiya on the bench. His eyes were closed. I did something bad again. I don't remember it. Idai felt as if his world was falling apart. He grabbed his head trying to sort everything out. The last thing he wanted was to lose Daiya as a friend. "I-I don't r-rem-member. I dreamed it. I… don't remember doing those things."

Daiya had no idea what was happening with Idai. Idai, in a way, was going through a state of denial. He was saying he was unaware of his actions physically, but his mind was able to recall it. Daiya moved towards him. Idai moved back trying to avoid his gaze. "Idai, I want you to level with me. What is going on inside of your head?"

Idai's eyes were shaky. He was unsure if he wanted Daiya to know. "Flashbacks aren't the only problem I have." He moved his hand up to place it on the side of his face. He was very ashamed. "The r-reason Gai took me in was not because I'm from the sound village." Daiya was watching him with a strong, concerned gaze.

Idai touched the side of his head with a shaky finger. He half expected the other person inside of him to come out at that moment, grab a hold of his hand, and not let go. "There's… someone else in here. He… gets me in trouble. He… makes me do bad things. Anko met him when we were on the way to Konoha. The-The Hokage didn't know what to think about me." Idai swallowed hard. "He told A-Anko he couldn't turn me out. He was the first person to say it wasn't m-my fault."

"So there is someone else who shares your body that is unpredictable. He told me he comes out when you are afraid to show your true strength. He knew my name, Idai. Your eyes changed color! That's not normal! No one can do that," Daiya said. He had to be strong now. What was happening to his friend was no one's fault. It was a large part of why Idai had always stayed by himself. Daiya understood it now.

Idai tensed as Daiya reached up to pet his head. Was Daiya giving him pity? Before he could ask, Idai was brought closer and Daiya's arms were around him. Idai's breathing was soft and quick. Daiya remained holding him in the darkness until he calmed down.

Daiya leaned his head into Idai's. Everyone used to be afraid of us because we weren't from the same village. Now… Idai is more different than me. It's not fair to stop being his friend. If he doesn't have me, he'll be alone again. I can't let him suffer like that. It took a lot of guts for him to be able to tell me what's wrong. Daiya turned his head. He made Idai look at him.

"You shouldn't be ashamed of things that are out of your control. You're still my friend, Idai, and will remain so. The others won't understand though. I've seen it- they haven't."

Idai bit his bottom lip. He wanted to break. He felt if he did, he'd feel better. Idai was worried about his other side attacking someone. If something happened to Daiya because of him, Idai would flip out. Daiya stood by him, unlike others he knew wouldn't. He looked at Daiya shyly. "What's caused you to act so differently?"

Daiya gave him a blank expression. "I'm stronger than anyone realizes. I have to be the mountain that stops anything from happening to the ones I care about. I won't let anyone take you away, Idai." Idai's eyes went into shock. Daiya was serious. "Dad said in order to keep things as they are; you have to fight for it. I'm fighting from here on out. I don't have any pity for anyone that chooses to get in my way."

Idai closed his eyes. Daiya wasn't giving up on him. Idai covered his face with his hands as he lowered his head. He gasped hard. He felt Daiya kiss his forehead tenderly to comfort him. Idai let him grab him and shield him from the world. He wondered what Kiba would say, or how he'd react if he knew Idai wasn't normal.

"Here, Gin, I won you something," Takeru said as he put the flower pin on her kimono. "Saori and I won them at the Star Lantern search. Flowers are better on girls than boys," he said smiling.

Gin touched the pin. It was a pink lotus flower. "Thank you, Takeru. I'll cherish it."

"Is everyone back," Shikamaru asked as he looked through the crowd of students. He noticed a few of them were still missing. "Why don't I call your names and you guys answer me, okay?" Shikamaru went through the names one by one. "Onari," he called.

Onari turned around. "What?" Shikamaru looked at her. "What, Shikamaru? Why Shikamaru say 'Onari'?"

Eiyu put his hand over her mouth. "Onari's here," he said as he looked at her. She didn't understand the purpose of roll call.

"We're missing Daiya, Idai, Ryu, Hire, and Areku. Does anyone know where they are?" Shikamaru looked at the kids shaking their heads.

"It's almost midnight. The Lotus Competition starts soon," Lee said as he pointed to the two large statues that were a man and woman holding hands. As the hour got closer, the statues turned to face each other. They were almost facing.

Areku and Hire showed up together. They were holding hands and blushing when everyone looked in their direction. "Do you two know where Ryu, Idai, and Daiya are," Lee asked. They shook their heads.

"I'll go find them," Kiba said. He walked off as everyone started to get their charms out. People were gathering all around for the most exciting event of the festival.

Ryu listened to Daiya explain what had happened at the Star Lantern search. He didn't judge Idai. He glanced at the boy from the sound village. Idai was thoroughly ashamed. Ryu sighed slowly. "Does Kiba know?"

"I don't really know. Idai is afraid to tell him," Daiya said as he crossed his arms. Ryu was trying to figure out what they could do.

"It's not Idai's fault," Ryu said softly. "I know some things from Takeru. Don't cower, Idai. He didn't tell me to brand you. He likes you. He's only concerned. I'm not sure if we can help him. Gai sensei knows about it and I'm sure is trying to find a solution to help him. Kiba sensei needs to know, Idai."

Idai shook his head quickly. "N-No! I don't want Kiba to know!" He moved away from them. Idai ran into something firm. He lifted his head and looked up into Kiba's face. He panicked.

Kiba finally found the three boys. They were staying away from the festival. "You don't want me to know what exactly?" Idai tried to run, but Ryu and Daiya caught him. Kiba raised a brow. "Guys, what's all of this about?"

"Tell him, Idai," Ryu said. Idai shook his head. "He has to know. He's your trainer." That wasn't good enough for Idai. "Then I'll tell him because he has to know!"

Idai yelled, "No, Ryu! He'll kick me off of the team!" Idai tried to run again, but Ryu had a serious grip on his arm.

Kiba looked at each of them. "Idai, what has you so afraid that I'll kick you off of the team?" Idai wouldn't look at him.

"Do you know about Idai's other personality," Ryu asked.

"Is that what it's about?" Idai turned his head to look at him. Kiba put his hands on his hips. "Gai told me everything not long after you joined my team, Idai. As your trainer, I have to know about each of my students. It doesn't do any good to keep those sorts of things from me."

Idai was in total shock. "Y-You know…?" He crouched hiding his face in his knees. I didn't want Kiba sensei to know. Why did Dad tell him?

Kiba's eyes softened. "Ryu, why don't you take Daiya back to the others? The competition starts in a little while." Ryu tugged Daiya, but he wouldn't move. He was worried about Idai. "Daiya, I'm not going to hurt him; just talk to him."

Daiya glanced at Idai. Idai wasn't moving. He remained crouched, not looking at anyone. "You promise me you won't hurt him," he said lowly watching Kiba.

Daiya didn't trust adults even after Sasuke had taken him in. Kiba crouched so he could be on Daiya's level. It was important to be equals right now. "I have no intention of hurting Idai, or kicking him off of the team. I need to talk to him one-on-one."

Ryu stood in place for a moment to let Daiya ponder Kiba's words. "Daiya, come on." He placed his hand on his arm. "He's not going to hurt him." It took a bit more coaxing until they left Idai with Kiba.

Kiba stood up slowly. He walked over to Idai. The boy only held onto his legs harder. Kiba squatted. "You've never been afraid of me before. Why are you afraid of me now? Is it because I know something that no one else does?" Idai nodded. Kiba sat down. He crossed his legs and leaned forward. "Regardless of what I know about you, Idai, it doesn't change how I view you. You're a very level-headed kid who's smarter and more cunning than some of the others on the teams."

Idai slowly looked at him. "B-But…," he stammered. He was starting to think the worst.

"There are no 'But's', Idai. I chose you to be on my team. I sought you out. The Hokage didn't place anyone on the new teams based on his own judgment. We all had a choice of who we got. Some of the kids were requested to be on certain teams by their parents who wanted to improve their skills."

Idai lifted his head. He covered his face as he sniffled and tried to regain control of himself. His secrets were his own. Or… so he thought. Idai had already been ridiculed about the village he came from – now his biggest secret was out. "L-Like wh-who…," he asked softly.

"Takeru is one. Sasuke wanted Lee's over enthusiasm to bring out Takeru's real potential. He's always been a reserved kid like his own man. Takeru has never had friends until he was put on the teams," Kiba said.

"Lee sensei's over enthusiasm is an understatement. It's like watching a gerbil with a sugar rush see how fast he can run, jump, hit, and kick in a two minute time span," Idai said lowly. He heard Kiba laugh at him. Idai turned his head around fully.

Kiba placed his hand on Idai's head and ruffled his hair really roughly. "That's what I like about you kid! Despite what's going on around you, you always manage to find a way back." He grinned at Idai.

"So… you're not worried I'll be a burden to everyone on the team," Idai asked. His orange eyes met Kiba's wild eyes. Kiba shook his head. "Why not?"

"You're never a burden to me, Idai. Friends aren't a burden to each other unless they give up on themselves. Haven't I taught you, Masaru, and Yanagi to be faithful and loyal to each other?"

Idai nodded slowly.

"So stop sulking. There's no need to worry about things unless they happen. If I was a poor excuse of a low-life trainer, I would have sought another person to take you. Speaking of loyalty and all, how do you view me? Do you have the same concerns and worries as Daiya, or Ryu?"

Idai shook his head. He looked down averting his eyes. "N-No. Ryu thinks you're a jungle gym," he said as he recalled Ryu jumping onto Kiba on various occasions to get away from his team mates and trainer. "And… I don't want to think all adults are bad as Daiya believes."

Kiba raised a brow. "But deep down, you do think it. I've seen you tense before when someone speaks to you. You're not fooling me, Idai."

"You're not like them, sensei. You don't look at me like they do," Idai said softly. "You treat me… like… you do… Areku."

Kiba's playful expression died. The concern on his face appeared heavily. Idai was viewing him as a father figure. Idai had been seeking him out, in return. Kiba wondered if Anko had sought him out all those years ago, would he have fought Gai over Idai? It seemed Idai trusted him more than Gai. If Gai knew Idai's real feelings, it would tear him apart. He treats Idai like his own – even if Idai is cautious about his actions. Kiba honestly didn't know how he could change the situation. He felt a bit flattered that Idai thought so highly of him. "I can't change how things have turned out. Gai does care about you greatly. I'm only your trainer, Idai. I can't take his place. It wouldn't be fair to him." Idai started to hide his face again. "Yet, I see no problem in looking out for you as a big brother."

Idai turned back around slowly. "Y-You mean it?" He closed his eyes as Kiba messed his hair up some more. By now, he looked as if he'd gone through a hurricane.

"We better get going," Kiba said as they stood. "The competition is about to start. It appears the Leaf-nin are looking to be a tardy bunch," he said as they took off running.

Yanagi grabbed Gin's wrist tugging her along as they ran around the lake. Lotus blossoms covered the entire water surface. It was beautiful. The moonbeams fell onto the colorful display of flowers. The competition was not active as of yet. They were being allowed to position themselves around the lake so they could go to an area they desired.

Gin stopped as she looked around with her blue eyes. Everyone was moving around them. She secretly searched the people for any sign of Idai and Kiba. Gin formed hand seals as Yanagi looked around, too. "Chain link," she said softly. The light green chains formed from a cat tail on the bank of the lake. She formed Idai's face in her mind. "Is Idai here?" She waited.

"Hey," Yanagi called. She smiled at the two walking over. "Masaru, are you picking this spot because we're here?" She glanced at Gin. Yanagi pointed at her mouthing, "Look at her face."

Gin opened her eyes. The cat tail never answered her. That's odd. They're just as intelligent as the other plants. She looked up to see two orange eyes watching her. Gin froze.

Idai smiled at Gin rather goofily. "Hey, plant girl, you can't be tired can you? The event starts soon. Do you want me to wake you up?" Gin only stared at him. Idai pouted. "Well, fine," he said as he averted his eyes. He supposed Gin didn't like him at all. He walked away from Yanagi and Gin. Idai had no reason why Gin had any disheartened feelings towards him. He and Masaru went elsewhere to find a good spot.

"Gin! He spoke to you," Yanagi said happily. "How come you're so stiff? Aw, Gin, you've got it bad," she said as Gin finally turned to look at her. Gin's face was as red as a beet.

"I will not lose! This is my moment of triumph, Sasuke. I'll get a fine prize for sure," Rock Lee said as Sasuke glanced at him.

"Everyone wins at this competition. But if you want to go swimming, I can make you a mermaid," Sasuke said lowly. He watched Lee give a thumb's up to Yanagi who was standing with Gin a ways off. At least Yanagi's not like either of her parents.

Onari scrambled as she climbed up Kiba's back. She looked hard at the water. Onari growled at it. "Onari no like water!"

Kiba looked up at her. "Sprout, we have to go in the water. See those flowers?" Onari nodded as he pointed. "We pick two matching flowers to see what the prizes are. Understand so far?"

Onari put her arms around his neck as she put her chin on the top of Kiba's head. "Kiba, Onari no like water," she said softer. She clung hard to him.

"How about I promise not to go in past my waist, okay? You point to the ones you want and I'll get them. Think you can do it," he asked. Onari pondered before she nodded slowly. "Eiyu, Onari is fine if she's with me."

Eiyu kept his eyes closed. He shifted his feet as he stood near them. "Good, then she'll be better if I stand here. Father told me to take care of her."

"Onari take care Onari," she said at how Eiyu had been smothering her as of late. Onari had to stay with Daiya, or Takeru to avoid Eiyu's overprotection. He was being rather overbearing.

"I doubt it," Eiyu said lowly. He didn't believe she could fight off someone else on her level. What happened at the camp sight was not a fight. She only used her strength to keep Kiba, Sasuke, and Shikamaru at bay from one another.

"Eiyu, I can't wait for the day when Onari shows you up," Kiba said confidently with a grin.

Takeru looked out over the lake. They were so far from the others that he couldn't see anyone he recognized. Midnight was not far off. He turned his gaze to his brother. Daiya was watching everyone. His posture was straight and serious. "Daiya, you seem different for some reason."

Daiya glanced at him. "Everyone is constantly changing. New experiences mean new memories and things to learn, Takeru." He looked out over the lake at the fake lotus blossoms. They were turned upside-down. "Which part of the lake do you want to go for?"

Takeru looked at all of the people who were participating. "Well, since some people have their families with them, I suppose they'll want to stick closer to the embankment. Why do you ask?"

Daiya crossed his arms. "Think like Sasuke for a moment. If everyone is competing for prizes, how would you approach the situation?" Takeru only tilted his head. "The best prizes require you to put in more effort to achieve them. Take your shoes off. We're going swimming," he said with a smirk.

"How far are we going in," Kandai asked Shikamaru with a smile.

Shikamaru blew smoke out from the side of his mouth. "I don't plan on swimming if that's what you mean. As soon as we're finished, I'm going back to the inn. It's a good thing this festival only comes once a year."

Kandai covered his mouth yawning. He had had plenty of fun while at Otomori. He couldn't wait to get back and tell his parents how he had won the pie eating contest. He smiled softly to himself how he had gotten Daiya to help with the drinks. He liked the prank Shikamaru and Sasuke had played on Kiba, too. His time with everyone was going to be a favorite memory for a long time.

Areku interlaced his fingers with Hire's as they stood out among the crowd. He blushed slightly as Hire leaned into him. She was a year older than him, but they were the same height. Areku grinned as he had an idea. "Say, Hire, how far can you jump?"

Hire moved her head so she could look up at him. "If I had a running start, I suppose pretty far. Why?" She felt his fingers tighten around hers.

"Let's see if we can get past a bunch of people when the event starts. We're not near the embankment like most of them. It's fair game to get past as many as we can to try and find the best prize," he said aggressively. Areku wanted to see just what the Lotus Competition offered.

"I can't believe you have me doing this, Ryu," Saori said as they crawled out onto the branch. "Isn't this a form of cheating?" She inched along the tree branch cautiously. The lake was right below them. Saori looked at the drop.

Ryu stopped to smile at her. "It probably is. You're not going to have a problem when we drop, are you?" Saori looked at him in shock. "What does Lee teach you? Sasuke puts us through some rough training. How else did you think we were going to get down?"

"Ryu, we're really far up. The lake appears the same as glass. I've never jumped from this height before. Fallen, yes," Saori said. She looked back at the people waiting on the shore.

"Saori, I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Ryu reached behind himself to grab her hand. "I'm not going to let harm befall you. You're the most important person to me."

Saori blushed. She looked down then back up shyly. "Ryu, I-" She heard the gong echo from the middle of the lake. Two men had stayed out there all night in order to hit it at the right moment. Everyone started to run towards the water.

"Now's our chance!" Ryu started to push off of the branch with his legs. He kept his hold on Saori's hand as he did so. "Jump!"

Saori couldn't help but scream as she was dragged down with Ryu's weight. She hit the water hard. As Saori sunk into the black water, she found out that she couldn't move. She was suspended in the cold liquid. As she floated motionless in the lake, Saori felt something grab her around her waist. She was being pulled up towards the surface.

Ryu popped his head up, gasping for air. He kicked his legs as he kept Saori's head above the water. The sheer force of the water hitting her had knocked the wind out of her. "Saori!" He shook her. "Saori, breathe!"

Saori started to cough hard. She gasped for air. For a moment, she forgot where she was. She looked around at the fake lotus blossoms. They were surrounded by them. "I'm okay," she said as Ryu kept his concerned gaze upon her.

Ryu hooked his arm under Saori's "Oh, crap," he said as he noticed the adults were swimming out to their location. "Time to get a move on!" He started to kick his legs like crazy. Saori stayed right with him as they swam.

Kiba moved as quickly as he could through the water. People were everywhere trying to get a good spot, or to latch onto the flowers they wanted. Onari was clutching rather hard at his neck. "Onari, you're not going to fall in the water," he said as she choked him.

Onari buried her head on the back of Kiba's neck. She didn't want to see the black water. She almost yelped as she felt the water touch her feet. It began to move up her legs and thighs until Kiba was waist deep.

"Open your eyes, Sprout. You have to pick the ones we're going after. I'm leaving it up to you," Kiba said as he kept his arms on her legs. She pointed quickly to the two flowers she wanted. Kiba bent over to grab onto them. Onari moved farther up his back to get out of the water the best she could.

Idai swam through the water like a fish. He glided smoothly past people as Masaru followed him. Masaru was having more trouble getting around the others. "Come on, Masaru! You need to be more graceful!" He smiled cheekily.

Masaru gritted his teeth as he bumped into another person. "Graceful, my butt. I'm a ninja, not a ballerina." He dove into the water to move quicker around the people.

Lee jumped through the water as he made progress. He was determined to get a better prize than Sasuke. Lee moved quickly as he found a lotus blossom to grab on to. He glanced off to look over his shoulder. Sasuke was water walking on the surface of the lake. "That's cheating, Sasuke!"

Sasuke stopped to realize he was being yelled at. He smirked. "It's a short cut. Not my fault you didn't think of it." He continued until the men in the middle of the lake hit the gong again. Sasuke lost his concentration and fell in. He popped his head up swearing.

Eiyu refused to get his clothes wet. He moved around letting the water only go as far up as to his knees. He was trying desperately to find a lotus blossom that hadn't been nabbed. All of the younger kids had grabbed the ones at shallow ends of the lake. He grumbled once he realized he didn't have a choice but to get wet. Eiyu tensed his shoulders as he trekked through the water.

Yanagi and Gin decided not to swim to the middle of the lake. They searched for a flower as they kicked their legs. Gin spotted one that had moved away from the majority of the crowd. She spring at it. Yanagi was right behind her leaping onto one she had seen, too.

Takeru shook his head free of water as he and Daiya swam to the middle of the lake. They were close to the two men who hit the gong. He saw Ryu and Saori who were also swimming out as far as they were to get a prize. "It appears we weren't the only ones who through of it."

Daiya saw two blossoms he wanted. Afraid of someone else nabbing them, he swam at them aggressively. Daiya had had enough of people trying to take the prizes he wanted.

"Daiya, calm down. It's not like there isn't enough of them out here. There are only a few people out as far as us," Takeru said as he swam after his brother.

"Hey, is that Takeru and Daiya? Why is Daiya going after those flowers so hard," Saori asked. She watched the two boys swim after them.

Ryu started to swim in the same direction. He got to the lotus blossoms before Takeru and Daiya. He held onto them until they approached.

Daiya breathed hard. He swore. "Give those back, Ryu!" Daiya swam slowly as he kept his eyes on the tall genin. He felt tired. "Those… Those are mine!"

"Ryu, why did you take them if you knew they were after them," Saori asked.

"I'm disappointed in you," Ryu said to Daiya. "You knew better than to come all of the way out here! You're exhausted, Daiya. Takeru, hold him up before he drowns." Ryu threw the blossoms at them. "I had no intention of taking them! What would sensei say if he saw you two this far out?"

Takeru held onto Daiya as his brother put his hand to his forehead. Daiya coughed. "What about you, Ryu?" Ryu furrowed his brows. "What would my dad say if he knew you were pushing yourself like Daiya?"

Saori looked at Ryu. "What is he talking about?" Ryu was mad. "Ryu?"

"Who the hell told you I have asthma," Ryu demanded.

Takeru kept his serious gaze on him. "Does it matter? By the looks of it, you've never told Saori, either. Fine time for her to find out whether you can breathe all of the way out here, or not. There's no one to help you!"

Saori put her arms up to keep Ryu and Takeru separated. "We will discuss this later! Takeru, take care of Daiya," she said seriously. Saori pushed Ryu back. "Not now, Ryu." She forced him to swim away with her.

Hire smiled at Areku as they held onto their blossoms. "Boy, some people swam all of the way to the middle of the lake. One more sound from the gong and we get to turn these over. I wonder what we have."

Areku shook his head. The water from his long hair went flying. "Let's hope they match. If they don't, we have to find the other one that does."

Kandai sat on the embankment frowning. Shikamaru was next to him holding onto the first blossoms he could get. "Sensei, you could at least try," he said softly. Shikamaru raised a brow as he put his chin on his hand.

The gong sounded for a third time. Everyone started to turn their blossoms over. "Now we should see them scramble. It's not easy to find the matching one," the young man said with a hearty laugh.

Gin looked at her blue lotus blossom. It had white circles on it. Yanagi's flower had the caricature symbol for 'yo' on it. "Which one do we keep?"

"Let's just try to find one that matches. If someone has the one we need, we'll have to trade, or bargain," Yanagi said as she started turning over the flowers.

Once everyone had found their matching flowers, they proceeded to the table where a man with a really long scroll awaited. He read the prizes off which matched the corresponding numbers on the bottoms of the blossoms.

Areku sat next to Hire at the Heaven restaurant. He

glanced up at the colorful lights in the tree. The waiter came to take their orders. Areku ordered seafood platters for the both of them. They were the most expensive on the menu.

Hire blushed as a man came with a basket of bread. There was a wine bottle in the middle of the basket. The man kindly poured them two glasses of grape wine, bowed, and left. "This place is amazing, Areku. Do you think we should," she asked gesturing to the wine.

Areku took the glass in his hand. He sniffed it. "It smells really good. I say we should enjoy ourselves." He sipped some of the wine. "It's a once in a lifetime chance." Hire nodded as she began to drink her wine, also.

Eiyu gave the stuffed owl he had won to Onari. She blinked at it before she took it. "It's an owl. It's a bird of the night. What did you and Kiba sensei win?"

"Boat on lake," Onari said. She pointed to a few that were already courting some couples. Eiyu's eye twitched. "Onari no like water," she said lowly.

"Then is Kiba sensei going to be romantic alone," Eiyu asked as he got an awful picture in his mind.

"Onari give to Kandai. Kandai use," she said. Eiyu seemed baffled.

Kandai ran through the festival looking for the girl he had met at the game of Tag. "I hope she hasn't gone home yet." He searched high and low looking through the crowds. Kandai breathed hard as he leaned against a rail. I'm never going to find her…

Nozomi blinked as she walked near a few game stands. "Hey, Hyuga, you appear wet and untidy. I take it you participated in the Lotus Competition."

Kandai smiled at her. "I've been looking everywhere for you." He fidgeted with his scroll.

"Me? Why were you searching for me," she asked. Nozomi blushed as he pointed to the lake.

"Would you like to go on a boat ride with me," Kandai asked.

"Sure," Nozomi said with a smile at the ninja boy.

Ryu and Daiya stood in front of Sasuke averting their eyes. Saori had told on them. Her explanation was it wasn't fair to her or Takeru if one of them had undergone a complication. Ryu wasn't really thrilled with her knowing. He had his asthma under control for the most part.

"I honestly don't know what to say to either of you. The fact remains that you two pulled a stunt without thinking. Do either of you have any idea how it would come off if both of you had drowned?" Ryu glanced at him. "I really can't believe you haven't even told Saori, Ryu. You've gotten close to her and don't even trust her. And Daiya, Izumi is working hard to help you. Your behavior is a poor excuse on how to repay her efforts."

"Just tell me what my punishment is. It's my choice whether I want someone to know, or not," Ryu said angrily. He clenched his hands.

"No, Ryu, it isn't. Not anymore. Tomorrow morning, you and Daiya will tell everyone on the teams your ailments." Daiya flipped his head around. "All of the trainers have taught all of you to work together, train, and trust each other. And despite your experience, you lack comprehension, Ryu. You're setting an example for all of them. You're the oldest."

"I'm not telling them anything," Ryu shouted suddenly.

"It's not an option," Sasuke yelled back at him with pure aggression. Daiya tensed at seeing him that angry. Sasuke kept his stern gaze on Ryu. "You will work with everyone from here on out, or get off of my team! I'm not tolerating the disrespect any further!" Ryu closed his eyes. "We won't have this discussion again. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sensei," they both said rather softly.

Ryu walked down the road as angry as he could possibly be. Saori shouldn't have told him! It wasn't her place to! He turned his head as he heard his name being called. Saori lowered her hand as he gave her a dirty look. "I don't want to talk to you."

Saori felt as if someone had dropped a load of bricks on her. She watched the person she adored walk away from her. Saori shrunk away.

Idai tackled Takeru once the futons were down. "Hi, chicken arms!" Idai gasped. He felt Takeru's arms. "Why, Takeru, what big muscular arms you have. Who're you trying to impress?"

"Shut up, Idai," Takeru said as he hooked his legs around his throat. Idai choked as Takeru started to mess up his hair. "You talk too freely!"

Gin came back from brushing her teeth to find the boys fighting. "Um, T-Takeru, Lee sensei wants us to go to bed. T-Takeru?"

Idai couldn't break free from Takeru's leg grip. He bounced as he tried to breathe. "Gin, help," he said choking.

Gin formed hand seals. The plant Sasuke had given her from the competition, started to grow. It twisted its long branches around Takeru's limps and tightened, holding him in place.

Takeru yelled for Gin to let him go. Idai was finally free from Takeru's grasp. He gasped for air as he sat up. "Only if you pr-promise to behave."

Takeru looked at her bewildered. He tilted his head as Idai stood up to stretch his back. "Are you serious?"

Idai hadn't expected Gin to keep Takeru in a hold for so long. He quickly leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Thanks, plant girl." Gin froze. Idai watched as she fainted. The moment she did, the plant let Takeru go. Idai sighed. "I don't think she likes me."

Everyone waited down stairs. They thanked the inn owner for having them. Kiba yawned. They had a two day journey back to the village. "Where is Sasuke? It's time to go."

Takeru noticed Ryu and Daiya were also not amongst the crowd. He looked around a second time before Onari stuck a large bear in his face. "I see you won a bear."

"No, Takeru bear," she said. "Onari Takeru bear." Onari squished the bear between Takeru's back and book bag.

Takeru was a little embarrassed. He forced himself to smile before petting her head. "Thanks, Ri."

Yanagi showed her doll to Gin. She had gotten it from Masaru and Idai. "I think it's supposed to be the lady mentioned in the story we heard last night from the old man that started the festival."

Sasuke walked down with his hands in his pockets. He asked the lady up front if he could borrow a crate he saw. Sasuke flipped it over with his foot. "The both of you get down here."

Everyone got quiet as Ryu and Daiya walked down the stairs. Sasuke gestured for Ryu to stand on the crate. Ryu tensed as he got on it. Saori quietly watched him as she wondered what was going on.

Ryu talked low. "Daiya and I got in trouble with Sasuke sensei. We swam all of the way to the middle of the lake last night." No one seemed to be understanding the problem as of yet. Ryu grumbled. He looked at his feet to avoid the stares. "The-The reason we're in trouble… is…b-because we have… ailments that affect us… and can also affect you all." Ryu swallowed hard. He looked up to see Saori watching him sadly. "I=I have asthma. If I push myself too hard, I get out of breath. I…can pass out." He stepped down quickly.

"Daiya," Sasuke said. He gestured to the crate now turned pedestal. "You're next."

Daiya lowered his head as everyone stared at him. His heart was racing. "I-I h-have ar-aryth-mia. I-It's a h-heart condition. M-My heart doesn't beat normally." He closed his eyes. His hands clenched. "I-If I get startled, or-" He gasped hard. "Too fatigued, my heart acts up. I-If it's un-controllable, my heart… stops." Daiya came off of the crate so fast, it tipped over. He hid behind Sasuke.

Sasuke looked at all of the students. "From now on, we're pushing all of you. It gets tougher here on out. There won't be any more easy tasks. All of you will have to fight in the Chuunin Exams. You may be up against a fellow team mate, friend, enemy, or complete stranger. If any of you slack off, or have problems meeting the goals of your team, you'll get special training elsewhere. The nine of you – and possibly 10- are responsible for the village and everyone in it."

Lee smiled. "Sasuke's right. All of you will face stronger opponents. Whether you win or lose is going to be based on two things: You're training and your determination. I expect everyone on my team to have more determination."

"And I expect my team to use their heads in tough situations," Shikamaru said.

"If anyone in my team even thinks about quitting, I'll hang all of you by your toes," Kiba said with growl. "There won't be any more games."

They stood for a moment before they left the inn. Ryu kept his gaze on Saori. She walked alone completely in thought. He let her remain as so until they neared the forest with the hanging wind chimes.

Ryu gently stroked the side of her cheek with his finger. Saori snapped out of it. She looked at him, but didn't speak. "I'm sorry for pushing you away last night. And for not telling you about my asthma."

Saori went for him. She put her arms around him as she laid her cheek on his chest. She felt Ryu lean his head into hers.

"I'll make it up to you. I promise," he said softly. Ryu kept her tightly against him.

Idai clucked like a chicken at Takeru. Takeru flipped his head around to glare at him. Idai moved his arms in a flapping motion.

"Shut up, Idai," Takeru yelled.