A/n: Surprise? Lol. Long time no see. It's been years since I've been here and I must say, writing is harder than I remembered. But hey, I did it! I've gone through a lot over these years, and have had some ups and downs, but I've finally reached a point in my life where I'm finally feeling happy and content. I'm also a lot more confident and feel a lot more secure in myself.
So, I've decided to get back into the thing I love, and that's writing. And why not start with a rewrite of an old favorite of mine? I've changed quite a bit from when I was younger and have realized the story had a lot of issues. So, I've decided to revamp it and change some things, and hope that this time around you guys enjoy the story a lot more.
Also, thank you so much to everyone who has supported me in the past and has asked for a new chapter. I read every review and I am sorry for not replying, but it's been so long that I was embarrassed. But, please know I've appreciated every kind word, and I'm sorry I couldn't finish it back then.
But I'm back and hopefully, you all can enjoy this new story as much as the original.
Flutter by, Young Butterfly
"Chouko! Hey, Chouko! Get up, idiot!"
Eight-year-old Akimichi Chinaru stared impatiently at the unmoving lump of blanket that was his older sister. The young boy balled his hands into fists tapping his bare feet against the wooden floor. The boy let out a long, exaggerated sigh and crossed his arms, staring down at his sleeping sister.
"You know you aren't supposed to sleep in so late! Get up, Chouko! Come on! If you don't get up, I'll..." Chinaru The boy reared backward and did a small hop-step before charging the bed fort with a loud battle cry that could wake anyone in the near vicinity. With all the might an eight-year-old child could must he rammed the mighty mountain that toppled over with a girly shriek as the fort came crashing down on the floor in a pile of tangled limbs.
Out from the pile rose a chubby-faced young girl with short messy brown hair looking very disheveled and disgruntled. The girl stared up at the younger boy with a death glare while rubbing her head.
The boy smiled innocently at the older girl.
"Ah, good morning, Chouko!" The little boy beamed, "Time to get up, sleepy-head!"
Chouko, who had just woken up, rubbed her eyes and let out a yawn before scowling.
"Ha-ha, you're hilarious, Chinaru." The girl spat sarcastically as she slowly pushed herself away from the floor and stood with a sleepy yawn. "Now knock the laughing off before I do it for you."
"Ah, ah, no need to be like that, Chouko," The little boy waved his finger back and forth, "If you hadn't slept in, I wouldn't have had to resort to such drastic measures."
"What are you doing anyway?" Chouko grumbled. "Though I told you not to come into my room."
Chinaru stared at his sister as if she had grown another head.
"Huh, are you dumb? Have you seriously forgotten what today is?" Her dumbfounded stare told him all that he needed to know."Seriously, Chouko? You're pretty stupid for someone so smart."
"Are you going to answer me or not?!" Chouko snapped with a scowl to her words.
"You're a ninja now, stupid. Your team assignment is today, isn't it? It would suck to show up and find that your team abandoned you because you were too busy sleeping, huh?"
Chouko processed his words slowly for what felt like a long time but was only a moment. When the words finally seemed to click she walked over to her brother wordlessly and before he could ask what she was doing, she had roughly shoved him out of her room and onto his rear in the hallway, slamming the door in his face and walking away from his muffled screaming.
She walked to the center of her room, sucked in a breath, and then let out a yell of frustration as she hurried over to her closet and began to rip out her clothes in search of the outfit her mother had bought for her, specifically for this day. Chouko fought with her wardrobe before successfully pulling out the large box that contained all her new ninja gear that had been a present from her parents for passing the exam, which was fairly easy in her opinion.
Chouko gently pulled out the items and laid them on her bed and then began to dress. She changed from her shorts and oversized shirt into a green cheongsam with white trim and orange stitching. The bottom of the dress had a pretty white floral print. Around her waist, she ties on an orange obi in a bow shape. Underneath her dress, she wears black spandex shorts. She wears a pair of long, black, fingerless gloves, which reach above her elbows. The Akimichi clan symbol is located on the back of her dress. Lastly, she wore a simple pair of sandals and a small butterfly pin in her hair to the right side.
She pulls her hair into a bun with an orange wrap keeping it in place.
Once dressed she left her room and passed through the hallway and headed into the kitchen where she knew her family had gathered by now for breakfast. She ignored her brother glaring daggers at her while stuffing his face with egg, not even bothering to wipe away the flecks of rice plastered to his chubby cheeks.
She snickered grabbing a washcloth and aggressively rubbing the rice from his face as he cursed at her to stop. Her mother sighed watching the children as her husband just chuckled in amusement.
"You're welcome!" She quipped taking her place at the table.
The boy angrily blew a raspberry at her while flicking a stray piece of rice straight at her forehead. Chouko hissed and reached out to strangle the small child when she sensed a deadly aura behind her. She slowly craned her neck to see eyes like her staring back in a scrutinized glare that had her body going too stiff. Chouko gulped as she felt her mother's chakra, normally even and calm, fluctuate in a warning.
Akimichi Chihagi smirked seeing her daughter back down and bowing her head in apology. She laughed lightly under her breath, tossing her sandy blonde hair over her shoulder. Chihagi like her daughter has deep brown eyes, and even shares the same swirl markings on her cheeks as her daughter, though unlike her family she doesn't share their robust form. She leans towards being curvy with a little bit of extra, proudly showing even under the light dress she wore with an apron thrown casually over top, slippers poking out from beneath.
"There's my sleepy little caterpillar! We didn't think you were ever going to join us for breakfast."
Chouko groaned hearing the booming voice. "Dad, that's so lame!" Chouko sighed. "I'm a ninja now. Not some little kid." She grumbled, drawing shapes on the table.
She glanced over at a large, robust man with wild, long, spiked dark brown hair, and brightly lit topaz eyes that were crinkled in a smile. He has red rectangles on his cheeks. He also has a thick, bushy beard and mustache, the latter of which reaches to his chin. He is large in stature, easily towering over most of the other villagers in height and weight.
She pouted as he grinned down at her, the smile reaching his eyes.
"What are you talking about, Chouko? You're only a kid once!" Her father chuckled heartily, placing a large, heavy hand on her shoulder, which she shook off with a scowl.
"I'm not a kid anymore."
"But you're still a baby in our eyes, Chouko. You always will be," Her mother cut in with a laugh as Chouko huffed and crossed her arms with a frown.
"Yeah, well, not for long," Chouko grumbled.
"What time did you go to bed last night, Chou?" Her mother asked turning back to her cooking. "You're not one to carelessly sleep in on a day of importance." She glanced over her shoulder back at her daughter who let out a tired yawn.
"I'm not sure. I was woken up by the alarms." Chouko hummed remembering how the alarms had gone off the night before. "After that, I had a hard time falling back asleep because I couldn't stop thinking about today. We're being assigned our official teams and we're going to meet our Sensei, too. I kind of hope I get on Kurenai's team."
"That would be nice." Chihagi smiled. "She's practically like an aunt to you at this point."
Chihagi and Kurenai have been close friends since their youth. The bond between them has always been strong, and Kurenai has been in Chouko and Chinaru's lives since they were babies. However, Chihagi and Chousei had already met with Chouko's Sensei, and she knew he wouldn't quite be what her daughter expected, or hoped for.
"Kurenai's an amazing kunoichi! I'm going to be just like her one day!" Chouko grinned. "I would have minded being on Asuma-Sensei's team either, though."
"You're too lame for Asuma," Chinaru grumbled, still tenderly rubbing at his sore face.
Chouko stuck her tongue out at him and told him to shut his pie hole.
"Asuma is a fine shinobi and one the best the Leaf has to offer!" Chousei boomed proudly. "Though I've heard that he'll be leading this generation Ino-Shika-Cho formation..."
The Ino-Shika-Cho formation is a technique developed by members of the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans, developed after their long history of working together. It's a formation designed to bring out the abilities of each clan and bring them together in flawless unison. The Ino-Shika-Cho combination was said to be able to take down entire armies in one strike and is a fearsome technique.
"That's true," Chihagi chimed. "It's a tradition, after all."
"That's okay," Chouko chirped, "I'll be fine with whoever."
Her mother sat a plate of tamagoyaki and rice before her. Chouko's mouth salivated at the smell of the food as she eagerly dug in, shoveling it into her mouth with vigor. She hadn't realized how hungry she had been. Her mother handed her another dish, affectionately ruffling her hair. Chouko was incredibly biased when it came to her mother's cooking, finding it to be the best thing in the world and that nothing compared to it.
When Chouko had her fill she said her goodbyes to her family. She grabbed her lunch bento from her mother and rushed out the door towards the academy where a bundle of nerves danced around her stomach.
She wondered what her new team would be like.
Nara Shikamaru sat in his usual spot at the academy, perfectly squished between the loud-mouthed Yamanaka and his best friend, Akimichi Choji, snacking away on barbecue chips while listening to Ino ramble on about pointless nonsense that neither cared about. Shikamaru carried the same tired expression on his face as he always did. It was squad assignment day where they would meet their teammates and Sensei for the first time.
Shikamaru found it pointless since he already knew who would be assigned to what squad and why. Ino, Choji, and himself would all be assigned to a squad led by a member of the Sarutobi clan as per tradition. Ino was bound to make things troublesome for the three of them whenever given the chance.
Honestly, Shikamaru would have rather been back at home, but instead, he was listening to Ino and Haruno Sakura argue back and forth about who would be paired with Uchiha Sasuke - it was Sakura, that much Shikamaru could guarantee.
Ino wouldn't be happy about it.
What the hell did those two - all of the girls - even see in a guy like that? Someone so rude and crass. In all the years they've attended the academy together he's barely even acknowledged them and yet, every girl in the vicinity wanted to marry him for reasons unknown to Shikamaru.
Well, maybe not everyone.
There was the Hyuuga girl, Hinata, but everyone and their mother could see she was head over heels in love with Uzumaki Naruto. Shikamaru felt pity for the girl seeing as Naruto has no interest in her. Shikamaru puffed out a sigh and looked elsewhere around the room for someone of interest and found them on the left side room with her face and body slouched against the desk.
Akimichi Chouko, that's her name. The distant cousin of Choji. Akimichi Chouko is a light-skinned girl who is pear-shaped, leaning to be heavier on the bottom, with chubby arms and legs, and a pudgy stomach. She has short, brown hair and the same eyes as her cousin.
She isn't one of the more popular girls, not like Sakura or Ino. Her grades are above average, but not quite stellar and she isn't really skilled in ninjutsu, but she does have the basics down. She's quick-footed though, so her taijutsu skills are pretty good, and she can perform a decent amount of basic and a few intermediate jutsu. She's also not a fangirl of Sasuke and doesn't care much about him, or anyone else for that matter, as far as Shikamaru knows.
Chouko's a little different from the other girls.
For one, she isn't a fangirl, which is nice because he hates that, and she's pretty smart when it comes to the material the teachers give them. Chouko's a little bit like him in that sense, always wanting to slack off and sleep. They would nap together sometimes, though she's the one who falls asleep first and then he follows after.
Secondly, she isn't one to start a fight with other people unless they've wronged her. It's not like she doesn't have any friends. Some kids don't seem to like her too much, but she isn't the type of person to just take the insults they throw at her. If they want to have a go at her, she'll fight back.
She's not a bad person either. Chouko's a good listener and she's not judgmental, she doesn't look down on others either. She's just kind of there, and honestly, Shikamaru doesn't mind that about her.
Thirdly, she's not afraid to speak her mind. She doesn't hold back with her words if you piss her off, and she is quick-witted. He finds that trait amusing.
Lastly, Shikamaru thinks Chouko's pretty cute.
She has a nice smile, her face is rounded with red swirls on her cheeks. She has dimples whenever she laughs, and her nose has a round shape, which makes her seem cuter. He likes her eyes too, they're big and expressive, and have this pretty brown shade to them.
Shikamaru wouldn't consider himself a romantic person. He doesn't have much experience with girls and he doesn't have an interest in pursuing romance, or anything of the sort, right now, but that doesn't mean he can't think someone is attractive.
He's not sure if he could see her as more than a friend though, maybe if they grew up, but he doesn't have any interest in a relationship right now. He has better things to worry about, and he doubts she's looking for a boyfriend anyway.
Shikamaru would consider her a friend. Not a close friend, but she's his friend nonetheless. She doesn't annoy him like Ino does, and they're similar in the way that neither really gives a damn about most things.
Almost as if feeling his eyes on her Chouko turned around and met his eyes, her eyebrows raised a bit and Shikamaru waved. Chouko waved back and gave a small smile before turning back around to face the front.
"Shikamaru!"
Ino's loud voice cut through his thoughts, her fist balled and hitting his shoulder.
"Pay attention when I'm talking to you, you lazy bum!"
Shikamaru yawned, ignoring the look of rage on Ino's face as she was ignored, and focused his attention on the front.
Chouko huffed out a sigh. She was sitting at her favorite desk on the left side row that sat near the front, but far enough back where she could stare out the window and see the clear blue sky and greenery that surrounded the building. She liked watching the clouds pass by.
It was Squad Assignment Day, the day they would finally be sorted into teams and get their first-ever Jonin instructors. Chouko would be lying if she said she wasn't excited to find out who would be her sensei. She hoped that they would be able to teach her a lot of cool stuff and take her under their wing and guide her as a proper shinobi of Konohagakure.
The room was abuzz with excitement and gossip, students wondering who would be put on whose team and who would be the lucky person to get assigned to a certain prodigy's squad.
Chouko couldn't care less about that, she just wanted to learn and become stronger.
Chouko sighed and found herself being lured away from the comfort of the window. Why did it feel like she was suddenly being watched? Curiously she turned around and locked eyes with Shikamaru Nara. Shikamaru was probably the smartest kid in the whole academy, and the laziest too. They weren't the best of friends, but they hung out and talked sometimes. They weren't exactly close, but he was pretty cool and easy to talk to.
She gave him a small smile and turned back around.
"Chouko! Hey Chouko!"
Chouko jumped as she felt her arm being sucked into a vice grip. She quickly relaxed when she caught sight of warm, sunshine blond hair and the savory scent of tangy ramen. Uzumaki Naruto. Chouko sighed feeling any tension that was beginning to build leave her body as Naruto claimed the seat beside her, the boy's bright blue eyes shining in excitement.
"Hey Naruto," Chouko greeted the boy, a small smile gracing her face. "What's got you so excited?"
"I can't believe we're getting our squads today! We're one step closer to becoming ninja!"
Naruto grinned and pumped his fist in the air, earning a chuckle from Chouko.
Uzumaki Naruto, her very best friend.
She'd known him for years, and he was always so kind and cheerful, even with the constant harassment he was dealt from the villagers. It was wrong and sad how they treated him and Chouko has always done her best to stand up for him, which often led to her getting beaten by the older kids, but it didn't matter to her. Naruto was her friend and she wasn't going to sit idly by while he got treated like a monster.
Naruto had this big heart, and Chouko admired him for his positivity.
The boy was the sun. Bright, warm, and happy. He brought joy wherever he went, and despite his horrible upbringing and lack of attention and affection from the people around him, he never let that bring him down.
He was the kindest person Chouko had ever met.
"I'm so excited to be a ninja, ya know! I'm gonna be Hokage someday, you'll see! Believe it!"
"I believe you, Naruto. You can do it." She smiled.
"And once I become Hokage, I'll have my face on the mountain! Just you wait! I'll make sure I'm the greatest Hokage Konoha has ever seen, and then no one will look down on me anymore!"
Naruto grinned, his hands moving rapidly as he spoke, and his blue eyes sparkling with excitement and hope.
Chouko chuckled and ruffled his spiky blond locks, "You will, I'm sure of it."
"You think so?" He asked hopefully.
"I know so, silly." She responds positively.
"I'm telling you, Chouko, someday I'm gonna be Hokage, and then everyone will acknowledge me!"
Chouko nodded and watched as Naruto began to babble on about his dreams and his future, a dream of him and Chouko sitting atop the Hokage mountain.
Her gaze softened, and she smiled.
"You'll make an awesome Hokage, Naruto." She softly smiled.
Shikamaru sat behind Naruto and Chouko, his arms crossed behind his head as he rested against the table, watching the two of them interact with each other.
Naruto was a weird kid. Loud, hyperactive, and a troublemaker. The kid is an idiot, always trying to skip class or get into some sort of mischief. He's also incredibly persistent and stubborn, refusing to give up, no matter the task, and always trying his hardest to achieve his goals, even if he has to go through hell and back to get there.
That was admirable.
He was a little annoying, but overall not a bad guy.
It was the same with Akimichi Chouko.
Shikamaru has seen how she stood up for Naruto. She's always defending him against the villagers, no matter the situation. Chouko isn't particularly brave or courageous, but she doesn't let her fears stop her. She's willing to take a beating, all for the sake of Naruto's feelings.
That's a trait Shikamaru can appreciate.
Shikamaru sighed and continued to watch as Naruto rambled on, Chouko's full attention on him. He was surprised when the two of them became friends. They seemed so different, and yet, somehow they worked. Naruto is a great source of energy and light, and Chouko is a calm and grounded force.
They fit well together.
"I hope I get put on a team with Sakura!" Naruto said, a dreamy smile coiling onto his face.
The blonde glanced down to the first row where a raven-haired boy sat glaring at the space before him. Beside him, a pink-haired girl and a blonde-haired girl were fighting over who would sit next to him, both girls arguing back and forth, their hands in tight fists and their cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment.
"I don't," Chouko mumbled.
She had been watching the two girls bicker back and forth for what seemed like forever. They were exhausting.
"What does Sakura see in that jerk?" Naruto pouted, crossing his arms.
"I have no idea."
Sakura and Sasuke have been fighting for each other's attention since they were little. Both were obsessed with him. It was gross, in Chouko's opinion. Sasuke didn't even acknowledge their existence most of the time, and yet, they still fought for his affection.
It was pointless.
"Oh, well, if I can't be on a team with her, then I wanna be on a team with you, Chouko." Naruto grinned at her.
"I hope we're on the same team, too," Chouko smiled.
"We'll be the best ninja duo the village has ever seen, just you wait!" He pumped a fist in the air.
Chouko couldn't help but feel giddy. As if on cue Iruka stepped inside the classroom and all noise ceased, everyone's eyes glued on the man. He stood in the center of the room and held out his clipboard, clearing his throat.
"Alright everyone, settle down."
The students quickly silenced and Iruka began to speak.
"Now that you have all graduated from the academy, it is time for you all to be placed on teams. "We tried our best to make sure the teams were balanced." Said Iruka as he began to read out the teams.
Chouko found herself growing increasingly anxious as she waited to hear her name be called.
"Okay, the next team is Team Seven..." Iruka-sensei continued to read trailing off as he went over the lists of teams. "Haruno Sakura."
Chouko glanced at Sakura. Sakura was one of Sasuke's biggest fangirls. Her obsession with the boy was annoying, and Chouko would not have enjoyed having to be placed on a team with her. She was a bratty girl who always picked fights with Ino. Chouko didn't care much for her, but she could tolerate her.
"Uzumaki Naruto."
Chouko plugged her ears when Naruto started to cheer loudly. Iruka-sensei gave him a scolding look, telling him to be quiet. Naruto quickly apologized and sat back down, a proud grin on his face. Naruto frowned when he saw how crestfallen Chouko looked, her brown eyes filled with hurt. He knew she was hoping to be put on the same team as him, and he did too.
"Uchiha Sasuke."
There were some disappointed sighs and grumbles throughout the classroom, fangirls upset their dreams had been crushed. Sakura cheered loudly, her fists pumping in the air. Naruto looked at the Uchia with shaking fists.
"And the final member of Team Seven will be," Iruka looked up, his eyes locking onto Chouko, a soft smile appearing on his face. "Akimichi Chouko."
Chouko blinked, her eyes widening in surprise.
"The four of you will make a four-man cell. While it is uncommon, it's not unheard of, and the four of you have proven yourself as capable students." Iruka said. "So, I have no doubts that the four of you will do well as a team."
Iruka had admittedly protested against the odd team formation, but the Hokage was adamant in his decision.
Iruka looked down at the list of names once again, and Chouko sat there stunned, her thoughts going a mile a minute. She couldn't believe she was actually on a team with Naruto, even though it was the last thing she was expecting. She was relieved and excited, but nervous as well.
She glanced at Naruto who was beaming at her, and then over at Sakura who was glaring, probably upset that she wasn't the only female on Sasuke's team anymore, not that Chouko was interested in him. And then Sasuke, who was glaring back at her, his face scrunched up in disgust and annoyance.
Chouko turned back to the front.
Well, this is going to be a fun team.
When lunchtime had rolled its head around the group of Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru had all gone out to the balcony to eat their lunches. Shikamaru was sitting against the outside of the rail with one leg crossed over the other and his arm hanging limply over the rail. He was chewing on one of the riceballs that Choji's mother made, watching as the other students milled about the grounds.
Ino was leaning against the rail beside him, a scowl etched onto her features as she took a bite of her sandwich, and Choji sat beside Shikamaru, munching on some chips and a riceball.
"This is so unfair," Ino grumbled, "Why does billboard brow get to be on Sasuke-kun's team?!" Ino huffed, her face twisted into a snarl.
Shikamaru sighed, closing his eyes. He could hear Choji and Ino argue over the situation, both of them bickering back and forth. He didn't have the energy to listen. He'd rather be taking a nap right now.
Ino glared condescendingly at the two boys.
"Alright! If we are going to be in the same group then you two are going to have to follow my lead. It's the only way this mess will ever work." She said in a bossy way that only Ino seemed to know how to do.
Shikamaru scoffed. "Yeah, yeah." He shook her off choosing to focus on his riceball instead.
'It's the only way it will work because she'll throw a murderous fit if she doesn't get her way', Shikamaru thought to himself.
"Why don't you lead us to some barbeque Ino!" Choji said with a mouth full of food.
"Hopeless!" The blonde cried.
Shikamaru was ready to object when the sight of a familiar brown-haired girl below them caught his attention. Chouko was walking by herself, a bento box clutched in her hand and a frown on her face. Shikamaru was a bit surprised. He figured that she would be eating lunch with Naruto.
Suddenly she came to a halt and sighed. "Some team..." Shikamaru heard her say. "I should have known they'd ditch me," she frowned looking at the bento in her hands.
"Shikamaru! Have you heard anything I've said just now?!" Ino demanded with hands on her hips. She peered over his shoulder wondering just what had caused him to become so distracted.
"What are you looking at?" She asked. "Is that Chouko? Why are you always staring at her?"
"None of your business. Don't you have someone else to annoy?"
Shikamaru sighed and rolled his eyes. Why the hell did she care to know? It wasn't like it was any of her business to know such trivial things anyway.
Ino smirked leaning over the rail to yell at the girl
"Hey, Chouko! Come and eat with us Chouko!"
"Um, okay," she responded, giving a small wave and walking towards a tree near the balcony. She leaped upwards grabbing onto a sturdy branch that was sticking out. She looked at the balcony with a focused gaze, her body started to rock back and forth, and before anyone could ask what she was doing she swung forward, grabbing onto the rail and hoisting herself over, her feet landing softly on the ground.
They all stared at her.
"What?" She blinked as her face drained of color. "Do I...have something on my face?!" Chouko asked panicking at the thought of her lunch being smeared all over her face - that would be so embarrassing!
It wasn't that. No one expected her...to be so nimble. The only one who didn't seem surprised at all was Choji.
"You could have just come in through the door like a normal person." Ino sighed and pointed to the door behind her.
"Oh," Chouko said, feeling embarrassed.
Choji laughed stuffing another riceball in his mouth. Chouko grinned and at him and plopped down beside him, her bento box in her lap. Choji handed her a riceball and in exchange she handed him one of the meat buns she had.
Choji beamed, his eyes sparkling.
Shikamaru smiled watching the cousins interact. Chouko and Choji have always been close. He remembers the days when he would watch Chouko follow after her older cousin, her big brown eyes wide and curious, her hands stuffed with snacks, and a bright grin on her face.
It was nice.
Ino spun around and faced the girl with a mischievous smile on her face.
This could only spell disaster.
"So, Chouko, how is your team doing? Mine is awesome!" She spoke through gritted teeth. "Are you all getting along with one another?"
Chouko didn't answer right away. Instead, she ate her riceball, extra slow, just to spite the blonde-haired girl. When she finished the whole riceball, and Ino was about to burst, Chouko answered.
"That's so kind of you to ask Ino! But I think what you wanted to ask is how Sasuke is doing, and how close Sakura is getting to him, right?"
Ino flushed and sputtered. Shikamaru snickered and Ino whirled around to glare at him.
Ino's face turned red and her brows angrily knitted together. "That's not what I meant at all!" Ino tried to deny it but Chouko wasn't buying it.
"Why don't you ask him yourself Ino? He's right over there." Choji pointed to the building across from them.
Sure enough, there was Sasuke with his back to them, eating what looked like a rice ball stuffed with tomatoes. Shikamaru glanced over at Chouko. She was glaring at the back of the Uchiha's head, a frown on her lips.
Chouko glared at the back of Sasuke's head with puffed-out cheeks. At that time she had spent looking for him...and he had never left the building?!
Chouko scowled.
She was about to return to her bento when she suddenly caught sight of Naruto creeping along the open road and to the open window that Sasuke had his back turned to. Naruto suddenly jumped through the window and tackled Sasuke to the ground out of their vision. Chouko sighed heavily while the others seemed taken aback.
"Naruto! If you so much as scratch him you are on my enemy list forever!" Ino shouted though he hadn't heard.
It was a minute later when 'Sasuke' clumsily leaped out of the window leading the others to believe had won the fight. Chouko wasn't so sure. There was something off about 'Sasuke' that had her narrowing her eyes in suspicion.
"He beat Naruto without even breaking a sweat," Shikamaru said leaning away from the railing.
"What did you expect? Naruto against my boy Sasuke? No contest." Ino stretched her arms out and smirked.
"You're wrong," Chouko said making them all turn and look at her. "That's not Sasuke." She groaned.
"What are you talking about? Of course, that's Sasuke!" Ino scowled at her, "You think that loser can beat Sasuke? He doesn't stand a chance."
Chouko shot Ino a glare and waited for 'Sasuke' to leave. When he was out of sight she leaped the distance from the building to the other where Sasuke had been eating his lunch..
Of course, instead of finding a beaten Naruto like the others had been expecting, she instead found Sasuke on the floor, all tied up and looking extremely annoyed that he had been tricked by Kohona's number one knuckle-headed ninja: Uzumaki Naruto.
Chouko blinked.
"What the hell happened here?!" She asked with her hands on her hips.
Sasuke was always acting too cocky and arrogant and the fact that he had fallen victim to Naruto's little prank tickled her funny bone.
Sasuke glared at her and seemed to say with his eyes 'untie me now!'.
"You could at least say please." Chouko snickered, and reached into her pockets, pulling out a kunai. She quickly cut through the ropes and untied him. "Here." She offered him a hand.
"I don't need your help," he grumbled and pushed her hand away.
Chouko shrugged.
"So...how did he do this?" Chouko motioned to the rope that now lay slashed on the ground.
"Shadow Clones..." Sasuke admitted reluctantly.
Shadow Clones? What? The other day Naruto didn't even know how to make a single clone! Now he was making clones? When had this happened and why hadn't he told her?!
Chouko was a little offended.
I can help you find him if you want." She offered. It was better than sitting around and doing nothing, even though she kinda liked having lunch with Team Ten, even if Ino only wanted to squeeze information out of her about Sasuke.
"I don't need your help." Sasuke hissed at her. "I can find that loser on my own."
Chouko smirked, "You sure about that? Because I just happened to see Naruto run by disguised as you. Where do you think he'd be going like that, Sasuke? Perhaps to visit a pink-haired girl."
Sasuke froze, and Chouko couldn't help but smile smugly.
"He wouldn't."
"Oh, but he would. And we both know it."
Sasuke's dark eyes flashed angrily and he shot her a glare.
"Whatever. Just don't slow me down." He scoffed and took the lead.
Chouko followed, a smile on her face.
"Chouko is crazy if she thinks that Naruto could beat Sasuke. He can't even make a proper clone!" Ino laughed and stared at the window waiting for Chouko to come out and announce she was wrong.
Chouko did come out, but not with the dejected face that she had been expecting but instead, a cocky smirk that screamed 'I told you so!' that made Ino bristle.
"S-Sasuke?!" Ino puttered.
"No way! Naruto actually beat him?" Shikamaru blinked back his disbelief.
"I believed her." Choji said eating his last riceball, "No one knows Naruto better than Chouko."
Chouko flashed a peace sign at Ino and grabbed Sasuke by the wrist, "Naruto went this way!" She yelled pulling him along.
When Sasuke and Chouko were out of sight Ino let out a frustrated scream. "I hate her!" She yelled stamping her foot angrily, "She thinks she's so smart! How the hell was I supposed to know that wasn't Sasuke?!"
Shikamaru sighed, "What a drag."
It had taken some time but they were eventually able to track down Sakura who was sitting on a bench looking lovesick. Chouko took it as a sign that Naruto had been there. She called out to the pink-haired girl who frowned when seeing her, and then twisted her frown into a scowl when she noticed Sasuke walking alongside her.
"Sasuke you're back!" Sakura beamed ignoring Chouko in favor of Sasuke. "Come on now, don't be so shy, you bad, bad, boy! So are you ready now? You know, mentally prepared? Because I am! I, uh, mean that I'm raring to go!..."
'This is...so pathetic. Better move along to make this less awkward for her.' Chouko cringed.
Sakura's face fell as Sasuke and Chouko walked right past her. "H-Hey! Wait a minute!" She yelled desperately.
Chouk nudged Sasuke who stopped and glared at her. Chouko rolled her eyes and pointed back at Sakura. She wasn't going to tell her anything.
"Where's Naruto?" Sasuke asked slightly annoyed by Sakura's persistence and Chouko's general presence.
"Oh, see, there you go changing subjects again!" Sakura smirked coyly. "You know why he is so annoying? It's because he wasn't raised right." Sakura said.
Chouko stiffened and glared coldly at her. She didn't like the direction this conversation was going.
"I'm not joking. He's just a loser who doesn't have a family. He's an orphan."
Chouko clenched her fists and her jaw locked.
"He doesn't have a mother or father. There's no one to teach him wrong from right. Think about it! All he ever does is just do whatever comes right into his head." She wagged her finger around. "If I did things like Naruto does then I'd get in big trouble! My parents would be furious, so of course, I don't do it. But if you don't have parents to tell you how would you know? He's selfish and bratty and he's all alone!"
Chouko couldn't take any more of it. She stepped forward, her face contorted into anger and her fists shaking.
"Of all the horrible and nasty things to ever come out your mouth - this is the worst!" Chouko shouted grabbing Sakura by the front of her dress. "Not everyone has the perfect life that you do Sakura! Some people have to struggle! Not everyone can have two parents who love and cherish them. Some of us have to deal with the pain of losing our loved ones! And Naruto more than anyone! Do you have any idea what he's gone through? What it's like to be ostracized by the whole village?!"
Sakura gulped, her eyes wide and filled with terror.
"You're a bitch, you know that?!" Chouko snarled. "A selfish, spoiled, stuck-up, brat! If anyone is the loser, it's you." She pushed the girl away.
"G-Get away from me!" She shouted shoving Chouko away. The brunette looked like a wild animal with her wide eyes and angry glare.
It honestly terrified Sakura.
"Alone. I still hate it. It's not about your parents scolding you. You have no idea what it means to be alone." Sasuke said through clenched teeth and balled fists.
"W-Wait a second Sasuke! It's just - I-I was just saying that...what are you saying Sasuke?..."
Sasuke turned and glared at her, "You're annoying." And with that, Sasuke walked away leaving Sakura wide-eyed and broken.
Chouko sighed and stepped up to the girl while fighting down her anger.
"You don't know anything about Sasuke, do you? If you did you wouldn't have just said all that stuff." She said looking over her shoulder to glare at the pink-haired girl. "You have no idea just how lucky you are, do you?"
She walked away, her anger still bubbling under the surface.
It was later when Chouko and the rest of Team Seven met back at the academy. Everything was slowly melding back together, so Chouko had taken a seat on the far side of the room by the window. She hummed looking outside at the fat puffy clouds. She'd much rather be out there than in here, anything was better than this.
Chouko smiled as she caught sight of Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji walking away in the distance with Asuma-sensei at the lead. She was very familiar with Sarutobi Asuma, a friend of her father. It was no surprise that he ended up being the leader of Squad Ten. He was the perfect fit, and honestly, she was a little jealous.
Chouko knocked loudly on the glass. It took a minute but eventually, the outside group stopped and looked around for the source of the noise. It was Choji who spotted her, waving his arms around in the air and shouting something that she couldn't hear while Shikamaru gave a lazy wave and Ino huffed, turning away and pretending she didn't exist. Asuma-sensei gave a nod of acknowledgment and a small smile.
She couldn't help the grin that formed on her face.
Chouko waved one last time before turning away and letting her arm rest against the cool surface of the window.
"Naruto! Sit down!"
Chouko sighed loudly.
What were they arguing about now?
Chouko turned around in her seat and found Naruto standing in front of the door looking rather impatient with their Sensei's tardiness and Sasuke and Sakura looked annoyed in general. She couldn't blame them she guessed, their Sensei was three hours late.
"I don't want to!" Naruto whined. "How come our Sensei is the only one who's late? I'm ready to roll, believe it! The other students have already met their Sensei and taken off on some cool adventure, or something! Iruka-sensei is gone too!"
"We already know that." Chouko frowned, her brows pinched in annoyance. "Hey, Naruto, are you even listening to me?!"
Chouko groaned watching Naruto attempting to pull another of his pranks. Hadn't he learned by now? He always got caught, and always got into trouble. Sighing, she crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. He was going to have to learn one day that his actions had consequences.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Sakura demanded with hands pressed against her hips. "Naruto!"
"This is what he gets for coming late - surprise!" Naruto grinned and jumped from the chair he was standing on.
Did he really believe their Sensei would fall for that trick? He had to know, didn't he?
"You're asking for trouble. You know you shouldn't do that!" Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes scolded, but it was clear that she was just as excited as Naruto.
That was another thing that Chouko couldn't stand about Sakura, her inability to be honest with herself. She always played the good girl and acted innocent and nice, but Chouko could see the true side of the pink-haired girl, and the side she tried so hard to hide.
"Our teacher is a Jonin, an Elite Ninja. You really think he'd fall for that?" Sasuke's hands were folded in front of his face, and his eyes were closed.
"Yeah! Sasuke's right, Naruto! You're so clueless." Sakura tsked.
"Hey, Sakura, do us all a favor and shut up." Chouko snapped, her lips pressed into a thin line.
Sakura huffed as her face turned as pink as her hair. "No one asked you, tubby!" She yelled and pointed an angry finger her way.
Chouko winced causing Sakura to smirk triumphantly.
"Oi, Sasuke, control your dog. She's getting out of control. If you don't I just might have to put her down." Chouko smirked.
Sakura let out a horrified screech as her face once again turned red. She looked from a laughing Chouko to Sasuke, who seemed to be amused, but of course, wouldn't let them see it. Instead, he scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"Not my problem." He said with a click of his tongue.
Sakura wanted to curl into a ball and die. Her inner self was screaming at her to fight back, but she was too heartbroken by Sasuke's blatant rejection to do anything.
The door suddenly cracked open and everyone froze while holding their breaths. As a masked man with silver hair popped his head inside the room, the eraser that Naruto had placed on top of the door fell and smacked him on the head in a cloud of chalk dust.
Naruto was rolling on the ground with laughter.
"Hahaha! I got him! He totally fell for it!" He chortled pointing at the masked man.
"I'm so sorry Sensei! I told him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen! I'd never do something like that!" Sakura said.
"Suck up." Chouko rolled her eyes. Sasuke bobbed his head in agreement.
The man cleared his throat and gathered their attention. "Hm, how can I put this?" The man mused, picking the fallen eraser up from the ground. "My first impression of this group? You're all a bunch of idiots."
Chouko felt a stabbing jab towards the little pride she carried and hung her head.
This was going to be a long day.
Chouko and Team Seven sat on the roof of the Academy. Chouko was squished uncomfortably between Sasuke and Naruto, while Sakura sat on the other side of Sasuke. Their Sensei was casually leaning against the rail in front of them with an apparent look of boredom on his face.
"Alright, I guess it's time to get started. Let's see, what do I want to know about you four?" Kakashi said, tapping his finger against his chin. "Alright. Why don't you introduce yourselves? One at a time." The silver-haired man said in an almost bored manner.
"Introduce ourselves?" Sakura repeated. "How so? Like, what should we say?"
The man shrugged. "Things you like, things you hate, dreams for the future, hobbies, things like that." He said with a flourish of his hand.
"Doesn't sound too hard," Sakura said.
Chouko couldn't deny she was curious to learn a little more about everyone.
She knew a lot about Naruto at least what he was willing to tell her. There were some things he hid from her, and it did hurt a little, but she knew he'd tell her when he was ready. What she did know was that he liked to cause pranks, that trouble clung to him like a magnet and that for some reason, everyone in the village hated him.
Chouko found this to be odd. Naruto was a goofball, but a harmless one. He'd never done anything wrong or harmful, except maybe the occasional prank here and there, and that wasn't even that bad. Sure, it annoyed her, but it was usually harmless. The fact that the entire village seemed to loathe him was just bizarre and made no sense.
Sasuke was a harder person to figure out. She knew some of his back story and had seen his dark moments, but she didn't really know him. He was quiet, and a loner, and kept to himself.
Sakura was the easiest. She was loud, bossy, and vain. She didn't have much depth, and she was a bit shallow on the outside, but Chouko knew the girl's real self. She had a hidden strength and passion, she just needed someone to show her the way. Other than that, she is pretty smart and has shown decent control over her chakra, and picks up things pretty quickly. But, all that is thrown out the door when she'd rather spend her time chasing after Sasuke.
As much as Chouko hated to admit it...she felt that Sakura could be a pretty strong shinobi one day if she ever decided to put her mind to it. Chouko envied Sakura in many aspects. She was smart, and beautiful, and always did better than her in just about everything, and it's in many ways one of the reasons she gets so annoyed when she sees her wasting her potential on a pointless feud.
...Or maybe, she just thinks back to when they were young, and the times they would play together before it all came crashing down.
She missed those days.
"Why don't you go first, Sensei?" Sakura said, drawing Chouko back to reality.
Chouko nodded. "You should tell us something about yourself to show us how it works," she finished with a smile. She just wanted to learn something - anything - about their Sensei.
The man raised a challenging brow at them.
"Me? I'm Hatake Kakashi." He said. "Things I like, and things I hate...I don't really feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future? Never really thought about it. As for hobbies, I have lots of hobbies."
Chouko's brow twitched, and she had to bite her lip to keep herself from cursing him out.
'So basically, he's telling us nothing!' Chouko screamed in her head.
"Well, that was totally useless." Sakura scoffed. "All he really told us was his name," Sakura whispered to the three of them.
Chouko reluctantly agreed with her.
"Your turn," Kakashi said. "You on the right, you first," Kakashi said to the blond-haired boy dressed in orange.
Chouko smiled encouragingly at Naruto and stuck up a thumb. He seemed to be excited to talk about himself, and honestly, it was too stinking adorable.
"Believe it!" Naruto said adjusting his headband. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I like instant ramen in a cup, and I really like the ramen that Iruka-Sensei got me at the Ichiraku Noddle Shop! But I hate the three minutes you have to wait after you pour the water into the ramen cup..."
Chouko snorted and covered her mouth with her hand. She glanced over to Kakashi and saw that his eyebrow was twitching.
"My hobbies include pulling pranks on the village geezers with Chouko!"
Chouko blanched. He could have...left that part out. She noticed Kakashi-Sensei's side-eye and chuckled nervously as she mumbled out a half-excuse of an apology.
"And my future dream...is to be the greatest Hokage! Then, the whole village will stop disrespecting me, and start treating me like I'm somebody - somebody important!"
A smile stretched across her face when she looked at Naruto. The determination was burning brightly in his baby blue eyes. The village clown wanted to become Hokage...so people would finally show him some respect. She knew the villagers treated him badly, and it made her blood boil. He was just a child and didn't deserve their scorn.
"Alright, next." Kakashi nodded at Sakura.
'Someday I'm going to become a super strong kunoichi, Chouko! I'll become super famous, just wait and see!'
"I'm Sakura Haruno! What I like, uh I mean the person I like...mmmm!" Oh, God. "Um, my hobby is, uh, my dream for the future!..." Sakura looked over at Sasuke and started giggling behind her hands.
Kakashi-Sensei sighed and Chouko shook her head and looked towards the sky.
'Really, Sakura? That's what you're going with?'
"And what do you hate?" Kakashi asked.
"NARUTO!"
"WHAT?!"
Chouko whipped around to face Sakura with a glare. The pink-haired girl seemed unfazed by it and stuck her nose in the air.
"That was uncalled for, Sakura! He's only ever been nice to you which is something someone as self-centered as you don't deserve!" Chouko scowled at Sakura.
"Shut up, Chouko! You're only friends with Naruto because he's the only one who likes you! No one else would be friends with the class fatty otherwise!" Sakura scowled back. "But you know that say about losers sticking together."
Kakashi sighed watching the two bickering girls. Chouko had turned red in the face and had balled her fists together. He half expected her to pounce, but she kept her composure - somewhat - it was obvious that the comment about her weight had upset her, but she didn't say anything, but her expression showed it all.
"Enough!" Kakashi yelled making the girls jump and end their bickering. "You now." Kakashi pointed at Sasuke.
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke, I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything." He said making Sakura's face fall. "What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and destroy a certain someone."
Sakura almost seemed turned on by Sasuke, while Naruto looked completely terrified. He probably thought Sasuke was talking about him.
Chouko felt sympathetic. She knew the person Sasuke was talking about had to be his older brother. Chouko frowned at the ground. Was revenge worth it though? What happened when it was over?
What then?
"Alright, last one." Kakashi pointed at was curious to learn about the Akimichi girl that Lord Hokage was so persistent about.
Chouko took a deep breath.
"My name is Akimichi Chouko! My favorite thing to do is watch the clouds, especially with Choji and Shikamaru, and I especially like spending time with my best friend, Uzumaki Naruto!"
'She knows and understands Naruto better than anyone else in this village. I believe she'll be able to help him better mature into a fine shinobi,' Hiruzen's words echoed in Kakashi's head. 'In doing so, she will likely grow as a fine shinobi herself. The two will undoubtedly help each other grow, and I feel their bonds will not only benefit them, but their friendship will be one that will continue to strengthen those around them as well.'
"I dislike selfish people who have no regard for other people's feelings." Chouko's eyes flickered to Sakura. "People have boundaries for a reason, and when those boundaries are crossed, I feel it's my duty as a friend to call them out." She stared daggers at Sakura.
'She's able to pick up on the emotions of people around her and uses that to help understand them better. Sasuke will have the most trouble coming into the team, but I believe she'll be the right person to nudge him along and help him realize that the team will have his back.'
"The kind of people who throw away their dreams without trying are the people I can't stand the most."
'Sakura has the potential to become a good kunoichi. I have no doubt seeing Chouko pushing herself will motivate her to work harder. A strong sense of rivalry will help the two mature into shinobi who have a strong sense of will and determination. They will help push each other to their full potential.'
"My goal isn't anything special, honestly. I'm not even sure if I have a goal right now. I guess I just want to break out of my cocoon and spread my wings, ya know?" Chouko grinned. "Maybe become someone that people will look up to, and respect. Maybe someday be a leader, and make a difference in this world."
'She will have the most difficulty growing, but her drive will lead her to a strong shinobi. I see her as the glue of the team. She'll balance out the other's weaknesses, and help them grow together. The four of them are going to be an interesting group, to say the least.'
"As long as I can keep my friends and family safe then that's all that matters to me," Chouko said locking eyes with Kakashi. "I want to protect the village so that my little brother will have a safe place to come home to. And my mother can sleep soundly at night knowing that we're okay."
Naruto stared at her with wide eyes, Sakura pretended to not care as she held a far-off look in her eyes, and Sasuke said nothing, only stared at her out of the corner of his eye.
In the words of Lord Hokage, he believed that Chouko could be a safety net that Team Seven needed, the glue that held her teammates together and kept them composed.
Kakashi wasn't exactly keen on the idea of adding another brat to his watch, but he couldn't very well oppose the Hokage's will, either. He'd have to make the most out of the situation and make the girl a formidable ninja, not only to protect the village but to protect the team.
"Good. You are each unique and you have your own ideas." He said with a clap of his hands. "We'll have our first mission tomorrow."
"Already?" Chouko asked. "It seems too soon to have one." She tilted her head. "Are you we're really prepared for that kind of thing?"
"What kind of mission are we going to have, Sensei?" Naruto asked with a tilt of his head.
"It's a task that the five of us will do together," Kakashi-sensei answered simplistically.
"Can you be less vague?" Chouko asked, "That doesn't tell us much."
"A survival exercise," Kakashi answered.
The group collectively groaned. Well, Sasuke grunted, but it still counted in Chouko's book.
"I thought we were supposed to have a real mission, not more practice." Sakura glared, "We already did this stuff at the academy. That's how we got here."
"This is not like your previous training." Kakashi hummed.
There was an edge to his voice that sent shivers down Chouko's spine.
"What do you mean?" She asked with narrowed eyes.
"So what kind of training is it then?" Naruto asked.
Instead of replying Kakashi started chuckling.
"Why are you laughing? That was a serious question." Chouko frowned.
"If I tell you the answer, you're not going to like it~," Kakashi said in a sing-song tone.
"Oh yeah? Why is that?" Chouko challenged with a smirk of her own.
"Of the thirty-one graduates who just came here, only ten will be accepted as Genin. The others will be weeded out and sent back to the academy. In other words, this is a make-it-or-break pass-fail-test, and the chance that you'll fail is at least sixty-six percent."
Her breath caught in her throat. Sixty-six percent chance of failure? Chouko felt her dreams ending before they even began.
"See? Didn't I tell say you wouldn't like it?" Kakashi said, with a closed-eyed smile.
"That's crazy! We worked hard to get here! What was that graduation test for anyway?!" Naruto yelled.
"Oh, that? That was just to select candidates who might become Genin, or not." Kakashi shrugged. "The lot of you especially have a higher chance of failing. You're the odd ones out this year."
"That's not fair!" Sakura scowled, "We worked hard to get here, Sensei!"
Again, Chouko found herself agreeing with Sakura.
"That's how it is." Kakashi said, "I decided whether you pass, or fail. Be at the designated training spot at five in the morning, and bring your ninja gear. Oh, and tomorrow, you might want to skip breakfast - or else you'll puke."
Chouko groaned. This was not going to be easy.
This was never going to be easy.
The first official meeting of Team Seven had ended and Chouko felt exhausted from all her energy. All she wanted to do was go home and get some rest, and mentally prepare for whatever hell Kakashi-sensei planned to put them through. She had even denied getting ramen with Naruto, and when seeing his heartbroken face, had promised to make it up to him in some way later.
Maybe she'd invite him over for dinner? Surely her mother's cooking could convince him that vegetables weren't poisonous.
As she walked the streets of Kohona her mind kept wandering back to what Kakashi-sensei had told them earlier. There was a very high chance that she could fail. Then what? This is what she had set her mind to doing. If she failed now after coming so far, then she would surely disappoint the people who believed in her, and that's the last thing she wanted.
She wanted people to be proud of her.
Chouko sighed and like always when she found herself in deep thought she looked to the sky.
The swirling clouds of pink and orange brought her an odd sense of comfort.
She found herself wondering if Shikamaru ever watched the sunset.
Maybe sometime she'd invite him to come watch with her.
The thought oddly made her happy as she made her way back home, ready to face whatever Kakashi-sensei threw in their face tomorrow.
She decided to spread her wings and against everything the world threw at her...
She was going to soar high above the clouds, and never let the wind take her down.