Hey, everyone. Hope things are going well for all of you.
dextron11: More on that this chapter. I thought Fuu would focus on the fight, wanting to do her best for him and all.
Gunblade2022: Yeah, Fuu, in all media, only really displays one technique she hasn't here, not counting ones that require she transform: her cocoon. I took that and decided to have her start out as a taijutsu specialist with some ninjutsu skill but be inspired to expand her arsenal by the events of the exams.
Guest: Sasuke didn't mean Fuu's chakra equals Naruto's, just that it's similarly absurd. For example, in canon, where Naruto has vastly inferior chakra control, he was able to create 2000 shadow clones and have them fight effectively. I'd say Fuu could make 700-1000 and still use taijutsu as effectively as normal.
Jintolin: I haven't thrown canon out the window, exactly. The only things I changed are Naruto awakening the chains, Fuu going to the first exams, and everything else has been a ripple effect. There is one other change I'm considering, but that's it, I think. Of course, those ripples mean things will eventually go completely off the rails compared to canon, but I digress. Genjutsu does work on Jinchuriki, it's just that the Biju can break it for them if they care about their Jinchuriki or feel it necessary for their own survival (death may not be permanent for the Biju, but I doubt it's pleasant). Even then, the Biju can't just do it instantly. In canon, Naruto fell under genjutsu at least three times I can think of off the top of my head, and Sasuke's genjutsu did work on Killer Bee, then Gyuuki broke it a second later and Sasuke, who had let his guard down, got screwed.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Naruto felt conflicted as he looked down at the arena with one hand on the railing, watching Fuu start to exit while the people in the stands cheered on. But, of course, Sasuke had already left; no surprise there.
On the one hand, he wouldn't lie: part of him was glad his friend/rival had won. Of course, what sort of jerk wouldn't be? He'd like nothing more than for all his team to become chunin and start the next phase of their careers together.
But, on the other hand, Fuu was his friend too. And he couldn't imagine she was feeling good right now, knowing her brother saw her lose.
He had some experience with acting upbeat when you weren't feeling it.
"It's too bad," said Hinata. "She'd been so excited to find out her leader would be watching..."
"She doesn't seem to be taking it too hard," Lee observed.
Naruto frowned. Yeah, Fuu seemed fine from here, but, well...
"Doesn't mean she's really feeling it..." Naruto said. It was clear from his tone that he was speaking from experience. Sakura gave him a sympathetic glance.
"Eh, I wouldn't worry," Giichi commented, and Naruto frowned at him. He waved off the glare as he elaborated. "Everyone back home knows she and the boss mean the world to each other. Knowing him, he's probably on his way to give her a pep talk right now." He then looked to the ceiling. "Hell, he'd do it for any of our ninja who's having a hard time if he could never mind her."
Oh. From what Fuu had said about her adoptive brother, that sounded like him. Still, he was worried about how she might feel after that loss. Maybe he should track her down, too?
"Besides, you're looking at this the wrong way," Shikamaru said, leaning forward with his head resting on his arms. "Sasuke's the one you need to feel sorry for."
Naruto frowned as he and others turned to the lazy genin. "Huh? What the hell does that mean? That was an awesome fight they had."
"Yeah, but right now, Fuu's chances are miles ahead of Sasuke's," Shikamaru said, tilting his head and looking back at Naruto with one eye. "He's going to be kicking himself when it hits him. He made it this far and may have blown it in the first two minutes."
Naruto blinked before crossing his arms and frowning. What the hell was he talking about? He ran through the start of the fight and couldn't see the problem. It looked like Sasuke had her with that genjutsu.
A gasp drew his attention to Sakura, who had covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh... oh."
Naruto turned to the pink-haired girl who'd raised a hand to her mouth. At his questioning gaze, she gave him a slightly anxious look. "Naruto, think about it. That genjutsu he pulled at the start was a pretty clever trick, but what did he do after that?"
Naruto closed his eyes and thought. She obviously wasn't talking about the fight. I mean, he got put on the back foot, but once he recovered, he...
... Wait.
His eyes shot open. Oh, he got it now. He then grimaced.
Sasuke had let his clan's power and dojutsu go to his head, slowly walked up to Fuu, and made to push her over to show his victory. That was definitely a Sasuke move, given how much pride he took in his family. His eyes evolving hadn't helped there.
... And that's where he'd made his mistake.
Fuu had broken his genjutsu and turned the tables on him. It had made him look bad, sure, but what he'd done there was worse. He'd slowly walked up to his opponent, sure that the battle was already over when she was still standing. Leaving himself wide open the whole time.
He'd rank that sort of cockiness right up there with that stupid move he'd made in Wave when he walked into the dome of ice mirrors. And while he didn't think he would, if he pulled a stunt like that while leading a team of genin...
Naruto brought one hand to his forehead protector. "Ah, man. Sasuke's going to have to show his A-game for the rest of the exams just to get a shot at promotion!"
"The next match is Shikamaru Nara vs Temari!"
Temari immediately unfurled her fan, kicking up a blast of wind, leaped upon it, gliding down to the arena.
"Oh great, and she's fired up to..." Shikamaru commented. Naruto looked at the lazy Nara, who was now gripping the railing. The lazy genin looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there right now...
"Shikamaru," Naruto began crossing his arms and frowning at the Nara heir, having already guessed what he was thinking. "What do you think Ino's going to say if you forfeit?"
Shikamaru cringed.
"Ah," Sakura looked at him dully. "I wouldn't want to be in your shoes if she gets ahold of you after you pull something like that..."
"Damn it..." Shikamaru hung his head in defeat. The two genin of Team Seven chuckled. "What a drag. And of course, I got stuck fighting a girl..."
Sakura frowned and put her hands on her hips. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Shikamaru shrugged. "Nothing, it just isn't classy."
"Huh, and here I thought chivalry was for samurai..." Giichi commented with a raised brow.
At that, Naruto turned and started to walk to the exit. "Where are you going?" Sakura asked.
"To find Sasuke and Fuu. The sooner Sasuke knows he's on thin ice, the better. And Fuu might need a pick me up, you know?"
Fuu walked out of the arena, tuning out the clamoring crowd as she started to make her way back to the fighter's booth.
She lost. After she put her foot down about being stuck back home all the time. After she told Shibuki she'd make a name for their village, she lost in the first round.
Her brow dipped before she closed her eyes and sighed.
Keep thinking positively!
Right. Fuu may not have won, but it was a great fight! They'd both given it their all, just like she'd hoped at the start. After all the times she'd gone over how their fight could go as she'd trained, Fuu didn't think she'd made any serious mistakes.
She had to have impressed the crowd and the judges.
Maybe they'd both become chunin! The Hokage said you didn't have to win to pass, right?
She smiled and nodded to herself as she continued on her way back to the booth. As she did, she stopped and blinked.
Sasuke was standing ahead of her, leaning back against the wall with his hands in his pockets.
"Sasuke?" Fuu began in confusion. "You didn't head back to the booth?" Sasuke didn't say anything. "Is something wrong?" Fuu asked, wracking her mind, trying to figure out what he might be upset about. "Is it the match?" She then smiled and waved. "No hard feelings, right?"
She didn't get why he wouldn't be happy about their fight. He won, after all. But it was the only thing that came to mind.
Sasuke kicked off the wall. "Back there, at the end of the match," He began. "You could have snapped those wires, isn't that right?"
Fuu couldn't keep her eyes from widening or her mouth from dropping. How? She'd only even considered that for a second!
"So, I was right," Sasuke noted, his hand clenching at his side. He walked over to her. "You had a card to play and chose not to use it." He stood a few feet away from her, looking her in the eyes with a glare. "You handed me the fight. Why?"
'What? Does he think I-? Oh boy. Not good.' Fuu thought in a panic. She raised her hands in a placating gesture. "It isn't like that!" She said frantically as her mind raced. "I mean, I did have one last trick up my sleeve, but it's something I had for if I fought Gaara! I'm not sure it would have even worked on you! And it wouldn't have helped at that point!" She then rubbed the back of her head and looked to the ground. "I was just frustrated, you know? Losing in the first round like that? I just didn't want to believe it for a minute."
His eyes shifted crimson. That couldn't be good. "So there's no way you could have gotten out of the wires? You didn't throw the fight because you felt sorry for me? No one put you up to take a fall for the Last Uchiha?"
Would... would someone really have tried to get her to forfeit just for that? She shook that thought aside as she shook her head frantically. "No! I'd never!"
His eyes narrowed. "You've really got nothing to hide?"
"Nothing. I gave it my all, just like I said." She hated lying, especially to a friend or possible friend, but it wasn't entirely untrue.
The one option she did have after being captured in those wires was one she wouldn't have used even if Shibuki hadn't ordered her not to. She'd been tempted for a split second because of just how badly she wanted to win for Shibuki, but she would never have done it.
That power didn't belong to her. She refused to use it unless she really had to. Especially not for something personal.
And she did, in fact, have something up in sleeve for Gaara. Not that she'd have a chance to use it now.
'Please buy it...' Sasuke stared at her hard. 'He isn't buying it, is he?'
"I've thought there was something off about you since you met Naruto. The chance of two people so alike running into each other like that?" What? Well, she guessed she saw where he was coming from. She just... clicked with Naruto. And the chances of them running into each other in the Forest did seem pretty slim without factoring in the sound those snakes made. He tilted his head to the side, his eyes narrowed. "Not to mention how your teammates treat you. What are you hi-"
"Am I interrupting something?" A familiar voice cut in. She looked behind her with wide eyes to see a young man standing in the hall. He smiled. "Hey, Fuu."
Her expression lit up. "Shibuki!"
Sasuke grunted and walked away with his hands in his pockets.
Fuu looked after him, and after a moment of fighting with herself, she said, "Sasuke," He stopped and half-turned to face her, his eyes still colored red. "Listen. I really did do everything I could. And, I know you probably don't want to hear this from me right now, but... be careful against Gaara. I've... heard about something like that sand power of his before. I think... he's a lot more dangerous than he seems..."
Sasuke stood there for a second before turning and walking away.
Fuu sighed. She hoped their budding maybe-friendship survived this...
"I see he didn't like how the match turned out," Shibuki observed before he then shook his head and looked at the mint-haired girl. "But never mind that. How are you doing after your fight?"
Fuu froze then plastered a smile on her face. "I'm fine! I mean, I may not have done as well as I'd hoped, but I think I had a good fight. Think there's a chance I'll make chunin?"
Her adoptive brother sighed. "Fuu," He began, closing his eyes. "You know that doesn't work on me." He kneeled down and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Really, how are you feeling?"
Fuu kept up her smile for a second before her face fell a bit. The mint-haired girl looked to the nearby wall, not wanting to look at him, knowing that she'd let him down. "... I'm good," She said. "I'm just... sorry I didn't win for Taki."
Shibuki smiled and shook his head. "I thought that's how you'd feel." He then looked her in the eye. "Listen, Fuu. It's true, you lost." She flinched. "But you shouldn't let this drag you down. You need to focus on improving. On taking the lessons that you learned here and doing better."
"But..." She began, trying to ignore the stinging in her eyes. "I let you down. I told you I'd remind everyone what Taki used to be and... I didn't even make it past the first round..."
"But you made it to the finals," Her leader pointed out. "Which is more than most can say. More so from the smaller villages. You'd be surprised how often the finals are made up solely of ninja from the big five." She looked up at him. "You know I can't say whether you pass or not, I'm not the only judge anyway, but your opponent was a bigger deal than you think. The last scion of one of the strongest ninja clans, with that legacy riding on his back. A lot of the spectators came here just to see him. And you almost won! More than once, I might add."
Fuu looked up at him and smiled slightly, his encouragement making her heart feel lighter. "And whether or not you make chunin this time, there'll be other chances."
The mint-haired girl's smile widened as her hands clasped together hopefully. "You mean... you'll send me to the next exam if I don't make the cut?"
Shibuki nodded. "And... I can see that having some real experience did you good." He began, closing his eyes. "You did better than you did when we trained and paid more attention than you do on your patrols. I suppose practice and simple, uneventful jobs can only do so much." His expression turned serious. "When we get back, I'll see about assigning you a permanent sensei and sending you on missions."
Fuu's smile was so bright it could have lit up the whole hallway. Shibuki wasn't disappointed! She was going to be allowed on missions! Finally, she'd be able to see all new sights and make lots of friends all across the nations!
Her joyful laughter filled the hall as she threw herself at her brother, hugging him and burying her face in his shoulder. Getting a chuckle from him as he returned her embrace.
"So, you seemed acquainted with him. Have you managed to make some friends?"
Fuu pulled away and nodded excitedly. "Yeah, a lot of them! Sasuke's teammates are great!" Her face fell then. "Though, I'm not sure where I stand with him... especially now."
Shibuki nodded. "Yeah, it looked like his pride had been hurt..." He then stood up. "Oh, and what was that warning?" She jolted as he frowned in confusion. "I heard about Gaara's disposition from Yoroi, but... what have you heard aside from that?"
"... I... got a warning about him."
Shibuki arched a brow. "A warning? From who?"
"... Chomei." Her brother stiffened, his frown deepening.
"... And what did he say?" He asked her, a bit of worry in his otherwise dark tone. That was a source of information he did not trust. At all. But she got the feeling he'd believe this.
Fuu hesitated for a moment, then gestured for him to get closer. He kneeled down, and she whispered Chomei's warning in his ear. He froze and looked at her with wide eyes. He then closed them and calmed himself. "I see... I can't help but feel relieved you won't be fighting him if what I heard about his disposition is true..."
Fuu brought a hand to her chest, looking back in the direction Sasuke walked in concern. Shibuki put a hand on her shoulder. "He knows Gaara's strong. And about his thirst for blood. We'll just have to hope for the best."
Fuu didn't say anything, still worried.
"Ah," Shibuki looked like he realized something. "Speaking of, his teammates made it to the finals with him, right? They might be worried about you."
Her eyes shot open. "Oh, that's right!" Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata all knew Shibuki had been watching and how much that meant to her. "I better get back!" She turned and ran, looking over her shoulder and waving. "I'll tell you all about them later! Bye, Shibuki!"
He waved after her with a smile.
Shibuki sighed once she was out of sight.
As usual, Fuu had tried to pretend she wasn't hurt. Hiding how she really felt behind her normal bubbliness. She'd pretty much always been that way: always trying to look at the brighter side of things.
And it got worse after she met her birth parents. She'd been so grateful to him and his father for being there for her after that. She hadn't wanted to burden them.
Their father had praised her for her positivity but asked that she not try and hide her pain from them. Not that she'd listened. It was so hard to change her mind once she was set on something. At least she tended to come clean when he made it clear that he wasn't buying it.
He frowned then, remembering how the happy-go-lucky girl had broken down in tears after meeting them. She'd been more open about how lonely she was when he and their father wasn't around before that.
Not that her silence on that left him in doubt on why she'd latched onto him saying she could have a hundred friends so fervently.
How he wished he could punish those two. Fuu really didn't deserve her lot in life. Not to say that there weren't many people in the ninja world who knew more than their fair share of misfortune and sorrow.
He shook his head as his thoughts turned to the end of their conversation and her warning. He didn't trust Chomei, not at all, and he'd warned Fuu not to listen to him. On this, though, he believed him.
Sasuke had no idea what he was up against.
But surely the proctor would stop the fight if things went too far...
Sasuke looked to the ground with a frown as he made his way back to the fighter's booth.
His brief interrogation of Fuu had been... enlightening. About a lot of things.
The Sharingan had many uses. Their ability to read muscle movements, for example, let him read reactions in exacting detail.
Kakashi had taught him that very few could prevent small shifts in their bodies from their thoughts and feelings, no matter how good they were at deception.
Fuu was hiding something, but she hadn't thrown the fight intentionally. She had some trump card, but her insistence she gave her all and her lack of tells meant that she felt she just couldn't have used it.
His pointed comments about her first meeting with Naruto had also yielded fruit.
It had always seemed unlikely to him; that two people would meet during the Chunin Exams and have so much in common. From different villages, no less. It was part of why he'd been distrustful of her.
Fuu's reaction when he pointed this out? Shock, bewilderment, then realization. A bit hurt, too. Sad, but no sense of guilt. Nothing to suggest that she'd been found out.
She hadn't realized, and his apparent rejection hurt her. She'd been genuine the whole time.
Sasuke didn't think he could be blamed for being suspicious under the circumstances, the Chunin Exams being what they were.
Not to mention that he had past experience with people not being what they seemed.
Still, he'd have to apologize to her, he supposed.
Her concern for him was also genuine, which was nice, especially with how he'd just treated her. She knew something about Gaara, but he wasn't going hold her silence on what was against her. They were ninja from different villages; friends or not, they had their secrets.
Sasuke heard footsteps up ahead. He looked up to see his blond teammate walking towards him.
"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto greeted with a wave.
"Naruto?" The Uchiha heir raised a brow. "What are you doing here?"
Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I thought Fuu could use a pick me up. You know, since she just lost in front of her chief and all..."
Ah. Sasuke guessed he shouldn't be surprised he would want to be there for a friend. Especially with how well those two got along. He closed his eyes and pointed his thumb behind him. "Well, you're a bit late on that front. Last I saw, her leader had come down to talk with her."
Naruto's brows rose up. "Really? Huh, so that Giichi guy was right..." He mused aloud before he shook his head. "Anyway, that's not all." He began, only to be interrupted by more footsteps.
They turned to see Shikamaru approaching. "Finally got it in gear, huh?" Naruto asked with a smirk.
"This whole thing's such a drag..." The lazy Nara said. "But you're right. Ino will have my ass if I don't at least give it a good try." He then looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. "And probably my mom too, for that matter."
Ah, that's what got him moving. Naruto chuckled. "Well, good luck out there."
"Thanks," Shikamaru said as he went on his way, waving over his shoulder.
"So, what was the other thing?" Sasuke asked, raising a brow. He frowned when Naruto grimaced.
The blond then explained what Shikamaru had pointed out about his match. The Uchiha thought about it, then clenched his eyes shut with a groan and pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off the impending headache.
Sasuke had let his Sharingan's abilities go to his head and made a fool of himself in the first minute of his match. He hadn't thought about how had that looked until now.
He may have already cost himself his shot this time around. Great.
Frustration rose as he contemplated how this could cost him the opportunity for more experience. How much this could slow him down.
Naruto put his hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you've still got two matches left to make up for it, right? Just show everyone you realized your mistake. Besides, at least you learned your lesson before you fought Gaara, right?" He stepped back and held out a fist. "You've got this, and by the end, we'll all be chunin!"
Sasuke scoffed but smirked. "Well, you're right about one thing." He bumped fists with the blond. "And who knows, maybe it will play out that way."
Naruto grinned and put his hands behind his head. "Well, I'm going to go check on Fuu, just in case."
He wasn't surprised. Sasuke grunted in response, and the two went their separate ways. As he walked down the halls, he put his hands in his pockets, his brow furrowed as he thought about his performance.
His brother wouldn't have made that mistake.
He needed to be better.
It wasn't long after Naruto left Sasuke behind that he heard someone running in his direction. He soon saw a mop of green hair come into view from the staircase.
Fuu's orange eyes widened at the sight of him, and he stopped as she closed the distance. "Naruto?" She came to a stop in front of him.
He smiled. "Hey, Fuu. How's it going?"
"Um, what are you doing down here?" The mint-haired girl asked.
"Well, I thought I'd see if I could lend a hand if you were feeling down, you know?" He put his hands behind his head. "Sasuke said your chief came to talk, but I wanted to make sure you were ok."
Fuu seemed surprised. "You... came to check up on me?"
Naruto nodded. "Yep. I know how much that fight meant to you. Besides, you'd do the same for me, right?"
Fuu's face lit up. She giggled and waved off his concern. "It's ok. I... wasn't happy about how things turned out, but Shibuki already helped me." She then gave him a heartfelt smile. "But thanks, Naruto."
Naruto grinned, but from that look and what she'd told him, he couldn't help but think he might be the first person besides Shibuki and Kiyo to do something like this for her. "Don't mention it, Fuu." He then turned and gestured for her to follow. "But come on, let's head back."
"Ok!" The Taki kunoichi said, and the pair began to walk back to the booth, a silence falling over them.
It was broken after a few moments by Naruto, who looked back over his shoulder and asked, "So, Shibuki's always looking out for you, huh?"
Fuu nodded with a smile. "Uh-huh. Ever since he warmed up to me." She looked up at the ceiling. "He's a great leader, always ready to lend a hand to anyone in the village. He even takes time to hang out with the kids around the village and give them advice! Kiyo left some big shoes to fill, but Shibuki managed it. Just about everyone in Taki loves him."
"Heh, sounds like the old man," Naruto noted. "He told me he thinks of everyone in the village as his family and that it's a leader's job to be the guide and pillar of support for everyone."
Fuu nodded. "I'm not surprised to hear that. Shibuki told me he looks up to the Hokage a lot."
Now it was Naruto's turn to think back, remembering all the times the Third had been there for him. "He may not have adopted me, but he was there for me as much as he could be. He always visited when he knew I had a bad day. Spent every birthday with me. Gave me advice... not that I always listened." He added with a chuckle, and Fuu's giggle told him they had that in common. "He's been like a grandfather to me."
"You told me your old teacher looks out for you too, right?" Fuu asked.
He looked back at her with a grin. "Yep. Iruka's busy a lot, what with classes and his work under Old Man Hokage, but he's been like a brother to me."
Fuu smiled. "Glad to hear it." She said before her eyes trailed away and to the wall, looking somber. "I feel for anyone who's really alone in the world, you know?"
Naruto looked down and closed his eyes. Remembering the words of the masked boy back in Wave. Alone in the world. Desperate for anyone to be there... so much so he latched onto Zabuza and let him use him. "Yeah... I know what you mean."
There was a pause before Fuu spoke again. "Was Sasuke alone? After... what happened to his clan?" At her words, Naruto realized they'd stopped walking.
Naruto thought for a moment. "Well, with how much you already know, I doubt he'd have a problem if I told you..." He looked back at her. "Yeah. People tried to be there for him, but... he just pushed them all away. That only changed after... well,, let's just say things got bad on a mission." He then frowned. "From what he's said... I think he was too focused on avenging his family to let anyone in. That and... no one could really get what he was going through."
Fuu gave a subdued hum in response.
"That was a great match you had with him, by the way," Naruto complimented her.
She blinked and then smiled. "Really? You think so?"
Naruto nodded. "I hate to admit it, but Sasuke's always been number one in our group, ever since the academy. I remember he never lost a single match, and that's before he learned how to use his kekkei genkai. He's only ever lost one fight that I can think of, and that was against someone we ran into on a mission, way above our level."
The blond then looked back at her. "I can't think of any time besides that anyone came as close to beating Sasuke as you did."
"That makes me feel a little better about losing," Fuu said with a slight giggle.
Naruto looked back to the ceiling. "I was always trying to catch up to him back then. Partly because I wanted to prove I was the best and to wipe that smug look off his face. And partly because, well, I kinda got him. I wanted to make him see me as an equal. Maybe be friends... I didn't know what it was like to lose people as he did, but I knew what it was like being alone. To have no one understand what you were going through."
Fuu nodded. "I know what you mean..." She looked down at the floor. "Shibuki and Kiyo have always been there for me. And after I went looking for my parents, I realized just how lucky I was to have them in my life. I owe them more than I can ever say, and I try to do my best to pay them back and not be a burden, but..." She shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair. "Sometimes when I'm alone, I wish I could talk to someone who really got what it was like to have everyone else shun me the way they did. But other times, I feel glad I can't. I wouldn't wish it on anyone." Naruto put a hand on her shoulder, and her eyes drew back up to him.
Naruto closed his eyes. "I know what it's like..." He said quietly, and she looked at him sadly. "No adults wanted me around when I was little, and the other kids... well, they picked up on that..." Then he gave her a grin. "But hey, didn't you say not to let negative thoughts get me down? All of us have people who have our backs, you and me included" His grin softened into a smile. "And that's what's important, right?"
Fuu brightened up, raising a fist in the air. "You said it!" He chuckled at her response. "I'll always be there for my friends however I can!"
"Same here, Fuu." He turned around. "Come on, let's head back. We might miss the match at this rate."
With that, they continued on their way back to the booth. The silence was broken a moment later by Fuu, "Naruto?" He looked back at her. "Thanks for the talk. It was a lot easier to talk about with someone who gets it, and it felt good to get it off my chest."
Naruto smiled. "Anytime, Fuu."
"I was wondering when you'd get back," Sakura said as Naruto and Fuu rejoined the group. She then smirked. "Have a nice chat?"
Naruto chuckled as Fuu answered. "Yep! Shibuki came by to see me first, but Naruto helped me a lot."
"Figured he would," Giichi commented.
"So, what'd we miss?" The blond asked as he walked up to his team. Fuu walked up to the railing between them and her own teammate.
"Shikamaru's been running around, dodging wind blasts from Temari," Sasuke answered, glancing at Naruto. "Looks like he's a one-trick pony. All he's got is that shadow technique, and Temari's already seen it." He then looked down into the arena. "She's smart: keeping her distance and her eyes on the shadows. She marked its length in the dirt there."
Sasuke jerked his head down at her, and Naruto could see a line drawn in front of her.
Naruto frowned as he took stock of the situation. Looked like Shikamaru's only option was to find a way to extend his shadow. That, or use it as a distraction if he had anything else up his sleeve...
"Hey, Temari's got this one in the bag," Kankuro commented with a smirk.
"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Naruto replied. "Shikamaru would probably have called it by now if he didn't have an ace in the hole."
Sasuke and Sakura nodded; Sakura with a look that said that was the most obvious thing in the world and Sasuke with his eyes closed. Hinata just looked away and poked her index fingers together.
Lee blinked. "Would... would he really give up that easily after making it this far?"
"He's the laziest person I know," Sakura said. "I can tell you from Ino's stories and some things that happened back in the forest that he's someone you can rely on when the chips are down. But otherwise? He'll look for any excuse to get out of having to work. He'd definitely throw in the towel if he didn't think he could win." She then looked at the Hyuga heiress. "Right, Hinata?"
"Um... I'd rather not say..." Hinata replied.
"Whatever. You keep thinking like that, but my sister's got this one," Kankuro replied. Naruto did a brief doubletake at that before looking back at the arena, waiting for Shikamaru to make his move.
And he waited.
And waited.
About half an hour, Naruto's eye twitched. "Yeesh, this is taking forever."
"Not like either of them have a choice," Sakura commented.
"Yeah yeah," Naruto waved her off. "She can't see where he is, he's only got one move, and neither of them can get close. I get it. Moving too fast could get you killed out in the field, so let them take their time. I don't have a problem with it; it's just boring."
"True," Sakura admitted, then she looked up at the crowd. "That said, a lot of people in the crowd aren't a ninja. They might start throwing things if this drags on much longer..."
"I think you may be right..." Lee said, looking up into the crowd. They could hear people starting to mutter.
"Hn. Like you said: those people aren't a ninja. They don't get it. This can mean the difference between life and death. Let them mutter." Sasuke said.
Finally, something happened. Shikamaru's shadow shot out, and sped past the line! Temari panicked and kicked back, moving left and right to make it extend as far as possible before it stopped.
"What the!?" He then looked up. "Oh, I get it, he was waiting for the sun to go down!"
"Heh, so he did have a plan..." Sakura began, looking up at the sky before frowning. "Wait, what's that?"
There was something in the air. It was... Shikamaru's jacket tied to a kunai?
Casting a shadow! Onto his!
It extended further forcing Temari back once again. Once again, she stayed out of range and the shadow pulled back.
Then five kunai flew out of the brush along the edge of the arena. Each bearing an explosive tag.
They exploded across the arena, kicking up dirt and debris. Temari shielded her face and then looked around wildly. She caught the shadow moving in behind her just in time and kicked back.
Right as Shikamaru charged out from the cloud behind her.
She blocked his punch with her fan, and then they stopped and jumped apart.
And their shadows stayed connected.
"What!?" Kankuro gripped the railing.
"Ha! He got her! Way to go, Shikamaru!" Naruto cheered.
"Whoo-hoo! Good thinking down there!" Fuu yelled down at him.
"So all that was a distraction..." Sasuke mused.
"Whelp, he's got her. What's he going to do now?" Giichi wondered.
Shikamaru raised his right arm, Temari forced to mirror his action... and then said clearly, "I forfeit."
Naruto froze. He blinked once. Then again. Then... "WHAT!?"
"Did... did he just...?" Fuu said, stunned by disbelief. She stared down into the arena, eyes wide and mouth agape. Everyone, except for Gaara, shared that reaction.
The crowd too. A few moments passed, and then the clamoring started in the stands above. "Yep, that's Shikamaru for you..." Sakura said, staring down at the arena dully.
Didn't really go into detail on Shikamaru and Temari's match. I feel like the mutual respect they gained for each other in that match was a foundation for the start of their relationship, and I like that pairing and wanted to keep it. And as I said, I don't like rehashing canon, so, yeah... The only real change was the end, since Naruto didn't dig a hole. He used the dust clouds to hide his shadow as he used the shadows in the holes made by the blasts to extend it.
Mostly just the aftermath of the previous fight, character development, and Naruto and Fuu bonding here. I hope no one minds that. I'd intended to go a bit further, but that felt like a good place to end it.
Itachi's betrayal would certainly have given Sasuke trust issues on top of everything else. On top of just the usual wariness of foreign ninja. At least he confirmed Fuu was genuine now.
Also, being basically siblings, I feel Fuu would have mentioned Chomei actually talking to Shibuki as soon as they had their first meeting, so he would recognize that name, but no one else would.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and please review.