"So how'd you guys do anyway?" Thalia asked as she slurped down some more ramen.
"O-oh, w-well-"
"It was no sweat," Kiba interrupted Hinata, folding his arms behind his head in triumph. "We passed Kurenai-sensei's test with flying colors, right Akamaru?'
"Yap!"
"Yeah?" Naruto questioned, hackles raising slightly. "Well so did we! I bet we passed before you guys did!"
"Eh…" Thalia waved her hand back and forth.
"Thalia!" Naruto whined. "Don't be on their side!"
"Ha, even she understands how great we are!"
"Zip it, dogbrain!" Thalia snapped. "I'm just saying since our sensei made us wait so long this morning, they probably passed first."
"Oh, right. Stupid Kakashi!" Naruto grunted before digging into another bowl.
After their survival test, Thalia, Naruto, and Sakura had stuck together for the rest of the day, first getting lunch at a nearby restaurant so they could properly fill their bellies (Sakura devouring double what everyone else had) and then Thalia had taken Sakura out to the training grounds to begin helping her out.
By the time they were done, Sakura was sore all over, Thalia not pulling any punches in their sparring sessions, literally. But still, Sakura never complained once, Kakashi's warning ringing in her ears. She had to get stronger and quickly if she was going to stay on the team so she couldn't afford to slack off even a little bit. So she kept going until Thalia finally said they could stop, practically collapsing on the ground after that.
They'd all gone to their respective homes to get cleaned up and changed after such an arduous workout before Naruto had again invited Sakura to come eat with them at Ichiraku's. This time, she accepted.
Along the way, they ran into Hinata as well as the rest of Team 8 and Thalia had asked if they wanted to come as well, which was how both teams minus Sasuke found themselves seated at the ramen shop, slurping down noodles. Teuchi and Ayame had been surprised but happy about the crowd, especially since Naruto was with them. They had seen how lonely he'd been these past years and to see him now surrounded by friends was a welcome sight.
"S-so how did it go?" Hinata asked curiously. "With your test?"
Thalia thought about it. "It was-"
"It was awesome!" Naruto exclaimed. "We all passed with flying colors! Believe it!"
"Not all of us," Sakura grumbled to herself as she finished another bowl. She was tempted to stop there given what Ino had said about her diet and how boys liked skinny girls but when she had tried to say that to Thalia at lunch, the girl had given her such a sharp glare she'd actually felt like it was piercing her soul.
"That's the stupidest thing in the world," she'd said. "After a workout like that, you need to fill your belly up so that you have energy. Intense training and skill requires a lot of food! Whoever this Ino is, she's an idiot. I spent my life on the run, wondering where I'd get my next meal and gobbling down whatever I could. And you want to starve yourself just to stay in shape? With workouts like ours, it doesn't matter what we eat. So eat as much as you want, just make sure your belly is full."
There was a time, Sakura might have ignored that, her desire to be, well, desired by Sasuke overwhelming everything else. But not after today. Now, she took all of Thalia's advice to heart and started on her next bowl of ramen.
"What do you mean Sakura?" Hinata asked, curious, and Sakura flinched. She hadn't realized the other girl had heard her.
"Well…um…I…I didn't really pass like the others," she admitted.
"Huh?" Naruto questioned. "What do you mean Sakura? Of course, you passed! Kakashi-sensei said so himself!"
"Naruto!" Sakura sighed in exasperation. "He said I was on probation."
"Proba-what?" Naruto asked, lost. "What does that mean?"
"Weren't you listening at all?" Thalia asked him. "He said if Sakura doesn't shape up in the next week, she'll be removed from the team and sent back to the Academy."
"Oh. Oh! Right! I remember now. Sorry Sakura. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll pass. Believe it!"
"Do you have to say that in every other sentence?" Thalia muttered.
"You get used to it," Shino said, surprising her slightly as those were the first words he'd said all evening.
"I'm sorry Sakura," Hinata said genuinely, patting Sakura on the shoulder.
"Thanks Hinata. But honestly, I kind of deserved it," Sakura replied, slumping in her seat. "I didn't do anything in the test, just made a fool of myself. I'm surprised I didn't fail outright."
"Wow, and here I thought it would be Naruto who would be the worst," Kiba commented.
"What was that? Stupid dogbrain!"
"Who you calling dogbrain, duncehead?"
"What'd you say?"
"You started it!"
"I'll show you!"
"You can try!"
"Shut it, both of you!" Thalia snapped, sparks shooting off of her and startling the two. "You want to fight, go somewhere else. But I'm eating right now and I'm not having that interrupted by some dick-measuring contest."
At that word, both Naruto and Kiba's faces flushed bright red while Sakura and Hinata spat up their food in shock. Even Shino blinked, not expecting that. Teuchi gaped for a second before he burst out laughing, his daughter right beside him.
"Th-th-thalia!" Hinata stuttered. "Y-you shouldn-"
She was interrupted by some giggles, turning to see Sakura doing her best to restrain herself and failing. That word had caught her so off guard that it took her completely by surprise and she just couldn't help it, soon laughing as hard as Teuchi and Ayame.
Both still flustered, Kiba and Naruto looked at each other and then at Thalia before settling down again.
"So, uh, what's your story anyway?" Kiba asked Thalia. "How does an outsider become a genin just like that?"
Thalia shrugged. "The Hokage guy's the one who made the call. I just came into the village, ran into Naruto, helped him take down that Mizuki guy, and then everything sort of snowballed after that until, voila, I'm a genin."
"Voila?" Shino questioned, wondering what that meant.
"Yeah, and she's the best!" Naruto said eagerly. "She passed Kakashi-sensei's stupid test right away. The rest us did it the second try but she did it first!"
Kiba didn't know what that meant but he did know Naruto didn't hand around praise like that to anyone. He'd heard a few rumors about Thalia and even asked Kurenai about her out of curiosity but even his sensei didn't know too much. Whoever she was, she was certainly impressive.
"So what's with the dog?" Thalia asked him. "You got attachment issues or something?"
"What? No," Kiba replied defensively. "Akamaru and I just have a bond, just like any member of the Akimichi clan. We all get paired with dogs was kids and grow alongside them. They're our partners on the battlefield."
"Oh, that's actually pretty cool," Thalia nodded appreciatively. "Though he is still a puppy, so…"
"Don't underestimate Akamaru," Kiba told her. "He may be a puppy, but he's still pretty strong. We're working on some pretty awesome jutsus that would blow your mind, ain't that right Akamaru?"
"Yap!"
"Yeah! Besides, he'll grow soon enough and then he'll be a real monster in combat."
"Yap!"
Thalia nodded again. "That sounds pretty nice to be honest, having a dog companion like that. I can definitely see the appeal."
"You're actually alright, you know that?" Kiba grinned at her.
"Uh…thanks?" Thalia said, raising an eyebrow at that. She then turned to the other member of Team 8. "And you're Shino, right? The insect guy."
The boy nodded. "The Aburame clan specializes in all types of insect jutsu."
"Oh, yeah I know," Thalia muttered. "I met one of your clan my second day here. Bastard almost killed me with his damn bugs."
Sakura, Kiba, and Shino all looked surprised by that. "But I thought you said the Hokage let you in?" Sakura asked. "Why would a shinobi attack you?"
Thalia thought back. "I think they said he was acting out of orders or something. Whatever, that guy…um, I think his name is Guy actually, anyway he took care of it."
"Guy?" Kiba questioned.
"You must mean Might Guy," Shino interjected.
"Yes," Hinata added. "I was there then. It was when Thalia came out of the hospital and-"
"The hospital?" Sakura asked, her curiosity growing with each word. "What were you doing in the hospital?"
"I got injured when I arrived in the village," Thalia said quickly, trying to think of a way out of this. They technically weren't supposed to talk about this as it would raise too many questions, like the ones she was trying to answer right now. "There was some confusion then, mostly because I didn't know where I was or who anyone was, and some of the shinobi got a little…aggressive."
"Yeah, but we showed 'em, didn't we Thalia!" Naruto bragged. "We took down that stupid masked guy with our combined jutsu!"
Hinata flushed at the memory of the Sexy Harem Jutsu while Thalia laughed. "Yeah, we sure did, bud. Anyway, like I was saying before, one of the shinobi there was an insect user. It was actually pretty impressive. So, what kind of stuff can you do?" she asked Shino.
Shino stared at her for a second, taken aback. Most people, when they learned about his jutsu, thought it was either super weak or super creepy, avoiding the topic. But he quickly shook himself and started talking. "My jutsu is similar to the Inuzuka Clan's, actually. They form a bond with their dogs and we do the same with our insects, a mutual agreement."
He then went on to explain some of the things they could do. Not everything of course, since he didn't want to give away too many of his secrets. Thalia nodded along, listening carefully. She'd never really had a problem with bugs before and that shinobi had been a real pain to fight so she was interested to know how powerful Shino was.
They stayed there for another hour before Shino and Kiba took off to their respective compounds. Sakura took off soon after, feeling worn down after the events of the day and all her training. She couldn't believe Thalia was still going, not looking tired in the slightest. Guess that what was experience got her.
Still, while the first part of the day had been…well, a disaster for her, the rest hadn't been so bad. And honestly, as she had sat there at the small ramen shop, slurping up noodles alongside Thalia, Hinata, Naruto, Kiba, and Shino, she had found herself smiling and laughing. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten out with friends. Maybe a while ago with Ino, before they'd become bitter rivals. And she hadn't realized how much she'd missed it. Naruto of course did most of the talking, almost entirely about how he was going to be Hokage and all the things he wanted to achieve. Kiba argued with him constantly about everything, forcing Thalia to step in more than once. Hinata stayed quiet for most of the meal, only really talking when prompted and Shino barely did even that. So it was really Thalia who pushed the conversation asking each of them questions about their clans and lives here in the village. Sakura learned Thalia still didn't really want to talk about her past and given those small moments she'd seen earlier of the girl, she could guess some bad stuff happened so she didn't push and just replied to all Thalia's questions as best she could, talking about her own family and some old stories from the academy like the time she'd mastered the replacement jutsu before Ino (even if only by a few seconds). In the end, she realized she had fun, more than she'd had in…well, longer than she could remember. And as she left, she had a smile on her face.
"Well, it is pretty late now," Thalia said, seeing the moon shining brightly down on them. "Should probably head home too."
"Yeah…" Hinata said sadly. She had really been enjoying herself alongside her new teammates and her new friends. She really didn't want for it to end and for her to have to go back to her own compound.
"Yeah, gotta get ready for whatever mission we get tomorrow!" Naruto said, pumping his fist in the air with excitement. "I can't wait. I hope it's a super awesome one! Hey Thalia, you must have done tons of super awesome stuff back…uh, well you know…where you're from…heh heh," he said sheepishly, realizing too late that he wasn't supposed to be talking about this. Already Teuchi, Ayame, and Hinata were giving them confused looks while Thalia was giving him an icy stare.
"Yeah," she said coldly, making him shiver as the breeze suddenly picked up. "You could say that. I'll tell you about them some other time, ok? Cause it's pretty late now."
"Right, of course. I'll see you tomorrow! Bye Teuchi! Bye Ayame! Thanks for the food! Oh, and bye Hinata!" he added, waving at her as he dashed down the road. Hinata blushed fiercely as he did, still not used to him talking to her so casually. Several times during the meal he'd outright talked to her, nearly making her faint. Sure, it had mostly been for her to pass him something, but still made her heart flutter. She wished she had the courage to say goodbye to him as well but she only managed to raise a hand in farewell which he didn't even see.
"You really need to get better at that," Thalia commented dryly, rolling her eyes.
"I know," Hinata said, looking down as they walked off as well. Wanting to change the subject, she focused on what Naruto had just said. "What did he mean when he asked you about any of the stuff you did back where you're from?" she asked curiously. She knew Thalia was very close-lipped about her past, only that she lived outside the village, didn't seem to have a family, and somehow got very injured when she arrived in the village. Based on all that, she knew it couldn't be happy stuff but from what Naruto just said, she had to wonder what else there was. Thalia had been one of the first people she confided in about her family life. While she hadn't told her everything, she felt more and more comfortable to do that with her friend despite only knowing her about a week now and she hoped Thalia might feel the same towards her and reveal more about her past.
Thalia sighed, wondering how to respond. She knew she couldn't reveal anything about her real past to Hinata or anyone else. Already more than a handful of people knew and the more who knew, the less of a secret became. Still, part of her did want to tell Hinata. But she held back for now.
"I did have a few wild adventures out…you know," she said, waving in the general direction of the village outskirts. "Out there. Like this one time where I ran into these laistry…uh, these giant dudes who loved to play dodgeball and-"
"Dodgeball?"
"You don't know dodgeball?" Thalia questioned, surprised to see Hinata shake her head. "Oh, I'm going to show you guys that, it is so much fun! Anyway, they liked to play too though there's was more smash the metal balls into their victims til they died instead of the usual way."
"Oh…" Hinata said softly, turning pale at the visual in her head.
"So yeah, I got into a fight with them and was able to take them down. But came close to death a few times." Thalia nodded. "That was actually the first time I ever used lightning. Nearly killed myself when I did and I completely vaporized the playground. But I took care of those ugly bastards so it worked out. Anyway, that's kind of what Naruto meant. The world out there is filled with…stuff like that," she finished awkwardly, realizing again she wasn't in her world. Though, from what little she'd learned from Iruka's class, this world was just as crazy if not more so with so many other dangers. "I survived, just barely, but others aren't so lucky. Not all my stories are super awesome ones. Most were freaking terrifying honestly," she said, thinking of the time she and the others were lured into the cyclops's lair, nearly eaten alive if it weren't for Annabeth. "And some…well, they don't have good endings," she added, thinking of Hal Green.
"Wow Thalia," Hinata said softly, not sure what else to say. Her friend had clearly had a hard life. "I'm sorry," she finally said.
"Ah, it is what it is," Thalia shrugged. "Still, I am kind of glad any mission I go on now will have a proper teacher in charge. Makes me feel a little better."
They continued walking awkwardly, neither sure how to fill in the silence.
"I was kidnapped when I was 3," Hinata suddenly said.
"What?" Thalia gasped, spluttering a little. "You were? Why? What happened?"
"The Hyūga clan is one of the most powerful in existence because of our Byakugan and so a shinobi of the Hidden Cloud Village tried to kidnap me when I was 3 so that…well…since I'm…"
"Ew!" Thalia said, scrunching up her nose in disgust as she realized what Hinata was implying. "That's horrifying."
"Yes. But my father Hiashi killed him and then…well, the leader of the Cloud Village demanded justice."
"What?" Thalia repeated. "Justice for what? That guy tried to kidnap you and he died. There's the justice. End of story."
"I wish," Hinata continued sadly, hating this part. "He demanded whoever killed his shinobi to take their own life as forfeit. My father was going to…but since he's the head…and since he had a twin brother who was considered a lesser member of the family…"
"Oh my gods," Thalia murmured, even more horrified.
"Yes. My uncle took my father's place and was executed," Hinata said, squeezing her eyes shut. "Everyone blames me for it."
"What?" Thalia repeated again, her head whipping to look at Hinata. "That's ridiculous! You were 3 years old, how is that your fault?"
"It's not about that. It's because I'm not as…good as they were all hoping. They see me as a failure now. I'm supposed to be the heir to the Hyūga clan but I've never been that good so now, well…now, the whole clan looks at me like I wasn't even worth all that. That I wasn't worth saving, worth my uncle giving his life. It's part of the reason why they basically cast me out."
Thalia shook her head in disgust. It reminded her of what Annabeth had said about her own parents, that they didn't feel like all the problems she brought with her just because she was a demigod made her not worth looking after. It was sickening.
"It's also why Neji hates me," Hinata added. "He's my cousin. His father is my uncle who…"
"Oh," Thalia said, eyes widening as that sank in. "I see."
"It's why I can't blame him for how he-"
"Yes you can," Thalia snapped, surprising Hinata. "It wasn't your fault, not one bit. That freaking Cloud Village is the one to blame, not you. If your clan acts like that, then their opinion doesn't matter Hinata, especially Neji's. Screw them all! Who cares if you're not the greatest shinobi in the world. I've seen you fight, for someone your age with little real experience you're actually really good."
Hinata blushed again, feeling a warmth inside of her. "Th-thanks, Thalia."
"Hey." Hinata blinked, feeling Thalia's hand on her shoulder. She looked up and blinked again when she saw Thalia's sky-blue eyes right in front of her, the girl staring deep into her own eyes. "Seriously, don't let their opinions get to you. You are amazing just the way you are, got it?"
"G-got it."
"Good." Thalia pulled back a little and then sighed, looking down now. "I, uh…I actually kind of know how you feel."
"You do?" Hinata asked, blinking again.
"My dad…well it's hard to explain but he's kind of a big deal. Really big. And, uh, my mom was sort of his…mistress."
"Oh…"
"Yeah. I wasn't supposed to be born. Like at all. My mom reminded me over and over what a mistake I was, how I would bring nothing but trouble."
Hinata flinched at that. While she had issues with her father, she had nothing but wonderful memories of her mother.
"My mom…she never wanted me. She only ever saw me as a burden. She just wanted my dad to stay but he…didn't and that made her go a little crazy. And she took it out on me," Thalia sighed, pushing back the memories. "I ran away from home later on. I couldn't take it anymore and just took off, deciding a life on the run was better. And it was…marginally. But for a long time, I thought that was true, that I was a burden, that I was nothing but trouble."
Even at the end, when she had given her life on that hill, she had thought that.
"Thalia…" Hinata said softly, tears welling in her eyes.
"But I made some friends who showed me that that wasn't the case. That I was worth something. And then I came here, and I met Naruto, and then I met you. And now, I want nothing more than to train my butt off to be as strong as possible so I can't be a burden to anyone. But…I'm not going to listen to people like my mom anymore, people who don't care or who don't want me around for stupid reasons. They don't matter. So you shouldn't listen to them either. If they blame you for something so completely out of your control, then they're the ones who don't matter."
Hinata stared at her friend, feeling a slight rush of emotion at her words.
"We're all a little broken Hinata. But that's ok, cause we've got each other to help put ourselves back together. So, don't give a shit about what that clan of yours says," Thalia told her, ignoring Hinata's slight gasp at the word. "I think you're really cool and I'm glad you're my friend."
Hinata stared for another few seconds before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Thalia, surprising the girl. "I think you're really awesome," Hinata said. She had never said that word before, only really hearing it from Naruto. But it felt right. "And, I am really glad that you're my friend."
"Damn right. I am the whole package aren't I?" Thalia grinned, making Hinata giggle.
They stayed like that for a moment, hugging each other tightly, before finally letting go.
"Now you just need to say that to Naruto and I'm sure he'll fall helplessly in love with you," Thalia said cheekily.
"Thalia!" Hinata cried, covering her face as it bloomed bright red, making Thalia laugh.
When they reached the split in the road that would eventually lead to their respective homes, Hinata wished Thalia a good night before slowly making her way to the Hyūga compound, hoping she wouldn't run into any of her family members.
Behind her, Thalia watched her for a second before turning and walking away as well. However, she didn't walk back home, instead heading right for the training grounds where she'd spent a good part of the day with the others. As she walked, her mind flashed back a particular moment from earlier that day.
Thalia spotted the small bathroom, more of a port-a-potty set up next to the training grounds, and made her way to it, feeling like there was a small balloon inside of her. However, before she'd even made it halfway there, a familiar figure stepped out from the trees.
"Sasuke?" she asked, confused. "What are you doing?"
"Waiting for you," he replied as if it was obvious.
"Outside the bathroom?" she asked, eyebrow raised. "Didn't take you for the stalkery pervert type on top of silent and brooding."
"I didn't really have many options," Sasuke shot back, glowering at her now. "I wanted to say this without the entourage back there."
"You mean our teammates?" Thalia asked dryly.
Sasuke ignored her tone as he continued. "Fight me," he told her simply.
"Fight you?" she repeated. "You want me to fight you? Like a duel?"
"Yes," he said. "I want to see how good you really are."
Thalia couldn't help but grin at his challenge. "Sounds fun. Let me pee first and then we can go all out back there an-"
"No," Sasuke said sharply. "I don't want those two involved. Just you and me. I can't trust the blonde loser to jump in and try to rescue you."
Thalia raised an eyebrow at that. "Sure you're not the one who'll need rescuing?" she asked, smirking. Though she did agree with him. If Naruto thought she was in trouble, he might just jump in to help and if this was a proper duel, she didn't want that. "And I'm guessing you don't want Sakura's fangirling either, huh?"
"Annoying," Sasuke muttered, shaking his head. "Just you and me."
"Fine then. When?"
"Tonight, after dark, when the others are gone. Come find me at the training grounds. I'll be waiting." With that, he walked off, disappearing back into the foliage.
"Damn, that was actually a pretty boss exit," Thalia muttered as he left.
She spotted him quickly as she entered the training grounds, the light of the moon illuminating his form as he was throwing his kunai into one of the nearby targets. She had to admit, he was pretty good. He always threw several at a time and each one found its mark. And he didn't stay still while he did it, constantly twisting and turning around as if he was in actual combat as he hurled them.
"You took your time," Sasuke said without turning around, picking his kunai out from the targets.
"I was having dinner with friends," Thalia replied, shrugging. "Something you clearly don't do. Besides, you didn't specify when exactly you wanted to have our duel, you just said after dark. And, as you can see," she held up her hands towards the darkened background, "it's after dark. So, I'm here."
"Whatever," Sasuke grunted, just managing to stop himself from rolling his eyes. "Let's just get started."
"Cool. So how you want to do this? Weapons? Bare knuckles? Practice tools?"
"Take whatever you want, I don't care," Sasuke said, putting his kunai away. "I will beat you no matter what you do."
Thalia snorted. "Well, that's some ego you got there buddy boy. Let's see if you can back it up."
She faced him, about eight yards separating them. She tapped Aegis, releasing the shield, and brought out her spear as well. She knew Sasuke was considered the best student from everyone had said (except Naruto, who claimed he was the best student somehow) and the strongest kid in the class. She hadn't seen what he'd done against Kakashi-sensei during the exercise this morning but she had noticed the fire so that might be it. She was curious to see just how strong he was.
Sasuke stared at her with just as much intensity if not more. This girl had been a mystery to him from the moment she'd first walked into the classroom. He'd at first thought she was just some background extra who'd drop out before even becoming a genin. Then she'd backed up the loser Naruto's claims and shown off some of her abilities, taking Sasuke by surprise especially with that lightning power of hers. And he hated surprises.
Then he found out she would actually be on his team. He had to admit, while he was grateful she wasn't one of those weird, fangirls of his who always surrounded him whenever they could, there was something about her that just felt off to him.
Then came the survival exercise, where she attacked Kakashi-sensei right from the get-go and actually managed to gain some ground. And even when it looked like she'd lost, she somehow found a way to keep going. Sasuke had been shocked when she dislocated her arm like that to keep attacking Kakashi-sensei. Every move after that had just been surprise after surprise for him. This girl, a complete stranger that for some reason had been acknowledged by the Hokage himself, was going toe-to-toe with a jōnin with a powerful jutsu. And while she may not have won, she actually got to pass while Sasuke had been stuck with the loser and the annoyance hoping he could pass the second test. The fact that he had to take the test again and pass in such a way while she got in the first time infuriated him.
He had one goal in life. Find Itachi and make him pay for what he'd done. To do that, he needed to become as strong as possible, to be the strongest around. And he had been. For the longest time, he had been the irrefutable strongest student at the Academy and he aimed to be the same for all genin and then chūnin and so forth until he was ready to face Itachi.
Then she came along and disrupted everything in his life because he didn't know now if he was the strongest. That's why he challenged her, why he was so determined to win. He refused to allow anything to stand in the way of his goal. That's why he had to beat her here and now and prove he was still the strongest.
"So, we gonna do that unison sign thingie or are we just going to do this?"
"What do you think?" Sasuke smirked. "In a real fight, there is no unison sign. There's only blood."
"Jeez man, that's really creepy. Like, I know a few monsters who would be creeped out by that."
"Enough talking!" Sasuke snapped, readying himself.
"Fine by me!" Thalia brought out her mace can, turning it into a spear and smirking at the surprise on Sasuke's face despite how much he tried to hide it. She refrained from activating Aegis just yet. She didn't think he knew about the shield's power so she would save that for a special moment.
They eyed each other for a few seconds before Sasuke charged forward, Thalia rushing him an instant later. Right after he moved, Sasuke grabbed behind him and hurled several kunai at Thalia, forcing her to step aside to avoid them. But once she did, she noticed the movement and saw that Sasuke threw another blade aimed at right where she would run to.
Clever, she thought to herself, tapping Aegis and bringing her shield to life in time for it to block the kunai. And annoying. Now she lost that element of surprise. She'd been hoping to use the shield like she had with Kakashi but that was no good now. Still, she had an opening and she couldn't waste it.
Sasuke found himself blinking again as her shield spiraled to life. He had seen her suddenly have it and her spear before but hadn't thought much of it besides quickly wondering how she'd carried them. Evidently through some sort of jutsu.
But the real shock came when she rushed him with the shield and he managed to get a good look at it, uncontrollably grimacing and stepping back from the horrible creature depicted on it.
Why is it affecting me? he thought angrily. He tried to force himself to look at it as Thalia came at him but it still made his whole body shudder, throwing him off. So, instead, he looked Thalia right in the eyes and just in time as she swung her spear at him, forcing him to duck under it. He came up, ready to attack, but she thrust that damn shield of hers forward right for him, that visage making him recoil.
Is this what happened with Kakashi-sensei? he thought, remembering when the shield struck the man. Sasuke had thought afterwards that Kakashi had let it hit him so he could get close and twist the shield around, trapping Thalia. But maybe not, if he saw this thing.
Sasuke acted fast, turning away and leaping into the air. He swung his legs and kicked off the shield, pushing Thalia back a little as he went up even higher. As he flew up, he threw out some shuriken at Thalia, scattering them a bit.
"Styx!" Thalia cursed, dodging to the side to avoid the weapons and using her shield to block any others she saw coming. But it was hard in the darkness and it was only her instincts that were able to catch the projectiles.
He's serious, she thought to herself. Fine then. Let's amp it up.
She charged Sasuke full speed as he was coming down, not giving him even the time to land. But he didn't need to as he twisted around in the air so that his foot came down on her spear, knocking it down and causing her to lurch over.
Almost instantly, he used that movement to whirl around and throw a kick at her and she only just managed to get Aegis up in time to block.
That damn shield again! Sasuke internally growled, landing smoothly. No wonder Kakashi-sensei had gotten that thing out of the way so quickly. It was obvious it was going to be a damn nuisance so Sasuke had to do the same before it made him stumble again.
Thinking fast, he hit the ground and threw his leg out, hoping to knock her off her feet. But she was just as fast, leaping back just in time. But she didn't stay there long, pushing off her feet and charging forward again.
Sasuke had only trained with kunai and shuriken and other such weapons before, small ones suited for ninja work. He'd never really thought about spears too much but he'd always considered them to be rather cumbersome weapons, best used for long distance that were easy to grab and take given only the end was sharp and dangerous. A weapon any ninja could overcome with ease.
Thalia Grace quickly proved him wrong. He had been planning to grab hold of the spear as she stabbed at him with it and use it against her. But when she came at him and he dodged the strike, she pulled back just as fast, leaving his grasping air.
What? he thought but that was all he got to do as Thalia stabbed at him again only an instant after her last attempt, making him dodge again. She kept it up, jabbing with her spear in short, deadly strikes that he wasn't able to counter. He could only duck and weave around them, hissing angrily when he felt his sleeves tear.
"What's the matter?" Thalia smirked. "Can't keep up?"
Glaring heatedly, Sasuke made a slight movement. Thalia followed, not wanting to let him escape, when her spear suddenly struck Sasuke right through the middle, impaling him.
"What?" she gasped in shock. But before the horror of what she'd done could begin to settle, there was a poof and Sasuke disappeared, replaced by a log. "Oh styx!" she swore again, pulling her spear out. "That damn jutsu thing. Great, now where are you?"
She looked around carefully, hoping she could spot him. But it appeared when it came to stealth, he was top notch. He could attack from anywhere at any time with those ninja skills of his.
"Nuts to that," Thalia muttered and released her fog, letting a cloud of it settle around the clearing, obscuring everything.
Just come after me now, she thought smugly. The second he stepped into the fog, she'd know and then she'd have him.
"Fireball Jutsu!"
What? Thalia inwardly cried but she didn't have time to think about it as the fog around her suddenly parted, a fireball streaming right through it towards her. She threw herself to the side just before it could hit her, rolling across the grass. She grimaced, hissing in pain from the wash of heat, feeling like she was in an oven.
She got back on her hands and knees and was about to move onto her feet when a shadow fell over her. She reacted fast, raising her spear, but just as fast it was knocked from her grip.
"No more of that," Sasuke smirked before whipping his leg at her in a fierce kick. She threw herself back in time, the foot just missing her, parting her hair as it passed. She pressed down on her legs, ready to leap forward again but Sasuke closed the distance between them, this time throwing his other leg at her. She turned and blocked it with her shield.
"You'll have to better than that, Sassy!" she said, grinning as she shoved him back.
"Don't call me that!" he snapped, quickly righting himself before she could attack. He didn't hesitate, charging right at her and not even giving her a chance to aim that vile shield at him to catch him off guard. He grabbed hold of it just like he saw Kakashi do. "I got you now!"
Bam!
Sasuke stumbled back, feeling like Thalia had imprinted her fist onto his face with that blow.
"Don't get cocky, Sassy," Thalia told him. "You really think I wouldn't be ready for that after what Kakashi did?"
Damn it! Sasuke growled internally. He'd been stupid to use that trick, especially so soon. He needed another tactic. But he was hindered by that damn shield. He may have gotten rid of her spear but as long as she had that shield, she would have the advantage.
Thinking fast, he clenched his fist tightly against the ground and rose to his feet just in time to see her rushing to her spear. "Oh no you don't," he muttered, racing to meet her. He just managed to skid in front of her before she could grab it, raising his fists to attack.
"Bring it on Sassy!" she cried, raising her shield.
Sasuke smirked and then threw his hand out towards the shield. But at the last second, he opened his fist, letting loose the ball of sand and dirt he'd picked up and creating a cloud of dust in front of him, blocking his vision of the shield's visage.
"What was tha-" Thalia started to say, blinking in confusion, before she felt her shield wrenched upwards suddenly. She saw Sasuke's hand on the lower rim as he lifted it up, exposing her, and tried to defend herself but it was too late.
Bam!
"Oof!" Thalia grunted, clutching her stomach from where Sasuke kicked her, feeling like she might actually hurl from that. Still, she was able to see his next kick coming and caught his foot with her right hand before it could land.
"Gotcha no- whoa!" she cried as she was suddenly yanked forward, Sasuke managing to pull his foot back and her with it, bringing her in close. He swiftly threw a fist at her, forcing her to release his foot to block it. As soon as she did, his other hand came around, making her block that too.
Except he wasn't aiming to attack.
"Your shield really is a wonder," Sasuke said as leaned forward, holding her right arm at bay as he reached down and grabbed hold of Aegis's strap. "But it-"
He didn't get to finish as Thalia head-butted him right in the face.
"Gah!" he cried, reeling back in shock and pain.
"Heads up," Thalia smirked. But that smirk faded when Sasuke looked at her triumphantly, her bracelet now in his hands. "Styx!" she swore again.
"Now how does it-" Sasuke began, examining the bracelet, when Thalia's kunai struck it, flying it into the trunk of a nearby tree and holding fast there.
"Don't touch my stuff," Thalia warned, pulling out two more kunai and holding them in front of her.
"Then maybe you should have fought harder to keep them," Sasuke replied, drawing his own kunai. At least now the fight was tilted in his favor.
They lunged at the same instant, their blades clashing together. They pressed together for a second or two before drawing back and then lunging forward again, each trying to get an edge over the other. The air became filled with the rhythmic and almost melodic sound of metal clanging together.
Neither one was able to get a lead over the other. Thalia deflected one of Sasuke's blades, slashed with her own blade which was blocked by him, leaned back to avoid a thrust, threw her own kick which he dodged, ducked from his slashing motion, and on and on. They slashed, parried, thrust, blocked, deflected, kicked, and everything else they could think of, all in the span of maybe thirty seconds.
Sasuke found himself growing more and more frustrated. He had learned the top fighting techniques from his clan and at the Academy and had used them to effortlessly bring down all his previous opponents. Yet this girl, who didn't seem to have any sort of techniques and was just swinging around her kunai however she saw fit, was somehow matching him blow for blow. He would have thought she'd be easier to read but her attacks were so wild and random and her speed and reflexes were top notch that he could only react.
Thalia threw another wide kick, making him duck, but this time she was ready for that and changed trajectory at the last second, changing her stance to an axe kick as she brought her leg down hard. Sasuke sensed the movement an instant too late, rolling to the side but still getting a glancing blow along his hip. He grimaced and then seethed, coming at her again.
He'd made a mistake again. He was continually underestimating her. He was the star of the Academy, a natural prodigy, and she was some random outsider. He was so used to overwhelming the other students at the Academy, all of whom were his age, that even after seeing what she'd done against Kakashi-sensei, he automatically thought he could beat her just as easily as the others. But here she was, matching him blow for blow, giving to him as much as he gave to her. If he kept this up, he was likely to lose.
He attacked again but this time, after deflecting an attack, he backed up in a specific direction, letting her follow him and blocking her thrusting kunai. As she came at him again, he dodged to his right and then blocked her coming kick with his arms, taking a deliberate step back as he did.
It was once she followed him that he made his real move, throwing his kunai at a certain angle and speed, forcing her to dodge it to the side. And, because he'd angled it slightly more to his left, she ducked to her left to avoid it and, almost like Sasuke had willed it, her foot stepped right on the protruding rock, making her ankle twist and whole body stumble.
"Gah! Styx!" Thalia swore as she nearly fell over. Before she could even begin to recover, Sasuke was on her, his knee driving into her stomach as he sent her flying. She landed on the ground with a violent 'oomph!'
She managed a weak groan but still moved to rise back up when a foot struck her in the same spot, making her let out a second 'oomph!'
"Jeez, you could've picked a different spot, jerk!" she said, glaring up at him.
"And you should be more aware of your surroundings. I saw that rock sticking out and moved you to it without you ever knowing. You were so focused on the fight you never realized. Now, I've won," Sasuke smirked down at her.
"Oh have you now?" Thalia replied sarcastically. "What gave you that impression?"
"You're finished, Grace," Sasuke said, making Thalia bristle at the name. "Now admit defeat or I'll make you."
"A couple things Sassy," Thalia said. "One, don't ever call me Grace. Two, you call me out when you completely forgot my fight with Kakashi earlier and what I did to him. Well, almost anyway."
Sasuke's eyes widened at the same time as Thalia called on her power, feeling the thrum of electricity rise in her. She held out her hand and a small bolt of lightning shot from it, almost striking Sasuke in the chest if he hadn't leapt out of the way in time.
"Jumpy little bastard, aren't you?" she said, tightening her grip on her kunai. "Well, let's see how you handle this."
She leapt right for him and he dodged her first swing, bringing his kunai up to block her second one. Too late, his eyes made out the slight buzz around her kunai just before their blades connected.
Sasuke had never felt it before. Like a jolt that spread from his hand across his body in the span of heartbeat or less. He found himself stumbling back, the kunai falling from his grasp as he wasn't able to maintain his grip anymore.
Electric shock, he thought to himself. He'd heard about it in class, a result of getting struck by electric power either through faulty wiring (which would have minor effects) or an enemy lightning wielder (which would have major effects). He glared at Thalia, her smirk as she stood there, not even approaching him when he was clearly vulnerable, enraging him.
"Come on Sassy, that all you got or you want to give up now?" she taunted.
"Don't call me Sassy!" he warned her, putting his hands together for a certain seal. "Clone Jutsu!"
Poof!
"Oh boy," Thalia muttered as several clones of Sasuke appeared next to him, rushing her. She'd seen what Naruto's clones could do and how Kakashi had appeared to be overwhelmed by them. One Sasuke was dangerous enough, she wasn't sure she could handle several of him. But then why hadn't he used this before?
She didn't have time to think about it before they were on her. Except…they seemed to be moving slower than she would have expected. She was able to dodge their attacks much easier now, though she still found herself pushed back by their numbers. Still, these clones didn't seem like the ones Naruto used at all. Those had all seemed like an extension of his personality, brash and energetic and loud. These all seemed more robotic, like they were automatons or something. Sure, Sasuke didn't really have many expressions he showed, but this was different. They didn't pose any real threat to her. She kept dodging them with ease, ducking and side-stepping their attacks and even dispatching a couple in poofs of smoke. So what was going on?
Oh yeah, she remembered. Iruka said something about this. How Naruto has Shadow Clones and not regular ones. Guess these are the regular ones then, used for distraction…
As soon as she had that thought, she whirled around, her eyes finding the real Sasuke in the darkness. She couldn't believe she'd been so stupid as to lose sight of him. She'd been distracted by the damn clones and let him do his thing. She had to get to him before he could make his move.
"Fireball Jutsu!"
"Aw balls!" Thalia groaned, seeing the giant fireball come streaming towards her. She tried to move out of the way but then she felt two pairs of arms grab her, holding her fast. "Aw nuts!" she cried, trying to shake off the clones but it was too late, the fireball right in front of her.
It happened on instinct. She saw the fireball coming and felt her hackles rise, her whole body getting flooded with energy. The electricity came roaring out of her, obliterating the clones just from contact. She acted out of pure instinct and raised her arms, lightning blasting from her palms and striking the fireball before it could hit her.
The two forces struck midair, holding there for a second, the fire and lightning sending blasts of light shooting all over and illuminating the entire clearing, before there was a mix of a poof, boom, whoosh, and bamf as they cancelled each other out, leaving only smoke and smoldering grass in their wake.
"Well that was something," Thalia muttered, rubbing her eyes. She was panting a little but she knew this wasn't over yet.
The smoke flickered and she reacted, throwing her arms up in an X in front of her just as Sasuke came down with a kick, her just managing to block it.
Damn! Sasuke thought. He'd hoped to catch her by surprise but her reflexes were still on point. He threw himself to the ground, catching himself on his hands, before launching himself back up in a drop kick to her chest.
"Really?" Thalia cried, throwing her own hands forward to catch his feet, stopping him in time. "You can't pick another spot? I'm still sore there, you know!"
"Which is why it's the perfect spot," Sasuke replied, trying to shake her loose. "Don't you know to always go for the enemy weak spot?"
"Yeah, I know," Thalia grumbled. "Still, it's pissing me off!"
She gripped his feet tighter and whirled around, managing to toss him to the side. He was airborne for a second or two before he hit the ground, rolling only a few feet before he was up again.
Only to find Thalia racing away.
What is she up to now? Sasuke thought, moving to chase after her. He knew she wouldn't be trying to run away so what was she…
His eyes spotted the glint of metal in the moonlight and he cursed, seeing she was going for her spear. That was clearly her weapon of choice and he did not want to see how she was with it.
He threw his kunai forward in one fluid motion, striking Thalia right at her shoe in a way that would make her stumble. She cursed as she fell but was able to roll with it, coming back up still at full speed.
Damn it! Sasuke swore, readying another kunai but it was too late, Thalia skidding across the grass right to where her spear was and picking it up, twirling it around expertly.
"Let's see if you handle this, Sassy!" she called to him and Sasuke saw her body light up, bolts of electricity shooting off of her. He only had time to dive out of the way before a massive bolt shot out of her spear, nearly striking him.
She has better aim with her spear, he realized. She's channeling her power through it. That's…impressive.
"Nice dodge," she complemented, grinning wildly as she twirled her spear in her hands. "Let's see if you can keep it up."
She raced towards him, bringing the spear down hard on where he was standing and forcing him to dodge out of the way. Just as fast, she swung the spear towards him and he wasn't fast enough, the weapon striking him in the midriff and folding him over. He grunted as he was thrown aside, just managing to land on his feet. As he did so, his hands came up, hurling his kunai at her. He hoped that would be enough to slow her down but she just dodged the first one and knocked the second aside with her spear.
"Heh," Thalia smirked before swinging her spear out wide in a deadly arc. Sasuke barely had time to think but he knew she probably would expect him to dodge backwards on instinct. So, instead, he ducked down, letting it pass overhead, before launching himself forward when she was open.
Clang!
Sasuke grunted in frustration, his kunai blocked by her own which she'd whipped out as he attacked. She saw through my attack? he questioned. This girl really was good.
He's smart, Thalia thought to herself. When she swung her spear, part of her might have thought he'd dodge back. But she hadn't really considered it, focusing solely on that move. So when he had ducked down and then leapt at her, she'd reacted on instinct alone to block it.
She tried pushing him back with his kunai but his foot suddenly came up. She strengthened her stance on her left foot just as her right one came up high to block his leg, wincing from the sharp pain. She trembled, only just holding her footing, but she knew that wouldn't last long. So it was a good thing she had her spear ready.
As soon as she saw his leg coming, she'd raised her foot while also sliding her hand down her spear even if that would come too late. Now, she attacked with it, striking at Sasuke with the flat end. He grimaced and just managed to duck out of the way but now he was off balance and Thalia instantly pushed back both against his kunai and leg, throwing him off.
Sasuke stumbled over the ground, gritting his teeth with frustration. What did it take to beat this girl? He was already panting a little and he wasn't quite sure what else he could do at this point.
Could he actually lose?
No! he cried mentally, charging forward again, determined to beat her. Acting fast, he recalled her surprise when he summoned the clones. She said she'd lived outside all her life which meant she didn't learn the same jutsus he did, most likely focusing on her own abilities. That he could work with.
"Transformation Jutsu!" he cried, throwing two shuriken and making the seals. The weapons enlarged into gigantic versions of themselves as they flew through the air, Thalia's eyes widening in shock. She dodged the first one, letting it fly by her, and threw her shield up to the second, knocking it aside. Honestly, part of her was expecting it to be fake like those substitution jutsus but it sure felt real enough as she had to put her weight into pushing it away from her.
"These freaking justu-thingies!" she growled but she didn't have time to contemplate that before there was movement and she looked up to see Sasuke attacking again, the boy leaping into the air and throwing a kunai at her. She ducked her head out of the way, letting the weapon strike the ground behind her, when she noticed something odd glimmering in the moonlight. But she couldn't dwell on it as Sasuke attacked again, throwing another kunai at her.
What is he up to? Thalia wondered, dodging again. She lunged forward, striking at him with her spear, but he just danced to the side. He grabbed hold of it, trying to twist it from her grip but she refused to let him, headbutting him.
"Gah!" he cried out, stumbling back. Thalia smirked, charging again, but he recovered fast and swung a kick her way, making her backup to avoid it. As she did, she saw Sasuke make some kind of motion with his hands but couldn't make it out.
She didn't have time to think about it as he threw two more kunai at her. Thalia would have thought he'd get up and close and try to attack her again but it seemed he was trying long-range attacks, keeping her at a distance.
"Well now, that's not how I want to play," she said, rushing him. She dodged the next kunai he threw, trying to close the distance between them, but he was just as fast as her and refused, rolling to the side and forcing her to turn around on him, dodging yet another kunai. "How many of those do you have?" she asked, getting annoyed.
"As many as it takes," he replied, rising from his kneeling position. As he did, she noticed him pull his hand up from behind him in a strange way but again couldn't dwell on it as he came at her, launching a flurry of punches and kicks that pushed her back.
So now's he's close again, she thought, blocking and parrying his attacks. She ducked under a kick and twirled her spear in front of her, nearly hitting him in the head. As she did, she again noticed the flicker of movement from his hand. What was he doing? He had some sort of plan but what was it?
She didn't have to think long on it as he leapt into the air, one leg kicking her spear aside while also providing momentum for him to whirl around midair, kicking her in the chest with his other foot. She landed on her back with an 'oomph,' feeling some of the wind knocked out of her. Still, she had her spear in hand and that was all she needed.
"That all you got?" Thalia challenged, rising again.
"No," Sasuke said. "This is."
Thalia only had time to look at his closed hand and all the glimmering threads connected to it before he threw it back. Then, when all those threads went taught, she realized they weren't threads but cords.
"Gah!" she cried, feeling something biting into her arms and legs and…everywhere really. She looked down her body, gasping as she saw all the cords ensnaring her. Another look around and she saw all the kunai Sasuke had been tossing around, the ends of the cords tied around them. There must be at least a dozen positioned around her and while some weren't touching her, there were enough to keep her trapped.
That's what all those motions were, she realized. He hadn't just been throwing the kunai at her but placing them behind him during their fight. But when had he found the time to tie all the cords.
"Always be prepared," Sasuke said, almost like he was reading her mind. "Didn't think I'd have to resort to this but you left me no choice."
"Well hooray for me," Thalia grunted. She tried pushing against the cords but Sasuke had pulled them tight and they were made of some kind of metal fiber. She couldn't get out without cutting herself and certainly not easily.
Again, like he was reading her mind, Sasuke yanked the cords to the side and Thalia cried out as the cords cut into her back, throwing her over. She grunted, feeling them biting into her skin as they bent her over.
Damn it! she mentally cried, frustrated. How do I get out of this one?
"You gave a good fight, but now it's over," Sasuke said triumphantly. "I am still the best."
"You and your damn ego," Thalia muttered, trying to think. There had to be a way out of this. But what? Every movement she made just caused the cords to bite deeper. Plus, any attempt would just make Sasuke twist the cords around more. The only thing she could think of was to yank the cords from his grip. Or, better yet, yank the attached kunai out of the ground. That would free her. She would have to move fast but she could do it. The metal cords would hurt but…wait.
Metal cords. Metal.
Thalia smiled, feeling her power rising in her again. "It's over, is it? I got news for you and your ego, Sassy."
Sasuke felt his hackles rising at her words. He would have expected her to try something like removing the kunai or try to grab the cords and stop him from using them and he already had plans in mind for how to thwart her. But as she talked, a sharp feeling of dread grew inside him.
No! he cried mentally, trying to stomp that feeling out. I beat her! She's just-
He didn't get to finish that thought as he saw the bolts of lightning bloom across her body. In that instant, he remembered his lessons about lightning chakra and certain elements, like metal, and released the wires, letting them drop to the ground.
Have to act now! he thought, already moving right as Thalia's spear came up, a bolt of lightning shooting from it.
"Gotcha!" Thalia cheered, seeing Sasuke's body fall. She instinctively lowered her electrical powers, feeling the drain of having used them so often now.
Poof!
"Oh Styx!" she cursed as Sasuke's form was replaced by a freaking log. "That damn jutsu! So where-"
"Fireball Jutsu!"
She turned as the grove lit up once again, another giant fireball flying right to her. She instantly knew she couldn't blast it with lightning, at least not enough to do anything to help, and Sasuke had fired it too close for her to escape unscathed.
It's going to hit me, she realized.
Her arm came up on instinct, her spear coming up to point right at the fireball. She felt a power rising in her that she didn't recognize but she didn't question, just acting on impulse. The next thing she knew, something shot out of her spear…no, more like something shot from it, striking the fireball right in the center. It didn't dissipate or get thrown back, but a hole was punched right through it, making it disperse around Thalia.
She didn't think, still acting on impulse. She saw Sasuke's shocked look ahead of her and jumped at him. He saw her coming and tried to act but this time was too slow, Thalia's knee striking him down hard. He hit the ground on his backside and then found Thalia's foot on his chest. A second later, her spear tapped his throat.
"Looks like I win," she said, smirking down at him.
Sasuke grimaced, trying to think of some way out of this, when Thalia tapped his throat again. "Just so you know, if I was an enemy, I wouldn't just tap you."
"Damn it," Sasuke growled, knowing she was right. He'd lost. "Wind affinity too? Damn it."
Thalia frowned, confused by what he meant by that, but removed her foot, letting him up. She held out her hand to help him but he ignored her, rising himself. "That was a good fight," she acknowledged, stretching. "Haven't fought someone like you before. Pretty fun."
"How?"
"Huh?" Thalia blinked, looking at him in confusion. "How what?"
"How are you this good?" he demanded. "You never went to the Academy. You're an outsider. I know you lived out in the wild. You never had a proper education in this. So how are you this good?"
Thalia regarded him for a second, pondering what to do. She knew he really meant 'how are you better than me?' and a part of her was tempted to punch him for that. But she chose not to…for now anyway.
"Experience," she said, folding her arms over her chest.
"What?" Sasuke asked, confused.
"Experience," she repeated. "You're right, I've lived most of my life on the run, moving from one place to the next. And wherever I went, because of who I am, I was chased by…well, monsters and dangerous people and all sorts of bad shit really. So I taught myself how to fight cause if I didn't, I'd be dead. I can't count how many times I nearly died over the last year alone. A little while ago, I was nearly lunch for a giant cyclops."
Sasuke frowned, not really following most of what she said. She was hunted because of who she was? Then who was she? And monsters? What did that mean? And what was a cyclops? He recalled something about an old story about a one-eyed creature, maybe that was it.
None of that mattered though because he got what she was really saying. "Experience," he said.
"That's right," Thalia nodded. "You want to know how I beat you? It's so simple. You're really good, don't get me wrong. I can see why you're the best of the class. But have you ever fought against an actual opponent trying to kill you? Ever actually fought with your life at stake? Cause I wouldn't even be able to count all mine up."
No. Sasuke hadn't. All fights he'd had were just practice. He'd trained relentlessly, trying to better himself, to get as good as he could possibly be so he could one day face his brother in battle and beat him. But he'd never fought a real fight like Thalia had said.
That was the difference between them. That was why she was able to beat him. She was just more experienced. Once he realized that, he felt that dark feeling inside him begin to dissipate.
"I will beat you one day," he promised. "I'll get stronger."
Thalia smirked. "Fine by me Sassy. But don't expect me to just stand by cause I plan to get stronger every day from now on too. I don't plan on losing to anyone."
Sasuke smiled too. "Good."
With that, the two walked away from the grove back to the village. Unbeknownst to them, a figure sat in the nearby treetops, having watched the fight with interest.
"She beat Sasuke?" Iruka said, eyes wide.
"Yep," Kakashi said. "That girl really is something else. She's the only student I've had who's passed my first test."
Hiruzen couldn't help but smile. He'd had a chat earlier today with Iruka about Team 7 and how Kakashi had notoriously failed each squad that he was assigned, even if there were only two of them. Iruka had been understandably concerned, especially about Naruto and Thalia, but it seems there had been nothing to worry about. Given Thalia's past, Hiruzen had a feeling she would soar and he was proven right.
"I must say I'm disappointed I missed it," Iruka admitted. "That kind of fight would be something to see."
"It was," Kakashi nodded. "It could have gone either way. And not just in which of them might have won but how they would take the result. Fortunately, it seems Sasuke handled it well. From the looks of things, he sees Thalia as a rival now and vice versa."
Hiruzen nodded. That was a good thing. He was well aware of Sasuke's attitude problems from the slaughter of his family. He visited the Academy often enough to check in on the future of the village and had noted Sasuke every time. He had considered telling the boy the truth about his brother, but decided against it as he felt he owed Itachi that.
It would seem his plan was working then. Sasuke had been paired with Kakashi as the shinobi knew all too well about both arrogance and vengeance, more so than any other shinobi. If anyone could help the boy, it would be Kakashi.
But when Thalia had arrived, Hiruzen had debated the best way to handle her training which is why he thought it would be best to pair her with Sasuke, believing her experiences could help the boy. Right now, it seemed he was correct. He just hoped it held.
"So you say Thalia revealed yet another technique?" he checked.
Kakashi nodded. "From the looks of it, she has a wind affinity as well," he said. "I'm not sure if she was aware of it but she blasted Sasuke's fireball with it."
"She's growing more powerful," Iruka commented.
"She never had the chance to truly learn and grow," Hiruzen said, thinking it over. "While battle does tend to accelerate learning, being in a near constant state of it can make one focus only on the techniques they know which is why she prioritized lightning. Now that she's actually able to stop and practice, I have no doubt her abilities will continue to develop."
"Just what I need," Kakashi murmured. It was still boggling to think about, that that young girl was the daughter of a god in another world. One of the most powerful too, apparently. "How much stronger will she get?"
"I don't know if she even knows," Hiruzen replied. "A wind affinity does make sense given her father is, as she says, a sky god. Still, it will raise questions given her…shrouded background."
Kakashi sighed. Elemental affinity was a common trait in shinobi though it usually came after much training with the exception of Kekkei Genkai which was what they were trying to pass Thalia's lightning powers off as. But now that she was stretching out what she could do and reaching for her apparent wind abilities as well, that wouldn't last. For an outsider like her to be this powerful…the Hokage was right, there would definitely be some questions.
"Danzō is already curious as are the others," Hiruzen said darkly. "While the investigation dried up, I have no doubt those were his shinobi that attacked her in the woods."
"Well, right now we'll be keeping things simple anyway," Kakashi said. "Like every squad, Team 7 will undergo D-Rank missions which I highly doubt will force Thalia to utilize her powers. I'll also talk to her about this, let her understand the importance of it all."
"Very good," Hiruzen nodded. "But that's not my only concern. The chūnin exams are approaching and they will be held here. Will your team attend?"
"I-"
"What?" Iruka gasped. "They shouldn't! They're still new at this. There's no way they're ready for the exams."
"Iruka," Kakashi said sternly. "They are not your students anymore, they're mine. Though right now, I am inclined to agree. Sasuke, Naruto, and especially Sakura are not ready for the exams. That might change when they begin but for now I wouldn't recommend them."
Iruka would have sighed in relief if he hadn't noticed Kakashi omit a certain member. "What about Thalia?" he asked carefully.
"She would be excluded from the exams as well but only by default since you pass or fail the first two rounds as a team," Kakashi said. "But her performance in the exercise today confirmed for me that by the time the exams come up, she is more than qualified to participate."
"And that's my concern," Hiruzen said solemnly. "Who knows which other nations will be in attendance. The Hidden Mist Village is still in turmoil so I have no doubt they'll refuse and we're still on bad terms with both the Hidden Cloud and the Hidden Stone Villages. But I do not believe the Hidden Sand Village will miss this opportunity. And they might have questions regarding Thalia's prowess if she will be as successful as we all believe she will be."
"Which is why it would be best to wait until the next year," Iruka insisted. "For all of them. It'll give the others a proper chance to grow and help settle any questions about Thalia's abilities-"
"For how long?" Kakashi interrupted. "Waiting like that may not make that much of a difference. We don't even know how much stronger she'll be when the next exams roll around. We may be facing the same concerns we are now. Questions are going to come whether we like it or not."
"Agreed," Hiruzen nodded. "The other nations are always on the lookout for their enemies' strengths and weaknesses. Someone like Thalia will certainly draw their interest." And it wasn't just the nations as Hiruzen could think of several others who would be interested in her, one in particular that made him sag slightly with sadness. "I have already discussed plans with Shikaku and Inoichi regarding this other world and what might happen there. But, when it comes to Thalia, I believe the best course of action going forward will be less to temper her powers or hide them but to get as strong as possible so that she will be able to defend herself from anyone who tries to use her."
Kakashi nodded as well, having been thinking the same thing. During the survival exercise, he had seen how capable she already was. There was no way she wouldn't make a name for herself and once word started spreading, it was only a matter of time before people came for her. The same could honestly be said for Naruto or Sasuke though Thalia's case was a little different. Better to train her to control her powers as much as she could.
Iruka sighed, not liking this. He knew what the girl had already gone through and knowing what kind of dangers awaited her created a pool of dread inside him. As much as he wanted to protect her from all this, he was well aware of how dangerous the shinobi world was.
"So, Kakashi," Hiruzen continued, "keep an eye on her and see how her power develops. Let me know of your thinking on your squad's progress when the chūnin exams come and we'll make a decision from there."
"Of course, Lord Hokage," Kakashi responded, bowing his head.
As they left, Hiruzen leaned back in his seat. The more he thought about it, the more worried he became. Maybe it was him being paranoid but he had found that aspect of himself had saved his life and even the village several times over the years. Naruto had accidentally opened up a whole new world of possibilities to their world and every shinobi in it. Maybe it was a fluke but what if it wasn't. What if someone was able to figure it out and utilize the powers from that other world? What would they do then? He knew what Thalia was capable of right now and she was just a child, growing stronger still. What could they do against someone fully grown at max power?
The thought terrified him. And the longer it stayed in his mind, the more a certain solution presented itself.
"Not yet," he told himself. He would wait and see for now. But he knew that something like this would eventually need him to make a decision.
"Ok, picture time everybody! Let's go!" Kakashi said, seeing the cameraman was almost ready.
"Aw come on!" Naruto complained, pointing at Sasuke. "Why the heck do I have to be in some stupid picture with him?"
"That's my line you knucklehead."
"Hey! What was that?"
"Ugh," Thalia sighed, standing between the two.
"Alright, let's just make the best of this," Kakashi said, trying to calm them down.
"No complaints here, I've always wanted a picture of us together," Sakura said dreamily, looking at Sasuke with adoring eyes.
"I am literally going to barf," Thalia muttered under her breath.
I might join her, Kakashi thought, having heard her.
"Y-you're kidding," Naruto said, now beaming at Sakura. "I've always wanted a picture of us too!"
Sakura glared at him for a second. "We don't need Naruto in it sensei," she said dryly.
"AH! Oh come on!"
"Heh," Sasuke smirked.
"Don't you laugh!"
"Why shouldn't I?"
Kakashi was about to step in but there was no need as Thalia, who had been placed between the two of them, grabbed hold of both of their heads and shoved them apart. "Gods, where are Luke, Annabeth, and Grover when I need them?" she muttered, shaking her head in exasperation. "Alright, let's just get this damn picture over with so how about this? Since neither of you want to be here, why not just shut up so we can get it done and then neither of you have to see each other for the rest of the day. How about that?"
"Works for me," Sasuke said, turning aside.
"What was that?"
"Naruto, come on!" Thalia snapped.
"Alright fine Thalia, for you," Naruto grumbled, turning away from Sasuke.
"Thank the gods," Thalia murmured, having felt a headache coming on.
You said it, Kakashi thought, also feeling a headache forming. "Alright then, let's let the photographer do his job now," he said, seeing that the photographer was now waiting on them. "We're taking this for posterity. Now let's see some smiles."
Thalia didn't see that really happening since Sasuke was acting all doom and gloom again and Naruto couldn't seem to help glaring at him. Sakura on the other hand was nothing but smiles. Thalia supposed the thought of taking a picture with her crush had, momentarily, overridden the fact that she was still very much in danger of being cut from the squad.
Seeing Naruto's glare again, Thalia sighed and elbowed him.
"Ah! Thalia?" he complained.
"Just put on a damn smile," she said. "You really want that to be your face on the official team picture?"
Naruto's gaze softened and he pouted for a second. "No," he admitted.
"Wonderful," Kakashi said, really just wanting this to be over now. Still, he couldn't help but reminisce to when he had taken his team picture with Minato-sensei, Rin, and Obito. Though Minato had been forced to push Kakashi and Obito together. Kakashi was actually pretty sure that if it wasn't for Thalia, he might have had to do the same to Naruto and Sasuke.
"Ok," he continued. "Get ready."
Thalia was waiting for some other kind of signal to let her know when it was time. So she was taken by surprise when the flash of light came. Still, she managed a smile and put up the 'cool' hand signal with three fingers up in the air. Sakura was ready for it, making what she hoped would be a cutesy face. Sasuke was just eying the camera gloomily. And Naruto…well, he decided to do a repeat of his picture for the Hokage and just made a weird face with his tongue sticking out.
As for Kakashi, it was hard to tell with the mask on but it seemed like he was smiling.
"Well…" he said, looking at the picture when it was done. Every one of his students was making a different expression, Naruto acting like a toddler, Sakura acting like a giddy child, Sasuke looking like he didn't want to be here, and Thalia making some weird hand signal with strangely wide eyes. "It'll do," Kakashi said, nodding in satisfaction.
They were an odd bunch, that was for sure. But they were his squad, and that was what mattered.
NOTE: I AM CLOSED TO ART COMMISSIONS.
Hey, I'm back with this new chapter and Happy Halloween! So yeah, I knew early on that Sasuke would want to challenge Thalia so this just felt natural. Hope you liked it. And pay close attention to the chapter title.
Oh, and if I get some kind of jutsu wrong, no need to yell at me in the comments, you can just tell me. The whole chakra thing has always confused me (sorry about the clone jutsu mixup) so yeah just message me if I got something wrong and why and I'll do my best to fix it.
Also, quick note I want to say. I am curious how people felt about the Percy Jackson live action. My thoughts: I didn't like it so much. The writing didn't feel on par with the original, more like a messy watered down version. And the fight scenes were dull and boring. A shame cause it was a great cast.