A strange new life

3.5

Kankuro lifted the kid by the collar of his shirt. “That hurt, snot-face.”

Temari rolled her eyes. “Knock it off. You know why we are here.”

“Put him down, you big ape!” Naruto yelled.

Kankuro smirked. “I just wanted to play with him a bit, while waiting.” He pulled harder on the kid’s collar. Konohamaru whimpered.

Naruto leaned forward. I put a hand on his shoulder. I couldn't see it, but I could feel it. Chakra threads around Kankuro, concentrated where Naruto would move. Naruto looked back at me, I shook my head.

I popped my board, got raised eyebrow from the two Sunagakure shinobi. I wrote. “You two are shinobi from Sunagakure, right? Is it wise to attack a civilian kid in the middle of Konoha?” I didn’t tell them they were threatening the Third Hokage’s grandson. That was a can of worms I wanted no part on it.

Kankuro didn’t seem willing to back down. He shook the boy again. “What, afraid?” He taunted. He looked at Naruto and grinned.

Idiot stop paying attention to me. I disabled my seals. Flickered forward inside his personal space. With one hand, I plucked Konohamaru from his grasp, with the other, I pressed my exploding Kunai to his throat.

He was taller and older than me. Fourteen or fifteen. Even so, I stared him down. I released Konohamaru who fled, sniffling. Kankuro’s threads moved. I could feel the chakra being pumped on them. I could also feel the utter blazing sun of chakra that rivaled even Naruto across the road, up on a three.

“Stop it, Kankuro. You’re a disgrace to our entire village.” Gaara’s called out. “It annoys me that you’d lose control in a quarrel with children. Have you forgotten why we came here?”

Kankuro looked away from me, toward the tree. “But Gaara, they started it, this midget even attacked me.”

“Shut up or I’ll kill you.” Gaara dead-paned.

His delivery was so emotionless that even I felt a smidgen of fear. I took the chance to disengage. I flicked away, appeared next Naruto. Gaara seemed to like my display. He flickered from the tree, appeared near his two teammates.

“I know we are early, but we didn’t come to play around.” Gaara said. “Let’s go.” He ordered, turned around. Kankuro and Temari followed him. They had disappeared from view when Naruto couldn’t keep quiet anymore.

“Who are those assholes?”

Absentmindedly, I took my board. Midway Gaara speech, three other bundle of chakras, hidden among the tree had stopped to observe. Were they Konoha shinobi? I couldn’t tell. “Sunagakure ninjas.” I wrote for Naruto.

“Why are they here?” Naruto complained again.

Why are they here indeed. Was it time for the chunin exams already? I wanted more time to prepare. “I’m sure Kakashi-sensei will tell us if it’s something important.” I wrote back, then snapped out of it. The kids were spooked, and Konohamaru looked about to cry. I popped cupcakes for them. Children and sweets. Couldn’t go wrong with that.

Life went on, with no other information about the visiting ninja. We did more D-rank missions, training our teamwork. About a week later we met up to wait for sensei. As usual, Kakashi-sensei was late, just by one and half hour today. There was the mandatory “You’re late!” from Naruto, and the usually silly excuse from Kakashi.

“I know it’s sudden, but I’ve nominated you guys for the chunin selection exams.”

Naruto was quiet for a moment, before he scoffed. “Good one sensei, almost had us.”

Kakashi-sensei produced three cards. Handed it over to us. “Here are your application.”

This time, it was Naruto who hug-tackled the man. “Kakashi-sensei I love you!”

Kakashi disentangled himself from a grinning Naruto, looked at me and Sasuke. “Anyway, it’s just a nomination, weather to take the exam or not, it’s entirely up to each of you.” He looked at the three of us. “If you want to participate, sign the form and turn them in tomorrow at 4pm, in the academy. Room 301.” Sensei nodded. “That’s all.” The man flickered away.

Naruto glanced at us and started giggling. I didn’t even want to know what the brat was thinking now. Sasuke looked eager. Battle freak. We parted soon after for our preparation. No mission today.

The academy was bustling with Ninja. I had to stop paying too much attention to my chakra perception because it became a bit overwhelming. I had never considered that could actually be a problem, but it was also the first time I was in a place with so many ninja gathered. Something to consider later on.

We walked past the mass of bodies, climbed the first and second floor. The markings in the wall that told the numbers had been blocked or covered. Part of the deception I guessed. The genjutsu tried to invade my mind as soon as we stepped inside the second floor. It didn’t work. It never worked.

There was a crowd of people in front of room 201, or 301 if someone hadn’t been able to shrug off the genjutsu. A boy with a bowl cut, green leotard and huge eyebrows made a scene out of himself confronting the two guys guarding the wrong door. I wanted to cheer a bit. Rock Lee was cool. The two disguised ninja went on about a speech about sparing us, because we would all die yada yada.

Sasuke, for all his combat potential, proved he was just a attention seeking boy. I think secretly he liked all those fan-girls chasing after him all the time. Instead of just walk past the obvious trap, he stopped. I wanted to slap him.

“You better drop this genjutsu. I’m going to the third floor.”

There was a small hubbub of conversation at his declaration. I mean, really, and I thought Naruto was an attention whore.

“So you’ve noticed.” One of the distraction ninja said.

“Heh, you had no chance of ever fooling us.” He smirked. “Even more with Hinata here.” He pointed at me. People looked at me at the obvious call out. Dafuq was his problem now? I rolled my eyes. My ears burned a bit. Was I an attention whore as well? Bummer.

The sign above the room distorted, the genjutsu dispelled. “Not bad.” One of the distraction said. “But seeing through isn’t—” midway speech he dashed forward, sweeping kick aimed at Sasuke’s head. “—enough!”

The past months of training hadn’t been in vain. Sasuke reacted fast, aimed a counter kick. To my surprise, Naruto also reacted. He kicked low, on a sweeping attack. The distraction noticed. He was dressed as a genin, but I was sure it was at least a chunin behind the facade. He retreated, scowled. “You’ll pay for that.” He said, before skedaddling.

Without Sakura-chan around, I guess Rock Lee had no motive to intervene. There was a bit of drama between Neji and Sasuke. The Hyuga heir had finally stopped staring at me. For a while I had forgotten it: Sasuke was considered a prodigy, even by Uchiha standards, even if Itachi had been a precocious little ninja. It was hard to not notice when every time we were near other clan ninja, every one wanted a piece of the boy.

They huffed at each other, Neji glared at me again for some reason, then we parted ways.

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