Chapter 8 - The Chunin Exams

Ino sauntered up, followed by Choji and Shikamaru.
“Well Sakura, I never thought it would happen! YOU got a boyfriend?!” Ino crowed. Choji and Shikamaru didn’t share her mirth apparently.
Sakura smiled and yanked Ekyt closer. “That’s right Ino-pig. As I recall, you’re still single…”
Ino turned red in the face. “Well, when I get a boyfriend, he won’t be defective like this one!” Ino shouted, pointing at Ekyt.
Ekyt’s expression remained neutral, maybe even a little amused. Choji shook his head, crunching loudly.
“Man, Ino’s cruel!” he exclaimed around a mouthful of chips.
“She’s just jealous she didn’t land (In her words) “The hottest thing since Sasuke Uchiha,” Shikamaru drawled, not helping the situation.
“JEALOUS!” Ino shouted, pointing at Ekyt. “WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO BE JEALOUS OF?!”
Ekyt shook his head. This was almost funny, in a sad way. Are people really this shallow?
Sakura, once she saw Ekyt wasn’t bothered by it, smiled widely.
“Y’know Ino, I think red is your color. It looks so great on your face…wait, are you trying to copy my color scheme?” Sakura added the sarcastic accusation at the end.
“Oh, that’s gotta hurt,” Shikamaru said, grinning at how Ino had been humbled.
“For sure!” Choji agreed. He smirked at Ino’s obvious anger and embarrassment.
Ino sputtered furiously. “I bet you two aren’t even together! Hey, Ekyt! How much did she pay you to be her dog?!”
Ekyt raised an eyebrow. “It’s sad, Ino, the way you throw yourself at me…”
Sakura, Choji, and Shikamaru howled with laughter. Ino had just been burned, but good! And she was, understandably, outraged. She swung a finger, pointing at Ekyt, then commenced shouting.
“You two are such fakes!” Ino shouted in a rage. “I’ll bet you’ve never even kissed her!”
Sakura rolled her eyes. “Of course he has, moron!” she told Ino, making it sound like the most obvious thing in the world.
“PROVE IT!” Ino yelled, beside herself.
Ekyt and Sakura exchanged glances. Sakura was surprised to find Ekyt didn’t seem nervous at all. He simply slid his mask down around his neck and waited. It took Sakura a second to recover from the shock, but she stepped into his embrace. Their lips met in a warm embrace of their own. Without speaking, both had decided to milk this kiss for all it was worth, thanks to Ino watching. Her reaction was going to be too good to pass up!
“Okay, okay, I believe you! What are you, joined at the lips?! Break it up!” Ino frantically called out, waving her arms wildly, like she wasn’t sure what to do with them.
“You asked for it,” Shikamaru pointed out dryly. “Man, your complaining is such a drag…”
“I said a kiss, not a make-out!” Ino protested loudly, shooting a glare at Shikamaru.
“Looks like you lost this round Ino,” Choji added gleefully. He hadn’t forgotten some of the “fat” remarks she had made to him.
“Come on, let’s go! If I see those two in a lip lock again I’m gonna throw up!”
“Catch you guys later,” Shikamaru said with a vague wave as he slouched away.
“Nice one!” Choji told them. He too bounded, er, rolled off.


Ekyt maintained his position until everyone was out of site. Then he breathed out a big sigh.
“Wow…didn’t think I was gonna pull that off,” he murmured.
“Huh? What do you mean?” Sakura questioned him, a little worried.
“I might not have shown it, but I was nervous as all get-out,” Ekyt admitted shyly, looking at the ground.
“I’ve been wondering about that Ekyt-kun. I know it’s your nature…but is there something about me that makes you really nervous? Is it something I can fix?”
“No, it’s not you at all Sakura-chan. It’s just…well, me. I’m new to this, and I’ve never been so…set, I guess, on a girl before. All I ever did was study, and this…well, it’s new to me.”
This girl really cares…Sakura was willing to change…for me…I don’t think I’ve ever gotten that kind of love from anyone except my parents…I always said it would take a special girl to put up with me…and Sakura is definitely special…
Sakura nodded understandingly. “I was always so fixated on Sasuke, it’s new to me too. I wish I was as self-assured as I told Ino…Ekyt-kun, I’m just as scared as you are. I just don’t show it. My Inner-Sakura does, though.”
Ekyt gulped, then straightened his hitai-ate. “Well, it’s always akward, I guess. From what I’m told anyway.”
“Yeah,” Sakura agreed, “We’ll figure it out! Awkwardness somehow kinda suits you…it’s kind of cute…”
“It’s not hard to figure out why I was attracted to you…but what you saw in me…I’d ask you why you picked me, but I’m almost afraid to find out.”
Sakura wished she knew if he was joking or not. A sudden chill sprang up.
“Well, come on then Mr ANBU prodigy. It’s time for me to go home,” Sakura said in a mockingly serious tone. She grabbed Ekyt’s arm and pulled herself in close to him.
Each wondered how they had gotten lucky enough to find the other.



One hour later, Kakashi had stopped by with Ekyt’s new uniform. It wasn’t going to be required all the time, just at formal events and on select missions.
“I look…like a complete @$$ sensei,” Ekyt told Kakashi, holding his arms out in disgust.
“Oh, come on, I wore it. It’s not that bad. Besides, you used to wear that samurai skirt…” Kakashi argued.
“Kakashi-sensei, you have something resembling muscle! I’m a scrawny teenager! And it was a hakama, damnit, not a skirt! HA-KA-MA!” Ekyt protested.
“Only one way to find out…” Kakashi replied mischievously.
“Sensei, don’t do it…” Ekyt warned.
“She’ll know eventually…Sakura, can you come here a minute?” Kakashi sang.
“Damn it…” Ekyt hissed, giving Kakashi a dark glare.
Sakura came into the room after knocking.
“Yes sensei…WHOA!” Sakura’s exclamation brought a smile to Kakashi’s face.
(Picture Ekyt standing under a spotlight, twinkling. You know, like in anime!)
“Look at you! So Kyuuu-teeee!!! (translation: Cute, if you don’t read fangirl!)” Sakura squealed, going into fangirl mode.
Ekyt had never experienced something like Sakura’s fangirl mode before. He didn’t know what to expect. He just knew how he felt.
Like a retard. This wasn’t him…well, it WAS, but it was akward.
Sakura’s squeals were derived from her reaction to Ekyt’s ANBU uniform. The sleeveless black shirt, long black pants, sword across the back, knife harnessed on one leg, kunai pouch on the other. His custom-made katana from his samurai days was in a sash tied across his waist. His chain mail shirt was visible underneath the thin black shirt. He wore his vest over the whole thing, but having his arms open like that sort of bothered him. Most likely because he wasn’t overly muscular. His body was healthy and functional, martial-artist muscular rather than mountain of muscle muscular.
“See? Is this so bad?” Kakashi questioned, eye twinkling with mischief.
Ekyt was too busy staring at Sakura, who was nearly drooling, hanging on his arm and staring at him, heart nearly visible in her eyes.
“Kakashi-sensei, will she be all right?” Ekyt pointed with his free hand to Sakura. Sakura grabbed at the hand, smiling widely, apparently not in control of her body.
“Oh, that happens with her. Just give her lots of attention for a few hours, she’ll snap out of it.”
Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke. Ekyt realized he was trapped. The uniform was causing Sakura’s problem (Rabid fangirl-ism). But he couldn’t take it off, not in mixed company…
I guess I’ve gotta wait it out…
A small grin formed under Ekyt’s mask. Could be worse…



ONE MONTH LATER…


Time for the chunin exams. The written exam was an easy one. Ekyt and Lee knew enough for themselves AND Naruto. They expected the tenth question trap, so they passed relatively easily.
Ibikki took Ekyt aside after the test.
“Listen…I’ve got the best agents watching Sakura, so she can come. I think she’d want to be there to cheer you on,” Ibikki told Ekyt. Before Ekyt could thank him, Ibikki told him to get to the next exam.
“Chunin aren’t late!” he barked. Ekyt Kaguya, for now anyway. He’ll be one to watch someday…hell, he is now…I’m going to enjoy this…this is shaping up to be one of the most interesting chunin exams we’ve ever had…


“The Forest of Death…It got it’s name honestly- people die in there! Especially maggots who DON’T PAY ATTENTION!” Anko shouted the last part, glaring at a certain orange-clad Shinobi.
“I hear you, I hear you already, Old Lady! I survived it before, and I’ll do it again! AND I’LL BE DONE BEFORE ALL OF YOU, BELIEVE IT! I’M NOT GONNA RUN, ‘CAUSE I’M THE NEXT HOKAGE! NARUTO UZUMAKI, REMEMBER IT!”
Ekyt and Lee (with sweatdrops) stared at the spectacle that was their teammate in disbelief.
“He…he really said all that…I didn’t think he would be THAT thick…” Ekyt said under his breath.
“You will find Naruto-kun to be extraordinarily thick,” Lee answered, disgust in his voice.
Despite their apparent anger, anyone who dealt with Naruto would have to face Lee and Ekyt as well. Ekyt had developed a big brother complex with Naruto, seeing himself in the younger ninja. Lee had bonded with Ekyt, mostly due to both of them having an insane work ethic.
The other teams, obviously, did not share Naruto’s enthusiasm. Those who were taking the exam for the first time we already incredibly nervous. Even those who had taken it and survived wondered if this was the time their luck would run out. How many times could you survive the forest of death before it caught up with you?
The team of Ekyt, Lee, and Naruto was the only Leaf team to make it. Graduation rates from the academy had been down, and many of those who DID graduate weren’t ready for the chunin exams.


The other team of interest was the Sound Village team. Sasuke Uchiha, Kabuto Yakushi, and Sasame Fuma (Sasame is the kunochi of the group, for the record).


The teams entered the Forest of Death. Ekyt spotted their target, a team from the Grass Village.
“Naruto, you’re up,” he whispered.
“Right! Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
Ten Naruto’s popped up, scaring the life out of the Grass Ninja. They attack, belatedly. One of them was holding back.
“He must have the scroll…this is all you Lee…” Ekyt muttered.
“Right!” Lee called as he sped out of the bushes. CRACK!
Lee had landed a Konoha Hurricane to the jaw of the one holding the scroll.


“What the hell? I can’t move!” called Hirai to his teammates. They were too busy fighting off the multiple Naruto’s and the one incredibly quick Rock Lee.
“It’s going to stay that way until my team is clear.”
Ekyt leapt down from a tree branch, landing next to hirai.
“Looks like you stumbled into my chakra-enhanced rope trap. If you move, fifty exploding tags are going to fall directly on you. So, I’ll just take that scroll off your hands and be on my way.”
By now, Hirai had no choice. His team was unconscious, and he himself couldn’t move.
“Take it…” he spat somberly.
“Thanks. Best of luck to you in the rest of the exams,” Ekyt replied, no sarcasm in his voice.


“Sweet! We’re the first one’s done!” Naruto leapt up high, cheering wildly.
“That was quicker than I anticipated…Perhaps the competition has dropped off?” Lee wondered.
Ekyt hadn’t said anything yet. He looked at the two scrolls in his gloved hands. “Let’s open these. THEN we’ll celebrate. The only thing that could go wrong is…”
POOF!
“You’ve GOT to be kidding me,” Ekyt muttered, shaking his head.

Ebisu was the one who was summoned when they finished.
“THIS was the only thing that could go wrong…”
Ebisu smiled widely. POOOF! It was Iruka-sensei!
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist! You three did very well, you beat the old record! Congratulations! OOF! Easy, you fool!”
“IRUKA-SENSEII!!!” Naruto flying hugged the chunin, who patted him on the head.
“It’s nice to see you too, Naruto! Okay, get down, come on. So, you three are all qualified for the third round of the chunin exams, which is an elimination-style tournament. You don’t have to win to become a chunin, but you must display skills equal to that of a chunin, and show that you deserve it. That shouldn’t be a problem with you three. You’re dismissed, good luck! Oh, and Ekyt…say hi to Sakura for me!”
“Damn, you guys are relentless!” Ekyt exclaimed.
“Sorry pervy samurai! Landing the cutest kunoichi in the village comes at a price!” Naruto laughed!
“Hey…listen, I want you guys to know…well, thanks for working with me…and maybe we’ll get to fight each other…Lee, you and I have sparred countless times, and I have yet to win…Naruto…somehow, we’ve never fought…I hope it happens someday…”
“It will, believe it! Besides, if I beat an ANBU guy, I’m that much closer to being Hokage!”
“I would consider it an honor to fight either of you. Good luck to all of you!”



“As you know,” Lord Hokage began, surveying the small crop of chunin hopefuls, “Graduation rates have been lower in all of the villages. There is no need for a preliminary tournament. So, the next tournament is the final tournament. Since we have an odd number, one of you will get a by to the next round. That will be determined now.” The aged Third Hokage paused, then turned his attention to the giant scoreboard.

Uzumaki, Naruto


“NO WAY! I DON’T WANT A FREEBIE!” Naruto shouted. But that fell on deaf ears. The next matches were popping up.


Yakushi, Kabuto
Vs
Lee, Rock

There were a number of other matches, but the last one caused gasps to emanate from everyone in the building:


The scoreboard told all:

Kaguya, Ekyt
Vs.
Uchiha, Sasuke


Sakura had been standing with Ekyt. Her mouth dropped open in shock. How can this be happening? My boyfriend and the guy I had a crush on for all that time…they’re going to fight? I can’t believe it!
Sakura’s gaze shifted over to Ekyt. He didn’t seem disturbed at all. He seemed ready to fight.
“You okay, Sakura?”
Sakura nodded at his question.
Ekyt bowed his head. I wonder what’s going through her mind…this can’t be easy for her…I know she still has some sort of feelings for Sasuke…I hope that can’t be used against her…
“Good luck Ekyt-kun,” said a recovered Sakura.
“Thanks Sakura-chan. Here goes nothing…”

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment