Chapter 3
Naruto sighed as they entered the building of the first exam. She had just told Sasuke not ten minutes ago to not cause any trouble, to make sure they went unseen. Did the teme listen?
No.
Instead he goes and starts a fight with Rock Lee. Student of Might Gai, both had terrible fashion senses, yet were brilliant in taijutsu. And the Uchiha just had to go and choose to fight in taijutsu.
“Hey, Sasuke. Since you’re having a spar with this guy, you don’t need me around, right?”
“Go ahead, hime. This shouldn’t be long.” He replied, not looking at her as he did so.
Well the Uchiha is correct, it won’t take long. I estimate it will take them four minutes to reach a place to fight, three for details on the match and introductions then two maybe three minutes for the Uchiha to have his ass handed to him. I should thank the ningen who is going to do that.
You know Kurama, you remind me of this old saying, ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’.
First you compare me to an Uchiha now to woman. I do not intend to forgive you for that, foolish ningen.
Nuh uh. I’m a jinchuriki, not a ningen. And another thing. The day you forgive someone, is the day I let you free for a whole week and tsunamis hit Konoha. Never!
I ought to skewer you where you stand, yet I would like to see my vessel become a chunin or even jonin before I do. This way it will show they true essence of my power!
Kurama ranted on for a while as he laughed sadistically. Deciding to ignore him, she sighed and gave Sakura a faint smile as she made her way upstairs to the real room of the exam, not surprised to see Kakashi sensei there as well.
“Hey sensei! What’re you doni’ here?” she asked when she wasn’t too fa from him.
He sharply closed his book and pocketed it, “Here to greet my adorable little genin as they go into a dangerous exam… Where are Sasuke and Sakura?”
“Sasuke challenged Gai sensei’s student, Rock Lee, to a taijutsu spar and Sakura’s cheering him on.” She tattled. Any chance to get the son of a police-officer, late or not, was a golden opportunity that one did not simply miss out on.
Kakashi groaned behind his mask before he shook his head disapprovingly, “Did you try to stop him?”
“Is it at all humanly possible to get an Uchiha to not fight? If there is, I wanna know. Now.” She looked her sensei in the eye as he did her. After a few seconds they both smacked their foreheads.
“Well, you may as well go on inside. I’ll stay here to greet the rest of the team.” She nodded and when she touched the door handle to enter, he called out to her, “And Naruto. Show them what the Uzumaki- Namikaze heiress can do.”
She didn’t turn around, yet she knew he knew she heard him. She gave a light smirk as she opened the door, as she did so, held back a groan.
There was too many people in the room all at once with… hostile and restless chakras. She blocked them all and decided to just reach out to any chakras that were familiar to her and was pleasantly surprised to feel team 8 and 10 in the room with her.
She decided she wouldn’t go up to them just yet as she felt three other chakra signatures that were familiar. One in particular seemed to get her very happy.
She looked up and made her way to the three unsuspecting siblings. She stopped half way and decided to give them a freight and shunshined behind Temari, hugging her from behind.
The fellow blonde was about to attack whoever it was that thought they could jump on her before Naruto spoke, “Hey Temari. Konkuro. Gaara.” Although she was addressing all of them she only looked at the teal eyes of Gaara no Subaku.
“Naruto Uzumaki…” he gave a short glance around the room which caused small smile to come onto her face. He seemed to realise he shouldn’t tell people her last name.
It was most likely because he wanted to kill her himself and not allow anyone else the satisfaction of killing her, but in Naruto’s crazy mind, it made her happy he was so… territorial of her. She heard Kurama groan at her logic yet chose to ignore him.
She got off of Temaris back, which due to her large fan was very uncomfortable. “Sorry about that guys. Didn’t mean to scare ya.”
“You didn’t.” replied Konkuro as he allowed his gaze to drift down to Naruto’s chest before his eyes found her own, only to see she was looking at Gaara’s cold expression again.
“Your chakra signatures said different. They all jumped slightly at my unexpected arrival.” She allowed her gaze to drift to the other siblings, her eyes full of humour before looking back at Gaara. “How are you finding your stay in Konohagakure, Gaara? Compared to your siblings who came here years ago, it’s your first time here, if I’m correct?”
He hesitated before replying, “You are correct. As for my stay… it is fine.”
Nodding her head she internally smiled, yet his siblings seemed awfully shocked that their sibling had spoken at all. “I trust you’ve been sleeping well? I heard back in Suna you suffered from insomnia but that doesn’t seem to be the case now?” truthfully, Naruto had made Shukaku stay mostly quiet whilst in Konoha if he ever wanted to be fed human blood again.
She wanted to get close to Gaara for personal reasons and professional. The professional being, she was a fuinjutsu master and wanted to fix the weak seal Gaara had on him. She would only be able to do that if she got close to him.
“You are correct.” He replied once again, and this time there was a glint of an emotion she couldn’t decipher as it was gone as soon as it came, expression going to stiff the teme could be proud and envious.
“There are many places here in Konoha that are hot tourist spots that are also frequented by locals. Have you had a chance to see them?”
The reply she received was his glare fading yet his expression to remain cold.
It was then Naruto realised he probably thought she was acting like a child with a new toy. Play with it then throw it away. It was often how jinchuriki were treated; children would play with them but later toss them aside as if they were worthless.
She had a similar upbringing till she turned 8 in which everyone would try to be friends with her due to her title. She made friends with those people as to not seem rude yet only stayed close to those who would play with her in her class.
“Have you been to the forest not far from out hot springs? There’s a beautiful waterfall in the centre. It used to be a place Lord Hashirama used to find his wife, Lady Mito, visiting often. He used his Mokuton and created the forest around the waterfall as an anniversary present to her. The agriculture varies from bonsai to cherry blossom trees, and since the shodaime used his jutsu, none of them ever wilt. I go there every so often with Konohamaru. It’s an absolutely beautiful place.”
“No…” he reluctantly replied.
Smiling she continued, “We should go there sometime during your stay.”
“Are you asking Gaara out on a date?!” asked the shell shocked siblings causing several glares to look their direction. None of them paid any heed to them, too used to the fiercer glare of one of their team mates.
This time it was her turn to hesitate, “Well… yes and no. I would like to go on a date with your brother, but my offer reaches out to the two of you also. I just thought he might be a bit more relaxed if he wasn’t around his siblings as he went about his day.” She shrugged her shoulders before looking back into confused teal eyes, “So, whadya say?”
His reply came without missing a beat, “No.”
Externally her smile remained the same yet internally she spirits wilted slightly, Kurama, am I going about this wrong?
I cannot say. Mito nor Kushina had to do this much to get their lovers to pay attention. Perhaps he doesn’t think you’re very much compared to him. You did try your very hardest to become last of your class, even if your classmates and teachers knew you were the brightest one amongst them.
Kurama, I’m shocked! I never would have thought you’d give me a compliment.
That was not a compliment to you brat. It shows my brilliance when my host is more knowledgeable than those of their age.
“Well, you’ll still be seeing a lot more of me during your stay here in Konoha, so maybe you’ll change your mind.”
“Go away, Uzumaki, or I will allow my mother to feast on your blood.”
Naruto’s smile remained on her face yet there was an edge to her tone as she replied, “You and your mother can try, and fail. The two of you will end up joining the list of people who have tried to kill me. To today the count is 29.”
Temari and Konkuro’s eyes grew wide at what she said. Not surprising really, it wasn’t often you heard someone casually brush off a threat like that and say they have had people trying to kill them that many time.
It is actually 31 times brat you forgot those two times you were nearly killed at a baby.
Ah yes, I forgot about those.
She then felt the chakra signatures of her teammates and decided it was time to go to them, the teme’s pride seemed to be severely wounded.
“Well, it was nice talking to you guys, but my team finally got here, so it’s best I go to them now. Good luck on your first exam!” she waved to them as she made her way to the other 8 rookies that had gathered around a silver haired male whose chakra felt very annoying.