Naruto Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ More Than Anything ❯ Downhill ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3: Downhill

 

Today was the day.

 

Sasuke smirked from behind the object of his affection, his onyx colored eyes shining. Today he was going to show her why she should pay attention to him. Today he was going to pound that annoying blonde at her side with such ease that she would finally acknowledge the fact that he was the strongest shinobi-in-training. And finally, if his plan worked well enough, he would find a way to capture her elusive heart.

 

“So, are we going to spar again today?” Kagome asked, as they walked toward the Academy training grounds. She was smiling brightly, and Sasuke could not wait to have that smile directed at him. True, she had smiled just for him before, but he was greedy and wanted them all for himself.

 

“Of course!” Naruto grinned back.

 

“Oh!” Kagome raised her fist and hit her hand with it. “We've also got to work on the shadow clone technique. You're getting better at it, Naruto, but you've got to concentrate more!”

 

“Right!” He gave a salute. “I'll remember that!”

 

“You better,” Kagome grinned, “because if you don't, I'm going to pound you!”

 

“Not today you're not!” Naruto growled back playfully.

 

Sasuke had had enough with their useless banter. He shifted his eyes from the oblivious Kagome's back and allowed them to bore into Naruto's, and almost instantly the blonde shinobi-in-training stiffened. When he began to turn, Sasuke hid his smirk beneath a small show of arrogance. That was sure to piss the idiot off.

 

Naruto glared at the Uchiha. Lately he had been acting weird, and Naruto was determined to find out what it was. “What do you want, Sasuke-kun?” he hissed.

 

“I was just wondering—” the other boy looked surprised that he was actually answering his question, “—how you plan to become Hokage, since you're always going on about that, when you only spar with Kagome?”

 

“Ha!” Naruto huffed. “You obviously don't know how talented Kagome is! It's because of her that I'm going to be become Hokage, and when that happens, Mr. I-Wanna-Be-An-ANBU, you'll be working underneath me.”

 

“Tch.” Sasuke allowed his smirk to leak through just a bit. Naruto was easy enough to piss off in the first place, but he knew throwing the smirk in his face would really get under his skin. “If you get too used to fighting one person, you'll start to think that everyone fights that way, and then you'll get yourself killed.”

 

“Don't give me that look!” Naruto shouted. “I could beat you in thirty seconds flat! Right, Kagome!”

 

Kagome was not paying attention to him, though, since Hyuuga Hinata had come to ask her if she would like to spar after noticing the way Sasuke was goading him into a battle. Kagome was grinning happily at the Hyuuga girl, nodding in agreement, as she ignored them.

 

“I'd like to see you try,” Sasuke replied. Really, it was almost too easy to get the other shinobi-in-training pissed off at him. He almost felt bad, because he had always been told by his mother not to pick on the weaker shinobi-in-training. They were people, too, though he was a little unsure whether Naruto fit into the `people' category.

 

“I'll show you!” Naruto continued. “Right here, right now!”

 

Kagome, finally having set an agreement with Hinata, turned her attention back to the two bickering boys at her side. She almost wanted to sigh and roll her eyes at them. Seriously, she would never understand a boy's need to verbally assault their opponent before a battle. At least serious kunoichi just got down and dirty, using the verbal abuse to try and trip their opponent up during the battle. So, more than a little annoyed with them, she said, “Hey! While you two are off having your pissing contest, I'm going to be over there with Hinata!”

 

Sasuke twitched a little at her language, his glare becoming almost deadly as he looked at Naruto. It was his fault that she spoke that way, after all. True, it was part of her charm to be able to become very intimidating very quickly, but he hoped that she did not use that type of language while around her elders. Because if she did, it was definitely something his father would be more than happy to beat out of her.

 

“Got it!” Naruto smiled at her. “I'll be right over to watch once I kick Sasuke-kun's ass here.”

 

“I'd really like to see you try,” Sasuke cut in.

 

Gritting his teeth, Naruto turned back to the arrogant Uchiha. He narrowed his light blue eyes, before he reached up and grabbed his shoulder with one hand. Swinging it in a large circle to loosen the muscles, he made a large display of getting ready. Then, turning his complete attention to Sasuke, he said, “Whenever you're ready, Sasuke. This isn't gonna take me long, so you might as well make the first move.”

 

“No, no,” Sasuke shook his head. “It wouldn't be polite of me not to let the girl go first.”

 

“I'm not a girl!” Naruto cried. The girl comment had really gotten under his skin.

 

“Really?” Sasuke asked. He could laugh at the sound of his own voice, since he had made sure to sound astonished. “You're always choosing to fight with one, and you're too weak to beat me, so I think you're wrong. You're definitely a girl.”

 

“I'm going to beat that chicken-ass head of yours into the ground so much your own mother won't recognize you!” Naruto snarled in outrage. His face turned red in his anger, while his eyebrow twitched madly. “She'll scream in absolute terror, wondering what has walked into her house, and ask your brother to kill you! And he'll try, too! He'll come after you with the intent to kill, but you'll be just as much of a coward then as you are now, and you'll flee! But no one will accept you, not even your precious little fan club—”

 

“Why don't you actually do it instead of talking about it all day?” The mockery slipped from his mouth with ease, and Sasuke smirked at the stiffened and enraged boy. Finally, this was his moment. Kagome would be his soon enough.

 

“Gah!” Naruto's battle cry was not as threatening as he wanted it to sound, but it got the point across as he charged toward the other boy. The distance quickly dwindled, and Naruto swung his fist the first opportunity that he saw. However, his scrunched up face relaxed in surprise when he found himself swinging at air. A hand tapped him on the back the next moment, and he twisted around to find Sasuke standing there.

 

“Was that supposed to hit me?” Sasuke asked. “Because I think your aim is a little off.”

 

“You bastard!” Naruto shouted. It had to be the hands in the pockets that really pissed him off. The Uchiha was not even taking him seriously, and he was going to pound him into the ground for it.

 

Naruto swung again, and Sasuke stepped back just enough to avoid the swing without making it seem like he was not trying. The blonde tried the tactic for quite a while, swinging madly and yelling, while Sasuke tried really hard to almost let him hit him. But, the game quickly became boring, and Sasuke raised his hand in that moment, smacking Naruto into the dirt.

 

Naruto hit the ground hard. He rolled for quite some time, barely protecting his arm when it was almost caught at an odd angle, before he came to a halt. When he did, he coughed and raised himself up onto his hands and knees.

 

That had hurt a lot more than he thought it would.

 

A shadow loomed over him quite suddenly, and Naruto looked up just in time to see Sasuke's bored face staring down at him. “Get up,” the other boy hissed. Pain erupted in his chest after that, Sasuke's foot connecting with his ribcage. He raised his hand to protect it, as he coughed again.

 

“Get up,” Sasuke commanded again. This was not how he had planned this battle. Naruto was supposed to be a little better at fighting than this, but it seemed that Kagome took it easy on him. Really easy. And it was not helping his current plan at all.

 

“Y-you—”

 

“Get up, I said,” he commanded, again, after a moment. When the blonde did not move, he kicked him again. His foot dug into Naruto's stomach, the blonde shinobi-in-training clearly not realizing that his skinny arm could not protect his entire body.

 

“You bastard,” Naruto finally hissed out. He had had enough! So, he swung himself around on his hand, sweeping his foot out where Sasuke had just been standing. The Uchiha had jumped away, but it was exactly what Naruto had planned. He got to his feet in that moment, wobbling a bit, and performed the hand seal needed to perform the shadow clone technique.

 

Smoke billowed into the air only a moment later.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Hinata squeaked, as a hand reached up from the ground and grabbed a hold of her ankle. The clone followed afterward, the slight difference in chakra telling Hinata's Byakugan all it needed to know, and she thrust her hand out. She struck the sternum hard, feeling it cave beneath her chakra filled hand, before the clone ceased to exist with a small cry of surprise.

 

She twisted on her foot quickly, rotating where her blind spot was located. Hinata was not entirely sure how Kagome had discovered it, but she knew and that could make the situation dangerous. She knew she had to keep turning, checking that one spot over and over again, because Kagome had a tendency to strike her from that angle and then disappear without a trace. Which was the only reason she did not charge the clone that came into her sight, hiding twenty yards away behind a tree.

 

Briefly, she wondered how Neji did it. He was constantly turning his head, constantly checking that single point that he could not see from, and it was very clear to her why he was the prodigy of the Hyuuga clan. If she could be just a little more like him, maybe she would not be so—

 

“Boo!”

 

Jumping in surprise, Hinata turned on instinct and struck out. Her chakra filled hand dug deep into a chakra point, and she realized almost immediately that the person she had hit was not a clone. The chakra supply told her that much, but the nonexistent poof cemented the proof in her mind. “O-oh,” she instantly retracted her hand in fear, hoping Kagome did not take offence, “I-I'm r-really sorry, K-Kagome, w-we're sp-sparring a-and you sh-shouldn't su—”

 

The Higurashi grinned, waving her hand a bit in Hinata's face. “Don't worry about it!” she said. “It doesn't even hurt!”

 

“W-what?” Hinata blinked. She had had her chakra points blocked enough times to know that it did hurt. However, the other girl's happy exterior quickly calmed her nerves. Kagome's eyes told her that she wanted her to wince, but she did not, because she did not want her to worry about her being angry with her.

 

“Yeah!” Kagome continued to wave her hand. “It's like a scratch, just on the inside.”

 

“W-well, if you're sure,” Hinata replied. She brought her hand up to her mouth, wishing that she could take back that hit, even if she never put enough chakra into one to really hurt her fellow shinobi-in-training. “I-I'm still r-really sorry, though.”

 

“There's no reason to apologize.” Kagome's eyes sparkled, as she continued, “We're sparring, like you said, so I should have been fast enough to move if I didn't want to get hit. And I suppose I shouldn't sneak up on people!”

 

Hinata dipped her head down, unsure.

 

“Besides—!” her loud voice clearly startled the Hyuuga, “I've got to learn how to take it! Gonna have to be tough for the future, you know, `cause being a shinobi isn't easy!”

 

“I'm s-sure you'll get the po-position you want just fine, K-Kagome,” Hinata smiled. Kagome's enthusiasm really was addicting.

 

“Speaking of which,” Kagome said. “What do you want to be when you're older, Hinata?”

 

“U-um,” Hinata blushed a little. The thought was a saddening one for her, because she knew that her father would choose her path, no matter what she wanted to be. “I-I guess I want t-to be a j-jounin-instructor, like you, b-but I ha-have a duty to my c-clan and I-I have to be str-strong to protect t-them. S-so—”

 

As the other girl continued, Kagome smiled sadly. Hinata's father probably would push her into becoming an ANBU or something just to toughen her up. The life of an heir, especially to such a large clan, was never easy. Knowing that, she almost felt bad for asking, because she knew the answer. But, she allowed her smile to brighten for a moment, and said, “Maybe you're father will come to see that that's what you really want to do, Hinata, and let you do it.”

 

“Y-you really think so?” Hinata asked.

 

Kagome nodded. A silence reigned over them for a moment, before Kagome finally asked, “So, do you want to continue sparring?”

 

“I-I'm fine,” Hinata replied. She knew that her father would most likely have her fight another member of the Hyuuga clan later, and depleting her chakra too much would only make him suspicious and angry. He would demand to know why she had used so much energy against a non-Hyuuga and then make her spar anyway. And, because she knew her luck was never that good, he would probably find out that it was because of Kagome and she did not want the other girl in trouble because of her.

 

“Ok. Then we can go watch—” Kagome turned on her heel toward the boys, allowing her eyes to rack over the scene. Her jaw fell open almost instantly, and she startled the Hyuuga once more by shouting, “Holy crap!”

 

Hinata, despite her beating heart, turned toward the scene.

 

“N-Naruto!” Kagome yelled in happiness. “You did it!”

 

Hinata brought her hand up to her mouth once more, for Naruto had done it. Five perfect copies of himself stood close to his side, each one grinning and reaching out to give the others a high five. The very sight of them sent Hinata's heart into overdrive, because she could see hope in that small moment. If Naruto, the one that had struggled for so long, could finally use the shadow clone technique, then maybe she could be what she wanted to be when she was older.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in surprise, as he gazed at the five clones. He could have sworn the idiot could not use that jutsu. However, his attention was pulled away from the grinning idiots as a shout rushed over the training grounds.

 

“You did it!”

 

A scowl crossed Sasuke's face, as he looked at Kagome. She was rushing to the sidelines, grinning at Naruto's accomplishment. She was supposed to be watching him, damn it!?! And that little fact caused anger to grip his heart almost instantly, the need to beat Naruto into the ground quickly embedding itself into his skin, but he pressed it down. Letting his anger rule him would do him no good, since he had a mission to accomplish.

 

Kagome would only see him as an evil bastard if he beat her friend too much.

 

“Naruto!” Again, she called out to the idiot. “Great job!”

 

The blonde grinned happily, before his eyes returned to glaring at him. “Alright,” he said, “I've done enough of this. Get him!”

 

The five clones rushed forward with the same straightforward nature as their creator. Sasuke knew already that they would be easy to defeat—there was no reason to summon clones of his own to the battlefield. And he proved it with ease as the first clone leapt into the air, throwing the kunai it brandished toward him, as he stepped to the side and pulled a kunai of his own from his holster.

 

“You're dead meat!” the clone shouted. That was all it said, though, as Sasuke's kunai embedded itself deep in its stomach.

 

He turned on his heel, grabbing onto the second clone's wrist, and threw it off to the side. A faint poof signaled that it had disappeared, and Sasuke's smirk returned to his face. The clones were a lot weaker than he had thought they would be. They would be gone in a fraction of a second and then, he was positive, Kagome would finally look in his direction.

 

“I've got you!”

 

Unfortunately, the third clone was very wrong. Sasuke slit its throat with a swipe of his hand, and allowed the cloud of smoke to wash over him. The fourth clone tried using it as coverage, but Sasuke was quick on his feet. It took only one kick to the chest to second the fourth clone crashing into the fifth, and they both disappeared in that instant. Once they were gone, he asked, “Is that really all you've got?”

 

A crowd began to gather on the sidelines, and the shinobi-in-training did not have to think about whom they would cheer for. It was an obvious an. Cheer for Uchiha Sasuke, because he was the top Academy student of their year and he could easily defeat Uzumaki Naruto with a swipe of his hand. Though, there was always that one student that did not seem to get that memo.

 

Higurashi Kagome.

 

“That's it, Naruto!” Kagome yelled. “You almost had him! But you've got to try attacking from different angles to trip him up!”

 

“Got it!” Naruto grinned, as he performed the shadow clone technique again.

 

Sasuke tilted his head just slightly when three of Naruto's new clones ceased to exist almost instantly. Another soon doubled over, holding its stomach, and disappeared with them. Chuckling at the sight, he asked, “Are you running low on chakra already?”

 

“No!” Naruto yelled. He did not understand. His clones should not be disappearing if he had finally mastered the shadow clone technique. But, that could only mean—

 

“Naruto!” Kagome called again. “You've got to concentrate! Don't let Sasuke distract you!”

 

Had he not—Sasuke instantly stopped that train of thought. Clearly, he had yet to prove to Higurashi Kagome that he was the best of the best. His anger was pushing back toward the surface, though, as she continued to cheer for Naruto. Why did she never reaction the way she was supposed to?

 

Again, Naruto nodded. “Got it!” This time, only a single clone disappeared when his new batch of five came into existence around him. He grinned at the accomplishment, positive that he was finally beginning to understand how to use the jutsu.

 

“If that's the best you can do, you really must be a girl,” Sasuke let slip.

 

“I've had enough of you! I'm not a girl!” Naruto shouted. Signaling to his clones, he sent them into action, as he continued to shout. “I'm ending this here and now, Sasuke-kun!”

 

“Tch.” Sasuke was not fazed at all by the sight of the clones charging him. His eyes were shifted over to Kagome, wishing she would just open her eyes and see that he was trying to catch her attention. He quickly decided, watching her, that it was time to draw away that veil keeping her from seeing his want. “That's where you're wrong, dobe. I'm going to finish this here and now.”

 

“I'd like to see you try!” Naruto threw back at him.

 

Sasuke did not reply. He knelt down, putting his kunai back in his holster where it belonged, and allowed his hands to shift through a series of familiar hand seals. The chakra built in his chest almost instantly, but he waited—waited for the moment the clones were close enough that they could not escape—before he released it. “Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!” he shouted when the moment was right, releasing the chakra in the form of deadly fire.

 

Smoke surrounded him as the clones were destroyed, but Sasuke's little world of victory narrowed down when he heard a scream. Her scream. Horrified and worried, but not for him.

 

“Naruto!”

 

Sasuke rose to his feet, as the smoke cleared away. His onyx eyes immediately searched and found Kagome, kneeling at Naruto's side. The blonde was clutching his arm, the skin burned and blackened, and she was trying desperately to help him get up. Instantly he took a step toward them, hoping she would understand.

 

He had not meant to hit Naruto. That really was an accident.

 

Her angry, flaming blue eyes snapped toward him. She shrieked, “Go away!”

 

“Ka—” she cut him off.

 

She was so beautiful, despite her anger. But her words cut him deeply. “Go bully someone else for once in your damn life!”

 

Another Uchiha, a kunoichi, stepped forward to hiss, “You can't talk like that to him, Higurashi.”

 

“Back off, Leiko!” There was so much venom in her voice that, surprisingly, the Uchiha girl did just that. “This is between me and that arrogant prick!”

 

Iruka-sensei, finally having come to Naruto's aid, lifted the boy in order to take him to the hospital. Kagome dogged at his heels, her head turned just slightly to glare deeply into Uchiha Sasuke's eyes, and not one of his fan club members uttered a word to the angry girl.

 

Sasuke's hand clenched the moment they disappeared. No one came to speak to him, though he had not expected them to, and he was left with a moment to think. A moment to decide how to deal with the situation, since it was clear that Kagome's anger would take some time in order to leave. It always had before, so it was only a matter of time.

 

Determination in his eyes, Sasuke decided.

 

Operation fail was definitely in affect.

 

--

 

KibaSin: I'm currently working on chapter five (stupid old computer), and I might update tomorrow or Monday. But, I wanted to say thanks for all the reviews, guys! Again.

 

Kiba

 

Please, review!