Naruto Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ More Than Anything ❯ Crash Course, Part II ( Chapter 13 )

Chapter Eleven: Crash Course, Part II

 

“I still believe that Leiko should be—!”

 

“Oh, give it a rest, Mayu,” Asuka stated, rolling her eyes. “Leiko doesn't want to president of the fan club. And, even if she did, there are strict rules that must be followed before the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club can change command.”

 

Mayu huffed, gritting her teeth. She knew that, but the fact that Asuka threw it back in her face really rubbed her the wrong way. The other girl really needed to learn when to shut her mouth!

 

Asuka grinned in victory.

 

Finally, unable to keep it bottled up, Mayu growled, “I am well aware of the rules.”

 

“Then why don't you follow them once in a while?” Asuka hissed.

 

“Why, you little—!?!”

 

“Enough!” Ino snapped. “The purpose of the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club is not for the members to fight amongst one another!”

 

Sakura nodded in agreement, saying, “Ino's right. The fan club was designed so that every one of us would have a fair and equal chance at Sasuke's heart. We're here for that single purpose! Not to fight, because that will—”

 

“Ugh, we get it already, Sakura,” Mayu groaned. Could Sakura shut her mouth for just a second? Because really, going on and on was not going to make them forget that she had a giant forehead. It only proved, again, why Leiko should be given the position of command.

 

Sakura bristled a little on the inside, while she turned her head away.

 

“We, also, allow other members to finish their sentence out of courtesy,” Ino growled, her eyebrow twitching. The fan club just did not want to listen to her today, and she was an inch away from throwing her hands into the air, dismissing them, and rushing off to gather together the Uchiha Itachi Fan Club.

 

Mayu rolled her eyes, muttering, “Of course. How silly of me to have forgotten that little rule.”

 

Asuka scowled, stating, “Sarcasm is also not wanted in the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Cl—”

 

“Oh, shut up, will you, Asuka?!” Mayu hissed.

 

“When you learn your place, maybe I will!” Asuka shrieked.

 

Groaning in despair, Ino slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand.

 

“Uh, girls—” Sakura began.

 

“Shut up—”

 

Asuka and Mayu quieted, along with the rest of the fan club, while they shifted their eyes onto Uchiha Leiko.

 

“—You're acting like a bunch of little children,” Leiko scoffed. “How do you ever expect Sasuke-kun to notice you, when you're constantly bickering amongst yourselves?”

 

“Thank you, Leiko,” Ino whispered under her breath.

 

“Uchiha, as you should know,” the Uchiha girl continued, her tone harsh, “do not respect childish behavior. We do not purposely fight for those that will never grow up. We do not wish to even associate with those that continue to act younger than they actually are. So, if you wish to prove yourselves worthy of obtaining the Uchiha name, you will get your acts together this instant and stop this useless arguing.”

 

“Leiko's right!” another fan girl piped up. “We're losing valuable time by fighting!”

 

The rest of the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club quickly agreed. They were losing time by listening to Mayu and Asuka fight. Precious time, in fact, because they all knew that they could be spending it trying to capture Sasuke's attention, or at least devising a way in order to do so. And that single fact caused most of them to begin glaring at Mayu and Asuka.

 

“If I may—” the fan club turned to find the levelheaded Reina waving her hand through the air, “—I believe that we should now be concentrating on Sasuke-kun himself. After all, it has been quite some time since he left for home and there's simply no telling who could be interacting with him at the moment.”

 

The Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club bristled as one collective unit. They often banned together to make sure that those unworthy of Sasuke's attention did not try anything with him. And they often steered those with wandering eyes away from him. But, who was doing so while they debated amongst themselves? Who was protecting him? Who was making sure that only those within the fan club had a chance to capture his heart?

 

“That's a good point, Reina,” Ino nodded. She was just happy that the fan club members were not fighting anymore. “We should be focusing our energy on creating a strict schedule for today's Uchiha Watch. I know for a fact that Emiko is currently watching over Sasuke-kun, but—”

 

“And why did you allow that, Ino?” Mayu asked. She had been asking for the opportunity to watch Sasuke's training session all week, yet Ino had refused to acknowledge the fact that she had it until the fan club banned together. So, why had she just given it to Emiko?

 

Ino sighed, knowing where Mayu's mind had wandered. “Because,” she said, “Emiko asked me if she could do so during our last meeting. She only asked for today, and I agreed to let her watch today's training session.”

 

Mayu huffed. That little twit did not deserve to—!

 

“INO!” a voice shrieked from beyond the foliage. “INO!”

 

Asuka blinked, asking, “Is it just me, or does that sound like Emiko?”

 

Mayu sneered in Asuka's direction. It was only obvious that it was Emiko, and that the girl had left her post. Really, how stupid could that girl get?! She should know that she was not supposed to leave Sasuke's shadow until someone else came to relieve her of her duty! It was not that hard!

 

“Ino, it's terrible!” Emiko shouted the moment she stepped into sight. “We have to do something!”

 

“Has anyone ever noticed that everything is simply terrible in Emiko's opinion?” Mayu asked sweetly. Her voice dripped with sarcasm, while she watched the distressed girl rush into the middle of the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club.

 

For a moment, Asuka agreed with her, nodding.

 

Emiko's eyes were wild, as she sprang forward and clasped a hold of Ino's clothing. “I'm serious!” she hissed. “That—that—oh, it was simply disgusting to look at, Ino! It was!”

 

“Uh—” Ino tried desperately to make Emiko release her, “—I think you should calm down, Emiko, and tell us what the problem is.”

 

“Emiko, you shouldn't hang on people like that!” Sakura gapped. She knew that Emiko, most of the time, exaggerated when it came to mostly everything involving Sasuke, but the way she was acting was just ridiculous! She did not need to cling to Ino, nor did she need to yell as if the world was going to crumble beneath her feet in a moment.

 

“But—but—!” Emiko gasped. Did they not understand how serious she was!?!

 

“Just calm down, Emiko,” Ino smiled.

 

Emiko nodded, releasing Ino from her grasp slowly.

 

“Now, tell me what the problem is,” Ino pressed. “Did Sasuke-kun hurt himself?”

 

Emiko shook her head. Her breathing picked up once again, while she thought about it. Then, trying to dismiss the thought, she dug her nails deep into the palm of her hands and felt the blood seep from between her fingers.

 

“Then what happened?” Ino asked.

 

“Oh, Ino, it was terrible!” Emiko cried.

 

Mayu and Asuka snorted together.

 

“Yes, but what—?” Ino twitched, her nerves instantly on edge again as Emiko cut her off. Emiko's behavior was proving to her, once again, why she preferred the Uchiha Itachi Fan Club. They were mature, listened, and were able to deal with the problems that popped up without breaking down.

 

Angrily, Emiko screeched, “That damn Higurashi Kagome! She was training with Sasuke-kun!?!”

 

The Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club froze immediately after the words flew from Emiko's mouth. There was simply no way. Sasuke would not bother to put up with that Higurashi twit more than once! Especially after Leiko had purposely pulled his father, Fugaku, into the picture!

 

Emiko must had been mistaken!?!

 

“Kagome?” Ino blinked. That was certainly unexpected, but she did not see the real problem with Higurashi Kagome training with Sasuke. The girl was completely and utterly oblivious—she did not even want to acknowledge the fact that Hyuuga Neji wanted her! “I don't think—”

 

“You're probably just mistaken, Emiko!” Sakura shook her head. “Sasuke-kun was probably angered with Higurashi Kagome today, she has been pretty annoying, and decided to transform one of his clones into her. That way he could take out his frustration on it without having to hurt her. I mean, I doubt he'd want to get into trouble with Hokage-sama just because some Higurashi wouldn't leave him alone.”

 

Emiko continued to shake her head, but allowed Sakura to finish. Then, she hissed, “You're wrong, Sakura! I know what I saw! Higurashi Kagome was training with Sasuke-kun, and then she said that she had to go home because her mother was expecting her! I watched her leave!”

 

“Then there's no problem,” Ino said. “Kagome's not going to—”

 

“I'm not done yet!” Emiko snapped.

 

Ino twitched in frustration.

 

“I watched her leave, yes, but I also watched Sasuke-kun watch her leave!” Emiko raged. “He refused to take his eyes off her until she was out of sight!?!”

 

“WHAT!?!” Asuka suddenly exploded.

 

“There's simply no way!?!” Mayu exploded beside her.

 

Emiko swiveled her eyes onto them, shouting, “I'm not lying! Sasuke-kun was watching her like he didn't want her to leave! I've never seen or heard of him looking the way he did! That damn Higurashi's managed to—to do something to him!?!”

 

Almost immediately the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club erupted in rage, each and every member wishing to exact revenge on the Higurashi girl.

 

“I'll—I'll make sure that little witch can't attract any other man!?!” Asuka spat.

 

“Sasuke-kun wouldn't!” Mayu shook her head. She would not believe it. She could not!?! “He wouldn't!?”

 

“Wait!” Ino shouted. She raised her hands into the air, trying to bring the fan club back underneath her control. “Wait!”

 

Sakura finally bubbled over the edge, hissing, “Higurashi Kagome must pay! She is not a part of the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club, nor does she have permission to try and capture Sasuke-kun's heart!” She paused, allowing the rest of the club members to agree with her. “I say we confront her! Scare her off! If that doesn't work, we'll force her to leave Sasuke-kun alone!”

 

“Sakura!” Ino yelled. She could not let this happen. She liked Higurashi Kagome, and she knew for a fact that the girl was too oblivious to even notice if Sasuke did like her. One of them, if he did, would be able to pull his attention away with ease when she refused to acknowledge his attention. Surely they had to understand that! “We're not—!”

 

Leiko's calm voice rose over the commotion, while her dark eyes flashed with an eerie light. “I think,” she stated, the venom in her voice barely hidden, “that it is time we showed Higurashi her place in this village.”

 

“Leiko!” Ino tried. The Uchiha girl ignored her, though, and she stomped her foot. “Listen to me, damn it!?!”

 

“Leiko's right!” Mayu nodded. “And that's why she should be—!”

 

“Shut up, Mayu!” Asuka hissed. “Now is not the time!”

 

“Why you—!?!”

 

Leiko turned on her foot, her body tense. She would not allow that non-Uchiha twit to keep her from rising up into the Uchiha Head's household, even if Sasuke wished to compete with Hyuuga Neji. And now, when it seemed that the situation had gone further than she would have expected, she would rid herself of the problem once and for all.

 

“Everyone calm down!?!” Ino attempted, and failed, one last time to bring the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club back into order.

 

“What are you all waiting for?” Leiko murmured. “Let's go.”

 

“I'm gonna—!” Asuka spat.

 

“She'll never—!” Mayu began.

 

“I told you we couldn't—!” Emiko hissed.

 

“She can't hide—!” Sakura boasted.

 

The entire Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club filed away from the meeting spot, leaving Ino standing alone. And the lone Yamanaka girl clenched her hand into a fist, because she could not allow them to go after Higurashi Kagome. They would hate her for it, she knew, but Ino really did not care.

 

They were just a bunch of stupid, jealous airheads anyway.

 

She just had to make it there first!

 

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

 

Higurashi Kagome strolled calmly down the quiet street, smiling at the few civilians that acknowledged her with a bow of their head. It was always rather peaceful close to where her family had chose to build their home, the people knew each other and were friendly, and she allowed herself a moment to relax while in familiar surroundings. She knew that shinobi code demanded that she was on alert at all times, but it was hard for her to do so while nearing the small patch of land her family called home.

 

So, really, it should not have been that much of a surprise when Yamanaka Ino barreled into her side and practically threw her off her feet. “Kagome—!?”

 

“Eh?” Kagome blinked in surprise. She barely managed to regain her balance. “Ino, what are you doing—?”

 

Ino cut her off, saying, “Kagome, you have to get home right now!”

 

Frowning, the Higurashi girl asked, “What? Why?”

 

“I—” Kagome finally noticed that Ino was panting, “—ran all this way to tell you that you need to go home! You have to, Kagome! And then you need to visit the Hokage first thing in the morning! The Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club found out that you were training with Sasuke-kun, and they're not happy about it! They're furious!”

 

Kagome tilted her head to the side, saying, “I was only training with him. I don't think there's any reason for them to get angry.”

 

Ino shook her head furiously, glaring at the oblivious girl. “You have to understand,” she said, stomping her foot, “they don't care if you were only helping Sasuke-kun with his training! They'll do anything to make sure that you never get close to him! They—they might even make sure that you never become a shinobi!”

 

The Higurashi's eyes narrowed, sharpening. “Now, really, Ino, there are jounin that patrol this area. I doubt they wouldn't notice fighting, and it's against Konoha rule to attack a fellow shinobi, whether in training or not.”

 

Ino shivered beneath the Higurashi glare. Her father often spoke about it, remembering old times when Higurashi Hisao was a force to be reckoned with, and Ino knew that Higurashi Kagome had developed her skill underneath his watchful gaze. But, she was determined to make the other girl see her point. “Do you think they care when it comes to Uchiha Sasuke?” Ino snapped, dropping the suffix to tell her that she was serious. “They'll have someone distract the jounin, and then they'll—”

 

“There are—” Kagome tried.

 

“They don't care!?” Ino snapped. “All they care about is Sasuke! Sasuke this and Sasuke that! They don't care that they're supposed to follow the shinobi code, as long as they can strive to be on his squad and become his wife! They'll do anything, Kagome, to get rid of you because, to them, you're a threat!”

 

Kagome's glare withered, as she muttered, “I was only helping him.”

 

“I know that,” Ino nodded. “You're kind, Kagome. You're really nice, in a way that most people can't understand, and I like you because of that. And I don't want to see you hurt because those idiots can't get it through their heads that you're only doing the right thing. That you're doing what every shinobi should strive to do.”

 

“Now, isn't that sweet?” an arrogant voice called out. “Ino—”

 

The Higurashi girl snapped her eyes up to find Uchiha Leiko glaring heatedly at her.

 

“—I would have thought you were on our side,” Leiko huffed. “But, I suppose, you're just too much of an Uchiha Itachi girl to really care about Sasuke-kun.”

 

The rest of the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club, glaring just as heatedly, all growled in response. They were not happy that their own president was trying to help the one person they now wanted to see smeared into the dirt.

 

Noticing the kunai that the Uchiha girl was twirling on her finger, Kagome's eyes instinctively sharpened again. Her sight seemed to narrow down to that weapon, watching it travel round and round Leiko's finger, and silently calculating when it would be released. “You leave her alone, Leiko,” she frowned. “It's not a crime to like someone else.”

 

“Oh, look, it seems like they're the best of friends now,” Asuka sneered.

 

Sakura, confused, bit her lip from her spot amongst the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club. Why was Ino trying to help Higurashi Kagome? Did she really not care about Sasuke? Or was there something else about her friend-turned-rival that she was unaware of?

 

“You're right,” Leiko nodded. “It's not a crime to like someone else, Higurashi.”

 

Mayu snorted, saying, “It's just a crime to try and take Sasuke-kun from us.”

 

“I don't understand what your problem is—” Kagome shifted her stance a little wider, “—but I was only helping Sasuke.”

 

Asuka growled, “More like helping yourself to him!”

 

Her dark blue eyes never removed themselves from Leiko's weapon, as she shook her head. She understood that they liked Sasuke, to the point it was almost obsessive, but she did not understand why they were twisting her assistance into something that sounded sinister. She had not done anything wrong. “He asked for me to help him with his taijutsu,” she replied, “so I did. There's no crime in that.”

 

“He asked you—” it was obvious that Leiko could barely contain her chuckle, “—a pitiful little non-Uchiha, to help him, a strong and noble member of the Uchiha clan, with his taijutsu? I seriously doubt it.”

 

“I'm not lying!” Kagome scowled.

 

Ino stepped forward, at last, a large frown on her face. “Your arrogance is going to be your downfall one day, Leiko.”

 

Finally, Leiko laughed. “That's rich,” she said. “Especially coming from you, Ino! How many times do you train in a week, compared to how often you have to have your hair fixed? I'd say that if either of us is arrogant and vain, it's you, Ino. And even if it isn't, I'm an Uchiha, I have the right to be!”

 

“I don't think—” Sakura began.

 

“Shut up, Sakura,” Mayu snapped, silencing the pink haired girl.

 

“Being an Uchiha doesn't give you the right to attack fellow kunoichi-in-training, though,” Ino reminded her. “Physically, mentally, or verbally.”

 

“And who, may I ask, is going to stop me?” Leiko asked. She had already taken care of the jounin in the area with the help of other fan club members. “You? Higurashi?”

 

Ino scowled. She was right, she knew she was, but Leiko's tone confirmed it. She had had some of the other Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club members distract the jounin that patrolled the area. No doubt told them some tale about some chuunin picking on them, or their cat being stuck in a tree and refusing to come down.

 

“Or—” Leiko stopped twirling her kunai, allowing the metal to rest in the palm of her hand, “—perhaps you think someone living in this area will help you? Maybe Higurashi's civilian mother will go running to the Hokage? Or maybe her pitiful little brother will try to save the day?”

 

Suddenly, Higurashi Kagome did not feel the need to convince the arrogant Uchiha girl of anything.

 

“Or, this is a laugh, her delusional grandfather will try to relive his days as a shinobi and end up breaking a hip in the attempt?” Leiko laughed.

 

How dare she!?!

 

The famous Higurashi glare sharpened a bit more in Kagome's eyes.

 

The Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club girls suddenly shifted uncomfortably. It was one thing to go after Higurashi Kagome herself, she was, technically, one of them in the sense that they were all Academy students. But, to attack a well honored, aging shinobi was another thing entirely, and none of them were sure they wanted to be a part of it.

 

“Leiko,” Mayu said softly, “I don't—”

 

A fierce glare from the Uchiha girl shut Mayu up.

 

Despite the look in Leiko's eyes, Emiko, still displeased with what she had seen that day, decided she needed to speak up. “Uh, Leiko,” she muttered, “you should not speak that way about your elders, whether they're related to you or not.”

 

“You're all a bunch of cowards!” Leiko snapped. “The Higurashi family is pathetic compared to the Uchiha clan! I can say whatever I wan—”

 

“Shut up.” The amount of venom in Kagome's voice made the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club shiver. “You have no right to speak that way about my family, Uchiha.”

 

Ino took a step back, noticing the sparks that seemed to dance across Kagome's gaze. “Kagome?” she called. She had lost count of how many times someone had angered Kagome while studying in the Academy, but she knew that no one had ever angered her to the point her eyes seemed wickedly stunning.

 

Trying to shake away from the frozen feeling in her limbs, Leiko frowned deeply. She knew that the Higurashi family was capable of spotting almost every detail with their eyes, but she had been unaware of the direct affect they had on an opponent. It almost felt like her blood turned cold, gazing into those hauntingly beautiful depths, and her arrogance and pride did not like it one bit!

 

“Holy—” Asuka whispered, shivering.

 

“You're right,” Leiko forced out. “I've lost track of the real reason why I came here.”

 

“I didn't do anything wrong,” the Higurashi girl instantly replied.

 

“Whether you think so or not—” Uchiha Leiko suddenly released the kunai in her hand, watching Higurashi Kagome immediately step back to keep it from embedding in her foot, “—I'm still going to make sure you stay away from Sasuke-kun!”

 

Kagome shifted only a little, as Leiko rushed her. Her sharp eyes caught sight of the kunai that Leiko produced from her holster, and when she reached her, she grabbed onto her right arm before the weapon could swipe in her direction. She twisted the arm, watching as Leiko forced herself not to cry out, and caused the kunai to fall from between her limp fingers.

 

The Uchiha girl retaliated quickly, slamming her foot into Kagome's stomach and forcing her to release her hold. Then, rubbing a bit at her bruised arm, she flipped her fallen kunai into the air using her sandal and sent it hurtling in Kagome's direction a second later. She was only a little frustrated when the Higurashi dodged, despite the small amount of distance she had managed to put between them, and she suspected it was because of those sharp eyes still focused on her.

 

Pulling a hidden kunai from her waistband, Kagome deflected the shuriken that came rushing at her. She then threw it in Leiko's direction, the girl having used the shuriken as a distraction to get close to her again, and watched her slid to the side. Uchiha Leiko was clearly being careless. However, Kagome did not let it concern her, as she raised her arm to protect her head when Leiko shot into the air and brought her foot down.

 

It would be Leiko's own mistake.

 

The Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club seemed to be revitalized with the violence. They quickly forgot about Leiko's verbal attack on the Higurashi family, and began to cheer Leiko on. They were vicious when it came to taunts, and Asuka and Mayu even moved forward to help Leiko beat Higurashi Kagome into her place.

 

Ino slid into Asuka's view as she rushed forward. “I don't think so,” she stated, finishing her hand sequence. “I've caught you!”

 

Asuka was not quite sure what hit her, as she felt the world go black.

 

Sakura, pausing in her cheer, glanced in the direction of Mayu as the girl shouted at Asuka. Asuka seemed almost confused for a moment, glancing at Ino's suddenly motionless body, before she glanced in Mayu's direction. But, Sakura's gaze remained focused on Ino's form, her head bowed and her form stiff, before she heard Mayu shout in surprise.

 

“Asuka, what in the world!?!” Mayu screamed, clenching her bleeding nose.

 

Asuka grinned in a very non-Asuka way. “You idiot!” she shouted. “I'm not Asuka!”

 

“Wha—!?!” Mayu began, but Asuka was already upon her.

 

Sakura was confused, until she realized that Ino had somehow learned a powerful technique and had kept it from the rest of the fan club. But, how? Sakura made it her soul duty to know everything about Ino, just to make sure she did not catch Sasuke's attention, so when had she learned such a thing? And more importantly, what was it she had been learning?

 

Pushed away, Leiko nearly bit her lip in frustration. She knew for a fact that she surpassed the Higurashi girl in taijutsu. So, how was she defending herself so well? Surely those stunning eyes, piercing into her soul and making her limbs jerk each time she attacked, could not make that big of a difference?!

 

Kagome refused to be moved, as she stared the Uchiha down.

 

“I've had enough of you,” Leiko scowled. She brought her hands up to her chest, and quickly began to shift through a series of hand seals.

 

Snake-Tiger-Boar-Monkey—Kagome was already ahead of her, recognizing the sequence from when she had been helping Sasuke. It was not often that she was able to pick up what technique her opponent was going to use before they used it, but she silently thanked whoever was watching over her while she shifted through her own hand seals.

 

“Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!” The fire swiftly escaped from Leiko's mouth, shooting toward Higurashi Kagome. But, as she watched the fireball soar across the battlefield, Leiko was surprised to hear Kagome's shout.

 

“Water Release: Water Bullet Technique!” Three large, identical water spheres shot from Kagome's mouth. Two quickly doused Leiko's fireball, while the third went hurtling toward her and the rest of the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club.

 

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

 

The door banged against the wall, as the chuunin rushed into the Hokage's office. “Hokage-sama!” he yelled. “Hokage-sama, I have just been informed that there is a—!” His voice trailed off, as he looked upon the Hokage, relaxed and leaning over what appeared to be a large mirror. “Sandaime-sama?”

 

A trail of smoke rose from the Sandaime's pipe, as he lifted his head toward the flustered chuunin. “Hn?” he muttered. “Oh, yes, I am aware.”

 

“Um—if—if you are aware, Hokage-sama, then aren't you going to do something about it?” The chuunin shuffled his feet a bit in uncertainty. “I know for a fact that the Uchiha girl could cause quite a bit of damage, not only to the surrounding area but also to the Higurashi girl, and, well—”

 

“Ah,” the Sandaime Hokage chuckled, “but some forget that the Higurashi clan is just as capable.”

 

“The Higurashi clan, sir?” The chuunin boy was rather confused. “I was only aware that there were four Higurashi members in Konoha, and that does not make—”

 

“They may be broken and scattered across the five great nations,” the Sandaime Hokage replied, “but they are still a clan.”

 

“Oh, yes, of course,” the chuunin nodded.

 

“Most forget that the Higurashi clan is much larger than the few members that managed to travel here to Konoha.” Another trail of smoke rose from the pipe settled between the Hokage's lips. “Just as they often forget that the Higurashi clan members are very capable assassins, and are taught techniques that can cause as much damage as any other clans special techniques.”

 

“So,” the chuunin concluded, “you're not going to stop them, sir?”

 

The Sandaime gazed down at the reflection gazing up at him, watching as it swirled and showed another boy heading toward the area. “No,” he stated firmly, “I believe that the situation will be resolved soon enough without my interference.”

 

“Should I tell the jounin to hold back then, Hokage-sama?” the chuunin asked.

 

“Tell them that the situation is under control and they should not worry so much about Academy students,” the Hokage said. “But, do inform them that they are to stop the commotion and bring me all the children involved in the squabble should it last more than thirty minutes.”

 

The chuunin bowed low at the waist. He was determined to do as the Sandaime Hokage ordered, as he said, “I will inform them right away, sir.”

 

As the chuunin disappeared, the Sandaime Hokage took another long drag from his pipe. His old, twinkling gaze returned to the surface blinking innocently at him and sought out the sight of Higurashi Kagome dodging a well-aimed kunai thrown by Uchiha Leiko. “You,” he chuckled to the Higurashi girl's image, “I believe, are going to cause quite a bit of trouble in the future.”

 

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

 

To amuse himself, Uzumaki Naruto tried to balance the kunai on his nose while he took another tentative step forward. “Ugh, yeah, that's it!” he grinned in victory, as he swiftly centered his head back underneath the kunai when it began to fall to the side. There was no way it was going to escape him. He was, after all, the future Hokage in the making!

 

He really had nothing else to do. Higurashi-san had told him that Kagome had yet to come home from the Academy, assuming that she had to help Iruka-sensei or something. That, in his mind, meant that Sasuke had finally gotten off his lazy butt and done something on his own for once. But, it also meant that he had absolutely nothing to do.

 

The Uchiha jounin were avoiding him. Like usual, but he knew that it was because of the last prank he had pulled on them now. The only downside, despite the awesome memory that it served, was that they seemed to be hiding a lot better than they usually did. Which, consequently, made him bored.

 

Because, really, what else was there to do when Sasuke had Kagome's attention and there were no jounin around to prank?

 

“Uh, no, no,” Naruto huffed. “You're not getting away from me this time, kunai!”

 

Admittedly, Naruto had contemplated the idea of pulling a prank—a really big one!—on some jounin that were not Uchiha bred. But, then, he realized that it just would not be as fun. Uchiha jounin were his favorite to torture, and it would not be the same if he pulled his best prank on a jounin that did not come from the Uchiha clan!

 

Chuckling, he said, “You thought you'd gotten away, didn't ya? Well, you didn't, you hear!?!”

 

Then, for a while, he thought about pulling a prank—a big one!—on a building or monument in the village. But, then, he realized that it would not be as fun if Kagome were not there to frown at him and ask him a billion times how he got her to agree to such a thing. Kagome, despite the complaining she might do, did give him the best ideas and without her he was not entirely sure if his biggest prank would be as completely awesome as he wanted it to be.

 

So, he settled with balancing a kunai on his nose. Again.

 

“You stupid piece of metal!” he snapped. “Do not think you can defeat me! I'm Uzumaki Naru—!” The kunai teetered to one side, and Naruto tried his best to regain control over the weapon. “No, no, no!”

 

A nearby blast startled Naruto for a moment, giving the kunai the opportunity it had been looking for. It toppled forward, despite Naruto's attempt to rebalance it, and then rocketed to the ground with surprisingly speed. Before Naruto could do anything, it embedded itself between his feet, and the blonde felt his lip tremble in despair.

 

Unable to contain it, Naruto shouted, “Why, kunai, why?”

 

The unforgiving weapon merely mocked him by gleaming in the sunlight.

 

“Why did you betray me?!” Naruto sniffled, snatching the kunai out of the dirt. He shook it in front of his face for a moment, knowing that he was probably receiving quite a few odd looks, before allowing his hand to fall to his side.

 

He would just have to try again another day—!

 

The shinobi-in-training tilted his head to the side, suddenly, when his eye caught sight of steam rising up in the distance. “I wonder what's going on over there,” he muttered. Then, a grin sprang up on his face, as he shouted, “I know! There's probably some enemy shinobi that have—Wait, this is near Kagome's house!? Holy crap, what if Kagome's over there?!”

 

Rushing forward, the grin on Naruto's face refused to disappear. Yes, he did believe that Higurashi Kagome was probably fighting some evil, smelly enemy shinobi! However, if that were the case, this was the perfect opportunity to cheer his friend on and watch her kick some enemy shinobi butt! Not only that, but he could probably kick some butt, too, and then the rest of the village would praise them for having defeated the enemy that no one else saw coming!

 

But, Naruto was surprised when he finally peeked around a corner and nearly got his face fried off. He gasped for air, barely having avoided the fire, and brought his hands up to make sure that he still had eyebrows. He sighed in relief when he realized that, yes, he did still have—

 

“Are you stupid?!” Yamanaka Ino's voice shouted. “You could burn down the village if you keep shooting those everywhere!?!”

 

“Be quiet, Ino!” another girl snapped. “You've caused enough trouble already!”

 

“Stop it!?” Ino yelled.

 

Naruto's eyes widened, as he watched his best friend rocket herself away from a giant fireball. A large ball of water quickly escaped from her mouth, striking the fire before it could damage any of the surrounding buildings. And then, Uchiha Leiko went chasing after her, a kunai flashing wickedly in the daylight.

 

His mouth falling open, Naruto watched as Kagome and Leiko clashed. Kunai scrapped together between them, Leiko trying to throw Kagome off balance by grasping her shoulder, before they thrust each other away. And, as the battle continued, Naruto came to one realization.

 

This was perfect!!?!

 

Kagome was the damsel in distress, while Leiko was the evil shinobi bent on defeating her! Which meant that, finally, Sasuke would have the perfect opportunity to show Kagome that he cared! That he wanted to protect her! To make her open her eyes and realize he wanted her to love him!?!

 

But—Naruto bit his lip in indecision—the Uchiha compound was almost on the other side of the village. Sure, once he found Sasuke, the Uchiha boy would no doubt pump as much chakra through his body as he was able in order to race back, but there was still the possibility that the scuffle would be over by then. Sasuke could be racing back for nothing.

 

Shaking away the thought, Naruto decided that it was now or nothing. There might not be a better opportunity for Sasuke, since it was going to take something big for Kagome to realize he liked her. And, really, he had agreed to give the Uchiha every opportunity to try and capture Kagome's heart.

 

He was the only one trying, after all.

 

Finally, forcing his feet to move, the boy decided that his friend had the situation under control for the moment. She could hold out until he managed to find Sasuke and sent the Uchiha back to help her. She could, there was no denying that, so she should be fine until he managed to arrive. And, if she were not, she would have more reason to look upon Sasuke with admiring eyes!

 

Slamming his foot against the side of a building, Naruto bound up to the roof. Chakra steadied his footing, and he practically flew toward the Uchiha compound. He surprised himself, actually, with how much speed he obtained when he was concerned about his friend and saving her love life.

 

Of course, it was not like he wanted to hand his best friend's heart over to an arrogant Uchiha. But, Uchiha Sasuke was the only one actually trying and at the moment it seemed like he was best person for Kagome. He had status—admittedly, Kagome did not care about that, but he had it nonetheless. He had wealth—the items in his room alone could probably pay to support her for an eternity. He had spirit—he would push forward in order to protect her, especially from other boys. He had determination—he was actually trying to obtain Higurashi Kagome's heart, the most oblivious girl in the world!

 

The best part, however, had to be the fact that he would always have something to dangle over Uchiha Sasuke's head. Seriously!?! He was in love with Higurashi Kagome, Uzumaki Naruto's best friend!?

 

Things just did not get better than that!

 

Soaring across another alleyway, Naruto was positive he was making excellent time. He could see the large, forbidding Uchiha compound in the distance and taunting him in the distance. The only thing that could make the situation better was if Sasuke had decided to travel away from his house and—

 

And, holy shit, there he was!?!

 

“Sasuke! Sasuke!” Naruto shouted, jumping to ground level. He almost could not believe his luck as the dark haired Uchiha boy turned on his heel and blinked at him in curiosity. “Sasuke, you have to come quick!”

 

“Tch.” Sasuke's dark eyes scanned the crowd surrounding them. “And why would I even consider coming with you, dobe?”

 

“W-what?!” Naruto cried. “Because, Kag—OH! I get it! We're in public and you don't want me to give away your little secret, is that it?”

 

“I don't know what you're talking about, and just to be on the safe side, I don't want to know,” the Uchiha boy replied.

 

As Sasuke turned away from him, Naruto yelled, “You idiot, don't you under—?!”

 

Uchiha Sasuke jerked his head subtlety, but it was a clear sign for Naruto to follow him down the dark alley. Once he was sure they were out of earshot, he asked, “Now—”

 

“I can't believe you!” Naruto cut him off. “I ran all this way—”

 

“Naruto,” Sasuke tried, and failed, to speak once more.

 

“—and, you know what else, I'm sort of regretting coming to get you!” Naruto hissed, throwing his hands into the air. “I mean, this is a very serious matter and all you want to do is make sure no one knows that you, the great and powerful Uchiha Sasuke, are in love with Higurashi Kagome!”

 

“Naruto,” Sasuke growled.

 

“Oh, and really—”

 

“Dobe!”

 

“WHAT!?” Naruto shouted. “This is—”

 

“What was it you wanted to tell me?” Sasuke demanded.

 

“Oh, oh!” Naruto nodded. “Right, well, I was trying to find something to do when—”

 

Sasuke quickly snapped, “The point.” He was not in the mood. Something about Naruto's appearance just screamed that he needed to know what he had come to tell him, and he did not want to listen to the blonde shinobi-in-training rant at him for a good ten minutes.

 

“Uh, right!” Naruto nodded, again. “Well, Kagome's being attacked by Leiko and—”

 

Uchiha Sasuke cut him off once more, his eyes shadowed by his hair. “Did you just say,” he hissed, “that Kagome, as in Higurashi Kagome, is being attacked by Leiko, as in Uchiha Leiko?”

 

“Well, yeah—” Naruto started.

 

Sasuke's blazing eyes locked on Naruto's, anger clearly etched in his face. His eye visibly twitched, while his hand clenched into a fist, and he prepared himself for the noise he was about to make. Then, he yelled, “If she's being attacked, why didn't you help her?!?”

 

“Because,” Naruto defended himself, “this is the perfect opportunity for you to—Hey! Hey!” The Uzumaki boy watched as the Uchiha suddenly rushed away from him. And he went to follow, shouting, “You don't know where you're going!?”

 

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

 

Biting her lip, Kagome extinguished another trail of flames that began licking up the side of a building to her left with a douse of water. The area was so close to her home, and she was positive that the flames could spread that far very quickly if she did not stop them immediately. So, she did, despite the fact that Leiko's clone dropped from the same rooftop with a kunai shining in its grip.

 

The clone swiped the kunai through the air, clipping Kagome's hair a bit as the Higurashi girl sprang backwards.

 

“Fire Release—” one clone finished the hand sequence, while another began to release the first batch of flames, “—Great Fireball Technique!”

 

Escaping the trail of fire, Kagome watched as the fire slammed greedily into the side of a wooden building and began to eat away at the structure. She gritted her teeth in that moment, wondering where the jounin in the area were. They should have seen the flames, at least!? And they should have come running, putting a stop to the battle and dragging them all away to see the Hokage!? Yet, no jounin came, and Kagome was forced to deal with the flames herself as the helpless civilians watched the Uchiha bring devastation to their sector.

 

Damn it, though, there was only so much precipitation in the air! And she was pretty sure that the Uchiha girl had figured out that that was how she was continuously producing the orbs of water. Which meant it was also the reason she was throwing so many of the fireballs around, knowing that she would soon run out of water and need to run in order to escape the flames.

 

Then, she knew, she would be easy prey.

 

“Leiko!” Ino cried, struggling against Asuka and Mayu. “You're going to burn the village down!?”

 

Mayu snorted, saying, “Leiko knows what she's doing, Ino. She's not going to burn the village down!”

 

Asuka, surprisingly, nodded in agreement. “Leiko is an Uchiha, she knows what the limit is on her technique.” Then, sneering, she added, “Besides, she'll be a much better president now that you've decided that you would rather help that little witch. We'll begin the arrangements right away. Oh, and, maybe, we'll tell the Uchiha Itachi Fan Club about your little need to help those that only want to take what belongs to us!”

 

Ino growled, snapping, “As if the members of the Uchiha Itachi Fan Club would listen to any of you, Asuka! They know whose innocent and whose not!”

 

“Uh,” Mayu rolled her eyes, “if they can't see that that little Higurashi brat is trying to steal Sasuke-kun from us, then they're as dumb as you are, Ino! Though, really, I don't see why we've gone to such lengths in order to keep her away from him! Sasuke-kun will never turn away from me!”

 

“You?” Asuka snorted. “In your dreams, Mayu.”

 

“What'd you say?” Mayu growled. Her grip slackened a little, while she glared heatedly into Asuka's eyes. Oh, how she hated that girl! She did not deserve to be a faithful Uchiha follower!

 

“You heard me—”

 

Ino seized the opportunity, as Asuka went to argue with Mayu more. She slammed her elbow into Mayu's stomach, causing the girl to double over, and then swiped her foot beneath Asuka's feet before she could comprehend what had happened. Once they were both on the ground, one wheezing and the other whining about her back, Ino grinned in victory. “You two,” she stated, “really need to shut up.”

 

Leiko's voice commanded attention once more, forcing Ino's attention to her, while the Uchiha girl laughed. “Look at you, Higurashi. You're more concerned with the wood around here than your life! Surely you don't think that Sasuke-kun will ever be attracted to someone that will not even fight back?”

 

“I told you—” Kagome began. “Oh, forget it!”

 

A voice suddenly hissed in Kagome's ear, “Those eyes of yours—”

 

“—apparently don't see everything!” another voice shouted.

 

Two clones attacked Kagome simultaneously, each waving a gleaming kunai and dropping from the sky at shocking speed. However, the Higurashi girl was prepared, and she rolled away from her position, using her momentum to hoist her body onto her hands. Then, just as quickly, she bent her elbows and pushed herself further away from Uchiha Leiko.

 

The sound of the clones popping out of existence told Kagome that she had won the battle, but she was far from winning the war. And, as she bit her lip again, she debated strongly on whether to use a more devastating technique in order to put a stop to Leiko's madness. A water technique could only do so much damage, but a lightning one could easily paralyze the body and leave Leiko unconscious. She knew there was the chance of death, though, and she also knew that her mother would be very disappointed to hear that she had used such a technique on a fellow shinobi.

 

“Don't think you can run forever, Higurashi!” Leiko chuckled. Her gaze seemed wild, while her heart pounded inside her chest. She was positive she was going to prove to Sasuke that she, a well-bred Uchiha woman, would be better suited as his wife. And she was positive that she was going to scar the Higurashi girl in some way, which, strangely, delighted her in many ways.

 

Before Kagome knew what she was really doing, she was praying for her mother to forgive her just this once. And then, relaxing her body and knowing she was opening herself for attack, she began to shift through a series of complicated hand seals.

 

The jounin were not coming. She had to do something!? It did not matter if her mother would be furious at her, as long as she managed to knock Leiko unconscious with one blow. Because then, at least, the village would be safe from the Uchiha girl's sudden need to throw fire everywhere.

 

However, Kagome flattered in her hand sequence when a fan girl shouted, “Sasuke-kun!”

 

The Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club squealed in glee, believing that the boy they loved had come to help them. He had finally seen that Higurashi Kagome was no good for him and planned to strike the finishing blow! And then, oh then, he would choose one of them to help him with his training!

 

But, of course, there were always those that did not believe completely as some of the fan club members tensed at the look in Sasuke's eyes. They realized, though the rest of the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club would deny it till the end, that Sasuke's stance was protective, fierce, and he was looking at them. They, the small few that they were, immediately backed away, believing that the simple movement might stop Uchiha Sasuke from focusing his rage upon them.

 

“Sasuke!?!” Leiko cried out in surprise.

 

Higurashi Kagome turned her head, her hair flipping up with the action, as Uchiha Sasuke knelt in one fluid motion. Her sharp eyes watched, fixed upon his form, as he brought his hand up to his mouth. She knew what he planned to do almost instantly—she was a bit skeptical after watching him fail to perform the technique more than a few times—but she was still surprised when the flames were released and sent shooting toward his kin.

 

The Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club squealed again, in terror, as they turned to flee from the one boy they had always believed would not turn against them in violence.

 

Ino, having moved to the side to escape the stampede, felt her mouth drop open. Sasuke really did—!?

 

Amongst the flames and the chaos, Kagome's gaze remained locked on Sasuke's form even when he rose up and stood at full height. Suddenly, as she watched, she could not seem to hear the annoying squeals from the fan club members or Leiko's frightened yell. All she noticed was the way the glow of the flames licked against the coloration of Sasuke's face, his dark eyes focused upon her, and his thick voice called out through the increasing noise to ask her a question.

 

“They didn't hurt you, did they, Kagome?”

 

Her eyes widening, the Higurashi girl felt her face begin to heat up.

 

“Now, that's what I'm talking about!?!” Naruto's excited voice shouted from behind them.

 

Uchiha Sasuke completely ignored Naruto, his concern for Kagome and Kagome alone. “Kagome?” he called softly, when she refused to answer him.

 

Surprising even herself, a small “eep” escaped Kagome's mouth. Then, as she felt her blush heating up further, she quickly turned her head away from the Uchiha boy to try and calm her suddenly racing heart.

 

How, she wondered, had she never noticed how handsome Uchiha Sasuke really was?

 

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

 

KibaSin: There! I hoped that satisfied you, because it certainly satisfied my need for violence! And it also added a few elements that I'm planning to incorporate into the `genin years' if I, ultimately, decide to do that part of the tale (I'm pretty positive that I'll post it into another document, like another story all together, if I do).

 

Kiba

 

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