Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Chronicles of a Self-Made Shinobi ❯ The Calm Before the Storm (1) ( Chapter 16 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Chronicles of a Self-Made Shinobi: The Calm Before the Storm (chap. 1)

Kumiko was snoring on the park bench. She had been so busy lately because the Fifth sent her on any mission that came her way.

“Since you just became a ninja, we need to catch you up. You must give to the village like the others have,” she told her.

What's worse, Kumiko wasn't part of an official team. Tsunade simply tacked her on to any mission needing (or something not needing) another person. But mostly she was called for odd missions. There seemed to be a lot of problems requiring Kumiko's specialty.

Standing above her was a boy. He was looking down at her. The wind softly blowing a strand of unkempt hair across her nose. She wrinkled it and sneezed.

The boy had his hands in his pockets, kneading his left leg with left hand. Something felt awful, there was something in the air. It smelled like rain without rain. One of those oppressive days. It hung over her, the one sleeping on the park bench.

Shikamaru had to wake her up and take her to the Fifth. But he didn't want to. It reminded him of his mission a long while ago. What was it, a whole year? When he brought all his friends along to save Uchicha Sasuke. Why does this day remind him of that?

In her dreams she heard a cough and started awake, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

“You know…the grass is much more comfortable.”

Shikamaru loomed above her and he looked out of the corner of his eye sleepily. Kumiko yawned and closed her eyes again.

“Hey hey,” he said, and nudged her with his knee. “The Fifth is calling for you.”

Kumiko groaned and stood up and stretched her arms.

“How come she sent someone so high and mighty to get me?” she asked as they walked through the streets.

He rolled his eyes. “The Chuunin Exams are soon, you know.”

She nodded.

Shika put his hands in his pockets and stared up at the sky, then sighed. “Be careful…” His emotions had to be locked away in a small safe. That was true with all shinobi. Lock them away, and when someone is playing with the combination; change it. Besides, this time he can do nothing.

Kumiko glanced up at him and saw his face screwed up in an annoyed frown. He was trying not to be concerned but she knew better.

She punched him on the arm.

“Ow!”

She laughed, he sighed and mumbled troublesome, and together they walked up the Hokage Mansion steps and into Tsunade's office.

The Fifth looked up from her paperwork and saw Kumiko with a wide smile. Tsunade couldn't help but think of a certain knuckleheaded ninja; that was the same look. But his was a special case, he kept that look, though somewhat tapered down. Many times before, the look had disappeared completely. She almost couldn't bear to see another smile disappear.

“So Kumiko…as you know the Chuunin Exams are approaching,” she said. “ It was hard but, we convinced the board to let you take it. We pulled a few strings to make you an official genin but after that you have to go through the process. They're still not too happy about it, seeing as you have no ninja talents…you have to work harder than the rest.”

Kumiko nodded. She knew all along that she was going to have to work harder. Just like Lee; they shared the same path.

The Fifth took a drink of what her assistant Shizune thought was tea. “I was going to put you in Ino and Chouji's group since Shikamaru is already a chuunin but…some hyperactive ninja wouldn't get off my case. Lucky for you, the third teammate has fallen sick. Kumiko, you will enter the chuunin exams as the third member of team Rock Lee and Hyuuga Neji. Pack your things, the first test starts tomorrow.”

Shikamaru offered to walk her back to her shed and she agreed. She had little to do to prepare for the exams, she was ready since she first became a ninja. She put on a serious face, hiding the small twinge of fear that was welling up inside her.

“I wonder,” she began. “If you can become a ninja without your heart encased in stainless steel. That's my specialty, you know, artificial things, but for some reason I find it hard to crack its configuration.”

Shikamaru understood her, that's why she said it. They often played riddle games with each other. Whenever she wasn't working in the shed or training with Lee, she sought out Shikamaru. Training the mind was just as essential as training the body.

She heard a sigh. “Don't ask me that. I just want to live a normal life, with a normal family. But when you're IQ is running off the charts, no one's gonna leave you alone.”

Coming from anyone else it may have seemed snobbish, but Shika was talking from somewhere deep inside. Kumiko understood. He looked like he wanted to say more, so she walked quietly beside him until he could gather his words.

“Don't get angry with me, but I'm worried about you in the exams. You're strong, ch, too strong if you ask me,” he added playfully. “But these exams are different than what you've been doing up until now. Even our mission into that cave… it took brains, but here there's no time to think. One mistake, and, well…it won't be Kakashi in disguise.”

Kumiko would have normally gotten angry at such a comment. Of course she knew it was dangerous. But Shikamaru was really worried. “I know,” she said. “But if I don't take the exams, I'll be stuck like this forever. I'm the opposite of you: I was forced into a normal life, and I don't want it.”

He rolled his eyes at her and she smiled. “Besides…” she said, as a green blur whizzed around a corner ahead of her. “I've got a kick-ass teammate.”