Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Shinobi Way ❯ Reunion ( Chapter 1 )

 

Chapter 1: Reunion

 

Team 7 burst into the Chuunin examination room, bearing a confidence borne from ignorance. Leaving Sasuke and Naruto to size up the competition, Sakura eagerly searched for one, particular shinobi.

 

She found him without much effort; a lean boy about her age. He was sitting on the floor hunched over against a bench. He had slicked-back, light gray hair, almost white, and a narrow face with strong, angular features. He wore simple clothes; dark gray, loose fitting cargo pants with a kunai pouch strapped to his right thigh, a tight, light blue sleeveless shirt, and his Konoha hitai-ate tied over his eyes. Bandages completely covered his left arm, while his right shoulder was adorned by a tattoo of two angel wings: one black and the other white. The only un-shinobi-esque flourish in his outfit was an unusual necklace. A simple, silver band was threaded through two matching rings; the first ring was made of silver and had an intricate flower design, laced with diamond, carved into it. The second was of the same make, but with a golden body and ruby inlay.

 

Sakura crouched down in front of him, tapped him on the soldier and said, “Elriu, it's me!” Elriu didn't answer. Sakura poked him again, harder.

 

“Elriu? Are you listening to me?” Suddenly, a low rumble was emitted from the back of Elriu's throat, greatly resembling a snore.

 

A familiar vein popped in Sakura's forehead. “ELRIU YOU IDIOT!” she roared in righteous, female fury, “GET UP!” She emphasized this statement by smashing her foot into his solar plexus.

 

The breath came out of Elriu in a whoosh as he groggily moaned, “…the hell that for…?”

 

“The first time we see each other in three months, and all you can do is CUSS at me!?!?!”

 

Elriu had, by then, recovered and now stood up; a full head taller than Sakura, and shouted back, “The first time we see each other in three months, and all you can do is KICK ME IN THE STOMACH!?!?!”

 

“Well I wouldn't have had to kick you if you'd been awake!”

 

“Oh yeah, since I can totally tell when you've walked into the room while I'm asleep!” Amusing as this intercourse was, Sasuke decided that enough was enough.

 

“Oh, quiet down you two, you're-“

 

“-Making a scene.”

 

Two completely identical kunoichi appeared at Elriu's back, his teammates Raine and Rika. The two sisters wore matching martial arts uniforms, simple in form and free in function. The only way to tell them apart (aside from knowing them very well) was the fact that Raine always wore her hair in two short pigtails while Rika always wore hers in a single, long ponytail.

 

Elriu nervously scratched the back of his head and laughed, saying to the crowd of gathered shinobi, who were indeed staring at them, “Sorry about that guys, she's a bit slow you see…” Yet another familiar vein popped in Sakura's forehead, bidding her to uppercut Elriu into near unconsciousness. Sasuke, Raine, Rika, and even Naruto sighed deeply. Some things never change.

 

Sakura's horrifying rage was interrupted by Elriu's infuriating, impossible-to-stay-angry-at smile. He scratched the back of his head (an old habit you see), and sheepishly said, “It's good to see you again guys.” Sakura smiled warmly at her old friend (already over her anger), Naruto just laughed, and Sasuke's mouth twitched slightly, probably the closest thing an angty emo kid like him could get to a friendly greeting.

 

He turned to Naruto, slapping his hand with his own and firmly clasping it, (A/N: I don't really know the actual name of this move, you know, it's kind of like a mix between a high five in regards to position of hands during contact, and a handshake in regards to duration and force of said contact. I just know that when teenage boys make a physical greeting, this is what happens. Whoa, sorry, that was an incredibly long tangent; back to the story.) and said with a smirk, “I'm surprised you made it this far! I thought you'd have gotten yourself killed by now.”

 

Naruto's angry (and likely stupid) retort was interrupted by Sakura's worrywart.

 

“Geez, there sure are a lot of tough looking ninja here to take the test, aren't there? Do you think we really stand a chance?”

 

Elriu, suddenly serious, said, “The simple fact that we're here in this room, taking this exam, means that we're capable of competing with these guys. But if you let them intimidate you, they've already won.”

 

Sakura's response was interrupted by the incredibly loud arrival of the first exam's proctor, Morino Ibiki.

 

“ALRIGHT YOU FILTHY LITTLE MAGGOTS! SHUT UP THE HELL UP BEFORE I FEED YOU TO THE GULLS!” Many of the assorted shinobi in the room visibly winced at Ibiki's too-loud voice. He continued, shouting, “Everyone, get to your assigned seats! The written test will begin shortly!”

 

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