Wish Upon the Night Sky (Naruto Fanfic)

Chapter 33

Usagi thirty three


>>>>CHAPTER 33<<<<

>>>>Preliminary Round<<<<

"CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL FOR PASSING THE SECOND EXAM!" Anko shouted, her voice echoing across the hall that the genin stood in.

As Usagi realized that there were still a lot of ninja here, the thought of a preliminary round crossed her mind.

'I am not fighting in a preliminary round.' The sassy side of Usagi’s brain jumped into action.

So, after a few pointless explanations, an announcement was made by Hayate, the third proctor, who seemed rather sickly. Is he well enough to be leading and supervising an exam?

"Before we start the exam... I ask you all to do something for me. Uh, you see, *cough* we need to hold a preliminary round."

"... WHAT?!" The crowd of tired genin yelled. Usagi just sighed. Well, she was out.

"I don't understand." None other than Sakura spoke up. "Why can't all the remaining applicants just proceed directly to the next exam?"

"Well... I don't want to say that the first two exams weren't demanding enough, but the truth is... We still have too many applicants. *Cough* Under the traditional ruled of the exam, we have to hold a preliminary test to reduce the number of applicants who will proceed to the third exam.

“*Cough cough* As lord Hokage explained before, a number of honoured guests will be observing you during the third exam... So we must make the exam intense and fast moving.

“Anyway... *Cough* Now that you know what it's really all about... Anyone who doesn't feel up to the challenge, either physically or mentally, can walk away. Just take one step forward, because the preliminaries start right now!"

Usagi started to think. 'Should I really drop out? I mean, I’ve already made it this far… But I really don't want to fight right now... But I've already gone through the first two exams... But I'm also sick right now... But I can deal with the pain... But do I want to deal with the pain? Is it worth the trouble? I mean... Do I really need to become a chunin? No. I don't. Why am I even here?! To support my teammates. I shall fight on for my team... But I don't want to...'

When in doubt, get advice from the one and only...

'Summoning jutsu!' Usagi slammed her hands to the floor, which caught everyone's attention.

"Bark Bark!" Ringo jumped around. 'Hey Usagi! How are you?!’

"Why did you summon that puppy right now?" Sakura asked.

[I need advice. Ringo is fantastic at giving it.]

"... Kay." Sakura turned away, ignoring the redhead’s existence. It’s understandable why she thought Usagi was weird. She was asking a dog for advice.

All eyes soon turned to Kabuto, who announced he was quitting.

'So, Ringo. Should I fight in the preliminary round?' Usagi thought as Ringo jumped on her head.

'Tough to say... I think that- Oh my Kami! That puppy over there is so cute!' Ringo caught sight of Akamaru.

'Focus.' Usagi sighed. 'I need help.'

'Oh... Right. Well, you're injured pretty badly. I mean, no offence, but you look like shit.'

'... Thanks.' Note sarcasm.

'Heheh... I said no offense... Anyway, I think you should fight. I really wanna watch how tough you are!'

'... Ok then. I'll fight.'

'Yaaayyy!' Ringo barked.

[I have decided to take part in this unnecessary, incredibly annoying and inconvenient preliminary match.] Usagi announced.

"Kay." Everyone proceeded to not care... Except for Sakura, who was now paying attention to her again.

"I think you should quit, Usagi.” She said, twiddling her thumbs as she nervously spoke. “And you too Sasuke! You're both in pain, and need help! Sasuke, that mark on your skin is hurting again, isn't it... And Usagi, you're arm needs to be treated as soon as possible! Please... Please withdraw... I'm afraid... You two are in no condition to fight!"

"Shut up." Sasuke growled.

"Sasuke, I know that you've barely been able to contain the pain! If you won't listen to me and quit, then I'll tell all the teachers about that mark, then-"

"Keep your mouth shut. Not a word about the mark." Sasuke spoke lowly.

A few tears fell from Sakura’s eyes. "Why do you always have to act so strong? I can't bear to watch you suffer..." Sakura then turned to Usagi and gave her puppy dog eyes. "Usagi...?"

After stating into Sakura’s puppy dog emerald green eyes, she couldn't take it anymore.

'Sorry Ringo... I'm out.' She raised her hand. Upon seeing her raised hand, everyone gasped in shock... Except for Shikamaru and Choji, who were trying to hold in their laughter.

'Don’t worry 'bout it, Usagi.' Ringo barked. 'I would have given in to that pout as well.'

"You're Usagi Hatake..." Hayate looked down at the papers in front of him. "Alright, you can go."

Instead of walking out the doors, Usagi walked towards Hayate. [Can I watch the other preliminary rounds? I won't get in the way, I just want to watch.]

"... Uh... If you want. There's really no need for you to stay."

[So I can stay?]

"*Cough* Uh, yeah."

[Thanks.] Usagi stepped back towards the crowd of genin.

"... You just..." Naruto was in complete shock. "You... But... Why... I-I don't..."

'I think you broke him.' Ringo commented.

'It’s about time.' Usagi smirked. 'I’ve never seen him so quiet before. It’s kinda nice.'

The quiet didn't last for long. "Why'd you quit for?! You could beat everyone here easy, so why?!"

[Truthfully, I can't be bothered.]

"So you quit because you can't be bothered fighting?!"

[Yes.] Usagi wrote the word really big across her page.

"But I don't get it!" Naruto yelled, running a hand through his blonde hair.

"There's nothing to get." Shikamaru said. "She quit these troublesome exams. If anything, I think she was smart to do so. Preliminaries are such a drag..."

"But Usagi's not lazy like you are!" Naruto yelled.

"... Are you serious?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Do you even know her at all?"

"...What do you mean?"

"Usagi's practically lazier than Shikamaru." Choji said.

Before Naruto could have a panic attack, Hayate started speaking again.

"Ah, well then. We will now begin the preliminaries... Which consist of individual combat matches, as though this were part of a tournament. As there are a total of twenty applicants remaining, we will hold ten matches.

"*Cough Cough* The battle will go on until one person is dead, unconscious, or admits defeat. As soon as you sense that your opponent is overpowering you, immediately concede your loss... If you value your life.

"Uh, since we don't want a total bloodbath on our hands, there may be cases where we step in and stop the match... But don't count on that. *Cough*

"From here on out, the key to your fate is held in... This electronic scoreboard. At the start of every round, we will display two names... Those two people will be competing in that match.

"So, uh... *Cough Cough* Not to hurry you all to the slaughter... But let's begin. We will now announce the first two names."

-Sasuke Uchiha vs Yoroi Akado-

"Will the two please step forwards?" The two did as Hayate asked.

As they prepared for battle, everyone made their way to the viewing area.

As Usagi made her way up the stairs, she couldn't help but wonder if she should see a doctor about her arm... Probably... Oh well. It can wait.

"Uh, Usagi... Shouldn't you see a doctor?" Sakura asked.

[Probably.]

"Are you going to?"

[Later.]

"B-But... If you don't get your arm disinfected soon, you could die!"

[Death doesn't scare me.]

Ringo saw it appropriate to make a comment. ‘You're a real smart ass, you know.'

"Usagi, I'll tell Sensei!" Sakura continued to argue.

... Usagi stared at her blankly. 'Is that supposed to scare me?' But then she thought about it. ‘... Actually, that kinda does scare me. Kami knows what dad might say.’

"Hey!" Naruto called out. "Sasuke’s match is starting!"

As their attention turned back to Sasuke, he had already started fighting.

Al through the battle, it was clear he was in pain. With Yoroi’s ability to absorb another’s chakra, Sasuke was running out of options.

As the battle continued on, black marks spread over Sasuke’s body.

However, just as the teachers were about to step in and stop the battle, the black marks receded, and Sasuke slammed Yoroi to the ground.

"Sasuke Uchiha is the winner of the first preliminary match!"

After Sasuke was ushered off by Kakashi, the seconds match was...

-Zaku Abumi vs Shino Aburame-

"Usagi, come with me." Kakashi turned around before he disappeared with Sasuke.

Usagi walked down to her dad, following him as he walked from the room.

Looks like she would be missing out on Shino’s match.

So, the three made their way to an empty room in the tower.

As Kakashi prepared to seal Sasuke’s curse mark, he asked Usagi a question.

"You don't have a curse mark too, do you?"

[I don't have one.]

"What happened to your arm? There's blood all over your sleeve."

[It got cut.]

"By who?"

[Orochimaru.]

Focusing his attention back to Sasuke, Kakashi finished up the markings for seal and... Sealed it.

"If the curse mark awakens again, the power of this seal should contain it. But... Sasuke, the foundation of the seals power is the strength of your own will. You have to want it to work and believe in your own power to control it. If you don't, the curse could have its way again."

Sasuke then collapsed to the ground. He was exhausted.

"Alright." Kakashi sighed, waving his hand at Usagi. "Usagi, come here."

Usagi walked over to her dad, and he rolled up her sleeve, noticing the bandages on her upper arm were stained with blood.

As he unwrapped the bandages around her arm, Usagi tensed up.

"Does that hurt?" Kakashi questioned.

"Yeah." Usagi nodded.

Upon seeing the cut, Kakashi knew straight away it was bad. The cut itself was deep and it almost ran down her full upper arm. It would need to be stitched back up so it could heal properly. The skin around it was a deep purple colour and swollen, showing that it was infected. Even though the cut was a few days old now, the skin had hardly healed at all. The only improvement was the fact that it stopped bleeding.

"You're gonna need to get that stitched up." He said.

"It won't scar, will it?"

"Not sure..." Kakashi decided not to touch the cut further, and to just look at her wrist instead. "So, what happened to your wrist?"

"I fell over and hit it. I think it's broken." Usagi lied.

He raised an eyebrow as he took the bandages off. "So when you fell over, you happened to bruise yourself in the exact shape of a hand?"

"... Yes?" Usagi hesitated with the answer. It was an obvious lie, but it showed she wasn’t going to say how it really happened.

Kakashi sighed, realizing he wouldn't get an answer out of her. "Come on. I'll take you to the infirmary to get that arm fixed up, and we'll set Sasuke down there too."

But just as they were about to move, a voice spoke up. A venomous voice that was itching with curiosity, with power, with familiarity.

"It looks like you're all grown up, Kakashi."

Both Kakashi and Usagi froze where they stood.

"It's been a long time."

"... Orochimaru..." Kakashi growled as he turned to face the pale skinned snake.

"Pardon my rudeness, but I have no use for you. I'm here for the two behind you." He hissed.

"What do you want with them?" Kakashi asked, standing in front of his daughter and the unconscious Uchiha.

"It's simple really. I want their eyes. I must possess the Uchiha blood to get the sharingan... And the girl’s latent abilities... The rinnegan is truly a magnificent dojutsu."

"How do you know of her rinnegan?" Kakashi asked. Only a few people in the village were supposed to know...

"Rei Uzumaki. A lovely women she is." Orochimaru smiled creepily.

'She...' Usagi was shocked. Never had she thought she would sink so low.

"Even though she's a lovely lady, it would seem she wants the girl dead... I, on the other hand, have something different planned."

"What are you...?" Kakashi’s voice trailed off.

"The newly created sound village. Otogakure. That is my home, you see." Orochimaru explained. "Is it becoming clear now?"

"So it's just your greed..."

"I suppose you could say that..." Orochimaru slithered. "Good help is so hard to find these days... And I need all sorts of pawns at my disposal."

"So you're planning to use these two... As your pawns?"

"Oh, these two are very special pawns." Orochimaru explained. "Unlike the kids I have going through the exam right now, they're keepers. The other kids are all disposable."

Kakashi concentrated his chakra to his palm. "Stay away from them." Chidori wrapped around his hand as he spoke. "Even if you are one of those three ninja... I can take you down."

Orochimaru then laughed. Laughed. Laughed? LAUGHED?!

Oh hell no.

"What's so funny?" Kakashi growled.

"You say one thing... And do another." Orochimaru laughed.

"What?"

"The seal you put on Sasuke was futile." The snake hissed. "When a heart is focused and ruthless in its desire... Then for good or evil, the end will justify any means. Sasuke possesses such a heart... The heart of an avenger."

"Sasuke’s not-"

"A day will come when he will seek me out... Hungry for power. When that day comes, I guarantee I will have Usagi, and her powers too."

As Orochimaru turned and walked away, he spoke up one last time. "I believe you were offering to kill me. Care to try? ...Or are you all talk?"

With that, the snake disappeared.

"Dad?" Usagi looked up at her dad. It was clear he was rather shaken up by the snake’s words...

"Let's go to the infirmary." He sighed, picking up Sasuke.

Usagi nodded, but frowned. Ringo spoke up, noticing she was also bothered by what Orochimaru had said.

'Don't worry, Usagi. I'll protect you! That snake won't get anywhere near you while I'm around!'

'Thanks, Ringo.'

'Heheh! No problem! Nagato’s way stronger than that guy too, so you've got nothing to worry about!'

'I still have no idea who Nagato is.' Usagi pointed out.

‘You'll find out soon enough. Just be patient. Kay?'

'... Fine.'

__________________________________________________________________________________________

AN/ So the other day I noticed that chapter 21 of this book has 2.2k reads. Is that chapter like magic or something? I don’t get it. Give me reads no jutsu.

Anyway, actually relating to the storyline, who do you think Nagato is? Not think he is, most of you know already because you would have read or watched Naruto, but I’m curious. What do you think he’s up to?

Is he a friend or a foe? I’m curious what you think, seeing as you don’t know the future of the story.

I apologize for how poorly some of these parts are written too. I read over some old stuff I wrote and I think it’s safe to say my writing has improved. The writing of this story should improve in a few chapters time hopefully, when the chapters I wrote over a year ago stop and I pick up with the more recently written chapters.

I’m talking too much. Ok. Thank you for reading :)


-C