Finding My Ninja Way: A Naruto Fanfic

Chapter 13: Daggers & Lillies

My alarm blared early in the morning, but this time I was ready. Before Zenomaru's snout could even be within reach of the clock, I sat up in bed wide awake and slammed my palm down on the off button. "Today's the day!"

I hurried to the closet and tapped my chin. "What do you think, Z? What says This is a casual meet-up, but you should really find me attractive?"

He went prone, whining.

"Yes, I know. We both know. It's a stretch, but I mean what else can I do? My humor can only do so much." He barked harshly. "Rude, I do too have a sense of humor!" I reached into the closet and spread the clothes out along the rail. "I'm thinking the casual navy blue long sleeve, yeah?" Pulling it off its hanger, I pressed it against me. "I've been told I look good in dark colors."

Z let out a bellowing growl.

"Did I stutter? Y'know, sometimes you just like to give me a hard time." I rushed into the restroom, blazing through the process of brushing my teeth and tidying up my hair. Water splashed onto the mirror as I struggled to multi-task, toothbrush in one hand and my pants being pulled up to my waist with the other. Z tapped his wide paws into the same room as me, looking up as I struggled to pretty much do anything successful.

After a few minutes of putting on a show, I returned my toothbrush onto its holder placed on the wall and wiped the mirror entirely before heading back through my bedroom and finishing the rest of my choice in clothing. Then, I pulled out a backpack from underneath my bed and emptied the contents all over the sheets, MONTHS of homework, graded tests and pop quizzes covering the entire piece of furniture.

"For a first date, are flowers really necessary?" I glanced out my bedroom window, wondering on the endless opportunities today could bring, plans on top of plans. This whole scheme of mine was cunning to begin with. Even I knew when it came to target practice, hardly anyone could beat Tenten nowadays. It would take Kami himself to give me the talent in outshowing her.

"You're a weapons user. Could you say no to a little..target practice?"

"You want to challenge me to a round of target practice?"

"A little wager added onto it as well."

Best of three. She was going to win, and I would have to buy her another set of tools. From there, a little competition could work up an appetite. That could work in my favor if I let it- maybe she wouldn't even realize it.

Remembering the tools I bought her yesterday, I reached into my bedside nightstand and pulled out a small pouch of some of my mission savings for emergencies such as this. At least...it was only me who happened to label today as such.

"Heading somewhere?" Kiba's voice broke my train of thought. I snapped out of it and immediately zipped my emptied bag closed.

"Uhhh- No! Just out for a stroll-I mean! Training! Z and I are going to work more on tracking through sound. Figured today would be a great day to do that."

Kiba was leaning on his right side in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest as he was still wearing his sleeping clothes. "Really? It's a little early for that, even for you." He yawned loudly and scratched his lower back. "I'll go ahead and get dressed, too, then."

"What? No!" I turned on heel and looked him in the eyes. "This is just solo. For now. Besides, you've already mastered your tracking abilities. Give me a chance to see what I can do on my own."

He raised a brow, already questionable in my antics. "Why are you acting so strange for? Is something going on?"

I couldn't tell him that. I couldn't tell him anything of what I had planned! Not after already feeling abandoned after his little fling with Tamaki. It would seem so selfish of me to be okay with what I was doing while also finding it problematic that Kiba was starting to hang around me less and less.