𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐤𝐢 | ɴᴀʀᴜᴛᴏ ꨄ︎ ꜱʜɪᴘᴘᴜᴅᴇɴ

SPECIAL: Second Rival

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Standing in Kumo robes was a little girl, her shoulder-length, blonde hair drenched with water. The strands stuck to her face in an uncomfortable way, causing her to glare up at the single person responsible for this lousy prank.

His cerulean irises widened down at her, the bucket slipping from his small hands. Within the silence, it flopped to the ground with a roll, bumping against the door.

"Gah! Sorry! I thought you were Sasuke!!" Naruto shrieked out, his mortified look scrunching at the side-by-side comparison's of their intimidating gazes.

He was reclining on a tall stool, like any minute it could tip and he'll fall right over.

Kazumi gripped the handle of the door to slide it further open, causing the fellow blonde to lose balance. She apathetically watched him sway like a man on the edge of a cliff before eventually smacking face first into the hallway.

"Yowch!!"

From the opposite end of the classroom, students began flooding in to their designated seats. This included Sasuke, who had his hands shoved deep in his pockets as he made way for his specific seat next to the large windows. Per usual, he didn't spare anyone a glance unless it was a challenging stare.

But if there was one person he'd throw such glances to; it would be Kazumi.

She took his spot as number one in the academy for the month... again. Although neither one of the two were in the mood to be glowering at each other.

Naruto pushed himself up with a groan, rubbing his nose. He made sure to muster up a strong glare of his own back at her. Kazumi ignored it, preferring to not catch any more attention of the class prankster. With a swift shake of her head, water flew out everywhere.

Her total lack of etiquette made her look like a wild puppy.

"Kazumi!" Sakura's voice excitedly called out when entering the room, immediately attaching herself to Kazumi's hip. Kazumi couldn't even recall what started Sakura's clinginess other than the fact that it began months ago.

None of that really mattered to her as much as the prospect of graduating in two years. This ten-year-old aspiring ninja ran a hand through her semi-dried hair, approaching the rushing kunoichi. 

Sakura's smile fell into confusion at the sight, quickly taking a handkerchief out. It was pink with a polka-dotted pattern. "Huh? Was it raining?"

Naruto tensed, having heard from being close by and currently picking the fallen bucket up to hide his evidence from Iruka. Except he paused, listening into their conversation.

Kazumi's bottom lip pouted out, taking the handkerchief and squeezing it through the unkempt ends of her hair. "Yeah."

"Good thing I missed it! I woke up extra early to do my hair again... Hey, do you think Sasuke-kun —"

Sakura's gushing ramble was not only drowned out by a dazed Kumo, but by a surprised Uzumaki who had furrowed brows toward the back of Kazumi's skull. In his perspective, this kid lied about his antics without a care. Typically, any ordinary student would have thrown a finger his way to get him into trouble.

It was easy to pin all the blame on him.

But Kazumi didn't. Maybe this was normal, though. Kumo Kazumi rarely butted her head into drama lately. Albeit none of them would know it was thanks to Sanjiro's influence and teachings that have mellowed the girl out.