"Hey, Shizi, time to wake up. It's the Chunin Finals today so you want to go get ready." The neko slowly awoke at her guardian's baritone voice. Kakashi chuckled and left the room to let her get ready for her big day. As he was making a light breakfast for them both, he found himself running over all the different ways she could get hurt again and how he could help her if and when it happens. But she's gotten much stronger since that battle a month ago, learned a barrage of new Jutsu and even crafted some of her very own. The brunette neko finally arrived at the table when Kakashi had finished making breakfast for the two. They ate their fill and Shizi snuck a quick peck on her guardian's cheek before running out the door to the last stage of her Exams.
Shizi reached the arena and stood in the middle, wondering who she was to fight now that Dosu had mysteriously vanished. All the contestants stood in the middle of the arena as the crowd filtered in and cheered in anticipation. Once Naruto had shown up with a herd of angry cattle, the battles began. It started with Naruto against the teen who won against the sweet, kind Hinata Hyuga- a boy named Neji. They drone on through the Exams, each battle being everyone else's but Shizi's.
It was when Kankuro forfeited his match that Shizi began to get suspicious. Why did he give up? She distinctly remembers the painted Sand Shinobi being overly excited about his battle against Shino Aburame, what changed his anticipation? Shizi quickly and quietly made a Shadow Clone and left her there to play as the real deal while she went off to investigate. She had to go all the way to the edge of the village before she found her answer.
Just out of sight was a mass of Sand and Sound Shinobi waiting for their chance to attack the Hidden Leaf Village. It all clicked on her brain: the Sand Siblings were the battle scouts and the Sound Genin weren't actually interested in becoming Chunin. They didn't want to make friends or take the Chunin Exams, they wanted to kill everyone inside the gates- her included. Kankuro lied to her. By the time she returned it was Sasuke and Gaara's turn to fight. If she wasn't so angry with herself, she would've marvelled at the boy's strength and agility.
A blood-curling shriek snapped her back into reality. The ravenette Uchiha had used his Chidori to blast his way through the redhead's defence, being the first to injure the male that anyone knows of. Sasuke was flung backwards by a huge and misshapen hand, Shizi knew this was it. The moment of attack.
White flower petals floated from thin air and she realized it was a sleeping Genjutsu. She released herself and jumped over to Kakashi's side, ears pricked and flicking for signs of attackers.
"Shizi, find Sakura and Naruto then go after Sasuke. From the looks of that Gaara, he'll need all the help he can get."
"And what about you?" Kakashi disregards the enemies around him to turn to the girl, onyx eye hooded with caring.
"I'll be fine. I'm more worried about you, I know how much you wanted to be friends with the Sand Siblings- especially Kankuro." Her stormy eyes dropped to her black sandals at the boy's name.
"Just another name to add to the freak's list of lost opportunities. Right along with every other human inside Konoha." Kakashi hummed while knocking an attacking Shinobi to the ground, unconscious before he reached the concrete.
"Maybe you can change that. Go find him, make him see the best in you. Change this destiny before you regret it." The silvery Jonin's words gave her the confidence she needed to follow through on his advice. She is not a freak, she does believe in Kankuro's good side, even if Kankuro himself doesn't see it. She nodded firmly and stood on quick tiptoe to press her lips to his covered but taunt cheek.
"Thank you, Kika." Shizi hops up onto the concrete and metal railing, sniffing the winds to find the sandy and woodsy scent of the siblings. Once she found them, she sifted through to find the specific smell of the Puppet Shinobi. Kankuro smelt of metals and mesquite, an oddly enticing scent. She locked in on the smell, and turned to her guardian before leaping out to the arena below. He currently had a Sound Shinobi by the throat, but when he saw her turning to him, he gave her his full attention like any father would.
YOU ARE READING
Beautiful Monsters
Fanfiction"The true measure of a Shinobi is not how he lives, but how he dies..." Shizi Yemao's pretty smile hides her secrets and her pretty eyes have cried too many tears. It's scary what her smile has come to hide, and she has gotten better at hiding the...
