Beauty That Hides The Beast

Chapter 3

Aisa's P.O.V

The moon shone bright in the night sky. The stars accented it perfectly as it rose yet higher over the sleeping village. Now I'm sure you're wondering why I'm focusing on the sky. Well, simply put, if I didn't, I wouldn't be getting any sleep. Why? Well, let's just say Naruto and I had a disagreement....

Several hours earlier...

"No!" "I insist!" "I don't care! I won't!" This had been going on for over an hour. After showing me around my new home, Naruto had begun asking me about my past training. We talked well into the evening hours. When the time had come for sleep, Naruto insisted I take the bed and he sllep on the floor. Naturally I disagreed, refusing to boot him from his own bed. Calm insistings became heated arguments. Finally having enough, Naruto huffed and sighed. "Fine. How about a compromise?" I quirked my eyebrow. "What kind of compromise?" He moved and pulled a spare blanket from the closet. "Since neither of us is going to let the other stay on the floor, it looks like we'll have to share. He modified the coverings on his bed, making it so we would both have our own blanket, I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks, but said nothing. He was right. Neither of us would budge.

And so, here I was. Sharing a bed with a practical stranger, staring out the window. I could hear his steady breathing as he slept. I sighed. Come on. Get some sleep.And I did, slowly drifting off with the sound of Naruto's even breathing. I woke the next day to a gentle warmth and a steady beat in my ear. Opening my eyes, I was greeted by a plain of white. Lifting my head, I realized we had shifted during the night. The blankets still serperated us, but now my head had been resting on his chest. Also, his left arm had wrapped around my waist and his right hand rested on my shoulder. A blush rose in my cheeks as I could only stare at his sleeping face. There was only one thing able to snap me out of the trance.... my own growling stomach. Noting this, I stealthy slipped from the sleeping ninja's grasp. I took my clothes from my pack and dressed in the bathroom. Afterwards, I brushed my hair and made my way to the kitchen. It didn't take me long to find out that Naruto only had ramen around here. Looks like I'll have to restock the kitchen too."Morning." I turned around sharply to find a sleepy blond smiling at me. I smiled back. "Morning, Sunshine. How'd you sleep?" "Pretty good." He pulled himself down some ramen and began heating water. I followed suit. It didn't take long to eat and once Naruto was dressed, he led the way to where we would be meeting with Kakashi and the rest of the team. As we came  to the area, I saw two people already there. The first was a boy with pitch black duck-butt shaped hair and dark eyes. The other was a smiling girl with long pink hair who was staring at Duck Butt. A fan girl, huh?I chuckled silently. Naruto waved at the pair as we approached. "Hey guys!" Pinkie turned slightly to see us coming. Duck Butt, I noticed, had already seen us and was watching me curiously. We stopped in front of the pair and sat down. Pinkie smiled at me. "Hi." I smiled back. "Hiya." Naruto butted in. "Guys, this is Aisa. Aisa, this is Sakura and Sasuke. Hey guys, Aisa is gonna be part of our team!" Duck Butt, aka Sasuke, glared at Naruto. "Hn." I scowled. "Is that a problem for you?" He looked at me indifferently. "I don't need more people getting in my way." "Excuse me?" "You heard me. You'll only be in my way." I fumed. "Oh, I heard you all right. What I don't get is where you get off on acting like you're better than everyone else." Sakura scowled at me. "Don't talk to Sasuke like that!" I smirked. "Why? Fan girl doesn't like thinking her crush has issues?" It was looking to be a serious argument, when a familiar voice called out. "Morning, everyone." I smiled. "Morning, Kakashi." "Ah, Aisa. I see you've been introduced. That means we can go ahead and jump right in. Since your skills are untested, we're going to have to test you." "I see.... What kind of test?" He smiled under his mask. "I'm glad you asked. It's time for some sparring. You'll be squaring off against each member of this team. This will not only show your abilities, but also how well you can assess an opponent." I smiled mischeviously. "That's my kind of test. Bring it on!" "That's the spirit! Alright, Sakura! You're up first." The males step of to the side while Sakura and I face eachother. "Begin!" Sakura acted immediately, throwing a kunai at me. However, her aim was quite poor, and I side-stepped it easily. She continued throwing poorly-aimed weapons until she ran out. I smirked. "My turn." My advanced training kicked in and I ran at her. I threw a kunai with deadly accuracy. I followed her as she dodged into the air and kicked her into a tree. She slumped and fell unconscious. Kakashi sighed. "We'll have to brush up on Sakura's skills. Naruto! You're up." Naruto jumped up as Sakura was moved off to the side. We waited for Kakashi's signal. "Begin!" Again, my opponent made the first move. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" This startled me, as I never expected a higher level jutsu from a genin outside the Shadow. I smiled as I dodged blows from the clones. Now it gets interesting. "Nice one, Naruto. Let's see if you can handle my version." Rapidly, my hands formed the signs perfectly. "Ninja Art: Shadow Duplication!" My shadow wavered and convulged. It came up from the ground and grew in depth. Slowly, it gained color and detail. Finally, it became an  exact duplication of myself. Shadow me spoke at the same time I did. "Are you read?" We jumped into action immediately. The clones went down easily. I smirked at Naruto's shocked look. "Come on! You can do better than that!" He nodded and we both attacked again. He amazed me with his reserves of chakra and his sheer determination. A long while after, we both retreated once more. I smiled. "You're good, Naruto. I never expected such reserves of strength." He smiled. "You too." I nodded. "You forgot something ,though." "What?" I smirked. "I'm not alone." Shadow me jumps out from the trees and forces Naruto back. I push forward and both of me pin Naruto to a tree with a kunai to his neck. Kakashi chuckles from  the sideline. "Aisa wins again. We'll take our lunch break now so Aisa can rest. It's Sasuke's turn after that." I nodded and recalled my shadow, releasing Naruto from the tree. We joined the others and sat down to lunch. The meal was pleasant and Naruto's constant chatter seemed to considerably lighten the air. I could feel my mood brightening and I began to feel like myself again.

Kakashi's P.O.V

I watched my students eat. Naruto was chatting as usual. Sakura was watching Sasuke. Again. Sasuke was.... Sasuke. Aisa, however, was different. She listened avidly to Naruto with a gentle smile on her face. It seemed the more she listened, the more her mood lifted. They both were perfectly comfortable in eachother's presence. I smiled. It was good that Naruto finally had someone who would listen. Someone he could trust to be there when he needed to talk. He was a talker with a wild spirit and a good heart. She was a listener with a cool head and decent patience. She was exactly what Naruto needed to drive him towards his dreams. I ened my thoughts and stood. "Break time's up! Aisa, Sasuke. Let's get to it." They nodded and moved in to the fight area. They stared eachother down as they waited for my signal. I watched for a moment before giving it. "Begin!"

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Okay, guys! Chapter 3, as I promised. Chapter 4 is ready to go, too! It's kinda short, but I have my reasons for that. I would post it tonight, but I'm having some trouble staying awake right now.... ^^' I'll have it up tomorrow, without a doubt! Please comment and let me know what you think! Lots of love to my fans! You guys rock!