Naru: Misty Eyes (A Naruto Fanfic) [Complete]

Chapter Twenty-One: Preliminary Finale

The exam was no longer team-based. As Naru listened to the next proctor, a man with a cough named Hayate Gekko, she wondered why they had to split up. And, if becoming chunin no longer depended on your teammates, could she drop out now and cheer everyone on from the sidelines? Did she want to at this point? Surprisingly, no. She decided to see just how far she made it, intrigued on what fighting styles she might encounter. Besides, she wanted to make it at least to the public battle. Even if she lost, she wanted her parents to see her trying her best.

Waiting on the balcony-like platform they'd been asked to move to, Naru listened to competitor after competitor battle it out. Sasuke won his match quickly, which Naru expected. Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Shikamaru. All won their matches in quick succession. Hinata, though, scared her. The kind and quiet girl ended up leaving the room on a stretcher, and Naru was shaking, only able to listen to the feeble breathing of someone she liked to think was her friend as her unconscious body was transferred from the room. What had Hinata ever done to end up in a position like that?

'She chose to follow the path of a shinobi,' a voice in her head whispered.

Sakura was the next to go. Her battle ended in a draw, although Sakura had nearly won it. Naru was just glad her teammate wasn't severely injured. She was even able to rejoin them on the balcony almost immediately. Naru hugged her, and she felt Sakura stiffen before relaxing and returning the embrace just as affectionately. "I'm fine, Naru. Really. Thanks for--"

"I was scared for you," Naru whispered. "At first... At first, when I came here, I didn't care. I just wanted to go back home. But, but you and Sasuke and even Kakashi-sensei are my friends... and I was scared that you would get hurt like, like Hinata did. I was scared for you, Sakura!"

Sakura tightened her embrace around the smaller girl. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"Nothing's going to happen to us, do- Naru," Sasuke came up beside them, patting Naru's head. "It's you that we should be worried about."

Naru laughed, hiccuping in the middle, and stepped away from Sakura so that she could give the two of them a watery smile. "Right. I'll do my best." She hiccuped again and blushed, embarrassed. Why was she hiccuping? Stop that, hiccups!

"Good. Because you're next." Sasuke patted her head once more before moving away again. "Kick Kiba's butt, dobe."

"Aye aye, teme." Naru made her way down the steps as Sakura, Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari yelled encouragements. She knew Sasuke and Kakashi were watching her, even if they weren't yelling. It just wasn't their style.

~*~

"You're going down, little girl," Kiba laughed. Despite the general friendliness between their teams, Naru had never talked to him much. He was too loud. Other than that, though, she hadn't really minded him. Now he was just trying to rile her before the match. Well, two could play that game.

Naru smiled, tilting her head to the side. "Little girl? I know I'm short, but do you really have to state the obvious? Surely there are better things you could've come up with, Puppy."

"Puppy?!" Kiba sputtered.

"Yes. You have a dog with you, don't you? Akamaru?" A yip in response was her answer. "I'll take that for a yes. Anyways, you have a dog so I'm gonna call you Puppy, ok, Puppy?"

"NO."

"Hahahaaa... She... She called him Puppy!"

"Shut up, Kankuro, or did you forget that she calls you Kitty?"

Naru laughed when she heard Temari smack Kankuro for his outburst. "Alrighty, Puppy, let's do this."

"Oh, it's so on now." Naru heard him spread his feet, no doubt widening his stance for balance and to lower his center of gravity. Not to mention it would give him greater force should he lunge towards her.