Wish Upon the Night Sky (Naruto Fanfic)

Chapter 27

Usagi twenty seven


>>>>CHAPTER 27<<<<

>>>>Chunin Exams… And All That<<<<

"Good morning!"

"YOU’RE LATE!!"

[That's because we wandered from the path of life.]

"Can you at least pretend to care?" Sakura yelled as her Sensei and teammate approached the meeting point, hours after they were meant to.

"... In any case." Kakashi got straight to the point. "This may surprise you, but I've recommended you four to participate in the chunin exams."

"WHAT?!" Sakura yelled.

"Haha! Nice joke Sensei, you almost had us!" Naruto laughed, thinking it was a joke. He didn’t really enter them… Did he?

"You have to fill out applications." Kakashi said, holding out four slips of paper.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI, I LOVE YOU!!" Naruto hugged his Sensei.

"Get off..." He was clearly very uncomfortable.

After Naruto let go, Kakashi went on to hand out the slips of paper to each of the students.

"If any of you don’t want to compete, the exam is completely voluntary. The choice is yours. You needn't turn in those application forms unless you want to. If you do, report to room 301 at the school by 4:00 tomorrow afternoon."

Then, in a poof of smoke, Kakashi was gone. "That's all."

The four genin then went on to walk together. Today, they were all getting ramen lunch.

"Haha! The chunin exams!! I bet there'll be heaps of tough competition!" Naruto skipped along, humming to himself.

[Try not to get yourself killed, please.] Usagi held her notebook out to Naruto.

"I won't, Usagi! Believe it!!"

It was then Sakura realized it. This exam was too much for her. 'Forget Sasuke... I can't even keep up with Naruto, and Usagi’s already really strong... This exam would be too much for me.'

--The next day, 3:30pm--

Usagi made her way outside the academy, where Sasuke was waiting.

After the two stood in silence for a minute, Sakura showed up.

"Hey guys..." She forced a smile. She was still unsure of whether she should be there or not.

"Hey." Sasuke said, noticing she was... Calmer than usual.

After another minute of waiting, Naruto showed up. "HEY!!"

"Uh, hi." Sakura forced another smile.

As the four made their way into the building, a crowd of people surrounded room... 301?

A genjutsu had been cast over the sign of the room, so room 201 appeared to be room 301. Usagi saw through the genjutsu instantly, as did Sasuke.

"Please let us in." A voice said. Usagi recognized that voice... It was Tenten.

As one of the guys standing at the door moved to hit her, Usagi jumped in, blocking his arm.

"Another brat." The boy who sighed.

"Usagi!" Tenten looked down at the redheaded girl, surprised to see her.

As the guy moved to punch Usagi this time, she dodged, moving away from him.

"I'm just trying to spare you all." The guy explained. "The chunin exam is incredibly difficult... We've failed three times so far. There are some who made it, but then quit being shinobi... Others who died trying... Some became crippled, some couldn't move at all... We've seen it all! Besides that, all chunin are cell leaders. They lead their units. The responsibilities for failed missions and dead shinobi rest on their shoulders. And you little punks have the nerve to apply? We're saving you guys by stopping you from passing."

"That sounds good in theory...." Sasuke spoke up, walking towards his red haired teammate. "But you'd better let us through. And drop the illusion while you’re at it. We have business of the third floor."

"Heh." The second boy guarding the door laughed. "So you figured that out, eh?"

"It was easy, right, Sakura? You were probably the first to notice it. You have the best understanding of genjutsu, and you’re the most analytical in our team."

Sakura, now having gained her confidence, spoke up. "Of course I noticed it. Obviously, we're still on the second floor."

The illusion then faded from the sign, revealing the number 201.

"Not bad, but seeing through it... Isn't enough!!" One of the guards went to attack Sasuke, but Lee jumped in and blocked both attacks.

"Hey." Neji approached Lee. "You're the one who insisted we avoid drawing attention to ourselves."

"B-But..." Lee pouted.

Tenten shook her head disapprovingly. "Here we go again..."

As Usagi walked back to her own teammates, Tenten called out. "Thanks, Usagi." She smiled.

Usagi nodded, a small smile on her face, she then returned to her teammates, but Lee ran past her, beating her there.

"Hi. My name is Rock Lee. You're Sakura aren't you?" Lee then winked and gave Sakura a thumbs up. "Would you like to go out with me? I'll protect you with my life!"

Usagi’s jaw nearly hit the floor.

"No way." Sakura answered, slightly creeped out.

As Lee was all depressed, Usagi placed a hand on his back.

[It's alright, Lee.]

"You know him?" Naruto asked. Usagi nodded. "So... Have his eyebrows always been that big?" As Lee fell to the floor, Usagi laughed.

While Usagi was mid laughing fit, Neji had approached Sasuke. "Hey you. What's your name?"

"It's common courtesy to give your own name first."

"You're a rookie, aren't you? One of Usagi’s teammates."

"I don't have to tell you anything." Sasuke glared. Two seconds later, a book was thrown at his head.

[Don't be rude.] Sasuke glared at Usagi after reading the note.

"So you throw books at everyone's head?" Tenten asked Usagi. She nodded. "I thought it was just Lee."

Usagi then took her notebook back, scribbling down a message for Tenten.

[It's everyone who annoys me. Lee just happens to annoy me a lot.]

"... I understand." Tenten nodded. Lee also annoys her a lot too.

"SASUKE! NARUTO! USAGI! LET’S GO!!" A now very excited Sakura cheered, dragging along her three teammates. Usagi waved bye as she was dragged away.

The four made their way to room 301, but were stopped on the way by none other than...

"You and me, right here and now... Want to fight?" Lee jumped down to where the four were standing.

"You want to fight me?" Sasuke questioned. "Here and now?"

"Yes." Lee confirmed. "My name is Rock Lee. It is polite to introduce oneself before asking the name of another, is it not, Sasuke Uchiha?"

"So you knew who I was all along." Sasuke said.

Lee readied himself for a fight. "I'm calling you out! I want to test the effectiveness of my techniques... Against you! One of the last surviving members of your legendary clan."

After Lee had flirted with Sakura, and gotten completely shutdown, Sasuke continued to act in his typical cocky nature.

"So you're challenging me, even knowing my clan? In other words, you’re a fool. Do you really want to learn what it means to be an Uchiha?"

"Absolutely. I've already fought Usagi many times, and I want to know if you, the remaining Uchiha, are as strong as her."

[Sasuke, don't fight him. You won't win.] Usagi held her notebook up.

"I'll fight Bushy Brows." Naruto said. "Just give me five minutes."

"I have no interest in fighting you. Only the Uchiha." After taking down Naruto, Lee faced Sasuke again.

"A half Uchiha is not nearly as strong as a pureblood. I accept your challenge. I’ll show you the power of a true Uchiha."

Tension had always been high between Sasuke and Usagi. They had never really gotten along... At all. In fact, they tried to avoid each other as much as possible. In the rare occasion that they had somewhat of a discussion, both parties usually left fuming with rage.

'Cocky bastard.' Usagi suddenly didn't care if he got hurt. Who cares if he was her teammate? Nobody underestimates Usagi and gets away with it.

[Beat him up, Lee.] An angry Usagi held up her notebook. The messily written words conveying all her fury.

"Don't do it Sasuke!" Sakura said. "We need to submit our applications, and we only have fifteen minutes left!"

"This'll only take five minutes." Sasuke said as he charged straight for Lee.

Usagi smirked as Sasuke was kicked to the ground. There was no way he could beat Lee.

Two seconds later, Sasuke stood up, his sharingan eye activated. He then charged at Lee again.

Kick! Sasuke was thrown into the air.

'He doesn't use ninjutsu or genjutsu...' Usagi smirked to herself. 'He's a taijutsu master.' Lee had won this battle for sure.

"There's no trickery." Lee explained. "My moves are strictly physical. I'm sure your sharingan is excellent at analysing ninjutsu and genjutsu... But pure taijutsu is a different story. It doesn't matter what you can see if your body is too weak to act.

“There are two kinds of strength. The kind you're born with, and the kind you get through hard work. Your sharingan is something you were born with, it runs in your family... But what I have, I got through blood, sweat and tears! In other words, we are a complete mismatch!"

As Lee was about to use a forbidden move, but a giant turtle stopped him just in time. "That's enough, Lee!!"

As Lee landed on the ground smoothly, Sasuke had to be caught by Sakura. "Sasuke!! Are you alright?!"

The giant turtle then went on to scold Lee. "You know the rules Lee, that move is strictly forbidden!"

Said green beast looked down in shame. "Please forgive me... I never meant..."

"YOU FOOL!" The turtle screamed. "Do you think I care about your feeble excuses?!" The turtle then continued to scold Lee, until...

"YOU ARE ALL SO YOUTHFUL!" It was none other than Guy, striking a flamboyant pose as he made his amazing entrance.

"He's got the biggest eyebrows yet!! They're almost... alive!!" Three members of team seven hawked at the sight of the eyebrows before them.

Usagi, on the other hand quickly ran, hiding from her 'uncle'.

"Don't make fun of Guy-Sensei!" Lee shouted.

"Oh shut up!" Naruto yelled. "I don't even know what to think of all the freaks that keep popping up in here!"

Ignoring Naruto’s comment, Guy went on to scold Lee. "Lee!"

"Yes sir!"

"You idiot!" He then proceeded to punch Lee across the face. "You...”

"Sensei... Sensei, I... I..." The two were now crying.

"That's enough, Lee! Not one more word!"

"Sensei!!" The two were now wrapped in an embrace.

"I understand... It's because you're young. It's alright, Lee! Mistakes and youth go hand in hand."

"You are too kind, Sensei." Lee cried.

"... But I can't let your attempt to break the rules go unpunished. Your penalty will be after the chunin exams. Five hundred laps around the practice arena!!"

Guy then went on to stare down the three genin, and also, Naruto realized something.

"Hey guys... Where'd Usagi go?" He looked around, but couldn't spot the girl.

Topic change. "By the way..." Guy spoke to the three. "How is Kakashi?"

"You know Kakashi-Sensei?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the giant eyebrowed man.

"Do I know him?" In a flash, Guy stood behind the three. "I should say so! We are eternal rivals! The score stands fifty to forty-nine. I'm stronger than he is."

"As you can see, Guy-Sensei is totally amazing" Lee chirped.

"There is one ongoing challenge..." Guy said, a look of seriousness on his face. "The battle for the eternal and youthful love of Little Red!"

"... What?" The three genin stood in shock.

"Lee! Find Little Red!"

"Yes sir!" Lee saluted. Two seconds later, Usagi was being dragged by the sleeve of her dress over to Guy.

"Ah! My youthful Little Red!" Guy hugged Usagi, who tried to break free of his grasp by reaching out to her teammates.

... Her teammates were no help. "How is my favourite niece!"

"Niece?!" The three stared at Usagi, who was now free of Guys grasp.

[He's my self-proclaimed uncle, no actual relation whatsoever.] Usagi clarified, the latter part of the sentence underlined for emphasis.

Her uncle thankfully did not see what she had written, and left without a further complaint. "Well, I must be on my way now. Best of luck!" Guy disappeared.

'Thank Kami... He's gone.' Usagi sighed with relief.

"By the way Sasuke..." Lee acted cocky as he re-bandaged his arm. "I was only blowing smoke before. I'm really here to prove my own strength in combat, and I don't think you're the strongest Konoha genin... The strongest genin is a member of my own team, and I intend to take him down. That's why I'm entering... And by the way, you're on my list too."

He then left to apply for the exam.

"Maybe your famous Uchiha clan isn't that great after all, huh." Naruto teased.

[That's my clan too, you know.]

"Shut up..." Sasuke growled. "He's dead next time... And you're not a real Uchiha."

[I may not have dark hair or the sharingan, but I'm as much an Uchiha as you.]

"You can't even speak to defend yourself. You're weak. My clan is not one that is weak. It doesn't matter that you don't have dark hair or the sharingan, you're weak and you live in hiding... In fear. You don't deserve the Uchiha name."

Sasuke’s words stung. Usagi stood still, taking them in. They were all true, but she wouldn't stand for this. He can't treat her like this.

"Sasuke! Don't get angry at Usagi 'cause you lost!" Naruto yelled, upset that he would speak to his teammate like that.

[I am far from weak, Sasuke. You are the one who is truly weak.]

"Whatever." Sasuke turned away. "Let's go."

---- ---- ---- ----

"Glad you made it after all, Sakura." Kakashi greeted his students as they made their way to room 301.

After explaining that all members of the team needed to be there to participate, Kakashi gave them all a much needed confidence boost.

"You're all here because you want to be, and I'm very proud of you. Now get in there!"

Usagi, who had been feeling a bit down from Sasuke’s cold words, was feeling much better after seeing her dad.

"Look out everybody, 'cause here we come!!"

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
AN/ IT'S 11:50PM WEDNESDAY I MADE THE ONE WEEK DEADLINE YES!

Enjoy these poorly written chapters. Pretty soon, they’ll turn into slightly less poorly written chapters :3

New chapter same time next week? I'll try, but I make no promises. Especially because I'm starting school again next week ;_;

Anyways. As always, thanks for reading!


-C