Chapter 6

First Person! Emiko!

Kakashi watched me, waiting for me to make a move, but I already had. Little did he know, I had hid more explosives around the area while we were waiting for Kakashi to get there. I had been waiting for them to be set in places undetectable to a non-Sharingan user and hard to see without a scope like the ones Dei-Dei and I used.

When I felt them stop, I moved right in front of Kakashi, using my speed for the first time in a full-time battle. Kakashi blocked my punch. I tried to kick him, which he blocked as well, and then I flipped myself, trying to kick him with my other leg. Another block. Perfect! (AN: Like Sasuke).

I reached for the bells and touched them. He reacted by pushing away from me… right into my trap. I chuckled. When I landed on the ground, I formed a hand sign. I could hear Naruto’s gasp at the sight of the sign. He believed I would kill Kakashi. Heh.

“Katsu!” BOOM! My hand quickly flew to my scope to see through the smoke, and I saw Kakashi jump out of the explosion, dusty and covered in dirt.

I directed my large bird towards the airborne Kakashi. His eyes widened in shock. I formed the hand sign again. “Katsu!” Kakashi flew back and hit a tree. I moved to him, but he quickly recovered from my explosion and dodged. I hit the tree in annoyance. What were the others doing? I was giving them heaps of opportunities to get the bells!

I felt my own chakra in one of my explosives heading towards me, alerting me that Kakashi was going to attack me next. I placed my hand inside my pouch, my hand mouths biting off clay. Removing my hands, I started to pour my chakra into the clay to form little explosives. I waited until the last second to spit out five explosives into my hand and throw them towards Kakashi. Forming the proper hand sign again, I yelled “Katsu!”

Kakashi and I both flew back, but I was more accustomed to the explosions. I flipped before I could hit a tree and pushed myself off of it. Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto watched on with shock written all over their faces.

As I was in the air, I headed straight towards Kakashi and tackled him to the ground. His eyes widened when we landed, scraping the ground.

RING!

Kakashi chuckled. I rolled off of him and banged my head onto the ground ten times before our sensei stopped me. I tossed him an annoyed look and stood up, wobbling a bit. I used a lot of my chakra. As my adrenalin disappeared, chakra exhaustion finally hit me. Kakashi steadied me. My teammates all jumped down to face us.

I glared and raised my fist into the air, shaking it. “You idiots! I gave you one too many openings to get the bells! What the hell were you doing?!” My legs were shaking a little, but I brushed it off. I knew my chakra levels were low, due to the fact that I was hungry as hell and I had set off so many explosions.

Naruto put his hands in the air. “Sorry Emiko!”

My legs decided to give out on me. Strangely, the one who reacted fast enough was Sasuke. He caught me just before I hit the ground and lifted me up. His arm was around my waist, helping me stand. My face turned red, and I looked away. Lovely. The Uchiha probably thought he saved me. Greeeaaattt! Note the sarcasm!

Naruto glared at Sasuke and was at my side, too, helping me. Sasuke glared back at my best friend. I could feel the tension. Oh Jashin.

“Come on.” Kakashi waved us to the stumps.

I noticed Sakura glaring at me, as well. I looked at the ground in annoyance. They weren’t talking. My eye twitched. “Duckbutt! Naruto! Can one of you guys just start walking! I can’t do it on my own!” I snapped. They both looked at me and then started to walk.

When we finally reached the stumps, Kakashi appeared suddenly beside Naruto. He pulled him away and tied him up to a post in five seconds. I almost fell over, but Sasuke kept me up right. I sighed. “Just set me on the ground, near a stump for me to lean on,” I told him, and he nodded.

He walked to the stump on the right and set me down. I leaned back and stretched my legs out. Sasuke sat near me, and I could practically feel Sakura’s glares towards me now.

Kakashi set three food boxes in front of us and then stood up tall, his arms crossed. Our stomachs growled. “Your stomachs are growling, eh?” Kakashi asked.

I glared at him. “Jashin damn you,” I muttered, crossing my arms.

Kakashi uncrossed his arms and put a finger in the air. “By the way, about the results of training.” We all waited for his verdict. “None of you need to return to the Ninja Academy.”

Naruto yelled in happiness. Sakura muttered something about all she did was faint, wondering if that was okay. Heh heh. Sasuke started smirked before Sakura started to jump up and down, cheering like the fangirl she was. I looked at Kakashi carefully. There is no way. Was I over thinking things before? But why is Naruto tied up if we’d passed?

“Does that mean we four?” Naruto cheered, asked, and yelled at the same time, flinging his legs into the air. How did someone do that? Ask Naruto, I did not know how.

“Yeah, you four… should quit being ninjas!” We all froze. I though it looks could kill, Kakashi would have died by the intensity of Sasuke’s glare. I was not much better.

“Quit being ninjas? What do you mean?” Naruto asked, kicking his legs in the air still.

“Yeah! Why, Jashin damn it, should we quit?” I asked myself, glaring up a storm alongside Sasuke.

“We couldn’t get a bell, but why do you say we should quit?” Naruto added onto our questions.

With his hands on his hips, Kakashi explained. “It’s because your four are just kids who don’t even deserve to be ninjas.” Wrong words, Kakashi.

Sasuke jumped up and ran at Kakashi, his arm out, ready to hit our sensei. Sakura yelled out Sasuke’s name, but Kakashi moved, pinning Sasuke stomach down onto the ground with Sasuke’s arm behind his back. His foot was on the back of his student’s head, keeping him in place.

Kakashi looked down at the duckbutt. “See? You all are just kids.”

“Might as well call us brats,” I muttered, and I coughed to hide a laugh. I was referring to the letter where Sasori told me that Deidara was a brat and that I probably was one, too.

Kakashi gave me an odd glance, but I waved him off. “Don’t step on Sasuke!” Sakura yelled, anger marks appearing on her big forehead.

I could see Sasuke shaking in anger, his eyes narrowed. I took off my scope and sighed, ready for the lecture. “Do you guys think being a ninja is easy?” He gave us a second to think about his question. We all had different reactions. “Why do you think we’re training by breaking up into groups?”

Oh Jashin, was I right? “What do you mean?” Sakura asked our sensei. Naruto looked confused, as per normal.

Kakashi sighed. “In other words, you fou – no, three,” my eyebrow raised an inch, “don’t understand the answer of this test.”

“The answer?” Naruto asked. I dropped my head down and slapped my forehead.

“That’s right. The answer to determine whether you pass or fail….” He tried to get us to think of it, but I was beating myself up over being stupid. I was right, and I did not say a thing! I just took the leader position and ordered them around. Jashin, damn it.

“We’ve been asking what that is,” Sakura told Kakashi, looking a little embarrassed.

I sighed. “Geez, are your brains empty? Got too close to Emiko’s explosions?” (Hey!) “You don’t understand why you’re all in a group?” he asked, like we were stupid.

Naruto got angry. “So what about four people being in a group?” Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs, an anger mark forming.

Kakashi’s eye landed on me. “What was Emiko doing out there? Trying to get you guys to do?” he asked, and I looked at the others.

“Emi was giving us openings to get the bells or to help her, right?” Sakura asked, not too sure about herself.

“You’re all stupid. Teamwork. I was trying to get us to all work together. As I attacked, you guys retrieve the bells or back me up when I got him back. I gave you guys, like, ten times to do something!” I snapped, chakra exhaustion setting in place. I got crabby when it happened, or turned into Ox mode as my brother called it when I was younger. “I could have done something different to get the bells on my own, but no, I was trying to get us to work together!”

Everyone froze, thinking about what I was saying, realizing I was right.

“Emiko is right. Teamwork. But it’s too late, even if you notice now.” Kakashi told us, glaring at us. I flinched. “If you used the openings Emiko gave you, you might have gotten a bell. Instead, you were staring in shock because you underestimated your teammate.” He sat up straight. “But that’s too bad.”

Sakura looked like she was trying to figure something out. “Why do we need to use teamwork when there are only three bells? If four people work hard to get it, one person will have to bite the bullet. A group conflict will occur instead of teamwork.”

I yawned. “Jashin, you’re stupid,” I mumbled and glanced at Kakashi.

“Of course. This test tries to put you four against each other. In this situation, we select those who can prioritize teamwork before themselves. That was the purpose, but all of you were pathetic.”

My eyes narrowed, and I coughed. “Correction, I was going to give them the bells.” Everyone looked at me in shock, and I shrugged. “What? If you guys passed, and I didn’t, it wouldn’t have stopped me from becoming a ninja another time. I’ll put my dreams above others if I’m in the right mood. I’m too lazy for a group conflict.” I waved Kakashi off. “But by all means, sensei, say I’m pathetic.”

Kakashi chuckled. “Just when I think I know how you are, you surprise me again,” Kakashi pointed out, and I gave him a peace sign. “Sakura!” Kakashi said suddenly. “You care more about Sasuke than Naruto and Emiko. Even when Naruto was right in front of you, and you didn’t know where Sasuke was.” Sakura looked down, embarrassed with herself. “Naruto! All you did was work on your own.” Naruto looked down, too. “Emiko! You did the best, but you should have explained to them a bit more.” I frowned and nodded my head. Then Kakashi pressed his foot on Sasuke’s head and looked down at him. “And you assumed that those three were only going to burden you and did everything yourself.” Sasuke’s whole face started to twitch as Kakashi looked back up at us. “Missions are done in groups. It’s true that ninjas need well-developed individual abilities, but it’s teamwork that is much more important. An individual action that disrupts the teamwork will result in danger or even death for the teammates.” Why did I think he was saying that from experience? Kakashi put one hand behind him and into his shuriken pouch, removing a kunai. “For example,” he rested the kunai on Sasuke’s neck, “Sakura, kill Naruto or Sasuke dies. Emiko, kill both of them or you and Sasuke will die.”

We all went tense. I glared at our sensei and formed a hand sign. “In that situation, sensei, it’s good to have someone with experience with traps and tiny, hardly detectable explosives.” Everyone looked at me. I pointed to Kakashi’s arm where there was the explosive that I had placed on him before the test even started. “Now, it’s in my hands. Let Sasuke go, or I will kill you.”

“But that will kill Sasuke, too,” Kakashi pointed out.

I smirked. “Unlike my other C3s, that one is my type. I call it E2, Emiko’s Art Type 2. You see, when I explode that, it implodes and pulls only you in. It then explodes, killing you and only you. Basically, your life has been in my hands since before the exam started.” Everyone was in shock, and I chuckled. “What? I’m a paranoid girl.”

Kakashi was frowning, I was sure. “I what happens if you’re the hostage and can’t use your hands to make the E2?” he asked me.

I smirked. “Wondering if you were going to ask that.” I put my hands up. Everyone looked at them as my hand mouths appeared. “My hand mouths, a kinjutsu, can eat the rope, bite the person or dirt, or really anything so I can get free, yah.”

“EWWW!” Sakura shouted.

I made my hand mouths disappear and crossed my arms at her, sticking my tongue out at her. “Ew, your forehead, un.” She frowned, and I smirked.

Kakashi sighed. “Well, what I said before Emiko added in, that’s what will happen in a hostage situation.” I snickered. Kakashi removed the kunai from Sasuke’s neck and sighed. Kakashi spoke as he spun his kunai on his finger. “After someone being taken hostage, you will be faced with a difficult decision or have to buy time for Emiko’s explosive. Someone may die.” With those words, he put his kunai away and stood up. “During every mission, you put your life on the line.” He turned around and headed towards a stone that was behind him. Sasuke remained flat on the ground, looking very annoyed.

“Look at this, the numerous names carved into this stone.” He stopped right in front of it. Sasuke slowly stood up and walked over to where he was before he tried to attack Kakashi. “All of these names are of those praised as heroes in this village.”

Wait, wasn’t that a K.I.A stone? “I like that! I like that!” Naruto yelled, and I jumped. “I’ve decided that I’m going to have my name carved into that! A hero! A hero! I’m not going to die a useless death!” Idiot. He just said the stupidest thing to say. By Sakura’s glare, I could tell that she was thinking the same thing.

Kakashi looked back at Naruto with a ‘are you serious’ look. Yep, that was Naruto for you, doing stupid things when you should be serious. “But they’re not normal heroes,”Kakashi pointed out, seeing if he had a brain in that head of his.

Naruto beamed at Kakashi. “So what kind of heroes were they?” Naruto asked excitedly. I sighed, and Kakashi did not say a thing. “Come on, tell me!” he shouted at our sensei.

“Those who were K.I.A,” Kakashi said bluntly. I shook my head.

“K.I.A?” Naruto asked with a foxy grin.

Sakura and I looked at Naruto sadly. “Those who were killed in action.” Naruto’s face dropped as fast as a rock. I shook my head at Naruto’s antics. Sasuke’s eyes narrowed. Wait, wouldn’t his clan have been on the stone? Ouch. Tough break.

“This is a cenotaph. The names of my friends are carved in here as well.” It went silent as we all thought about the ones who lost their lives protecting the village. It was sad. Suddenly, Kakashi looked back at us over his shoulder with a determined look. “I’ll give you one more chance.” Kakashi turned to face us. “However, the battle for the bells will be much harsher after lunch.” Kakashi picked my clay spider off of his shoulder and threw it at a tree. My eye twitched. Mock my art, will yah? “Eat lunch only if you are up to the challenge. But, don’t let Naruto eat!” Kakashi walked towards us, and Naruto’s stomach growled. “This is punishment for breaking the rules and trying to eat lunch early.”

I glared at Naruto. “You did what now?!” I screeched. He flinched, and I looked away from him, crossing my arms.

“If anyone feeds him, that person will immediately fail.” Kakashi gave us a dark look. “I’m the rule maker here, got it?”

Then he was gone, all of our expressions still ones of shock. Sasuke was the first to break out of it, and then Sakura. They grabbed their lunches. Sasuke also grabbed mine, handing it to me. I nodded my head in thanks. I did not think I would have been able to get my food with my exhaustion.

As we started eating, Naruto’s stomach growled, bringing everyone’s attention to him. He looked embarrassed. “I’m okay even if I don’t eat! I’m okay!” My face fell as his stomach growled again. “Okay….” He looked down. I looked at my food, my mother hen self coming out.

I sighed and touched Sasuke’s shoulder. He looked at me, and I could see that he was thinking the same thing. “Give him mine. I can’t get over there.” I told the duck.

He shook his head. “You need your strength. You can barely walk. You’ll hold us back.” I frowned, and he smirked at me. Sasuke then placed his food closer to Naruto. “Here.” Naruto looked at Sasuke and I in shock and disbelief that Sasuke would do that. I would throw a fit if he did not eat right.

It seemed Sakura did not hear, though, as she froze. “Hey, Sasuke! Sensei said that –“

Sasuke cut her off as he looked around and looked at his food. “Don’t worry, I don’t sense him nearby.” I would check, too, but I could not at my current position. I had to take Sasuke’s word for it. “We four are going to get the bells together. It’s only going to be trouble if he’s hungry.”

“I would give him my own food, but I can’t exactly get over there.” I pointed to my legs. They were feeling better after eating a little, but they were still weak.

Sakura looked at her food before holding it out to Naruto. Naruto looked like he was about to cry. It was so cute! I cooed in my head.

“Sakura…,” he muttered in shock. Sakura gave him a smile. “Thanks.”

Sakura looked up at Naruto. “You don’t need to thank me, just eat. Hurry,” she ordered my best friend, and I smiled at them.

“But, um.” Naruto started to blush.

“I’m on a diet… I mean, I eat less than Sasuke, and Emiko needs her strength back. Don’t worry about it.”

I chuckled when I realized something she had not yet.

“But see?” He moved his hands, showing her that he could not move his arms. She freaked out.

Sasuke got annoyed and looked at them. “Hurry, we don’t know when he’s going to return,” Sasuke ordered them.

I nodded my head in agreement. “And he threw my explosive, so I can’ track him anymore,” I added in. I frowned at the tree it landed on, where the explosive still remained.

Sakura was shaking with anger as she got Naruto some of the food, ready to feed him. Naruto’s fantasy was coming true. “I’m only going to do this once, you understand?!” Sakura pointed out to Naruto angrily.

Naruto smiled. “I understand.”

Sakura put the food near his mouth, close enough for Naruto to take it into his mouth and chew. When he swallowed, there was smoke everywhere. Kakashi had seen!

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CLIFFY!!!!!!!!!!! Hahaha, how did you all think of this?? What it good, or not. Did you understand the fighting scene?? These are things a writer needs to know!!

I am sooo happy with all these comments and votes I’m getting!! 51 votes already?! YAY!! And thank you for all who have fanned and added my story to your reading list.

The reason for the dedication is because they were the first person to reply to my question. Now here is another question!!

How did you feel when Itachi and Jiryia (SP?) died?? Happy, sad? For me, I almost cried when Jiryia died, but I was confused when Itachi did, I didn’t know he was a good guy after all! But when I found out he was, I was sad!!

This chapter took 7 pages of word, so, hopefully it’s long enough in wattpad pages, I mean, wattpad pages are huge!! Hahaha. I will upload again soon!! And I mean it!! I have the next chapter pretty much written, just getting only a computer that wattpad works on, as my laptop doesn’t let me upload on it, weird thing hahaha, but my phone did again hahaha.

Fan, vote and most of all comment and answer my question!! WHOOP!