~Chapter 15~

I appeared back up on the railing, my arms crossed in a huff.

Damn Hyuga brat….

“….that kid so doesn’t know his place, it’s funny….he has no idea how outranked he is!” I heard Kankuro say to his siblings. I looked at the three of them, narrowing my eyes when I saw the red head squirming. Something’s off….

I sighed, closing my eyes and rested my elbows on the railing. I held my nose with my fingers, trying to calm down. Uchiha’s….Hyuga’s….dammit….calm down….

I opened my eyes again, feeling someone rubbing my back and looked up at Kakashi. He gave a close-eyed smile and I smiled weakly back, taking a deep breath and standing straight. I glanced over to where Naruto was talking to Kankuro, my ears picking up their conversation immediately.

“You’re a funny guy. I like that.”

“Well you’re not funny at all….and I don’t like that!” I snickered. Kami, I love Naruto.

They both glared at each other until Naruto asked what the heck he wanted.

“Well….you see….it’s about that Hyuga Neji guy….but….”

“….I’m gonna get that guy!!” Naruto declared, crossing his arms.

“….fine, fine, but that’s not what I asked.” Is Kankuro trying to gather information? For a kitty, I’ll admit he’s pretty damn smart.

“Now then….it’s time for the next bout!!” Hayate declared with a cough, drawing everyone’s attention. Especially Choji, Gaara, Lee and that one Sound Village dude.

“I guess it’s finally your turn! Go, Lee!” Guy cheered.

“No way!” Lee denied, catching Neji’s, Guy’s, Sakura’s, Kakashi’s and my attention and surprise.

“I’ve waited this long….if it were up to me….I’d rather be the final act!!”

“….”

Is he sulking? I wondered, watching as he turned away, scowling.

“Hey, Choji, you’re in trouble now….only the strongest are left….what’ll you do?” Shikamaru said from farther along with walkway.

“Especially that kid from the Sand….the look in his eyes worries me. He’s the most dangerous type!” He continued.

“I’ll just withdraw right away….so it won’t matter!!” Choji assured.

“Well, you’ll be giving up your chance for an all-you-can-eat victory barbecue once the exam is over….” Asuma teased.

“Hey, don’t bait him with food….!” Shikamaru sighed.

“B….but….” Choji swayed.

“Don’t worry. If it gets bad, I’ll jump in and stop the fight. Just like with Hinata! Okay?!”

“You hear that Choji? You can go for it. Master Asuma will be looking out for you!” Ino said. Asuma didn’t even move to stop Neji from killing Hinata. What makes you so assured he’ll stop someone from killing the fluffy one?

“Let’s go! Think of the barbecue!! Oh yeah! All the meat I can eat!!” Choji cheered and I sweat-dropped.

I sighed, my eyes fixing onto the scoreboard. Then they switched to Gaara as his attention was captured by his name on the board and he closed his ear, making the sign for tiger with one hand and sand surrounded him, making him disappear then reappear down in the arena.

“Don’t keep me waiting.” He drawled. He’s pretty hot for a twelve-year-old.

“Hokori-sensei!” Sakura exclaimed and I looked around. Oops. I said that out loud. And now Kakashi is glaring at me.

“ROAARR! ROARR!” Choji cheered, making everyone look surprised. “ROARR! I’M SAFE!!” He declared, making me sweat-drop. Yeah, now you hafta go against the little musical porcupine next round, fluffy.

“Okay! You caught me!! As soon as I said I wanted to be last….I was thwarted! It’s a natural law….you can throw a stone at a telephone pole time and again and never hit it….but the minute you aim to miss, you end up hitting the thing dead center. I didn’t really want to be the final act anyway!” Lee cheered, doing a high kick. I laughed quietly, shaking my head. I loved that kid’s enthusiasm.

“Lee! I’ve noticed something crucial that most people may have over looked.” Guy said.

“Yes, sir!”

“That gourd of his is quite suspicious….” No dip, dumbass. Plus the smell of blood coming from it just makes it ten-times suspicious!

“I see….”

“Stop taking notes! You won’t have time to consult them in the heat of battle!”

“….I see….”

“All right! Go-”

I appeared, covering Guy’s mouth and smiled at Lee as they both looked at me surprised.

“Go get him Lee. And that gourd really is suspicious. It reeks of blood. Now eat this.” I handed him a brownie and Sakura, Kakashi, Guy, Neji and Lee looked from it to me in suspicion and confusion.

“What is it?” Lee asked.

“A brownie I created. It works kinda like a soldier’s pill only it tastes better, dissolves as soon as it hits your throat and it only increases your taijutsu. Seeing as how you specialize in it, it’s ideal. Correct?” He smiled, nodding.

“Yes, ma’am!” And he swallowed the brownie in two bites.

“Now…..go get him, Lee!!” Both Guy and I cheered after I removed my hand from Guy’s mouth and nodded.

“Yes!!” And he jumped over the railing, landing on the field across from Gaara.

They both stared at each other before Lee spoke first.

“Facing you so soon….makes me very happy!”

“Hmph!”

“You like Lee, don’t you?” Guy asked, smirking down at me. I crossed my arms, pouting.

“Maybe. He’s cuter than you were at that age. Plus his eyebrows are smaller.” I smirked over at him, watching in amusement as he started anime crying, staring at a mirror that suddenly appeared and touching his eyebrows.

“So cruel, Hokori-san.”

“Get over it.” I snickered before we both calmed down, looking down at the fight again calmly.

“I don’t know what kind of tricks this bowl-cut kid has up his sleeve….but there’s no way he’ll win against Gaara.” Kankuro said as Lee got into his stance.

“No….he’s stronger than you think….” Naruto said, probably flashing to that fight Sasuke and Lee had. Hehe, I love this mini-Guy now. He’s soooo much cuter than the original. And his personality is just like a cute little puppy, learning how to walk.

“Chi! He’s like you were!” I cheered, making a face resembling this: :3, and hugging him around his huge neck. Chi sweat-dropped, sighing as he looked down at me.

“What?”

“Lee’s like you were as a puppy! All fluffy and cute and stuff! Now you’re just big, mean and always insult me!” I replied and Chi’s eye twitched.

“I was never cute, idiot. I was handsome.” He same, huffing as he turned away from me.

“See! Insults!” I crowed before going back to the railing, seeing Lee catch Gaara’s gourd stopper.

“Please….don’t rush things.” Lee said as Hayate smiled slightly. Gaara glowered at mini-Guy and I had to admit (again) that he was pretty hot. I wonder who his dad is….wait. That’d be like a twenty-year difference. Never mind….I wonder if Gaara has insomnia? He looks like a panda….

“All right, then. Let the ninth-round battle begin!!” Hayate announced.

After a few short seconds Lee launched himself at Gaara, going in for a Konoha Hurricane attack. Gaara didn’t even flinch, sand pouring out of his gourd and going up to block Lee’s leg. Huh….so the sand is what reeks of blood.

The sand moved, becoming a somewhat-hand-shape and slapped Lee away. Thought the boy just came rushing back, aiming a punch which was block and then a kick, again blocked.

“Fast as he is, Lee is getting nowhere!” Sakura said and I tilted my head.

“His attacks just aren’t working!” Naruto said.

“Physical attacks are worthless against Gaara. The sand forms a shield to protect his body….independent of Gaara’s will. That’s why, to this day, there’s not one person….who has ever wounded him.” Kankuro said, causing both Naruto and I to gulp. Him from fear probably and me from….well, I just thought that was pretty hot.

“Why is Lee only using taijutsu?! Taijutsu are ineffective and painful against that wall of sand. He needs to use ninjutsu and start attacking from a distance!” Sakura said.

“It’s not that Lee won’t use ninjutsu….,” Guy said, catching her attention, “….it’s that he can’t.” He finished, looking down at the arena.

“I knew it!” I cheered.

“So you do listen to my rants.” He smirked down at me and I pouted, crossing my arms.

“Well, it’s rare. So I listened.” He chuckled, patting my head.

“Rare?” Sakura questioned.

“….Lee has practically no ninjutsu or Genjutsu abilities….”

“A-are you joking? Then how has he lasted this long?!”

“When I first met Lee, he had absolutely no sense….and no talent or ability whatsoever! That’s why the only moves he’s been able to develop are taijutsu. There aren’t many ninja who can use neither ninjutsu nor genjutsu….” I watched as Lee hoped away, landing on top of the model of hand signs at the back of the small stage.

“And that’s precisely why Lee can win!” Guy finished.

“Huh?”

“Hm?”

“I like this kid.” I grinned.

“Lee! Take them off!!” Guy shouted, catching Lee’s, Sakura’s and Gaara’s attention.

“B….but Master Guy! You said never to do that unless I was defending the lives of people who are precious to me!!” Lee shouted back, saluting.

“It’s all right!! I’ll allow it!!!” Guy said, giving a thumbs up. I looked at Lee curiously as he sat, pulling off his leg warmers and pulling some weights off. So it’s that kinda training….

“Guy, you’re a cruel teacher. Could you whip mine into shape?” I asked with a mischievous grin causing Sakura to glare at me.

I snickered, watching as the weights hit the ground and my mouth feel open.

“Daaaamn.” I said, watching the huge dust could go away as Lee practically disappeared with his speed. Well, to the Genin’s eyes. To mine….he was still going slow.

Lee’s barrage of taijutsu got closer to hitting Gaara, making me put my full attention on the battle and ignore whatever Guy was saying. Though I got the gist of it. It summed up to Lee being devoted to taijutsu only and that he’s a specialist in it, which I already knew.

“Woo!” I fist-pumped the air as he kicked Gaara as he flipped over him, causing a scratch on his cheek.

Guy is an idiot. Teaching him to open the eight inner gates?! What the hell?!

I sighed as the debris cleared from the Reverse Lotus, catching sight of Gaara turning his gourd into sand to make the impact not kill him. He raised his hand and I gasped as sand wrapped around Lee’s left arm and leg. No!

“No!” I shouted, disappearing with a poof of flames. I appeared in front of Lee, ripping the sound off so it went around my arm just as Gaara closed his hand. It was silent on the field as everyone looked at me in shock. Even Gaara.

I, personally, was just staring at my arm. Both my eyes were wide and red light was seeping through my eye patch, my markings visible.

“H….Hokori?” Lee murmured in shock before passing out. Both Gaara and I glanced at the boy and my eyes widened as Gaara sent more sand towards Lee.

Luckily Guy stepped in this time, looking straight at Gaara and causing him to twitch, grabbing his forehead.

“Why are you two….helping him?” He rasped.

“He’s my lovable, precious protégé!” Guy announced after a moment. Gaara turned his eyes to me and I hissed, my fangs flashing in the light.

“I have rules. One of those is don’t kill an opponent that’s already defeated.” He glared at both of us, turning away as his gourd formed again. “Forget it.”

“The victor is Gaara!” Hayate announced, looking after the redhead. Sand was still around my arm and was slowly dripping off.

I heard something shift and turned, my eyes widening. Lee was standing, though he had opened the five gates, probably all of his tendons and bones were broken…..how can this boy stand?!

“Lee, it’s all right….it’s over. You’re in no shape to be standing….” Guy said, patting his shoulders. Suddenly he twitched and tears started dripping from his eyes. Wait….he’s….unconscious….

Guy laid him on the ground, him and Guy crouching next to him, calling for the emergency unit. Naruto came down and Gaara looked over at him. Then at me. Well, more specifically, my arm. I glanced down at it as well. The sand had finally come off and what was left was a crushed arm that was attached to my body.

“Really?” I muttered, sighing and fueled my kekkei genkai into my arms, the power instantly reforming and fixing the crushed bones and tendons. His eyes widened in shock and I smirked, winking at him. I turned, going over to where the medics were giving Lee a check over, telling Guy it would take a long time and some physical therapy but Lee would recover.

I walked over to Guy as he slumped his head, the medics carrying Lee away on a stretcher. I patted his back, slamming.

“Look on the bright side. If he had been caught in that sand that crushed my arm, it’s be ten times worse.” I said, smiling reassuringly. I wasn’t one to comfort, and he knew that.

He sighed, nodding then his eyes widened and he looked at my arm by my side. I had already closed my eyes so everything was deactivated.

“How is your arm?”

“Oh, it’s fine. Some kekkei genkai power up and I healed it quickly.” He smiled slightly and I coached Guy back to go upstairs while Kakashi took care of Naruto. The spoon glanced over at me worriedly but I just waved with what arm was injured and he nodded, looking relieved.

After Choji lost to Dosu, the battles were announced, I stayed in the waiting room while Kakashi took care of Sasuke and that traitor brat with glasses, Naruto was assigned to train with ‘super-perv’, Kakashi and I were at my house. Sleeping.

Because we were lazy.

“Hokori?”

“Hm?” I mumbled.

“I’ll be training Sasuke so I won’t see you a lot. What will you be doing during this month?” He questioned. Yeah, I had gotten out of training Naruto. Just barely, though.

“I don’t know….train Sakura?” I replied, waving my hand. One arm was behind my head as I lay on my bed. Kakashi was leaning against the headboard above the blankets, unlike me, and was reading his perv book. Again.

“Don’t you get tired of that thing?” I muttered. He stared at me with mismatched eyes for a second before chuckling and handing me the book.

“You read it.”

I stared at the book for a moment before rolling my eyes and grabbing it, opening it to the first page.

And, that is how I spent the rest of my night. Engrossed in a perv book with an actual pervert laying next to me.

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Authors Note

Lol, sorry about the long wait guys. And the short chapter. (I think it’s short, not sure actually xD )
Anyway, the picture on the side is of Hokori.
FanFictionWriter edited it for me and I thank her greatly :D In fact, this chapter is now dedicated to her. So, thanks again!
But seriously, sorry for the long wait. I haven’t been able to get online ‘til like right now.
So….I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!
~Mew