Chapter 22
No Need For Sand.
Day before the Chunin Exam.
After Kakashi gave them their application for the Exam, Naruto showed his family and told them about the Exam and what entails, everyone was so excited for Naruto to finally be able to get a "promotion" of sorts, well Ryoko kept on complaining to him about it, like why should he bother with the weaklings and how he's strong enough to not need to take some stinking Exam.
But Naruto managed to calm her down by explaining that by going through the Chunin Exams he'd get better missions, better pay and the Exams would the best place to show-off, and Ryoko accepted the last 2 explanations, though she was reluctant about the better missions part, after what happened to Miko, but she knows that everyone in the Misaki family, Naruto included, were stronger than anything on this planet, to a degree, but being a mother once and now again, in a way, she can't really help feeling that way.
Once everything was settled with Ryoko, Naruto told everyone that he was going out to get some Ramen from Ichiraku's, he already told everyone why he goes to Ichiraku's, not just for the Ramen, but to visit his friends that work there.
After having his fill, he went to buy 2 big bottles of sake, sealing the second bottle, so he won't be tempted to steal Ryoko's that he was planning to give her.
Though as he was walking, he looks in a window of a store and noticed something following him, though considering it was a box-shaped rock with eye-holes you'd have to be mentally retarded not to notice it.
Looking up to the sky, making sure the "rock" couldn't see his pranking-smile, that just so happens to be the same one Ryoko has when she's about to cause trouble.
He continued walking, with his tag-a-longs following, after a few steps Naruto then flickered away, surprising "the rock" whoever was inside it were looking around for Naruto trying to find him.
But what they didn't know was Naruto wasn't far, in fact he was floating right above them, "sitting" indian style, keeping his shadow from view of the "rock," with an amuse smile, then slowly he puts his body inline with the eye-holes, then before the "rock" could look some more, apparently getting frustrated at not finding it target, Naruto appears upside-down, putting his fangs close to the eye-holes, making it look like he was about to "snack" on the "rock" with a roar following it.
Scaring the people inside, the "rock" suddenly "explodes" showing 3 youngsters, 1 being Konohamaru, the 2nd being Udon and the 3rd being Moegi, the so called "Konohamaru Corp, and Naruto's no. 1 fans.
While the kids were shaking like leaves in the wind, Naruto was laughing his guts out, don't get him wrong, he didn't want to scare them too badly, but it's his way of teaching them to work on their stealth and hiding skills, of course the kids are still young, but come on, a box-shaped rock, Mihoshi would've noticed it, in time, no offence to Mihoshi of course, but the woman is a klutzy, scatter-brain.
After getting over his prank, with the kids being miffed at it, Naruto releases a sigh, with a smirk, "So, what do you brats want now?"
Getting over the prank, Konohamaru and his friends began asking, more like begging, for their "boss" to play Ninja with them, of course Naruto tried to think of a reason to turn them down, but being the kinda guy that couldn't say no to kids, within reason, he crumbled, that is until Sakura came along.
Hearing the 3 kids wanting Naruto to play with them, she thought that maybe she could get her own back on him for all the teasing he did on her and Sasuke, "A ninja playing Ninja, that is so twisted." she finishes in a joking tone, Naruto just smiles back, knowing she's just joking around, "Hey Sakura, what's happening?" Not caring about the joke, knowing it would get a rise from her.
But before anything else was said, Konohamaru interupted, "Hey boss, who's this girl?" Eyeing Sakura with suspicion, but then Konohamaru was "struck" with a basic idea of what was going on, though it wasn't the right idea, he started patting Naruto's back "I get it, you're a smooth operator boss," Not knowing what Konohamaru was talking about Naruto simply replied, "Huh?"
Konohamaru just continues, "Come on, I know she's your..." Bringing his hand up, he sticks his pinky out, while at the same time finishes saying, "Girlfriend." Not knowing Naruto already has 6 girls in his life already, as well as not knowing Sakura was more of a sister-figure than anything else, Naruto explains that they're just brother and sister in all but blood, but Konohamaru put his foot in his mouth again, "Yeah, I guess your right boss, besides I doubt you want someone with a big forehead like that."
Naruto widens his eyes at that, knowing from past experience, before his blood awakened, what Sakura was like when people talked about her forehead, of course he can handle her now, but still the memory and lesson from it was still there.
Seeing Sakura's angry white eyes, brought it all back, he looks towards Konohamaru and says to him, "Kono, if you value your life, you would very slowly and carefully, without making any sudden movement, turn around and run like hell, without looking back." Not catching on until he looked at Sakura, Konohamaru did the opposite of slowly and carefully, and spun around and legged it, at that moment Sakura chased after him, luckily Moegi and Udon were behind Naruto.
The wind from Sakura's burst of speed blew his hair behind him more, making it look like he was flying fast, sighing to himself, he looks towards the 2 kids with him, "Come on, I need to stop Sakura from killing him." He knows she wouldn't really kill Konohamaru, but he didn't want the brat to be hurt too badly.
So picking up the 2 by the waist like a couple of luggage under his arms, he took off into the air, flickering with them.
Then suddenly appears in front of Sakura, putting the kids on their feet, he looks at the scene before him.
A boy was holding Konohamaru by his scarf, the 2 kids he carried moved to behind Sakura, and there was a blond girl looking at the scene as though she didn't want to be there.
Sighing, Naruto smiles a Ryoko-type smile that says, 'do what I say and I won't hurt you, too much.' which gave the 2 foreigners a chill, "Listen idiot, let Konohamaru go, I'm sure a big, bad ninja such as yourself, didn't get too scuffed up by a little kid, right." Naruto says in a condescending tone, the boy in black pj's didn't like that and was about to say something, that is until Naruto flickered out of sight and appeared with an orange lightsword in his hand that was an inch to the guys neck.
The 2 foreigners were shocked and thought at the same time, "How did he do that, I didn't even feel any Chakra being used, who is this guy?"
They would've asked until someone appeared, that someone being a red-haired boy with a gourd on his back, with sand blowing around him, the boy looks towards the other, "Kankuro, back off," he says in a monotone voice that was void of emotion, "You're an embarrassment to our village."
The other 2 foreigners were both scared and nervous, the now known Kankuro spoke slightly, "O-Oh, hey Gaara." The now known Gaara didn't say anything just stared at Kankuro with soulless eyes, until he begins again, "Have you forgotten the reason we came all the way here." It wasn't a question from the sound of it, it was an order and a rhetorical question.
But Kankuro tried to answer anyway, "I-I know, er, I m-mean, they challenged us, t-they started the whole thing really, you see here what happen-"
Gaara interrupts Kankuro's ramblings, "Shut up," Kankuro became more nervous and closed his mouth quickly, not wanting to make Gaara angry, "Or I'll kill you." Kankuro started apologizing, but Gaara just looks away, towards Naruto, "I'm sorry, for any trouble he caused."
Gaara moves towards his team and gives orders, "Let's go, we didn't come here to play games."
But before they could go, Sakura, wanting to follow ninja protocol of foreign ninjas visiting, asks "Wait, before you go, as a ninja of this village, please state your names and reason for visiting."
Understanding what Sakura was doing, from all the ninjas, the kids were just staying quite, the 3 foreigners began, since it is standed procedure to ask.
The girl gave the introductions, wanting to get it over with, "I'm Temari, these 2 are my younger brothers, Kankuro," pointing towards the pj wearing guy, "and Gaara, we're here for the Chunin Exams." She finishes by showing her pass for the Exam.
Naruto was floating in the air, indian style, looking towards Gaara, with a relaxed expression, though on the inside he was thinking, "This guy, he's got the same eyes I once had when I was a kid."
Gaara was looking at Naruto, ignoring what was happening, though he and his siblings were a bit surprised at Naruto floating in midair, he then orders, "You, I'm curious about you, who are you."
Naruto just gives a fanged smirk, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki." The two just stared at each other, sizing each other up, though Gaara felt that Naruto was different than the others, but he just doesn't know what makes Naruto Uzumaki different.
Turning around, Gaara with his team jumps away, Naruto just says, "Well, I better get back home, no doubt mom would be wanting her sake."
With that Naruto flickered away, with Konohamaru and his friends yelling about wanting to play ninja with him.
Of course When he got to the Masaki residents Ryoko went after him about being late with her sake.
With the Chunin Exams around tomorrow, Ryoko didn't beat Naruto up, too badly.