ALL NOVEL 4.5
I opened my eyes.
I was in a room of sorts. Light green walls, sterile smell, white curtains blocking the windows, a small cupboard by the side of the bed, a jar with flowers, a basket full of fruits on the cupboard, a chair by the bed, an Ino sitting on the chair. A smiling Ino sitting on the chair.
“Oh,” I said, a bit dumbly. How did I get here? “Hi?” Pain laced my throat and I held back in the urge to cough.
“You’re awake! Just in time too.” Ino cheered. She wasn’t in her shinobi gear, but casual clothes. She wore an orange shirt and black shorts, hair tied in a high ponytail. Cute.
My brain was still a bit mushy. I looked around, thankfully some caring soul put my comms board by the bed. I picked it up, wrote. “Time for?”
“The third exam!” Ino said. “It’s in the afternoon, you’ve been asleep for days. The village is bustling with visitors. Even Naruto left already! He was here just a few hours ago. Training exhaustion as well.” Ino gave me a look that I couldn’t really understand. “Did you have to overdo it?”
Oh. Oooh, oh! Damn, it was today already? My plan was to stop a few days before the exam to rest, relax and prepare. Shit. Did I have time to prepare? I looked at the windows. The curtains blocked the view from outside. Couldn’t tell what time it was. “What time is it?”
“It’s still morning.”
Relief flooded my body. I still had time. I needed to plant the beacons, prepare my survival kit, weapons and explosives. Stuff was about to hit the fan. It would be dangerous, but I was determined to do the best I could. I got up, looked at the light blue comfy shirt, white pajama trousers I wore. Urgh, where was my gear? Under Ino’s curious gaze, I pulled the cupboard drawers and doors open. Neatly folded there was my black ninja outfit. Cleaned and ironed. Nice. I pulled off my shirt.
Ino squeaked. “I’ll wait outside until you finish getting ready.” Ducked out of the room. Closed the door.
I tilted my head in confusion. Shrugged. I wouldn’t have minded her staying, we’re both girls after all. Promptly, I took off the rest of the hospital wear and wore my usual black stuff. Stopped when it came down to the weight seals. Did I need them today? Unfortunately, I did. I still had trouble going all out, and the induced weight sensation helped more than caused troubles at this juncture. I guess goth era isn’t ending anytime soon.
Once done, I looked myself over. Nothing out of place. I nodded, walked out of the room. Ino, like she promised, was there waiting for me. She looked me over as well, there was this mischievous smirk on her face. Her cheeks rosy. “No black lipstick and make-up today?”
I rolled my eyes. Wrote on my board. “Don’t have them here. I’ll prepare properly before the exam.”
That got me chuckles, and an eye roll. Nice!
“I want to see the arena,” I wrote. “Come with me?” I wasn’t sure why I invited Ino. Was my lonely self rearing its ugly head again? All that it takes is one of my favorite female casts being nice to me?
Ino nodded, smiling. “Sure.”
My stomach flipped, and the butterflies rebelled.
Before we left the hospital, the nurses fussed around me for my obvious over-exertion and training. They cast stern glances my way, clearly not happy with me. Or maybe worried for me. I wasn’t sure. It took a different kind of person to work at a hospital, to care for others like that. It was an alien sentiment I couldn’t understand. I signed the release papers, happy that in the village’s eyes, I was an adult already. No need to hunt someone to check me out. Meanwhile, Ino chattered, gossiped. I listened. Her voice was pleasant.
Gods, I’m so easy.
The blonde pushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “No one had seen Sasuke since the preliminaries on the second exam.” Urgh, why did she start with him? Was I jelly of Emosuke? “ There are lots and lots of people arriving at the village to see the event.” That was normal, showhorses. Meh. “Sakura visited Rock Lee several times, even left flowers for him.” Really? Way to go Konoha’s Green Beautiful Beast! “Shikamaru is more grumpy than usual, keeps complaining about why he has to fight one extra battle.” That was so Shikamaru. I had to hold back a giggle. “Choji is stress eating more than usual. If he keeps eating like that, he won’t ever get a girlfriend!” Poor Choji, not even his teammates understand him. “Naruto was seen loitering about the women’s bath and resorts all month long.”
I was surprised with Ino’s gossip, I mean, information.
From the hospital, we jumped into Konoha’s shinobi exclusive lanes, aka roofs, and set out toward the event arena. The place was big. It reminded me of stadiums before I came here.
“We go in?” Ino asked, looking at the entrance.
I shook my head. We’re ninjas. Wrote: “No, I have a better idea.” I walked to one of the straight pillars that led up, and just kept walking until I reached the top. Looked back, Ino followed my example. Once we reached the top, I turned right, and moved toward the viewer stands. My goal was the middle structure. I was certain the battle would happen there, on that rooftop. I ran over the circular wall, jumped over the middle structure, climbed the two layered roof and sat down at the top.
Ino did the same. I could see the question on her face. I couldn’t tell her why I was here, so I did the next best thing. I searched through my depleted stores of seals, scrolled through empty seal after seal, panicked a bit when I couldn’t find any. Ino smirked at my antics. Finally, I found one. I unpopped the pastries, spread them nearby. Looked at Ino, grinned in relief.
Ino rolled her eyes, sat down. Took a muffin. Ate a bit. Sighed. She looked happy, peaceful. Her eyes focused on the open view of the village, the greenery and exotic architecture, even if I think she didn’t find it exotic, but familiar.
We ate in silent comfort. I had a lot on my mind. I was worried that even with all my effort, it wouldn’t be enough. I had a plan. It wasn’t a good plan, and I would have to deal with the consequences after, but I wanted to save the old man. I might need to come clean with some details I wanted to keep secret after I saved him, but I was almost sure he was on my corner and would help me. I hoped. I knew I was a bit silly and impressionable, but I don’t think I was dumb. I knew some in the village didn’t like me. It’s been in their eyes all along. Not to the same point as Naruto. I wanted to believe Kakashi-sensei and the Third Hokage were my allies. Even if I wasn’t happy with the old man for not giving me proper instructions and Kakashi for, potentially, train-blocking me.
I understood it well enough. I wasn’t happy, but I understood. I could be a spy. I might be a spy and not even know it.
The bustling view of the village drew my attention again. The many strange houses, the people milling about, kids running, laughing and being brats. Despite everything, I liked this place. It felt like home. Imperfect, unfair, and not the utopia I dreamed it would be, but home nonetheless. I did what I could to prepare for the events to come, to change the world again, but now that the time was here, it felt wholly inadequate.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
I looked from the village to the blonde girl. Her eyes scanned the horizon, taking in all of the village. My eyes refused to leave her face. “Beautiful,” I whispered. My ears burned a bit. I blamed teenage hormones. Definitively teenage hormones.
Still looking over the village, Ino asked. “Will you win?”
“Probably not.” I wrote to her the truth. “I don’t think I can beat Naruto.”
“Huh?” Ino looked at the board, jerked back, looked at me, surprised. “What? You beat the crap out of Neji!”
I shrugged. Wrote more. “Naruto is strong. He always gets up. I don’t have any way of stopping him without hurting him.” That was a white lie. Yamato taught me how. I just wasn’t willing to reveal that in front of a crowd, nor burn all my chakra in a fight that meant nothing in the grand scheme of things.
Ino’s shoulder sagged, a frown on her face. “Shame.”
The moment didn’t last long. We finished eating. People started to arrive, trickling inside the arena. I got up, Ino did the same. I cleaned any mess from our impromptu picnic and left the roofs. First part of the preparations was over. Only a few hours until crushcrushcrush.