Regardless, Ino loves Sakura, and as she watched Sakura cheer for Sasuke, she knew what was best for her wasn’t Uchiha Sasuke. Observing the cold Sasuke returning to the viewing gallery as the next match is announced, Ino wonders what she can do to convince Sakura of that once an for all. Her mind imdiately declares any manipulation is off-limits. She’s learned that lesson quite painfully.
’I’ll do it... but it has to be honest, like Kurenai-sensei would,’ is her final thought before noticing the blond love of her life enter the dirt and grass stage below. With his white coat flapping in the wind, making him look too cool, Ino is smitten. Taking Sakura’s hand, they both smile as Ino excitedly focuses all her bubbling attention of her dear friend and love.
—
Gaara body flickers to the center of the arena using his sand-jutsu, kicking up the dirt around him. Naruto gives the stern and conflicted Tenmari one last look before taking the stairs down. In passing Sasuke, the raven-haired avenger demands, "you better not lose to him." Naruto is a bit taken by the blunt encouragent, until Sasuke clarifies, "it’s going to be you and in the end."
Smirking at Sasuke, Naruto assures him, "heh, no it won’t." At Sasuke’s confused brow, Naruto answers, "be ready, Sasuke," and as he walks down the stairs, Sasuke yells, "for what?"
"For whatever Orochimaru has planned," Naruto calls back as he walks out into the sunny arena. All the while Sasuke stares at the blond, wondering what he knows and how he can possibly co to know it.
HAKU
From atop of the nine-story, half-completed, construction site that used to be Naruto’s old apartnt, Haku observes the stadium several miles away longingly, wishing he was there to see Naruto dominate his opponents and show the world the feats of his vast strength. Since his ti in Konoha, he’s learned that much of the village has treated Naruto unjustly, to say the least. Haku wanted to be there to witness for the first ti, on such a large stage, Naruto finally having the chance to show them all how wrong they were about him.
Despite being alone, Haku still felt fortunate. Not only did he find it amusing he was being paid to guard Tazuna and his family while they rebuild Naruto’s old apartnt bigger and better than even the most modern building in the village, but he’s also able to listen to the Chūnin exam’s broadcast over the radio on the floor next to him. Additionally, when he senses a familiar chakra land right behind him, he feels both better and worse at the sa ti.
"They won’t let you in the stadium because they feel you pose too high of a security risk," Kabuto explains. He steps beside Haku and they both watch the village landscape as he adds, "Konoha will never be your ho, Haku-kun. They won’t accept you."
"Ho is where the heart is," Haku tells Kabuto, looking directly at the distant stadium and imagining Naruto’s smile.
"Then co with ," Kabuto pleads, turning to him.
"Don’t you an, ’co with us,’" Haku asks, considering the bit Naruto has told him. "Orochimaru is your master, isn’t he?"
"He’s a great man," Kabuto defends. "He only asks you to be strong and loyal, and he’ll ensure you won’t be used and discarded. He would never ask you to betray soone you love simply because you’ve beco a liability. He only wants the strongest soldiers because he will always be stronger; as any true leader should be. Join us, Haku... and we can be together."
The mont of silence between them allows the radio to statically inform them that Uzumaki Naruto is raising quite the uproar over his attire for its similarity to that of the Yondai’s, making Haku smile. "I can see you wander the world like a monk on a mission of self-discovery, Kabuto-san," the beautiful boy remarks. "But I know who I am and I’m incapable of abandoning Zabuza-sama and Naruto-sama."
Recalling Naruto asserting, ’I can’t see you,’ with irritation makes Kabuto coldly react with, "and if they died?" Though he instantly regretted it.
"Then the best part of dies along with them," Haku returned, turning to the silver-haired boy. "And sadly, I’d be forced to kill anyone complicit in their deaths, whether that be soone I love or Kami-sama himself."
"It doesn’t have to be that way," Kabuto reinforces, trying to settle his turbulent emotions. "I can convince Zabuza-san to join us easily enough. Naruto-kun... will take so ti, but if you co with now, I promise I will bring him over to our side. You have my word."
"Thank you," Haku says with a bright smile. "That makes happy to hear but I cannot embrace a love that would betray them. I hope you rediscover your center, and more than anything, I hope you don’t regret the lengths you sacrifice in the process to get there."
Clenching his fist, Kabuto tells him, "don’t do this, Haku. You don’t know what tomorrow will bring or how you will need to adapt, and I’m telling you now, after today, you will need to survive."
As they gaze at one another—one in affection and the other in ache—the long silence is only interrupted with the radio’s continued announcent, "this rookie genin is certainly raising questions, ladies and gentlen. Just who is the boy we thought we knew? An orphan, certainly—one who’s gone ignored or unnoticed for so long—but as if reinvented, it’s shocking to see the Uzumaki Naruto before us today. As of yet, none of our sources can confirm his genealogy, but this could very well be a battle between heirs of the Sand and Leaf, and I feel confident we’ll learn much more in this fight!"
GAARA VS NARUTO
The flat battleground feels wider to Naruto as he walks to the center underneath the big blue sky. The grass crunches under his foot as the crowd murmurs all around him. Wind wipes up his coat as he eyes the glaring redhead, feeling the sa weight he felt when he faced Haku. This mattered a great deal to him and it may have only been like this because of Naru-nii, but that didn’t take away how important this was. Naruto knows Gaara’s pain, and more than anything, he wants to relieve him of that burden.
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