Taijutsu and Naruto

Laying back against the wall of the Academy, I cross my arms and frown. After my display at the accuracy stage and obstacle course, no one was even willing to bother fighting me. Even after Iruka had already said that winning or losing didn't matter, just what they showed. I mean, I would've KO'd them immediately if they didn't forfeit right at the start, but how would they know that?

I've put great effort into seeming gentle and refined, yet proud. So they should have at least thought I'd give them a chance to show their skill...

Deciding to eavesdrop on the conversation going on next to me while I watched Ino and Sakura pull their hair and scratch each other, I realised why they kept surrendering before I could do anything.

"You know, Sasuke is cool and all, but for some reason my body kept trembling when I was about to fight him."

"Same here, not to mention the weird smile on his face every time Iruka-sensei called him up to his fight, I'm just glad I didn't wet my pants again"

"Again?!"

"Yeah, he's normally so amazing but during this whole exam, he's been going full force right from the start, I'd rather not be on the end of his punches..."

"We're just going to ignore him saying that Kazuto wet his pants before?!?"

Two of the boys grabbed him on each shoulder and looked at him with a dark look on their face.

"Kouta, haven't we all?"

"Hell no!"

Decidedly ignoring the last part of the conversation, I noted to myself that smiling before a fight is actually worse than no expression at all.

Looking back at the ring, I finally saw a decent fight.

"Choji, this is the end!"

Shikamaru deadpanned as he spoke in a monotone voice, slowly skipping towards Choji and throwing his fist out

"Sorry, Shikamaru, but I'm still not finished"

Choji used his <Partial Expansion Jutsu>, slightly increasing his fist's size as he span around, seemingly attempting to backhand Shikamaru's face.

"Oh nooo, you've won..."

Both of them fell to the ground, and Choji grinned at him.

"No, Shikamaru. We won."

Before they could keep on their cheesy tirade, Iruka dragged them off the stage and scolded them, failing them both and giving them extra class as punishment.

Knowing that their little show was the only thing that would be fun, I decided to catch a little sleep until my next round. After all, everyone was so far below my level that it wasn't even funny. 

Dozing off, I idly notice yet another girl losing to Shino after being frightened away by the bugs on (in) him.

---------------------------

"Sasuke! Teme! Wake Up, or I'll just beat you right now instead, dattebayo!"

Annoying.

"Ah? I can tell you're awake, ya know? Rise and shine princess!"

Opening my eyes and glaring at the idiot, I notice them gulping before Iruka-sensei told me to get into the ring for the finals.

"Sasuke, it's time for the finals. Get into the ring to face Naruto, we've given you enough time to rest."

Idly nodding, I made my way to the fighting stage before pausing for a second.

Naruto... reaching the finals? Wasn't he meant to be the dead-last? Well, I guess there was a reason he was constantly fighting (and losing) to the original Sasuke, it's probably just his natural gifts as an Uzumaki and being the container of the yang half of the Kyuubi.

Reaching Naruto, I looked at him intently, trying to intimidate him. Just like that, the previous anxiety he held went and he furiously glared back at me, ready to settle this.

"I may have lost last time, but this time I'll win! And then we'll be even, believe it!"

"No, you won't. And even if you do win, it'll be 53-1."

Yes, you heard that right. This child challenged me 52 times over the last year and lost every single one.

Naruto's face went purple in, surprisingly, shame, before he switched back to his usual reckless self.

"Gah. Well, those ones don't count. Now less talk, more fighting!"

"Hmph, that should be my line, dobe."

Putting our seals of reconciliation together, the match began with Iruka's instruction.

"Sentou Kaishi!" (Match Start!)

Immediately, I pulled his hand [Soft], before pivoting and driving a kick straight into his stomach, in an attempt to ring him out with the first move.

Surprisingly, instead of trying to pull away and avoid getting more hurt by the kick, he latched onto me. In other words, he took the full force of the kick and still managed to grapple my leg.

Good. You can at least be a decent punching bag until I'm bored. I immediately flip around using his grip as leverage, place my hands on the floor, and back kick him full force in the chin with my other foot. Instinctively, I knew that knocked him out.

He fell to the ground, not moving for a second. Of course he wouldn't be able to handle it, after all, I was far stronger than the original Sasuke and that version of him still stomped this Naruto.

Turning my back, I turned to get off the stage before hearing him scramble at the floor, I turned back only to find him having dashed at me, aiming to headbutt me in my groin.

This was bad, I shouldn't have gotten cocky. I can only hope to barely block this and improvise what to do next...

Kidding. The moment I sensed him moving, I dropped and did a swift kick right into the side of his temple. He stood no chance.

"Sasuke! You didn't need to go that far!"

Instantly Iruka was livid, and I was surprised. At this period of time, he should still be hating Naruto so I didn't think he'd stand up for him.

Still, I had already planned on what reason I was going to give for the blow.

"You know his endurance as well as I do, it's the only reason he's ever able to fight me. I'd rather not be here all day so I just gave him a good blow to end it quickly"

"Still..."

Iruka was about to keep protesting but then we heard Naruto get up. Naruto, after figuring out that he had lost without even being able to do anything this time, pouted with a teary-eyed look, staring straight at me aggrievedly. 

For some reason, I couldn't help but stare. At his face, his big teary eyes and puffy trembling lips.

[Cute.]

Nausea filled me in an instant. Just what was I thinking just then? Cute? Naruto? I'm a straight male, I can't waste my good looks on a man. Hell, I even need to restore my clan, where on earth did that thought come from? Was it Indra? Yes, it has to be, all the other reincarnations (Madara and Hashirama) were pretty much in love with each other too. I'll be different, I already know about this influence so I can just... ignore it. There's no way I'd feel attraction to a boy, right? Right!?

Everyone else was unaware of my mental breakdown, only seeing me staring at Naruto, dazed.

By the time I woke up from my panic attack, all I saw Naruto locking eyes with me, his face beet-red. No, please, god no. I thought I had finally found a good punching bag to train on, but what is this?! Asura, Indra, I curse you both to- Wait, I'm also Indra- It doesn't matter, I curse you both anyway!

Quickly, both Naruto and I broke out of our stupor and ran away, red from our necks to our ears at so blatantly staring at each other in front of the entire class. Me, from shame at what I had become, and him probably because he was flustered by my staring after being no diffed by me.

--------------------------------------------------------

{Naruto POV}

Man, what's with Sasuke recently...

All of a sudden, after coming back, instead of being sad and mopey, he was so... so.... I don't know! Weird, and... and warm, even if he always picks a fight with me (Naruto is the one who picks the fights, Sasuke is too proud to start it but he's petty enough to keep it going, even if it's with a child.. that sounds wrong somehow.)

And then now, he just kept staring at me with those eyes of his, smiling at me.

What happened to me? What did he do to me? Why do I always fight with him, even from when we first met years ago? Why can he get me to feel so much when normally I just keep my head down and ignore others?

Did he know that I was... that I'm a girl? Hokage-jiji told me to pretend to be a boy because it'll protect me from the villagers or something, but they still insult me and ignore me and some drunks even hit me. Still, I trust jiji, he was the one to tell me all about the Hokage and all kinds of other stories while we shared fish.

But.. it's not like I can't keep a secret every now and then, right? Jiji never tells me about my parents or why the villagers hate me, so I won't tell him about me and Sasuke, believe it!

Hmph, enough about that jerk, it's time for more important things.

ICHIRAKU RAMEN!

I'll tell old man Teuchi all about how I managed to reach the finals. Things are looking up for me after all, maybe I was right all along. I will become the next Hokage, dattebayo!