Not Alone

[51] Sand Ninjas attack!

Third pov

"You better have a good reason for being this late." Sasuke nearly flinched, he hadn't sensed her. Instead he played it off by turning his head the other way.

"Sensei said I should be fashionably late." He muttered but he was heard.

"Hm. Well the next time you want to be 'fashionably late' try not to be late enough to be disqualified. Make this your last time, understand?" Megumi raised a single eyebrow as Sasuke bowed his head slight

"Hai, onee-sama." Naruto shivered.

Teme screwed up! And though he was slightly amused, he dare not laugh. Megumi then looked at Kakashi who sweat dropped.

"Hai hai, I understand. I won't do it again. Gomen Gummi bear. And uh...is he disqualified?"  Kakashi gave a nervous chuckle as he looked at the examiner. Said man smirked.

"Hmph. Don't worry, Sasuke's fight was pushed to the end. He's not disqualified." Meanwhile Sasuke and Naruto were having their own conversation.

"You look quite happy. You won Huh?"

"Of course I did! Gotta make aneki proud dattebayo! So you better win as well teme!"

"Hn. Of course I will." Naruto grinned.

Shikamaru, who had bore witness to the entire ordeal was stunned. First, the fear of his mother seeing him sleeping in too long, was placed into him, then he watched Naruto and Sasuke interact like they were brothers when last time he checked, they were bitter rivals.

Since when... Ah. No, too troublesome. Shikamaru shook his head. He could have guessed the answer but he very much did not want too. He's done enough for the next four days.

"Gaara, get down here!" Megumi called out to the sand genin. He simply glanced at her before he turned to head down to the arena.

"Boys. Let's go." Shikamaru and Naruto followed after Megumi.

•••••

As the three were walking upstairs Naruto paused.

"What's wrong?" Shikamaru walked up to the step Naruto was on to see as well. Unfortunately they could not see all they felt were fear. A familiar sense of fear.

Seconds later screaming sounded through the halls making the two genins freeze. Megumi, who had also seen the ordeal hummed and continued up the stairs. Once at the edge Gaara now stood before her face to face.

Sand floated around. Him protectively still. Megumi waved the few specks that floated too close to her nose.

"Wipe your face, you got blood on you." She passed a napkin over to him "Give a good fight okay. I want to see how strong you both are." Megumi patted Gaara on his shoulder before looking down through the railing at a very horrified Naruto and Shikamaru. "Come on you two, we don't want to miss the match." Still they didn't move until Gaara had disappeared from their sights.

"W, Why are you so calm?!" Megumi hummed

"He didn't kill them for nothing. Those two, were hired by the nobelmen to kill or badly injure him before the match. If someone has tried to stop you from your match like that you'd defend yourself too. I know I would and I'd kill them for laying hands on any of you as well. Don't be so quick to jump into conclusions."

"Oh..." Shikamaru not Naruto could refute her words. They too would have fought back

I understand though. Why they're so scared. Naruto did tell me what in happened when they last saw Gaara. Speaking of... I wonder how Lee is.