The Ultimate Weapon (Naruto Fanfic)

60-Friendly Competition

When Aoi woke up, it was to a somewhat familiar pain in his head. He lay with his eyes closed, knowing almost on instinct that if he opened them it would make the pain worse. Then, strangely, something shifted in his arms. He couldn't help when a slight groan echoed in his throat and he opened his eyes to see black hair in his vision.

A black eye glanced out of its corner to meet Aoi's blue eyes. Recognition slowly flowed through Aoi's pain befuddled mind before he released Shikamaru from his arms. As Shikamaru sat up, so did Aoi. He looked around the room, and confusion must have been plain on his face because Shikamaru answered his unspoken question, tying his hair back into the usual rat-tail as he did so.

"You're in the hotel room that Neji and I are staying in. We escorted Princess Kou to the chunin exams." Though slightly cleared up, it was clear Aoi was still confused. "You're here because you showed up in front of us drunk."

"Ah." Something akin to recognition flashed through the jonin's eyes. "Why were you in the same bed?"

"You woke up in the middle of the night, still drunk, grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me into the bed. Then, promptly fell asleep with me in a death grip."

There was a silence. Aoi went to run a hand through his hair, and noticed his bangs were the only things loose. He held the braid that had appeared in his hair in one hand and shrugged. Knowing his sister, it was probably Kou.

A shot of pain washed through his head, and Aoi squinted his eyes. The huff of air that escaped from Shikamaru's lips could have been a chuckle if one looked into it, but Aoi was a bit distracted by the pounding in his head. Before either could do or say anything, the door to the room opened. Neji and Kou walked into the room, the woman smiling as she saw her brother sitting up in bed.

Aoi eyed the glass of water that Kou held in her hands. She had to reflect that he was a lot more open with his emotions when he was in pain, or drunk. Smiling at the thought, she held out the glass to him.

"So, Aoi, how are you feeling?" There was no sign of her thoughts in the sentence. Kou was a true diplomat to the core.

He met her eye over the rim of the glass. "I have felt better." Suddenly, a thought struck him, and Aoi wondered why it didn't occur to him earlier. "Kou, why-"

She held out a hand and he stopped in confusion. "I refuse you calling me only Kou," there was a devilish smirk, "so I'll give you two options. You can call me Kou-nee or Kou-hime-chan, I'll let you take your pick."

Shikamaru coughed into his fist, and Neji turned slightly away from the two with a faint smirk showing. It didn't take any explanation for Aoi to realize he had likely called her one of the two during his drunken night. He also came to the realization that, with his sister, she was deadly serious and there was no changing her mind.

"I understand." Aoi resigned to his fate. "Then, Kou-nee, why are you in Kumogakure so early? The third exams still have nearly a month and a half before they begin."

"Simple! I heard that a certain jonin had entered his team in the exams. I had to come and cheer them on!" Her smile was wide and true. "I also figured this jonin and I could walk around the village together."

At this point, Shikamaru stood from the bed. "I do want to watch something before we all stroll around the village, if you wouldn't mind." He addressed this mostly to Kou, but the look at the other two in the room said they were included in this.

"Oh, what Aoi mentioned last night!" Kou grinned, and at this point Neji had caught on. There was a gleam in the Hyuuga's eye.

Aoi didn't remember last night at all however, so his eyes shifted between the three of them with a degree of wariness. Neji took a step toward him. "Aoi, I want to finally fulfill the promise we had to battle against one another."