Rabbit Princess [Gaara] [1]

☾ 35 ☽

Tsukiko looked at the Hokage and saw someone else approaching him and was confused for a second before realising that it was the Fourth Kazekage. She glanced at the three Sunagakure siblings, and while Temari and Kankuro looked nonchalant, Gaara was glaring murderously at his father. Gaara turned his glare at her when he saw her looking.

"Calm down, why do you have to be so darn mean all the time," Tsukiko muttered, holding her hands up in defence. Gaara looked away and Tsukiko looked up at the two Kages and saw that Hiruzen had now stood up and moved to the railing.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to Konohagakure's Chunin Selection Exam today," Hiruzen announced. "We will now begin the main matches with the eight that have passed the preliminaries. Please enjoy the matches,"

"I have something to tell you before the match," Genma said as he turned to look at the Genins. He pulled out a piece of paper from his vest. "Look at this. There was a slight change to the tournament. Check who you'll be facing one more time,"

Tsukiko, Shikamaru and Temari stared at the paper. The rest of the tournament was going as normal but there was no Tsukiko versus Dosu, it was Shikamaru versus Temari, and their winner being the one who would then fight Tsukiko to get to the semi-finals. They clearly put her aside like that since she was the youngest person present there. She was still eleven.

"Um, excuse me!" Naruto said suddenly, raising his hand. Genma looked at him as he placed away the piece of paper. "Um... Sasuke stil hasn't arrived here... What will happen to him?" Tsukiko looked at Genma as well.

"In case a competitor does not arrive by the start time of his match," Genma told them. "He or she will disqualify by default," Tsukiko and Naruto shared a look with each other before looking at the entrance of the arena.

Tsukiko looked at Gaara next to her and grimaced slightly when she saw the weird as heck smile on his face. What has he been drinking? Tsukiko tried to inch away from him, not wanting him to decide that he wanted to fight her since Sasuke isn't here. He wouldn't miss a chance of using that dreaded Sand Coffin on her.

"Listen up, you guys," Genma spoke up again. "The terrain is different, but the rule is that there are no rules, the same as in the preliminaries. The matches will continue until one or the other dies, or acknowledges defeat. However, if I judge that it has been settled, I'll stop the match there. Arguments will not be allowed. Understood?

"So, the first match is Uzumaki Naruto versus Hyuga Neji. Just those two remain, and the rest of you go to the waiting room," Everyone else started to walk off and Tsukiko looked at her blond best friend quickly, serious.

"Naruto, good luck," Tsukiko told him. "You can definitely do it," Neji tsked at them but she ignored him and patted Naruto's shoulder. "I'll see you later as the winner," Naruto gave her grin and Tsukiko smiled back.

Tsukiko rushed off to where the rest of the Genins were exiting the arena and met up with Shikamaru as the two of them followed the others inside. She glanced over her shoulder one last time, knowing that Naruto can do it.

"Let's hurry!" Tsukiko said as she sped up in front of others, hurrying up the stairs and to the area that was given to the Genins to watch over the matches. She had run so fast that she had to grab the railings to keep herself from falling over.

"Calm down, Tsukiko, they're not running away," Shikamaru told her as he stalked over to where the white-haired girl was standing, holding onto the railing excitedly as her eyes darted all over the stadium.

"You look like you want to say something," Neji was saying to Naruto. Tsukiko watched as the blond clutched his hand into a fist and held it up, determined.