Glitter in the Sky | A Shikamaru Love Story

Chapter 14

Shit. He may be posing as a genin, but he is no such thing. Without my shuhogan, I don't know if I stand a chance.

"Yeah! Go Kaori! You can beat him!" Naruto yelled, and I smiled at his encouragement. He really does know how to make a person feel better. I took a deep breath and made my way to the floor, glancing back at Kakashi as I went. He gave me a closed eye smile in encouragement, and I felt my heart warm. It's obvious that he believes in me. It makes it easier to believe in myself.

"So we meet again, Kaori-chan." Kabuto said in a teasing manner. The double meaning was obvious. He knows who I am. Shit. This is not good. I'll have to write to Pain after this, and hopefully I don't get yelled at. It's not like it's exactly my fault.

"So it would seem." I said back flatly. I will not let him get a rise out of me. It would only encourage him.

"You may start now." The proctor said and stepped away. I got into a fighting stance and pulled out two kunai.

"You should quit. We both know you can't beat me." He said in the same teasing tone. I narrowed my eyes at him. I may not be able to use my kekkei genkai or chakra, but I'm still a natural at taijutsu. I have a chance.

"You don't know shit." I said back menacingly and began to run at him. He readied himself to defend. I aimed to sweep his feet out from under him and end this quickly. He jumped over my feet and flipped away. I flung shuriken at him and he blocked all of them with a scalpel. I raised my eyebrow and narrowed my eyes at him. That's an interesting weapon. Why not a kunai, like normal people? He probably knows medical ninjutsu. But that's defensive, not offensive, right? I shouldn't assume anything. That's what Kakashi would tell me.

"Come on, Kaori! You can do it!" Naruto cheered. I smirked.

"You've got quite the team there." Kabuto sneered. I scoffed and didn't bother to answer before sprinting towards him again, this time aiming to punch him in the stomach. He jumped back, so I aimed to kick and it landed, but he grabbed my leg and swung me into the ground. I groaned and panted at the impact before standing back up in a defensive stance. He made a hand sign, and his hands glowed green. I raised an eyebrow. Isn't that medical ninjutsu? Why would that be beneficial right now? He ran at me and tried to punch me several times, but I dodged each one and managed to kick him away from me so I could think. How can I win? His hands are probably lethal, so I should try to not get hit by them. I can't use my shuhogan to analyze his movements or his chakra levels. I need a plan, and fast.

"What's the matter, Kaori? You have a kekkei genkai, don't you? Use it." He teased. I narrowed my eyes and decided to play dumb. Again, the double meaning in his words is obvious. He's knows I can't use my eyes.

"How do you know about that?" I asked sternly. At least a conversation will give me more time to think.

"Did you forget about the ninja information cards?" He played off my question innocently. I rolled my eyes. He's such an asshole. Two can play at that game.

"Well, they weren't that impressive, so I guess they slipped my mind." I said pointedly. I won't let him get to me. Not here. I came up with a plan. It's risky, but if it works, I win. He ran at me quicker than before, and I activated my eyes long enough that I could catch his gaze. It wasn't much, but I could tell that even this small amount of chakra usage will cost me greatly.

As soon as he looked at me and I caught him in a genjutsu, I stepped away and let him fight the fake me. I gasped in pain as the curse mark activated, and I felt as though fire was spreading through my veins. I heard several people yelling at me from the balconies but I couldn't tell who or what they were saying. I let out a small scream before clutching my neck and taking some deep breaths. I have to control this thing. I will lose if I don't. Thankfully, Kabuto is distracted right now. I cleared my mind and willed the curse mark to recede. Once the pain subsided, I admired Kabuto's position.