Most Beautiful Sight

A/N: YAY!!!! Almost 10,000 hits!!!! ^_^ I’m so happy… well now I can’t upset the fans further so ONWARD HO!!!!! And no I didn’t just call you a ho….

“Momma…” Ayumi whispered and found her eyes opening to the night sky further and her face wet with tears. Quickly wiping them away she reached under her pillow finding the journal she had come accustomed to reading as of lately and her forehead protector and made her way out of the room shared with her group.
The streets were quiet as she made her way down them in search of a secluded spot. Looking around Konoha at night made the place seem surreal compared to the life it bubbled with during the day. Would their tiny village ever prosper in such a way….
“You…” A voice made her pause and she turned around finding herself turn around facing a Young man with blonde hair.
“You’re the boy from before!” She concluded aloud bringing fist to strike her palm, either way he looked none to happy to see her.
“Give her back…” He approached her his fists clenched tightly turning his pale knuckled paler. His blue eyes didn’t convey the anger he seemed to have felt…no they looked, desperate almost pleading with.
“Ooh?” Ayumi crossed her arms smirking. “How could I have taken anything… anyone from you when I know nothing of you. Perhaps its that little girl what was with you and your friends earlier?” Ayumi’s fingers came to her chin as if she were really pondering the so called problem at hand. Looking at the blonde before her she could see the muscles in his body tighten. He was going to attack?
“Give. Her. Ba-“
“Listen, I do not know who you are or what you want…” Ayumi’s humor died off rather quickly as she waved the journal blowing air to her face to ease the prickling in her cheeks at the sudden confrontation. “…but I suggest you take your problems elsewhere.” She turned her back to him.
“Give her back.” his voice came out firmer than intended. “Give her back or you’ll pay.” She chuckled.
“Pay?” She chuckled again. Her white hair caught the wind. “Keep talking like that and I may fall in love with you.” She could picture the disarming look he was now giving with a great deal of accuracy. Bringing her hands into a sign before her she added.. “Hope you find your friend.” And with that, in a puff of smoke, she was gone.
“I know what you’re going to say.” Naruto turned his gaze angrily to the right, at the swing he still visited from time to time when his mind was troubled.
“Then you should’ve listened when I had told you earlier… don’t do anything foolish.” Neji spoke up making his presence on one side of the large tree known openly. “I almost wonder if it was prudent to tell you about her feelings.” Naruto’s gaze jerked up and back at the Hyuuga male in awe at such blasphemy. “Since hearing about that… you’ve grown obsessed. In some ways it has encouraged you to move on and better yourself, perhaps not to tarnish the idolized thoughts she had of you, but upon finding hope that she may very well be alive… you’ve gone mad with it.” Naruto looked at the ground. “If they think we’re onto knowing the truth she could die. We already know they plan on killing her so what’s bumping the plan up earlier going to harm them?” Naruto kept his gaze on the ground. “Besides, she’s been gone for years now… she’s not the same, she may have outgrown you… You’d be remeeting her.”
“I understand.” His spine straightened but his gaze remained lower as if trying to burn a hole in the ground.
“But… “ Neji looked off into the direction she disappeared. She… is familiar…
“We should get going, your first exam is today right?” Naruto finally recomposed himself and grinned broadly at his friend. “You need a good meal and some vigorous exercise! Not necessarily in that order.” Neji just looked at Naruto blankly before walking past the boy
“If you wanted to spar… you just had to say so.” Neji paused and threw a smirk over his shoulder and took to the top of the building and headed off to the training fields. Naruto watched him sighing still beating himself up knowing indeed he was obsessing…
*~*~*~*
Is this the way all mothers feel? That even knowing the pain of losing me that my child will be hurt, but she’ll live on and become something great? I like to think so…As a mother its much more painful to lose my child.
Even Nanasa must feel that way for her son. Sometimes I wonder if that’s why she dislike Ayumi-Lin so much. That she is my daughter, that I was able to marry the man who created her… that I got to keep her. To raise such a sweet gentle child with great abilities that lay within the calm spirit within her….Nanasa…..
I can’t even imagine giving up my baby for the sake of father… He’s nothing but a bitter old man with love only in his heart for the wife that died… and the granddaughter he almost didn’t get….
Still… I fear… that I co-
“Ayumi!” Liz snapped Ayumi from her world she had been in while reading the journal of her late mother. Tucking it away she looked alert as the female and Lan approached her.
“I told you she’d be lazing around.” Lan rolled his eyes.
“Ready to go?” Her eyes looked more serious as she rose. Her voice came out with such command it was almost eerie how it seemed nothing like her. Something was wrong.
“Ayumi…” Liz presented her with a rice ball as she skipped out on breakfast and the sun was now fairly high.
“Thank you” She took the rice ball and ate it as they made their way to the place for the written part of the test. Ignoring the berating words her grandfather had for her, and her team made their way inside of test one… the written test.
“Don’t blow this for me.” Lan turned to her with a stern look… one that startlingly reminded her of someone who would always give a look similar to that… “You listening?” He glared leaning in to Ayumi’s face.
“‘Don’t you dare blow this for me’… yeah, yeah I heard you.” Ayumi simply turned away from Lan. Her insides quivering with newfound knowledge, with nervousness, with anger, with hatred, with betrayal… she could almost cry if it were not for her shinobi way ingrained within her.
“What the hell is your problem?!?” Lan put his hand on her shoulder spinning her around angrily. For sometime now he had noticed she’d changed. She no longer seemed phased by his presence, she no longer heeded everything he said with regard, or the humility he had grown oh so accustomed to over the years. She treated him with spite…
“I’m ready to become a Chuunin and bring pride back to my village.” She only smirked at his angry glare. “So I suppose it would be more appropriate to say, you don’t blow this for me.” She could feel her cheeks prickling again partly out of embarrassment that the shinobi around them were watching almost waiting for the team to crumble, and partly out of annoyance at having to be here now. It was then she was saved by the fact that the instructor had arrived. A boy, about their age. His hair pulled up into a ratty looking ponytail. He strolled into the room quite lazily, hand in his pocket muttering something about troublesome work and whatnot.
Upon making it to the front of the room he stopped, his posture straightened and the gaze he sent the scattered bunch, while easygoing on the surface, held a maniacal meaning beneath them that made the group sit down immediately in silence. Taking a test from one of those watching along the sideline he smirked, which seemed to deepen the slightly maniacal stare.
“I’m Nara Shikamaru, and today you’ll be taking the test that will affect the rest of your pathetic life.” His eyed scanned the room as he paced back and forth. “Since I don’t want to see any of you sorry bastards ever again in this town I’ll make it simple. You fail here and you’re beat for the rest of your life as a genin.” He paused his gaze stopping on a girl a row before Lan. “This is my test and I’m running it the way I see fit. The rules are simple, finish your test, each one point. Starting at ten every wrong answer deducts a point. Don’t get caught cheating, three strikes you’re out...” He climbed the stairs as the shuffling of papers as papers were passed to those who hadn’t received one yet all the while he was smiling a look that had him looking crazed.
“Here you go…” Ayumi muttered handing the test to the person next to her. A young lady with double buns on either side of her head. “Good luck.” She added ignoring the odd look she had received in return. It was then a thump was heard as the instructor made himself comfortable in the back of the room on a wall behind the last row. He sat cross legged and overlooked all before him. Everyone was turned to look at him, his face now unreadable and impassive in a creepy sort of way. His eyes dropped to his hands and it was then they noticed the position he rested his hands in…
“Begin.” Shocked noises flurried around the room to those who do not know Nara Shikamaru wondered if he had some sort of special Jutsu that could cause teams to fail… Oh well… too late…