Found You

A/N: This chapter is going to sound a lot like it’s coming out of Sasuke’s POV, but that’s because I don’t feel like: replaying these chapters/episodes through everyone’s POV, and because this is a Kakashi/Sasuke-centric fic. I don’t feel like wasting your time – and mine – by explaining the opinions and views of the characters when it’s not relevant to the general flow of the plotline. If you want that, there’s plenty of internal-dilemma you can read for yourself in the series. But I also realize that a lot of characters just made poor debuts in this area.

So I guess I’m just gonna do whatever the fuck I want.

Lemon: No. This will be mostly a plot-advancement chapter. But we’re closing in on Kakashi and Sasuke’s big night!
Spoilers: MAJOR SPOILERS!!!!! For those of you that ONLY read the English manga, or watch ONLY the Japanese anime – this will be MAJOR spoilers. If you don’t want to ruin one of Kakashi’s crucial development-characters, SKIP THE FIRST PART OF THIS CHAPTER. Look for the next ~*~!!!

Those of you that only watch the anime, but are getting tired of all of the filler season (which will last until April), and would like to read the next part in the series and get caught up, places like Naruto-kun.com and narutofan.com allow free membership and download of the manga. Chapter 237 has a couple of pages similar to the opening of this chapter, and were omitted from the anime. But, it has to do with the reference Asuma made at Kakashi, back outside the dango shop when Akatsuki was introduced. Chapter 239 officially starts the Kakashi-gaiden.

Sumimasen – a sincere form of apology; ‘Forgive me’, in greater degree than the more commen ‘gomen (nasai)’. It’s more in the context of ‘I apologize for the shame I bring you’, rather than to merely apologize for one’s own faults. Used with superiors and those you deeply respect, and are in danger of losing the favor of.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hyuuga Neji. However, I do own Top Rookiecest and Orochimaru’s possessive obsession with silver haired boys.

Or, rather, as a sentient force and law of the universe, it owns me.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A New League

“…He’s not really anything like you…” Long fingers settled over the face of the book, releasing a sigh in to the chilly mist that lurked across the fields. It was in no particular hurry to announce dawn was on its way, and he was in no particular hurry either. “He doesn’t make excuses, or whine when I tell him to do something…”

His silver-blue eye rolled to the stone his back was propped against. “And, he got the top score in his class. But you knew that already…” In his left, covered eye he could still imagine the kind of lame, childishly-witty response that kid would give him: ‘Yeah well if he’s so great why don’t you MARRY him!?’ And probably turn away, pouting and adjusting his goggles.

Ashen hair bounced as his head tipped back, taking in the expanse of early morning. Primrose was on the horizon, but they were still under a bowl of constellations and a blue deeper than the color of certain clansake shirts. A sigh moistened his nose in its mask.

“I used to think you were such a joke of the great Uchiha name…” Amused with that, he pulled his eye shut and absorbed the lack of response from the world around him. The crickets and birds had been going on without him for some time. “…I guess you were the only one with a sense of humor, though.”

Talking to himself wasn’t such a big deal. And, even though he knew that the person he really wanted to talk to wasn’t anywhere near this stone, it was still a place he could focus his thoughts. This was the only place he could really go that he felt he belonged. The sky began to blush, and on the bottom of the horizon of trees began to glow, fortifying his sight with narrowing his gaze and cutting out the fresh slice of morning.

“I signed him up for the chuunin exams. You remember, right? Fugaku-taisa, he had two of ‘em. I got the runty one. It’s his first exam. He’s got someone… just like you, watching his back.”

His heavy eye fell shut, folding the book against his chest and lurching to his feet. “I just hope it’s the right thing, for all of them… I’m not so great at this teacher thing.”

It was going to be depressing if any of them got killed.

“But… you already knew that. Didn’t you, Obito…”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Body tape creaked around the knuckles that shot forth through the air. Then another. Spandex whizzed as a leg spun through the air. “You know, Gai-sensei really sounded… DETERMINED!”

Another kunai left slender fingers and sliced the air, a resounding thuck in the target board yards away. “He always sounds like that.” Fisting her hips, the girl with her dangos wrinkled her nose at the green ball of energy content with his shadow-boxing.

“It might have something to do with his match against Kakashi-sensei,” soothed the air with a noble baritone.

“RIGHT!” Lee stopped his motions to create a fist. “Kakashi-sensei’s team is participating! It’s so obvious! This is Gai-sensei’s chance to prove that moderation and preparation are KEY to training an elite team!! Not rushing them in there like the rookies they are! He wants to show how well he’s prepared us!” He meeped when a kunai nearly sliced his lashes, continuing in to the target board beyond.

TenTen gave him a half-hearted glare as she tossed another weapon through the air. “Lee, remember what he told us though? Showing off won’t get us anywhere. This isn’t even the real exam.”

“Then we’ll keep a low profile! And we’ll do reconnaissance on why Gai-sensei’s so excited!”

“It sounds like the loser’s making sense for once,” Neji mused, the corner of his lips ticking with a smirk at the annoyed way oversized eyebrows twitched at him. Opalescent eyes pulled shut, leaning forward and unfolding himself from the meditative sit and gain his feet. The whip of dark hair fell off his shoulder when he rose, hands falling in to his pockets. “So then. We won’t let even the examiners know how far we’ve come.”

She giggled and rested a curled finger against her mouth, a tiny sparkle in bright brown eyes. “Such a brilliant plan, Neji. We should go. This isn’t the kind of thing to be late for.”

The pair of them turned to leave, and behind them their wide-eyed partner stood in disbelief. “It… was my plan…” Almost instantly he perked up, making a fist and following with wooden steps. “But, there is no ‘I’ in TEAM! Right, Gai-sensei?!” Tears glistened with pride, snuffling to maintain his manliness as eyes were glossed with the far-off sunset that never died. That sacred place where only he and his master could exist!

“Lee~!” the girl scolded from far ahead, fisting her hips. “Hurry up!”

“HAI!” Ameliorated, he trotted after them.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Most of their chuunin are already at the exam grounds.”

A lilted giggle surfaced from him as he collected his feet. Littering the grass were the results of his handiwork, licking the inside of his cheek to make sure the skin sat right. “We shouldn’t be the last ones there… I’ll finally get to see how natural Kabuto-kun is, in this environment. Won’t I?”

Beside him, the youth wrapped in violet adjusted his glasses. “Of course, Orochimaru-sama.”

Truly, it flustered him, being unable to lay siege on this place in his ideal body. This would have to do, for his secrecy.

“You were such a beautiful disappointment, Kimimaro.” The sigh that fell out of him recalled earlier days, and even a bitter amusement at the irony of it all. Things he loved always ended up foiling his plans, it seemed.

“…Sumimasen,” he offered, not quite sure how many apologies he could give before it ceased to mean anything. His master was already speaking to him in the past-tense.

Faded green eyes took in the village below, chirping with life and peace and the oblivious satisfaction they took in not knowing how close to their end they really were.

…If only he could be like that.

“I suppose I’ll just have to find someone else.” Not such a big deal to him. He had nothing but time on his hands. And, he was old in his ways, positive that anything worth doing was worth doing right the first time. “Konoha always does turn up some interesting… potential.” Lips parted to let the violent pink muscle beyond lap at the corner with glee, staring over his shoulder to the boy that glumly took in the happenings of the world around him. “You know, if he really is his brother…”

Two pairs of eyes drifted to him as he sighed, shoulders quivering delightedly.

“I might be able to get back at him.” Chuckling to himself, he turned on a heel and adjusted the straw hat on his crown, sauntering for the academy of his own youth. Oh, it had been years since he had returned, but this place never seemed to change.

It sickened him. He was going to be providing them a service, giving them something new and exciting to toil about.

“Kuku… That secretive little bastard… But, I suppose it’s your fault, Kabuto. Your intelligence was lacking.”

“He only graduated this year, Orochimaru-sama,” he quipped informatively, shuffling after the trio. “It’s fair to say that he didn’t even exist until very recently.”

A hand lifted through the air to slice the topic short, shooing it away with a little chuckle. “It doesn’t matter… He’ll be dead anyway. It’ll be nice to tell that little bastard he’s the only one left.”

Oh, the way those eyes would shine at him… Possessively, furiously. Maybe even a touch impressed that his resources were so expansive.

At least it would be something of a change from that zombified glare he threw at everyone. Orochimaru didn’t like such pretty things looking so positively lifeless.

Though, he would be too, if he had that much power at his disposal and no ambition to use it.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Isn’t Kakashi-sensei going to give us some kind of good-luck speech or something?! Man! I’m not waiting around for him! We don’t have time for that kind of crap today!” Fuming, Naruto continued to mumble to his folded arms.

Sasuke continued to say nothing, staring over his shoulder as he waited for the third part of their team to show up. In the distance, Sakura was on the road, staring at her sandals and looking sluggish. Of anyone, he hadn’t been expecting her to come along. She didn’t have anything except their standard jutsus, and he was certain that passing the chuunin exam didn’t mean following the book they had left in their genin classrooms.

Though, it kind of annoyed him that Kakashi never took a great effort in training her. Always specializing their exercises for himself and the idiot that cheered her on to catch up, and he often let Sakura watch while she caught her breath.

She had no stamina, no specialties, no advantages. Well, a couple… But he was not going to admit to her times of being the first to identify Kakashi’s booby-genjutsus, and disarming them while he and Naruto would take off.

If it were up to him, he’d take the trap head-on. …If it were really him, he wouldn’t get caught in a trap in the first place.

“I’m so glad you made it, Sakura-chan! I knew you’d make it! I wasn’t going to take this exam WITHOUT YOU!” The constantly over-boiled pot of enthusiasm chirped, cozying up to her side.

Sasuke was put off by her not trying to do the same to himself, only offering a dismal nod in response to his usual grunt.

Hands found their way in to his pockets, the consent form in his equipment pouch as they made their way in to the building. It couldn’t be a very serious test if they were holding it here. And it wasn’t as… graduated as he remembered all of the other ones being. Usually the chuunin exams were a big time to celebrate for his family, always commemorating the newest members of ninja society in their own family with praises and big dinners. He could still remember how the house would be filled with people he only saw during that time of the year, even though they lived in the same neighborhood.

As they marched the steps in the way to the third floor, Naruto constantly tried to muscle his way in to the lead, and Sasuke was content to let him. Inside his skull he could feel the back of his brain tingle, and the hairs on the back of his neck prickle.

“Like beating me in to the room will make you a chuunin any sooner, usuratonkachi.”

“SHUT UP! You’re not ruining my mood today, asshole!”

“Don’t talk to Sasuke-kun like that!”

Up ahead, a throng of genin were around one of the doors. It really didn’t make any sense to him, but maybe they were reading a post-up with new instructions.

The sound of impacted flesh distracted him from hunting down a midget shrub of crimson, blinking as something green hit the floor. Somehow it made his stomach lurch to find out it was in fact a person, dark eyes narrowing on the pair guarding the door.

“Please, let me pass.”

So far, he didn’t see any of the other six from their graduating class. They must be up ahead…

“I can’t just let some weak guy like you in here. You should thank us for saving you the trouble.” He chuckled, pausing to sniff mucus back up his nose. “Mhmm…”

The one beside him guarding the other part of the door held up his hands helplessly, shaking his head. “What’s wrong with culling the herd? You guys know there’s a very good chance you could be killed in this exam. You should just go home now.”

Some of the other genin were shouting to be let through. None seemed to be advancing after that guy with the weird hair gathered his feet.

Well, if they were just going to be cowards…

Behind him he could hear a matching pair of dumb footsteps, smirking as he closed in on the one with the shaggy hair. “Why don’t you knock it off? I wanna go to the third floor. You’re just wasting our time.” Confusion littered the ranks, and for the sheer hope of him he glanced over his shoulder. “Sakura, you noticed it too right? You’ve got a better sense for this thing.”

Her head bobbed, stumbling out of whatever trance it was that had gotten this far, staring at him. Then she nodded, fists clenching and turning her pale eyes on the pair that smugly guarded the doors.

“Of course I noticed! This is only the second floor.”

As the genjutsu evaporated, the one with the oversized knives on his back twitched, sniffing like he had a runny nose. On the back of his neck, the Uchiha could still feel stiff hairs. There were still jutsus in place here.

Or someone was watching him.

“So, you were good enough to detect that… I guess this group’s got some potential after all. But sensing illusions won’t be enough!” With the lunging of a newly-freed spring, hands were on the ground and he was throwing his leg.

Instinct stirred his hair when his own leg kicked up to block, reaching back for a kunai at his hip.

Fingers stopped when he felt a grip through the tape on his shin, eyes falling wide as the blur settled to reveal that greased-down bowl of hair.

He could feel his eye tick with annoyance even while he heard a plea to stop.

Right. Like he could advance, even if he wanted to. Ripping his leg back, the other genin recoiled and snorted. He must have regretted it because he was sniffling again, following the other guy in to the door they had been inflating with importance.

While others now filed out, Sasuke still wondered at his leg. Focus swept him when a girl spoke up, fisting her hips and scolding the green… monstrosity that had stopped him. “Lee, you were the one that said we should keep a low profile.”

“I apologize. But, I couldn’t let anything start, here. Not in front of her.” With a fist, his attention blazed on the girl beside him he could feel more than hear riot with fear.

It carried on, his mind elsewhere even as Naruto internally wept with how ‘his’ Sakura was being swept off her feet.

Like it was going to happen. Irritation stiffened the hairs on his neck, that watching vibration in the air still present.

Neji was silently impressed by the fact that his teammate felt it was a fight worth stopping. He personally didn’t see the great importance of keeping that pair from being disqualified by their injuries. It was just a couple less weaklings that would be in the way later.

So, this must be one of the rookie groups that was participating. It wasn’t worth his time. Still, it peeved him that their own teacher didn’t think they had been ready until now, when this year’s teacher’s seemed so hasty to get their graduates killed. Opalescent eyes centered on the crest of the groups’ leader, advancing on him. “You there. Identify yourself.”

The little one was full of so much pride in how he carried himself that Neji was filled with indignance merely looking at him. From the moment they had come on this floor, he had been watching the way he acted like some prince coming to claim title at this exam. It was ludicrous. He didn’t know such snide people still lived in this village.

Not without being part of the main family. Opalescent eyed ticked when he was met with a smirk. This boy had confidence. And knew he had been being watched. His tone was thick with esteem and affront.

“It’s rude to ask someone their name before you introduce yourself.”

Beside him he could hear a giggle, but his ears were already starting to ring. “Excuse me?” This brat had no clue who he was. From the way pitch eyes glinted, though, Neji rethought himself.

…He knew. One couldn’t be that assertive and not know.

He was just being an ass.

Lips curled as he hissed, a retort cut off when the wench with him grabbed his wrist and stole the cocky little bastard. In tow was some blond twit whose jacket spoke louder than he did, so much he almost didn’t hear what that girl was going on about.

“Sasuke-kun, Naruto, come on! We can’t be late when we’re this close!”

For all intents she was dragging the pair of boys, leaving the Hyuuga’s eyes to narrow savagely when all the world was oblivious to what slipped in to his ears at their passing.

“You’re excused.”

Lashes ticked around vacant milky eyes as he watched the pack of them leave, lips hanging in frown as he was left affronted. The main family always spoke to him with a condescending tolerance.

Sasuke… Uchiha Sasuke? He caught a flash of the fan that sat on the escaping youth’s back, and suddenly he was amused with his previous treatment. By then, TenTen closed in beside him and forced a giggle.

“…You’re fascinated by him, aren’t you?”

She must have noticed how he frowned a little less before he lazily followed.

She had no idea…

“Lee, come on!”

Stubbornly he kept his ground, giving a shake of his perfectly round head. “I… have something to do. Excuse me.”

As their tallest partner ran off, Neji stopped to look over his shoulder at the departure. It didn’t take long for him to change his mind and follow.

By the time he and TenTen caught up to their firebrand of a teammate, they could hear the familiar tearing of air in acute motions. The Hyuuga rested himself against the doorway of the third floor, obscured by the railing as their third member took a confident lean against the other wall. With the way chakra-infused blood swelled the veins around his eyes, she didn’t ask if he was going to watch.

“Neji, we don’t really have time…”

The scale weighing under a coffee mane was comparing the prospect of taking their exam – and watching his teammate beat the hubris out of those rookies. “It shouldn’t take very long,” he whispered, masking his eagerness as fists collected the sleeves of his own shirt in folded arms.

When she looked over the rail, the brunet winced and held down her giggle, biting in to her thumb and glancing at the pair of unseeing white eyes across from her. “He’s handsome for just a boy.”

Often if she made such shallow comments, Neji would hum her off and find something more interesting. He failed to do exactly that, and it gave her pause.

“…Neji?”

Down below they could hear the precise, nasally voice of Lee. “But, I should warn you now, I’m the strongest of the Konoha genin in this exam.”

He didn’t need to see anything more. The Byakugan receded and he pulled himself from the wall, releasing a dull noise that betrayed his amusement as hands found his pockets and he stalked down the hall.

So that’s what their hot-headed beast thought of himself. Maybe, in this exam, he would just have to remind their rigid green bear just how much of a cub he really was. And skin him, while he was at it.

TenTen’s eyes shrank and she stopped in her boy god’s tracks at the shrill proclamations of the most undeniable voice back in the room they had abandoned. Polished nails bit in to her palms as she ground her teeth, woodenly following after him. “Gawd, they better not do that creepy thing. I’m tempted to report their mutual hallucinations to the medical squad.”

Lips ticked, unseen with his back to her. “They’re only expressing the full extent of their youth.”

“Don’t remind me. It’s just wrong.”

“Hn…”

Finally, he was back to normal. She could let go of her breath as they turned the corner, spotting a familiar tuft of faded hair ahead. Her elegant admiration came to a stop, and in response Kakashi lifted his hand to wave without glancing up from his book.

“You guys know this part’s in threes, right?”

TenTen fisted her hips, cheeks bloating in frustration.

“Of course,” he answered evenly, ponytail flicking to life when he approached the door.

“Lee’s back there. Gai-sensei’s holding him up.”

“Aa…” A hazy eye floated to the milky pair that settled on him, lids folding in a smile. “Don’t look at me so intently. It makes me embarrassed.”

“Ugh, you’re almost as bad as he is sometimes!” She couldn’t stand the way this jounin always pushed their teacher, no matter how cool he made it appear. Stunning, yes; but stunning didn’t take away the fact that whenever Kakashi left, their teacher added extra training just so he could work off his aggression.

Kakashi’s smile fell out of his powdery blue eye, growing vacant. He knew better than to let his mind wander around a Hyuuga. Even if they didn’t have telepathy, he personally knew that several of them went in to ANBU as through-wall diplomatic evaluators and all other kinds of nasty things. While in most cases it looked like foresight meant for only the readers of beyond, he had learned it was only a very clever form of prophecy, whereby they manipulated the fates of themselves and those around them; in other words, they had a bad habit of creating their own misfortunes.

In a way, it made him feel better to know he wasn’t the only one that kicked himself in the pants. Their consequences were a little more… depressing.

His were just unsatisfying. Where Hatake Kakashi created his own personal field of glum – the Hyuuga were the embodiment of glum. He supposed they could no easier separate themselves from their antagonistic ideals of inevitability by consequence, any more than a child could separate a lolli from their hair. It took scissors and a helping mom, for that.

They were a stubbornly self-afflicting lot. He could see where the rumors stemmed.

“Well, they say that the reason we don’t get along with some people is because we’re so much like them.”

Blinking confoundedly, she stood there. “…Neji?”

“…Your team doesn’t look like much.” He couldn’t understand why it had Gai so worried.

The jounin released a shrug, eye falling back to his novel and his thumb flipped a page. “They’ll surprise you. They don’t like being underestimated.” Then he gave a moment to consider, lazy gaze taking in the empty hallway. “Even if they’re a bit… slow.”

“Retarted is more like it. The loud one thought he could take Lee.”

Sweatdrop. “He did, did he… Yeah, he… got dropped on his head, when he was little.”

“The Uchiha’s not that impressive, either,” he stated plainly, gaining a satisfaction in the way the shinobi glared at him.

…So. That one was his favorite. This was going to be a very… dare Neji think it, fun day. Confident fingers closed around the door handle, leading himself in to the noisy beyond.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sasuke took another forkful of his noodles, brooding. He had been doing that for the last hour, and had to do it tenderly.

His jaw still hurt from the taijutsu contact. Knuckles brushed his cheek, chewing with the side of his mouth that wasn’t tender. All together, he had concluded that, with the kind of genin that were entering this exam…

…he was going to need to get stronger. It was one thing to collect information, but if there were people in Konoha, truly no older than him and still owning such a gap in skill…

Being a Top Rookie wasn’t going to cut it anymore. It didn’t cut it even against a kid in enough leniency to let them live.

Bad enough, he had gotten out of bed this morning with the idea that he would get to face-off against a singular skilled genin with the rustiest hair he had ever seen. Eyes that were so cold and malicious he was enthralled with the fact someone in their ranking could have them.

Eyes that had watched in the satisfaction of killing someone weaker than themselves. Here, he had always thought his brother was distinctly unique in his detachment.

Now, he was finding out that it was Konoha which was backwards about how it raised its shinobi. If the dozens of people in that room had not given that away. Real shinobi had to be able to kill people for the success of a mission. Part of being more than a genin meant that the village, and others, would no longer see a person in that headband as a child.

As a genin, they were just targets. He could honestly say, and it disgusted him to confront it, that his team had no stomach for that kind of thing.

They were just too… nice.

And nice wouldn’t get him any closer to a full night’s sleep.

He wondered, staring at the dregs in his bowl, if he belonged here at all. In five years, his brother had not come back for him to claim his vengeance. Not that he expected that man to walk in to his kunai.

If he wanted to hunt that maniac down, he was going to need to be able to do more than take a punch from spandex-clad freaks with freakier spandex-clad teachers.

…Really, it ticked him that, as unsettling at those eyebrows were, that was a man teaching a pack of teens a lot more than their own teacher was.

Teeth ground against themselves, denting the chopsticks in them.

Kakashi was slacking on them. On him.

…Keeping him weak so that he was stuck here.

Now he could only hope that in the second part of the exam, he had some way of releasing his tension. He wouldn’t find it in his shorts tonight, that was for sure.