An Unexpected Friend (Book 1 of the Unexpected Series)

Ch. 21 - Fool Me Three Times, Shame on Both of Us (Chunin Exams Continue)

"Yes," Shino confirmed.

Before Kokoro could go on some rant about how her father was scared of failure so he only helped out those who were already capable of great things, Naruto ran into the arena out of breath, screaming his lungs out. Everyone stared at him, and Kokoro shook her head pitifully at him.

"What are you doing?" Kokoro asked him.

"You didn't just see all those bulls tryna kill me?!" he yelled. Kokoro looked towards the arena entrance, looked at Naruto, and shared a look with Shikamaru.

"Always doing something. Troublesome," Shikamaru drawled.

"Where's Sasuke? He isn't chickening out, is he?" Naruto asked, ignoring Shikamaru and his taunts. He scanned the crowds of the arena but didn't find him.

"I have no idea. He's with my dad, so I'm sure he's just running late," Kokoro supplied.

"Hey, look! It's Sakura!" Naruto shouted. He waved frantically in the air and said, "She must have come to see me kick some butt! Who's she sitting by?"

"Doubtful," Shino whispered. A giggle spilled from Kokoro's lips at the irritated look on Naruto's face. As she laughed, her eyes wandered and she made eye contact with seafoam green eyes. Her laughing ceased and she quickly turned away from him. He wasn't important to her anymore, so there was no reason to look in his direction. She felt sand particles attach to her skin and crawl up her arms. She stiffened and brushed them off.

Feeling the scratchiness of the sediment made her think about her visit to see Lee in the hospital. Lee had been unconscious at the time and was attached to a monitor indicating his steady heartbeat. He looked so peaceful on the hospital bed, but Kokoro knew he would be filled with nothing but dismay. His legs were wrapped in casts and there were bandages wrapped around his head. She brought him some flowers and made him a card filled with encouraging and loving words. She even taped a picture of his team to the inside of the card so that he could be reminded that there were people there for him once he woke up.

She was taken out of her memories when Genma instructed the participants to move to the upper level. She blinked her eyes repeatedly and asked Shikamaru what was happening. Apparently, Genma had already announced the start of the tournament and the first fight: Naruto vs. Neji.

She wished Naruto luck and followed the other genin to the upper level. She tried entering the balcony-like room but was pushed aside by Enkai Kuragari, her opponent. The boy smiled evilly, showing off his sharpened teeth. She stared at him with a monotone gaze and hid the fact that she was affected by his aggressiveness. She made sure to stand on the other side of the room from him and watched Naruto below.

Naruto and Neji's fight was intense, and Naruto took more blows than he gave. They talked a lot, and with her good hearing provided by her Hatake genes, she was able to hear most of it. As a side branch member, Neji was subjected to a curse mark that made him practically a slave to the main branch. It was terrible to listen to, and it allowed Kokoro to understand why Nejo was the way he was. Still, she didn't want him to defeat Naruto, so she cheered on her blond teammate loudly. She was concerned when a red mist enveloped him and turned some of his features feral. She didn't want the creature inside of Naruto to take over and wreak havoc like a certain someone. Thankfully, Naruto was able to control it and beat Neji with a knockout punch.

Naruto joined them on the upper level and received a high-five from Kokoro. Neji was taken to a medical room for his injuries, and Genma announced the next match. Kankuro vs. Shino. Kokoro was pumped to see how Kankuro would do against Shino. Kankuro was a puppet user and Shino was an insect user. Because Kankuro's puppets were made of wood, there was a chance Shino would wipe the floor with him. Her excitement dwindled when Kankuro opened his mouth.