72 Naruto : Uchiha : Chapter 72
Naruto had no objections with another day of rest, those came few and far in between these days anyways. Who knows when he'd get another one like these?
"Well we were going to, but we then decided to have breakfast…" Tsunade rose an eyebrow seeing his sheepish smile while he rubbed his neck in his usual nervous tick she knew by heart by now. "… and we met them."
...
Orochimaru pointed a finger that pointed above her, and only then did Tsunade raise her neck straight up to see two pairs of dangling sandals three branches high in the tree right beside her.
Walking a bit to the side, she saw Sakumo and Duy munching on some dumplings from a bag while both waved at her - said dumpling skewers still in hand. She waved back at them happily out of courtesy herself.
"Hey what are you two doing here?" she asked in all curiosity and evidence, the former getting the better of her.
"We met them when they were coming here a couple of hours ago…" Duy spoke simply, picking off a dumpling in his teeth and Tsunade nodded but still didn't quite understand Naruto's nervous demeanor, or Sakumo's annoyed one for that manner.
"Naruto decided that I should treat him, and all four of them in fact, to some breakfast…" the silver haired genin narrowed his eyes accusingly at his teammate who stuck his tongue out playfully back at the annoyed looking boy high up in the trees.
At Tsunade's curious eyes turning to him for an explanation, said blonde boy decided to give her his part too.
"I am out of money … " was his simple response, and Sakumo's further dangerously narrowing of eyes made Naruto look at him in defiance - as comical as it made the situation to Tsunade, she stayed silent to watch how it unfolded even further.
"And my money is for free right?" Sakumo asked back, lacking anything but some playful anger that only Tsunade could tell after all the years she had spent with the two, apart from Naruto being the third wheel in their little friend cart.
"Hey, you're rich. Stop being so cheap!" Naruto pointed an accusing finger at the boy, who bristled angrily on the branch he sat atop on. Naruto knew very well what was coming in a few moments though, and he absolutely loved that part.
"I'm not rich…!" at Naruto's own narrowing of eyes, he grunted in defeat. "…my family is just a little well off. BUT YOU SHOULD DAMN WELL KNOW MY FATHER DOESN'T GIVE OUT MONEY EASILY!"
He shouted back with a flushed red face at remembering the long lecture he had heard in the morning for spending his money carelessly when he had asked for an early allowance from his father a couple of hours back.
"I AM OUT TOO! I'LL GIVE IT BACK TO YOU ONCE WE GET BACK ON SOME MISSIONS!" his answer surprised Tsunade and everyone besides Sakumo who had already figured out as much a while ago.
The Uchiha's pride didn't let him take any favors from anyone, he would rather pay it back so he knew this was most probably coming. too
It didn't mean he had to accept it though…
"DID I ASK YOU BACK FOR MONEY?!" he shouted back, and sparks were beginning to rise in between their glares.
"THEN WHAT THE HELL ARE WE FIGHTING AND SHOUTING FOR?!" Naruto shouted back, Sakumo bristling even more angrily for reasons that resisted every intelligent cell in his body. So he answered back as intelligently as he could.
"HOW THE HELL SHOULD I KNOW?!" both boys panted a bit in exertion from their shouting contest, the tired silence being broken by the sound of melodic giggles coming from beside Jiraiya.
"You two are such big dorks !" Tsunade laughed hilariously, clutching her sides while bending forward when it started to hurt a little. Both Naruto and Sakumo stared at her blankly for a few moments, before smiles started breaking on their faces and they laughed themselves with the rest following a few moments later.
"Oi! Saku no baka, save some dumplings for me too!" the silver haired genin's eye ticked angrily hearing that stupid nickname which hadn't left his side since his childhood days - and didn't look like it would be becoming unfaithful anytime soon…
Tsunade ran up the tree, hopping off a couple of branches to speed up her quest and hopped down by his side swiftly. She expertly slicked off three skewers from his bag when he tried to shy it away from her.
"Hey those are mine!" his voice was horrified seeing his own empty bag, while he himself had only one! And he had been the one to pay for those damn things in the first place!
Tsunade frowned for a moment, pouting cutely she relented and handed him a skewer back before munching on a dumpling happily.
Sakumo though continued on looking at her pleadingly for a little more mercy, he was quite hungry too…
"I'm not giving any more back…" she mumbled pointedly in between a bite upon seeing his expectant gaze who was expecting a little more mercy from said girl. Rivers of tears ran down his eyes at being devoid of food he himself had bought for them!
And instantly fixed the situation by snatching the last one of the four Duy had taken who looked on wide eyed at his friend.
"Sakumo such unyouthfulness!" the boy gasped out loud, while Sakumo wondered if this was such a good idea. But when the dumpling melted in his mouth…
Well needless to say, it was worth it…
"Shinobi don't play fair Duy. That's shinobi tactics 101." he spoke after gulping down a treat and sweat dropped when Duy took out a notebook from his pocket and started taking notes with vigorous nods.
"Yosh! Excellent advice…" Sakumo smiled, he was so easy to … "… but it's still unyouthful." Duy finished and Sakumo crushed his thoughts preemptively, he had spoken to soon…
"Come on you two, get to it. I wanna see you fight!" Tsunade broke everyone's reverie and both competitors turned serious hearing that.
"Go Naru! You can do it!" cheered on the lone girl in the field, not noticing the strange glance Jiraiya threw at her before himself cheering on the boy happily.
"I really do have some faithful teammates…" Orochimaru muttered under his breath upon hearing his own teammates cheering against him. It was one thing to say it to him, but to cheer on his enemy out loud with no respect of his own feelings…
Even he wouldn't do that…well…maybe he would. But that was just because…
..
..
He was … well him.
"Alright! I'll be the referee. You two start when this falls to the ground 'kay?" Tsunade shouted out while waving an empty skewer in her hands. Both boys in the middle nodded, clearly relieved at having a better referee who wasn't biased in the least…
Tsunade held it out in front of her, looking on at the two with a smile. She did let her eyes linger on at Naruto for a moment too long, who gave her a little smile of reassurance when she let the stick in her fingers slip through.
Orochimaru looked on at the falling stick with narrowed eyes, his slitted yellow eyes looking forward to seeing it hit the ground any second now.
Naruto did the same with his own azure eyes, both glancing at each other for a split second before looking back at the falling stick in full attention - it seemed like an eternity too long for both genin.
As soon as the stick hit the ground, Naruto's eyes bled crimson while he was off in a blur - leaving a wake of dust behind him. Orochimaru had already expected him to make the first move, after hearing from Tsunade countless times how offensive her best friend was when it came to combat.
Though he was still shocked to say the least when Naruto was onto his back in almost no time, high up in the air. The blonde pivoted himself in a horizontal circular arc while letting his heel go for the back of Orochimaru's head.
Just like the blonde had expected though, Orochimaru ducked…
But the point being, Naruto had already expected it…
The Uchiha curled up into a ball, still in mid air, he rotated his body like a wheel going forward and let his left leg out so that his opponent had no chance whatsoever of dodging or even expecting it.
Each of the spectator's cringed when a sickening crunch rang in the silent midst of the nature surrounding them. As soon as Naruto's left heel made contact with Orochimaru's back, the snake eyed boy gasped.
His eyes turning wide while he was crushed straight onto the ground, face first, with a slam that - with the brute force that Naruto had conjured up thanks to his aerial maneuver, was a really loud one.
"Whoa…!" Jiraiya murmured in awe. He had never even thought such a flexible maneuver possible to be performed in such a split second be possible, but here he was witnessing it first hand.
He was sure his eyes and mind would be spinning after that alone had he been the one performing it. But he was left flabbergasted when Naruto started back flipping away from Orochimaru's prone form in complete and total control.
The blonde stopped in a slight skid, on his knees he looked up at Orochimaru still in complete control of is senses.
...
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