Stardust | Naruto fanfiction

4.井の中の蛙大海を知らず-I no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu

A frog in a well does not know the great sea.

Pain.

Anger.

Loss.

Was I really ready to feel those things again? I know I told Tsuki-Yumi I would try this, but was I really ready to loose them all again?

My narrowed, red eyes watched the little genin as they trained. Naruto and Sasuke were at each other's necks and Sakura...well she was ogling the Uchiha. Kakashi was over on the other side of the field, nose buried deep into the dirty words of Icha Icha.

They continued this routine for an hour before I snapped.

"Stop!"

My voice seemed to ring throughout the training grounds like a roar. Everyone paused and looked in my direction. A frown etched in Sasuke's face and Naruto had frozen. Sakura furrowed her brows and Kakashi managed to peel his eyes from his book.

Good.

"This is what you call training? This...bickering and ogling? Tch." I crossed my arms and gave them all individual, scrutinizing glares.

"How did you become Genin again? Performed a clone jutsu if I remember right. And you want to protect this village with your weak selves?"

That seemed to tick Naruto off. His fists balled at his sides, almost turning white. His eyes were shadowed and he was shaking. "You're wrong." He muttered. I raised an eyebrow and formed an 'o' with my mouth. Casually, I glanced to the others. Sakura looked sad—she was weak. She knew that already. The Uchiha survivor was in about the same state as Naruto.

"Am I though? What have you done that makes you strong? You're loud and obnoxious. Your outfit is basically a beacon saying 'hey look at me! I'm a ninja! Attack me!' You're a walking target. I doubt you could even land a punch on Sasuke. Let alone an enemy."

It seems I've hit a nerve. Sakura spoke up next.

"You're wrong! Naruto and Sasuke are strong!" She exclaimed hesitantly. My steely gaze switched to the small pink headed girl. She shrunk back under my glare and looked down.

"Haruno Sakura. You are the weakest one here. I have not seen you do a thing except fan over Sasuke. Tell me, what makes you think you're a ninja?"

That seemed to make Naruto snap because he was rushing at me with a loud cry of anger. His arm swung backwards before coming at me full throttle. I just stood there, unmoving as the attack came.

In a flash, I caught his fist and twisted his arm behind his back painfully. A smirk tugged at my lips as I whispered in his ear.

"Did you really think that was going to work on me, Uzumaki?"

He shuttered in my grip. Narrowing my eyes once more, I kicked him away. Hard. Sakura yelled out as he was sent flying—only to disappear in a poof of smoke. I glanced at the smirking Sasuke, feeling the cool edge of a kunai at my throat.

"Did you think I was stupid?" Naruto boasted in my ear. Everyone was watching intently as he went to hit me again. I said nothing, just disappeared in the same poof of smoke that he had. The blonde looked around frantically and scratched his head.

"Eh? Where did she go?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and huffed. Where did she go? He wondered cautiously. By chance, the Uchiha looked up to see me coming down from the sky, leg extended for what was obviously a kick to Naruto.