(WIP)The Hidden Dragon Chronicles: Series 1

Episode 9: Gaara of the Sand!

Izumi turned to face Kankuro and noticed the fear in his eyes before he attempted to hide it by saying, "O-oh, hey Gaara."

"Have you forgotten why we're here?" Gaara glared at Kankuro.

Kankuro began mumbling excuses, saying things like, "L-look, they started it, this girl came at me! It's their fault!"

Izumi thought, "You're the one that was harassing me!" while a nerve in her head throbbed. She closed her eyes and flinched as she moved her leg and covered it with her bleeding palm.

"I'm sorry, for any trouble he's caused." Gaara teleported down in front of Izumi's feet, turning to sand. His build was thin and he had somewhat baggier garments. On his back rested a gigantic gourd that was nearly as big as he was.

Izumi glanced at a pale hand extended toward her, then kept walking up until they first made eye contact. His eyes widened just a little bit Unless they were directly in front of him, there was no way anyone else could have noticed. He whispered, "Gaara."

Gaara....that must be his name.

"Izumi..." she said, taking his hand and letting him pull her up—he was the first guy to ever touch her hand in that manner. Shikamaru gave her many high fives but never held her hand quite like this.

As Izumi was startled out of her trance, her hand and knee began to hurt again when he hauled her to her feet. Gaara noted the strained look on the blonde's face as he moved her hand around in his, and she shifted most of her weight onto her other foot.

At last, he averted his gaze from Izumi to examine the harm done to her palm. "It's only superficial." Returning his gaze to hers, he said, "You'll live."

Izumi continued to try to remember where she had seen Gaara previously and the reason behind her feelings.

After regaining consciousness, the red-headed shinobi released his hold and moved away with his siblings. "Let's go. We didn't come to play games."

Gaara and his companions started to leave when Sakura suddenly charged forward and yelled, "Hey!" at them.

Sasuke leaped down and repeated the action on the other side while Naruto approached Izumi and stood next to her, wrapping her arm around his shoulder.

"Judging by your headbands, it appears that you are from the village buried in the sand," Sakura said as she went on. "No shinobi can enter another village without permission, even though the Lands of Wind and Fire are allies! So, state your business! And it better be good!"

The female sighed, "Really?" as they all turned around. "Have all of you been living under a rock? You're not aware of what's happening, are you?"

Raising a shinobi pass that had been inscribed by the Hokage, she said, "We are allowed. You are right, of course; we are Hidden Sand Genin, and the Land of the Wind is where we call home. We are here for the Chunin exams."

Naruto suddenly had an even more perplexed expression. "Chunin exams? What is that?" Naruto replied, scratching the top of his head as Izumi's arm grew tighter over his shoulder, "Well, I've never heard of any Chunin exams, believe it!"

The girl, officially named Temari, crossed her arms with a smug look, "Oh I believe it alright, you're clueless."

"Uh boss, that's the exam that a Genin has to take to become a Chunin," Konohamaru said.

Izumi groaned, palming her brow in her thoughts, "Naruto, really, do you need Konohamaru to explain everything to you? Did you leave the academy having learned nothing?

With a roar, Naruto confronted her, saying, "Well you know what I did learn!? How not to get beaten by an enemy ninja! Seriously, you even had to have Sasuke save you!"

"I'm right here, you loser." After scowling, Sasuke said to the Sand Genin, "Hey! You! Identify yourself!"

With a euphoric mood and a flush, Temari turned around and said, "Hm! Do you mean me?

"No, him. The one carrying the gourd on his back."

"My name is Gaara of the Desert," said Gaara as she turned back to face Sasuke, making Izumi somewhat more alert. "I'm curious about you too, who are you?"

"I am Sasuke Uchiha," he declared with a cocky smirk.

The two of them looked down at each other, a warning seeming to come with the breeze that passed through.

Following that, Naruto spoke, saying, "I bet you want my name right!?"

Naruto's question was swiftly dismissed by Gaara with the words "I couldn't care less."

Feeling content with the response he had given and received, Gaara spun around and leaped away, with his teammates trailing closely behind.