Sharp Edge

Different but the Same

He panicked as the others looked at him more terrifyingly. Sasuke looked at Naruto from the corner of his eye, sending a silent threat. "Buzz off, Dobe."

Akane looked back at him confusedly. "Huh? I mean I'll bring a dog collar next time if you really liked it that much..." She tilted her head innocently to the side.

Naruto's blush faded before a look of shock fell upon him and then the color of his face flushed as it was replaced by one of a paper's. His hand shakily flew to the base of his neck as he gulped. "A-Akane-chan.. Don't.." His voice quivered as he begged.

Akane looked at him for a second and then turned to the front. Her cheeks were supported by her palms and her elbows on top of their desk. "I'm joking, you know."

Some of the males sighed and females muttered knowingly, "Of course, of course."

Iruka faked a cough and silenced everybody. Everyone's attention was now on him. "Everyone! We're going to be performing a henge no jutsu! Since we have a newcomer, I will demonstrate how to do it. The handsigns are: Dog, Boar, Ram." He performed it while saying it. Clouds appeared and then dissipated, revealing a copy of the Sandaime.

He morphed back into his original form with another puff of smoke. He clapped his hands and said, "Everyone line up."

Everyone lined up. Everyone had their turn, one after another. Akane didn't bother watching. She reviewed the seals while she was on line. For this jutsu, I need an image. One popped into her head-- Suoh Mikoto.

She was practicing so focusedly that she didn't notice it was already her turn until Iruka called her up.

She stood in front of everyone and breathed in and out. She did the hand signs. Dog, Boar, Ram. She was grateful enough to the book about hand signs at their house. A puff of smoke rose and she saw none of herself.

She gazed forward, feeling as if looking at everybody while standing atop a stool. She gazed at her hands. It looked bigger and her body was hugged by a leather jacket with fur at the neckline over a white T-shirt. While going through her observations, she noticed her finely toned body which looked like it belonged to a twenty-one years old, nicely-built, good-looking guy.

"Weird." Her right hand found itself on her neck. Was it really her who said that?

The voice that came out was deep, rich, and manly. The way his voice would've sounded. Her hands landed on a hard thing underneath her skin. It moved every time she spoke. It was an Adam's Apple.

She let a sigh escape through her nose. She looked at Iruka. "Would you hand me a mirror?"

"Why?"

"I don't know if I did it right since it's my first time." Seemingly satisfied with her answer, he handed him a mirror that he borrowed from one of the female students.

She saw a man with gelled up red hair that could make a lion jealous. He had a few strands of his hair hanging over each of his gold eyes. He had an unamused expression going on for him.

Satisfied, she handed the mirror back to her teacher then returned to her original form in a cloud of smoke. She then walked back to her seat.

Her eyes trailed back to the front as soon as she found herself back on her seat. Her gaze locked on the blonde that wore a huge mischievous grin. Her smile matched it as he was already performing the hand signs.

A puff of smoke arose, which everyone would think would be for the best. As the smoke resided, it revealed a blonde girl with her long hair in pigtails. She had whiskers marks on her cheeks, much like the blonde boy's.

Iruka fell down with a gushing nose bleed that would probably be enough for a vampire to have a tea with.

Why would he fall down with a nosebleed over a blonde girl in pigtails? He couldn't possibly be a loli-con now, could he? No, no, that wasn't it.

It was because this blonde girl lacked much needed garments and under. She was completely exposed but let's thank the smoke for covering up the most important parts.

Akane couldn't bear staring at a nude girl. It was bad for her. She threw a marble that she kept in her bag to the center of his head. A poof resounded before a thud. Naruto unceremoniously fell on his rump.

He pouted before shouting, "I was just having fun. I haven't even had the chance to say that it's my sexy no jutsu!"

Iruka recovered and was about to scold Naruto when he was cut off. Akane crossed her arms over her chest. "I do believe that leaving some things to one's imagination would make things better." She meant that in more meaning than one.

Iruka nodded and sent Naruto to his seat. Naruto sat back down next to Akane. He blew her a raspberry. "You're just jealous."

Akane wore a smile of amusement as she stared at his expression from the corner of her eyes. She faced him with her chin over her knuckles. "Do you want to see if the color of raspberry suits you?"

Naruto gulped then his expression turned to annoyed when one's bored. "Whatever." He turned to the front of class as he leaned more to the back of his seat.

She chuckled before turning to face the front herself too. "Thought so." She said with a confident, innocent smile.... Or maybe not

*-*-*-*-*-*

She walked home in a normal pace like any other commoner would. She had nobody with her. Iruka dragged Naruto with him to clean the Hokage Monument. She slightly frowned at the thought that she didn't get to see Naruto's art.

She paused and looked up. A giggle escaped her lips which she immediately covered with her hands. She can't help but think of two bickering persons when she remembers the word art.

She looked away and sighed her laughs out in relief. Kakashi won't be at their residence for a week or so. She decided to go to the shopping district to stock up their fridge. She quickly frisked her pockets. She was greeted by the sight of dust that were easily blown by the wind.

"Ah! He left me with no money at all!" She thought frustratedly which was matched with her mentally pulling on her black locks.

She quickly deduced how to survive during the absence of her self-proclaimed father. Stealing was clearly out of the question. Begging would be.... Oh come on! She still holds onto her pride! Gambling...

Gambling is a nice idea. She mused.

The question here is how. Gambling places strictly prohibits people below the age of eighteen. How could she get in there?

She racked her pretty little head for a way but none came to her. The only ideas she got were knock out the guard and strut in to the place like she was the queen of England.

The image of Naruto's henge popped into her mind. She immediately facepalmed. That was so stupid of her! Why haven't she thought about it when they have just studied it that day.

She ran to an alley and did the signs. Dog, Boar, Ram. A puff of smoke rose as soon as her hands did Ram. As it dissipated, it revealed a well-endowed woman in her teen years or twenties. She had her long, red hair tied up in a high ponytail and she donned a very low V-necklined, red kimono with a thigh-high slit-cut on the right side of her clothes and a sword slung around her waist and blue eyes.

She has to have even a small amount to gamble. She decided that if she's going to lose one game, she'll stop and just work somewhere while using her transformation but still she has to work one time. So, Teuchi's?