His Little Bird [A Naruto Fanfiction] [Shikamaru x OC]

[17] The Forest

AN: The second part of the Chunin Exams commences! I hope you all enjoy it. The music is composed by BruhnuVille. I feel like they lacked enough of a creepy atmosphere in these episodes of the anime, so the next chapter or so will be filled with extra creepy music.

Enjoy the story!

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Sen rose the next morning, exhausted from lack of sleep. The second proctor's threat echoing in her ears all night as she tossed and turned. Over half of the remaining Genin would be eliminated. By the looks of things, the rookie twelve were some of the weakest teams there were. Everyone else looked older, more sinister, more prepared to kill if necessary. The other nine rookies would talk about how brave Team Eleven must have been to kill a man, how they must be so strong. If anything, having killed someone made her feel weak. It made Sen's head swim and honestly made her rather nauseous. She wasn't sure if she was prepared to go all out and fight to the death with someone again, but if it meant keeping her team alive and guaranteed her a chance at becoming Chunin, then she would do it.

Sen dragged herself down the stairs, rubbing at her eyes before plopping down at the table in the kitchen and resting her head on her arms. It wasn't long before she heard a sharp clunk of wood hitting wood. Looking up, she saw a tea cup attached to a hand attached to an arm. The arm belonging to her brother Miko. She offered him a little wave before grabbing the cup of tea and inhaling deeply, enjoying the revitalizing warmth that just the scent of the leaves gave her.

"You did well yesterday." Miko spoke softly. His normal boisterous morning self was gone, the boy having suppressed it in order to allow Sen to wake up more slowly. She needed to be very aware of everything that was going on, and forcing her to wake up would inhibit her ability to function today during the second part of the exam. That was how Sen had always been. Wake her up too early or too quickly and you'd have a stumbling mess on your hands for the rest of the day. 

"Thanks." She muttered, taking another sip of the green tea. "Though I have to admit, I'm surprised you didn't write me up for using the Eagle Eye Jutsu. You knew I was cheating." She teased her older brother who bit back a chuckle as he watched a mischievous spark appear in his little sister's eyes.

"You're right, I did know. But I had an unfair advantage. I knew what you and your raptors were capable of. If I had been anyone else, you wouldn't have been caught. So I didn't write it down."

"You probably should have." Sen admonished. She didn't like receiving special treatment, but at the same time she appreciated that her brother hadn't used their connection against each other.

"I know. I don't know why Ibiki selected me to be part of the sentinels. He knew you would be taking it, and he knows we're related."

"Don't you think that's exactly why he had you be part of the sentinels? To make me, and other people who know what you can do, think that I would be caught immediately if I cheated, because who knows your abilities better than I, brother? I know just how sharp your eyesight is and how keen the rest of your senses are. Nothing can get past you. Then, there's the other eleven rookies. They're my friends, and everyone knows it. It's not a far stretch to assume that I would tell them about your abilities once I saw you behind Ibiki." Sen arched an eyebrow. She had caught on to Ibiki's game and had decided to not let it bother her. Of course she was a little worried her brother would write her up, but if he did she knew he wouldn't do it five times. Or at least that's what she'd told herself to make it through the test.

"I suppose you're right, Sen. Clever thing you are." He grinned, standing and ruffling her hair, eliciting a growl of annoyance from the young teen. "So, do you know where Anko is taking you this morning?"