After the past few years, with that damn Uncle Genma showing up, he'd had to learn to monitor that idiocy. Keep at least one ear open in case a new problem was to be foisted off on himself.
He didn't know, but he certainly suspected, that the new Firebird Fist technique had been snuck onto him by Naruto. Not that he considered Naruto a rival or a friend or a brother or anything like that. An annoyance, yes. An idiot, mostly. Having some talent for causing trouble, definitely. Someone who pulled off stupid-yet-bizarrely-impressive pranks, oh yes.
Take last year with that 'clown car jutsu' for example. Those horse-drawn carriages were expensive and nobody had quite been sure what he'd been talking about with calling it a 'car' or some jutsu that had occurred to him overnight. A trip to a beach, sand and sun and surf, on a day away from school? Preposterous. They'd never be able to afford something like that as students.
He'd managed it though. Sasuke had even figured out HOW fairly quickly. Just a larger application of the technique they all used to overstuff pouches with their ninja equipment. With their money pooled like that, they'd all gone to the beach and had a day of ninja training in bathing suits.
He himself had found a rock out in the surf to go brood on, mainly to get away from all the girls who'd been trying to get him to look at their swimsuits.
Or that bit with the lantern, Sasuke had experienced his first moment of doubt that Naruto was an idiot over that one. You used a genjutsu technique to give a sandal the appearance of a lantern. You turned it on in a darkened room so you could see things. But... no. He wasn't going there again. It gave some of the experienced ninja headaches as they started following THAT problem.
So he had the Firebird Fist jutsu. Breathing flame out, binding it to a form that was stable for a short time, then sending it off with a leash of chakra so that you could direct it around corners and the like. DAMN useful. Actually kind of beautiful if you let yourself see it that way. A small bird of flame.
Now, somehow, Naruto (the loudest student) had gotten engaged to Hinata (the most quiet student) on sorting day.
A slight increase in noise was the cue for Sasuke to turn his head slightly. Naruto and Hinata were entering together. Hinata trying to hide (nothing unusual there) but Naruto was more subdued than was usual as well.
Returning his pose to studied indifference, Sasuke continued to listen.
"So how?!" asked one of the girls.
"Her father has a stick up his butt," complained Naruto. "He made a bet. He lost. He wanted me to prove my taijutsu skills. I did."
"So it's just some kind of honor thing then? Well, that makes sense," said another girl. "You can get out of it, right Hinata?"
"She can get out of it anytime she wants to," said Naruto. "She can stay in it as long as she likes."
"Th-that's right," mumbled Hinata.
Sasuke heard a couple of exclamations and snuck a peek out of the corner of his eye. Hinata had leaned into Naruto, and as he watched Naruto put an arm around her shoulders in an obviously protective gesture.
He turned back to the front of the classroom, working over what he'd seen and heard. Hiashi Hyuga was known as a formidable user of the Gentle Fist style. Naruto had probably flashed him with that Sexy Jutsu to throw the older guy off balance then took the opening. So technically a win, but it wouldn't hold up.
On the other hand, just that move initiated by Hinata indicated that there was something going on there.
Honestly, Sasuke wished Naruto all the luck there. At least that would be one less girl for him to worry about.
Iruka had started with the various groups, going through some of the minor students first. Ones that didn't show any special talents one way or the other, who probably would never make it past gennin level. He wasn't much of a showman though, and he didn't see any real reason to build suspense.
"Team 7 under Kakashi Hatake. Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno-"
"YESSSSSSSSSSS!" yelled Sakura as she jumped up and pumped one fist.
Sasuke simply facepalmed and groaned.
Iruka frowned and looked directly at Sakura until she sat back down. "ahem. Ino Yamanaka."
"YEAHHHHHHHHH!" yelled Ino as she jumped up from her own chair.
"why me?" muttered Sasuke, beating his head lightly against his desk. "why? what did i ever do to deserve this?"
"Team 8," hurried on Iruka. "Your jonin will be Yuhi Kurenai. Hinata Hyuga, Naruto Uzumaki, and-"
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(Posted Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:45)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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