Beautiful Disasters~ Neji #12: [The Forest of Death? Whatever~+]

We were all crowded near the Forest of Death. While I was waiting for Anko to get over with all the crappy rules, a cardboard box came up behind me. I pretended not to notice and took two steps forward. The box moved closer. I turned around, squatted down and stared at the box.

"Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon. What brings you guys here?!" I questioned.

I could hear(actually, see) them freak out. Konohamaru lifted up the corner of the box and peered out. I gave him my genuine smile. He threw away the cardboard box and immediately Moegi and Udon took out their notebooks and pens. I raised an eyebrow. I then heard footsteps behind me. I looked up, and it was Neji.

"Hey." I said.
"Hn." He replied. "Our second examination proctor has finished explaining the rules. TenTen has gone to get the scroll. What are you doing here with three children that aren't supposed to be here?" He informed me coldly.

I stood up. Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon hid behind me, occasionally peeking out to look at Neji. Neji would then give them his cold glares, and they would hide behind me again. I smiled at Neji, then gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek. He was so taken aback by my actions that he stumbled backwards and started blushing. I poked his cheek.

"No need to be so harsh on them, ne? They're just little kids! We used to be like them." I whispered to Neji. He gave such a smile that I think I was the only one who saw it.
"So...what do you kids want?" Neji asked them, more kindly this time. He had even squatted down and looked at them at eye-to-eye level.

Konohamaru opened his mouth and was about to say something when Naruto did his famous yell of "Believe it!" and some other random crap, then came rushing over to Konohamaru.
"HEY KONOHAMARU!" Naruto yelled.
Neji and I both winced. Konohamaru and company covered their ears.
"We're right here, you know..." Neji muttered.
"Hey boss! What brings you here?" Konohamaru asked.
"I'm here for the Chunnin exams! And I'm going to become a chunnin and beat SASUKE! BELIEVE IT!" Naruto calmed down after his yells, then continued. "So what brings you guys here anyway??"
"We're here to interview you guys about the chunnin exams!" Udon replied.
"It's a project from the academy!" Moegi piped in.

I sweatdropped. They seem to have forgotten that Neji and I are squatting beside them.
"Maybe we should just....leave. ^o^;;" I whispered to Neji.
"Yeah," Neji agreed, and we crept away without being notice by them.

Just then TenTen came to us with a scroll.
"Hey Neji. Hey Michiko~" she said cheerfully.
Lee came and joined us here. He bowed and cleared his throat. "Hello. ladies and gentleman!"
Neji's eye started twitching. TenTen and I sweatdropped.

"So, Michiko, let me explain the rules to you, for you were talking to Konohamaru and his friends while our second exam proctor explained the rules...I shall start with the goal of this exam. There are 26 teams. Half of the teams each get a heaven scro-"

"Tell me something I don't know," I snapped, annoyed.
The three of them stared at me in silence.
"You know what?" TenTen asked suspiciously.

'SHIT!' I thought. I sweatdropped and started waving my hands in the air. "Nothing!!! It's just that my sister, you know, that little bitch, she tried the Chunnin Exams for a million times and yet she still fails so I hear a lot about the rules and everything and soon it got stuck in my mind and now I know everything about the Forest of Death because she describes it so well and everything! There!" I said. I paused and stared. "I just ranted on a mile at a minute, didn't I?"
"YES." TenTen, Lee and Neji said at the same time.
"Oops," I scratched my head.
"Ready?" I asked, changing the topic.
"YEAH!" We all exclaimed at the same time.

FF>> Inside the forest

"Alright, we will split up, and meet in this spot by dusk, is that clear?" Neji said. We all nodded and went different directions. Well, everyone except for me. I was about to go when "Hey, Michiko" came and I stopped to look at Neji.
"Yeah, Neji?"
"You come with me."
"Why?"
"Because I have the scroll and I might be attacked for it. You're going to be my back-up."
"True..." I said and paused to think a bit. "Alright then!" I said cheerfully with a ^o^ look on my face. I could swear I saw Neji smile a bit.

I followed Neji around the forest. He jumped down to the ground and started walking. I followed, my hands full of tricks, ready to give my cousin the scare of her entire life.

The Ino-Shika-Chou team hid behind the bushes as Neji walked passed.
"There's no need to hide, I can see you." Neji said coldly.
Ino practically freaked and decided to work her plan B by taking off her hairtie and showing off her 'beautiful hair'. And then she said the crap about how she's always wanted to meet Neji, etc.

Little did she know she was standing under the tree I was hiding in.

I pounced on her and she screamed. I quickly jumped off and hid behind Neji.
"OW! There's no need for that you know!!" I yelled at Ino.
Ino stared at me, then at Neji's smirk, then at me, then at Neji again.
"And don't flirt with Neji." I added.
"Why not?" Ino demanded.
"Cuz you're ugly and Neji's MINE." I said playfully, jumping on Neji's back, making him give me a piggyback ride. I stuck my tongue out, pulled down my eyelid, and whispered for Neji to leave.

--

"Since when did Neji and Michiko start dating?" Chouji asked.
"She's living with me and yet I couldn't see that" Ino said, eyes wide like frying pans.
"Ino..." Shikamaru began.
"SHE'S LIVING WITH ME AND YET I COULDN'T SEE THAT!! HOW BLIND CAN I BE?!?!?!!" Ino screamed, running around in circles.
"Uh...Ino?" Chouji said, concerned.
"INO! They were ACTING!" Shikamaru yelled.
"....o.O" Ino said "Wow, Shikamaru...Never knew you could actually YELL. -_-;;"

--

Neji kept walking, with me on his back. I sighed and put my head on his shoulder.
"What's wrong?" Neji asked.
"Nothing..." I said.
"Well, there's bound to be something. I can see that, you know...Don't forget I have the Byakugan."
".......I have a feeling that something horrible is going to happen...."

~Results~

"Do you know when that horrible thing is going to happen?"
"No. But I can sort of tell by the blurriness of my dejavu that it's far away."
"Not during the exams, right?"
"Nope. After the exams."
Neji let out a sigh of relief. "Good."
I smiled. "Don't worry. Nothing would happen to YOU."
"I'm not worried about myself. I'm worrying about......" a blush crept over his face "...you."
I grinned and gave him a peck on the cheek. "It's not me." Then my expression became grim again. "I'm afraid it's my family..."