Alexa skipped home to her two friends that had beaten her there. She had gone the longest way she could find so that she had time to calm down so by the time she reached home she was back to her usual hyperactive self. She couldn’t believe it, it was her first day in the hidden in the leaves village and already she had found a flat to share with the two friends who had come with her from her last home. She had also already gotten into the academy and back out, she had passed and been put on a group with the same two friends. They had been allowed to take the end of academy exam since the year that they should have been in were the ones who just finished there. All three of them had passed and were starting in a group tomorrow, their sensei’s name was Clara and they were going to be her first group. That had put her off for a while, just because they were new they were getting the beginner, but she decided to reserve judgment until they met at least. When she got back to their apartment Alexa and her friends stayed up talking about what they would do and what skills they had, of course they all already knew this stuff about each other but they all liked to brag, it was just fun between friends. By the time they finally got tired it was already time to get ready to leave for their first day of training.
They arrived at the destination on time to see that their sensei was already there waiting for them. She was about 23 or 24 by Alexa’s estimation and she had brown hair, well that’s what she thought at first but at times it looked a bit purple. Alexa decided that their sensei was about the same age as the other sensei’s so perhaps she was just a slow student or something. The sensei pushed herself lazily off the railing of the bridge and turned to face the group.
“So you’re the little br- children that I’m meant to be teaching? Well my name is Clara and you will call me Clara no matter what else you hear me being called. I don’t want to be a teacher so consider this a warning, I have set up the hardest obstacle course I could think of so that I can fail you and send you packing back to the academy. Follow me.” Alexa stood uncertainly for a moment, it wasn’t the warmest welcome she had ever had but it answered a few of her questions and it was very ‘straight to the point’ she thought that if she managed to stay here for long enough she might quite like Clara. Alexa shot an encouraging look back to her other two friends then followed Clara; she could hear her friends’ footsteps behind her so she knew that they would be fine.
Clara noticed the way that the girl of the group encouraged her friends and silently nodded in approval, maybe little squirts weren’t that bad, but what she had seen of Kakashi’s team was enough to put her off even if she hadn’t been against teaching before. They eventually reached where she had set up the obstacle course, it was deep enough in the forest to not be interrupted but there was still enough clear space to make it a decent size and she was creative enough to make it harder then even Kakashi’s challenge. She looked over the set course impressed at how well she had set it up and at the expression that it put on the new students faces. Alexa looked over the course and imidiatly registered that all of the obstacles would require teamwork, that had been Clara’s aim but she didn’t think that the kids would get it. Alexa knew both of her friends as she knew herself so she knew what parts which ones would help the most threw and which parts they would need the most help through. She could tell what parts she would have to carry both of them over and what parts she would be useless at but all up she knew that they could do it, it was possible but it would be hard. She took a deep breath
“So this is the course? Let’s get started then.” She grabbed both of her friends by their collars and dragged them towards the start before she forgot what to do. Clara watched as they started the course, she had even asked Kakashi to add things to the course and he had admitted that it was harder then the test he had set and only one team had ever gotten through that. Even with teamwork she had made it so that even some of the best in their year wouldn’t be able to do it, but as she watched the girl direct them through the course she saw the sudden change that the child had made. She had gone from one of their best friends to their self proclaimed team captain and it was amazing the way she fought through the ones that were meant to take the best down. She noticed that at some of them she would stop and need help getting past but she knew what she and her teammates could and couldn’t do so they did end up getting through it quicker then Clara would have thought possible. When they came over Clara didn’t hesitate, she wouldn’t mind teaching these brats even if she hated the idea, it might be fun, besides she was interested in seeing what the girl could do.
“Congratulations. Well then it looks like I will be teaching you so, tell me about yourselves.” Alexa hesitated so one of her friends stepped forward instead. He was about as tall as Clara, but he was still growing, his hair looked as if he took as much pride in it as he would take in keeping his shoes neat and though he was tall he was still well built, he looked like the perfect ninja.
“Well I’m Hiroshi. I like umm… fighting, eating and sleeping. And of course I like my friends. Oh and I’m scared of fire. I think that pretty much covers all the important things.” He stepped back; Clara decided that she couldn’t complain about what he had told her since she hadn’t really specified what she wanted to know. Hiroshi that meant generous lets see if he lives up to his name. She decided that if it came up later then she would just ask then. The other boy stepped up next, he was just as tall as Hiroshi but he wasn’t as well built but as she had seen through the obstacle course he was fast and smart. His hair wasn’t brushed but it fell neatly around his face, he paused every now and then to brush it out of his eyes. When Clara looked up to his face a huge grin crossed it and he couldn’t quite get rid of it through his speech.
“My name is Kaemon, it means joyful. I like proving people wrong which is why I fight since no one thought I could do it, so now I guess I like fighting too, and I like practical jokes though Alex always beats me. I’m scared off Alex when she fights.” He thinks for a moment then steps back once he was sure he had covered everything then he looked up.
“What about you?” Clara didn’t hesitate she knew that she was going to have to do this too but she didn’t like answering questions.
“My friends call me Claire but to you I’m Clara. I like many things and I hate teaching. Your turn girly.” She turned to the only one left who hadn’t said anything. Alexa thought about what Clara had said about her name, Alexa didn’t like being called her full name though many people and she thought that she couldn’t do anything about it but Clara had reminded her that she was a ninja now.
“My name is Alexa but my friends call me Alex so that’s what everyone will call me I like my friends among other things and I’m not going to tell you my fear or what I hate because someone might use it against me.” Alex finished her information so she thought she should add on a little more about her group. She gestured to her to friends to show that she was talking about all of them.
“We recently moved here and we all live together in an apartment. We work as a team and always have.” Clara nodded then both she and Alex turned to where they could hear something moving in the forest, then out popped Kakashi and his group. His group consisted of Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, they instantly walked to the new kids and Kakashi turned to her.
“So they passed? They must be good.” Alex looked at the new arrivals and they studied her in the same way she was studying them. She looked at the goofy kid with blond hair; he looked like he would be fun and hypo, and she thought that they would be friends. Then she looked to the hot guy, he really wasn’t her type but she could tell why the girl in their group was drooling over him, he looked strong and like a decent guy, good training partner she decided. Then she looked to the girl, she didn’t really get along with girls but she knew how to be a bit girly and that should do to make friends with her. The blond haired boy talked first.
“Hi I’m Naruto, believe it, and these are my team mates Sasuke and Sakura.” To their surprise she stepped forward and not one of the boys, it was clear that Sakura wasn’t the leader of their group.
“Hi I’m Alex and this is Kaemon and Hiroshi.” Sasuke and Sakura looked impressed by the fact that Alex had answered but Naruto was just shocked by the name.
In the next few weeks they became close friends since their sensei’s seemed close they did most missions together. It was easy to be Naruto’s friend all you had to do was be a little hypo and that came natural to Alex, and to be Saskue’s friend all she had to do was fight with him a bit and show him what she could do but Sakura was harder she seemed annoyed by the fact that Alex was friends with Saskue but she just had to act girly and make it clear that she wasn’t interested in him. By the time she felt comfortable around them and was playing her usual practical jokes on them they were summoned by their sensei’s and told that they would be having the Chuunin exams again since it was interrupted last time. They said it would be easier then last time since they were going to start with the fights and it would only be the sand ninja and the leaf ninja since the other villages had refused the invitation. Alex was walking to were the test was going to start when she was Hinata looking through the trees at something, she snuck up knowing that Hinata hadn’t noticed her yet and put her face right beside Hinata’s not quite touching.
“What you looking at?” Hinata jumped and stumbled backwards stuttering some explanation.
“Oh you were watching Naruto, cute.” Alex meant it, she knew that Hinata liked him and she had tried to set them up a few times but now they just both blushed when they saw each other.
“I’ll call him over so he knows we’re here.” Hinata looked shocked and paled at the thought.
“No don’t do that.” It was half begging but Hinata knew that she wouldn’t really do it. Alex raised her hand about to call for Naruto when a voice came from the trees.
“Don’t be mean.” She turned and saw an orange haired boy standing upside-down on one of the branches. She recognized him as one of the sand ninja but she didn’t have a clue who he was or why he had a giant gourd on his back.
“And you would be?” His face and body didn’t move a bit but she could somehow tell that he was surprised that she didn’t know his name.
“I’m Gaara of the sand.” Alex knew that she was meant to curl back in fear at that name like Hinata did, but apart from through Naruto’s stories she had never heard of him.
“Oh so you’re the guy that was beaten by a toad?” Gaara’s face looked a little confused but he’s body remained perfectly still with his arms crossed over his chest.
“That’s all you know about me?” He dropped from the tree as Alex nodded, his body and face were still still, and his legs didn’t even bend when he landed.
“Well trust me by the end of this you’ll never forget my name.”
“Ok I’ll try to remember it, what was it again?” His face finally showed some emotion and he looked a little angry. Alex was happy that she had succeeded. Then his teammates showed up behind him, Alex knew they were from the same team since there was only one team coming from the sand village. The girl looked shocked when she saw Gaara and the boy tried to slink back into the trees. Alex stepped forward and addressed him to stop him going unnoticed.
“Hi I’m Alex and you are?” He flinched then stood straight so you couldn’t tell he was sneaking off.
“I’m Kankuro. And that’s Temari and Gaara.”
“Right, Gaara. Well then we should get in there.” Alex pointed to where she could hear Naruto training. She stepped towards Gaara fully intending on pushing him through into the clearing but when she reached out a wall of sand stopped her from touching him. She took a step back and looked a Gaara, he seemed pleased that something about him had finally surprised her, but Alex just raised an eyebrow and took a step closer to him again.
“If you can’t touch him then how do you make him do what you want?” Gaara turned and glared at her.
“I don’t do what other people want me to do.”
“Oh yea? Go into that clearing.” Alex pointed to where they were going just after Gaara had taken a step there himself.
“That’s cheating I was going there anyway.” Though his face had finally shown emotion his body still hadn’t changed and his voice was always the same. Alex just walked past him and pulled Hinata towards Naruto and Gaara followed after hesitating. It was clear that he didn’t like losing but neither did Alex.
“What the saying? What ever works for you? Well cheating works so I use it.” Naruto looked up at Alex’s voice and laughed until he saw Gaara. Even Naruto looked scared of Gaara but it had been Naruto boasting about beating him.
“Ok I give. What’s meant to be so scary about Gaara?” They all froze at Alex’s question then eventually Gaara answered.
“There’s a demon inside of me.” Alex laughed and everyone looked shocked.
“I thought that was almost normal in this village. There’s a demon in Naruto and Saskue’s brother can be classed as a demon I think. And rouge ninja’s are proud if they earn that name. Besides I already got that from your name, ‘Ga’ means I or me, ‘a’ I’m guessing is like ai and that mean love, and ‘ra’ which means demon, right? ‘I love myself. I’m a demon.” Naruto laughed but everyone else still just looked shocked, then Alex saw a flicker of a smile run across Gaara’s face before he regained his usual composure. By the look of it Alex decided that Temari and Kankuro hated her but she couldn’t work out what Gaara thought of her. Before she could ask the rest of the teams arrived along with all of their sensei’s and the Hokage, Both Gaara and Susuke pulled the same laid back pose and Alex made the connection. She leaned over as close as she could get to Gaara without having his sand stop her.
“Where are your fan girls?” Gaara didn’t even show that he had heard but Tamari giggled.
“He wouldn’t let them come.” Gaara shot her a look that Alex couldn’t see but it certainly silenced Tamari. Alex bit her fist to stop herself from laughing but Gaara still heard her, he looked at her and smiled though she didn’t see it. The Hokage explained how to make it fair none of the students would have the comforts of home and all of them had had arrangements made for them. A different sensei that Alex didn’t recognize began reading out the arrangements she noticed that she had been separated from all of her friends and she would be stuck in a tent with Gaara and Neji, well it would be an experience.
Alex was lead to the tents where Gaara was already waiting; Neji had gone off and had said that e knew that way to the tents. There were two tents one for her and the other for the two boys but Gaara had made his own tent out of sand.
“Like a little kid, always playing in the sand.” He spun round as if he hadn’t known Alex was there but she knew he had.
“You’re really not scared of me? And you don’t hate me?”
“Scared of you? Why would I be scared of you? There’s a demon inside Naruto but it just wouldn’t be normal to be scared of him. And as for hating you I don’t know you well enough to, just give me time.” Alex turned to her tent and Gaara smirked, this girl was fun. Alex had just gotten into her tent when she came back out. She had pulled her hair back to keep it out of her eyes.
“Well if I’m going to be stuck with you for a while then you’re going to have to help me train.” Gaara turned to her.
“Fine but I’m not a teacher so we’ll just be fighting each other.”
“That’s the only way to train.” Alex walked up to him about to push him into a suitable place to fight but then she remembered about his sand.
“You lead.” Gaara lead deeper into the forest where there was little room on the ground, Alex would have to be jumping round through the trees for most of the fight. Gaara positioned himself in the middle of the space and Alex jumped into the trees. A knife came flying at Gaara from behind him, he had been facing Alex when she went into the trees so she must be fast. Though Gaara hadn’t been prepared for it a sand shield jumped up and caught the knife easily, he heard a swear coming from the trees before another eight knives came flying at him at the same time from all directions. The sand shield came up as expected so Gaara couldn’t see what had happened but when the shield began to drop the same eight knives flew at Gaara from above him on a slight angle. The sand shield grew again from the side the knives were angled from to make a roof over Gaara, then Alex sprung out of the trees at the other side and dived towards Gaara feet first. The sand shield spread across the top then dropped on the other side of him to stop her but she was really fast she could give Lee a run for his money, but the shield dropped just in time to catch her leg to stop her foot from reaching his face. Gaara pulled back from her foot that was just millimetres from his face, on the other side of the shield he heard Alex drop to the ground her leg still caught. Gaara walked out from under the shield holding it up so she was trapped, he smiled at her annoyed expression and the string of swear words she was shouting. He walked up to her
“Now what do you plan on doing? I could kill you now and you’re stuck there with no defence.” Alex tensed but she smiled back at him.
“Who said I have no defence.” Then the same eight knives that had been attacking him came from around the shield and, controlled by Alex, headed straight for his head. The sand shield holding Alex dropped and flew up again in front of him catching the knives then went back to his gourd just in time for him to see Alex drop very shamefully to the ground. He laughed at her and she spun round faster then he had thought possible and knocked him off his feet, he fell trapping her just under him but most of his weight supported on his elbow that had landed just beside her. Alex looked away from him immediately.
“Sorry I didn’t think that out, I just wanted to make you stop laughing at me.”
“I’m not laughing anymore.” She looked at him to examine his expression; it was his usual one that didn’t show a thing.
“You look hotter when you are laughing.” She mumbled then froze hoping that he hadn’t heard a word of what she had said, but of course he had. He leaned forward slightly and kissed her, she hesitated for a moment then reached around to hug him, she felt the sand beneath her hands for a moment but it crumpled as she pushed through the shield. She held him then and hasn’t let him go since.
