• Walking into the training ground I found Lee and Guy practicing tai jutsu. I went and sat in a tree seeing as I didn't want someone landing on me again. Watching them throw punches, and kicks back and forth at each other, I was glad I came here to train instead of moping in my house. Jumping down I ran over to Guy to ask him my question.
    "Ah Akane here watching us train again," He said happily seeing me at the training ground.
    "Uh yeah sort of Guy sensei I actually came to aks you if you knew how to wield a certain weapon? Since I'd like to use it in the Chuunin Exams also," I mentioned watching for his answer.
    "Which weapon?" He asked. Moving my arm it seemed like I was going to scratch my neck, but I then put my hand down the collar of my shirt a bit. The next thing he saw was me pulling out a long leather bull whip that I hid.
    "Well a whip of course," I said smiling at Guy and Lee, with their surprised faces. "I used this as a training weapon before starting on these," I told them pointing to the chained blades lying against my hips. "Do you know how to use whips Guy sensei?" I asked still seeing a bit of a surprise look on his face.
    He shook his head quickly as though he was in a deep thought about it. "I do not believe I practiced with one before, but seeing as your asking me, I will help you," He told me. "May I see it?" Guy asked. I gave him the weapon that I used and watched as he began to exam it.
    "You never told us you knew how to use whips Akane," Lee announced as I watched Guy mess with the whip.
    "Well it was my beginners weapon for myself till I got something more dangerous," I said. "And you guys never asked if I had any other weapon," I added shrugging.
    "Well I'd like to see how it's used," Guy said popping into the conversation.
    "Alright then," I agreed putting my hand out for the whip. "Just don't stand to close I don't want to cut you guys with this," I warned them. Walking away the distance between them and the whip became farther apart. "What exactly do you want to see?" I yelled to Guy.
    "Just anything that's not to dangerous to set anything on fire," He said suddenly, with Lee nodding in the background agreeing with him. Why must it always come to something being burned? I thought my eyebrow twitching with annoyance.



    "Naruto, can you just -" Kiba paused. I had reached his house just a moment before and rung his doorbell about five times. Akamaru barked happily and started running around my legs while his owner just cocked his head. "Uh...Matsuo?"
    "Hi," I said nervously.
    He furrowed his brow. "Did you need something? I haven't seen you at training in a while."
    "Oh, um...I've just kinda been getting used to the whole...dad returning after years of seperation thing." I waved a hand nonchalantly. "But I'll be there tomorrow." There was a moment of silence. "I was sparring, and, um...Momoko was kinda hurt. Could you just look him over quickly? I figured you must know some stuff about it...like, animal injuries and stuff. Because of Akamaru."
    Kiba nodded. "Oh, sure. Come in, I guess."
    He led me inside, scooping up Akamaru and leading me into the tiny kitchen. He cleared some plates off of the table and then took Momoko from me, setting him down. The tanuki swatted at his hand irritably before I scolded him. Kiba looked the tanuki over and then straightened.
    "So," I asked. "What's the verdict?"
    "He looks okay...just a little battered. Who'd you fight?"
    I folded my arms. "My dad. He's a Jonin."
    He nodded. "If you have somewhere to be, I can keep Momoko here for a bit. My sister might be visiting and she knows more about animal stuff then I do. So if i missed something..."
    "that would work." I smiled. "Thanks, Kiba.'
    He nodded and I turned, leaving the house.


    "I won't burn anything unless you want me too," I told both of them.
    "No!" Guy said. "Just show some basics is all I need.
    "Okay then," I started swinging the whip above my head, then I suddenly whipped the whip forwards causing a loud cracking sound to resonate through the air. I did it a couple more times, when I whipped it forwards again to bring it down on a tree, leaving a scar on it. Next thing I did in the demonstration was throwing it forwards to swing around a tree branch, and I swung a bit seeing as there wasn't a big hole in the ground or anything. As I started to walk towards them again I cracked it one more time and watched as Lee flinched a bit.
    "Well that's basically the basics that I can remember," I said standing in front of them now.
    "Hmm........." I looked at Guy to see him starring at me. "What could you do with it? I mean that's not basics for you," I looked surprised at him.
    "Well I could do something that's pretty fun from my view point but it'd burn trees down," I said warily at him. Guy started thinking about it, then decided he might as well see.
    "Show me," he said.


    I left Kiba's and went to Ino's, where we arranged a sleepover at her house for tonight (Akane's sleepover would be the next night, if she still wasn't freaked out). I then left to go buy some snacks and things. I had just set the third bag of candy in my basket when there was a tap on my shoulder. I turned. No one was there. "Hmph," a voice said. "I didn't think you'd fall for that.'
    I turned the other way and saw Kabuto, standing and looking at me curiously with folded arms. My face flushed. "H-hi, Kabuto."
    "Hey." he glanced at the stuff in my basket and let out a low whistle. "Goodness. Is that comfort food?"
    "No! I'm spending the night at someone's. It's for us to share."
    I started walking down the aisle to the checkout lane. Kabuto trailed behind. "You moved," he remarked. "Why?"
    "I had been living with my uncle. I decided to move in with my dad." I started laying my stuff on the conveyor belt and raised an eyebrow at him. "...did you need something, by the way?"
    "No, I just saw you and decided to talk with you. I also hoped that you weren't some other Genin with blond hair. That would have made everything a bit awkward."
    I held up my thumb and pointer finger an inch apart. "Only a little bit," I grinned.



    Looking towards the skies it was becoming a bit dark out. "Okay but I think I have to go home pretty soon anyways," I told both of them, to which they both nodded. "Uhm," I said allowed thinking in my head if this was too dangerous. "Maybe you should get some water, or someone that uses water jutsus I'm not exactly sure how well I am at this since the past few years," I told them worried that I might loose control and start burning stuff.
    "Akane you've done this before!" Lee exclaimed. "I'm pretty sure both of us have trust in you seeing as you were added to our team," He finished off which made me feel a bit more comfortable with doing this jutsu I made when I was younger.
    "Okay well here I go!" I said walking off into the distance, while swinging the whip above my head. Concentrating the charka into the whip in the hand that held my fire charka, it began to seem like it had put the whip on fire when actually it had just been my charka covering the whip in order to create a flame on it. I cracked it and the flame went flying on to the grass in front of me, which started to smolder then go out, from not enough dry crap to burn on. "Well how was that?" I questioned worriedly at both of them.
    "That's a great jutsu Akane! I knew off the bat you'd be a youthful student!" Guy said happily.



    "Well, Kabuto, I have to get going." I chirped. "But...wait, come with me."
    Kabuto followed me to the cash register, and as my things were checked out, I took a pen from the convenient can and grabbed Kabuto's hand, turning it over so that I could scribble my phone number on his hand. I scribbled it out then, realizing I had written my old number, and then wrote the new one. "Here." I said.
    before he could say anything, the cashier had checked out my items. I took the bags from her and then, smiling briefly at Kabuto, ducked out of the store.


    I was so tired now. Showing them my jutsu had tired me out so much. I knew my chakra level was low, and I was doing my best to get to my apartment. I saw my door come into sight, and I could just imagine how comfy it'd be to lye down on my plush bed, and just fall asleep. My eyesight began to go blurry with sleepiness. I managed to open the door, and walk down the hall to where I found my bed. I passed out then and slept.