"Oi, Neshan," came a voice from their left as the three entered the crowded waiting room. "You're doing this troublesome thing, too?"
That was odd... "Natch. Your brother didn't tell you already?"
Shikamaru snorted. "I thought that you or Katsu'd've had more sense."
"Heh. I take a lot of killing - and Katsu's been in a snit since graduation. Speaking of which-"
"Katsu-kun!" cheered a feminine voice behind them.
Shikanenai snickered and slid in between his twin and his long-haired team mate as the last member of their team scowled and began attempting to dissuade the attentions of an overly-affectionate blonde octopus, aka Yamanaki Ino. "Bets he decks her?"
Neshan slid a five en note out of his sleeve. "He won't - it'd attract too much attention."
"You're on."
"That's mean, you know," the lady's remaining teammate interjected from over their shoulders.
The twins traded a glance and rolled their eyes, and the other adjusted his glasses and shrugged. "He's never had the heart to actually go and break hers before now, and nothing less has slowed her down. She won't care, and he won't care, so there's no reason not to just kick back and enjoy the absurdity of the situation."
"I-it's still mean," a soft voice insisted, joining the conversation.
Neshan turned and faced her, with a slight blush crossing his cheeks involuntarily as he saw that Hinata had left her jacket open rather than zipping it closed over the lightweight, silk-and-netting shirt she customarily wore underneath it. What made the reprimand worse, of course, was that she was quite correct, and he knew it. "Ahh..."
"Oi, Hinata!" someone exclaimed - nearly yelled - from some distance away. "What are you doing talking to that stuck-up bastard?"
The Hyuuga heiress flinched, and the boy she had been talking to rounded on the interloper so quickly his braid swung out and almost wrapped itself around his arm when he stopped. "Whatever she wants to!" he snapped. "You don't own her, Koinu-chan, so stop trying to make her heel!"
"Heel?!" Kiba choked, and snarled and lunged before Shino's restraining hand on his shoulder brought him up short.
"Stop it!" Hinata protested, stepping in between both of the glaring Genin. "I don't need protected from anyone!"
"You guys shouldn't be so noisy, you know," an ironic voice tossed in from near the door. When they turned to face the speaker, he nodded at one group of ninja from Hidden Rain. "Everybody's nervous about the exam. Those guys in particular have short tempers - bugging them like that could cause some real problems for you."
"Ah, but how much of threat could such a noisy, unprofessional ninja as would make this kind of ruckus be?" Neshan shot back with a smile and silken tone that was somehow far more menacing than his earlier agression had been. "Wouldn't it be better to concentrate on the more serious, more controlled opposition?"
The ninja by the door chuckled and stood fully rather than leaning against the wall as he had been. As he came closer it became apparent that he was quite a bit older than the nine former classmates, with all but a fraction of his full adult reach and strength. "So you're trying to look like someone too innocent to be a threat? Wouldn't that just make you more of a target, as someone who could be taken out easily?"
"Maa... Yakushi Kabuto, Medi-nin, Genin rank. Graduated year Sixty-One, Konoha date, attending for the seventh time, in company with Akadou Yoroi and Tsurugi Misumi - why don't you tell me?"
Kabuto laughed. "I guess we'll see, then."
I tried to continue the fight scene, at first, but it didn't feel like I had enough data on Katsu and 'nenai's combat styles to make a serious go at it.
Ah, well.
Ja, -n
===========
===============================================
"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."
That was odd... "Natch. Your brother didn't tell you already?"
Shikamaru snorted. "I thought that you or Katsu'd've had more sense."
"Heh. I take a lot of killing - and Katsu's been in a snit since graduation. Speaking of which-"
"Katsu-kun!" cheered a feminine voice behind them.
Shikanenai snickered and slid in between his twin and his long-haired team mate as the last member of their team scowled and began attempting to dissuade the attentions of an overly-affectionate blonde octopus, aka Yamanaki Ino. "Bets he decks her?"
Neshan slid a five en note out of his sleeve. "He won't - it'd attract too much attention."
"You're on."
"That's mean, you know," the lady's remaining teammate interjected from over their shoulders.
The twins traded a glance and rolled their eyes, and the other adjusted his glasses and shrugged. "He's never had the heart to actually go and break hers before now, and nothing less has slowed her down. She won't care, and he won't care, so there's no reason not to just kick back and enjoy the absurdity of the situation."
"I-it's still mean," a soft voice insisted, joining the conversation.
Neshan turned and faced her, with a slight blush crossing his cheeks involuntarily as he saw that Hinata had left her jacket open rather than zipping it closed over the lightweight, silk-and-netting shirt she customarily wore underneath it. What made the reprimand worse, of course, was that she was quite correct, and he knew it. "Ahh..."
"Oi, Hinata!" someone exclaimed - nearly yelled - from some distance away. "What are you doing talking to that stuck-up bastard?"
The Hyuuga heiress flinched, and the boy she had been talking to rounded on the interloper so quickly his braid swung out and almost wrapped itself around his arm when he stopped. "Whatever she wants to!" he snapped. "You don't own her, Koinu-chan, so stop trying to make her heel!"
"Heel?!" Kiba choked, and snarled and lunged before Shino's restraining hand on his shoulder brought him up short.
"Stop it!" Hinata protested, stepping in between both of the glaring Genin. "I don't need protected from anyone!"
"You guys shouldn't be so noisy, you know," an ironic voice tossed in from near the door. When they turned to face the speaker, he nodded at one group of ninja from Hidden Rain. "Everybody's nervous about the exam. Those guys in particular have short tempers - bugging them like that could cause some real problems for you."
"Ah, but how much of threat could such a noisy, unprofessional ninja as would make this kind of ruckus be?" Neshan shot back with a smile and silken tone that was somehow far more menacing than his earlier agression had been. "Wouldn't it be better to concentrate on the more serious, more controlled opposition?"
The ninja by the door chuckled and stood fully rather than leaning against the wall as he had been. As he came closer it became apparent that he was quite a bit older than the nine former classmates, with all but a fraction of his full adult reach and strength. "So you're trying to look like someone too innocent to be a threat? Wouldn't that just make you more of a target, as someone who could be taken out easily?"
"Maa... Yakushi Kabuto, Medi-nin, Genin rank. Graduated year Sixty-One, Konoha date, attending for the seventh time, in company with Akadou Yoroi and Tsurugi Misumi - why don't you tell me?"
Kabuto laughed. "I guess we'll see, then."
I tried to continue the fight scene, at first, but it didn't feel like I had enough data on Katsu and 'nenai's combat styles to make a serious go at it.
Ah, well.
Ja, -n
===========
===============================================
"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."