Ok, now this chapter was really fun to write! And don't worry, it's about to go to an R rating. ^^
Title: Springtime
Rating: PG-13 (But it'll get dirtier soon)
Summary: The race for Naruto's virginity continues...
Disclaimer: Naruto and all other characters© Masashi Kishimoto - I can’t make this stuff up!
Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three “You’re going after Naruto?! Why?! You don’t even know him like I do! ” Sakura shrieked in Ino’s face as she barricaded the steps to Naruto’s apartment.
Ino drew petite blonde eyebrows together in a frown and shoved her nose against Sakura’s, closing the small distance between them.
“It’s not MY fault you blew your chance with Sasuke!”
Shikamaru just watched this with an irritated expression. They were blocking his way to Naruto’s front door. And it hadn’t been a short walk either.
“Sasukeisn’tinterestedinME!Icantakeahintunlikesomestuckupflowergirlie-“
“LISTEN HERE YOU PINK-HEADED TWINK! Youhadsixlongyearsalonewithhimtheleastyoucoulddowasgivemeachancewith SOMEONE! YOU’RE A THIEF, SAKURA!”
Shikamaru rolled his eyes and shoved his hands in his pockets. He thought this whole ‘Springtime of Youth’ thing would be easy. Everyone was always making such a fuss over it. But it was turning out to be nothing but troublesome.
“I don’t have to take this from you, Ino-Pig!” Sakura snapped, turning to walk up the stairs.
Ino scowled and raced after the girl, grabbing a fistful of baby pink hair and pulling back - hard. Sakura screamed in rage and pain. She spun sharply, to lash out with a pointed toe at Ino’s jaw. Ino pulled her head back, but in doing so, lost her balance and stumbled backwards on the steps.
Shikamaru took a step to one side, out of the way of the girls. He watched with mild interest as Sakura dove after Ino, screaming incoherently about her hair. The two tumbled to the ground, near Shikamaru’s feet and he perked a brow.
Moving past the two screaming girls rolling around in the dirt, Shikamaru walked up the stairs with a confident smirk. Perhaps this would be easy.
Shikamaru had always been attracted to Naruto. On some level. And lately his father had been putting real pressure on him for this Springtime. It was a proud tradition that meant a lot to the family. So, now was the best time to pursue one of his first fantasies.
Shikamaru stopped in front of Uzumaki’s door, taking in a calm, collective breath. He raised a fist to knock just as the door swung open and the boy ran out, blue eyes wide.
“Sorry, Shikamaru! We’ll train later!” Naruto screamed over his shoulder as he vaulted off the railing to his apartment, running past Ino and Sakura. Sakura was now rubbing Ino’s face in the dirt and didn’t notice.
Shikamaru blinked twice, leaning to look into the small apartment. A large swarm of bugs was scattering all over the floor and Shino was buttoning his long white coat. Hinata was standing in the corner with her hands firmly clasped over her eyes.
“You can’t be serious.” Shikamaru muttered, looking back down the road where Naruto had escaped. “You two didn’t-“
“No.” Shino cut him off mid-sentence. “We did not. It appears that he is saving himself for another.”
Hinata squeaked in the corner and shook her head behind her hands.
“You terrified him, didn’t you? With your weird bugs.”
“I think so, yes.” Shino nodded once, his nose dipping under the collar of his coat briefly.
“KAKASHI!”
The booming voice made Kakashi grimace. Slowly, he lowered his book.
Kakashi hadn’t really been reading it. Just staring at the words and thinking. But people tended to bother him less if they thought he was engrossed in something. Of course, it didn’t have this effect on everyone in Konoha.
“Hello, Gai.” Kakashi murmured, shoving off the wall he was leaning against to stand at Gai’s height.
The man in green approached with a look of idiotic glee on his face, stopping before the Copy Ninja and waving merrily.
“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it, rival?” Gai boasted, spreading an arm out to the sky and throwing the other one over Kakashi’s shoulders. Kakashi made no attempt to encourage him further. But he did start to look irritated. “This is the best weather we’ve had in the Springtime of Youth since my own! What a wonderful and glorious year that was!”
Kakashi felt a sweatdrop ease down his temple and he stepped away from Gai, who was starting to quiver with explosive joy. It kind of creeped Kakashi out.
“I am coming to put forth a challenge, my good friend.” Gai folded his arms in self confidence. The same annoying way Jaraiya had.
“I don’t want to hear it. Not this week.” Kakashi certainly wasn’t in the mood for this. He could only imagine what Maito Gai had thought up on a phony holiday of pointless sex.
Gai dropped his pose, looking at Kakashi in the confused way a puppy looks at its master after being swatted.
“What’s wrong? I think this is the first time I’ve seen you out during the Springtime of Youth in years! You’re always on a mission or ill.” Gai really did look hurt. He had obviously been waiting for this day a very long time. But Kakashi wouldn’t budge on this one. No matter how pathetic Gai was.
“I am keeping an eye on someone. I am supposed to be undercover and you are ruining it. So please go and we’ll talk about it later.” Kakashi thought that sounded very nice. It was a lot nicer than what he had wanted to say.
It took a lot to get through to Konoha’s green beast, though. He merely grinned and nodded his head. “Ahhh… very good, my rival. Yes, duty comes first. Who are you keeping an eye on?”
“Naruto.”
“NARUTO?!” Gai screamed with laughter and Kakashi almost fell over in shock of the sudden burst of noise. “That is funny for me. I just sent Lee over to find him at the training grounds. Neji will be his competition. I look forward to watching.”
Kakashi took a moment to think about what the idiot had just said to him. “…What have you done?”
Gai gave Kakashi the same baffled expression and once again dropped his glamorous pose.
“For their Springtime. To train the spirit, you must conquer all physical elements… so they both decided on a virgin to compete over. Not like they had much of a choice. There is only one.” Gai chortled.
Kakashi scowled and walked past his so-called “Rival” as quickly as possible without running. Gai frowned in confusion.
“Where are you going?”
“To undo what you did.”
Naruto finally stopped running when he reached the large oak tree in the middle of the training grounds. He sank down the length of the trunk, to breathe heavily on the ground and hold his head in his hand.
There had been so many -bugs-.
No. Naruto cut off his train of thought abruptly and shook his head. Don’t let yourself think of that. Don’t close your eyes and you won’t see the image.
Shino had made it perfectly clear why he wanted to be there, though. He had started taking his pants off when the bugs erupted everywhere.
“Don’t worry.” Shino had ordered when Naruto had looked at the bugs in horror and disgust. “They’re not here to hurt you.”
And that’s when Naruto had bolted.
He was pretty sure Shino hadn’t followed him. And Hinata would probably wait up for Sakura to stop playing around with Ino in the dirt. Shikamaru could always catch up with him later…
“Naruto.”
Naruto looked up at the towering figure of Hyuugi Neji and blinked. He smiled a little leaning back on the trunk. “Hey, Neji-san.”
Neji didn’t smile or nod. He just stared down at Naruto with those creepy eyes of his. On Hinata, they looked kind and gentle. Neji’s eyes were hard and cold. Like ice.
“Are you here training as well?” Naruto asked meekly.
Naruto didn’t like awkward situations.
“Yes.” Neji answered simply. “Let’s battle, Uzumaki Naruto.”