I knew that I would get no sleep that night, so I went to the forest to train. Apparently Naruto had the same idea, because he was there as well, running up the tree. I waited until he fell back down to call to him.

"Hello, Naruto-kun." I greeted.

"Ah! Keira chan! Have you come to train?" He asked. I nodded with a closed eyed smile.

'Yeah. Any advice you could give me?" I asked sweetly.

"Well, Sakura-chan, she's really good at this, said the key was to remain calm, not get all worked up!" He replied. I nodded, and sprinted up the tree. I made it farther than Sasuke and Naruto. "Wow, Keira-chan, you're really good!" Naruto complimented.

I laughed slightly. "No, I didn't even use chakra for that. It was just wall running, something every genin knows." I reply.

"Oh." He nods. "You totally got me, though. I thought you were using chakra." I create the hand sign to focus my chakra. Breath in, breathe out, send it down the pathway to your feet. Breathe in, breathe out, concentrate on nothing else. Breathe in, breathe out, everything fades away

My eyes shoot open. Now! I run to the tree, sprinting up. I got higher than Sakura did the first time, almost to the top, when my chakra wavered then collapsed. I fell, hearing Naruto's yell of panic. I nearly shot my wings out from pure instinct, but remembered not to.

I push chakra to my hands and feet, grasping the tree bark and slowing my fall. I slid to a complete stop inches from the ground. Whew. That was a close one. "Good catch, Keira-chan. I was so worried!" He yelled.

I put my feet on the ground. I did well for the first time, but it wasn't good enough for me. I wanted to be able to walk up the tree and hang upside down like Kakashi. I do the hand sign, concentrating. I put one foot up, then the other. Walking slowly like Kakashi was able to.

I made it up as high as Sasuke has gotten, maybe a third of the way up the tree, before my chakra flow was disrupted and I fell again. I flipped backwards, landing with one hand on the ground to steady myself. This was harder than it looked.

I kept practicing, even after Naruto decided to rest. He left for a clearing a ways away so I wouldn't disrupt his sleep. That was about three hours ago, it's about 5 a.m now. Maybe I should go check on him.

Soon Sasuke arrived. I greeted him with a nod and continued working. She's so deditcated, never distracted when she's training. Sasuke thought. I smirked slightly, walking up again. I could make it past Sasuke's mark while walking now.

I made it all the way to where Sakura could running. I walked to a branch, took a deep breath, and stepped out onto it... upside down. I smiled in victory as I walked all the way to the end of the branch and back to the trunk, defying gravity.

I jumped down, Sasuke watching. "Naruto left to rest about three hours ago," I inform him, "I was just about to go check up on him." He nodded, and we both made our way to the clearing. 

 Sasuke and I walk through the slightly misty forest in silence. We finally came across the clearing, only to see Naruto staring into thin air in shock. He turned to me, eyes wide. "Are you a girl, Keira-chan?" He asked.

I crossed my arms. "I thought we already had this conversation when Tazuna-san insulted you, Naruto-kun. Do I look like a guy to you?" He rapidly shook his head.

“But neither did sh… he.” He muttered. I raised my eyebrows, but left it at that.

We traveled back to the clearing, Sasuke and Naruto glaring at each other the entire way. They certainly have a peculiar relationship. We sense Sakura and Kakashi coming, so Naruto sprints up the tree to impress her.

I watch them enter the clearing. Sakura spots Naruto. Wow, he can already make it all the way up there? She thinks in amazement. Then Naruto slips. He catches himself, laughing at all their shocked expressions.

“Hahaha, I totally got you, ahh!” He actually slips this time, but Sasuke catches him. How humiliating, being rescued by your own rival.

“So, Keira, how far are you able to make it?” Kakashi asks. I concentrate my chakra, then slowly begin to walk up the tree. I smirk at their awed expressions as I hang upside down.

“W-Wow, Keira-san!” Sakura exclaims, “You can make it up that high walking!” But I hear her thoughts, Argh! Keira-me can already make it higher than me! I can’t believe she caught up, cha!

“Alright, Keira will be guarding the bridge builder with you today, Sakura.” We both nod. Together we walk back to the house and accompany Tazuna to the bridge. We sit about three feet apart, avoiding eye contact.

“Ah, so you’re just going to sit there alongside your pink haired friend instead of helping as well?” Tazuna complained.

“Well, if you would rather I became distracted with helping you instead of guarding you, leaving an opportunity for enemies to strike, then I will help you in an instant.” I reply calmly. “It’s your choice.”

He stammers something out and walks away. Sakura chuckles slightly but catches herself and stops. About two hours into guarding Tazuna she starts a conversation. “What are you humming, Keira-san?” She asks.

“Oh, you wouldn’t like this song. I wrote it about you.” I reply.

She expects me to just drop it after she tells me the song is written about me? Cha, I don’t think so. “Could you sing it for me?” Sakura asks.

“Sakura-san, I promise you won’t like it. You’ll probably yell at me for a solid hour for ‘insulting your Sasuke-kun!’” I explain.

“No, I promise I won’t yell… for an hour… if you sing it.” She replies. I sense that she won’t drop it, so I begin to sing, smirking slightly. I didn’t write it with the purpose to insult her. I believe everything I say in it.

"Bowling Ball"

Maybe he'll change, maybe things'll get better
Maybe it would be nice, if he wouldn't always put you down
Maybe things'll work out, but maybe they'll never
And I think you've given him the benefit of the doubt

You need that boy like a bowling ball dropped on your head
Which means not at all
You have too much to give, to live to waste your time on him
You need that boy like a bowling ball dropped on your head
Which means not at all
You have too much to give, to live to waste your time on him

Maybe he'll change, if you could be better
But maybe it's not your fault, he's checking out the waitress now
But someday you'll change, one day you're stronger
And you will have changed enough that it's time to get out

You need that boy like a bowling ball dropped on your head
Which means not at all
You have too much to give, to live to waste your time on him
You need that boy like a bowling ball dropped on your head
Which means not at all
You have too much to give, to live to waste your time on him

(you have too much to give, to live to waste your time on him)

You need that boy like a bowling ball dropped on your head
Which means not at all
You have too much to give, to live to waste your time on him
You need that boy like a bowling ball dropped on your head
Which means not at all
You have too much to give, to live to waste your time on him

(you have too much to give, to live to waste your time on him)

To my surprise, she was silent afterwards. I decide to explain myself a bit. “It’s just… I think you really could be stronger if you didn’t… obsess over Sasuke-kun so much. And honestly, I think you scare Sasuke-kun when you obsess over him. You would become much stronger, and maybe even catch his attention when you act normal around him and when you become stronger.”

 “You just want Sasuke-kun to yourself, don’t you!?!” She accuses suddenly.

 “What?” I ask, dumbfounded. Where did she pull that from?

 “Ugh. I have to spell it out for you, huh?” She sighs. “You. Like. My. Sasuke-kun. Don’t you?” She asks.

 I sigh. “Sakura-san, I just started talking to the boy, and now you think I like him? I can promise you, I barely like him as a friend. Much less what you’re implying.” I reply.

“If you don’t like Sasuke-kun, than who do you like?” She challenged. 

I scan the area for threats, not wanting anything to slip past me as I talk to her. I then turn to her. “I don’t like anyone.” I tell her.

 “What?!?” She shrieks, “How can you not like anyone?”

 “To like someone you have to trust them. Trust them with your heart, your feelings… I can’t do that.”

 “Why not?” She presses.

 “Because I can’t! Kuso, Sakura-san, can’t you just drop it?” I hiss at her. She looks shocked at my outburst, but nods and turns away.

 Maybe I don’t know as much about Keira-me as I thought I did… I don’t know anything about her past…

 “Keira-san… gomen.” She mutters. I look at her in surprise. “Gomenasai, Keira-san. I shouldn’t have treated you how I’ve been. I jump to conclusions without knowing all the details. Can we maybe… Start over?”

 I smile at her slightly. “Sakura… chan. I don’t give second chances easily. I want you to know the gravity of what I’m doing by forgiving you. You refused to protect me, which resulted in my harm. You’ve treated me like dirt without even knowing your motivation behind it. But you’re my teammate, so I’m willing to give you another chance.”

“Thank you Keira-chan!” She exclaims. “I swear, I’ll try to be better now. Maybe I won’t even obsess over Sasuke-kun so much anymore, if you think it will help me catch his attention.” That's fairly redundant. She holds out her pinky. “A clean slate?” She asks.

 I wrap my pinky around hers. “A clean slate.” I agree.

 _____________________________________________________________

 Chapter Twenty Two! I’m uploading from my IPod at a Bigby’s, so sorry for any mistakes. Hard to type on an IPod! Caramel Mocha’s are the best!

 See you all later!

 Comment! Vote!

 Bye!

 gaara119