The Uchiha Incident: Chapter 7

Fist of Friendship

Staring down on the counter as it ticked down, Taku sighed. "Maybe this was a bad idea," She groaned as she crouched down and despaired over her failure. She was already twenty minutes in yet she was nowhere close to her goals of getting those two to team up.

Admittedly, it was a hare-brained scheme from the start; A mere aping of Kakashi's little test. She had hoped that by giving them a challenge, that they would be forced to team up if they ever wanted to have her, but she got for her effort two stubborn idiots.

"Rich coming from you," She thought bitterly as she glanced at the little outcrop that she passed by on purpose. Either Kiara won or Ami got the jump on her, she wasn't sure. She just knew she heard them shouting at each other before silence.

Whatever the case was, with time running out, her scheme seemed bound for failure as neither of the two had shown up. "I should probably call this off," She muttered dejectly as she hugged her legs closely.

She fucked up, she could feel it. Either Kiara comes back with Ame or the other way around, both destroying a fragile friendship she had made. If she hadn't fucked up, why was her sensei patting her on the head to comfort her?

"Come on kid, don't look so glum," Zed told her as he crouched down beside her, "Maybe the two are just cooking something."

"You and I both know that those two are never going to like each other," She muttered. How stupid and greedy can she be? She should have already known she can't have both of them as friends. She had to choose, but instead, she got indecisive.

"Those two will come, Trust me," He replied as she ruffled her hair before he got up. As she glared up at him for messing up her hair, he turned, blinking, before a smile slowly stretched across his lips. "Speak of the devil, maybe you should turn around and see them for yourself."

For a moment, she thought she was merely trying to get her hopes up until she finally turned around. There, standing off just a few meters away were her two knuckleheads. "You guys…" She whispered as a smile slowly stretched across her lips.

"Taku," Ame shouted, arms crossed across her chest, "Your reign of terror ends here!" Glaring at her, she shouted, "I'm going to kick your ass and make you our friend whether you like it or not!"

"Don't you mean we'll kick her ass?" Kiara muttered as she elbowed Ami

"Yeah yeah, I hear you," Ami pouted as she rubbed her side, glaring back at the other girl, "Don't get your panties all in a twist."

"Are we actually doing this now you idiot?!" Kiara shouted as she stomped angrily.

"Who are you calling an idiot!?" Ami shouted as the two butted heads. Still, despite how close they were to coming to blows, Taku still laughed. She laughed till her sides hurt because despite everything, they still came.

"Now look at what you did," Kiara pouted, "She's laughing at us!" Face palming, she muttered, "Why did I think it was a good idea to listen to you."

"It's a good idea, ok!" Ami mumbled as she glanced away.

Now while Taku was all too happy to have them bicker, they came for her and it'd be a shame if he didn't give them the fight they wanted. As their sensei backed away and gave her a salute, she chuckled. "You guys, don't you know the rules?"

As she cracked her knuckles, they flinched, but this time, they didn't run away. Standing their ground, Kiara grinned nervously as she crouched low. "We know, but didnt you say that we just needed to be on our feet for thirty minutes?"

"You never said we can't work together!" Ami shouted as she pulled out her Kunai.

Faced by two, she chuckled. "Fair enough," She replied as she loosened her shoulders and braced herself, "I'm still going to kick your asses though."

"We wouldn't have it any other way," Kiara shouted as she burst into flame, "So buckle up because here comes my Fist of Friendship!" In a flash, Kiara was already upon her, fist arcing down at her. Taku met her head head, fist already raised and cocked.

The two clashed, their fist landing landing flush against each other's check. Rattled, Taku looked up at the red head. Despite her bloodied nose, she sported a smug grin. "Got you."

Eyes wide, she tried to pull back but Kiara was quick to grab her as she was made to eat Ami's kick. Knees shaking, she took a step back, before locking her legs. Letting out a bloodied grin of her own, "That's more like it!"

Grabbing Kiara, she pulled, slamming her against Ami as she threw them off. Spitting a glob of bloody spit, she felt her smile widen as she watched the two get up eager for more. If they want a fight, she'd give them a fight they'd never forget! Roaring at each other, they ran at each other, fist and kunai flashing as they met in battle.

-x-x-x-

If there's one thing that Ami loved about Taku, it was how stubborn the girl was when she had her mind set on something. Sometimes though, she was just a bit too stubborn for her own good. Fist clashing, Ami rained blows on Taku as Kiara laid flat just behind her.

"Damn it Taku," Ami roared as she drove her fist beneath the girl's high guard, punishing her body, "Why. Won't. You. Stay. Down!" Still, despite how bruised she was, Taku refused to go down without a fight.

"Because fuck you, that's why!" Taku laughed as she threw a wild maker. Eyes wide at the sight of the glowing fist, she jumped back. As the fist sailed down to the ground, she braced herself

Boom!

Screaming, she was flung across the battlefield before slamming hard against a boulder. Sliding down beside Kiara, she let out a pained groan. "Is she trying to kill us?" Kiara asked shakily as she looked up at her.

"I think this is just her way of saying she likes us," Ami panted as she forced herself back up. While Taku was taking a breather herself, she couldn't stay on her ass, not when the tiny terror was still on her feet.

"God damn it Taku…" She knew this was a proper and everything, but can't she pull back just a little? She just wanted to stay friends with her damn it!

"I'm starting to think this is a bad idea," Ami admitted as she offered a hand to Kiara. She wanted to show that they were serious about their friendship, but it was clear that they bit more than what they could chew. "So much for making her our friend by beating the stupid out of her."

"What the hell is she made of!?" Kiara hissed a she grabbed hold and pulled herself up, "It's like I'm punching a sack of bricks"

"I don't know," Ami shook her head, "But we need to take her down now." Yes, it was definitely a bad idea and maybe they should have just ran, but damn it was she going to give up now. Glancing at the clan girl, she asked, "Can you throw a fireball or something? Just anything to blind her."

"Hah! As if you need to ask," Kiara replied before she stumbled. Leaning against her, she muttered, "Though maybe I'm starting to get a bit tired." Breathing in deeply, she let out a hiss of fire, "I have one left on my tank."

"Let's make that count then," Ami nodded before asking, "All or nothing?"

"Oy,"Taku shouted, cutting Kiara off, "Are you just going to stand there and yap or you're going to fight me!"

"All or nothing," Kiara nodded as he straightened up and roared.

Without a moment of hesitation, Ami made a mad dash at Taku. It was suicide as she wasn't tough enough to take those punches like Kiara, but she had one thing Taku didn't have, covering fire. As Taku launched herself at her, she ducked low, "Now!"

Ami felt heat roll above her as a gout of fire flared at Taku. It was barely a fireball, but Taku reacted all the same, shielding her head as if her life depended on it, something that Ami was all too happy to abuse.

Spring up, she drove her fist up the girl's guts, launching her up in the air. Without the ground, she no longer had any leverage; She had no more power behind those fists. All she had now was her weight alone. For the first time, she was now finally vulnerable. It was now or never.

Landing back down, she crouched down, arms cupped as she shouted, "Kiara!" She was never going to knock out Taku, so she did the next best thing, give the other girl who might have a shot a little boost.

As Kiara stepped on his arms, Ami roared, throwing with all her might. With her legs giving out under him, she watched as Kiara rose up to meet Taku like a rising phoenix. It was finally over. As she closed her eyes, she felt the earth shake as Taku and Kiara's legs closed and she knew no more.

-x-x-x-

"Rise and Shine Sleepy Heads!" Bolting awake, Ami gasped. Where was she, what was that delicious smell, why was she wrapped up like a corpse, and why is everything hurting?

It took her a moment to gather her bearings before she found herself sitting down on a sleeping bag all while equally bundled up Taku was tending several pots, their sensei off dozing nearby, and Kiara…. Kiara was worse for wear as she was and snoring away.

Looking up to the injured, but still chipper Taku, she asked, "Did we win…" Her memory was a bit hazy right now. Last she remembered was Taku and Kiara clashing in the air before… "Oh…"

"Yeah," Taku replied as she rubbed the back of her head, "I might have kicked a bit too hard and sent Kiara flying down at you." Of course she beat them to the punch, or rather the kick.

"Thankfully, Sensei knew how to use Healing Jutsu," She chuckled nervously, "Still sorry about that though…"

"It's fine, " Ami sighed as she glanced down, shoulders sagging at the bitter feeling of defeat settling inside her chest.

"It was a beautiful combo though," Taku cheered, reaching out to give her a pat on the head, "We just need to work out a few things." As much as she loved Taku's praise, that still couldn't quite lift her spirit.

Her musing would be cut short as a certain redhead stirred awake. "Mmmm," The girl groaned, stretching as she worked some kinks on her back, "That was the best nap I had in ages." As he rubbed her eyes and stared at them, she asked, "Hey, why the long faces?"

Taking a deep breath, Ami sighed, "We lost…"

"Are you seriously still hung up on that," Taku asked as she set her ladle aside.

"Of course I am," Ami mumbled, hugging her legs close, "We lost so we're no longer friends." And it was all her fault. If she hadn't been so boneheaded, then they would still be friends. What kind of friend was she if she couldn't keep up with her?

Her moping would be met with a flick on the forehead. "Bad Ami, no drinking the stupid juice." As she glared at the girl, Taku sighed. "If you're that hung up, fine, I just have to befriend you two all over again." Crossing her arm across her chest, she asked, "So who should I punch first?"

Mouth agape, Ami blurted out, "Bwah?!" Even Kiara was surprised as she stared up at Taku in confusion.

"What?" Taki shrugged as she checked on one of the pots before nodding. Pulling out a pair of tongs, she fished out long strands of noodles on some bowls, "There's no rules about me making you my friend after all this?"

"But the fight and everything," Ami argued. Surely, that meant something right? She wouldn't have gone through all the trouble and all the bruises just to have it turn out like this? Not that she minded, but still!

"It was just a silly challenge to make you two work together, " Taku grinned as she gave a self satisfied nod, "Something you two did beautifully."

"Trust your friend over here," Their sensei piped up, cracking an eye as he glanced at them. "When she said you two were amazing, she meant it." Sitting up, he smiled, "You know, kids twice your age would have just kept bickering, but you two figured things out."

"So this was a test?" Ami whispered.

"A silly test for a silly problem," Taku grinned before tilting her head at them, "So, will you two be my friend?" Shoulders shaking, Ami couldn't hold it in any longer. She laughed and soon, everyone did. In hindsight, their fight was very silly. No wonder Taku made this silly challenge.

"I'll take that as a yes," Turning attention back to the pot, she lifted up her ladle before giving this wonderful red stew a taste, "I need to find some herbs, but this will do for now." Ladling a healthy serving of this sauce on the noodles, she handed them over and offered, "Ready to eat?"

Glancing at Kiara, the two smile. This was silly, but she wouldn't trade it for the world

-x-x-x-

All's well that ends well as Taku would find things and all it tooks were a couple of bruises. Eating her pasta, she watched the two dining together. "Hey," Ami asked as she slurped up her noodles, "Kiara was it?"

"Yeah?" Kiara asked as she wiped at the sauce dribbling down her face

"You're not that bad for clanner," Ami grinned. The two really were finally getting along, Taku thought. She might have finally gotten them over their silly little notion of clan superiority this and that. She could finally just have them as friends.

"And I thought you were stupid," Kaira happily replied, "But you were just an idiot." Reaching out, she replied smugly, "Don't worry though, Taku and I more than make up for it so you can stay adorable~" Of course, Ami didn't take to that kindly as she socked Kiara across the face.

Taku facepalmed as the two started fighting. At least they're no longer fighting over her. "Small steps kid," Laughed Zed, "Smell steps."

A/N:

And that concludes the first silly little arc. Taku now has her friends though she might have to work some things out. Like what Zed said though, small steps. This would also be the last chapter for this month for Uchiha as I have two other obligations. Now time to make some Profiteering.