Will You Kiss Me Better?
Amaya was a very happy little girl. She was nice and polite, worked hard in the academy and tried her best in every aspect of her life. She wanted for nothing other than to make people happy. She would share her lunch, help people with their homework, and have conversations with anybody. At the tender age of eight, where most kids start to get rude Amaya was as good as gold.
Simply put, a right little sweetheart.
But there was one thing she just couldn't for the life of her understand.
Why did everyone seem to dislike Uzumaki Naruto?
Sure he was sometimes a little clumsy, and tended to be quite rude in front of his superiors in particular sensei's, but he was only standing up for himself. Sure he was a little cheeky at times, but it showed he had a good sense of humour. Sure he wasn't the smartest, best looking guy in the class like the infamous Sasuke but at least he had a personality.
Not to say you disliked Sasuke! You just didn't know him to show any emotion.
You might have noticed Amaya refrained from using the word hate. Amaya disliked using the word 'Hate' she thought it was a very strong word that should only be used in extreme circumstances. She could quite easily say, without a moments pause or hesitation, that she didn't hate anything.
And she never will.
Well that's what she hopes anyway. If someone was to take away someone dear to her in a cruel way, then yes, her heart probably would turn to ice at that person. But that's a very dramatic thing that could happen.
Anyway, Amaya made a big decision. Uzumaki was in need of a friend, someone for him to talk to. Maybe that was all he really wanted.
Amaya decided she was going to try and be that friend.
"Uzumaki-san!" Amaya cried, knocking on the door to where she thinks he lives. A true friend wouldn't let their friend be late and get punished would they? "Naruto-san?" she called knocking again.
Maybe this is the wrong house...
She tried once more before deciding he must have spent the night at a friends or something.
She didn't know he fast asleep in bed, having not heard either his alarm or her calling him. Alas, another detention awaits...
It was half past eight. School began at eight. As of yet, no Naruto. Amaya kept glancing at the door, then the clock, then the door, then his seat.
Was he sick? Or was he running around in the village playing around and annoying the villagers?
At quarter past ten, a chuunin came in, dragging an annoyed looking Naruto with him. The chuunin whispered something to Iruka-sensei, huffed, and then walked off.
Must be having a bad day...
"NARUTO WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING SKIPPING CLASS!? THIS IS IMPORTANT WORK YOU'RE MISSING!! WITHOUT THIS KNOWLEDGE YOU'LL NEVER MAKE IT AS A SHINOBI!!" Iruka bellowed at the young blonde boy, glaring down at him and showering him in spit.
Amaya didn't like it when people shouted. Nothing good ever came of it except in some cases the forgiveness at the end.
"Yeah, yeah" the boy said pouting, waving Iruka-sensei's lecture aside.
This cant be good for Iruka-sensei's blood pressure...
"Transform into the Hokage then" Iruka said seething. "We're reviewing the transformation technique so if you're good enough to skip the class because you know it all prove it" Iruka-sensei said as he folded his arms and glared down at the boy.
"Yosh!" Naruto cried placing his hands in a hand sign. "HENGE!" A puff of smoke engulfed him for a minute, and cleared to show a very err... deformed Hokage.
Laughter rung out through the classroom as Amaya struggled to muffle her giggle. The Hokage doppelganger had huge lips and a crooked nose. Its eyes were droopy and reminded you of a basset hound. It was also Naruto exact height, not even half of the Hokage's actual height.
With a poof Naruto changed back laughing.
"Just kidding! Just kidding! You didn't think that was for real did'ja?!" Naruto cried scratching the back of his head looking a little embarrassed.
"Stop messing about!" Iruka-sensei scolded.
"Aaagh! Henge!" Naruto cried, disappearing once again in a puff of smoke. Only for it to clear and reveal the exact same deformed Hokage.
"Are you...serious?" Iruka mumbled, eye twitching in irritation.
Laughter rang out in the classroom again, but this time Amaya didn't join in. Naruto was really falling behind...
"You've been her three years and you can't even do a simple transformation jutsu?! Ha! Pathetic!" Kiba called from the top row, the laughter increased as Naruto looked down angrily.
"Just you wait! I don't need to pretend to be Hokage! Because I'll BE the Hokage someday!!" Naruto cried pointing at the class angrily.
"Yeah right!"
Poor Naruto... He tried his best...
The bell rang for lunch and the class, still laughing, flooded out through the doors. Amaya waited behind for Naruto but he had already stormed out in the crowd.
It wasn't until after school, where Amaya waited patiently for a whole hour; did she finally get to see Naruto. He had his hands shoved in his pockets, his eyes downcast as he looked sulkily at the ground.
"Naruto!"
At the sound of his name, the boy stopped, turning round to see Amaya. It was amazing really how pretty his eyes were.
"Naruto-kun I--"
"Err... Who're you?" he said frowning and squinting his eyes, as though straining to remember her face. Inside she was slightly crestfallen he didn't even know who she was but pushed it aside and put on a smile.
"I'm Meikanki Amaya, I'm in your class" she said, hoping her name would ring a bell. He stared at her leaning forward to get a better look. A light pink dusted her face at the fact he was so close to her, but she remained silent waiting for his reply. His eyes opened as he blinked and he tilted his head to the side.
"Um...?" he said confused.
"Don't worry about it; anyway I was wondering if I could maybe be your friend please?" Amaya asked hopefully, lacing her fingers behind her back as she blushed slightly.
"Ehh?? You wanna be my friend?" Naruto repeated. Amaya nodded, beginning to wonder if this had all just been a silly idea and she should mind her own business in the future when the biggest, hugest, happiest grin stretched across his face curving the whisker markings on his cheek and giving him the look of a cheshire cat.
"I'D LOVE TO!!" he cried happily, pulling Amaya into a huge hug where he squeezed her tight. "We should go to Ichiraku! Have you ever been before! It's got the bentest ramen everrr!!" Naruto cried as he grabbed her hand and speed-walked and speed-talked as he dragged poor Amaya along.
"OH! I remember you now! You sit in the middle row! Next to--"
Having not been paying the slightest bit of attention where he was going, Naruto tripped over a stone losing balance and falling over, head butting the floor with his butt sticking up in the air. Poor Amaya had been pulled forward, but managed to keep her balance, unlike the less graceful boy.
"Ohh! Naruto-kun that looked painful are you okay?" She asked as he sat up with a hand on his forehead.
"Owwwww..." he replied.
"Here, I'll make it all better for you!" Amaya cried planting a kiss on his forehead.
"Ehh??" Naruto cried as his face turned crimson. A look of surprise crossed his face. "NA! Amaya-chan! It works!!"
"Amaya-chaaaaannnn!!" Naruto called as she walked to school. It was unusual for Naruto's to be up so early in the day, and as you would expect, he was in his pyjamas...
Amaya was alarmed seeing he had tears in his eyes. He shoved a very red index finger in her face.
"BURN! BURN! BURN! BURN! BURN!" he howled jumping from one foot to the other. He stopped holding his finger a millimetre from his face. "Can you do that kissy thing that makes it better it HURRRRTS!" he whined. A pink flush crossed Amaya's face, but she obeyed, gently kissing the sore finger.
"Na! Arigatou Amaya-chan!" he said trotting off somewhere. Amaya put a finger to her lips as a smile spread across them. Well wasn't Naruto sweet...
"AMAYA-CHAN!!" Naruto squealed rushing towards her. Not having any known breaks the guy plummeted into her. There foreheads smashed together, Amaya taking more damage due to her forehead protector being used to keep her hair our the way, worn in a way like Sakura's, while Naruto wore his traditionally on his head. Recovering from your dizziness Amaya looked the boy up and down wondering what he'd injured now.
Four years on and he still came to Amaya to kiss the pain away.
"I haven't hurt myself yet! I was just wondering about your team and stuff, I haven't seen you since graduation y'know! You're my BEST friend after all!"
Whenever he referred to Amaya as his BEST friend she had a lovely warm bubbly feeling inside. Not that he knew that.
"There was an uneven number so I just went straight to working at the hospital instead of getting a team" she said simply. "I get to help people this way; I've already learnt basic medical ninjutsu from Okaa-chan."
"You mean you're missing out on adventures?!" Naruto cried his blue eyes widening. Amaya giggled at his shock.
"I hear all kinds of stories from the patients and meet a lot of people. The other Medical-ninja are really nice to me."
Actually most were rather rude and thought she was just in the way, but some were nice.
"So after I've been on my big adventures you're gonna treat my war wounds?" Naruto asked. She frowned and he looked at her guiltily thinking he said something wrong.
"I don't want you to get hurt, so I want you to make sure you're careful ok?" she said sternly. Naruto immediately saluted.
"Aye aye! -- Wait a sec... Amaya-chan do you kiss all the smelly jiji better?" Naruto cried looking disgusted.
"I only kiss some of the kids better, no old men Naruto-kun" you reassured him. He folded his arms in front of his chest, nodding seriously. "Aren't you meant to be meeting Kakashi-san, Sasuke-san and Sakura-san about now?"
"Eh?? How'd you know my team?" he said puzzled. Amaya smiled. She had heard it from one of the Chuunin patients.
"Naruto-kun... you're twenty minutes late you really should--"
"NANI?! KAKASHI-SENSEI'LL KILL ME!! JA NE AMAYA-CHYAAAN!!"
"What happened to him?" Amaya asked as she looked down at the thoroughly beaten Naruto on the bed.
"Eh... Beaten up by a cat, an old woman and was dragged into a minefield when walking a dog" the masked jonin replied. If it was anyone other than Naruto you would have asked if they were joking...
Amaya put some anaesthetic and antiseptic over the cat scratches, bruises and burns and let the jonin take him home.
Deary me Naruto-kun... and they're only D-rank...
"What happened this time?" Amaya asked as she bandaged the Uchiha and Uzumaki, while their sensei was given a check up next door.
"You should've been there Amaya-chan! The guy was like HUGE!! And I was like--"
"Usuratonkashi, you screwed up making a huge entrance when you would've been much more helpful if you stayed hidden" Sasuke said, glaring at the blonde.
"GAH! SASUKE! IF IT WASN'T FOR MY PLAN--!!"
"Shush you two! There are other patients trying to sleep!" Amaya scolded. The two boys took their arguing to a whispering level while Amaya checked through there notes. "You're both free to go, but should take it easy for the next day or two."
They both set off again and surprisingly the next time Amaya saw Naruto, he wasn't at all injured.
"AMAYA-CHAN! AMAYA-CHAN! AMAYA-CHAAAAAAN!! I'M GOING TO CHUUNIN EXAAAAMMMSSS!!" Naruto shrieked with glee shoving an entry form in her face.
"I'll see you there then, I'm part of the medical team assigned. They think I'm ready to take on bigger things, because I've learnt more advanced healing techniques" Amaya said happily. "Promise you'll be careful?"
"PROMISE!"
Amaya didn't see Naruto for over a month after that. She knew he passed, she'd heard from the other genin. Poor Hinata was nearly killed, Lee was probably going to be disabled for life, and Sasuke was still unconscious and didn't look to be waking up for at least a week or so. The others weren't too bad luckily.
"Oi missy, you got a minute?" Amaya looked round to see one of the strangest men she'd ever laid eyes on. He had long white spiky hair and was very tall and bulky. "The kid kinda passed out on me" he pointed to a spiky yellow thing on his shoulder. Wait... Was that Naruto's head?
"Naruto-kun did you overdo training again?" Amaya said exasperatedly. "Follow me...?"
"Jiraiya at your service" he said grinning.
"Umm... Ero-senniiiinnn..." Naruto mumbled in his sleep. The man grimaced in annoyance.
"Stop calling me that!" he hissed to the oblivious Naruto.
"Naruto-kun what're you doing out of bed, and what are all of you doing in Lee-san's room?" Amaya asked, having gone to check Lee's amount of morphine only to find a room full of people. The red haired boy walked out holding his head.
"Are you all right?" Amaya asked worriedly, but he ignored her and disappeared round the corner. Amaya sighed and turned back to Shikamaru, Naruto and Lee's sensei. "Lee-san is only allowed a maximum of one visitor at a time as he's still in critical condition, so I'm afraid two of you'll have to leave. And you Naruto" Amaya put one hand on her hip and with the other pointed towards his hospital room. "BED."
Naruto did extremely well in the Chuunin exams, managing to prove everyone wrong and defeat Neji, whom you had to tend to. Then there was a huge battle where Sunagakure no sato and Otogakure no sato attacked Konohagakure no sato. Casualties were rushed in and the hospital was quickly over run. Amaya was worked to the bone and was absolutely exhausted, but most pulled through.
Naruto of course managed to save the day, getting hurt in the process. Amaya was left to treat him while he blathered on and on about his battle with Gaara. Amaya had to admit, little Naruto had grown and she felt really proud of him.
It was a few months before Amaya saw Naruto again, and when she did it broke her heart to pieces. He was in better shape than Neji and Chouji, but nonetheless, he was really hurt. She tended to him and sat by his side night and day, neglecting her other duties and being scolded at by her superiors. But she didn't care. Naruto was hurt... But what upset Amaya even more, was when he woke up. There was no bubbly account of the great battle he'd won, no victorious grin, not even a complaint that he was stuck in bed again. He was silent; his eyes hollow and empty looking desperate to cry but missing tears.
Uchiha Sasuke had abandoned Konoha.
Naruto's team mate, rival, best friend, had abandoned him.
Amaya hiccoughed slightly, catching the boy's attention. Yes he was heartbroken and felt guilty. Yes he felt that he had let everyone down and was worthless. Yes he was suffering. But Naruto NEVER liked it when his friends were an unhappy and had never heard of Amaya to be upset.
"Amaya-chan?" he asked. Even his voice sounded hollow. "What's wrong?"
"I don't like seeing you like this..." the boy was alarmed to see tears rolling down her face.
"Amaya-chan--"
"I don't like seeing you hurt; I don't like seeing you upset..."
"Amaya-chan I--"
"I hate it..."
Naruto was silenced. Did he hear that right? But Amaya didn't hate anything. But Naruto hated seeing her like this. He hated seeing her cry, seeing her in pain.
Pain...
Make the pain go away...
Without hesitation, Naruto leant towards her and crashed his lips into hers. Amaya was taken back by this. Naruto... He was... He was... Naruto pulled away and wiped her tears away gently.
"Do you feel better now?"
Amaya finally understood what he meant. He had tried to kiss her better, make all her pain go away. Just like that first time when they were eight years old when he fell over and bumped his head. A smile graced Amaya's lips as she looked up and Naruto, to see his eyes had lightened and had a look of hopefulness.
"You know what Naruto-kun, I think you did." And what's more, that lovely warm bubbly feeling had spread all through her, and her heart was going boom-boom, boom-boom. A classic Uzumaki grin stretched across Naruto's face before he leant forward and kissed her again.