The crash of frozen air on her legs was the first sign that alerted the small child something was wrong. Mind fuzzy with the details because of her half conscious brain, she couldn't remember anything pertaining to anything besides the blinding pain shooting through her feeble body. Slowly her eyes fluttered open, only to have her vision be blurred and unfocused.
"Mm…." She reached up and rubbed the sleep from her tired eyes, "Mommy…..did you open my window?" A small voice cracked, her throat constricting until she could no longer speak.
Nothing. There was only silence. Finally after her eyes had become more focused she realized this was not a bedroom. No, she was laying in the middle of a grassy meadow. Surrounded by snow capped trees on all sides, the sound of chirping birds and small animals running around caught her ears.
"Mm….where am I?" The girl looked around lost. A sharp gust of wind whipped against her exposed skin, "Ahhh!" She gasped in surprise, "Brrr….."
A baggy powder blue blanket was draped over her top half, with holes on each side for her arms. Looking down she discovered a pair of ginormous jeans which hugged her slender waist ineffectively.
"W….why are my pants so big?" She mumbled softly as tears formed in her eyes, "I…I don't understand what's…..going on…." She sniffed as she curled herself in a little ball, wrapping her arms around her knees as she hid her face in her thighs.
************************************************************************
A young man about sixteen winters was walking down the forest path. His chocolate colored hair fell jaggedly in front of his right eye, then spiked over his left ear. Warm coal eyes looked over the snowed covered ground with an unguarded glee that intrigued his companion. Around the same age, the other man had ebony hair that spiked in all directions like a feral porcupine. A white bandage curved up both sides of his cheeks and met at his nose.
"It's beautiful out today." The brunette smiled jovially, his eye twinkling.
"Yes it is Izumo." The ebony haired man chuckled softly, grabbing his companion's hand. He weaved their fingers together which brought a blush to the brunette's cheeks.
"Kotetsu…." The brunette, whose name was apparently Izumo, looked over at the ebony haired man, his cheeks stained red.
Kotetsu smiled sheepishly, "What….can't I show my lover how much he means to me." He leaned over and kissed Izumo on the cheek.
"Mm….." Izumo blushed harder, "Y….Yes but……"
They suddenly where interrupted from their thoughts as a loud bawling sound erupted from the forest.
"What was that?" Kotetsu asked.
Izumo looked off into the forest with a trained eye for detail, "It almost sounds like….Mm…..No it can't be…."
"What?" Kotetsu looked at his young lover, "What does it sound like?"
"A….child."
"A WHAT?!" Kotetsu stared at him with unguarded horror, "Way out here?! Where anything could have hurt it?!"
"Y….Yes…" Izumo answered with a slightly shocked look on his face. He'd never seen his boyfriend snap into such a passionate mood just like that.
"We have to do something…Go back to Konoha…..No that's hours away...Then we have to go after it…..Damn, but what if it's a trap…..Ahhhhh, what do we do?!" Kotetsu grabbed his head, as he looked from the way back to the village to the inside of the forest.
Izumo sweat dropped, "Um….are we gonna stand here and listen to you rant or are we going to go save the child."
"Right!" Kotetsu dashed off into the trees and disappeared into the trees.
Izumo sweat dropped again, "He went the wrong direction." Several minutes passed with Izumo just looking blankly at the spot his partner had disappeared.
Kotetsu poked his head out from behind a tree, "Um Izumo….this is a dead-end." He sweat dropped.
Suddenly a large scream rang out into the forest, causing the two ninjas to turn around. They both looked toward each other and began running towards the source. Sitting there trying to scramble up a tree was a young girl about four winters with long brown hair. And a rather large spider was scampering up after her, which she was trying to evade by clawing at the trunk of an oak tree.
Kotetsu's eyes widened in horror, "That is a giant spider."
"Don't be such a baby." Izumo rolled his eyes.
"Do you see that thing?" He pointed, "It's bigger then my fist."
Izumo just shook his head and ignored his immature lover.
"Um…..sweetie?" Izumo walked forward and squashed the spider under his sandal (in fact it was rather large, and made a big squishing sound), "It's ok…..Please don't be afraid." He crouched down in front of her as he flashed comforting smile.
"Ya that's right….We're here to make sure you're ok." Kotetsu joined his lover, "Why don't you come here?" He smirked as he held out a hand.
The child turned toward them, and her big green eyes locked onto their gazes. Her eyes were a deep forest green, powdered with hints of light cobalt, and they were still brimming with unshed tears.
"Aww sweetie, please don't cry." Izumo frowned, looking at her sadly.
"It's ok, we're here to help….I promise." Kotetsu scooted a little closer.
The child shook her head and plastered herself against the trunk of the tree, her innocent eyes looking at the wearily.
Izumi looked over to his companion, "What should we do? We can't force her to come with us." He whispered.
"But we can't leave her out here alone either."
The girl's stomach suddenly gurgled and she slid off the tree holding her rebelling stomach. Kotetsu and Izumo laughed before Izumo reached into his bag pulling out a food bar. The girl wearily inched towards them, then unexpectedly snatched the bar out of Izumo's hand and started to munch on it.
"See….we're good guys." Kotetsu smiled at her reaching over. He placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair playfully.
"Mm….Hey…My hair…" She pouted.
Izumo chuckled and moved closer to her, "What's your name sweetie?"
The little girl looked up at the taller man, "Mm….My name Inara."
"Awww…..that's a very cute name." Kotetsu smiled, looking at her intently now that she was closer.
The poor child was garbed in only a long blue shirt that fell down to her ankles, which on her looked more like an ugly dress. He discovered a pair of adult pants where she was sitting along with a pair of ladies' underwear.
"What in the world is going on?" He mumbled to himself.
Izumo followed his gaze and a look of surprise crossed his face.
"Um….sweetie….Where did these clothes come from?" Izumo asked the small child.
Inara sniffed, shaking her head.
"I dunno…I…I just…woke up here…" Inara looked to be on the brink of tears again.
Izumo quickly handed her another bar of food, "Don't worry……You're safe here with us." He smiled, "I'm Izumo and this is my friend Kotetsu. We're ninja from the Leaf Village."
Inara blinked and took the food. Unwrapping the package, she quickly stuffed half the bar into her mouth, "MUNCH!"
Kotetsu and Izumo stared at her wide eyed.
"She sure has an appetite." Izumo commented.
"It's better then her crying again." Kotetsu added.
"Ni…wa…." Inara said through a mouth full of food.
"What'd she say?" Kotetsu cocked an eyebrow.
Izumo giggled, "She said ninja…."
"Oh….well ya….We're Chunin from Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaf."
Inara swallowed and looked up at him.
"Ninja good?" She asked.
Kotetsu smiled, "Yes….we're good ninja."
"And we want to take you back to our village. The Hokage can help you there." Izumo smiled warmly, "He'll be able to explain what happened to you sweetie."
"Ho….ka…ge….." Inara blinked, wide eyed.
"The leader of our village, and the most powerful ninja in Konoha." Kotetsu added.
"Ohhhhhhh…..so He help Inara?" She beamed, finishing the food bar and throwing the wrapper on the ground.
Izumo chuckled, "Yes he'll help you sweetie…" He reached for her, "Mm….can I pick you up?"
Inara nodded, "Uh-huh." She said in a sweet/cute voice as she beamed.
Izumo smiled back as he wrapped his arms securely around her waist and heft her into his arms.
"Hehehe…" Inara giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled into him.
"You know….she's kinda cute when she's not crying." Kotetsu commented, watching the small child.
Izumo smiled, "Yes….extremely adorable."
Inara moaned faintly, her head resting peacefully on Izumo's shoulder. Her eyes were closed, and soft snores were escaping her lips.
"Aww….she fell asleep." Kotetsu chuckled, "I think she likes you Izumo."
Izumo blushed and cocked his head to peer down at her sleeping form sprawled over his shoulder.
"She was just sleepy….It was a hard day on her…I'm sure that's what it was…"
"Ya…..I'm sure that's what happened." Kotetsu teased, kissing his cheek, "You're too cute Izumo."
"Mm….Kotetsu….Not in front of the child." Izumo turned bright crimson.
"Appologizes." He chuckled softly as he wrapped an arm around his waist, "Come on….Let's get her to the Hokage before she wakes up."
"Well it's getting rather dark, should we make camp and finish walking into town in the morning? Traveling with kids is a little bit different" Izumo looked down at the exhausted little girl in his arms, "Besides….I think she's been through enough today."
"Right…..meeting everyone in the village is going to be a lot for her." Kotetsu agreed, "Hotel it is….I know the perfect one."
************************************************************************
Slowly the sun peeked through the open curtain, shining onto the two motionless figures in the queen size bed. A black hair spike poked out of the covers, followed swiftly by a head. Kotetsu yawned widely, snuggling closer to his lover.
"Mmmmm…" He smiled as Izumo's warm body pressed up closer against him. Wrapping an arm around Izumo's waist, he pulled gently. Their bare chests rubbed into each other earning a sharp gasp from the sleeping brunette.
"Kotetsu…." A blush crept across the younger man's face.
"Good morning Zumo." Kotetsu grinned mischievously. The old nickname further tinted Izumo's cheeks a vibrant pink.
"I told you not to call me that." The brunette scolded.
Kotetsu pouted playfully, his ebony eyes twinkling.
"Zumo-san….you're so grumpy in the morning."
Another blush.
"Am not…..you're just loppy in the morning."
"It's not my fault….waking up next to the most beautiful man in the world intoxicates me….You steal my breath away." Kotetsu leaned into the cherry red brunette, brushing their lips together in a feather light caress.
"Mm….." Izumo groaned, his plump lips parting as a sigh escaped his throat.
Taking advantage, Kotetsu instantly thrust his tongue between the parted lips, roughly grabbing the back of his lover's hair. The sweetness of Izumo's hot mouth assaulted his senses, making him light headed. He covered his lover's lips roughly, sliding against them as his tongue darted in and out of the slick heat, beating against Izumo's thick muscle.
A deep groan sounded in Kotetsu's mouth, originating from his young lover. Encouraged by the noise, the ebony haired male pushed his lover back into the bed, then crawled on top of him, pressing their bodies impossibly close.
"Mmmmm!" Izumo groaned loudly, arching off the bed. The sensation of their bare skin rubbing along each other had them panting harshly. Suddenly they broke apart gasping in ragged breathes, their chest heaving into the other as they stared into each other's lust filled eyes.
"Kotetsu…..you're so passionate this morning….." Izumo blushed like a school girl.
"What can I say….you bring the worst out in me." He smirked devilishly.
"MM!" Izumo stuck out his tongue, making a cute/disobedient face.
"Be careful…..I might steal that."
"Uh!" Izumo's eyes widened, "Yo….Yo…..You pervert!" He gasped, flushing with arousal.
"You love it." Kotetsu's voice dropped and octave as he lustfully gazed at his lover, licking his lips slowly. He leaned into Izumo for another kiss when suddenly he was stopped, "Mm…what is it Izumo?" He stared surprised at the hand blocking his way.
"I dunno…..Something's…..wrong…." He looked up at Kotetsu with his big chocolate eyes.
"Was it…something I did?" Kotetsu asked concerned.
"No of course no…..OH MY GOD!" Izumo leapt from the bed like a frightened cat, and unfortunately Kotetsu had still been on top of him, and was now sprawled stomach first on the floor.
"What the hell was that for Izumo?" He groaned in pain.
"The child you idiot! Where is she?" Izumo dashed around the room frantically, tossing the sheets off the bed and when he still didn't find her he finally flipped the entire mattress over.
"Child?" Kotetsu glared at his lover, "What chil……Oh right!" He jumped to his feet and quickly scanned the room, "We brought her back with us….right?" He shot Izumo a stunned, questioning look.
"Of course we did….I remember setting her in that bed before we all went to sleep." Izumo's voice cracked as he squeaked slightly. His voice always seemed to jump when he was distressed.
"Calm down Izumo…she has to be here somewhere….It's not like we lost her." Kotetsu grabbed Izumo's shoulders and squeezed them encouragingly, "We'll find her."
"I hope so…." Izumo sighed and looked around the destroyed room, feathers were scattered everywhere from the pillow he busted open, all the chairs had been knocked to the ground, the mattress was half out the window and there was now a large hole in the far wall.
"Well….we're definitely not going to get our deposit back on the room" Kotetsu sweat dropped, "So how are we going to explain this to the maid?"