Chapter 2
Meeting with Shibuki and Yukie Fujikaze
The girls trekked on through the woods, the trees barren with a light layer of snow upon their branches. They could feel night approaching as the temperature grew colder.
" We'll make camp here for the night," Chae turned to Mikan who was right behind her.
" In the snow!!??" Mikan let out a surprised gasp at her sister's idea of a camp.
" Yea, where else?" Chae rose an eyebrow in confusion.
" How about in the brush or a little cave of some sort??" a male's voice was heard behind them.
Both girls turned to their left to see Naruto leaning against a tree.
" Naruto!" Mikan and Chae got excited and ran over to him.
" Hey!" he laughed, " I heard you guys were headed to get herbs and I thought I would come so you didn't have to go alone," he smiled as he slung an arm around Chae's shoulder and a hand on Mikan's shoulder.
" Oh, how nice of you," Chae winked at him and smiled at Mikan.
" So how about we set up camp in that cave over there that I found," he pointed to a small cave ahead of them.
" Sounds good," Chae smiled at him as they followed him to the cave.
The steady crunch of the snow under their feet was the only sound heard in the quiet stillness of the woods that night. The steady snowfall was starting to make a slight drift in front of the cave.
" So where is Jiraiya?" Mikan slowly pulled her hood up over her head for warmth and covered herself with a blanket for extra warmth as they sat around the cackling fire that Naruto already had going when he has snuck up on them.
" Probably off somewhere snooping on girls like he always is…" Naruto rolled his eyes as the girls giggled.
" So when should we expect him back? Next week?" Chae laughed heartily.
" Probably in the morning believe it or not.." Naruto smirked, " He's probably getting ideas for his next "Make out Paradise" book."
" Oh! Master Kakashi is always reading those books," Mikan rolled over laughing.
The night drew on as the snow continued to fall, the three teenagers gradually fell asleep as the night's darkness consumed them and the fire burning dimly as the flames grew smaller with the lack of wood for it to lick at and regain energy.
" AAAHHH!!!!!" a loud scream woke everyone else in the cave.
" What!? What happened!?" Chae woke up with a start and looked around frantically until her eyes landed on Jiraiya, " Oh, its only Jiraiya…" she yawned and rubbed her eyes.
Mikan was still shaking and convulsing, trying to regain her composure. Chae started patting her back as Naruto slowly sat up.
" Oh, finally done watching the girls???" he yawned, closing his eyes and stretching, receiving a smack to the back of the head, " Ow! What was that for!?"
" Watch your tongue kid, what I do is none of your business," Jiraiya seemed to be writing something down.
" Ok, me and Chae need to get going now," Mikan stood up, dusting off herself.
" Yea, we have a meeting with Shibuki at the waterfall village," Chae stood up also and started helping Mikan get ready to go.
" Thanks for helping us out Naruto," Mikan winked at him before her and Chae left the cave and began their hard trek to the waterfall village through a foot of snow, snow still lightly trickling down from the grey swollen clouds above.
The girls walked along the not so visible path through the drifts of snow to the waterfall village until they reached a moat sort of thing that surrounded a village with a huge waterfall thundering down the mountain behind it.
" Ah! We are here finally!!" Chae squealed excitedly and jumped up and down.
" Cool now lets get over there and get our herbs and get going." Mikan jumped into a branch of the tree above her, followed by Chae as they lept from branch to branch and then onto the banks of the moat on the opposite side, now in the village.
" Hello girls, I have been expecting you," they looked to see Shibuki standing in front of them.
" How did you know we were coming Mizukage, Sir," both girls bowed low to their superior.
" Oh come now, you don't have to bow, your mother phoned me to let me know of your arrival and I have just the herbs you need right here," he handed them a medium sized bag that Chae took from him.
" Thank you sir," she bowed her head and smiled up at him.
" Not a problem young lady, you two be careful on your way to the snow village," he smiled and patted them both on the head and turned back into the village as they jumped back up the branches and into the woods.
They swung and jumped from branch to branch, the snow drifts on the ground and trees began to get deeper and deeper.
" We must be approaching the snow village," Mikan joked at Chae who laughed with her as they continued to run through the snow and trees until they reached the tall gates of the snow village.
" Thank god our journey is finally over," Chae breathed a sigh of relief as they walked through the gates and into the village.
" Hello girls," Yukie approached them silently, her hands in gloves and wore a lovely blue kimono that trailed behind her.
" Hello Yukie-San!!" the girls bowed and smiled.
" Did mom call you too?" Mikan asked politely as Yukie nodded to the girls.
" Oh cool, she did the same with Shibuki-San," Chae smiled and put her hands in her pockets, the bag Shibuki had given her was in her pack that hung from her shoulders.
" Here is the herbs your mother needed, now you girls be safe on the way home you hear..?" Yukie smiled at them sullenly and waved them off as they thanked her and began their journey home through the woods.
