I've been having strange and irregular sleeping patterns the last few days and was busy spending time with a friend that I haven't seen in a long time. She's having a difficult time right now and needed me badly.
This part was one of the more difficult to write, hilarity aside. Because, despite it being funny, it does have a point in the plot. Especially towards the end.
For anyone who's interested, this is what Kiritsu looks like on the Island: http : / ofthenewmoon . Deviantart . Com / art / CH - 13 - Several - Celebrations - 244817322
Chapter Thirteen: Several Celebrations:
Part Two: Summer… Fun
About twenty minutes later the boat reached the island's main dock, and the gang spotted a soaking Kiba and Akamaru rolling in the sand.
"I'm not giving the wet dogs a bath." Temari said in a threatening tone. "They'll be sleeping outside if they're not clean. Our house* is too nice for sand to get all over everything."
Naruto laughed. "Last one in the water gets buried in sand!"
As most of the others took off, Kiritsu covered her mouth and closed her eyes, shaking so hard she fell to her knees. Gaara gave her an empty yet annoyed look.
"It's not funny." He said. "Now get up before the others-"
"Kiri-chan, what's wrong?"
One of Naruto's clones were running over, their friends looking back to see what was going on. She managed to become coherent when he reached her.
"Buried… sand…" She managed, lifting a hand to point at Gaara, and began to take steady breaths.
"Wha- oh!" Naruto laughed, the clone dispersing, and the real Naruto yelled. "Gaara has to bury the last one in, dattebayo!"
Gaara frowned as everyone sprinted to the water. "Baka."
Only a little ahead of Choji, Shikamaru was unexpectedly tripped by Temari, and Gaara's sand began to advance on him. "What a pain…"
"Shikamaru's last! Ha! The Lazy-Ass got owned by a girl!" Kiritsu yelled, too far out in the water for his shadow-technique to reach her.
"I'll pay you back later Shikamaru!" Temari laughed, and Shikamaru thanked Kami that his face was covered before she could see her expression.
After noticing Hinata wasn't stepping any further than a few inches into the water, Naruto ran up to her side and took her hand, causing her to blush.
"Come on Hinata-chan, it's fine!" He smiled, pulling her hands foreword, and she fell foreword. "You'll love it, dattebayo-"
They fell into the water, Naruto on his back and Hinata on Naruto, both yelping in surprise. The loud splash alerted everyone to the accident. Resurfacing, they coughed up water.
"S-S-Sorry N-Naruto-kun…" She was beet red, stuttering from embarrassment rather than cold.
He smiled and ruffled his hair, helping her up. "It's cool. That was a lot of fun dattebayo!"
She was blushing too much to speak while he did all the talking, the two playing in the shallow water. Choji and Ino began to dig Shikamaru out, plotting to use this as blackmail. Lee, TenTen, and Neji were playing some kind of ball-game* with Kankuro, Kiba, and Sakura that the Siblings had been taught by the locals years back. Shino was under an umbrella, wearing (after much convincing) a long-sleeved t-shirt, talking to Temari. They were discussing how to make a large sand castle with Gaara's help, and were considering what would be the most persuasive and convincing argument.
Kiritsu was showing off some water-type moves she'd seen Mist-ninjas perform during the Jonin Exams, rising up on a pillar of seawater and laughing at the shock on Sasuke's face. Returning to the sand-level, she ran into the boathouse nearby, bringing out a long, wood, oval-shaped slab. The ballplayers stopped their game when Kankuro caught the ball and held it ransom.
"Who wants to ride the waves?" Kiritsu yelled, waving her board.*
Kankuro dropped the ball and ran over, grabbing his own board, diving into the water on it. "I'll show you how it's done!"
She smirked and copied him. "Not if I do first!"
"Hey!"
Splashing a lot at each other, the others watched with different levels of confusion. Only Temari and Gaara seemed to know what was going on, and the pair retreated from the shoreline, a wave approaching the two in the water.
"What are they doing?" Kiba asked, walking over to Ino, who was unsuccessfully trying to re-apply her sunscreen and helping her.
"The locals call it…" Gaara paused. "Wave-riding…"
"But how..?" Naruto's question died off when he saw Kiritsu, on her board of wood, 'sledding' on the wave. "That's awesome!" Teach me, I'll be great at it, dattebayo!"
Kiritsu rode the wave in the rest of the way, sliding off next to him and standing, holding out the board. "Try it."
"Cool!" He grabbed it and ran out into the water.
'Three… two…' She tapped her fingers on her crossed arms, smiling when he came running back. "What's wrong Naruto?"
He blushed and tossed the board between his hands. "Uh…" He seemed to shrink. "I don't know how…."
Grabbing another board, she waved her hand. "Sasuke, could you come over here? I think you'll make a great assistant. Please?"
He groaned and walked over. Since he was still fully clothed, a few wondered if she was going to make him take off his shirt or if he was going into the water with his shirt still on. Slyly, she slid her bloody thumb over a hidden seal on her arm, and pulled out a kunai.* Before he could react to the 'threat', she slashed his shirt down his front, and it fell from his shoulders and onto the ground. He gave her a very dark look when several of his friends laughed.
"Who wins?" She whispered, smirking and handing him a board. "Now, you need to get into the water…"
Everyone watched as she took Naruto and Sasuke though the steps, amused and interested as they showed off their 'wave-riding' training the rest of the afternoon.
That night, in the steamy shower room*, Kiritsu was wringing out her hair. Leaning over the privacy wall, she stood on her toes to try to see… which was nearly impossible with her bangs in her eyes.
"Ino, could you hand me the soap and scrubby please?" She asked, bangs in her eyes, holding out her hands and looking helpless yet cute.
"Aw, sure cutie." She handed her the requested items, using a towel to dry herself off. "Anything for the girl that cam boss the guys around… and take off Sasuke's shirt without him trying to kill her…"
She smiled. "Thanks."
TenTen, who was working shampoo through her wavy tresses for the third time, growled. "No one told me sand gets stuck in certain places and refuses to come out!"
"I know the answer to part of your problem." Since her hair was still in her eyes, she frowned and pointed. "On that wall is a blue shampoo bottle. The stuff smells like shit, but if you use regular conditioner afterwards, the smell should work it's way out."
Sakura tossed TenTen the bottle, plugging her nose when she caught it and opened it.
"You sure?" She gagged.
"Positive. Look at all this, and I live in a freakin sandbox." She lifted up her hair in emphasis.
Skepticism vanishing, TenTen began to lather her hair, and Kiritsu bit her lip.
"I should help you when you rinse it out… it gets really foamy and sometimes doesn't all come out at once…"
"Thanks Kiritsu-chan." She said, and Kiritsu worked her way over.
Meanwhile, outside the door, Gaara's eyes were wide (his hands busy trying to hide his nose). Kankuro was simply smirking in a slightly perverted way.*
"Told you it was a good idea to try this, after Temari was done of course…" He said, adding the comment about their sister like an afterthought. "I told you we'd hear interesting things."
When Gaara glared at him and tried to answer, he began to choke on the blood from his nosebleed. "I'm never listening to a 'good idea' from you again…"
A round of giggles caused the blood to begin flowing again.
"Fair enough." He shrugged, and accidentally leaned too hard on the room's paper door…
Falling through it…
Into a bathroom of now-angry kunoichi.
"Kankuro!" Kiritsu yelled, and turning to sand, Gaara fled.
"What happened to you?" Naruto asked, looking through their cracked bedroom door. "You look like somebody broke your nose and healed it after you bled out, dattebayo."
Sasuke, Kiba, and Choji paused their playing the kids version of the card game the ANBU were playing in the boat's storage area (and were still playing in the attic of the house they were in, but the boys were using chips as betting money). Shino and Shikamaru were playing shogi at the small table in the room, and looked up from their game in curiosity.
Gaara turned slightly pink and opened his mouth to answer when Kankuro ran around the corner down the hallway, heading towards the kitchen and dining area. A few seconds later, Kiritsu, Ino, Sakura, and TenTen (all wearing just towels) appeared, chasing him and screaming every form of insult they knew.
"Ooooh." Naruto got a mischievous look on his face and pulled Gaara into the room, closing the door behind them. "You and Kankuro were peeking in on the girls and only he got caught.
"No…" He frowned and cleared his throat, knowing the others were listening in. "…we were just listening at the door… and the baka lost his balance and fell through the door."
"Then how come you got a…" His confusion changed to laughter.
Even Sasuke and Shino at least snorted when the others understood.
"What were they saying?" Sasuke managed, smirking.
Eyebrows blushed when Gaara full-on blushed for a moment before clearing his throat again. "They said… they would help…"
He couldn't manage his composure and deflated, sitting on his bed, putting his head in his hands. "They said they would… helpeachotherwash."
Choji began to choke on his chips, and the other boys turned slightly pink. Shikamaru recovered first and helped his friend out.
Coughing, Shino got up and walked towards the exit. "I think that spider has tangled himself in his own web. I shall go assist him out of it."
Once he was gone, Naruto cocked an eyebrow. "What's his problem? Can't take that kind of thing and still manage to act weird or something?"
"No…" Kiba got an annoyed look on his face. "He's just not into 'that kind of thing'- because he's not interested in any of them. His interest is a girl waaaay different."
A few owl-eyed expressions ended up greeting Neji and Lee when they entered in from the dressing room. After a quick look around the occupants of the room, Neji sighed.
"I don't-"
Lee chose to interrupt his teammate. "I apologies for interrupting Neji, but…" He looked closely at his friends. "What are you discussing? It seems to have bothered many of-"
"Kiba told us that Shino's crush isn't on the island." Shikamaru said, yawning. "So we're all wondering who Kiba knows that Shino knows outside of ninja work, and there's not a long list."
Kiba slightly shrunk into the corner of the room, avoiding their gazes, and whispered. "… Nosy Rose…"
The silence was deafening, only Gaara and Naruto not understanding the meaning of his words, but only the latter caring enough to express it.
"Who?"
A round of groans.
By the next day, the peeking incident seemed all-but forgotten (it was assumed Shino had something to do with it, but neither the Bugs Master or the Puppets Master said anything about the incident). Even though the identity of said Bug-Master's apparent crush was fresh on the minds of the boys.
Kiritsu was currently heading inside to get icicle snacks* for everyone. TenTen and Kankuro'd been sent in earlier, but they had yet to return. They'd cut their losses and sent her instead, making comments about why they should have sent her instead of the couple in the first place.
Shaking her head in amusement at the crude joke Kiba'd made earlier, she walked into the kitchen, not noticing that there was anyone else in the area…
Until her eyes nearly popped out of her head from the sight of Kankuro and TenTen nearly eating each other's faces off, her bikini top on the floor between the pair.
"Oh my freaking gourd on a stick!" She covered her eyes with her hands, blushing. "You were supposed to be getting icicles, not making her melt!"
Both red, Kankuro pushed TenTen behind him to hide her from view, picking up her top and handing it to her. "We got a little distracted… and you shouldn't be talking like that!"
Eyes firmly closed, she walked up to the freezer, opened it up and felt around with her hands, and pulled out two boxes of the frozen treat.
She blessed whoever was watching over her for being able to operate blind. "I grew up with you, didn't I Niichan?"
Once outside, she re-opened her eyes and walked over to the group, handing out the flavored sickles.
"At least you're reliable enough to get us snacks." Gaara said, taking a red one as she sat next to him on the driftwood bench. "By the way… did you discover why TenTen and Kankuro took so long?"
Kiritsu turned slightly red and reconsidered choking herself with the icicle. "T-Trust me… you don't want to know."
Temari laughed at the other's faces. "What was the girl 'lacking'?"
Kiritsu turned red, and whispered, "Her top…"
The older girl was still laughing between slightly suggestive licks on her icicle in Shikamaru's direction (teasingly, of course) when the couple walked outside.
"Hey little bro, did you get tired of fooling around with your puppets and wanted to try with the real thing?"
The pair went red, and an angry puppet master began to chase his older sister around the beach, to the amusement of their audience.
The next night, an awful storm hit the island, so the teens were hanging around the 'game room' until it blew over.
Sasuke, who was rather uncomfortable knowing that ANBU were watching everything going on about him (Kankuro and TenTen were getting unnecessarily cozy on the couch near him, to Shikamaru's displeasure Kiba was trying to hustle* Temari at pool and failing miserably, Naruto and Neji were having a deeply involved conversation about honor and the traditions of the Hyuuga clan with Hinata making comments once and awhile, Ino was doing Kiritsu's hair while they chatted about something random… you get the picture), decided to go to the kitchen and refill his punch.
Closing the refrigerator door, he put his cup down with a sigh and began to fill it. "Sakura, I can sense your presence here even with these things on… come out."
She stepped into view, looking to the floor. "What did I do wrong to mask my chakra this time?"
He smirked a little and handed her the jug of punch. She accepted it. "Nothing, it was almost perfect… it was either your body wash or shampoo smell that gave you away."
"…Oh…" She felt like slapping herself, and Inner Sakura agreed. 'What a smooth move Forehead!'
"It's progress, at least you can hold your own against the average Chuunin now." He internally winced as he remembered the crunching noise her opponent had made during the face-off of the final round. She'd been only a few months under Tsunade's training, and it showed well.
"Right…" She brushed her hair behind her ear. "Um… Sasuke-kun… I was wondering…"
His mood sank to somewhere just below his feet in an instant. "Sakura."
Startled by his tone, she paused. "What is it Sasuke-kun?"
"I left you and all the others because I truly wanted to." Leaning with the counter to his back, he used a hand to push his hair back, sighing. "I wanted to leave you all and never look back. I didn't care if you lived or died fighting for me…"
She winced, and tried to speak. He held up a hand, and she was silenced.
"But I still showed kindness. Something told me not to leave you on the ground, so I carried you over to the bench and gently set you on it… one of my last kind acts that night." He frowned. "I didn't know why then, but I know now. It wasn't just for you- I knew he'd be even angrier if he found out… He may have always said he loved you then- which is clearly not that kind of love, or he wouldn't be dating Hinata right now- but I was the one he was closer to."
"It would be an even greater betrayal if I hadn't respected a little piece of him when I left." He looked to the floor now, releasing his hair and letting it fall in his face. "But there was no feeling to it. I didn't respect you, or give you any standing other than teammate. I only needed you around long enough for me to move on to greater things, and even though I know that was a mistake now, I still have trouble dealing with your company."
"Sasuke-kun, we can work on that together…" She looked hopeful in his mind's eye, holding her hands in front of her like she was praying with that stupid smile of admiration. "We've both changed because of what you did… I've gotten to be a stronger kunoichi, and you've begun to hang around real people more and not focus on training all the time. It would take time, but-"
"Sakura… I appreciate the offer, I really do." He cut her off, voice light and honest. "But I'm never going to care for you like a brother the way Naruto does, or truly love you like Lee does. Move on. Torturing yourself because you'll never get what you want from me isn't good for you… be with someone that has always cared. Make yourself stronger on the inside that way."
"You're right… I should be as strong as I've become on the outside as I have on the inside." She bit her lip, tearing up at his words. "But… honestly, Lee?"
He smirked. "He really loves you- or are you blind and deaf? Just give that guy a try… you can learn something from each other, and maybe grow up."
"Gee, thanks Sasuke-kun." She wiped her eyes. "Are you pulling my leg here- about him being able to teach me something and the other way around?"
Shrugging, he took a swig of his punch. "Maybe you can or can't; Kiritsu can somehow do the things she can, and your Master Tsunade can turn mountains to dust if she's in the mood for it… my point is-"
"I get you point Sasuke-kun… maybe I'll try it."
"Good girl." He awkwardly tried to pat her on the head like Kakashi did and only ended up getting his hand swatted. 'I guess you need to be taller to pull that off…' "I'm not going to get the 'Naruto treatment' now, am I?"
"Maybe… if you do something to deserve it."
"Hn. Then that's a no." He smirked, and she smiled at him softly.
"Sasuke-kun…"
"What?"
"Um…" She began to slowly back towards the archway that lead into the game room. "I think the part of you will be a great boyfriend to a girl someday… just, not me apparently…"
He smoothed back his hair again, and groaned when he sensed a familiar presence. "What do you want? Your job is to be my babysitter, not listen in on private-"
"You brother was a lot kinder when he told me 'goodbye'." Shiru said, her eyes activated with an unfamiliar yet familiar Kekkei Genkai pattern. "But you did good Crybaby*, there's hope in your emotionless shell yet."
His eyes widened. "Roo*?"
"Dang, did the eyes give me away?" She shook her head, and prepared to melt into the shadows again. "Well, goodnight-"
"What do you mean 'say goodbye'?" He demanded. "And where have you been these last five years?"
'Really kid?' She frowned. "What happened that night shall stay buried in the recesses of our pooled memories. I wish I could have been with you, but I was… ill… after the massacre and was back on duty before I could gain partial guardianship over you. I never had a free day until the Sandaime's death and my assignment to watch over you."
"Tell me what he did to you!" He was angry now, and she prepared her getaway as he began to walk towards her. "He -you- were the closest friends I've ever seen, and that's even in comparison to the married people I've seen… if he hurt you…"
She disappeared from his eyes, and he hit the wall, anger swelling inside.
"Hey Sasuke, are you okay?" Naruto asked, walking in and eyeing how rigidly against the wall he was positioned. "Sakura-chan said that you might want to see me dattebayo."
'Don't be angry now… you have friends that will fight with you… you're not alone…' He internally chanted, and relaxed a little at the familiar speech pattern that usually got on his nerves, smirking at his friend. "Baka, why would I want to talk to you?"
He beamed. "Now that's the moody Sasuke I know! Let's get back to the fun- it's going to be dark soon and the TV says that the storm isn't letting up until sometime tomorrow dattebayo."
Groaning, the dark-haired boy followed him out. "… Great…"
Meanwhile, above them, Shiru was looking out the window and into the storm. Her knees were pulled to her chest, a tanto with the kanji 'Itachi' in her hands. *
"I, Uchiha Itachi, wish that you promise me one last thing before I leave forever."
"To protect my brother. The Elders and Danzo will be keeping a close watch on him, and I need someone to make sure that no one touches him. You're the only one I trust with this job."
"Silly Shi-chan…"
Kaori walked up beside her and sighed. "Hon, why did you have to say those things to the kid? I mean, I was shocked when you told me what happened off-record when the Sandy-man died, but-"
"Cut it Kaori… I'm exhausted tonight."
"Yeah… memories have a tenancy to do that." She slid to her knees next to her, crossing her legs beneath her, grey-brown eyes on the younger girl. "You know what you need?"
She gave her friend a dirty look. "No. What could I need?"
"Girl time. I'm getting Miss Depressed Pants and we're all having chocolate and lots of alcohol."* She winked. "I think the boys can handle themselves for the night, and I've embarrassed Tenzo enough for one night."
"Tyrant." She muttered, poking her in the middle of her forehead, finger getting shocked by the green diamond there.
"That's my mother and bosses' job first." She stood and walked off.
A/N
* This is what the house looks like, floor plan-wise (You may want to leave the page open during the whole chapter to visualize the scenes): http : / ofthenewmoon . Deviantart . Com / gallery / 30888384 / d3l49jn
* This game is a mix between beach volleyball and basketball… So volleyball where you can use your whole body, and do anything to get the ball into the scoring areas at either end of the 'court'.
* I have put surfing in the story for this part. Oh dear XD
* I'm pretty sure in the manga there were people that had seals on their bodies for kunai in Shippuden… Sasuke being one of the examples
* I wonder where this is going. _ (looks this way) … _ (looks the other way) … *Shrugs*
* This isn't going to end well…
* Just think popsicles when it says 'sickles' or 'icicles'
* Hustle- I think it can be used as the term that people call tricking someone into playing a type of game involving betting and coming off as a poor player but winning all the money at the end.
* Shiru's nickname for Sasuke when her and Itachi would try to play together alone and he'd be forced out. He'd cry, and she would call him this before comforting him
* Sasuke could not pronounce her name as a kid.
* Shiru has Itachi's ANBU tanto. I wonder why? The next lines in italics are memories…
* Because that's what Kaori grew up with as 'girl time'. *snorts* I'm surprised her parenthood isn't obvious.