WD: Hey people who read this story! I'm very happy to give the few of you who like this story an update! :D Thanks for your support. Also, I want to appologise for being so late with this. Busy busy busy. *Sigh*. Ah well, here is Chapter 4. Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does. If I owned Naruto...I could buy Photoshop...too bad I can't. *Sigh* All original character(s) and themes belong to me.
Chapter 4
Well it's been a week since I've met Naruto's team. Two weeks left. If I haven't moved by then, I'll let him get close to me. That's the deal I made with myself. The problem with that is that I think he's already starting to get to me. I growled as I walked to the ramen shop. No, it's probably just my imagination. He's too annoying to have gotten to me. I'll just concentrate on my work. I'll be seeing the annoying orange boy later anyway. No point in wasting time thinking about him now.
Well, it's later. Actually, I'm going home now. The ramen shop is closed for the day. Naruto didn't show up at all today. Maybe he gave up? Maybe I said something that he didn't like? Anyway, I guess it doesn't matter. If he doesn't want to be my friend, good. If he shows up tomorrow, well, then that's normal. I sighed. He probably will be there to annoy me tomorrow.
Where is he? It's been three days and Naruto still hasn't shown up. Other customers come and go, but…
"Kari, are you ok?" Ayame asked.
"Yeah, why do you ask?" I returned. I had been leaning on the counter, but looked up as she spoke.
"You seem kind of…well to put it bluntly, you look depressed," she stated.
"Nothing new there," I replied, waving my hand dismissively and replacing my head on the counter. She sighed.
"Ok, but if you need to talk, just let me know ok?" I grunted an acknowledgment, but didn't move from my spot. To be truthful, I kind of feel depressed, not that there's anything odd about that, but my normal reasons for being depressed are not present. For one, we aren't moving. Not yet, anyway. There hasn't even been talk of moving. And secondly…well I really only have one reason to be depressed, actually. I sighed and turned my head the other way. Why would I be depressed now?
Another day came and went, and I am now at the ramen shop on the fifth day of Naruto's absence. I have come to a few conclusions. The First: Naruto isn't around. The Second: In conclusion to the first, Naruto is either mad at me and doesn't want to see me, or just doesn't want to see me. The Third: The second conclusion bugs me, even if I don't really want to admit it. The Fourth: also in conclusion to the first, I miss him. I realized last night that that was my reason for being depressed. I miss that loud, obnoxious, dimwitted, sunny, happy, beautiful, orange boy. I sighed. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. It's around lunchtime now, so things should start picking up a little. Most people come here for supper though.
"I'm baaaaaacck!!" a voice called in. Either I missed him so much that I was starting to hallucinate, or Naruto just walked in. I stared at him.
"Kari!!! How I missed you!!" he exclaimed dramatically. I was too in shock to react.
"Hey Naruto!" Ayame greeted. Teuchi called a greeting from the back also.
"I'd like lots and lots of chicken ramen please!" he stated. Teuchi chuckled from the back and got to work.
"You're unusually quiet Kari, or maybe you were always like that…" Naruto stated, drifting off at the end as if trying to remember. I sighed. So, maybe he wasn't deliberately staying away from me, which scratched out the second conclusion.
"Did you miss me?" Naruto asked. I was silent, still not really knowing what to say. That left Ayame to interfere.
"Yeah, she did. It was so obvious," she stated, giggling to herself as I gave her death threatening glares.
"Really?! That's great!" Naruto exclaimed. Of course. Anything that gets me to open up or get closer to him will be 'great'. I sighed angrily and sat down away from him.
(Change of POV)
"What's wrong with her?" Naruto whispered to Ayame.
"Missing you is probably a new thing for her. She probably doesn't want to admit it either," Ayame replied, just as quietly. Naruto nodded and looked at the girl. He saw a loneliness in her eyes that was familiar to him and he wanted to fix it. He got up from his seat and walked around the counter towards her.
(Back to Kari)
…I mean honestly! He leaves for four, almost five days, and then he just shows up like nothing happened?! What the hell!! Psht! If he thinks I'm talking to him-
"I'm very sorry." I stiffened. Not because of the soft tone of voice I've never heard Naruto use before, but because of the arms I felt wrap around me. I could feel my eyes widen. All previous thoughts of his absence, gone.
"Wh-what for? I mean, it's not like eating ramen everyday is healthy anyway. And besides that-"
"I was away on a mission, if you were wondering," he stated. …Well I feel really stupid now, which is really new for me. I can feel my face heat up in embarrassment. Duh! He's a ninja. They get long missions sometimes.
"Ah, well, that certainly explains it," I reply, trying to appear unaffected by this news. I heard a soft chuckle behind me.
"What, did you think I was avoiding you?" he asked. You know, he's very perceptive. Not that I'm going to admit that, or anything. Just stay quiet…
"You think I would give up that quickly? No way! We're friends whether you like it or not!" And he's back to being loud. Just great.
"Go sit down," I tell him. My voice sounds odd, even to me. There's a sound there that sounds vaguely familiar… Suddenly I'm faced with sapphire eyes filled with concern.
"Why are you crying?" he asks, sounding mildly horrified. Crying? Me? What's he blabbering on about now? I think I would know if I was crying, and believe me, I don't cry.
"What are you talking about? I'm not crying," I state. There's that weird sound again. I'm sure I've heard that intonation before… I feel fingers brush my cheek softly.
"Yes you are," he whispers. He brings his fingers back. There, on his index finger, is a tear. Did that come from my face? Surely not. I haven't cried since I was…well, a long time ago. Nonetheless, I wiped furiously at me eyes.
"That's weird, I don't know what there is to cry about," I replied. Ah, the sound must be quivering; a phenomenon that only occurs in the voice when one is crying or afraid. I'm not afraid of him, although that orange is a little bright, so it must be the previous. Why should I cry? What's up with that?
"Order up!" Ayame called. Oh! Hurrah! A distraction. I walk back and grab the ramen and place it on the counter.
"There's your food," I tell him. He stares at me, disregarding my words and, hell must be cold, the ramen. My eyebrows crease a fraction. Did he even hear me? Maybe he's daydreaming…but he's a ninja, I don't think they're allowed to daydream.
"Naruto, it's going to get cold if you just sit there gawking at me. I'm not particularly interesting in the first place, so eat," I tell him. That seemed to snap him out of his stupor momentarily, and he turned to eat.
While he ate, it gave me time to think. Why would I suddenly cry like that? I wasn't sad, that's certain. Happy? No, I was…content knowing that he's back, but I'm not that happy. What else could it be? It took several moments for me to realize that I was relieved. I was relieved that he came back. It will be the same again. I hadn't realized how routine it was for Naruto to just be there in my day. Huh. Weird. Has he already broken through my steel wall around my heart? This quickly? Is that even possible? If so…what's two weeks? Could I…
"Naruto?" He looked up at me, ultimately surprised, as it was the first time I've ever addressed him first. Maybe this isn't a good idea…oh well, too late to turn back now.
"I was…wondering, mind you don't get too excited alright, well, you'll really have to show me, I've been a very solitary figure most of my life…"
"Kari, just spit it out. You're, what is it, "beating around the bush"," he interjected. Ah, he's right. This is harder than I thought.
"How…does being…" I paused, "friends," I strained the word, "work exactly?" I had trailed of profusely by the end, although it didn't matter. I swear he could light up midnight with that smile of his.
"You mean it?!!?!" he exclaimed, standing up. I shifted uncomfortably.
"Just you. I don't really feel comfortable about more people," I stated quickly. He suddenly grew serious, which should have scared me, probably a little, but only made my heart skip a beat.
"Why should I have to share you with anybody anyway?" he asked. A question which I not only didn't have the answer to, but couldn't have found a way to answer had I had an answer. I was too tongue-tied.
"When I'm not busy with a mission, we'll hang out, sound good?" he asked again, suddenly his sunny and loud self again.
"I do work you know. This place is my work, I'm only free on Saturdays and Thursdays," I replied. He nodded.
"That's ok; we see each other more then. I come here a lot."
"I noticed." He laughed, which, unconsciously, caused a small smile to break through the ice of my visage. He pulled out money and gave it to me, all with a huge grin.
"I'll see you tomorrow Kari."
"That's if you're here," I replied without thinking. Shit, now he knows I missed him for sure…but I guess…since we're friends it's ok? He gave me a kind look.
"I will be here tomorrow for sure, believe it." With that he began to leave.
"I do," I muttered quietly, not intending for him to hear, but he did. Oh well, don't let it bother you. Don't let it bother you.
"Good. Oh! You smiled again today! I want to see you smile tomorrow too, got that!?" he exclaimed as he walked off. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, but couldn't help but smile.
"Whatever."