Ninjas In The Pride

by Happyritas

"Your name is Diata Amari Efe Ekene Chimaka Berta Jaheem. Now, look around you, Diata. Do you see the stars in the shining in the sky? Behold, the only thing that is greater than you!" ... Names hold power. That is what Diata was taught from the moment she was born. Diata was prideful in her name, because of this. So prideful, that it might be the cause of her downfall.

4. chapter four

Chapter Four:

"Eh!?" Naruto practically screeched, standing at the door with his hands on his hips. A frown danced his thin lips and a blonde eyebrow rose on his head. "What do you mean I'm getting a roommate, dattebayo?"

"I mean, you have a new roommate," the Hokage answered. Motioning to Diata, who had been silently standing beside him. She gave the boy a small wave of her fingers. She had been redressed with a yellow tee-shirt and a black shorts. She was also given a ninja pouch, like her Asuka and the others had, filled with sharp objects and wires and 'special papers'.

"Why am I getting roomed with a girl?!" He demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. Diata exhaled, a bit annoyed at his sexism, but remembered how she was reminded that he was bit much to get used to. So, she gave him her best smile, remembering to keep her ears down. Unfortunately for her, she forgot that her mouth was filled with sharp, carnivorous fangs.

Naruto's eyes widened, and she saw this, and stopped, vaguely wondering if she did something wrong. "You have fangs!? That's so cool, dattebayo!" He shouts eagerly. Diata tried not to flinch at the noise, seeing as he was unnecessarily loud, but kept her ears down.

"I must return to work, so please show her around, make her feel at home," the Hokage said, and then he poofed away.

Naruto looked at Diata, who gave a closed smile at him. "Come on inside, I have ramen!" He said, waving the girl in.

She scrunched up her eyebrows, "What is ramen?" The boy's eyes widened to saucers at this statement.

"You don't know what ramen is, dattebayo!?"

"I do not believe I have been able to try it yet," she answered, stepping inside his home. She paused at the front door, seeing how he took off his shoes at the door, and she did the same. She didn't like those things anyway, they felt weird and she would rather feel the earth than wear those weird... Foot traps.

She walked into the kitchen, surprised to find it rather clean still. Although there had been a few dishes left over in the sink, it didn't look exactly like a disaster had ran through it like last night. "This very clean," she nodded. "Are you always this clean?"

The boy scratched the back of his head, and grinned with his eyes closed, "Ha-ha, yeah! Of course! I'm always cleaning up, dattebayo!"

She scoffed at his little lie, thumbing his forehead with her finger, "Oh really?"

The boy began to sweat nervously under her gaze, "Y–Yeah, of course!" He turned away, his cheeks turning an odd red. "Uh, your room is over here, dattebayo," he pointed to the room down the short hall, she hadn't noticed the room when she came earlier, and the door had been closed, so she didn't touch it.

When he opened the door, the dust in the air filled her nose and lungs, making her cough, rubbing her sensitive feature. "Sorry," Naruto apologized, "Haven't been in here in forever."

"It fine," Diata replied, looking around the rather spacious room. It wasn't a big as Naruto's but it was fine. It had a small dresser for whatever clothing she would acquire at... Some point. There was also a bed, the same size as Naruto's in his room, and a small mirror hanging on the wall. Not to mention a window right over the bed, revealing the room to the rest of the city.

"Uh..." Diata turned to him. He was scratching his neck again. He was... Nervous? Why? "What's your name? I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"

"I am called Diata Amari Efe Ekene Chimaka Berta Jaheem," she answered. Naruto blinked at her, very lost.

"U... Uhm—"

"You may call me Diata," she replied, and the boy nodded.

"Diata-chan," he said, testing the name on his tongue.

She cocked her head to the side, "'Diata... 'Chan'?"

He nodded, "It's an honorific."

"What is that?"

"I... Uhm..." He frowned, "It's just something we say, I guess. I don't really know how to explain it." He paused for a second, "Hey, why do you talk like that, dattebayo?"

"Talk like what?"

"Like... This," he answered, stressing his tone to mimic her thick accent.

"That is just my accent," she replied with a small laugh. "Why do you talk like you do?" She asked, turning the question on him.

"That's my accent, dattebayo!" He replied, in a teasing way. They both laughed making fun of the way each other talked.

They somehow ended back at the front door, still talking, and a low growling sound rang from Naruto's stomach. He laughed, scratching the back of his head, "I'm hungry, hehe."

"Why don't we go eat ramen?" Diata suggested, he had explained what the food was earlier and she was curious enough to try it.

"That's a great idea, dattebayo!" He beamed, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the front door. He slipped on his shoes and she did hers, and tightened the green goggles on his head. "Let's go!"

After walking down the fairly empty street, Naruto and Diata finally made it to a rather large crowd of people, walking up and down the Main Street. People passed from vendor to vendor, talking to their friends, or lugging around a bag of food. There even was a few kids, running around! Some played with a few rubber toys, and others drew. A small boy ran past her, making her jump slightly, her eyes widening slightly.

"Ah, sorry lady!" He apologized, but ran to his friends anyway.

Diata didn't know how to react. She had never seen this much people concentrated in one area. Sure, her people had big ceremonies and parties every now and then, but this was much different, and it wasn't a party! This was nothing compared to what she saw last night!

She felt her hand that was holding Naruto's constrict and her breathing begin to labour slightly as she wondered what to do. She was going to protect Naruto, she made that her first mission as a training warrior, but from this many people!? Could she really do it...?

"Itai!" Naruto cried in pain, and she immediately let go of his hand, looking away.

"So... Sorry," she murmured, rubbing her arm. Her ears began to slightly ache from being down for so long, but she ignored it. "I have... Never seen this many people before..."

"It's okay," he assured, grinning. "I know where Ichiraku is! We won't get lost, dattebayo!"

Diata gave him a strained smile, "That... Was not what I was—" and then they were running again.

Naruto held her hand as the two weaved through the crowd, carelessly bumping into several people whilst doing so. Diata had given them an apologetic smile before he dragged her away again.

Soon, they found themselves in front of a shop. The scent of spices, meats, and other unknown foods was heavy in the air, making Diata's ears shoot up instinctively, but she quickly hid then again, moving her short, choppy hair to cover it as well. "Hello, Tenchi-san!" Naruto greeted, sliding into the seat, beaming.

"Ah, Naruto-san! My favorite customer," he grinned. Diata looked at the pot on the stove behind him, with slight interest. "And who's your lady friend?" He mused, making the girl turn to him, raising a confused eyebrow.

Naruto flushed, "A–Ah, she's my new roommate, dattebayo!"

Tenchi grinned, "You've already moved in with her, eh?"

Naruto's face turned the color of the rare blood red moon, and he covered his whiskered face with his hands. "I–I guess, uhm, I—" he stammered, making the grown man chuckle.

"Well, any friend of Naruto is a friend of mine! Your first bowl is on the house!" Diata nodded, "What kind would you like, little lady?"

"What kind of what?" She asked.

"Ramen!" He beamed and began to chart off all the ramen that they sold at the shop.

Diata blinked, confused at the wide array of the same kind of food. "Just give her Miso," Naruto said, nudging the girl's shoulder. "It's the best, dattebayo!"

Diata nodded, watching as the man tossed pastas and seasonings into a boiling pot. "Where are you from, Diata-chan?" Naruto asked, leaning on his hand to look at her.

"I am from Land of Lightning," Diata answered. "That also where my people's village is as well."

"Oh! That's a long way from here," Naruto commented. "What do you mean by people, dattebayo?"

"My family; my Iya and Baba and all of my cousins and friends. They are all there, in my village."

"Why aren't you?"

Diata went silent for a few seconds, her mind going back to when she was taken; when she saved her friend, her best friend, for the price of her own. Sometimes, when she was in that small cell, she would wonder if all the torture she was going through was worth Akinyemi's life. Why did she let herself get taken so her friend could live? She never answered these questions... They always brought too much pain. Too much heartache.

"Ehh? Diata-chan!" Naruto waved his hand in her face, "You didn't answer my question, dattebayo!"

"Ah, sorry Naruto," Diata apologized, sitting up straighter in her seat. "I... Was brought here."

"How?"

"It is quite the long story," she gave him a forced smile. "And if I explained it, you would not be able to eat."

Naruto blinked as Tenchi slid a bowl in front of him and Diata with a big smile. "Here you go, Naruto-san and his pretty little friend!"

The scent freshly made ramen filled the air, making both of their mouths water. Naruto grabbed two of the long chopsticks, and handed one to Diata. "Itadakimasu!" Naruto grinned, digging into his food.

"Thank you for the food, sir," Diata said, not bothering to ask what Naruto had said, meant. She frowned not being able to use the sticks as well as Naruto was, but luckily Tenchi noticed, and switched it out with a fork.

Diata gave him a thankful smile as Naruto asked for another bowl. He began to talk to her about how much he loved ramen, and she listened silently, slurping on her noodles as she did so. Soon, it had gotten rather dark, the last rays of light of the day filtering through the clothes over the door. Naruto and Diata had gone through nearly twenty bowls of ramen, but it was mainly Naruto's bowls, though.

Diata had paid with the help of Naruto, using the cash that the Hokage had given her, and then the two went back out.

They walked through the city, Naruto showing Diata all the places that he enjoyed, which included the park, the academy, the river running through Training Ground 15, and et cetera. Before they knew it, it had been late into the night, and the two were heading home.

"Naruto..." Diata called, making the boy turn to her, giving his attention. "Where are you from?"

"Hmm? I'm from here, dattebayo. Konoha!"

"No, I mean where are your parents from? Are they from Konoha too?" Naruto stopped, and then Diata does as well. The slight breeze made her rub her arms chilly, but she frowned, wondering why he had stopped.

"I... Don't have parents," he finally said, which made Diata's frown grow. "I've been alone all my life. But it's okay, I have Gramps, that's what I call the Hokage, 'cause he's as old as a grandpa. And then there Tenchi, who's really cool, dattebayo! He gives me free food when I don't have money. Ooo! And Iruka-sensei, although he hits me on the head when I'm not paying attention in his boring class." He laughed, chuckling to himself a bit.

Diata blinked at him, "You... You do not remember your Iya and Baba at all...?"

"Hm? What's that?"

Diata blinked, confused and concerned for a second, but then realized her mistake. "Well, I suppose your people would say 'Mother' and 'Father'."

"Nah," he shrugged. "I never had them before, why should I need 'em now?"

Diata blinked again, slightly bewildered by his odd logic, but in a strange way, it did make sense. He has survived by himself until now, so why would he need Obi(parents) now?

"Do you speak another language or somethin', dattebayo?" Naruto asked as the two neared the apartment. "Why do you say 'Iya' and 'Baba' and all that other stuff you say?"

Diata smiled, "Yes. Japanese is not my first language."

"What's your first language?"

"Jaheemian," Diata answered.

"OOO! Say something in Jaheemian, dattebayo!"

"What would you like me to say?" Diata asked.

He frowned, scrunching his face up to think. "Eto(um)... How about 'Naruto is the best shinobi in the world'?"

Diata giggled, "'Naruto ni o dara ju ninja ninu aye'."

Naruto grinned, very amused, giving her more words to translate into her language, and Diata gladly accepted, making loud laughter ring out from the duo as they walked back home.

For dinner, Diata made a stew from a few of the ramen she found in the cabinets, and a few spices. She had also caught a small squirrel as soon as they got home, and had easily skinned it, putting it into the stew as well.

Naruto really enjoyed it, having several bowls of the food, as did she. After she finished cleaning up the dishes they used, — they had eaten all of the food — they went to bed.

While in the comfort and security of her room, Diata let her ears back up. They had been aching all day, and felt like they were going to fall off! She wondered if she would really be able to keep it up.

She frowned to herself, going to the bag of clothing that Asuka and Kurenai bought for her. There had been many shirts and pants and skirts, and even a few dresses, but nothing that she could use to help her ears.

Diata's frown deepened, thinking of something she could do. She glanced at one of the old raggedy gray clothes that Orochimaru made her wear, and suddenly, it clicked! Diata grabbed the old shirt and quickly went to the other room for a pair of scissors, swiftly cutting the fabric into large strips. Then she went back to her room, and carefully tied it over her ears, making them fall down, pain sparking in them.

Finally, she took the scissors, and cut slits in the top and slipped her lioness ears through them. She smiled broadly to herself, now everyone will think it is just a headband or something when they see it!

Smiling once more at her handiwork, Diata went to go properly straighten her room, dusting the dust away, straightening the bed, and sweeping the floor, until the room was practically sparkling. Then, she put her clothes in her drawers correctly, but leaving out the ones she would wear the next day, and went into the bed.

She curled up on the rather comfy mattress, closing her eyes and peacefully dozing off.

The next morning, Diata was nervous and rather excited. It was supposed to be her first day at the Ninja Academy, and she didn't know what to think; she had never gone to school before.

She let out a deep breath, after washing up and getting ready, she walked into the kitchen to see Naruto eating a bowl of cereal. She would have joined him, but she was already rather full from last night.

"Are you ready, Diata-chan?" Naruto grinned.

She smiled, "I am to be warrior, this one of my challenges I must pass." She answered bravely, but she really didn't feel as brave as she showed herself to be. She frowned a bit and turned to Naruto. "Naruto?"

"Mmhm?" His mouth was full of cereal.

"What are children in your village like?"

Naruto shrugged, "Most of them are mean to me, but I don't care dattebayo!" He grinned, looking up at her, but then frowned a bit. "Uhm... Why are there cat ears on your head, Diata-chan?"

She blinked, almost forgetting that they were there. "Oh, I bought them the other day!" She lied with a smile, "Do you like it?"

He nodded enthusiastically, "Uh-huh! They're cool, dattebayo!" He set his bowl in the sink, "C'mon, or else we'll be late!" He grabbed her hand and ran out the door, barely giving her enough time to close and lock it.

"Class, meet Diata-san," the teacher who introduced himself as Iruka-sensei announced. "How about you tell us something about yourself, Diata-san."

Diata, who had her eyes curiously watching the class, stepped up, suppressing any and all anxieties she had. "Hello, my name is Diata Amari Efe Ekene Chimaka Berta Jaheem and I will be joining you from this moment on."

The class of adolescents watched as she stood tall, her chin held high, her chest puffed out broadly. Her green eyes seemed to scan each and everyone one of them as she made small mental notes on them. Some stares lingered longer than others, but each one gave the message to the students:

I am a force to be reckoned.

She cleared her throat as she continued, her thick accent making it slightly hard to understand her. "I am not from Konoha. I am friends with Naruto. My favorite food is Banga soup."

Several hands shot up in the air, "Okay, okay, one at a time," Iruka-sensei said, pointing to a girl in the front. She had red hair, a few shades lighter than Kurenai's, and dark eyes.

"What is 'Banga soup'?" She asked curiously.

"It is soup, mainly made from fish, beef, spices, and palm fruit. It very delicious," Diata answered cheerfully.

Now, Iruka pointed to a boy with hair the color of grass. "Why's ya name so long?"

"It is customary in my tribe to have each of your closest relatives give their name to the child. Most of my relatives passed away before I was born, so I only have five."

Another girl was chosen. She had pink hair, the color of a beautiful sunrise, and green eyes a bit lighter than Diata's. "Where are you from?"

"The Land of Lightning. My people lived ways away from the Cloud People, but we were also very good friends with them."

"Okay, one more before we start class," Iruka announced, choosing a purple haired girl in the back with a big sweater on and pale, pupil-less eyes. Her eyes darted around the room shyly, not making contact with her. The way she pushed her fingers together and spoke with a small stutter, she reminded her of Ade.

"U... Uhm, what is that on your head...?" She asked.

"Lioness ears," Diata immediately answered. "I bought them yesterday." Diata smiled with herself, gently touching her soft ears, careful to not let them move.

"Okay, that's enough," Iruka-sensei said, quieting the class. "Diata-san, you can sit with Aimi-san. Aimi-san, raise your hand, please." A small hand went into the air, and connected to it was a girl with dark bluish-black hair, and brown eyes. Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes looked evil. They were narrowed and she looked angry, for some strange reason.

Diata easily made her way to the open seat beside the girl, who glared at her. "Why do I have to sit with you?" She hissed, and Diata rose a questioning eyebrow.

"Because Iruka said so," she responded, settling herself in the seat, pulling her books out.

"Turn to page 54," Iruka-sensei said to the class. "We will be reviewing the history of Shinobi."

The first part of school soon ended and lunch began. Sadly, in the morning rush, she forgot to grab her lunch. Naruto had offered her his, but she refused, knowing that he ate a lot, he needed his energy.

Instead, she spent her thirty minutes of freedom exploring the Academy. There were several classes still working, but others as empty as her own. The hallways had been silent, the only noise going through was her shoes patting against the wood flooring, and the occasional student/teacher passing her by.

Diata enjoyed the silence, and being left alone with her thoughts. As she walked, she daydreamed about her village, wondering what they would be doing around then.

Diata thought of the stream she and her friends used to wade in, trying to catch crawfish, usually with no avail. Or the trees they'd climb to see who'd be able to get up higher, and then fall and get hurt. A soft, nostalgic smile fell upon her lips. Diata missed her friends, they were like siblings to her, and held a special place in her heart. She promised herself that once she got back home, she'd spend time with them and playing like they did when they were younger.

Her body collided with another being, sending them both to the ground, "Oi! Watch it, idiot!" A angry feminine voice shouted, as the two looked at each other. It was Aimi from class, and she held an angry scowl on her face. "Oh, it's you."

Diata rose an eyebrow, annoyed at the girl's tone, but ignored it. How was she to be a warrior if she let whatever everyone said get under her skin? She took a deep breath and turned on her heel, walking the other direction, and towards her classroom.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going!?" The girl shouted, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. "I dunno about you, but in our country you say excuse me after shoving past someone!"

Diata rose an eyebrow at where the girl was holding her arm. "Where I am from, if you were to hold me as you are right now, I am allowed to cut hand off and feed you to the stray lions." This had, of course, been a lie, but the girl was getting quite annoying. It was bad enough that she kept jabbing her with her writing utensil in class, but harassing her outside of class was even worse.

The girl glared at her, "I don't believe you."

Diata glared even harder, "If you do not release me, I will show you." This statement rattled the girl, and she released her in disgust.

"Whatever! I don't wanna touch you anyway, freak!" The girl hissed, pushing past her, making the dark skinned girl stumble a bit.

Diata growled softly as the girl sashayed down the hall, and turning the corner. Diata continued her stroll down the halls, except her hands which used to carelessly swing by her sides, were balled into fists. She had not been in this strange land long, but she knew one thing for certain.

She did not like that girl.

Later, after they were dismissed, Naruto decided to go home, wanting to stir some mischief. He offered to have Diata join, but she politely turned him down. As much as she loved spending time with her new blonde haired friend, she wanted to take another walk and explore the village. Also, Asuka had secretly shown up to the Academy, and handed her the hunting license she requested from the Hokage.

She longed to explore their woods. The last time she did, she was marvelled by the new, and very different animals she found.

After waving and hugging her friend goodbye, she headed towards the thicket forest. After she was safely out of sight from the public eye, she morphed into her lioness form and ran head first into the woods.

Diata came back home with a large cloth bag of gutted fish from a pond she had found, beef she bought from a local stand, and crawfish ready for grounding. She had a blast catching nearly a pound of fish, but unfortunately got all of her clothes soaked in the process so she had to walk back to the apartment dripping... And smelling like fish. Much to her surprise, she also found a few wild growing palm fruits deep into the forest. After checking to make sure they weren't poisonous, she collected several of them.

After arriving, she slipped off her shoes, still hauling the bag of fish into the small home. "Hello, Naruto," she greeted, setting the rather stinky bag on the table. Naruto sat on the ground, probably napping, but looked over when she came in, and cringed.

"Ew! What's that smell, dattebayo!?" Naruto shouted, covering his whiskered nose.

Diata smiled, "Fish, beef, crawfish, and palm fruit!" She announced proudly.

Naruto gave her a strange look, "What's that?"

"Ingredients for Banga soup!" She began to pull out the foods, making the kitchen even stinkier. "The fish will have to dry for a few hours, so I can make it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow!? Can't you make it today? It stinks!" The boy cried, but Diata frowned.

"The fish will have to dry overnight so I can make it properly. Maybe if you stop complaining, I make puff-puff as well."

"What's that, dattebayo?"

"A dessert," she grinned. "You will love it!" Naruto sighed, knowing he was going nowhere in this conversation. As Diata prepared the fish, he went back to doing nothing. "Have you started the work that Iruka gave us yet?" She asked from the kitchen curiously.

"You mean that homework Iruka-sensei gave us? I don't so that, its stupid, dattebayo!"

Diata cocked her head to the side, "If it was stupid, why would he give it to us to do? And do we not get graded for it? I thought he said that it was very important."

"It is but... I just don't like wasting my time on it, dattebayo. It's boring!"

"But it is also important to Iruka. You don't wanna upset Iruka do you?" Naruto frowned, not answering her question, "Besides, I don't quite understand it, and you are really intelligent. Can you help me?"

"I'm not... I can barely do it myself! I don't wanna get yours wrong too, dattebayo!"

"What if you read the questions and we both try to answer it?" Diata suggested.

Naruto huffed, "Fine! Let me get the paper."

For the next few hours, Naruto and Diata worked on their homework. Once they finished, Diata insisted Naruto help prepare the soup. At first, he was hesitant, but decided to help anyway.

"Naruto," Diata spoke up and the boy turned to her. "I am going to go see if I can get some flour in the town so I can make puff-puff. Do you think you will be fine here alone?"

"Hehe, of course!" He grinned, and Diata smiled as well.

"I will be back in a half hour," Diata said, going to the door. "Remember to stir the pot, okay?"

"Got it, dattebayo!" She smiled warmly before leaving the apartment.

Diata was lucky enough to find a sack of flour easily, and it was at a generous price as well. The shopkeeper smiled at her as she shifted the weight of the heavy flour. "Thank you, sir," Diata beamed, and he man chuckled.

"Not a problem, girlie," the shopkeeper answered. "You be careful goin' home now. It's gettin' late."

"I will, sir," Diata answered as she walked away from his stall. "Thank you again!" She said, and hurried off. As soon as she got out of sight of the public, she morphed into her lioness form, sliding the sack of flour carefully on her back, and hurrying home.

She stayed near the shadows as she walked the last few minutes to the house. The dully lit lamps lighting up one side of the street, in front of the other apartments that were stationed close together.

The sound of a branch cracking made her freeze, her ears perking up. The sound of dark chuckling filled the air. Suddenly, she felt a hard yank on the back of her tail. She yelped, turning around to see the man who had hurt Naruto standing before her. Three long scars ran down his face, and he glared at her. "Hey, pussy cat. Remember me?"

Diata instantly took off, being careful not to drop the sack of flour, but also trying to run as fast as she could from the intoxicated man. She turned into one of the alleyways, jumping on top of the trash can, and then unto the platform of the fire exit. She glanced down, the man was still there, trying to jump unto the ladder.

Diata raced up the steps, and unto the roof. She looked around for Naruto's apartment building. She heard his heavy footsteps on top of the metal flooring. She whimpered and began to run again, happy that roofs only had a short distance between them. She jumped past the first one, and turned around, the man glared at her, his dark eyes gleaming for vengeance, then he jumped, somehow making it across and landing right in front of her.

Diata gasped, trying to run again, but he reached over, grabbing her by her furry collar. Her heartbeat increased as the man smirked, "Nowhere to run now, huh, kitty." She tried to squirm out of his grip, but he didn't budge. He went into his back pocket, pulling out a small muzzle. Diata immediately began freaking out, doing whatever she could to get away from the man, but he was already forcing the muzzle over her face.

"Heh, for all the shit you've made me go through, you're gonna get me a pretty little penny when I turn you over to them smugglers." He chuckled darkly when he finished, "And they thought I didn't see a fucking lion. They thought I was crazy but you! You're gonna make me rich!" He shook her harshly making her whimper, she tried to hit him, but he moved away before she could reach.

"Come on, bitch," he growled, pulling her away. He placed a collar around her neck, and attaching a leash to it, then began to pull her away. Diata glared at him, but sat down defiantly. Suddenly, the man kicked her in her side, and she gasped in pain, gritting her teeth behind her muzzle.

"I said, come on!" He hissed, yanking the leash so hard, Diata nearly fell on her face. He practically dragged her down the metal fire exit. Once he jumped down, he gave the leash another hard yank, making her fall down. She landed on her side and she groaned, pain spiking in her side.

"Get up!" He seethed, pulling the leash harder, dragging Diata across the dirty asphalt. Slowly, she shakily got to her feet, limping behind the man. Occasionally, he would pull the leash making her trip and fall on her face, landing right on the muzzle. She glared up at the man, but he only snickered, pulling her into what looked like an abandoned building.

The room was very dark, even she couldn't see what was inside, until two figures stepped out, "Do you have it?" He asked, his voice in a low tone that made it growl.

"Show me the money," the man who held the leash ordered. The first man turned to the second, who went to the side, picking up a bag that looked very heavy, and showing it to him.

"Show us the lion," the first man said. The man pulled on the leash, bringing her out, away from the side. Diata glared at the man, a low growl growing in her voice. "That's a lioness."

"Same thing," the man rolled his eyes. "Give me the money." The two men turned to each other, before handing the man the money as he tossed the leash at them. Diata tried to run away, but the other man caught it before she could get anywhere.

"Thank you for your service," the men said, bowing.

The other man grumbled, looking through his sack of money, "Yeah. Yeah..." Then, he left, without another care in be world.

Diata began to worry now, pulling away on the leash as the two men began to pull her towards the back of the building. She growled at them, trying to run but the other one came to her neck, gripping her tight and practically throwing her.

She whimpered as she crashed to the ground, breathing heavily. Her chest hurt when she moved; she could only assume she bruised a rib. "Take it to the back with the rest of 'em," the first man ordered. The second grunted, dragging me away. Diata limped behind him, feeling sharp pains in my body whenever she moved.

He led her to a small cage, "Get in." He grunted, but she stood there, staring at it. Memories of when she was with Orochimaru began to rise in her mind. Fighting other rabid animals to the death in her lioness form... Being trapped in there for several hours in complete darkness that nearly made her go mad.

She began to run off again, pulling with all of her might to get away from the man. She couldn't do it, not again! She... She is a warrior, not a slave to these people!

Somehow, with all the pulling on the leash, it couldn't take the stress and snapped. Diata bolted immediately, going for the open door in the front. She could hear the man yelling at her and then the other one swearing loudly as she ran into the street.

She didn't stop running for several minutes, but then didn't know where to go. She couldn't go back to Naruto's it was too far away, they'd find her there. So was the Hokage's tower, and she didn't know anywhere else besides those two.

She paused in her thoughts, picking up a trail of a familiar scent. Did... Did they live nearby?

She wasted no time, following it down a strange path to a small building, almost like the apartment Naruto lived in, but bigger, and there weren't houses stuck together.

She went up to the front door, scratching it with her paw. After a few minutes, she heard movements inside followed by tired voices. "Kakashi, go get the door," Asuka's voice mumbled.

"You get it. You're closer," Kakashi's lazy voice replied. There was a silence, then a small 'ow', before she heard footsteps coming to the door.

Asuka stood in her pajamas, staring out the door, above her, "What...?" Diata whimpered under her, rubbing her leg, making the woman look down. "Diata-san?"

Asuka moved out of the way, letting the girl limp into the home, she gave the woman a grateful look, before falling over, collapsing from exhaustion.

Diata woke up the next morning on the floor, laying on top of several blankets. She was still in her lioness form, but the collar, leash and the muzzle were off. She sighed in content, curling up in herself. Her chest was wrapped in bandages and so was her back leg. She must've sprained it without noticing.

"Diata-san, are you awake?" Asuka's soft voice said, and the girl nodded, morphing out of her lioness form.

She sat up straight, smiling at the woman, "Thank you, Asuka," Diata thanked her gratefully. "I am sorry I came here so late, I did not know where else to go."

"It's okay," Asuka smiled, sitting beside her, "What happened? I went to the Hokage Tower to see Naruto whining that you were missing all night. And then you came here with a muzzle, a chakra blocker collar, and a broken leash on you?" She chuckled, shaking her head, "You have a lot of explaining to do, kid."

"I... Am sorry, it has been a hectic night, to say the least..." Diata muttered, combing her fingers through her messy hair as she began to explain everything that happened.

Asuka nodded through her entire story, "Did you get a look at their faces?"

"No, I apologize," Diata answered. "They wore masks; but one of them were slim, the other very built."

Asuka nodded as Kakashi entered the room, "Hmm? Looks like Sleeping Beauty is finally awake," he teased, taking a sip of whatever he was drinking.

Asuka rolled her eyes at her cousin, "Leave her alone, Kakashi-kun."

"What? I'm not the one who came scratching at our door in the middle of the night."

Asuka rolled her eyes, but Diata sighed, "You are right, I apologize," Diata agreed. "I should have been more considerate."

Kakashi blinked, surprised the girl agreed with him for once. "How is Naruto? I was supposed to make supper, I went to go get flour, but..." She trailed off, then cleared her throat. "I should go now. Thank you again for taking care of me."

Diata stood up, accidentally putting weight on her bad leg. She winced, "Hey, be careful," Asuka warned. "You sprained you leg pretty bad, kiddo. You should probably stay here, until you feel better."

"I cannot," Diata frowned, "I have class today, and the graduation is in less than month. If I do not study I will not be prepared."

"Well, you can't go to class like that," Kakashi huffed.

Then, a idea popped up in Asuka's mind, and she grinned, "How about this! Kakashi can train you so you don't miss anything!" Asuka suggested, making both of them upset.

"Why can't you do it?" Kakashi frowned.

"I have to go help Anko," Asuka explained, "She's moving into her new apartment today, I promised I'd help her move her stuff."

Kakashi sighed, "Fine. But you have to clean up after the dogs. And wash them."

Asuka gritted her teeth, "I'll walk them for a week, and I'll wash them next month."

"Deal." Diata blinked, wondering what she just got herself into.

*Silently thanking Google translate for being so helpful~*

Little fun fact: I was originally going to have Diata speak Afrikaans, a language they speak in South Africa and other areas near there, but I decided to do Yobura instead. That's what they speak in Nigeria, which is one of my favorite African countries, lol.

Fun fact #2: Banga soup and Puff-Puff are both really, really good foods(especially puff-puff... It's like eating a cloud, god it's so good...).

Fun fact 003: Voting, commenting, and following makes me a very happy Rita~

Bye-bye, y'all and remember...

Don't melt~!

~ Happyritas OOO