This is an original idea by me, based on the manga of Kage Tora and some other Ninja mangas, with my own twists and turns added to it, this is a Kado Adiyoshi original!

Disclamer: I do not own Kage Tora or the other Ninja mangas from which I received ideas

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Okana Ninja School

Chapter 4

Just Friends

A couple of weeks have gone by since that faithful day when Yuki followed Kazune on his date, and it seems almost as if it's only a memory now. Things seemed to go back to normal, or what he considered normal anyway, Yuki stopped avoiding him and they went back to their old ways. To Kazune everything was fine, men, everything's ok as long as your limps are still attached, why did he not see it though? He may not but Yuki could, things were back to 'normal' but there was something, almost like tension, like a feeling of heaviness, or a feeling of discomfort between them. Ever since that day when he stopped her in the hallway, had he figured it out? Did he know she followed him? Why did she care anyway? So many questions and no answer, very irritating.

Yuki sighed, she sat on the roof, a place you could often find her when she either did her homework, read, or did some deep thinking. Today she did a mixture of school work and some deep thinking about how things were between her and Kazune so far. Yuki couldn't place it but he always seemed to be on her mind, and the word that always came up, 'love' she winced at the thought, falling in love with the master for a ninja meant immediate discharge from a mission, and this mission was not to be failed, that was made clear, to be discharged from a graduation mission, especially for such a charge, would have her down in the ONS Record book of Baka Ninjas. "Hey…." was the soft voice from behind her, being so deep into thought Yuki hadn't even realized Kazune come up onto the roof behind her, jumping with a squeal Kazune waited for her to get into her fighting stance, realize who he was, then settle down, the usual routine, 'sorry for scaring you…" he said smiling crookedly as she settled back into her sitting spot. "You didn't scare me…." she said stubbornly crossing her arms and narrowing her hazel eyes, and knitting her smooth eyebrows together, she only sighed when Kazune rolled his eyes. "Well anyway did you need something?" living with Kazune for so long he'd been trying to teach her to loosen up around him, it took him a while to get her to stop calling him Kazune-sama, now she was relaxed around him and could freely use sarcasm around him, something she would never allow herself to do around Himeka-sama, no matter how much Kazune's mother said it was alright. Note: sama-lord

The smalls mile from which Yuki had secretly been happy to see dissolved slowly, he looked down as if refusing to meet her eyes, "listen Yuki I've been thinking…" uh oh, Kazune thinking? Never good… Yuki snapped at the sarcastic part of her mind as she positioned herself, to show Kazune she was listening. "Things lately…" he continued hesitating between each word as if going over the conversation in his mind, was he afraid she would snap at him or something? "Uh huh…" she began when he seemed to trail off in thought, Kazune snapped back his attention, "oh right..um…well things between us…they've been…well weird, I dunno what's wrong but…I think it may have something to do with me going out and not letting you go with me…" Yuki blinked, so he didn't know she had followed him, he though she was mad because he wouldn't let her go with him? She ducked her head down to hide her small smile, and after she'd gotten all worked up over such things only a few minutes ago, "uh Yuki?" was the soft voice that snapped her back up, smile gone and face as it was before, "yea I've felt it to and-" she was interrupted by him holding his hand up, he knew just how to make the respective Ninja in her shut her up, with his hand up like that he was the picture of a Ninja client she'd learned about in school, not some weird client who wanted her to call him Kazune-kun. Note: kun is a more formal way to address a boy When he was sure she was quiet he said, "I just want things to go back to the way they were, with out these weird feelings or whatever so…" he stuck his hand out and Yuki stared at it looking up when he said, "friends?" after a moment she smiled, and took his hand gratefully, "friends…" she added. Though he didn't realize it, but Yuki felt as if this enormous weight had just been lifted from her shoulders. Yea she still might have feelings for him but, at least she knew now they could be friends, and that was something.

About two weeks had gone by since that day on the roof in which Yuki addressed as the 'just friends' day. After that day she had become pumped and more enthusiastic about finding more threat notes and tracking them down. After the end of two weeks Yuki had fallen into a slump of depression, no notes, not one since she got there, maybe the note writer had found out that Kazune had a ninja near by looking for him or her. She sighed as she examined her katana, Yuki stood in the courtyard out front by the bench, another one of her favorite spots of the house, it got good sunshine, had a fountain, a nice view, a good spot for things like meditation, practicing, or cleaning and sharpening Ninja weapons. Note: katana-sword Setting her katana down she placed two hands on the small of her back and stretched backwards, coming back up she moved her shoulders up and down as she rolled her head on her neck. Looking around she found what she was looking for, her large husky Scout was sneaking up on a squirrel, almost like a ninja, he's lived with me to long… she though laughing to herself, watching Scout as he pounced the squirrel got away Scout let out an irritated grunt, "looks like you're getting slow in your old age eh Scout?" she shouted over to him as he looked up at her, trotting over to her she could hear low grumbles of distaste in her comment. Placing a soft hand on the dogs head, right in between his small pointed hears she smiled and he licked her hand.

With an exasperated sigh she sat on the bench picking up her katana once more, she grumbled to herself as she cleaned the blade being careful not to put her hand to close to the blade, a mistake she would be sure never to make again. This time she heard Kazune walking around the court yard, he'd just woken up and had come out for his balcony door that lead into his room and out to the court yard. It was autumn time, the leaves had turned an assortment of yellows, oranges, and browns, covering the green grass with these colors. Yuki could hear as the leaves crunched under his feet, turning to him she shouted, "good morning!" Kazune came over to where she didn't need to shout and grumbled childishly, "I was hoping to scare you again…but these damned leaves-" she interrupted him, "it is your job to rake up the leaves so it's your own fault, speaking of which, didn't Himeka-sama ask you to do that today?" almost easing him as she pretended to be to busy polishing her blade to notice Kazune's glare, "don't remind me.." Sitting on the ground he scratched Scout's ear as Yuki went back into deep thought, almost forgetting he was there. I have to send a repot on my progress to Okana soon…with no note…how am I supposed to get anything done? And, what should I add in the letter, maybe- her thoughts were interrupted by Kazune who had said, "Yuki?" looking at him with confused eyes, he didn't like it when she interrupted him when he was in deep thought, why must he always do it to her? And, further more, why'd she let him get away with such things, oh that's right, she's supposed to be guarding him, not lecturing him. "What?" giving him her most innocent look, "it's just…you seemed troubled is all, everything cool?" Yuki sighed, why did she never notice her facial expressions during her deep thoughts? Sighing she decided it was his business, after all, who was this mission about? "Well…it's just, I'm supposed to send a progress report to my school every few months, and with no threat notes, and no leads, I have nothing to report…" she looked down, "I don't want them discharging me for being here longer than two months and having no progress at all….." looking up she saw him nodding, was that relief in his face? Yuki didn't know but decided to push it to the back of her mind, probably nothing, "anyway I'm just bumbed is all…." Kazune only nodded, "well I'm actually kinda glad there's no notes…" he said his voice low, Yuki looked up a horrified look on her face, "I-I didn't mean it like that! I-I just wanna catch the person is all!" he nodded, when she saw the smile on his face she frowned and punched him in the arm softly, why did he have to tease her like that?

As they talked neither had noticed the gardener who had come in and was inspecting a bush during their conversation, when things got quiet between the two young people, Scout was the first one to realize it. Growling, then barking he raced over to the gardener who got up in alarm, he must've been in deep thought at the time, "who's that?" Yuki had to ask before she called off her hound, the man looked at her as if she were crazy then looked to Kazune as if he were crazier, "oh that's just our gardener, he comes by once every three weeks….." he said dully waving a hand, Yuki whistled softly as Scout stopped scaring the man and trotted back over to her. Grumbling things like 'rotten kids' and 'Kimera brat' Yuki watched him leave to the other side of the building, "he doesn't like you much dose he?" giving him a questioning look, he shrugged, "known him since I was young, my friends and I used to play pranks on him" he laughed thinking back to those memories of childhood, meanwhile Yuki looked back to the way the gardener had gone, he was out of sight now, she made a mental note to keep an eye on him. "Well anyway.." Kazune finally said, "Either whoever sent the notes found out about you and is running scared or one'll show up eventually ok?" adding a comforting hand on her shoulder. Yuki nodded showing no sign that her shoulder tingled slightly at his touch.

Two days later, Himeka, Kazune, and Yuki all found a grumbled up note on the table for breakfast.

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUN! xDDD

Kazune: ...-shakes head-

Me: -poke- why the glum?

Kazune: because you're the one who-MMPH!

Me: -just stuffed a twix in Kazune's mouth- ah chew it over with twix! Hey! Stay tuned for Chapter 5 An Investigation!