We reached the camp in a few minutes, only to be met with the whines of a particularly hungry shinobi.
"I'M SO HUNGRY!" Naruto's stomach grumbled while he said it. "PLEASE TELL ME YOU FOUND WATER!"
"Calm down Naruto, there's a small pond in the direction we came from. I can reach the pond in 5 minutes at my top speed. You, on the other hand, are so fast it would only take 3—" Kakashi was cut off by an abrupt flash of orange sprinting off to the pond. The sensei gave a loud sigh as he watched his famished student nearly trip on a tree root, stumble, and then carry on. Sakura walked up to me holding something.
"Here. This is some rice that we had left over from the other day. I heated it up by the fire, but it might be a little cold by now…" She pushed the small rice ball into my hand. Yep, definitely cold. "If I were you, I would enjoy eating in silence as long as it lasts." She regained that sour demeanor again, and I knew exactly whom she was talking about.
"Thank you." I smiled and went to sit down next to the fire to warm myself up a little. The rice ball tasted real good. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kakashi retreat into the tent. Then he poked his head outside the tent.
"Hey Sakura, Belle-chan needs a change of clothes. Do you think yours would fit her?" The man yelled across to Sakura who was now watching Sai drawing something by the fire.
She looked at me and I looked at her. I didn't think this was going to work out. Before Sakura was about to reply, Kakashi sensed what the answer would be.
"Okay, that's all right. I have some extra stuff she can wear." He said and then pulled his head back into his tent. I saw his silhouette sifting threw a bunch of bags. I sighed from exhaustion and continued munching on my dinner. Oh, and don't worry. Naruto got back safe and sound; every living thing in the radius of ten miles from here knew.
I watched as Kakashi set out lots of different but black clothes, or at least a lot in my book. Remember, I only owned one outfit.
"Hmmmm, this is such a tough choice…" I was wasting his time because I just felt like it. We were alone in the tent for now, and could hear the others talking outside. I was staring at one pair of black pants and another pair of black pants, trying to decide. I looked over at Kakashi sitting on the opposite end of the tent from me.
And being the great guy he was, he looked at me, rolled his eyes, and lay down on his side not facing me.
"Night then." He lifted one arm to give a little wave.
I randomly took one black long sleeved shirt and one black pair of pants. They were all the same, any ways. Carrying my new clothes, I walked over to him and kicked him in his back. Not hard, but hard enough.
"Couldya get out of the tent for a little bit? So I could, you know—" I lifted the clothes in my hands to show him that I wanted to change. He had rolled over and then smiled.
"Why, don't you trust me not to look?"
"No." I stated what came to my mind flat out, which I don't do too often.
He looked at me, and then got up and walked out of the tent. I could hear his comrades greet him.
When I was sure they were all sitting down outside and not planning to re-enter the tent, I started to undress. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something was bothering me.
Then I realized as I took my shirt off that my underwear and stuff would have to dry. Damn. I'll just have to be stealthy about this and not let any one see them drying. If anyone finds out, I'm sure to get some cruel nickname or something attached to me…
But you know, the feeling like I was forgetting something was still there. Hmmm, maybe I should ask what bag my blanket's packed in? No, it's not that. Then it hit me.
"I can reach the pond in 5 minutes at my top speed." Kakashi had sounded pretty matter-of-factly right there. But how did he know the pond was that close? He couldn't have…could he? I would have sensed someone peeping 'cuz women have that kind of intuition…right?
I found myself staring intently into space, all dressed and ready for bed. I wrapped my clothes around my undergarments and made up my mind. I should just ask him how he knew. Maybe he was just guessing?
My gut felt otherwise.
I found when I walked up to the gang sitting around the fire that they were talking about their mission.
"I can't believe that there'd be that many murders all in the same place and people still are working there." Sakura expressed in a shocked way. "And it's all ready been happening for 3 months, right? Yumai is such a small town, yet this place employs over half the population. Unless they are guest workers from other places, that is."
"Sakura, I agree that it sounds weird, but that's why we've been hired. The only downside to this is that even more people may apply for jobs at the resort if we're there. Sort of like a safety shoe-in for the job hungry." Kakashi-sensei added in.
"How can that resort even still get business? Who wants to vacation in a town where some killer is running on the loose?" Naruto for once sounded older. Maybe he was just tired?
"Kakashi-sensei, how exactly are we going to investigate?" Sai questioned, "I wouldn't mind staying as a guest and working undercover…"
"Yeah sensei, I agree with Sai." Naruto got a little louder as he brightened up at the thought of a half vacation.
Kakashi sighed. "Well, I was thinking that's what we might end up doing, but we'll see what the manager says…"
Meanwhile, I was sitting on the ground next to the fire and listening intently. I like murder mysteries…
"Belle-chan, why don't you hang you clothes from that tree next to you? They'll dry better than in they were on the ground." Kakashi-sensei motioned with his head at the tree.
I got up and went to the tree, my mind returning from what I heard to what I wanted to know. I don't want to ask him in front of everyone…
I hung my clothes on the branch, but put my damp pants and shirt over what I didn't want seen. I turned around and saw the Sai putting the fire out. Kakashi and Naruto were still in the same spots, but Sakura had gone to the tent to change.
"Hey Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto was pushing his two fingers together. "If we do go undercover…can I share a room with Sakura? I don't think it will be convincing if I'm with another gu—"
"NO!" Sakura's enraged voice came through the tent at full volume. Naruto looked down in despair. I wondered if he was actually scared or just a pervert. Probably both.
Sakura came out in some pajamas that looked not so pajama-y as they looked like regular clothes. I guess if they had to flee in the night, they didn't want to look uncool in a pair of rubber ducky printed pajamas. Then the three males went in to change.
Sakura and I stood in silence for two minutes or so before I asked her something.
"Umm, Haruno-san…is your sensei, you know, respectable?" I couldn't really say why I wanted to know because if she respected him, I didn't want to ruin it.
"Well, personally I think he has his moments where he saves us from getting hurt and stuff, which has made me respect him. But on the other hand, he's always late to things and lies about why. And then there's those books he reads—written by a certain Pervy Sage if that gives you a hint as to what kind of books they are." Even though she was criticizing her sensei, it was easy to tell it didn't really change how she looked up to him.
I also realized why that book was so important to him. Gross. I pretty much was sure that he was pervy…but he never really tried anything on me. Actually, he did…but he apologized afterwards…does that still count? He could be just manipulating me…
Before I could think anymore, I heard Naruto call from the tent. Time for bed. I was glad, but also not. I followed Sakura inside and laid down in the far end of the tent. Sakura was next to me, then Kakashi, and next Sai. Naruto was on the outside like me.
I snuggled into my old familiar blanket, which was luckily packed, and then thought about where I was going.
It was then that I realized I was just going along with whatever my ninja friends said, but we wouldn't be together that much longer. I felt a pang of emotion in my heart. I never had anybody I could trust before. I was always on my own. I was really getting depressed when I heard someone whispering my name. Kakashi.
"Hey, Belle-chan." I sat up and looked across Sakura at him. He was all ready sitting up.
"Yeah?" I yawned. It seemed pretty late.
"Goodnight." He smiled and laid back down. I summed up my courage three minutes after he had said that.
"Hey, Kakashi…kun?" I wasn't sure if I should have addressed him like that, but he was using an equivalent title for me.
"Yeah, Belle-chan?" He sat up again and looked at me.
"Umm…before, when you said that you could reach the pond in 5 minutes…how did you know that?" I was really quiet but had to stare at him to get the truth. And I didn't like it.
Kakashi went rigid and even in the dark with a mask on I could see some roses appear on his cheeks. That was the only response I needed. I laid back down and turned my back to him, laying on my side staring at the tent wall.
"How long were you there?" I wasn't sure he could even hear me since I asked it so quietly.
There was a long pause, and then nothing. And when I was about to stop listening, he answered just as quietly.
"Ten minutes. I was in the ferns."
My heart sunk disappointedly. I wouldn't have minded as much if he had just saw for a second, and then left.
But he stayed there the whole time and peeped.
My skin crawled with disgust and I let one little teardrop fall.
I never owned anything, but I thought I had certain rights to some things. Privacy was one.
I'll never get a man with my current social status. No money to my name, no heritage that I know of, not even plans for the future. My body is all I have left to bargain with.
Was it that hard for him to understand that I wanted to reserve myself for that one, special someone, and not for some stranger's viewing pleasure?
