Chapter 8
The Storm
The dinner was over later that night. Ari sat up in her bed and read a book that Michiru's father had given to her for her birthday. She never had a chance to read until now since she couldn't sleep. She looked over at Hikaru who sat up too playing his video game.
Then all of a sudden, the boat tossed wildly and thunder was heard. Ari gasped as she fell out of her bed and onto the floor. Hikaru fell over in her bed. He looked up at Ari who jumped up and steadied herself. Hikaru looked at her warily. "What's going on?" he asked.
Ari put on her robe. "I don't know but I'm going to check it out. You stay here, you here me?" she pointed at him and then left the room.
She trailed down the hallway as sailors pushed past her in a rush. She caught one of them. "What's happening?" she asked him.
"The storm is picking up badly, and we need to free the animals. His majesty said to get the Shinobi to help," he said and wriggled free of her and ran down the hall.
Ari watched them knock on the door of the escorts' cabin. Ari turned and kept don the hall. She opened the door to the outside and was sprayed in the face with cold ocean water. She saw sailors vigorously trying to get the circus animals free.
Ari closed the door and went back down the hall. The Shinobi must have taken the other door down the hall. She went back into her room an looked up. Her heart almost stopped.
"Hikaru?" she called. He wasn't in the room.
"DAMNIT!" she growled and swung the door open and ran down the hall once more. As she was running, a door opened and someone caught her in his arms. She looked up at Kakashi. "Kakashi, Hikaru isn't in his room!" she said frantically
"Kakashi held her shoulders. "We'll find him, you better stay here."
Ari shook her head. "No! I'm going to find him!" she pushed him away and ran to the door while Kakashi called her name.
"Ari! Don't!" Kakashi called, but he was to late as she disappeared through the doors.
Ari looked around in the flood that surrounded the deck. "Hikaru!" she called out. She tried to manage to run to the other side of the crates without falling. Ari slipped as the boat tipped to one side and a gush of water pinned her to a crate. Once the water cleared, she ripped off her robe, afraid of it weighting her down.
She jumped to the top of the crate and down back to the other side. She looked round. And when she heard the mighty roar of Cham, she looked and saw Hikaru near the end. The boat tipped again. Hikaru lost his footing and tumbled to the railing of the edge of the boat. He held on.
"Hikaru, NO!" she screamed and reached out for him. But before she could run to him, she slipped, and fell into an open cage. The door slammed shut…
Ari felt the water filling up the cage fast and she grabbed the bars and tried to push it open. It was jammed…
"Ari! Help me!" she could hear Hikaru cry. "Hikaru hold on!" she yelled as she tried to open the door. "DAMN!"
Then the boat tipped again, she felt the cage sliding across the deck. She screamed. She couldn't see where she was going. A violent jerk sent the cage tumbling over the edge of the boat. Ari's cage was submerged in water and was slowly sinking. Ari's arms went through the bars as she reached for the fading surface. She held her breath, and was about to give up…
Everything was black…
"Ari-chan!" called her honorable mother. Little Ari, in a light green kimono ran through the corridors of the Suon mansion. She had her shoulder length blonde hair tied back with a green ribbon. She had to be about 5 or 6. She ran into the tea room.
"Oni-san!" she smiled as her honorable mother smiled down at her.
"Ari, do you know what today is?" she asked, long black hair that went to her knees had fallen over her shoulder.
Ari looked at her. "What is today, Oni-san?" she asked.
"Today is the day you get your honor marks." she said and pointing at the green swirl on the corner of her eyes. Her mother's honor marks had swirled from the corner to right under her eyes with a small blue flower. It was the mark of the leader. Men had something similar but it was sharp red marks instead of green swirls.
Ari's eye s widened. "My honor marks! This is great!" Little Ari jumped up.
Ari was skilled for a five year old. She was the honorable daughter of Hanzo Suon, Leader of the Suon clan. She would never disappoint him.
Someone had busted the door open of the cage and yanked Ari into their arms. Ari opened her eyes, and saw, of course, her savior of all times, Kakashi. As he tried to swim up to surface, Ari's pajama pants snagged on a sharp corner of the cage. Ari yanked and kicked furiously, but Kakashi took his kunine, and cut the pants off of her. He held onto her tightly and swam up to the surface.
Ari gasped for air as soon as they broke the water. Kakashi held onto her and swam to the side of the boat as the whole crew of the ship fished them out of the water. They got onto the deck. Everyone rushed there way. Kakashi took Ari's shoulder and looked her over. "Are you ok?" he asked, searching her face and eyes.
Ari nodded, and started coughing up sea water. Kakashi took her face in his hands. "Don't ever scare me like that again." he said.
Ari nodded again, and then looked down at herself, and started blushing like mad.
I'm not wearing pants…
Instead here was a pair of very modest white cotton panties. Ari squeaked and turned around. The whole crew was staring at her. Sakura came to her and stood in front of Ari, blocking everyone's view. "Ok, nothing to see here, go on!" she waved her hands at everyone to leave. Sakura handed Ari a hip sash, and Ari tied it on herself quicker than anyone could see.
Kakashi put his arm around her shoulders. "C'mon, I'll take you back to the room."
Ari looked around. "Where's Hikaru."
"Naruto saved him. He's in bed. And so should you be." Kakashi ushered her back through the hallway of the boat and into the cabin. Everyone else retired to what they were doing inside. Ari opened her door, and turned around to Kakashi.
Without hesitation, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "Thank you so much!" she sobbed into his neck.
He held her back and didn't say anything, just let her hold onto him. He smoothed her hair, and then she pulled away. "I have to get to bed now…" she whispered. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight…" he said as she closed the door.
Kakashi stood there for a moment. He was right. That woman was definitely causing him trouble. But he would't have it any other way…
