Mika panted as silently as she could, hiding behind an empty barrel somewhere in the village. She could smell the sweet, distinctive smell of apples and guessed that the contents of the empty barrel must have been apples. She tried to peer out but found that she couldn't do so without being seen herself, and she couldn't let that happen… She couldn't be found. People were walking slowly by, not paying any attention to the small girl hiding behind the empty barrel, worrying about their own boring problems… like money, or something dumb like that.
Suddenly she heard his voice… he was asking someone if they'd seen her. Mika froze in terror: he was going to fins her, and when he did… who knew what he might do to her! She knew that he would find her in her current hiding place, so she discreetly crawled out and behind a large lady with a shopping bag in her hand. Mika grinned up at the unknown lady, hoping she wouldn't mind her hiding behind her. The woman sighed exasperatedly and started walking again, ignoring Mika who was walking along in her wake, trying to make sure she was completely hidden from the boy she was hiding from.
'I can see you!' she heard him cry just when she was thinking that the coast was clear. She squealed in surprise and dashed out from behind the woman and ran off down the street, painfully aware that he was faster than her and was catching up… fast! She dodged the other people in the street, elegantly twisting her body to narrowly miss a man clutching a whole load of chickens in his arms, she heard the chickens clucking desperately and the man cursing as she knew her friend had crashed into him, apologizing profusely as he ran off after her.
'Haha! You will never catch me!!!' she cried over her shoulder as she ran through the thick crowd, not caring that people were complaining bitterly. 'Mwahahaha!!!' she laughed in fake maniacal laughter as she shoved another kid she knew from ninja academy out of the way. She turned off into a dark side alley which was a short cut towards her house, and therefore, the woods.
She dashed around corners, jumped over dustbins and stray cats, and scrabbling over low rooftops leading her closer and closer to her goal: the woods. She jumped over the low wall dividing his house from the field which belonged to her family, and landed in the long grass which came up to her waist. She started to fight against the thick grass, but it got tangled up in her feet and made her trip up forcing her to pick herself up again and try again, but she didn't get very far before she fell over again. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the dark haired boy catching up quickly, but obviously finding it just as difficult as she was. She tried again. The grass getting longer and longer until it was above her head, her feet getting caught in the thick of it at the base bringing her to her knees before she pulled herself desperately up again.
Suddenly she felt a pair of arms around her waist, pulling her to the ground with the owner of them.
She turned to look at him, his sweaty forehead and his smiling face, proud that he was able to catch up with her and bring her down; both children's chests were heaving as they panted, exhausted from the chase. Mika laughed for no apparent reason, and the boy joined her.
He lay back down in the thick grass, flattening a patch and putting his head on his hands, gazing up at the cloudless sky. Mika crawled over to sit beside him and then lay down next to him, their heads not quite touching but close enough to feel the warmth they were both emitting, and despite the heat, appreciating the proximity.
'Mika,' started the boy, not looking at her. She rolled onto her front and gazed at him quietly, silently letting him know that she was listening. 'Will we be together forever?' he asked quietly, still not looking at her, but she knew what he meant. 'I mean, even when we're old and stuff… will we still be friends?' he asked, finally looking at her inquiringly.
'Of course we will.' she answered immediately, as though it was the most obvious thing in the universe… and it was. 'Even when we're both married and we have kids and everything.' she continued smiling at the idea of him having babies.
'But what about before that?' he asked, rolling onto his own stomach and leaning up on his elbows to watch her intently. 'When we're both ninjas… you know and we have to go on missions and stuff.' he added, shrugging awkwardly with one shoulder.
'Well,' started Mika slowly, working out a solution. 'we'll be on the same team.' she said shortly 'You know, like Obito and Rin and… what was his name, again?' the boy shrugged, 'The guy with the white hair.' she said, frowning to herself. 'Doesn't Emiko know him?' she asked.
'So we'll be on the same squad?' asked the boy insecurely. 'Promise?' he persisted, making Mika smile.
'Cross my heart and hope to die.' she said sitting up slightly and crossing her heart with her finger awkwardly.