"We will settle down here for the night," Yūra said as the group of eight shinobi stopped to rest. The other man nodded in agreement, and signaled for Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro to stop and unpack. Gaara regarded the others with wary eyes as they set up camp, not even making the slightest effort to pitch in. Leiko remembered something that she had overheard Kankuro saying to Sayomi, namely that Gaara never slept. It was a scary thought; then again, it would explain the chronic bags under his eyes, and the fact that he always seemed so tired and cranky. Kankuro seemed more pissed off than usual, especially since Sayomi had been paying a whole bunch of attention to the creepy insomniac that hadn't said a word since departure, to anyone. Leiko could only begin to imagine the reason why, since she couldn't picture cheerful, sunny Sayomi having any kind of interest in someone like that. We go way back, is what she had said. Whatever that meant.
Night fell swiftly as everyone gathered around the campfire. Well… the genin, anyways. The jōnin were off somewhere in the forest doing something that didn't involve them, and Kankuro and Temari were whispering to each other as Leiko, Haru, and Sayomi sought ways to entertain themselves. There were no other ninjas coming this way, Haru was certain of that, and so were the others. So they were safe. For now. Every once in a while, Kankuro would glance first at Sayomi, who seemed preoccupied with her short, black hair, and then Gaara, who stood at the edge of the cliff, far away from the others as he stared into the distance. In a way, this place was much like where the Orphan House was… except, instead of dry soil and cacti, there was lush grass, forest, meadow, and flowers.
Eventually, Sayomi stood up, and Leiko paused her preparation for bed to watch as the girl walked slowly over to where Gaara was sitting. Against the moonlight, Leiko could only see moving silhouettes as Sayomi said something to Gaara, her lips moving quickly as she conveyed her message from a respectful distance away from him. Amazed that she could even talk to the strange boy, Leiko crept closer in hopes of hearing what they were saying. Gaara remained motionless, but Leiko could sense that he had responded, since Sayomi swiveled her head to the side, said something in return, and smiled. Then, to Leiko's surprise, the girl moved closer to him, stretched an arm around him, and rested her head on his shoulder.
Leiko smirked. She had sensed Kankuro behind her a while ago. Turning, she sashayed past him, turning to him casually.
"Jealous?" she asked before laughing to herself. Kankuro huffed and headed back over to his sister, who shook her head knowingly. Of course he was jealous. Kankuro was chronically jealous. But that was his punishment for wasting such a beautiful girl.
Day two of the mission, early morning…
"Up and at 'em, Sakura! It's already seven-thirty! If we hurry, we might make it to the camp-out spot before nightfall!"
"Go away…" I mumbled, pulling the sheet over my head although I knew that Sachi wouldn't stop pestering me until I physically dragged myself out of bed. I felt a slight tug, and my legs suddenly grew cold.
"Come on! There's something super special that I want to show you when we get there!" she insisted, dangling the sheet in front of me. "And we have to be there before it gets dark!"
I snatched it away from her and groaned, closing my eyes again.
"Yay!" she squealed, as if I had actually replied. "I'll go wake Naruto and then we can all get breakfast downstairs!"
Her enthusiasm was irritating, especially this early in the morning, but I knew that she only had the best intentions. And besides, would it really hurt to get up early every once in a while? It wasn't as though we had suffered through some kind of high-octane battle or anything. All we did was run… all day… and climb up a mountain…
I sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. Yawning loudly, I looked around. Sachi had opened the door to the balcony, and a cool, fresh breeze was coming into the room, effectively airing it out. The smell of the mountains was waking me up, too, and I smiled, stretching my arms overhead. I would have loved to just lie down for another hour, enjoying the environment, but it didn't seem as though Sachi would let that happen. Knowing her, we'd be done eating and checking out of the hotel in an hour.
This whole mission is getting a little too hectic for my taste… I thought as I splashed my face with water from the washbowl in the bathroom. I know I've only been away from home for a night, but I still feel as though I haven't slept in for weeks… I guess all this physical effort is getting to me. Then again, Sachi sure knows how to keep me and Naruto in shape, and in a way I guess she's kind of showing us that any mission deserves to be taken seriously, no matter how little we're getting paid to do it… damn, what an honorable girl, I can't take it…
"Sakura, are you in there?" Sachi asked, knocking on the bathroom door as I dried the ends of my hair, which had gotten wet as I washed my face.
"Yeah, I'll be right out!" I shouted, pulling on my shirt.
"Ok, great! Naruto's already downstairs, so we'll be waiting for you in the dining room!" she replied, and I could hear the cheerfulness in her voice. Wait… Naruto was already downstairs? How did she get him ready so fast? Hm… something told me that Sachi had done more than just 'step out' when she told me that she needed a breath of fresh air. Then again, it was just a hunch…
Making sure that I had my room key before I left, I grabbed my stuff and began to head downstairs. It was quiet, and it didn't seem as though anyone was awake yet. Even the counter girl, who was usually so peppy, seemed a bit tired as she waved at me. I waved back casually, and we shared a moment of mutual exhaustion.
"You're friend's pretty psyched about your mission, isn't she?" she asked, and I could hear the pity in her voice. I smiled sympathetically.
"Not just our mission. She's psyched about life," I replied, and the girl giggled.
"Have a nice trip!" she offered as I began to walk away, and I started to wonder exactly how long she had been doing the same job, day in and day out, and how many people she met that she would never see again. Call me overemotional, but I had my doubts as to whether or not the girl had any real friends, living up here by herself.
I realized that Sachi must have talked to her, because there was no other way the girl could have possibly known about our mission. It seemed as though Sachi had a habit of doing that… just talking to people who needed a friend. It almost made me sad that we were leaving. The counter girl was pretty, and young too; she didn't seem that much older than us, although she was obviously old enough to hold a job. The hotel was probably owned by one of her older relatives, so there was really no one to socialize with. There was the staff, but they were most likely busy all day while she sat at the front desk for hours on end, with no company other than the cat that sat snoozing underneath her chair…
"There you are, Sakura!"
I walked into the dining room to be greeted by a smiling Naruto, who was chewing lazily on an apple. He handed me one, and I frowned.
"What, no banquet of food?" I asked, pretending to be disappointed. I looked around. "Where's Sachi?"
"Back there," Naruto replied, pointing at the door to the kitchen as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "She said she needed to stock up on a few supplies, so she basically sweet-talked the cook into letting her use the kitchen for twenty minutes or so."
"I bet that didn't take too long…" I muttered under my breath, and Naruto gave me a questioning glance.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, but I shrugged it off, sitting at one of the tables before taking a bite of the apple. There was something a lot more interesting that I wanted to know.
"So what happened last night?" I asked casually. Naruto, who had just leaned against the edge of the table, flinched, and I could see his face turning red.
"W-what are you talking about? What night? Huh?"
"Oh please, I'm not stupid," I replied, closing my eyes as if I were contemplating my food. I didn't really have any proof that anything happened, but knowing Naruto, he'd tell me what I needed to hear if I just pressed him long enough, the lucky little bastard. I knew something was going on, or else Naruto wouldn't be so nervous. I just needed to find out what.
"Stupid? I never said you were s-stupid, I just…"
"Naruto, your face is red. Just tell me," I said. If that didn't work, then I had another tactic that was sure to get him to admit what they had done… if they had done anything to begin with. But from what I could tell, there was definitely little conspiring going on between the two goofballs.
"My face is red because… because it's… it's hot in here!" he stammered, and I sighed. Time for Plan B. I stood up and walked over to him, putting my arm around his shoulder lazily.
"Listen," I said nonchalantly. "If you wanna go ahead and start something with Sachi, I'm perfectly fine with that."
"R-really?"
Bingo. Naruto had just taken the bait.
"Pff, whatever!" I replied, blowing it off like it was nothing. "Did you honestly think I would mind? Feel free to do whatever you want, as long as you tell me what's going on."
"What?" he retorted, pulling out of my grasp. I put my hands on my hips and frowned.
"Well, you're obviously going to tell me what's going on between you two, especially now, at the beginning of the relationship," I answered. "What a dumb question."
"But what if there is no relationship?" he argued, and I smirked.
"Ah, but there is," I answered matter-of-factly. "It's totally obvious that you like her."
"What?" he shrieked. "Just because I kissed her once doesn't mean I like her!"
My eyes jerked open. "You WHAT?!"
Naruto flinched. "No! Wait, I didn't mean it like that! S-Sakura, wait!"
"BAKA!" I screamed, lunging for him. I caught him in a headlock. "How could you say something that ridiculous? If you kissed her, then that's a clear-as-day sign that you like her! Ugh, how could anyone be that STUPID?"
"B-but Sakura, it's not my fault that you're so jeal- gah!"
He cried out as I squeezed his neck tighter. "I swear you are the dumbest, most idiotic person I've ever met! I can't stand you! You'd think that in the two years that you've been gone, you haven't changed at all! I don't know why I even talk to you, since it's obvious that you're a total dor-"
"What is going on out here?"
"Sakura's trying to kill me~!" Naruto wailed as Sachi walked out with her bag. She put her hands on her hips as I let go, and shook her head in pity.
"Well, I guess the chances of you deserving it are pretty high," she replied with a shrug. She looked at me and smiled brightly. "What were you two talking about?"
"Nothing. Naruto just doesn't want to admit that you two are in a relationship now," I answered, looking at my nails absentmindedly. The look on Sachi's face was priceless. She put a hand on her cheek in shock and awe, and I was pretty sure she was about to drop her bag.
I bet she's pretty pissed at him now! I thought with a grin. This will be the fastest break-up I've ever seen, and it'll all be thanks to me! Cha!
"Wow… Sakura… you're pretty smart," Sachi replied, her face lighting up with a grin.
What? No anger? What is going on? I thought. I was sure that she would end it on the spot. "Uh… thanks," I answered awkwardly. Sachi shrugged.
"I was actually hoping on keeping it a secret for a while, but since the cat's out of the bag now, I guess there's nothing left for me to do but to admit it… gosh, the way I'm talking makes it sound almost like a crime, Sakura!"
Naruto snorted. "Anyone who gets hooked before she does is a criminal in her eyes, heh."
"Shut up, you bonehead!" I shouted, balling my fists at him, and he flinched.
"Stop it, you two!" Sachi said, putting her hands up defensively. She turned to me. "Sakura… you're not jealous, are you?"
"Whaaaaat? Me? Jealous? Puh-leez," I replied, flicking my wrists lightheartedly. "Now can we get moving or what?"
Sachi and Naruto exchanged a look, and my face got red.
"Sure… I was going to suggest the same thing before I came out here and saw you two fighting," she answered, walking past us. Naruto followed her with his eyes, and I glared at him. He poked his fingers together sheepishly.
"I'm allowed to do that now that she's my girlfriend…" he mumbled, but I ignored him. There would be none of that lovey-dovey, kissy-smoochie-poo crap while I was around. And Naruto didn't have permission to be a hentai, either.
Who am I kidding? I thought grumpily as I followed them outside. The fresh morning air did nothing to lighten my mood, not after that little thing back there. I'm just jealous, there's no two ways about it. And of course, dorkface gets the goods before me… Man, why can't I be that lucky? The one guy that I actually wanted to be with is… who knows where he is. And chances are he's not even interested in girls…
"Ready, everyone?" Sachi asked cheerfully.
"Ready!" Naruto replied.
"Whatever…" I mumbled.
"Okay! Let's go!"
"Be considerate, Naruto! You're not the only one that's hungry around here!"
"Please, stop fighting you two!" I begged for what seemed to me like the one hundredth time. The two had been bickering the entire time, and Sakura had seemed especially pugnacious towards Naruto. At first, her evident jealousy had been rather funny, but it was beginning to get on my nerves, especially since their constant yelling increased the risk of unwanted attention. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to go for Naruto so soon after entering the village… even the thought of what Sasuke would say was enough to garner my anxiety.
"Where are we going to sleep anyways?" Naruto asked, looking around.
We had stopped in the second resting spot. It was at the base of the mountain range that we had been traveling along, and it was nothing more than a wide expanse of rubble, with a small dash of life every once in a while, usually taking the form of a cactus or something in that direction. Admittedly, the arid landscape was somewhat depressing, but the large crater that we found ourselves in at that very moment seemed the safest place to be given the circumstances.
"Right here, silly!" I replied with a childish grin. Pretending to be Sachi was becoming second nature to me now, and it was becoming rather enjoyable now that the difficulty had been vanquished.
"You mean on the rocks?" Sakura asked skeptically, and I nodded.
"I know it's not the most comfortable place to sleep, but it's better than running all night until we reach the house, then being super tired. After all, we wouldn't want to be rude to Bento-san by dropping dead on his doorstep, right?"
"I… guess…" Naruto replied, scratching the back of his head. I looked up at the sky happily and realized that it had gotten dark. The fire that I had built was roaring grandly in the crude fire pit that I had created from the smorgasbord of rocks at my disposal. Somehow, this whole setting reminded me of my first official date with Kankuro after we had kissed for the first time. We had both been so young then, both so stupid. Everything had gone wrong, but it had somehow worked out in the end.
I sighed deeply. Today would have been our four-year anniversary, if things had lasted that long.
But they didn't.
Nothing did.
I stood up, grabbing onto the edge of the crater and pulling myself to higher ground.
"Where are you going?" Sakura asked. I smiled, pushing myself up with my feet.
"Tonight's a very special night," I replied, waggling my finger. "That's why I wanted to make it here before dark. Now come on! I have something to show you all."
"But it's already dark!" Naruto protested. I rolled my eyes.
"That's the point," I said with a playful smile.
Once we had all congregated above ground, I plopped down onto the gravel, leaning on my arms as I gazed up at the stars. Naruto and Sakura didn't bother to ask questions, but followed my lead.
"Are we looking for something specific?" Sakura asked for a while. I shushed her, pointing upwards as a glimmer of light shot across the sky.
"There's going to be a big meteor shower tonight," I explained, my voice hushed to add to the mysterious aura that I was trying to set up. "It comes once a year and I usually watch it with my friends. I didn't want to break the tradition, because that's bad luck…"
"Wow, it really is beautiful…" Sakura said as more and more stars began to shoot across the sky.
"Isn't it?" I agreed, leaning back even more and enjoying the atmosphere. I closed my eyes, taking in the night breeze. It was fresh, but it wasn't cold. I figured it wouldn't be too hard to sleep through the night in this kind of weather, although I had my doubts about the other two…
My train of thought was broken as I felt another presence next to me. Naruto, in an attempt to be more romantic, had edged his way closer and was now sitting right next to me. We exchanged a small smile before I leaned against his shoulder. I could feel him tense up and I smiled inwardly. Just like Kankuro, and he didn't even know it. After a moment, he put his arm around my shoulder.
"Thanks for bringing us out here, Sachi," he said, and I looked up at him.
"What are you talking about?" I asked. "It's the mission that brought us out here, not me. All I did was read the map."
"Yeah, but there are four different ways that you could've gotten us to Bento-san's place, and you picked this one," he replied. "I read the map, too. We could've stuck to the mountain tops, but you ended us up here. And what are the chances that you knew that there would be a crater in this exact spot?"
"You sound suspicious," I answered with a giggle, closing my eyes. "Just relax. I know the area a little from when I used to explore as a genin."
"As a genin? You mean with your team?" he replied, and I nodded, waves of memories coming back from when I was still innocent…
"Yeah…" I mumbled with a smile, snuggling into the warmth of Naruto's jacket and ignoring the voice inside of my head. "My team was weird. We were all from the same orphanage, so the Academy made an exception to the girl-boy-boy rule that seems to dominate ninja teams these days. It was me, a boy named Haru, and my best friend Leiko… who, mind you, was boyish enough if you ask me."
I yawned. All of this reminiscing was making me tired. Countless stars raced across the blanket of the night… even Sakura seemed to be enjoying herself; if anything, she was enjoying the scientific aspect of it. I got up, heading for the crater as I began to untie my headband. I knew it would be immensely hypocritical of me to leave in the middle of something that I had insisted on watching, but I really needed rest. Maybe I was just lazy as hell, but my eyes were suddenly beginning to fall shut.
I slid down the wall of the crater on my bottom, skidding to a halt in front of the glowing embers that were once the brilliant bonfire that I had lit with my jutsu (secretly, of course; both of my teammates were by now so convinced of my 'magic' that nothing surprised them anymore) before dropping the headband at my side. Not bothering to get up, I remained there, resting my head on my hands and closing my eyes, hoping that sleep would be quick to come. The rocks bit into my side, but it didn't really bother me; I had endured much worse pains in slumber…
However, my formulating dreams were interrupted by a breeze to my left. I didn't have to open my eyes to know that it was Naruto. There was a slight shuffling noise on the rock beside me as he joined me, rolling onto his side to face my back. It wasn't too long until I felt a hesitant hand creep onto my side. It was slow, gentle… almost as if he were half-expecting me to turn around and slap him for his insolence. I didn't, of course.
He could sense that I wasn't asleep; I could tell that much from the way that he was breathing down my neck. It wasn't meant to be pushy or suggestive… rather, I sensed a hint of anxiety, mixed with the desire to be close to someone…
"Did it hurt when he left?" I asked softly, and I could feel his hand jerk back slightly from where it rested on my waist.
"What? Who?" he asked, his voice heavy with sleep.
"What was his name? Sasuke, right?" I asked. "Sakura mentioned that you two were pretty close… so I wanna know if it hurt when he left."
Naruto sighed sadly, and my question was left hanging in silence.
"I understand," I replied, turning around to face him. His eyes were closed, and he looked as though he were already gone. I pushed a strand of hair from his face and he smiled.
"You do?" he asked, and I could tell that he wasn't even really listening. I nodded, his tiredness rubbing off on me and causing my eyes to slowly fall shut.
"Yeah…" I replied with a yawn. "I had to leave my best friend alone, too. But… I'm not worried, she's… she's pretty tough…"
I was so far into my dreams that I couldn't even hear Sakura's condescending huff as she took her place on the other side of the fireplace, falling asleep with her arms still crossed, an irritated pout desecrating her otherwise remarkably beautiful face.
