Chapter 36:::To Suna We Go

Nami closed her eyes as wind blew through her hair, lifting it softly. Nami opened her eyes and glanced at Temari. "I have a bad feeling."

Temari nodded and they quickened their pace. Nami ran ahead and jumped into a tree, all the way to the top. She looked around and spotted a small village. He stomach suddenly growled and she frowned. I'm hungry.

She jumped out of the tree and continued running until she caught up with Temari. "There's a small village up ahead, we should stop to eat before continuing. We'll get to Suna faster if we have full stomachs."

Temari nodded and they slowed down, finally stopping in front of a tea house.

"Wait here, I'll get some food." Temari said. Nami nodded and sat down at one of the tables, near the road. She stared up at the sky, thoughtful expression on her face. After a minute she sighed and took the wooden box off her back and dropped it next to her. It made a loud thunk!, making the old man sitting on the next table jump. Nami smiled and watched the children play ball in the street.

"Pass it over here!" A little girl yelled, but the boys just laughed.

"No way, girls can't play!"

They then started to throw it over her head and out of her reach. One threw it a little too hard and the other boy missed it, and the ball headed straight at the old man, who brought his arms up to block. Nami reached out and snagged the ball before it hit him. She looked at the ball and spun it in her hand, smirk on her face. She watched as the boys pushed the girl in front of her.

Nami raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Um...Can I have the ball back?" She asked quietly.

Nami smiled and leaned over. "What's your name?"

"Miyabi."

Nami smiled and held out the ball. "Well Miyabi, I want you to promise me something."

"What?"

Nami pointed to the boys. "I want you beat those boy and prove that girls are stronger."

Miyabi smiled and took the ball. "Okay!" She started to run and the boy chased her.

Nami closed her eyes and leaned back onto her elbows, small smile on her face.

"You're really good with kids." Temari observed, setting down a plate of dumplings and two cups of tea.

Nami opened her eyes and nodded. "I love children, when I'm older I hope to get my own Genin team to mold their little minds and help them become strong."

Temari smiled and sat down, leaning her fan against the post next to the table. "Do you have siblings?"

Nami sat up and picked up her cup, peering inside. "I had an older sister, she always cared more about her appearence and boys than anything else, but," She smiled. "I always looked up to her."

"What happened to her?"

Nami sighed and looked at the sky. "She died, along with my okaasan and otousan, all in the same day, when Sound and Sand attacked."

Temari looked down. "How awful, I'm sorry."

Nami smiled and waved a hand. "Oh don't say that, you didn't do anything, you were following orders, it was the Sound's fault, not the Sand's. Although I wish I hadn't been fighting Kankurou and hadn't been stabbed or I might have been able to help my parents."

"You were stabbed by one of Karasu's hidden weapons?" Temari asked, surprised. "How are you still alive?"

Nami shrugged. "Kankurou must have given me the antidote, because the next time I woke up he was gone and I had a bandage around my wound."

Temari tapped her finger against her cup, looking sceptical. "He saved you, hm."

"What?" Nami asked, picking up one of the dumpling sticks and eating two at a time.

Temari shook her head. "Kankurou is my little brother, I know him well, and I've never known him to be merciful, he must like you a lot." She smirked and looked at Nami.

Nami's eye widened and she choked on her dumpling. She took a drink to get the food down and then set the cup down, breathing deeply, a thin blush appeared on her cheeks. She quickly denied Temari's suggestion. "No...he made it pretty clear he didn't like me."

Temari raised an eyebrow. "When?"

"Last year, when you and your brothers came to Konoha about the treaty, I tried to talk to him, but he said he didn't want to be friends." She set down her cup and sighed, looking up at the sky.

"Kurou-kun!" A younger, 14 year old, Nami yelled, running up the black jumpsuit wearing boy. She grabbed his arm and shook it. "It's so nice to see you again."

Kankurou looked down at her, a slightly annoyed look on his face. He shook off her hands and continued walking. "You're annoying me."

Nami nodded and followed. "I know, but it's fun to annoy you."

"Funny, I don't find it as amusing."

"You wouldn't would you, but them again it's my witty comebacks that you like about me, ne?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

He rolled his eyes. "What makes you think I like anything about you?"

"Because otherwise you wouldn't let me annoy you." She said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

He sighed. "I don't let you do anything, you'd try and annoy me whether I liked you or not."

She stepped in front of him, causing him to stop and look down at her. "That's not true, it's because I like you that I annoy you. You don't think I try this hard with everyone to try and become friends with them, do you?"

He stepped around her. "Well, you should stop, because I' don't want to be friends with you."

She grabbed his arm. "You don't mean that."

He turned his head. "I do, I don't want to be friends with you, I don't even want to see you. You're loud, annoying, arrogant, and not to mention ugly."

Nami narrowed her eyes and looked up at him. "Why are you being so mean?"

"Because you won't leave me alone!" He yelled, pulling his arm away. "I don't want to hang out with an annoying little kid like you!"

Nami glared. "I'm not a little kid, I'm a shinobi!"

"Then act like it! Stop trying to make friends with people who could care less about you. So do me a favor and leave me alone!" He walked off and this time Nami didn't follow.

She clenched her fists. "Fine! I wouldn't want such a bastard as a friend anyway!" She turned on her heal and walked the opposite direction. After a minute she slowed down and then stopped, turning her head to look at him. I don't care, he was never nice to me anyway, but... She placed a hand over her heart. Why does it hurt so much?

Nami shook her head and quickly moved her hand when she realized she had placed it over her heart.

Temari glanced at her and smirked slightly. "You shouldn't worry. Kankurou probably didn't want to have a girl as a friend. He wouldn't know how to be friends with a girl, he's always been awkward around girls. You shouldn't take what he says seriously."

Nami smiled and looked at her. "Yeah, and because of that I'm going to annoy him as much as I can when we get to Suna."

Temari laughed. "I'm sure he'll enjoy that." She reached for her cup, but it suddenly cracked before she could touch it.

Temari and Nami stared at the cup. Bad feeling back. Nami thought

"I think we should get going." Temari said, standing.

Nami nodded and also stood, picking up her wooden box and handing Temari her fan. They left the dishes for the busboy and began walking. They only walked for about twenty minutes before someone called their names.

"Nami! Temari-san!"

The two girls stopped and turned as Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi landed in front of them.

"Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing here?" Nami asked.

"We're on a rescue mission to Suna." Sakura said

Nami narrowed her eyes. "Rescue...who?"

"Gaara...Gaara was kidnapped by Akatsuki." Naruto said, fists clenched.

Nami's and Temari's eyes widened. "What?! Gaara was-! Temari trailed off and looked away, both she and Nami thinking back to the cup. It was a sign.

Kakashi nodded. "It'll take us two days to get to the Sand Village. Let's move."

Temari and Nami nodded and followed the rest as they jumped up and ran through the trees. All were silent and it wasn't long before the sun began to set and darkness was upon them.

"Stay together, we don't need anyone going ahead." Kakashi said, everyone nodded, but as time passed as everyones pace seemed to drop a bit, Naruto's increased. Nami ran a little faster to be by his side, also not as tired as the others.

"Naruto, don't go ahead of the others. You won't be able to do anything if you're by yourself." Nami told him.

Naruto clenched his fist. "I can't take this! I know why they're after Gaara and me. Nami-chan, you know why too, don't you?"

Nami was silent for a moment. "...yes." She said it so quietly she almost didn't hear it herself.

Naruto looked ahead of him. "Inside of me...The Kyuubi is sealed inside of me." Naruto grabbed his jacket in a tight grip. "Gaara and I...we both have monsters inside our bodies. That's what those guys are after! I...hate it! They just see us as monsters! I can't stand the way they view us!...He was just like I was, and he fought all on his own and a lot longer than I did. He's been targeted by Akatsuki. We're the same, again! And despite that...Why does everything bad always have to happen to him?! It's always him! That's why...That's why I can't waste a second! This time, I want to save him as fast as I can!"

Nami stared at Naruto as tears of frustration formed in his eyes. Nami ran faster and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. Naruto squeezed back just as tightly before letting go and wiping his eyes. Nami smiled softly.

Nami could feel her eyelids start the fall as the hours passed and the sun began to rise.

"Here Nami." Sakura said, holding out a soldier pill.

Nami smiled and took it. "Arigato." Soon she was on her second, and then her third. When both she and Sakura went to eat one more Kakashi ran closer to them.

"That's enough. Soldier pills are for emergencies only. Girls your age shouldn't overea-"

Crunch!

Nami and Sakura chewed their pills and while Nami and Temari shot Kakashi a look, Sakura speed up until she was running next to Naruto. Nami listened to their conversation over Uchiha Itachi and the organization he belonged to. When their conversation turned to Orochimaru, she ran forward.

"Orochimaru wants to take over Sasuke's body, and there's only half a year left before he could use his body switching technique again. Orochimaru used to be apart of Akatsuki, and by finding information them, inevitably, we'll find information on Orochimaru as well." Nami added.

Sakura nodded. "And the closer we get to them, the closer we get to Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto stared at them before nodding, even more determined than before.

By the time the sun set again all, except for Naruto, were ready to take a break. Nami sat dawn at the base of a tree and took off the box she was carrying. She set it down in front of her and opened the top, reaching inside. The sound of gears and wood could be heard, and then something opened and the sound of water could be heard. Nami used her other hand to reach into her weapons pouch and pulled out a jug of water. She opened it with her teeth and poured the water into the box. When it was empty she pulled out her other hand-the gears stopped- and she closed the lid.

"Nami, what were you doing?" Sakura asked.

Nami looked up. "Well, we're going to the desert, I need to put more water in it." She left it at that and leaned against the tree, closing her eyes. It seemed like her nap lasted only a second when Kakashi stood.

"Alright, breaks over."

Sakura opened her eyes and looked around. "Huh? Kakashi-sensei, where's Naruto?"

Kakashi pointed above them. "Up there."

Nami looked up and saw Naruto up and ready to go. She sighed and put an arm through each of the straps on her box and stood up, jumping to Naruto's side. She put a hand on his shoulder.

"We're almost to the desert, it won't be long now Naruto."

Naruto nodded and they began running again when Kakashi, Sakura, and Temari were ready, it wasn't long until they reached the desert. The number of trees began to thin, and then there were no more trees at all, only sand.

"All right!" Naruto cheered. "It's the desert!"

"The Hidden Village of Sand is beyond this." Temari said. "I'll take the lead from here."

"We're counting on you." Kakashi said.

Temari smiled. "Follow me."

As they walked, Nami had the biggest urge to start complaining. I hate sand I hate sand I hate sand I hate sand I HATE SAND! How is it that I have sand in places where sand shouldn't be when only my feet has touched it?! I have sand in my mouth and in my eyes...wait, why do I..

Nami looked around. the wind was picking up and the sand was rising.

"It's a sandstorm." Temari said. "We need to find shelter."

"Where?" Sakura yelled as the wind blew harder. "I can't see anything!"

"Let's walk through it, we need to got to Suna as fast as we can!" Naruto yelled.

"Don't get impatient Naruto!" Kakashi said loudly.

"I'll look for a cave!" Nami shouted.

"How?" Temari yelled.

Nami put on the goggles hanging around her neck and pulled two ropes on each sides of the box. Two slots opened and a pair of large wooden wings came out. They were shaped like a bird's wings, but instead of bones there were hollowed pieces of wood, covered and held together by leather. "I'll fly." Her hands glowed with her Chakra and she touched each wing and water mixed with Chakra filled the hollow of the wood, flowing in and out of each wing and the box. Hands still glowing, she grabbed the straps of the box and the water followed her whim and the the wings started to flap until she slowly raised from the ground.

She flew as high as she could and searched for shelter. She soon found a cave and flew back down to her friends and lead them to it. When they entered Nami's wings went back into the box and the slots closed. She sat down and leaned against the wall.

Naruto frowned as he looked outside. "We're so close to the Hidden Village of Sand! I can't wait anymore!" He moved to leave, but Kakashi grabbed his shoulder.

"Naruto! I told you not to get impatient, didn't I?"

"But-"

"Just deal with it!" Sakura said, annoyed. "Temari-san is the one who's most upset."

"Whenever there's a sandstorm, it's best to sit it out." Temari said. "It's very easy to lose your way once you head into one. It's because they try to fight through the storm that you always hear about people who die wandering the desert."

Nami took off her goggles and let them rest around her neck. She sighed. "Naruto, it would be stupid to venture carelessly into the desert during a sandstorm. If you left right now it would take you so much longer to reach Suna, and then you wouldn't be able to halp Gaara at all. Think before you act Naruto!"

Naruto hung his head.

"It'll be fine." Temari said, smiling slightly. "This shouldn't continue for much longer."

Naruto looked out into the storm. "Please let up soon!"

Nami sighed and closed her eyes. "Wake me when it's over."

Sorry about spelling and grammar

REVIEW! I'm expecting a lot considering how many of you alerted my story. Really, it'll only take a minute of your time to push that little purplie-blue button and review my story. Have a nice day, I'm going to bed.

LadySoftball