Hey everyone! Well, once again you have showered me with great reviews and
warm fuzzy feelings! Thank you to each of you! I think this is my longest
chapter yet. I can't wait to hear what you think of it!
And now, on with the show! ^_^
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Chapter 5:
The Leaf and Sand teams cleared away the bodies of the Mist ninja before making camp. After a little discussion they took turns keeping a watch for the night, while the rest of the team got what rest they could. Sakura and Hinata took turns watching over Naruto, to no ones surprise. Kankuro made it a point to not even glance Naruto's way, while Gaara remained seemingly indifferent to it all. Temari became reclusive; taking every chance she could to separate herself from the rest of the team. No one knew why, and she offered no explanation.
Naruto for his part twisted and groaned in his sleep, breaking out into a high fever until at last, as the sun peeked out over the far horizon, his fever finally broke.
** Naruto's perspective **
The first thing I noticed as I stirred awake was the fact that my stomach still hurt. Luckily it was nothing like the nightmarish pain from last night. My stomach the night before had felt like a large rusty drill was being screwed into my guts. Now, it felt more like I'd swallowed a sharp pencil whole, and it had somehow made its way to my stomach: painful but bearable. I had a whole knew respect for kunai as effective weapons; although I still suspected that it had been poisoned. Grunting with effort and no little pain, I sat myself up, looking around the clearing, now lit by soft rays of sunshine.
At my side, Sakura-chan lay slumped, sitting with her head resting at an uncomfortable looking angle against a tree. She had a washrag still clutched in her hand, and a little drool trickled from the corner of her mouth. I suppressed an amused laugh at the sight, but kept it in, not wanting to wake her. I felt warm as I realized she'd fallen asleep taking care of me. Of me; Naruto! Not Sasuke, or fuzzy eyebrow Lee. If all it took was a near death experience to get her to pay attention to me, I considered it a fair trade.
To my other side not far away, Hinata lay curled in a ball facing me, muttering unknowable things in her sleep, her dark purple hair obscuring her sleeping face. Remembering her worry last night, I had to smile. I'm not sure what I did to deserve the attention, but I sure wasn't complaining.
Gaara sat a little further on, sitting up with his forehead to his knees with his arms wrapped around himself. His sand gourd sat beside him; how he managed to carry that huge thing on his back all day amazed me. After a moment I realized that he was sleeping. Talk about uncomfortable. Occasionally he twitched in his sleep as though experiencing something terrible. From what Gama the Boss, a summoned toad that was probably about twenty stories high, had told me when I had fought Gaara; he probably was experiencing something terrible.
From what I understood, Gaara housed a demon inside of him, just like me, only instead of a seal keeping it locked inside like I had, he kept it restrained only with his will. I couldn't imagine what kind of will power it had to take to restrain a demon like that your entire life, and I was thankful that I didn't need to. Summoning and controlling my own demon's powers was enough of a drain, without worrying about that. I was glad my demon turned out to be much stronger than his. A fraction of the nine- tailed demon's power had been enough to counter the fury of Shukaku of the Sand. Of course... a fraction of the power had been all I could handle as well before passing out, so I supposed it evened out.
Across from me, past a burnt out fire-pit, Kankuro slept, with an arm and a leg hooked around his freaky bandaged doll in an embrace that looked way too intimate. I shuddered internally; not really wanting to think about what he used his doll for other than fighting. Don't ask don't tell.
Temari sat on her knees at the fire-pit, her battle fan resting beside her as she poked at the ashes with a small stick. Her face held a serious cast to it, as her blond eyebrows scrunched in deep thought. Her black-gray eyes seemed tired, and her blond hair looked to be in slight disarray (even more than it normally was). All in all, she looked as though she hadn't slept all night. But even so, with the early sun highlighting her blond hair, I couldn't help noticing once more how pretty she was... too bad about her attitude.
As I brought myself fully into a sitting position, I yawned, working my arms around a little to get the kinks out. I was anything but a morning person. In fact, I hated the morning, and when I could, I did my best to avoid it at all costs by sleeping through it. My life usually didn't allow that, but every once and awhile I got a chance. At my movement, Temari's head jerked up and about to stare at me. After a moment, she turned back to the pit, darting looks towards me that I probably wasn't supposed to see out of the corner of her eye.
Her stare had been a little disturbing; her eyes dark and unreadable, her face guarded so well that I had no clue what she might be thinking. I wasn't used to that. Usually people in general were fairly easy to read. Although, I admitted to myself, I've always had a hard time reading girls. Grinning at her a little to hide my discomfort, I stumbled over to the fire- pit and plopped down next to her, sending a brief jolt of extra pain through me. I yawned even wider than I had before, disguising my yelp of pain behind the sound. She'd been the one that was so convinced I would die. No point giving her any clues on how close to being right she'd been.
"God I'm hungry," I mumbled sleepily, rubbing my still sore stomach through the bandages. Blood had soaked through them, but not enough to warrant a change yet.
As though to emphasize my point, my stomach growled so loudly it almost seemed like an animal call. I shivered slightly in the warm air as a gust of wind found its way through the clearing, chilling me; a reminder that I still didn't have a shirt on.
"So you really are going to be alright," Temari marveled softly so as not to wake the others, not looking at me as she continued to poke the ashes.
Knowing that talking about my injury could lead to some uncomfortable questions about the seal on my stomach; I tried to ignore the statement.
"Do you have anything I could eat Temari-chan?" I asked just as softly, stressing the chan part to try and get in good with her.
"You just got up from being stabbed, Naruto. Eating might not be the best idea," she told me archly with her voice still low, like a mother hen.
Girls always seemed to get over-protective when I got hurt. Tsunade had been the same way after our fight with Orochimaru and Kabuto, his second in command. I shoved thoughts of Kabuto's treachery aside for the moment; finding out he had been a spy for the Sound, and never my friend to begin with, had hurt a lot.
"Hey, I'm alive and kicking aren't I? Just like I said. C'mon trust me! Pleeeease?" I begged softly, while I gave her my patented puppy-dog eyes.
I had found growing up, that few women could resist the fearsome puppy-dog look, not even Sakura-chan. Well; she couldn't resist it if she was already in a good mood, anyway. If I dared give her the look while she was upset, I had learned to always look for a good escape route.
Temari gave me a derisive stare, but after a moment cracked before the power of the puppy eyes, and gave a soft sigh. I cackled inside at my victory, chalking up another win to the long list of victims I kept tallied in my head. Walking quietly to her backpack, she rummaged around before taking out something and returning to me, wordlessly handing me some field rations, which was dried food of various kinds, while she sat back down.
"Ah! Thank you so much! You're so good. I'll bet people sing your praises as you pass at home," I crowed in a low voice, happily stuffing my mouth as I spoke. Well, that's what I meant to say anyway; I'm not really sure how much of what I said could be understood, but I'm sure she got the point.
I could actually feel the food hit my stomach like a load of bricks, relieving me of my hunger even while my stomach groaned in protest over the added pain. I told it to shut up as I ate more. No pain, no gain after all. I idly wondered if it really WAS bad for me to eat after a stomach wound, but since we didn't have a doctor, I got to do what I wanted; which was fine with me.
Looking at me, her mouth twitched in the beginnings of a smile, until finally a very small one formed, although it looked as though she was fighting it every step of the way. It was a good, warm smile; it transformed her face, giving her a softer look. I grinned back, knowing that she had never really smiled at anyone in the time I knew her. The closest I'd seen her come were overbearing smirks. I wondered then if I was being treated to a small part of her that she didn't show anyone else. Or maybe she just didn't smile so much around Leaf Genin like me, and the others. Either way, I liked it, and hoped I could coach more out of her.
"I like your smile. You should smile more, Temari; it suites you," I commented simply, my mouth free of food for the moment.
She lost her smile, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink, while her face slackened a bit, as she stared at me with another one of her unreadable looks. Abruptly her features hardened again, her frown returning. Confused by her reaction, I stared back, hoping she wouldn't ask for her food back.
"Smiling doesn't finish missions," she told me harshly, standing. Seeing my eyebrows raise in surprise at her comment, her frown turned into a scowl. Muttering darkly to herself, she turned and stalked off into the forest without another word to me, her battle fan still where she had left it, forgotten on the ground. Watching I could only shake my head in wonder; what did I say wrong?
'Well, I've never had much luck talking to girls in the past in the first place; why should now be any different?' I mused as I ate the rest of the rations she'd given me.
I sat there at the pit for a while, staring off into space as I wondered how we were going to finish this strange mission if we couldn't even get along. After a time, I climbed to my feet, grunting all the way, before I stumbled over to my own supplies and shrugged into my shirt and jacket. Feeling stronger by the minute (about as strong as a three year old), I decided I should probably hunt rabbit or something, so I didn't get stiff.
It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do; but I had learned the hard way growing up, that if I didn't rely on myself, then I couldn't rely on anyone. It was my fault I didn't have food, and they shouldn't have to pay for that. I had to do this, to prove to myself that I could still carry my own weight. Now that I was up on my feet, those pesky dots had started dancing across my vision again, and I rocked as another dizzy spell hit me. All probably from losing so much blood, I figured.
Looking around at the sleeping faces of my teammates, I decided against waking them; they would probably only try to stop me. Besides, they'd had a long night, and I wouldn't be gone long. Let them rest. Somewhat stiffly, I moved into the forest, eager to find something to eat.
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** Gaara's perspective **
I woke from my sleep as a shout erupted in the middle of the clearing. Jerking my head up, I looked around wildly for a moment, trying to get my bearings. I breathed in raggedly as I shook my head to try and dispel the last remnants of the nightmare I'd been having. I almost never remembered them, thank god. It was probably my own mind working to protect me from whatever horrors awaited me while I slept. All I knew when I awoke each time, was that I would try my hardest to keep from falling back asleep again to avoid the fear I felt.
My heart hammered as I grimly worked to steady my nerves by taking deep, calming breaths. This was a daily exercise that I had perfected many years before. Looking at the suns position, I was shocked to realize that I'd probably been asleep for at least five hours or so. That just might be a new record for me, not counting the time it had taken me to recover from my fight with Naruto at least; it had taken me a full day of sleep that time.
Finished with my morning ritual, I looked around at what had woken me up. Kankuro was sitting up, staring blearily in alarm at Sakura as she marched around the clearing, turning this way and that as she looked for something. Hinata was also sitting up and staring at her friend, as her hands fidgeted, the way she seemed to do every time she became nervous.
That was when I noticed Naruto was missing. Ah, so that was it. Sakura paced around like a lioness in her cage as she looked around for the blond boy, as though he might be hiding for the fun of it.
"NAA-RUU-TOO!!" Sakura cried out suddenly, cupping her hands to her mouth. I winced at the sound; suppressing a sudden urge to allow the sand I controlled to eat her. Why was it that I was always stuck around loud, annoying people? It had taken me years to train my siblings to shut up around me.
"Stop shouting! What's going on?" I grated out, holding back a sudden feeling of rage. I'd almost had a good full nights' sleep, and she had fucking ruined it!
What did Naruto see in her anyhow? Sure, she was pretty in a superficial way, and she was smart enough; but she treated him like shit most of the time! Not that I was a poster child for good behavior towards allies; but still, even I knew you were supposed to treat the one you liked better than that. I was very glad I didn't like anyone that much; I'm not sure I could handle being nice all the time. Inevitably something would happen and the person I liked would end up dead: probably by my hand, after lashing out as I fought Shukaku.
But the two must be together... right? Any doubts I'd had about her feelings towards Naruto had been washed away when I saw how she had handled that Mist ninja last night. True, she hadn't actually killed him when we caught up to her, but her rage and the ass beating she had given the guy showed what she really felt about the blond ninja.
Or maybe that's how she was all the time? Abruptly I realized I had missed Sakura's answer to my question.
Blinking I looked at her, squinting my eyes as a headache set in like a vise over my mind. "What did you say?" I asked her shortly. The headache was going to be a big one... I could tell already.
Sakura sighed heavily, folding her arms under her breast, as she frowned at me in disapproval at forcing her to repeat her self. I resisted a sudden, powerful urge to jump up and throttle the information out of her... and then keep on going. Perhaps seeing my eye twitch, Kankuro answered for her.
"She said that Temari and Naruto are missing. We have no idea how long they've been gone, but Temari's fan is still here, so she is probably still close by," he said in the soothing yet reserved tone he usually adopted when he knew I was in a bad mood.
"Well, go look for them then!" I snapped, annoyed. Where could Temari and Naruto have gone? I wondered.
Kankuro flinched slightly as I shifted my gaze from Sakura to him. Even now, after I had gone too such lengths to be nicer to him and Temari, he still acted afraid of me. I hardly ever threatened them, I tried not to boss them around so much, and I even allowed them to joke in my presence every now and then. Not that I could really blame them for being scared of me really. They weren't stupid, they had to know that I still fought the urge to slap them around; I just didn't show it much now.
Maybe one day, we could act towards each other the way Naruto's teammates acted together. It was a pipe dream really, but I had learned recently that sometimes, it was okay to dream.
"Someone should wait for them here, in case they return. Naruto was in NO shape to be moving around. Alright Hinata?" Sakura said thoughtfully, turning to the now standing purple haired girl.
Kankuro and I turned towards the girl as well, waiting for what she had to say. She was a confusing one. She seemed quiet and shy, but last night she had ordered us around like a drill sergeant with a toothache, especially when that Mist ninja had stabbed Naruto. I was beginning to think that maybe she liked him too, which might explain why Sakura had been treating him so coldly before he was hurt. Jealousy was a nasty thing. I almost felt sorry for him.
So far, Hinata had been doing a fair job, and I was content to let her take the lead. Whenever I took charge, someone usually got hurt if they questioned me.
Darting nervous glances between us, Hinata cleared her throat. "Um... I guess I can stay behind? They can't have gone far. You should split up and come back in an hour if you don't find them," Hinata said hesitantly, her voice gaining strength as she spoke.
Another thing about her that was strange. She reminded me of an avalanche. She seemed to start off small, and gained power as she went.
At least her voice didn't make me want to kill her; she was too soft spoken for that. Although her shyness annoyed the hell out of me, which in turn caused the voice inside of me to rant about how pretty her broken bones would look if I would only let loose. Nothing new: I'd had to go through the same thing with everyone at one time or another.
Temari could be quiet like that too. She only really raised her voice when she was around outsiders. When she was alone with Kankuro and I, she was the most thoughtful out of all of us. Had she gone to look for Naruto? Had someone come and kidnapped them somehow? No, that wasn't possible without a fight loud enough to waken us. Where they together for some reason? I wondered, as I picked up my gourd and settled the strap holding it over my shoulders.
My chakra shifted into the sand that the gourd was made out of to compensate, making it feel as light as a feather. I didn't even have to think about my chakra or the weight; it was a gift of power from Shukaku, the demon inside of me.
Exchanging a look with Kankuro, we nodded to each other briefly before we both walked out of camp in opposite directions, while Sakura left in a third direction. Casually moving through the forest, I looked around, not really actively looking for either one of them.
Temari was very good at hiding; if she didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be found. I wasn't sure how good Naruto was at stealth, but somehow I doubted the loud ninja even understood the concept, so I would probably hear him long before I saw him. I wasn't worried about Naruto though; he could take care of himself.
Frowning, I thought about how Temari had been acting since Naruto had been hurt. She had withdrawn into herself, which she only did if something was really bothering her. Usually she could be almost as annoying as Kankuro. It couldn't be concern over Naruto; she had seen too many comrades die to begin with, and she hardly even knew him for another. Then what could it be? Shaking my head helplessly, I winced as the movement caused my temples to pound. Almost forgot about the headache.
I wouldn't admit it to anyone, least of all Temari, but I was very grateful that Naruto had saved my sister. My father mentioned once that she sounded just like our mother. After that, when Temari spoke I would imagine that it was my mother speaking. Over time, she had become the only one that could pierce the fog of anger that would settle over me at times, and bring me back from the abyss.
She had almost paid the ultimate price just about every time she tried as a result, but something inside of me wouldn't allow me to really harm her, aside from a bruise or two. After I acknowledged to myself that my siblings meant something to me, I couldn't bring myself to harm her at all, no matter how angry I became.
By harming her, I not only harmed my sister, but the memory of my mother as well; a mother that may or may not have loved me, had she been given the chance. Sometimes I cursed Shukaku for her death, or myself for being born and killing her, or my father for his manipulation. Other times I just blamed everyone.
Not liking my train of thought, I focused once more on my surroundings. Wandering aimlessly, I soon forgot about why I was out there in the first place, and began to just enjoy being alone, surrounded by the peaceful forest. My pounding migraine faded to a dull background annoyance, and I sighed in relief. Not for the first time, I found myself wishing that I had been born in the Leaf.
Abruptly I heard the sound of someone splashing around loudly in water in the distance, causing birds to squawk as they took off in annoyance at being disturbed. Curious, but figuring it was probably Naruto, I headed in that direction... slowly. I wasn't eager to talk to anyone.
As I grew closer to the source of the strange sound, I realized I was hearing a river. The soft yet strong sound of tons of water moving steadily soon overrode the calm of the forest, as I pushed through some bushes. Just as it had sounded, a wide river flowed in front of me, the early morning sun glittering off it's moving waters merrily. Also before me, a little upstream in a shallow portion of the river, Naruto crouched shirtless with his orange pant legs rolled up, as he stared at the water with a fierce determination. Water dripped off of him, the bandages around his stomach drenched and almost see-through.
Content that I had completed my duty in finding him, and just as happy that he hadn't noticed me, I settled down a bit, figuring I still had some time before I was expected back. Why waste a perfectly good moment of relative silence when I didn't need to? Just a little more time without people talking to me was just fine in my book.
My body, never happy with the amount of rest I had given it, tried to settle down to sleep once more. My heart started pounding as I became terrified that I would loose myself in a nightmare again, causing me to jerk myself awake before I could fall into that trap.
Sometimes, silence could be dangerous too.
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Oblivious to the activity at the camp she had stormed away from, Temari sat on a mossy rock at the edge of a great river a distance away, deep in thought.
** Temari's perspective **
At first, I thought he might be an okay guy... but now, I was pretty sure that I hated Naruto.
He was a fake! I had never met ANYONE that genuinely innocent before. It HAD to be an act. What was he hiding behind that grin of his? At first I thought he really was genuine, until now. Complimenting me on my smile. Like he cared! He barely knew me! Who goes around complimenting newly acquainted ninja on their SMILE!? He had to want something from me. Nobody was nice unless they wanted something. That's just how things worked.
The fact that he made me worry for him last night, only made me hate him more. He was a con, and making me worry had only shown me how good he was at his job. He was very good. I had almost caught myself liking him more, just because he had saved my life. He had probably calculated everything at that moment, and moved just in time to avoid a fatal wound. That must be how he knew he was going to be okay. If he was strong enough to beat my brother, he might be good enough to do that. But why!? I couldn't figure that out.
Had he received special instructions to try and befriend one of us, to get information about our country? Was he chosen because he was cute, and came after me because I was the only girl? Did that mean the two girls were only here because there were two guys on my team? It made sense. They could have sent Uchiha Sasuke, but Naruto was the only one that could stand up to Gaara if the plot were discovered.
But if the two girls had been sent to try and become friends with my brothers, why did they both ignore Kankuro and Gaara? And, why did Hinata stare at Naruto like she did, while the other one kept hitting and insulting him, but in the way little girls did to boys they liked in kindergarten? Where they just relying on Naruto win me over? Was Naruto acting like he didn't notice them, all to fool ME into thinking he was that innocent?
Too many questions, not enough answers. Should I tell Kankuro about this? No, he would only think I was being paranoid. I needed proof of some kind. But how do you prove someone is spying on you by being NICE?
My father used to have a saying; 'keep your friends close, and your enemies closer'. He had been talking about Gaara of course, but it was good advice. Father had considered Gaara, his last born son, an enemy since the day he was born, and kept him as close as possible to control him. Father had always been cold and distant to us, never giving us the love other families seemed to enjoy. But strangely, now that he was dead, I found that I missed him at odd times.
A sound that had been trying to penetrate into my head for a while now interrupted my thoughts, and abruptly I registered it as the sound of someone splashing in the water downstream. Cautious, I pulled a throwing star from a hidden pocket, only just remembering that I had left without my fan. Damn that Naruto!
Despite the venom in that last thought, I couldn't seem to bring any real heat into it. Instead my stomach clenched, as though I had just hurled an insult at myself. I shoved the strange feeling aside as I moved through the forest, coming up on where I had heard the splashes.
A small clearing leading into the river stood before me, empty of anything but Naruto's shirt and Orange jacket hanging from a nearby bush.. Looking around, I frowned; where was he? My eyes widened as the water suddenly surged outward, water splashing into the sun as Naruto surfaced, his blond hair plastered to his head as he wrestled with something in his arms. What was he DOING here?! He had almost DIED last night; he was supposed to be resting! The bundle in his arms squirmed and wiggled, slapping at him as he wadded back ashore, a look of delight animating his face, as he dumped the fish onto the ground.
Laughing out loud in triumph, he sat down with a thump, causing him to interrupt his own laughter as he gasped for a moment in pain, clutching his stomach. I had taken a few steps closer to him before I even knew what I was doing. Stopping, I cursed myself. Why did I just do that?
Hearing me, Naruto looked up quickly, his face brightening as he saw me. His hands dropped away from cradling his stomach almost instantly, as a grin stretched across his face to replace his pained grimace. So, he would even try and hide how hurt he was? Who did he think he was fooling?!
"Hey! Hey! Check this out, Temari! I caught it with my bare hands!" he told me excitedly, gesturing at the fish that lay gasping in the dirt.
"What are you doing?! Are you crazy? Your still hurt!" I grated out, watching as his grin slipped a little as I approached him angrily. 'Shit, why did I say that? Now he would think I cared or something!' I thought, my heart pounding for some reason.
"Naw; I'm fine! And anyway, I can't keep asking everyone for food. I had to get something before we set off again," he explained, his grin returning as he spoke.
Furious, I threw my throwing star at the fish, killing it instantly. Blinking at the dead fish, he looked at me, his sparkling blue eyes wide and questioning. Again with the innocent act! I HATED him!
"We're going back to camp right now, Naruto. If you need food, then get someone else to hunt for you, for now. You'll just slow us down more if you reopen your wound," I stated evenly, not breaking eye contact. His eyes seemed to fade into a darker blue for a moment as he frowned at what I said.
"No way. It's bad enough I got hurt and forgot my food; I'm not going to let someone hunt for me too," he told me stubbornly, returning my stare defiantly. Slowly he got up, scooping up the fish as he did, proud as an eagle.
Containing a snarl of frustration I turned away, trying to control myself. I DID NOT care if he was hurt or not!
"Temari?" came Naruto's voice, edged with concern. "Don't worry, I'll be good as new by tomorrow," he said trying to reassure me, finally driving me over the edge.
Whirling towards him, I stalked up to him, poking a stiff finger into his wet chest. "I'm NOT worried about you! Let's get something straight Naruto; I HATE you! Understand?! You make me SICK! If you endanger us on this mission, I SWEAR I'll kill you myself! You GOT that?!" I stormed, driving him back a step each time I poked him to emphasize myself.
Naruto stared at me in shock, hugging the fish to his chest like a shield. Slowly all emotion drained from his face, his blue eyes taking on a steely look as I stared back at him. Suddenly, a chill swept through me as I realized just whom I was threatening; the ONE person that could be as scary as my brother when he was pissed off... and of course, I had just pissed him off.
He nodded slowly, his face hardening as his crystal eyes took on a piercing intensity. "Yeah, I get it. Come on, we've got to get back," he told me somewhat hoarsely, brushing past me stiffly.
Relief flooded into me that he hadn't done something more violent. 'Was it because he was wounded that he hadn't hit me, or was that just something Naruto would never do?' I had to wonder, as something like regret filled my chest, to replace my fear and anger.
I felt a lump form in my throat as I stared after his retreating back, and I shook my head in confusion. Soon he disappeared as he made his way through the underbrush. I didn't understand; you were supposed to feel better after telling off someone you hated. But all I wanted to do was crawl away somewhere and die.
'But he had deserved it, with all of that acting!' I yelled at myself, trying to rationalize it.
Abruptly something soft hit me in the head, covering my sight. Dragging it off me, I found I was holding Naruto's shirt and jacket. What the...? Looking over I found Gaara standing not far away, frowning at me in the way only he could, his arms folded across his chest.
"I don't know where that came from, but you will apologize to him. Now. We have to work with these people," he told me, his voice deadly calm.
At his tone, my skin prickled while my heart froze in my chest. He hadn't spoken to me like that since before his change in attitude. Swallowing, I nodded, before running after Naruto, eager to put some distance between my brother and I. When Gaara got like that, the best thing to do was agree and run.
After a few minutes of running through the forest, I noticed how odd it was that I still hadn't caught up to Naruto. He must have started running as soon as he was out of my site. Maybe Gaara was right. We had to work with these people, no matter what. Keeping my eyes peeled, I looked for traces of his passage, and found them. A broken twig here, a footprint there, I started hunting for him, growing desperate to find him. Where was he going? The camp wasn't the way his tracks were headed.
A noise sounded ahead, causing me to hurry forward. In a small space between two giant trees, I finally found Naruto; and so had a wild boar. Unfortunately for Naruto, it seemed to hate him as much as I did. Naruto was standing with a kunai in one hand, and his dead fish clutched in the other, facing the animal with an uncertain look on his face. As I watched, the boar charge Naruto with an angry roar, it's large tusks leading the way. Dropping Naruto's shirt and jacket from slack fingers, I felt my heart lurch in my chest as Naruto, waiting until the last moment, performed a flip right over the head of the rampaging beast, embedding his weapon near its spine.
Landing on his feet, Naruto fell to his knees with a cry, clutching his wounded stomach in pain, his injury paralyzing him. The boar, angry and hurt but far from dead, circled around to charge at the helpless ninja again, the kunai sticking up from it's back like a feather. Obviously Naruto had missed a spinal injury.
SHIT!! Before I could even think, I was charging Naruto too, as I drew my last three throwing stars from my pockets. Diving at him, I threw my stars at the boar in midair, before crashing into Naruto from the side, causing us both to tumble together into the closest tree in a heap. Behind me, I heard the boar scream as it crashed recklessly through the spot Naruto had just been, thudding into another tree, where it stayed. Slowly its squeals grew wet as it died where it lay. Thank God I was a better shot than Naruto seemed to be.
Feeling his thankfully sweet breath on my face as he panted in exertion, my mind blanked for a moment as I slowly realized the position we had ended up in. I was lying flush on top of him, one arm curled around him protectively, while the other was braced against the tree, my leg between his and his leg between mine. Somehow he had managed to turn himself after I had crashed into him, and the arm that wasn't holding his fish was curled around me in the same way as I had instinctively held him. With a surprised yelp, I jerked myself off of him, breathing hard and dusting myself off. My heart started thundering in my chest, while I felt blood rush to my face. Oh GOD, how in the hell had THAT happened?!
Naruto's face had turned beet red, and grinning a little, he stared at me as though he had never seen me before. Damn him! He didn't have to look like he had enjoyed it! A brief memory of how his body had felt under mine flashed through my brain, before I shook it away with a horrified inner scream. Oh HELL no! I fucking HATED him!
"I thou... I thought you hated me..." Naruto stuttered, seeming to choke on his own tongue.
"Now we're even," I explained, my heart still beating too quickly, as I reached down and caught his hand in mine, pulling him to his feet. "I do hate you. But we're on the same team. Right?" I said softly, hoping he took that as an apology.
"Uh, right," he said weakly, dusting his fish off instead of himself, causing a twinge of amusement to shoot through me. Something seemed to grab his attention, and his face transformed in joy like a breaking sunrise. "Look at all of that meat! I won't have to hunt for a week!" he cried joyously, pointing to the dead boar.
Looking from him to the dead beast, I stared for a moment, before surprising us both by bursting out laughing. I may hate him, but conman or not, he could be really funny sometimes.
Chuckling along with me, but obviously not knowing why, he raised a blond eyebrow. "What's so funny?" he laughed.
Not able to stop myself, I doubled over, clutching my sides as I laughed even harder, enjoying the feeling of just letting go and laughing for once. I'm not sure how many times I've done that in my life, if I ever had at all. And for that at least, I was grateful to him. Even though I hated him.
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Well, there's chapter 5! How did you like it? Please let me know! Until next time!
^_^
And now, on with the show! ^_^
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Chapter 5:
The Leaf and Sand teams cleared away the bodies of the Mist ninja before making camp. After a little discussion they took turns keeping a watch for the night, while the rest of the team got what rest they could. Sakura and Hinata took turns watching over Naruto, to no ones surprise. Kankuro made it a point to not even glance Naruto's way, while Gaara remained seemingly indifferent to it all. Temari became reclusive; taking every chance she could to separate herself from the rest of the team. No one knew why, and she offered no explanation.
Naruto for his part twisted and groaned in his sleep, breaking out into a high fever until at last, as the sun peeked out over the far horizon, his fever finally broke.
** Naruto's perspective **
The first thing I noticed as I stirred awake was the fact that my stomach still hurt. Luckily it was nothing like the nightmarish pain from last night. My stomach the night before had felt like a large rusty drill was being screwed into my guts. Now, it felt more like I'd swallowed a sharp pencil whole, and it had somehow made its way to my stomach: painful but bearable. I had a whole knew respect for kunai as effective weapons; although I still suspected that it had been poisoned. Grunting with effort and no little pain, I sat myself up, looking around the clearing, now lit by soft rays of sunshine.
At my side, Sakura-chan lay slumped, sitting with her head resting at an uncomfortable looking angle against a tree. She had a washrag still clutched in her hand, and a little drool trickled from the corner of her mouth. I suppressed an amused laugh at the sight, but kept it in, not wanting to wake her. I felt warm as I realized she'd fallen asleep taking care of me. Of me; Naruto! Not Sasuke, or fuzzy eyebrow Lee. If all it took was a near death experience to get her to pay attention to me, I considered it a fair trade.
To my other side not far away, Hinata lay curled in a ball facing me, muttering unknowable things in her sleep, her dark purple hair obscuring her sleeping face. Remembering her worry last night, I had to smile. I'm not sure what I did to deserve the attention, but I sure wasn't complaining.
Gaara sat a little further on, sitting up with his forehead to his knees with his arms wrapped around himself. His sand gourd sat beside him; how he managed to carry that huge thing on his back all day amazed me. After a moment I realized that he was sleeping. Talk about uncomfortable. Occasionally he twitched in his sleep as though experiencing something terrible. From what Gama the Boss, a summoned toad that was probably about twenty stories high, had told me when I had fought Gaara; he probably was experiencing something terrible.
From what I understood, Gaara housed a demon inside of him, just like me, only instead of a seal keeping it locked inside like I had, he kept it restrained only with his will. I couldn't imagine what kind of will power it had to take to restrain a demon like that your entire life, and I was thankful that I didn't need to. Summoning and controlling my own demon's powers was enough of a drain, without worrying about that. I was glad my demon turned out to be much stronger than his. A fraction of the nine- tailed demon's power had been enough to counter the fury of Shukaku of the Sand. Of course... a fraction of the power had been all I could handle as well before passing out, so I supposed it evened out.
Across from me, past a burnt out fire-pit, Kankuro slept, with an arm and a leg hooked around his freaky bandaged doll in an embrace that looked way too intimate. I shuddered internally; not really wanting to think about what he used his doll for other than fighting. Don't ask don't tell.
Temari sat on her knees at the fire-pit, her battle fan resting beside her as she poked at the ashes with a small stick. Her face held a serious cast to it, as her blond eyebrows scrunched in deep thought. Her black-gray eyes seemed tired, and her blond hair looked to be in slight disarray (even more than it normally was). All in all, she looked as though she hadn't slept all night. But even so, with the early sun highlighting her blond hair, I couldn't help noticing once more how pretty she was... too bad about her attitude.
As I brought myself fully into a sitting position, I yawned, working my arms around a little to get the kinks out. I was anything but a morning person. In fact, I hated the morning, and when I could, I did my best to avoid it at all costs by sleeping through it. My life usually didn't allow that, but every once and awhile I got a chance. At my movement, Temari's head jerked up and about to stare at me. After a moment, she turned back to the pit, darting looks towards me that I probably wasn't supposed to see out of the corner of her eye.
Her stare had been a little disturbing; her eyes dark and unreadable, her face guarded so well that I had no clue what she might be thinking. I wasn't used to that. Usually people in general were fairly easy to read. Although, I admitted to myself, I've always had a hard time reading girls. Grinning at her a little to hide my discomfort, I stumbled over to the fire- pit and plopped down next to her, sending a brief jolt of extra pain through me. I yawned even wider than I had before, disguising my yelp of pain behind the sound. She'd been the one that was so convinced I would die. No point giving her any clues on how close to being right she'd been.
"God I'm hungry," I mumbled sleepily, rubbing my still sore stomach through the bandages. Blood had soaked through them, but not enough to warrant a change yet.
As though to emphasize my point, my stomach growled so loudly it almost seemed like an animal call. I shivered slightly in the warm air as a gust of wind found its way through the clearing, chilling me; a reminder that I still didn't have a shirt on.
"So you really are going to be alright," Temari marveled softly so as not to wake the others, not looking at me as she continued to poke the ashes.
Knowing that talking about my injury could lead to some uncomfortable questions about the seal on my stomach; I tried to ignore the statement.
"Do you have anything I could eat Temari-chan?" I asked just as softly, stressing the chan part to try and get in good with her.
"You just got up from being stabbed, Naruto. Eating might not be the best idea," she told me archly with her voice still low, like a mother hen.
Girls always seemed to get over-protective when I got hurt. Tsunade had been the same way after our fight with Orochimaru and Kabuto, his second in command. I shoved thoughts of Kabuto's treachery aside for the moment; finding out he had been a spy for the Sound, and never my friend to begin with, had hurt a lot.
"Hey, I'm alive and kicking aren't I? Just like I said. C'mon trust me! Pleeeease?" I begged softly, while I gave her my patented puppy-dog eyes.
I had found growing up, that few women could resist the fearsome puppy-dog look, not even Sakura-chan. Well; she couldn't resist it if she was already in a good mood, anyway. If I dared give her the look while she was upset, I had learned to always look for a good escape route.
Temari gave me a derisive stare, but after a moment cracked before the power of the puppy eyes, and gave a soft sigh. I cackled inside at my victory, chalking up another win to the long list of victims I kept tallied in my head. Walking quietly to her backpack, she rummaged around before taking out something and returning to me, wordlessly handing me some field rations, which was dried food of various kinds, while she sat back down.
"Ah! Thank you so much! You're so good. I'll bet people sing your praises as you pass at home," I crowed in a low voice, happily stuffing my mouth as I spoke. Well, that's what I meant to say anyway; I'm not really sure how much of what I said could be understood, but I'm sure she got the point.
I could actually feel the food hit my stomach like a load of bricks, relieving me of my hunger even while my stomach groaned in protest over the added pain. I told it to shut up as I ate more. No pain, no gain after all. I idly wondered if it really WAS bad for me to eat after a stomach wound, but since we didn't have a doctor, I got to do what I wanted; which was fine with me.
Looking at me, her mouth twitched in the beginnings of a smile, until finally a very small one formed, although it looked as though she was fighting it every step of the way. It was a good, warm smile; it transformed her face, giving her a softer look. I grinned back, knowing that she had never really smiled at anyone in the time I knew her. The closest I'd seen her come were overbearing smirks. I wondered then if I was being treated to a small part of her that she didn't show anyone else. Or maybe she just didn't smile so much around Leaf Genin like me, and the others. Either way, I liked it, and hoped I could coach more out of her.
"I like your smile. You should smile more, Temari; it suites you," I commented simply, my mouth free of food for the moment.
She lost her smile, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink, while her face slackened a bit, as she stared at me with another one of her unreadable looks. Abruptly her features hardened again, her frown returning. Confused by her reaction, I stared back, hoping she wouldn't ask for her food back.
"Smiling doesn't finish missions," she told me harshly, standing. Seeing my eyebrows raise in surprise at her comment, her frown turned into a scowl. Muttering darkly to herself, she turned and stalked off into the forest without another word to me, her battle fan still where she had left it, forgotten on the ground. Watching I could only shake my head in wonder; what did I say wrong?
'Well, I've never had much luck talking to girls in the past in the first place; why should now be any different?' I mused as I ate the rest of the rations she'd given me.
I sat there at the pit for a while, staring off into space as I wondered how we were going to finish this strange mission if we couldn't even get along. After a time, I climbed to my feet, grunting all the way, before I stumbled over to my own supplies and shrugged into my shirt and jacket. Feeling stronger by the minute (about as strong as a three year old), I decided I should probably hunt rabbit or something, so I didn't get stiff.
It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do; but I had learned the hard way growing up, that if I didn't rely on myself, then I couldn't rely on anyone. It was my fault I didn't have food, and they shouldn't have to pay for that. I had to do this, to prove to myself that I could still carry my own weight. Now that I was up on my feet, those pesky dots had started dancing across my vision again, and I rocked as another dizzy spell hit me. All probably from losing so much blood, I figured.
Looking around at the sleeping faces of my teammates, I decided against waking them; they would probably only try to stop me. Besides, they'd had a long night, and I wouldn't be gone long. Let them rest. Somewhat stiffly, I moved into the forest, eager to find something to eat.
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** Gaara's perspective **
I woke from my sleep as a shout erupted in the middle of the clearing. Jerking my head up, I looked around wildly for a moment, trying to get my bearings. I breathed in raggedly as I shook my head to try and dispel the last remnants of the nightmare I'd been having. I almost never remembered them, thank god. It was probably my own mind working to protect me from whatever horrors awaited me while I slept. All I knew when I awoke each time, was that I would try my hardest to keep from falling back asleep again to avoid the fear I felt.
My heart hammered as I grimly worked to steady my nerves by taking deep, calming breaths. This was a daily exercise that I had perfected many years before. Looking at the suns position, I was shocked to realize that I'd probably been asleep for at least five hours or so. That just might be a new record for me, not counting the time it had taken me to recover from my fight with Naruto at least; it had taken me a full day of sleep that time.
Finished with my morning ritual, I looked around at what had woken me up. Kankuro was sitting up, staring blearily in alarm at Sakura as she marched around the clearing, turning this way and that as she looked for something. Hinata was also sitting up and staring at her friend, as her hands fidgeted, the way she seemed to do every time she became nervous.
That was when I noticed Naruto was missing. Ah, so that was it. Sakura paced around like a lioness in her cage as she looked around for the blond boy, as though he might be hiding for the fun of it.
"NAA-RUU-TOO!!" Sakura cried out suddenly, cupping her hands to her mouth. I winced at the sound; suppressing a sudden urge to allow the sand I controlled to eat her. Why was it that I was always stuck around loud, annoying people? It had taken me years to train my siblings to shut up around me.
"Stop shouting! What's going on?" I grated out, holding back a sudden feeling of rage. I'd almost had a good full nights' sleep, and she had fucking ruined it!
What did Naruto see in her anyhow? Sure, she was pretty in a superficial way, and she was smart enough; but she treated him like shit most of the time! Not that I was a poster child for good behavior towards allies; but still, even I knew you were supposed to treat the one you liked better than that. I was very glad I didn't like anyone that much; I'm not sure I could handle being nice all the time. Inevitably something would happen and the person I liked would end up dead: probably by my hand, after lashing out as I fought Shukaku.
But the two must be together... right? Any doubts I'd had about her feelings towards Naruto had been washed away when I saw how she had handled that Mist ninja last night. True, she hadn't actually killed him when we caught up to her, but her rage and the ass beating she had given the guy showed what she really felt about the blond ninja.
Or maybe that's how she was all the time? Abruptly I realized I had missed Sakura's answer to my question.
Blinking I looked at her, squinting my eyes as a headache set in like a vise over my mind. "What did you say?" I asked her shortly. The headache was going to be a big one... I could tell already.
Sakura sighed heavily, folding her arms under her breast, as she frowned at me in disapproval at forcing her to repeat her self. I resisted a sudden, powerful urge to jump up and throttle the information out of her... and then keep on going. Perhaps seeing my eye twitch, Kankuro answered for her.
"She said that Temari and Naruto are missing. We have no idea how long they've been gone, but Temari's fan is still here, so she is probably still close by," he said in the soothing yet reserved tone he usually adopted when he knew I was in a bad mood.
"Well, go look for them then!" I snapped, annoyed. Where could Temari and Naruto have gone? I wondered.
Kankuro flinched slightly as I shifted my gaze from Sakura to him. Even now, after I had gone too such lengths to be nicer to him and Temari, he still acted afraid of me. I hardly ever threatened them, I tried not to boss them around so much, and I even allowed them to joke in my presence every now and then. Not that I could really blame them for being scared of me really. They weren't stupid, they had to know that I still fought the urge to slap them around; I just didn't show it much now.
Maybe one day, we could act towards each other the way Naruto's teammates acted together. It was a pipe dream really, but I had learned recently that sometimes, it was okay to dream.
"Someone should wait for them here, in case they return. Naruto was in NO shape to be moving around. Alright Hinata?" Sakura said thoughtfully, turning to the now standing purple haired girl.
Kankuro and I turned towards the girl as well, waiting for what she had to say. She was a confusing one. She seemed quiet and shy, but last night she had ordered us around like a drill sergeant with a toothache, especially when that Mist ninja had stabbed Naruto. I was beginning to think that maybe she liked him too, which might explain why Sakura had been treating him so coldly before he was hurt. Jealousy was a nasty thing. I almost felt sorry for him.
So far, Hinata had been doing a fair job, and I was content to let her take the lead. Whenever I took charge, someone usually got hurt if they questioned me.
Darting nervous glances between us, Hinata cleared her throat. "Um... I guess I can stay behind? They can't have gone far. You should split up and come back in an hour if you don't find them," Hinata said hesitantly, her voice gaining strength as she spoke.
Another thing about her that was strange. She reminded me of an avalanche. She seemed to start off small, and gained power as she went.
At least her voice didn't make me want to kill her; she was too soft spoken for that. Although her shyness annoyed the hell out of me, which in turn caused the voice inside of me to rant about how pretty her broken bones would look if I would only let loose. Nothing new: I'd had to go through the same thing with everyone at one time or another.
Temari could be quiet like that too. She only really raised her voice when she was around outsiders. When she was alone with Kankuro and I, she was the most thoughtful out of all of us. Had she gone to look for Naruto? Had someone come and kidnapped them somehow? No, that wasn't possible without a fight loud enough to waken us. Where they together for some reason? I wondered, as I picked up my gourd and settled the strap holding it over my shoulders.
My chakra shifted into the sand that the gourd was made out of to compensate, making it feel as light as a feather. I didn't even have to think about my chakra or the weight; it was a gift of power from Shukaku, the demon inside of me.
Exchanging a look with Kankuro, we nodded to each other briefly before we both walked out of camp in opposite directions, while Sakura left in a third direction. Casually moving through the forest, I looked around, not really actively looking for either one of them.
Temari was very good at hiding; if she didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be found. I wasn't sure how good Naruto was at stealth, but somehow I doubted the loud ninja even understood the concept, so I would probably hear him long before I saw him. I wasn't worried about Naruto though; he could take care of himself.
Frowning, I thought about how Temari had been acting since Naruto had been hurt. She had withdrawn into herself, which she only did if something was really bothering her. Usually she could be almost as annoying as Kankuro. It couldn't be concern over Naruto; she had seen too many comrades die to begin with, and she hardly even knew him for another. Then what could it be? Shaking my head helplessly, I winced as the movement caused my temples to pound. Almost forgot about the headache.
I wouldn't admit it to anyone, least of all Temari, but I was very grateful that Naruto had saved my sister. My father mentioned once that she sounded just like our mother. After that, when Temari spoke I would imagine that it was my mother speaking. Over time, she had become the only one that could pierce the fog of anger that would settle over me at times, and bring me back from the abyss.
She had almost paid the ultimate price just about every time she tried as a result, but something inside of me wouldn't allow me to really harm her, aside from a bruise or two. After I acknowledged to myself that my siblings meant something to me, I couldn't bring myself to harm her at all, no matter how angry I became.
By harming her, I not only harmed my sister, but the memory of my mother as well; a mother that may or may not have loved me, had she been given the chance. Sometimes I cursed Shukaku for her death, or myself for being born and killing her, or my father for his manipulation. Other times I just blamed everyone.
Not liking my train of thought, I focused once more on my surroundings. Wandering aimlessly, I soon forgot about why I was out there in the first place, and began to just enjoy being alone, surrounded by the peaceful forest. My pounding migraine faded to a dull background annoyance, and I sighed in relief. Not for the first time, I found myself wishing that I had been born in the Leaf.
Abruptly I heard the sound of someone splashing around loudly in water in the distance, causing birds to squawk as they took off in annoyance at being disturbed. Curious, but figuring it was probably Naruto, I headed in that direction... slowly. I wasn't eager to talk to anyone.
As I grew closer to the source of the strange sound, I realized I was hearing a river. The soft yet strong sound of tons of water moving steadily soon overrode the calm of the forest, as I pushed through some bushes. Just as it had sounded, a wide river flowed in front of me, the early morning sun glittering off it's moving waters merrily. Also before me, a little upstream in a shallow portion of the river, Naruto crouched shirtless with his orange pant legs rolled up, as he stared at the water with a fierce determination. Water dripped off of him, the bandages around his stomach drenched and almost see-through.
Content that I had completed my duty in finding him, and just as happy that he hadn't noticed me, I settled down a bit, figuring I still had some time before I was expected back. Why waste a perfectly good moment of relative silence when I didn't need to? Just a little more time without people talking to me was just fine in my book.
My body, never happy with the amount of rest I had given it, tried to settle down to sleep once more. My heart started pounding as I became terrified that I would loose myself in a nightmare again, causing me to jerk myself awake before I could fall into that trap.
Sometimes, silence could be dangerous too.
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Oblivious to the activity at the camp she had stormed away from, Temari sat on a mossy rock at the edge of a great river a distance away, deep in thought.
** Temari's perspective **
At first, I thought he might be an okay guy... but now, I was pretty sure that I hated Naruto.
He was a fake! I had never met ANYONE that genuinely innocent before. It HAD to be an act. What was he hiding behind that grin of his? At first I thought he really was genuine, until now. Complimenting me on my smile. Like he cared! He barely knew me! Who goes around complimenting newly acquainted ninja on their SMILE!? He had to want something from me. Nobody was nice unless they wanted something. That's just how things worked.
The fact that he made me worry for him last night, only made me hate him more. He was a con, and making me worry had only shown me how good he was at his job. He was very good. I had almost caught myself liking him more, just because he had saved my life. He had probably calculated everything at that moment, and moved just in time to avoid a fatal wound. That must be how he knew he was going to be okay. If he was strong enough to beat my brother, he might be good enough to do that. But why!? I couldn't figure that out.
Had he received special instructions to try and befriend one of us, to get information about our country? Was he chosen because he was cute, and came after me because I was the only girl? Did that mean the two girls were only here because there were two guys on my team? It made sense. They could have sent Uchiha Sasuke, but Naruto was the only one that could stand up to Gaara if the plot were discovered.
But if the two girls had been sent to try and become friends with my brothers, why did they both ignore Kankuro and Gaara? And, why did Hinata stare at Naruto like she did, while the other one kept hitting and insulting him, but in the way little girls did to boys they liked in kindergarten? Where they just relying on Naruto win me over? Was Naruto acting like he didn't notice them, all to fool ME into thinking he was that innocent?
Too many questions, not enough answers. Should I tell Kankuro about this? No, he would only think I was being paranoid. I needed proof of some kind. But how do you prove someone is spying on you by being NICE?
My father used to have a saying; 'keep your friends close, and your enemies closer'. He had been talking about Gaara of course, but it was good advice. Father had considered Gaara, his last born son, an enemy since the day he was born, and kept him as close as possible to control him. Father had always been cold and distant to us, never giving us the love other families seemed to enjoy. But strangely, now that he was dead, I found that I missed him at odd times.
A sound that had been trying to penetrate into my head for a while now interrupted my thoughts, and abruptly I registered it as the sound of someone splashing in the water downstream. Cautious, I pulled a throwing star from a hidden pocket, only just remembering that I had left without my fan. Damn that Naruto!
Despite the venom in that last thought, I couldn't seem to bring any real heat into it. Instead my stomach clenched, as though I had just hurled an insult at myself. I shoved the strange feeling aside as I moved through the forest, coming up on where I had heard the splashes.
A small clearing leading into the river stood before me, empty of anything but Naruto's shirt and Orange jacket hanging from a nearby bush.. Looking around, I frowned; where was he? My eyes widened as the water suddenly surged outward, water splashing into the sun as Naruto surfaced, his blond hair plastered to his head as he wrestled with something in his arms. What was he DOING here?! He had almost DIED last night; he was supposed to be resting! The bundle in his arms squirmed and wiggled, slapping at him as he wadded back ashore, a look of delight animating his face, as he dumped the fish onto the ground.
Laughing out loud in triumph, he sat down with a thump, causing him to interrupt his own laughter as he gasped for a moment in pain, clutching his stomach. I had taken a few steps closer to him before I even knew what I was doing. Stopping, I cursed myself. Why did I just do that?
Hearing me, Naruto looked up quickly, his face brightening as he saw me. His hands dropped away from cradling his stomach almost instantly, as a grin stretched across his face to replace his pained grimace. So, he would even try and hide how hurt he was? Who did he think he was fooling?!
"Hey! Hey! Check this out, Temari! I caught it with my bare hands!" he told me excitedly, gesturing at the fish that lay gasping in the dirt.
"What are you doing?! Are you crazy? Your still hurt!" I grated out, watching as his grin slipped a little as I approached him angrily. 'Shit, why did I say that? Now he would think I cared or something!' I thought, my heart pounding for some reason.
"Naw; I'm fine! And anyway, I can't keep asking everyone for food. I had to get something before we set off again," he explained, his grin returning as he spoke.
Furious, I threw my throwing star at the fish, killing it instantly. Blinking at the dead fish, he looked at me, his sparkling blue eyes wide and questioning. Again with the innocent act! I HATED him!
"We're going back to camp right now, Naruto. If you need food, then get someone else to hunt for you, for now. You'll just slow us down more if you reopen your wound," I stated evenly, not breaking eye contact. His eyes seemed to fade into a darker blue for a moment as he frowned at what I said.
"No way. It's bad enough I got hurt and forgot my food; I'm not going to let someone hunt for me too," he told me stubbornly, returning my stare defiantly. Slowly he got up, scooping up the fish as he did, proud as an eagle.
Containing a snarl of frustration I turned away, trying to control myself. I DID NOT care if he was hurt or not!
"Temari?" came Naruto's voice, edged with concern. "Don't worry, I'll be good as new by tomorrow," he said trying to reassure me, finally driving me over the edge.
Whirling towards him, I stalked up to him, poking a stiff finger into his wet chest. "I'm NOT worried about you! Let's get something straight Naruto; I HATE you! Understand?! You make me SICK! If you endanger us on this mission, I SWEAR I'll kill you myself! You GOT that?!" I stormed, driving him back a step each time I poked him to emphasize myself.
Naruto stared at me in shock, hugging the fish to his chest like a shield. Slowly all emotion drained from his face, his blue eyes taking on a steely look as I stared back at him. Suddenly, a chill swept through me as I realized just whom I was threatening; the ONE person that could be as scary as my brother when he was pissed off... and of course, I had just pissed him off.
He nodded slowly, his face hardening as his crystal eyes took on a piercing intensity. "Yeah, I get it. Come on, we've got to get back," he told me somewhat hoarsely, brushing past me stiffly.
Relief flooded into me that he hadn't done something more violent. 'Was it because he was wounded that he hadn't hit me, or was that just something Naruto would never do?' I had to wonder, as something like regret filled my chest, to replace my fear and anger.
I felt a lump form in my throat as I stared after his retreating back, and I shook my head in confusion. Soon he disappeared as he made his way through the underbrush. I didn't understand; you were supposed to feel better after telling off someone you hated. But all I wanted to do was crawl away somewhere and die.
'But he had deserved it, with all of that acting!' I yelled at myself, trying to rationalize it.
Abruptly something soft hit me in the head, covering my sight. Dragging it off me, I found I was holding Naruto's shirt and jacket. What the...? Looking over I found Gaara standing not far away, frowning at me in the way only he could, his arms folded across his chest.
"I don't know where that came from, but you will apologize to him. Now. We have to work with these people," he told me, his voice deadly calm.
At his tone, my skin prickled while my heart froze in my chest. He hadn't spoken to me like that since before his change in attitude. Swallowing, I nodded, before running after Naruto, eager to put some distance between my brother and I. When Gaara got like that, the best thing to do was agree and run.
After a few minutes of running through the forest, I noticed how odd it was that I still hadn't caught up to Naruto. He must have started running as soon as he was out of my site. Maybe Gaara was right. We had to work with these people, no matter what. Keeping my eyes peeled, I looked for traces of his passage, and found them. A broken twig here, a footprint there, I started hunting for him, growing desperate to find him. Where was he going? The camp wasn't the way his tracks were headed.
A noise sounded ahead, causing me to hurry forward. In a small space between two giant trees, I finally found Naruto; and so had a wild boar. Unfortunately for Naruto, it seemed to hate him as much as I did. Naruto was standing with a kunai in one hand, and his dead fish clutched in the other, facing the animal with an uncertain look on his face. As I watched, the boar charge Naruto with an angry roar, it's large tusks leading the way. Dropping Naruto's shirt and jacket from slack fingers, I felt my heart lurch in my chest as Naruto, waiting until the last moment, performed a flip right over the head of the rampaging beast, embedding his weapon near its spine.
Landing on his feet, Naruto fell to his knees with a cry, clutching his wounded stomach in pain, his injury paralyzing him. The boar, angry and hurt but far from dead, circled around to charge at the helpless ninja again, the kunai sticking up from it's back like a feather. Obviously Naruto had missed a spinal injury.
SHIT!! Before I could even think, I was charging Naruto too, as I drew my last three throwing stars from my pockets. Diving at him, I threw my stars at the boar in midair, before crashing into Naruto from the side, causing us both to tumble together into the closest tree in a heap. Behind me, I heard the boar scream as it crashed recklessly through the spot Naruto had just been, thudding into another tree, where it stayed. Slowly its squeals grew wet as it died where it lay. Thank God I was a better shot than Naruto seemed to be.
Feeling his thankfully sweet breath on my face as he panted in exertion, my mind blanked for a moment as I slowly realized the position we had ended up in. I was lying flush on top of him, one arm curled around him protectively, while the other was braced against the tree, my leg between his and his leg between mine. Somehow he had managed to turn himself after I had crashed into him, and the arm that wasn't holding his fish was curled around me in the same way as I had instinctively held him. With a surprised yelp, I jerked myself off of him, breathing hard and dusting myself off. My heart started thundering in my chest, while I felt blood rush to my face. Oh GOD, how in the hell had THAT happened?!
Naruto's face had turned beet red, and grinning a little, he stared at me as though he had never seen me before. Damn him! He didn't have to look like he had enjoyed it! A brief memory of how his body had felt under mine flashed through my brain, before I shook it away with a horrified inner scream. Oh HELL no! I fucking HATED him!
"I thou... I thought you hated me..." Naruto stuttered, seeming to choke on his own tongue.
"Now we're even," I explained, my heart still beating too quickly, as I reached down and caught his hand in mine, pulling him to his feet. "I do hate you. But we're on the same team. Right?" I said softly, hoping he took that as an apology.
"Uh, right," he said weakly, dusting his fish off instead of himself, causing a twinge of amusement to shoot through me. Something seemed to grab his attention, and his face transformed in joy like a breaking sunrise. "Look at all of that meat! I won't have to hunt for a week!" he cried joyously, pointing to the dead boar.
Looking from him to the dead beast, I stared for a moment, before surprising us both by bursting out laughing. I may hate him, but conman or not, he could be really funny sometimes.
Chuckling along with me, but obviously not knowing why, he raised a blond eyebrow. "What's so funny?" he laughed.
Not able to stop myself, I doubled over, clutching my sides as I laughed even harder, enjoying the feeling of just letting go and laughing for once. I'm not sure how many times I've done that in my life, if I ever had at all. And for that at least, I was grateful to him. Even though I hated him.
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Well, there's chapter 5! How did you like it? Please let me know! Until next time!
^_^