He slipped below deck, to the room where the litter carrying the girl had been placed, only to find Sakura reaching for the door knob. Just as she was about to open it, she noticed Naruto and jumped.
"Hey, Sakura-chan," Naruto grinned. "You were going to see her too?"
"Er...I was just bringing her something to eat," Sakura said, looking down at a little plate of food in her left hand.
"They already brought her dinner," Sasuke said, scaring both of the teens. The trio looked at each other, silent for a moment.
"I guess we all had the same idea," Sakura said quietly.
"Well, if those guys up top aren't going to say anything," Naruto said, reaching for the door and giving it a good pull. "Then I'm going to ask someone who will." The door slid open without any resistance. The trio looked inside, then stepped in quietly.
There wasn't much inside, only a few green-shaded lanterns, and a few cases of supplies, and that was it. The only source of light, besides the lanterns, was the dim glow of a large bubble made up entirely of chakra. Sitting inside the bubble, propped up on blankets and pillows, was the girl they'd seen before. Seeing her up close, she looked even more fragile.
She started when she saw them enter, but instead of shrinking away, she pressed right up against the shield, peering at them with seemingly half-dead eyes. "You're the ninjas from Konoha, yes?" she asked them.
"Yes," Sakura said slowly.
The girl sat down at the edge of the shield, sitting indian style, with her chin propped on her hands. "What are your names?"
"Er... Uzumaki Naruto."
"Haruno Sakura."
"Uchiha Sasuke."
The girl smiled. "You have weird names," she stated matter of factly, causing the teens to look at each other. "I'm Susa, daughter of Haimi, daughter of Kiani."
Naruto blinked at the girl's formal introduction, then grumbled under his breath, "and you say we have weird names?"
The girl giggled for a moment, then became serious. "Why did you come down here?"
"Uh... we'd like to ask you some questions," Sakura said, sitting down in front of the girl. "Why are you and your friends in such a hurry to get to the Kingdom of Spring?"
"You mean the others did not tell you?" Susa inquired, as if surprised.
"No," Naruto grumbled. "They haven't said anything to us, the stuck up-"
"They haven't given us any additional information about the mission," Sasuke interrupted, cutting of Naruto's rant.
Susa muttered softly to herself for a moment, then shook her head softly. "If you want to know any information, you just have to ask Huyano; he's the one who's a head shorter then the others."
"He's the one who won't tell us anything!" Naruto snapped.
"Then don't phrase it like a question," Susa chuckled. "He's of lower rank then you, if you order him to give you the information you need, he will have to give it to you."
Sakura blinked, clearly confused. "H-how is it that we outrank him? We're genin..."
"And he isn't of the shinobi caste, so even as genin we out-rank him," Susa explained. "At least... that is how it is for our people. Those who are ninja are born into the shinobi caste, and so it goes for all such people." Susa paused for a moment, shifting her body slightly. "And, I will answer your question. We're going because of the chakra control device that was developed there."
Naruto shuddered involuntarily. He remembered that device too well. Enemy ninjas had placed one on him, as an experiment when the team had last visted the Kingdom of Spring. Then it had been known as the Kingdom of Snow, and the woman they'd been escorting, an actress, had actually turned out to be the country's missing princess. Her uncle had wanted her dead, but he'd been defeated. Naruto's thoughts drifted towards Koyuki-hime for a minute, before snapping back to the present.
"Why on earth would you want that device!" he asked loudly. "There's nothing good about it - it inhibits Chakra use... it makes it painful to even try and use!"
Susa nodded. "Exactly what you said, Uzumaki Naruto. It inhibits Chakra. Which is why I need it."
"Wha?" Naruto blinked, confused.
"I-"
The door swung open a second time, and in came the man that Susa had called Huyano. He fixed the Konoha ninjas with an icy stare.
"Get out," he ordered in a deep voice. "You should not be disturbing the girl."
"We were only asking her a few questions," Sakura replied. "So we can do this mission better."
"If you have any questions you will direct them to me, not the girl," Huyano snapped. "And you should keep you noses in your own business. Now get our of this room now!"
"Wait a minute-" Naruto started.
"Is something wrong here?" asked a new voice. The four bodyguards walked into the room, surveying the situation. Huyano seemed to change from icy to a simpering little servant.
"Nothing. I was just advising our escorts that the child needed to rest."
"I enjoy the company of the Konoha genin," Susa stated. "We were just talking."
The chief bodyguard, a man who's skin was as black as ebony and a head taller than the others smiled at the little girl and gently responded, "It is good that you are making some friends. But you do need your rest, Susa."
"Okay," Susa sighed, easing back into her pillows.
"You three should go back to your teacher."
The trio stood up and walked out of the room, Naruto grumbling under his breath. The door shut quickly behind them, forcing them on their way.
"So, you three had a run in with our friends, did you?" Kakashi asked, not even looking up from the book that he was reading.
"Yeah, but we didn't really learn too much," Sakura admitted. "The jounin seem nice enough though."
"That short man is so... so..." Naruto snarled.
"Kakashi-sensei, did you find anything useful about them?" Sasuke questioned, cutting Naruto off once again, earning a glare from the blonde.
"They're taking the little girl to a hospital in the capital," Kakashi explained, "For a special procedure."
"Procedure?" Sakura blinked.
"Susa told us that they were going for the chakra control device that was developed there," Sasuke told their teacher. "Do you think that the two could be connected?"
"Ah, is that her name?" Kakashi said, smiling under his mask. "The other shinobi have been rather secreative about her."
"They've been secrative about everything!" Naruto ranted. "What is the deal with that?"
"Remember, Naruto, they do come from a a different culture," Sakura said in a slightly irritated tone.
"Sakura has a good point," Kakashi acknowlegded. "Their culture is very different. I think they have a reason to be. I was talking with them earlier, and that girl is the niece of the Tokikage."