Ch.3

"Oof," Suri grunted as she set both boys down on some futons. She rubbed her aching

shoulders.

"I know these guys are ninjas, but man, are they heavy. Oh, Kami-sama…" she trailed

off.

Megumi looked at her friend bemusedly form her spot in the doorway. "If they were that

heavy, I would have carried one of them for you."

"Don't be ridiculous. You already have that massive sword on your back. You don't want

to get a hernia, do you?" Suri shuddered. "Besides, it was good exercise. I think..." she

pondered.

Suri placed her hands on her lower back and leaned back. She groaned slightly as her

back painfully popped.

Megumi smiled at her friend. "I think I'll make dinner tonight. After that, you can take a

bath first this evening. (A/N: No, they are not gay. They're roommates.)

Suri chuckled. "Whatever you say, okaa-san."

Megumi scowled and playfully poked her friend on the shoulder. Suri yelped and scooted

a bit farther down the hall. They chased each other around the house, gasping with

laughter.

Finally, they both collapsed in the kitchen, winded.

Suri looked at Megumi. "Sooo… How does onigiri, tempura, and miso soup sound?"

Megumi didn't answer. She didn't have to. Her stomach gave a large growl, and Megumi

looked up sheepishly.

Suri giggled. "I'll take that as a yes."

She stood up and put a ribbon in her hair to keep her long hair out of her face. Megumi

stood and began shaping rice balls.

Within a matter of minutes, they had prepared, eaten, and cleaned up the food.

Suri wearily trudged up the stairs to the bathroom. Sinking into a hot bath had never felt

so good.

Thirty minutes passed. Then an hour passed. Then two hours. Needless to say, Megumi

was getting worried.

She knocked quietly on the door. "Suri?" She heard a splash, then a "Gomen ne…" as

Suri more or less fell out of the bathtub.

As Megumi helped Suri braid her hair, she started thinking. 'I didn't realize that she was

this tired. She hides it so well. I'll have to talk to her about it tomorrow. In the meantime,

I better steer Suri to her bed. I don't want her to fall down the stairs again. Once was

more then enough.'

She carried Suri to her bed and looked down on her sleeping form with affection.

'Those foreigners better not try anything.' She glanced at Suri one more time and headed

to bed.

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Phew! Another chappie out and done! Read and review please!

-Pinkpearl14