NARUTO: THE VILLAGE DOUSED IN RAIN
© NARUTO / Masashi Kishimoto
Scroll Ten: "Side Tracked: The Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Messes Up...!"
In total contrast to the complete darkness from not too long ago, the noon sun was beaming vividly, scorching the ninjas' necks with its burning rays.
"It's so hot," Naruto began to whine. "I wish we could take a break in the shade..."
"What happened to your whole, oh, let's hurry and get to Genki-Itai a.s.a.p. speech?" Sakura retorted.
"Aren't you hot?!" the blonde exclaimed, almost desperately.
"Naruto-kun, is it?" Risu turned to him. "Your heat exhaustion shall end soon; we're a few paces to a river bank."
"How are you so sure?" Katone asked, understanding Naruto's pain.
"I hear the rushing water of some rapids," the bespeckled mist Kunoichi informed.
Everyone grew silent so that they too could listen to the water's music.
Naruto pouted. "I don't hear anything!"
Syrin laughed merrily. "You shouldn't. It's normal. Risu has a special talent... She has something close to enhightened senses."
"Much like an animal, no?" Risu winked to Ena, making her statement somewhat of an inside joke.
The black-haired Kunoichi gave a crooked smile and then clumsily tripped over a tree root in the road. Crying out, she fell forward and instinctively latched on to something closest to her, saving her from stumbilng any further.
"Whew," she sighed, relieved. "That was a close one."
Looking up at what saved her fall, she jerked awkwardly. It was Sasuke, and Ena had yet to detach herself from his shirt.
"Glad I could help--but get off," he snapped.
"S-sorry," the black-haired Kunoichi apologized, all the while releasing Sasuke from her grip.
This was followed by a chipper giggle from Katone, Risu, and Syrin, a sigh from Naruto, a growl from Sakura, and a deep crimson blush from Kiri.
Resuming their normal pace, Sakura walked next to Ena and whispered, "Don't start getting any funny ideas; he's mine."
She then dashed off ahead, up to Sasuke, and dropped her travel bag on purpose. The lone wolf exhaled and picked it up for her.
Feeling totally offended, Ena let her thoughts get the best of her. 'Why would I want Uchiha-kun in the first place? He's so... I dunno. But if what Sakura wants is a fight, then hell, that's what she's gonna get...'
"Hey, look!" Naruto blurted happily. "There's the river!"
And so it was. Jumping up in joy, the blonde quickly stripped down to his pair of black boxer shorts, and dove into the water. Splashing about, Naruto was finally at ease from the sun's wrath.
"I guess we should take a lunch break then," Risu nodded to Syrin.
"Oh! I brought lotsa candy from my family's candy shop!" Katone exclaimed, pulling out three whole obese paper totes from her pack.
"I've got some rice cookies," Kiri added.
"And I have some onigiri," Ena finally adjoined.
"Perfect," Syrin clapped. "And we have matches, fresh water, and packets of orange blossom tea--what a nice lunch this will be!"
"Heh, that rhymed," Kiri chuckled. "I'll help collect firewood for the tea."
"Me, too!" Katone declared, following her comrad into the brush.
Taking in her surroundings, Ena glanced around the area from atop a tree branch. "Seems safe enough."
And along the river's bank did she view Sakura attempting to captivate Sasuke's heart...
And miserably failing.
The black-haired Kunoichi impishly snickered. "Too bad."
Meanwhile, Naruto was drifting aimlessly along the river, eyes closed in relaxation. "This is the life! These A-ranked missions are great!"
And then Ena realized it. "Uzumaki-kun!!"
"What?" he yelled back, eyes still shut.
"Open your eyes!!"
He did as he was told, and wish he hadn't--for he was headed straight for a nasty spread of rapids. Screaming out in alarm, Naruto tried to swim back to the calm waters but was literally sucked in by the rapids, sending him flailing down the river.
"UZUMAKI-KUN!!!" Ena panicked, jumping down from her tree and rushing to the blonde's aid.
"Ena, what's wrong?" Risu questioned, while taking the piles of firewood from Katone and Kiri.
"Uzumaki-kun got carried away by the current!" she informed hastily.
"Oh, my... That's not good," the bespeckled mist Kunoichi gasped. "The river leads to a waterfall at about ten meters down south!"
Ena gulped. "Then we have to hurry! C'mon!"
All running to save Naruto, Katone sarcastically spouted, "So much for that nice lunch..."
"We'll be lucky if we can even catch Naruto before he ends up sleeping with the fishes! There's no time to think about lunch!!" Kiri proclaimed.
Sakura and Sasuke were coming up close behind.
"What happened?!" Sakura asked, projecting her voice so that the others could hear.
"Naruto's headed for a waterfall!" Katone answered almost excitedly.
At that moment, Sasuke leapt forward and swiftly hopped from tree to tree, scanning for any sight of the blonde.
"He's holding onto a boulder in the middle of the rapids!" the lone wolf confirmed.
"Got it!" Ena announced, picking up the pace.
She searched for a boulder and finally, after a few moments, viewed one in the distance. Naruto was, in fact, holding on for dear life but was slowly losing grip.
"Hang in there, Uzumaki-kun!" and right before Ena was about to dive in herself, she reconsidered her actions. Thus, she began to dig through her travel bag and searched for a kunai and some rope. Pulling them out, she tied a knot in the handle of the kunai knife, and tied the other end of the rope to a sturdy tree limb, hoping for the best.
'Here goes nothing!' Ena thought, shouting out, "Uzumaki-kun, catch!!" and she thrust the kunai his way.
It almost missed and faultered into the rapids, but Naruto made a lucky save and securely latched onto the safety line.
Sighing alleviatedly, the blonde started his way back to solid ground by pulling himself forward with the rope. However, it began to fringe under all of the pressure...
Ena cursed under her breath and sent some chakra through the rope, allowing some reinforcement to keep it from snapping. And after a nerve-recking 10 minutes, the hyperactive hijinks was, at last, rescued from the expeditious clutches of the river.
He coughed up what seemed like a fourth of its water, and sputtered a grateful, "Th-thank you, Ena."
"No problem. But I've got to hand it to you, Uzumaki-kun, you certainly do know how to draw attention to yourself!" smiled the black-haired Kunoichi.
Naruto sheepishly scratched the back of his neck and sneezed out a thundering sneeze.
"C'mon, we'll get a fire started to warm you up. Besides, everyone is worried sick about you!" Ena said.
And the two of them walked back to the "camp" site, a pair of hungry eyes watching them voraciously from within the obscene brush...
...
"Narutoooo!!!" Sakura roared. "You idiot! Don't EVER do that again!"
"Ha! Yeah, Naruto, you need to watch what you're doing!" Katone added.
The blonde grumbled from underneath his wool blanket, all the while scootching closer to the fire.
"The water's boiling!" Kiri squeaked, Risu rushing over with some cups and tea packets.
"Hey," Ena suddenly recalled a contemplation she had been forgetting to inquiring, "did you two really come to Konohagakure just to find me, or had you been intending to visit a relative like you said?"
"Both," Risu plainly replied. "My Nii-san lives in Konoha and is a regular denizen... He just chose to live there on his own one day and has been there for about four years."
"Really?" Ena's eyes widened in interest. "What's your brother's name, Risu-san?"
"Kabuto. But his family name is different from mine since his father divorced our mother, and she then remarried while having me. Thus, I took on the Narumi name."
"I see.. that's kind of complicated. What was your brother hoping to achieve by moving to Konoha?" Ena questioned further.
"That," the bespeckled mist Kunoichi started, "I do not know. In fact, Nii-san wasn't even at his home at the time I visited, so I wasn't even able to see him."
"That's sad."
"Yes," Risu gave that signature involuntary smile, "but I just hope that he is in good health. Nii-san hasn't been himself--or so I've heard from other relatives--and that worries me."
Ena found herself patting the bespeckled mist Kunoichi on the shoulder in assuredness. "I bet he is, Risu-san. You might not see eachother a lot, but I'm sure Kabuto-san thinks of you every now and then as well!"
Risu nodded and seemed chipper at the thought. She then quietly sipped her tea and dozed off.
Ena sighed in content, all the while drinking her own sweet, herbal beverage. 'It must be nice to have siblings... But what about my cousin? Where is he...? Or could it even be a she? I have no clue, yet... It warms my soul to even possibly think that I have a single trace of my blood out there. Yeah. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow... but someday, we'll meet. I just know it."
...
Despite the complicated ties, a family is a wonderful thing to have.
(Fwaah, my midterms are almost all over, but since I had the day off, I decided to update. ;3)
This chapter was mostly filler, but I had wanted to do something silly like this. I also think at the time of this fic's initial planning, I had wanted to put a scene where Naruto, being the oblivious and reckless ninja he is, plummets down some rapids and to his impending doom that is a waterfall. X'D (Forgive me, Naruto!) Katone's cynicism leaked out too... She was actually excited that Naruto was in danger! And Risu's emotions got across too. (Which isn't a likely occurance. Because she's kinda like "...a robot battle maid!" in my friend Neku's words. lol)
Eh, enough ranting. Next time, there's a battle! (whoooot) And more plot will be revealed!
So until then...
REVIEW!! Or just keep reading at least! ;3