It was the ending of our second week in Konoha, that the letter was found under our door. I called everyone together at the ramen bar, they each brought their boy with them of course, and I read the letter aloud. ⌠To the six Kurai chunin in Konoha,■ it began, ⌠I apologize for any inconvenience my latest request may cause you, but it is quite important. I need three of you, along with three Konoha ninjas of your choosing, to travel to Sunagakure and deliver this second letter,■ I held up an envelope with the Yorukage▓s seal on it, ⌠to the Kazekage. The letter contains details about the negotiations between myself and Kazekage-San. I also request that you stay in Sunagakure to discuss these with him, as I obviously cannot. Many thanks, from the Yorukage.■
When I looked up from the letter everyone was staring at me. Both Kaoru and Kurumi clung to Naruto, as though they would rather die than be separated from him. Momo▓s and Konohamaru▓s hands were tightly clinging together as they both watched me with desperate innocence. Mamimi watched me apprehensively and glanced from me to Shino and back again, she looked extremely confused. Haruko clung to Akamaru as Kiba placed a possessive arm around her shoulders and glared at me.
⌠Listen,■ I said, finally getting fed up with all the looks I was getting, ⌠only three of us have to go, and three Konoha ninjas are coming too. So suck it up, because I▓ve already chosen them all.■ Everyone▓s eyes shot wide open and they all leaned forward in surprise.
⌠What do you mean you▓ve already chosen them all!?!■ Kaoru demanded, standing and glaring at me threateningly. ⌠Who made you the boss?!!■
I shot her a glare that would make even Gaara cower in fear, and as I spoke my accent came through my low tone of voice. ⌠I▓m not any happier about this situation than you are. So I would suggest you sit down and shut up because I▓m in a really bad mood.■ She hesitated, opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, huffed, and sat back down. Then I blinked the glare away and smiled brightly, speaking as though nothing had happened, ⌠Okay, Kurumi and Kaoru, you are both coming with me. Which means, Naruto, you have to come or I▓ll have to listen to their whining all the way to Sunagakure and back. Everyone else can stop holding their breath because the other two Konoha ninjas aren▓t here right now.■
Everyone sighed with relief and began celebrating, none of them would have to be separated yet. What they were forgetting, though, was when we returned we would have to bring the Yorukage▓s sons back to Kuraigakure. I chose not to ruin the moment, let them be happy, it would be good for them. I hadn▓t seen cuts on Kaoru nor Haruko, normally Mamimi was much less at ease, and Momo was becoming more and more independent, I knew they were happy here and I wouldn▓t take that from them.
I turned to leave the celebrating group, and to find the other two that would accompany me and the others to Sunagakure. ⌠How entertaining, those girls really are weird.■ a voice I had been just waiting to hear came from the shadows and I turned to see him smirking at me, leaning against the tree whose shadow hid his face.
⌠Uke-Chan, just the person I wanted to see,■ I said softly, ⌠you really have to come to Sunagakure with us. You▓ll do it, right?■
⌠Well, I▓ve got nothing better to do┘so I guess so┘■ With that he came forward, planted a soft kiss on my cheek and disappeared. I placed my hand on my cheek and stared at the ground, that was a definite first and it had come at such an odd time, too.
After shaking off my initial shock I took off in a different direction than Sasuke, gone to find my final recruit. Because I hadn▓t been spending all of my time with Sasuke, and because he would be useful in more ways than one. The boy wouldn▓t be hard to convince either, a simple request on my part would be answered in full, he owed me one. And, oh, how surprised everyone would be when they saw him the next morning.
We all met early in the morning to start heading to the land of wind, when we heard a new voice come from behind us. I smiled as I listened to him say cheerfully, ⌠Hey, Tsukasa! You weren▓t gonna leave me behind, were you?!■
Everyone stared with wide eyes as I turned toward him and, wearing a bright grin I said cheerfully, ⌠Lee-Chan! Of course not!■
When he stepped forward so that we could share a quick hug in greeting I heard someone shifting their weight uneasily. When Lee and I were finished with our greetings we stood side-by-side and, both putting on kitsune eyes and holding a thumb above their head, we announced, ⌠Everyone▓s here! Let▓s get a move on!■
As we left the village Kaoru, detaching herself from Naruto for a minute, came to walk beside me and whispered, ⌠Why in the fucking hell did you bring Lee?!■
I could simply grin to myself and say smugly, ⌠Because I can!■ With that I skipped forward to walk beside Lee, who was a good head and shoulders taller than myself by now, and we exchanged bright grins. I had never known what attracted me to Lee so persistently, but I always found him so cool despite every nerdy aspect of his being. And Hogo and Mamoru didn▓t seem to mind him, so I suppose he was alright to have along.
We had met at the Konoha Pub, he had had a bit too much to drink already so his speech had been slurred and movements were wavering. His cheeks were pink and I couldn▓t help but laugh when he fell over by accident, he was just too entertaining to pass by. Then came his tenth cup of sake, and a word from a nearby Genin who knew nothing of who they spoke to. Lee took the child too seriously and began to get violent, my response was to try and calm the drunk down wit reason. One can assume that failed miserably. I was thrown across the bar, I hit the wall behind the bar and fell to the floor, landing hard on my feet if only by luck. I glared at Lee then, and that was when I blacked out.
All I can recall is sitting upon a struggling Lee who, when his drunkenness wore off, looked around at the surrounding crowd. He looked up at me and asked if he had broken anything, because if he had he would pay for it somehow. I shook my head and the people around described how I had stopped him, I paid no attention but Lee stared at me afterward. For some reason he had thanked me and said, ⌠Tsukasa, was it? I owe you for this┘■ After that we had spent every evening together at the bar, just hanging out and talking, just me and Lee.
As Hogo rode upon my shoulder, like a trusted parrot for a pirate or something, Lee placed a hand atop my head and leaned down to whisper in my ear as we walked. Hogo placed his tiny ear against mine opposite the one Lee spoke into, in an attempt to hear what he was saying. ⌠Tsuka-Chan, you have noticed the way Sasuke▓s been acting, haven▓t you?■
I shook my head, ⌠no, why?■ I glanced over my shoulder and Hogo lost his balance temporarily. I saw Sasuke watching me and Lee with a glare, when we made eye contact his cheeks were died pink and he looked away. I looked back to the path we followed and leaned my head on Lee▓s shoulder, I knew it might have made Sasuke even worse but I had never really wanted his attention in the first place. I had only brought him along because no one else would have come, not even Neji, I had asked the previous morning.
⌠Is there something going on between you and Sasuke?■ Lee asked softly, I instantly lifted my head from his shoulder and glared at him, Hogo imitating me perfectly.
⌠Dear kami, No!!■ I said a bit too loudly, everyone looked at me and Sasuke looked curious. I saw Kaoru whisper something in Sasuke▓s ear and he looked surprised at first, then he sped up his pace and came to walk with me and Lee. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from Lee, and placing a protective arm around my shoulders, to Hogo▓s displeasure.
The poor raccoon jumped from my shoulder to Lee▓s and Mamoru jumped from Kurumi▓s arms, running up to walk alongside me. ⌠What did Lee say to you?■ Sasuke partially hissed in my ear.
⌠Nothing important,■ I lied, ⌠why?■
⌠Kaoru said something┘■ he said, then looked away blushing noticeably and scratching his nose nervously, ⌠she said the only time she hears you use that line┘is when someone suggest something┘well┘■
⌠Lee said nothing bad, don▓t worry about it, Uke-Chan!■ I grinned and stopped, ducking under Sasuke▓s arm and picking up Mamoru. I cuddled the fox close to my breast and he found a comfortable spot, he closed his eyes and went back to resting. When I looked at Sasuke he was watching me with the same eyes that I had seen on his brother, those soft eyes that make my stomach churn. I disappeared then, I figured it would be safer to follow them without being noticed, then I couldn▓t cause any problems.
Mamoru rode upon my head as we followed the others from the shadows, being sure we weren▓t seen as we watched them from a distance. As we followed we noticed the sun▓s position, it would be dark soon, we had already passed the golden Buddha where I had stopped to offer a moment of prayer for my friends. The land of the wind was still a long way off, it would be three more days at least before we reached Sunagakure, I only hoped the others would last that long.
Three days of nothing but each other and the road ahead of us would certainly drive them crazy, it was a good thing I chose to bring Lee. Hopefully my Sake supply wouldn▓t run out in one night, but between me and Lee it probably did. Not that I really remember it all, heh┘sweat drop I guess I drank too much on the way┘cause the only thing I remember after that is having major headaches every morning. I am so glad no one had any cameras.