Finally! I'm updating my story! Sorry to my two reviewers, Sherbet Mayhem and death-angel-hikari! Long tests and projects galore this month. On top of it all, my Science teacher's making us memorize the Periodic Table of Elements. I swear, she probably wants to torture us. I mean, how will knowing the symbols of Hydrogen, Vanadium, Molybdenum, Tungsten and Francium supposed to help me in the real world?
Ahem. Onto the story.
Oh, and thanks for the advice! Oh, and to Sherbet Mayhem, I'm only thirteen, not fifteen.
Chapter 3: ArrivalMax groaned, sat up, and rubbed his eyes, his surroundings still blurry. He didn't get much sleep last night, and he was sure that garbage bags would soon show under his eyes later on.
Oh well.
He hung upside down and peeked into the bottom bunk. Kai was still sleeping peacefully, stiff and rigid as a log.
He had to smile a bit as he jumped off the top bunk and landed, silent as a cat, on the floor.
Max opened the door and slipped out, careful not to make a sound. He crept down the hallway. It was hard to tell what time it was since the sunrays weren't exactly in plain view.
They really needed to add some windows in this place.
Passing by the same hallway Kai had gotten lost in, Max had to grin. Even the great Kai Hiwatari could use some help sometime.
Hmm…Max thought, looking at all the doors that lined the hallway. It was his third day in this joint. Maybe it was time he explored the area.
I hope I don't get lost, though, he thought as he opened the door on his right, in a compound this big, it'll probably take them a week to find my body.
The Chuunin waited impatiently as Naruto struggled to get dressed.
"You know," Shikamaru said, looking slightly amused as Naruto hopped around, trying to shove his foot into his sandal, "if you had only gotten up when we tried to wake you up, instead of insisting on three more minutes…"
"Three?" Sasuke asked, looking indifferent. "Or was that five? Eight, maybe?"
"…you wouldn't have to suffer the indignity of the whole group watching you dress up." Shikamaru finished.
"Which is really disturbing, you know." Sasuke added.
"If it's disturbing, don't watch then!" Naruto snapped.
"What if I want to?" Sasuke said, blowing the bangs off his face.
"Hurry up, Naruto!" Kurenai yelled. "You've wasted a minute and thirty-four seconds!"
"How'd you know that?" Asuma asked, pausing in his act of taking down the tent.
"I made it up," she said under her breath.
Finally, Naruto pushed through the crowd, muttering darkly.
"Alright," Kakashi said, "now that you're all dressed…"
"Finally." Sasuke muttered out of the corner of his mouth.
"…we'll eat for ten minutes, then be on our way. We're almost there. If we hurry, we can arrive in Tokyo this evening."
Everyone hurriedly grabbed some food, which were mostly onigiri and some fruit. Shikamaru, finishing ahead of the others, got up and wandered away from the group and into the shade of the trees.
Suddenly, he nearly lost balance, having trodden on something soft, and had to grab a tree trunk to prevent himself from falling flat on his face.
"Ouch! Get off!"
Shikamaru jumped as soon as he realized he had just stepped on Temari's hand.
She waved her hand vigorously. "Jeez," she muttered, "watch where you're going, will you?"
"Sorry." He said hurriedly. "I wasn't looking."
She looked down at her hand, determined not to meet his eyes. She was still embarrassed around him. Technically, she had won in the Chuunin finals, but everyone knew that Shikamaru would have won. If he hadn't forfeited, she would have been toast.
She hated it when people went easy on her.
She pretended to be interested in finding out whether her hand had any bruises or whatnot.
Suddenly, she felt soft, gentle hands hold hers.
"I'm really sorry," he said softly, "does it really hurt that much?"
"N-no," Temari stuttered, her cheeks turning a bright pink. Then, she started and pulled her hand away.
"How could it hurt when a skinny teen weighing a mere 100 pounds or so stepped on it?" she snapped, "Jeez." She turned and walked away, cheeks still red.
Numbly, Shikamaru watched her retreating back.
"Whoa," he said aloud, "did I just do that?"
His eyes widened, and he cringed. "I did."
"Sorry, Tyson," Rei said, looking apologetic, "but I already promised Salima a battle. In fact, she's calling me right now." He gestured over Tyson's shoulder. Tyson turned around to see the stunning, auburn-haired teen waving wildly.
"Heh. Catch you later." Rei said, patting him on the shoulder.
He sighed. He had wanted Kai to battle against him, but Kai was already in a heated match against Tala – a match that was attracting a lot of bladers already.
"Hey, Tyson!" Max popped up, smiling his usual kitty cat grin. "Heard you were looking for a battle. I'm free."
Tyson seemed hesitant. Then, he grimaced, an apologetic look on his face. "Sorry, buddy, but I was kinda hoping for a real challenge. And you're…not what I'd call 'tough-to-beat'." He smiled apologetically. "Catch you later."
Max watched numbly at Tyson's retreating back. He felt like he had been slapped or punched or…or something. His words, although casual, stung a bit more than Tyson probably thought they did.
His cerulean gaze dropped to the floor as he chewed on his bottom lip.
I shouldn't be angry, he told himself firmly, Tyson didn't mean it. I'm sure he didn't. He's probably just…tired. That's all.
Slowly, without him realizing it, his feet led him out of the battlegrounds and into the main hallway. Thick steel and wooden doors lined the walls, some open, showing either machines flashing different lights, or even more hallways lined with doors.
The sound of running feet met his ears, causing him to pause and look up. He squinted in the dimness of the hallway.
"Hello?" he called, turning a corner.
Immediately, a figure slammed into him full-force, causing the two of them to fall head over heels, entangled.
"Kyouju!" Max gasped out, "What's wrong?"
Kyouju seemed unable to speak, his chest heaving up and down as he gulped in air, perspiration running down his cheeks.
"Max," he gasped, still panting, "I…heard…something…it's…it's…terrible! Voltaire…the guards haven't been warned yet…terrorists…they…they…" Kyouju took a deep breath and tried again.
"Listen. I need to talk to Tyson, and fast. Do you know where he is?"
Immediately, Max's sapphire-blue eyes narrowed.
"If you want to talk to Mr. Insensitive, go ahead. Just speak carefully. That boy doesn't even have the brains the good Lord gave a hunk of beef jerky!"
He stood up and walked away in a huff. Kyouju watched him leave, utterly confused.
What was that all about?
Max strode up the steps, two at a time, his fists jammed in his pockets. He shouldn't have taken his anger out on Kyouju. Guess it had affected him more than he realized.
"Watch it, Mizuhara. You might shove someone off the stairs by accident."
Max looked up. Kai was looking at him, his expression slightly amused. "You wouldn't want that, would you?"
"Actually, if it was a certain someone, I wouldn't mind one bit." He answered angrily, shoving him aside. "Now get out of my way."
Kai's crimson eyes widened in shock as Max stomped up the steps, grumbling darkly.
I have no idea what just happened, Kai thought, following him, but I have a feeling it's not going to up Max's cheerfulness level.
If that's even possible.
"Okay, Mizuhara," Kai said, falling in step with him, "what happened to the cheerful kitty-cat smile and the sparkle in your eyes?"
"I don't want to talk about it, okay?" he said, "I just want to be left alone."
"Don't go stealing my catchphrases."
"Don't go acting like a good Samaritan. It doesn't suit you."
"What? I'm not allowed to try and find out what's wrong with my teammate?"
"Well, let me think…yes." he hissed. "Go away."
With another shove that nearly sent Kai toppling off the stairs, Max angrily stormed ahead of him. He reached the landing and disappeared from sight.
Kai had to stay on the stairs, gaping.
"That…was disturbing."
"Looks like I win." Tyson said triumphantly, picking up Dragoon.
Rai glared at him, holding a battered Galleon. "You got lucky." He grumbled.
"Heh. Keep dreaming." Tyson said, shoving Dragoon back in his pocket. "Oh, and while you're dreaming, I suggest you drop by the parts room and pick up a weight disk and attack ring." He grinned as he listened to his cursing. Dragoon had been wickedly brutal.
"Okay, Tyson, cards on the table."
Tyson yelped as he felt a hand tighten on his shoulder. He turned to find Kai's fiery glare burning his eyes.
"What? What did I do?" he said, trying to twist out of his grasp.
"He's your best friend. If anyone would know what made him act like…like…like me, it would be you."
"Wha-? Who are you talking about?" he demanded, still trying to remove his viselike grip.
"Max. That's who. Maybe you could tell me why he's suddenly muttering dark threats."
"I…you…how should I know?" he asked, throwing his hands up in the air. "I haven't seen him since this morning when I blew off his offer to battle against me. That's all I know."
"Hang on. Rewind. Blew off his offer to battle?"
"Yeah. That's what I said."
"How exactly did you 'blow off' his offer?"
"I just told him I wanted a real challenge. What of it?"
"You doofus!" Kai growled, clocking Tyson upside his head. "I don't blame him one bit! This isn't the first time your fat mouth hasn't done any damage."
"Look, I know Max better than you do," Tyson said angrily, "and I know he isn't going to change because of what I said. He's too optimistic. And cheerful. And…and…"
"While you're searching for synonyms for 'happy', I think you should apologize. He was obviously more affected by what you said than you think."
"Hey, guess what Kai," Tyson said sarcastically, "you're actually concerned about someone. Why don't you celebrate? Just let-me-go!" he managed to yank his shoulder away, then stomped off. Kai had completely destroyed his good mood.
Max and 'dark' did not go together. And there was no way he would ever act like Kai.
What is Kai thinking?
Neji ran up the tree, pushing aside a few stray branches that got in his way. Finally, he reached the top.
Balancing precariously on the topmost point of the branch, he activated his kekkei genkai and looked around.
"Well?" Kurenai called. "What do you see?"
"I see smoke from far off. A couple more miles or so." He called back, squinting. It looked more like smog, actually. It was a thick grayish-black.
"We must be close," she said to the others. To Neji, she called, "Good. Come on down."
In seconds, he was back on the ground. "To be honest, it was thicker compared to any smoke I've ever seen." He said shortly. Might as well be honest.
"Tsunade-sama told me that the ships should be spewing ugly, thick fog. Those boats are for tourists – at least, those visiting the city from across the Naruto Strait - and they leave on an hourly schedule. We can afford to slow down a bit."
Neji nodded, not really caring.
Kurenai turned to the group. "Alright. We've made good time so far, so I guess you guys have earned another ten-minute break or so. Drink water, mold chakra, try to rest. We should be there an hour after sunset."
With a nod, the Chuunin walked off. "Don't stray too far." Kurenai called after them.
"Honestly," Asuma said to her, plopping down at the base of a tree, "the way you're acting, one would think you were some sort of elite leader. Try to ease up. They're only kids."
"They're no longer 'kids', Asuma," she said, shaking her head, "they're already thirteen. Some fourteen. That's old enough to act seriously."
"Not really," he said, closing his eyes, "if you ask me, they deserve at least a few more years of blissful, childish ignorance."
"No wonder you're like this now." She muttered under her breath.
He opened an eye and looked at her. "What?"
"Nothing, nothing." She said, starting to walk away.
"It didn't sound like 'nothing'," he said, grabbing her ankle, "it sounded like an insult."
"Asuma," she groaned, trying to yank her foot free.
"No, I'm serious. It really sounded like an insult." He said, playfully yanking her foot towards him. She slid off-balance and put her arms out to stop her fall.
"Would you let go?" she snapped, glaring at him. A mischievous smile lit up his features.
"Not until you admit it was an insult." He said, reaching up to her side. She tried to twist away, but failed miserably and was now lying flat on her back, her ankle twisted a bit painfully.
"Don't you dare," she warned, trying to crawl away. Asuma dared, and tickled her at the ribs.
She gave a quick laugh and tried to hide it. She tried to give him a warning look, but the smile destroyed it completely.
"Aha," Asuma said gleefully, "the warrior does have a weakness!"
"Asuma, no!" she yelled, half-laughing, as he continued to tickle her. She twisted and turned. But her kept a steady hold on her.
"Isn't this nice?" Kakashi said, walking in on them, "instead of biting off each other's heads, you're making each other laugh."
"Yeah, isn't it a wonderful change of pace?" Asuma said, grinning as he continued his relentless 'attack'.
Suddenly, a puff of smoke, a quick thud, and a few seconds later, Kurenai was smiling triumphantly as Asuma was trapped in a tree trunk.
Genjutsu, she thought, satisfied, always handy.
"Hey, come on," he said, "can't you take a joke?"
Kakashi looked at him, then at Kurenai.
"I said it before, I'll say it again," he said, walking away as well, "both of you spend an awful lot of time together."
Hinata smiled contentedly, feeling the spray of the salty-fresh sea breeze whip her hair around. The roar of the rushing waves filled her ears, and for some reason, she wanted to shout with glee. This was her first time to ride a huge, motor-powered boat. It was awfully exciting.
"Hey," a voice said, catching her unawares, "you look like you're enjoying yourself."
She turned around, and blushed to find the all-too familiar cerulean eyes gazing at her, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"Um…yeah. It's…it's kind of refreshing," she said shyly, gesturing to nothing in particular.
"I could tell," he said, wandering past her and leaning on the railing. It was quite dark, and he stared at his reflection on the dark water. Like a blackened mirror. Glassy. Indiscernible shapes dancing on its surface. It was hard to see at all. It was like staring off into nothingness, where it was impossible to tell where the horizon ended and the water began.
"It is kind of peaceful, huh?" he said. "I mean, if you ignore the fact that the waves are kind of roaring."
She giggled slightly, then shoved her knuckles to her mouth. She was such a wimp around him.
"It's kind of hard to believe that, a couple of days ago, I was kind of trying to keep the tears in. Worrying about…stupid stuff." He said, blowing the bangs off his face. They unstuck from his wet forehead and immediately got caught in the winds sharp hold.
"I don't think there's such a thing as 'worrying about stupid stuff'," Hinata said softly, leaning on the railings as well, "I mean, if you're already worrying about it, how can it be stupid if it's worth worrying about?"
He looked at her, a strange look in his eyes. Then, his face broke into a grin. "You know, that makes perfect sense, to be honest."
She smiled. "Maybe…maybe you could tell me. It might help if you tell people about it."
"Yeah," he answered, staring off, "it might. It's just…I kinda decided to stop thinking about her. She's totally for Sasuke, and…I'd just be hurting myself if I kept thinking about her. But…it's hard, you know? To like someone for a long time, then decide to abandon, push away, forget, any feeling you've had for her. It's harder than it seems, and…"
He trailed off. He was babbling again. Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
"Who is 'she'?" Hinata asked softly, concerned.
He looked at her, a strange look in his eyes. He thought it was obvious.
"Sakura-chan, of course."
"Oh."
Silence reigned once more. Hinata looked away, trying to bite it all in. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She had once again gotten so caught up in her stupid fantasies, reality decided to yank her back. She…Miss Bright-and-Smart-and-Beautiful…Miss Perfect…was his first love. No room in his heart for the shy, stuttering weakling in the corner. No, no room at all. He had given up on her, but he would never get over her.
Hopeless. As usual.
"Well…" she said after some time, "know what the best cure for a broken heart is?"
"Nope," he said, shaking his head, "what is it?"
"When I find out," she said, her voice growing softer, "I'll tell you."
He straightened up in shock, her eyes piercing his heart. He never knew.
She smiled sadly, then slowly turned back, making her way to the lower dock.
Hopeless.
"Ahh," Asuma said, breathing deeply, "do you smell that?"
"Yes," Kurenai said, shaking her head, "it's the smell of rotting fish. Let's get out of here." She turned around to face the young ninjas. "Okay, everyone, make sure to stick together. This is a new place and I don't want any of you getting lost. When I call your name, raise your hand, yell, or whatever. Just make sure I'll know you're here."
After the roll call, she nodded briskly, and turned around. "Let's go."
They left the docks and ventured into the noisy, polluted, bustling metropolis that was Tokyo. All around, people were going at a fast pace, checking tiny straps of leather and metal wrapped around their wrists, or else holding small, plastic boxes and moving their thumbs on it's surface. Metal carts without horses whizzed past at incredible speed. Loud, blasting noises met their ears.
"What the heck is this place?" Sasuke mumbled to Naruto. Naruto just shrugged. He was still in a state of shock. He had always found her attractive, but he thought she was scared of him, the way she always drew back, hugging herself, as if trying to protect her frail figure…
He barely heard Kakashi-sensei yell at them to hurry up. He followed everyone was they stepped onto a new part of land where those metal carts were speeding on.
He was still lost in thought.
"Naruto!"
The scream jerked him back to his senses. He noticed he was the only one on the middle of the road. He turned his head stiffly to the right.
Whizzing straight toward him was one of those metal carts. Light flashing from the front nearly blinded him, as he could only watch in terror as it drew closer to him at alarming speed.
A/N: You expected that, neh? A cliffhanger. Classic.
I think it's kinda obvious I won't kill him off. Too early, so don't hold your breath with worry. Hehe…
Sem breaks nearly over...kinds bummed and happy. Mood mix.