Two people walked down the dirt road. Casual steps. The first then the second person following. The first stopped and, pulling a leg back, kicked the toes on the ground as if adjusting the shoe taught on the foot. The second figure waited until the first continued again.
"Stupid shoes..." the first person whispered, the voice familiar to very few. The second person smiled at the companion's simple anger. The dress of the two people was something not dramatic in any way. Drab shirts and pants that were retrieved from a poor bandit helped the newcomers blend in to the village. Two medium-sized hats concealed their heads from the gleam of the sun and the sparse onlookers.
The two approached a shop selling flowers and the first person stopped. Two golden eyes sparkled from underneath the first hat as they read the sign.
"Oh, C'mon, Kal…" the second figure sighed irritably.
"Just a peak just to see if they have anything good," Kali replied, "and you can ask for directions while I look." She looked back at him. "Please, brother?" He gave one more sigh before following her into the store. Kali slid her hat back a little and approached a bundle of bright blue wildflowers. The store was small and the only other person in the store was the cashier. A girl with long light blond hair put up in a bun. She looked up with light blue eyes and a smile.
"Welcome, may I help you?" She asked. Oji looked up with a look that reminded her of the absent minded Kakashi.
"Oh, yeah, actually you can," he approached the counter. He noticed her eyes and smiled. "You have some nice eyes, pretty lady." He said with a smile. Ino blushed with surprise.
"Why, thank you," she replied, "My name's Ino Yamanaka." Oji tilted his hat back to reveal a sprig of bright orange hair, but still concealing the odd-looking cat ears.
"Oji. Nice to meet you." The name rang a bell with Ino, but she wasn't paying attention. "Are you a ninja student here?"
"Yes."
"Well, you would know where the ninja academy is, right?"
"Sure your really close from here. Do you want me to take you?"
"That would be nice of you." Oji smiled at her and looked up at Kali.
"You done, Kal?" Kali stood and picked a cerulean flower from a bouquet of others.
"What do you think?" She placed next to her eyes and modeled it.
"Beautiful!" Ino said, "A great color to bring out your golden eyes." Kali produced a few coins and paid for the flower, not wanting it wrapped.
Ino yelled up to her mom a goodbye and led the way out of the shop. Oji turned his hat down again and walked up next to Ino.
"Could you just point it out? I think I want to go one more place first."
"Sure," Ino replied. She led them to the academy and Oji thanked her kindly.
"Maybe I'll see you around," Oji said as he waved and went a different way. After a second Kali chuckled.
"She liiikes you," Kali said with a grin. Oji chuckled, but said nothing. They continued down the street. "So where we going, Bra?" She prodded as she rested her hands on the back of her head.
"I was hoping to find Sakura first. I have a plan." Kali perked.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, see, we'll make this reunion interesting." They looked at each other with sly grins and picked up their pace.
Sasuke and Arrow stood in a line of three other ninja and their dogs. The first had a medal and the teacher moved to Sasuke. Sasuke stood tall and Arrow sat at his side with his head held high
"Sasuke and Arrow, for your amazing ability to cooperate and complete missions, I now declare you ninja and nin-kin dog." He handed Sasuke a medal and Arrow couldn't keep his tail from wagging. When they left Sasuke took the headband Kakashi had given him and tied it around Arrow's neck.
"Alright, Arrow, now you can come with me wherever I go." Sasuke received a face full of wet love from Arrow before he could stand up. Arrow whined a happy bark and ran in a circle. There was now another pendant of pride around Arrow's furry neck. Sasuke remembered Kali and felt a rush. Arrow was almost an adult and she still wasn't here.
It was just afternoon now and Sasuke had finished the class so early he had nothing to do all day. Maybe he would go back and get Arrow something to eat. He deserved something nice after today's performance. When he got home he began rummaging through what little food he had. Usually it was only him, but since Arrow came along it had been different. Arrow ate more like a vacuum cleaner than a dog, inhaling everything that smelled good.
Arrow pranced around the room and enjoyed the sound of the headband clanking on his neck. He jumped onto the bed and his tail hit the small table nearby. A small item fell from on top and Arrow honed in on it as it bounced on the floor. Sasuke heard the commotion and looked up from the fridge.
"What are you dong over there, Arrow?" He called. Arrow trotted up and placed the cat whistle on the floor in front of him. Sasuke picked it up. "I haven't seen this since…" He didn't finish. What if he thought so long ago was true? What if this whistle worked the same as Kali's whistle? He put it in his pocket and shut the refrigerator door. "C'mon, boy. We'll eat out today." Arrow yipped excitedly and followed Sasuke out.
Kali looked up at the balcony and then back down at Oji who stood next to her.
"Are you sure this is it?" She asked. Oji nodded.
"I asked three people already and they said this was it," Oji answered with his incessant smile. Kali shrugged
"Okay, but if it ain't," She warned.
"I know, I know," Oji replied. With a glance to each side, he made a simple jump and landed softly on the balcony. Using his skillful eyes he peeked around the room. It was definitely Sakura's room. There was a picture on the dresser of Team 7. There also was a dress on a manikin in the corner that made Oji think of Sakura. Kali followed him in the same manner and whistled impressed.
"This is definitely her room," Kali said as she removed her hat and sat on the bed. Oji removed his as well and scratched his head, ruffling his hair. He looked up and down the dress standing in the corner. "How long we gonna wait?"
"As long as we must," Oji replied, "She shouldn't be long now since Ino is a ninja and she was home. I suspect all ninja get out about the same time." Kali nodded.
"Alright," She laid on the bed and rested her head on her hands. Oji picked up the picture and looked at it before beginning to go through the many perfumes and trinkets on her dresser.
Sasuke approached the center of the village and tried to pick from the many food stands. He finally settled on a fresh meat pie stand. He approached and ordered two. Arrow sat and looked around the square. There were so many other smells! He lifted his nose in the air and took a large whiff. Fresh ramen, meat, and stir fry filled the air mixing with the multiple scents of people. Sasuke brandished the fresh meat pie in front of Arrow's nose and Arrow perked.
"This is yours, Arrow. Let's go eat it before it gets cold," Sasuke said. Arrow and Sasuke went to a secluded place and ate their food. Arrow swallowed his almost whole and rested his head on Sasuke's lap to relax. Sasuke took the last bite of his food and pulled the whistle Arrow had found from his pocket. He looked at it for a second before blowing it lightly. An inaudible sound resonated from the whistle. Not long after, Arrow looked up and sniffed curiously. Sasuke was dozing when this happened and opened one eye to see. Arrow stood and sniffed harder before whining nervously and stepped in place nervously. Sasuke sat up and looked closer.
"What is it, boy?" Sasuke asked. Right when the words left his mouth Arrow bolted away. Sasuke could have sworn he was leaving a trail of dust as fast as he was running. Sasuke stood and ran after Arrow, but the wolf was too fast and left Sasuke behind. He wasn't worried, though, Arrow had to have a good reason to run off and he never left for long.
Oji looked out the window.
"Hey, Sasuke found the whistle," he said, "I wonder how long he's had that thing..." Kali heard the door on the first floor close and Sakura's voice yelled to her mother.
"I'M HOME, MOM!" Sakura yelled. Kali just lay there tracking Sakura's movements below until Sakura got to the door. Oji was observing his reflection in the mirror behind the door when it flung open. Sakura screamed, Kali sat up in surprise and Oji was shoved against the wall by the door.
"Hey!" Kali said in shock. Sakura flung a shurukin at Kali instinctively and Kali lunged back to dodge. Oji came out from behind the door rubbing his bruised head.
"Now that's not necessary!" Oji roared. Sakura spun around and Oji grabbed her arm to keep her from punching him. "Hey, hey, now, Little lady, keep the fists of fury down." Sakura suddenly noticed who it was.
"Oji!?" She looked back at Kali, who was staring at the shurukin that was buried in the wall. "Kali!? You came!" Kali smiled at her and plucked the weapon from the wall.
Sasuke called Arrow again. The dog had vanished! He walked down the street a ways before calling again. Maybe he was on a trail of something, like Akamaru or something. He turned to Kiba's house. Maybe that's where he was. Going there was better than wandering around the village.
Arrow slowed when he reached Ino's flower shop. He spun around and traced Kali's scent to the academy. She was his long lost friend and he had waited for her to return since his birth. He remembered the first person he saw like he had seen her yesterday. She had told him to protect the one he was given to and she would return to him. He glanced over to the bushes and saw the large black figure of Akkan staring at him with the piercing, ice blue eyes. They stared at each other for the most of three minutes before Arrow shot off in the direction Kali and Oji had gone.
"What took you so long?" Sakura asked Kali and Oji. Kali scratched her head nervously.
"Well," She said.
"You know, this huge village isn't that easy to find when you haven't been on the mainland since childhood," Oji said with a bit of sarcasm.
"Yeah, and the things on the island got a little shaky for a while." Kali continued. "We couldn't exactly get a ride for a bit. Not to mention other difficulties. I'll tell you all when we get together."
"Speaking of which, we'd better get going." Oji stretched and stepped to the door, opening for the girls. Sakura and Kali walked out and Kali nodded at Oji a thank you. "So, Little Lady, where would THE Naruto Uzumaki?" Oji asked.
"Hm, he's probably at his favorite ramen place, Ichiraku, right now."
"Good, let's swing by him first."
"Oh, brother," Kali said, having a sudden idea, "Let's mess with 'em a little." Oji looked to his side down at her.
"I'm listening," Oji said as the group stopped. Kali smiled and explained her plan carefully.