"Damn…" I mumbled incoherently as a small amount of bright sunlight managed to crawl into the tent and through my barely ajar eyelids, causing me to groan and attempt to burrow deeper into my sleeping bag. The fluffed lining of my sleeping bag tickled my face as I nuzzled back into a dreamlike state. Said state was broken quickly when the doors of the tent were thrown open and a cheery voice greeted us excitedly.
"Kyoko! Mai! Time to get up!" Rika's voice sang, shaking my shoulder through my sleeping bag. I grumbled drowsily, contorting my body away from the hand. I could hear Mai groan as well as Rika switched to trying to wake her.
"Go away…" Mai mumbled sleepily.
"Come on! We've got much to do today and you two are the last ones still asleep!" Rika announced as I began to allow sleep to take hold of me. But sunlight—damned sunlight—crept more strongly about the tent, filtering through both the fabric of my sleeping bag and my closed eyelids. "Don't make me get the water!" Rika threatened. Snorting with disbelief, I closed y eyes tighter and my breathing evened as sleep took a strong hold of me again.
All of a sudden, extra weight pushed down and chilled water infiltrated my sleeping bag. Sighing in disgust, I threw back my sodden sleeping bag and blinked sleep away from my eyes as they adjusted to the excess light. Shivers crawled across my skin as a light breeze blew into the tent, the wind carrying a numbing chill as it went. Picking soaked hair from my face, Mai's chatters broke the silence as I glanced over at her; dark hair clung to her face and her arms were crossed in an attempt to retain heat.
"Want a blanket?" I asked, tossing her the soft fleece fabric that was kept dry in my bag. Apparently Mai's sleeping bag was more porous than mine. She gratefully wrapped the blanket about herself as she nodded.
My jaw clenched as I held back chatters, my sleeping clothes heavier with the water they had soaked up.
"What do you think Rika's got planned?" Mai asked, yawning drowsily as she groped for her bag, her eyes closed and not yet adjusted to the morning light.
"I really don't want to know," I mumbled as I unsteadily rose. Grasping a jacket from her bag and wrapping it about her shoulders, Mai dropped the blanket back in my bag.
I exited the tent behind Mai and as we approached the makeshift fire pit; a decision I thoroughly regretted. Most of the shinobi were chatting about the camp fire; Hiro shook wet hair away from his face as he sent a smirk in our direction. Sensing that there was something hidden in that smirk, Mai and I immediately spun around, only to be caught by Rika.
"Where do you two think you are going?" Rika inquired, grasping the scruff of my sleep shirt tightly.
"The better question is where the hell do you think you all are going? Cause, I'm not going where ever you all are," I stated, attempting to pull away from Rika. She only held on tighter as I struggled in vain, twisting and turning until the neck on my shirt was stretched and almost choking me.
"That's unfortunate; and you have no choice. You're coming," Rika stated, tossing us back towards our tent. I glanced back at the shinobi about the fire pit; all of them were in swim suits and they all carried towels against their sides. Shaking my head, I turned back to face Rika and crossed my arms over my chest. Mai pulled her jacket closer about herself as she sent Rika a glare, her mouth set in a firm line.
"We don't have suits," Mai huffed. I nodded in agreement, the coincidence being prefect for this situation. To my dismay, Rika's grin only widened.
"No problem!" she beamed, "I brought suits for you!" My jaw dropped as Rika disappeared for only a second before returning with two bags; one gestured towards Mai and the other shoved under my nose. I inwardly groaned as I sent a glare at Rika.
"Why do you have suits that are specifically for us? And how did you know our sizes?" I questioned, pushing the bag away from my face. Again, Rika only grinned.
"Teacher's intuition," she simply replied.
"We just don't swim," Mai stated as Rika held out the bags insistently. I nodded my head in agreement before glaring disdainfully at the bag, attempting to burn a hole in it. It didn't work.
"Just put these on."
Rolling my eyes, I snatched the bag fiercely from Rika's grip and ripped through the doors of the tent, growling the entire way.
I waited patiently for Mai outside the tent, a baggy shirt and pair of shorts covering the atrocious suit Rika had given me.
Plucking up the collar of the shirt to glance at the cherry suit again, I shuddered at what I saw and dropped the collar to re-grasp my towel. Mai finally exited the tent, a disgusted expression cracking her face.
"Did she give you a bikini too?" I asked, seeing her expression and attire; Mai wore a top that was sizes too big so it appeared more like a dress than a shirt.
"Yeah, she did," Mai grimaced, "So she wasn't just picking on me?" I shook my head and reluctantly turned towards the fire pit, a large knot of some emotion pitted in my stomach. Mai followed just as slowly, the other shinobi conversing as they waited for us: the only two not yet ready to go.
It was only about ten minutes before the spray of freshwater began to hit my face and the scent of open air filled my head. I shuddered involuntarily as chilly morning spray spread about the air around me, the moisture causing the knot in my gut to tighten and tangle more aggressively.
The sight of a lake soon came into view: a dock made of wood panels stretching out through the crystal water that lapped against a pale sanded shore. As the trees began to thin out around us, the dirt slowly turned into sand which jumped into my sandals and ground under my feet.
"Alright everyone! It's your day off so please enjoy it!" One of the jounin announced, her crimson eyes sparkling with excitement. Rolling my eyes, I stayed close to Mai as we strolled out along the wood pier, the boards creaking softly under each of our foot falls.
"You gonna be ok?" Mai whispered as she noticed something I was having difficulty identifying.
"Yeah," I breathed, watching the water intently as it slid back and forth, pulling and tugging at the world about it carelessly. It was hypnotic; my eyes never left the crystal liquid as we made our way down the pier.
The wood was warm under my now bare feet as I laid out my towel and plopped down, shielding my eyes from the harsh midmorning sun. I finally just closed my eyes; the rays of sun glinting wildly off the waves of clear lake water. I growled loudly as drops of water splashed up onto the dry deck from our companions leaping into the lake.
"Come on you guys! Get in the water!" Naruto shouted as my eyes fluttered open. The blonde ninja's hair seemed even brighter in the sunlight as he glanced over the edge of the deck at us, his hair and face soaked and dripping with water.
"Go away," I replied. Pouting his lips, Naruto furrowed his eyebrows and dropped back down into the waist high water with a splash.
"Stupid Kyoko…stupid Mai…they think they're so cool…" he murmured under his breath as he waded out deeper until the water reached his shoulders and he began treading water. My glare followed him as he went, my vision boring into the back of his head. Mai shook her head as she glanced back at the book she was reading from her lap.
I watched with only slight interest as my companions splashed through the azure waves and on the sandy beach. My eyes followed as they molded the sand into shapes and castles and as they swam about the clear lake.
The steady beat of the waves bumping against the pier lulled me into a semi conscious state; the damp wind rushed through my hair, sending both scarlet and deep golden locks into my eyes. I sighed as I tucked the strands behind my ear in vain to only have them fall into my half lidded vision again. The beating continued uninterrupted for a while, the only disturbance being that from the shinobi in the lake.
Suddenly, a bright blue sphere flew across my vision; I ignored it only to see it again and again, followed by loud splashes, giggles, and even squeals. My skin seemed to be baking in the afternoon sun, the heat much higher since the morning. Scooting up so that my feet trailed into the warmed lake waves, I glanced up to see a bright sapphire sphere almost collide with my head.
Snapping my hand up, the bouncy ball smacked against my palm as my fingers curled about it to keep it in place.
"Kyoko! Over here!" a shrill voice screamed. Finding the origin of the voice, I glanced at the ball in my hand and then back at Sakura.
I tossed it lightly while I remained confused; Sakura gave me no answers and ran off with the item, squealing most of the way. I rolled my eyes at her and then turned back to Mai.
"So how's the book?" I wondered, kicking a few drops off the surface of the lake. Mai closed it and sighed, throwing it away from her.
"I'd much rather be training right now," she sighed. A wry grin crossed her face as she shielded her eyes from the sunlight; I sighed deeply, splashing my foot in the water again.
"It's a difficult choice but sitting here, being bored as hell is a whole lot better than training with Uchiha; that's a living hell," I told her. Mai chuckled lightly, falling back so that her arms hung over the other side of the pier.
"From what you've told me, sounds like it would suck," Mai chuckled, splashing the water with her fingers. A small grin broke across my face as I stared up at the clouds, sand washing out into the water as I cautiously pushed my foot deeper into the water.
All of a sudden, something grasped my foot from under the surface of the water. My attention immediately shot downward as my eyes widened in shock. Inhaling sharply, my screech pierced the air as whatever was holding my appendage gave a sharp tug, dragging me, not really kicking but definitely screaming, into the water.
"Kyoko! What the—," was all I heard before Mai's voice was gargled away with my head submerging into the water. The icy liquid suddenly clogged my ears and surrounded me quickly as I opened my eyes in a try to find the dock again. My hand finally struck the bottom board of the pier and I tugged myself to the surface, gasping greedily for oxygen. As I surfaced, Sasuke surfaced next to me, an amused smirk playing at his lips. As quickly as the air had entered my lungs it exited, more precisely in a few choice words.
"What the fuck!" I cursed. I could hear Mai on the deck, threatening Hiro as he came closer to her, threatening to push her in as well.
Grasping the rough boards of the pier, I began to pull out of the water, involuntary shivers trailing across my skin.
"Where are you going?" Sasuke asked, a few laughs mixing into his question, "Get back in here." I only glared at him as he approached me, my eyes sending a clear message of my current emotions.
"Fuck no," I cursed. As I finally pulled up onto the top of the pier, Uchiha grasped my free leg which I swiftly snatched away, glaring again. "What is confusing to you about the word "no", Uchiha? I don't want to get in the water."
"I TOLD YOU! NOW YOU OWE ME HIRO!" Naruto screeched across the lake, "I TOLD YOU SHE WOULD SCREAM!" Now I turned my irate glower to Naruto, who instantly cowered under my gaze.
"What was that, Naruto?" I hissed, glaring at the nin. I saw Hiro had won the battle as Mai leaped back onto the pier, soaked to the bone. Shaking my head, I peeled my shirt off and then dropped both that and my shorts next to my towel allowing the atrocious cherry colored suit to be viewed; I didn't even want the thing to exist. I quickly spun back to Naruto who was still rambling on about something with Hiro.
"…didn't you hear her? Her screams were like an octave higher than human hearing meaning I won the bet. It was hilarious!" Naruto laughed, throwing his head back with glee he would soon regret.
"Naruto!" I yelled as he pulled himself onto the deck of the pier. Instantly, Naruto's head snapped about as he sweat dropped, his pallor paling as I approached the blonde.
"Uhh…" Naruto stuttered before darting away, his blonde head swiftly disappearing about the edge of the lake. What a smart boy.
Straightening up, I rubbed my forehead when I was suddenly smacked in the back of the head. Holding the site of the pain, I spun around and snatched up the sapphire ball, gripping the sphere angrily. Kiba and Hiro were chuckling from the water as I glowered at them. Then the ball was snatched from my grip. I spun about to see Uchiha, smirking at me with the sphere in hand.
"Give it back!" I cried, jumping up to try and take the ball back; Sasuke only held it further out of my reach.
"Then join us," he stated, smirking as he waited for my answer.
"I'm not getting in the water."
"All you need to do is join in," he repeated as I glowered up at him. He didn't seem all that affected by the stare which only caused more annoyance to pool with the rest of my irritation. A minute passed before the battle I was fighting with myself resolved itself.
"Fine," I growled. As soon as the answer left my lips, Uchiha ran off down the pier towards the sandy beach, the other males calling out for him to toss the ball. As I caught up, I sprang at Sasuke, both of us landing on the grainy sand with a thud just as he tossed the ball. I twisted my head to glance over my shoulder at the scene as Kiba tossed the ball to Hiro who was backing away swiftly from Mai's advances. Standing from atop Uchiha, I took a few steps onto the dock, slowly approaching the others.
The ball then went from Kiba, soaring above my head. Uchiha caught the sapphire ball just behind me only to retract his arm. I darted after him but just as he snapped out the throw, his footing slipped and the toss flew askew and out over the water. I watched with amusement as both Mai and Hiro jumped for it, colliding and landing with a loud splash in the lake.
Mai was the first to resurface, the sapphire ball in hand as she grinned in triumph. Gesturing towards me, I began towards the pier to make it easier for Mai, seeing as Hiro was now chasing after her.
The bottom of my feet tapped lightly against the wood panels as I dashed towards the center of the lake, the water covering the pier making the wood slick. The pads of my foot didn't hold in any way and as I slammed into a firm chest, the azure thing flew over my head again and my balance failing me. Again.
I suddenly inhaled sharply as I fell under the lake's crystal surface as the person I had collided with pushed me in.
The water swallowed me completely and my head swirled about as oxygen quickly became a need. Opening my eyes, Uchiha's deep charcoal eyes met mine as he stared at me, the sapphire ball clutched in his hand. Noting my surrounding, Sasuke was uncomfortably close and I was gripping his shoulder tightly as I became lightheaded.
Scrambling uncoordinatedly upward, I finally reached the surface of the water, breaking it in a desperate search for air. Breathing in heavily, I glared at the Uchiha before climbing back out onto the pier. The object of our intense attention was now in Sakura's possession, her green eyes scanning the lake for a recipient of her throw.
I glanced around, only now noticing that Ino had exited the water to instead sunbathe and Hinata had now found a seat on the edge of the pier; Hiro was the only boy who remained outside the water in our game.
Mai's hand shot out as she grasped the ball, catching my attention with a quick glance. She tossed it quickly, just in time to have the pitch remain straight. Hiro bowled into her as the item soared through the air, both of them crashing to the lake's surface. Again.
The boys now had possession as Naruto popped up from under the water and swiftly swiped the sphere from Sakura's grip, tossing it to his teammate. The ball remained in the boys' possession for a long while; Sakura, Mai, and I were outnumbered by Kiba, Hiro, Naruto, and Sasuke.
Closing my eyes, I leaned my hands on my knees and tried to slow my haggard breathing.
It was odd; that stupid little ball had become the object of all of our attentions in a matter of minutes and it had lasted for hours now. The sun was now low in the sky and giving out its last strong rays of golden light.
I returned from my own thoughts abruptly as I heard Mai and Sakura screaming my name just before all the air rushed from my lungs in a painful groan. Sasuke scrambled from over me as he attempted to reach for the indigo ball just feet in over my head. Placing a strong hand against his chest, I roughly pushed him away with a sturdy shove. A groan left his lips as he stopped rolling with a thud, a small smile breaking across his face.
That's what made me stop.
I had the object we had been obsessing over for hours now in my very grasp and I was struck by a stupid smile. But it was a smile. From the Uchiha: a smile? I shook my head. Then, realization hit me over the head. I was having fun.
I hadn't had this kind of fun in years. It seemed like many of us hadn't had fun like this in years.
Surprisingly, a coy shove was pressed against my shoulder, causing me to stumble forward. Uchiha passed me, sending me the famous smirk as he approached the others. I sent him a soft glower as Mai's voice pierced the air.
"KYOKO!" she cried, a bright grin possessing her face, as she threw the ball, the item soaring towards me. Then it happened; for a single second, a smile broke out across my face.
"A-arren't youu ffreezing?" Sakura mumbled, her teeth chattering together from the wind chilled water. Opening one eye, I raised an eyebrow quizzically and gazed up at the pinkette from where I had collapsed at the end of the pier.
"Not really," I replied, allowing my eye to flutter shut again. Mai only shrugged as the sun finally fell below the horizon; the crystal lake now turned dark and opaque, the true depths unclear and now unseen. The pinkette lingered with us for a moment before more gusts of wind that tore at the lake water also blew past her, causing Sakura to shiver again as she wrapped her arms about herself. Her steps leisurely quieted as she strode further away from where Mai and I were lying. She was only about a quarter of the way down the pier before her voice broke the tranquility of the lake.
"Hi Sasuke-kun! Where are you going?" Sakura's voiced echoed loudly over the quieted lake, her steps halting as she spoke.
"I'll be right back," he stated blandly. Another set of footsteps beyond approached us beyond Sasuke, the vibrations of each step travelling down the wooden panels to my ears. Stretching, I started down the pier with Mai, our abandoned belonging back where we had left them earlier. Only a few steps down the pier, I collided with the Uchiha himself.
"Move," I deadpanned, glowering up at Sasuke darkly. Mai scowled up at Hiro; the two males stood shoulder to shoulder, taking up the entire width of the pier.
A smirk, the smirk I had seen many, many times, managed to spread across Sasuke's features as he stared at me, a spark of amusement sparkling in his eyes.
"Are you deaf?" Mai spat at the brunette shinobi. He only smirked at her as she only glared with even more ferocity. Again, neither of the two morons answered; annoyance knotted in my chest as I sighed heavily and attempted to forcibly shift the barrier in my way. Placing a hand on Sasuke's chest, I shoved him back harshly with no effect. His smirk only widened as he wrapped a hand about my wrist and drew my hand away from himself.
Sasuke took his entertained gaze off me for a moment to meet Hiro's gaze in a fleeting amount of eye contact. It was too late now but it dawned on me that there was some ulterior motive concealed in their smirks and they had just set off the signal. Shit.
With a swift placement of his hand and a concise shove, I rolled out into the dark lake unwillingly and all the air I had inhaled only seconds before instantly left my lungs.
MAI'S POV
Something was weird. I couldn't really say what but when Hiro's dark gaze left mine, I knew something was up. Only seconds later, the chilled lake pulled me under due to a rough shove from Hiro. Trashing at the icy water, my head broke the surface swiftly; I paddled towards the pier, my only thought being how painfully I could kill Hiro.
Then I noticed the missing person on the pier.
I gasped in fear as I frantically swam towards the wooden planks that the lake waves bobbed about, my eyes widening as silence still thudded in my ears.
"YOU IDIOTS!" I screeched, finally pulling myself up onto the pier. Lying on my stomach, I wearily dragged myself across the width of the pier with both of the males' eyes curiously watching me. I scanned the water anxiously, my eyes searching for Kyoko in the dark abyss.
"What's wrong?" Hiro asked quizzically as I continued to search to no avail. Snarling, I forced myself to my feet despite my fatigue and my fury boiled over with the boost of my fear.
"KYOKO CAN'T SWIM!" I screamed, crouching despite my muscles screams of protest and springing into the icy water again. Both Hiro's and Sasuke's eyes widened as I plunged under the water, another body joining my frenzied search.
KYOKO'S POV
My chest was painfully tight as if a balloon had been placed behind my ribcage and my lungs were screaming for air as I oddly attempted to find the water's surface. All of my attacks against the water seemed ineffective and only deterring seeing as I only seemed to sink deeper. The foul taste of lake water filled my mouth and bitterly travelled down my throat to settle with the fear that was building in my stomach.
Dizziness cascaded upon my mind, my vision becoming even more blurred as my head spun like a top. I had very little of an idea how to pull myself to the oxygen I was dying for and my mind didn't seem to be getting any clearer as I attempted to swim. All I could do was continue to thrash through the water.
Through the fog of my oxygen hungry search, someone grasped my arm and began pulling my skyward. Another grip wrapped its way about my middle, helping the first to bring me toward the air.
As my head finally broke the surface of the lake, I gasped hungrily for oxygen, scattered coughs and wheezes escaping my mouth as fatigue set into my muscles. With my hair clinging to my neck and face, the two people aiding me pushed me up onto the pier's deck. My breathing still haggard and broken up, I rested my cheek on the warm wood and rested my eyes as I inhaled as much oxygen as possible.
Hiro was crouching next to me, his hand was placed on my shoulder as Mai and Sasuke plunked up onto the pier. Both of them were breathing heavily and Mai collapsed next to me, exhausted.
"A…are you…okay?" Mai breathed, turning her anxious gaze towards me. Opening my eyes, I nodded feebly, allowing my eyelids to hide my vision again.
Curling into myself, I attempted—and failed—to block out the swift gust of wind that were causing shivers to run about my skin. Now, I was cold.
"You don't know how to swim?" Sasuke exclaimed from my left. Turning over, I glared up at him weakly, tremors making the glare less effective.
"W-when would I need to know how to swim! If you didn't notice, we live in the middle of a forest!" I huffed, my voice only cracking once as I kept my tone strong; an impossible task if ever there was one. Tremors creaked through my bones and my muscles contracted involuntarily and spasmodically.
"Come on: we have to go and get you somewhere warm," Sasuke told me, his tone softer and less accusing than it had been previously.
Just the thought of having to exert energy made my muscles groan, my whole essence felt like it had become ice. As I stabbed at lifting myself, my limbs felt like dead weight and my head felt waterlogged and it spun with each movement.
"I'll…get up later," I stammered, dropping back down on the pier. Hiro had already lifted Mai off the pier and was now carrying her down towards the shore. Sasuke remained where he was, shaking excess water from his raven locks.
"You'll catch hypothermia if you don't warm up," Sasuke huffed, nudging my shoulder roughly. I only groaned in response, my muscles burning at the sudden movement.
"I'm s-sorry my pa-ain is ssuch an inn-convenience to you. Anywayss, by the brright indigo-ish color of my h-hand, it looks like h-hypothermia'ss all ready sset in," I stumbled, my lips not working together with my words. Twisting my numb and azure hued hand in front of both his and my eyes, Sasuke rolled his eyes at my indifference.
Reaching forward, Sasuke lifted me off the warm deck: one arm supporting my legs, the other holding behind my shoulders.
"P-put me down, Jaackass," I mumbled weakly, my head falling against his chest out of fatigue. Sasuke completely ignored my comment as he carried me down the dock, his grip tightening on me as the others surrounded us with question burning to be answered. He merely continued with his strides, his only responses to any of the jounin.
Fatigue finally crashed down on me; the effects being that drowsiness now clouded both my mind and vision. To add to that, Sasuke's steps were steady and uninterrupted, nursing the sleepiness so it became stronger and more effective on my consciousness. Even though I was still in a mild state of hypothermia and coughs still intertwined with my normal breathing, I dozed off as we travelled back towards the campsite.
Even though I was seemingly asleep, little bits of my surroundings were entering my dreams: I caught bits of the talk, some of it cursing for some reason. Before I fully fell into slumber, soft blankets and a warm sleeping bag surrounded me in a cocoon, warming every cell of my body.
"I guess I'll steal Naruto's…" Sasuke's voice deadpanned as I succumbed to sleep.
Naruto and its Characters © Misashi Kishimoto
My OCs, this story/plot ©Midnight Writer 13