Author's Notes:
Thanks to starry123 who keeps on motivating me by reviewing! I'd also like to thank AkaiAngel for adding this story to her favourites list and Blood Drenched Scorpion for adding me to her alert list! Yay for all three of them! ~^^~
I've never written a character like Itsumi before, so I was frankly confused by her sheer arrogance. I based her on my neighbour, who was around eight at that time. Please tell me if you're confused. All of the chapters of this story will be the unedited version- maybe I'd look at them again later.
There's an additional part below this chapter, which is actually a part of the story that's too short to be a chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Chapter Three: So-called 'Coincidences'
The fridge was completely empty the time I arrived home since Aneue had forgotten to buy the groceries due to the amount of missions she had had, so today we arranged a shopping trip to save our roaring stomachs. The list of what we needed was 35 cm long; and for my tiny and tidy handwriting, it could be described as an adult Anaconda, which was very long.
"Do we really need all these?" Kireina-nee-san sweat dropped as she saw several items which caught her eye the moment she took the list from me. She knew me too well. Some of them were:
Apples
Oranges
Bananas
2m long chain
Strawberries
Butter
Paper bombs
Candy
Eggs
Paper
Milk
Pencils
Meat
Poisonous herbs
Fish
Ice cream
Vegetables
"Itsumi-chan…"
"It's been a long time since I last ate any kind of candies."
"I know, but-"
"I'm out of paper to draw on."
"Yes, but-"
"I'm also out of pencils to draw with."
"I understand, but-"
"I had a sudden craving for ice cream."
"All right! All right! I give up! But those aren't even groceries… And what do you need the chains and bombs for?"
"Don't forget the poisonous herbs~"
"Are you planning another scheme?" Kireina-nee-san eyed me suspiciously- my expression didn't change one bit.
"Forget it; you don't need to answer that. Here's the edited list."
Apples
Oranges
Bananas
Strawberries
Butter
Candy
Eggs
Paper
Milk
Pencils
Meat
Fish
Ice cream
Vegetables
I frowned. My plan was ruined. Completely. If only I had some pocket money-
"Itsumi-chan! Let's go!" I trailed behind her reluctantly, frown still in place.
"GAAAH!" Out of all days, it just had to be this one. Sasori-nii-san was too, 'coincidentally', grocery shopping. If I didn't know any better, I would've assumed that he was stalking my sister. I didn't know any better.
"Can't you behave even for one second? Don't you know that it is impolite to point at elder people and shout in public?" Grumbling silently, I took the pencils which Aneue had paid for and shoved them in my small basket.
"Hi, Sasori-kun! Shopping alone? You're such an independent boy" Sasori-nii-san shifted his gaze to the ground as if he was trying to hide his blushing face as Aneue ruffled his hair.
"Aneue! Don't spoil him!" I clung to her arm and held it there. I would never share my Aneue with anyone.
"Ah, Kireina-san! What luck for us to meet here!" Did I mention that I would never share my Aneue with anyone?
The voice belonged to Juukiri- I didn't bother to add any suffix behind his name. I hated him with a passion.
"Yes, what luck indeed" Aneue was faking it to sound polite. There had been too many 'coincidences' with Juukiri- even more than Sasori-nii-san! I was sure that Aneue was starting to realize this too.
"Are you accompanying your Aneue, Chibi-chan? What a good little girl!" His tone was sickeningly sweet; and he talked to me as if I was a baby. I was not. I was seven, for God's sake, not three.
"Can I borrow your Aneue for while?"
"NO!" I spontaneously reacted and hugged Aneue's arm even tighter. Perhaps even blocking the blood flow.
"Gomen, Juukiri-san. I promised my Imouto this trip, so-" Both of them were much taller than me, so I couldn't comprehend anything when Juukiri leaned to Aneue to whisper her something. Her expression changed for a brief second.
"Today? Now?" I recognized that way of asking.
"I'll take care of Itsumi if you want to go" Aneue glanced at Sasori-nii-san, then at me and lastly at Juukiri.
"I promise I'll make it up to you, Itsumi-chan. Arigatou, Sasori-kun!" Both of them leaped on the rooftops and disappeared.
"Chains? Bombs? Poisonous herbs? Who are you going to kill today?" Looked like Aneue gave him the list when I wasn't paying attention. I didn't reply. It was already a struggle to hold my tears. I wouldn't cry in front of him. Never. He realized anyway.
"It's not like they're going on a date-"
"I don't believe him."
"You can't control your sister's life."
"Try me" I snatched the list from him and pretended to read so my hair would fall all around and hide my face. Just like his attempt to hide his before.
"Cry-baby."
"Jerk!" I was acting childish, and I was completely aware of it. I loathed this part of me so much. The jerk jerked my hand and pulled me forward along with him.
"Let go! Let me go! Let me-!" He then popped something into my mouth. Something round. Something sweet.
"Figures. Now you shut up"
"How…?"
"I bought it because it was on sale. Candies are for babies anyway" I frowned, but accepted the bags of sweets, nevertheless. I stared at the delicious colorful crystals as we walked- it was rare for him to act like this.
"You still want to buy those poisonous herbs?" I feebly shook my head. He smirked.
"Suit yourself" Somehow, someway, I had a hunch that he knew what those dangerous stuffs were for. I didn't care. Still, I had to figure out something else.
Addition: (Nice, aren't I? X3)
I swung…1…2…3…87…88… Then there they were. My preys- at least for today. No, the poisonous herbs and paper bombs weren't for them. The chain, however, was a completely different story. Since Aneue refused to buy it, I searched for one in the basement- to no avail. Though I did find a stupid rubber snake with horribly bloated eyes. And an idea snuck into my mind. Thank Otou-san for loving to keep mysteriously peculiar things. I rubbed my hands together, an evil smirk on my face.
Time for plan B!
I hid it behind my back and tapped the 'leader's' shoulder.
"Hey look! It's little puppet!" He laughed with his friends. I smiled sweetly in return. "You managed to get out after all! So how was the hole?"
"Oh it was really comfortable! And the ghosts were really nice too. They even gave me something" This time, they only laugh half-heartedly.
"Oh c'mon! We know ghosts aren't real."
"Really?" I teased, then with precision and speed I've been practicing for hours, I kicked him so that he fell on his face and sat on him. Then, I purposely wiggled my hand that was grasping the fake snake so that it looked alive. The other two scurried away the moment the fake tongue popped out.
"That's a cheap trick!" He spat, eyes shut close, much to my liking.
"Not as dirty as yours! Now where's Yuki-hime?"
"Get the snake offa me!"
"Not until you tell me where she is!"
"All right, all right! We buried that stupid thing under the right swing!" I left the snake on top of him while I dug out my treasure. It had been silently trapped below me the whole time.
"Huh? What's this?" I grinned widely as I caught a glance of him with the corner of my eye.
"Now you can call it a cheap trick" Not wasting precious time, I ran to Chiyo-baa-sama's house and asked her to fix Yuki-hime.