"NARUTO!"

"... Buh...?"

Is that my shining god that stepped on my little unworthy self yesterday, shouting and shaking my tent? I don't feel like getting up so I'll just send my doppelganger out. I sneeze. Stupid loose feathers tickling my

nose.

"What took you! We've got to go on a walk today! Did you forget that too, Dobe!"

I decided to let him shout at the doppelganger while I go back to sleep. I don't really feel like talking to him right now. I guess This is going to be one of those pathetic little one-sided loves I used hear about and laugh at. I always thought: Those idiots! Why love someone who doesn't love you back? ... And here I am imagining Sasuke cuddling me instead of my stupid suitcase. I sneeze again and he stops. Uh-oh. I quickly create another doppelganger, and make it sit in the middle of the tent.

"Naruto! Quit messing around, and let's go!"

I wonder how far I can get my copy to walk before it's out of range and disappears. I can just imagine all their faces at that! Ha ha! They'd be all like 'Damn you, Naruto!', then I'd be all like, a long way away, hiding from them and snickering to myself.

"I said GET UP!"

Suddenly Sasuke grabs my suitcase and drags it outside, shaking it vigorously and making me sick. I sneeze for a third time. Damn. Just my luck.

"Thought you could get away?"

He asks, unzipping my suitcase. I smile innocently and wave, trying with my other hand to reclose the top. He tears me from my fluffy suitcase, and recloses it, putting it back in the tent and punching my doppelganger in the face.

"Ow!"

"That's what you get for not listening."

"You didn't have to hit me so hard!"

"Yes, I did."

"Did not!"

I know, I'm immature. Anyway, I follow him to where Kakashi and Sakura are waiting, and we start walking off. I fall on my face only three times on the way there, and seven on the way back. Why does it have to be so slippery and muddy! Dang the rain! Dang it all to heck!

"You sure are out of it today, Naruto."

'Shut up, Sakura.'

"I mean, I can't believe you freaked out over that little chipmunk! It was just eating a nut!"

'I'm warning you to stop now.'

"And then when you fell off that cliff into the lake! I laughed so hard! I can't believe you slipped!"

"SHUT UP, ALREADY!"

An uncomfortable silence descends over us, and I fall for the eighth time. This time I decided to lay there and let them all pass me. Since no one seems to care about leaving me, I roll on my back and lay there, wishing desperately to get myself out of the rut I seem to have fallen into. The sun is peeking through the clouds, and I shield my eyes with my arm. Today was hell I tell you. Yes, I did freak at a chipmunk, and yes, I did fall off a cliff. I did a bunch of other stupid things too, but I'd rather not list them all out. I'm more of a hindrance to my team now than I ever was. I know what I need! I need a bath! A bath would fix everything! I jump up, determined to turn this horrible day around.

"I'll be back later!"

I call, even though they probably wouldn't even notice if I was gone. Maybe that's a good thing; I am a trickster at heart you know. Imagine the things I could do when they don't realize I'm gone! Hmm, I know I fell into a hidden hot spring around here somewhere...

"Yaugh!"

Oh, here it is. It's nice and hot, but I should probably take my muddy clothes off. I decide to wash them first, and then hang them on a tree branch.

"Aaaah..."

I sigh in relief. Maybe this wasn't such a stupid trip after all. I mean, the bathhouse in the village isn't nearly as perfect as this natural hot spring, and there's no one out here to see me and scream when the hot water makes my seal show. See, the seal holding the fox demon from escaping my body appears like a tattoo when I get really stoked in battle. Unfortunately it also appears to a lesser extent in hot water, making my tummy red where the markings are, which tends to freak other people out in bathhouses. I guess they think I'm going to change and attack them or something. Sometimes I almost want to, so that they wouldn't be there to stare at me and wreck my bath. I realize I've been idly braiding my bangs.

"May I join you?"

"Ah!" I jump pretty bad, almost ripping the whole braid out by the roots. "Ow!"

"Sorry if I scared you. This seems to be the only hot spring around, and I kinda want a bath."

I frown, but don't object as he takes his clothes off and slips in. I'm surprised he knew where the edge was; it's really hard to see.

"Having fun being girly, Dobe?"

What's he talking about? Why is he staring at me like that? What's wrong with my hair? Oh, shit! I forgot to undo the braids! Hey, they're extra tiny, how did he even spot them!

"Shut up, Sasuke!"

I begin ripping them to bits, tearing out a few hairs painfully as I undo them. He's smirking, but after today, I'm not sure it makes it up to me. He insults me every time I do something wrong, and I'd done an uncountable amount of wrong and/or stupid things today. One little smirk won't make me happy this time...

"Do you do that when your brain isn't in the present?"

"That's one way of putting it..."

Suddenly he breaks into a smile, and starts to laugh. Okay, I now forgive you for any bad you've ever dealt me in my life! Except for kissing Sakura, that's still going to take more time... Damnit! Now I have a large painful knot in my hair.

"Ow ow ow!"

"Dobe, don't pull on it like that. Here."

He comes over, and pries my fingers off the knot to try and untangle it. The distance, or lack of, between us is making me uncomfortable, even if he is helping me. I'm tempted to jump him right now and- PAIN!

"Ow! You did that on purpose!"

"No I didn't. Stop being so paranoid."

"I'm not! OW!"

"That one was on purpose. Sit still."

I do, but grumble about how he's always so mean to me, and probably tripped me a third of the times I fell that day. I may love him, but it doesn't change the fact that he sabotages me sometimes. Okay, I do it to him too sometimes, but you know the saying: 'Always hurt the ones you love', right? Oh, I just want to hug the chest I'm staring at... and maybe play with what's a little lower.

"There. Next time just undo them the same way you made them, and you won't get knots."

Right, thanks... Wait a minute. How would he know? I watch him closely as he sits back on his side, and stares at the sky. After a few minutes his hand brushes his bangs away. Come on, Sasuke, I know you do it. A few more minutes pass and he begins to twirl his hair between his fingers, not even noticing how hard I'm staring at him. Aaany second now...

"AHA!"

I stand up quickly and point at him. He jumps, and drops the half braided hair quickly.

"I knew it! And you said I was girly!"

He frowns at me, and then goes back to braiding. To my surprise he finishes and starts on another one. I sit and watch in fascination as he continues. Content to just sit and watch, I soak in the warmth. When he finishes, his whole head is covered in little wet braids. He actually looks really hot as he brushes them all back from his face, noticing me for the first time since he started.

"What?"

He asks sharply. I shrug and grin.

"I think you should keep your hair braided all the time! You know, a new look!"

I give him a thumbs up, and he gives me a thoughtful look. After what seems like forever in an uncomfortable (for me) and thoughtful (for him) silence, he speaks.

"Dobe."

Not exactly what I was hoping for, but at least he answered. To my secret disappointment, he begins to undo them, one by one with rather quick hands. By the time he's done, I'm feeling rather pruny. I should've gotten out fifteen minutes ago. I decide to get up now, and pull myself out. I quickly dress, and turn back to him. He's already out as well, slipping his shirt on. I wait until he puts on his headband before walking back to camp with him. So today wasn't a total loss. I got to see Sasuke naked, and discovered something personal about him. That would be the braiding. I didn't know he even knew how, let alone doing his whole head so quickly. I'd never seen him do it before... Maybe he only did it while in the bath? Sasuke doing it... drool

"There you are! Where have you two been!"

Sakura bitches when she catches sight of us.

"Taking a bath of course!"

I smile and laugh, and she glares darts at me. Sasuke says nothing, just goes into his tent and stays there, leaving me to endure Sakura. I don't mind; this time. After the smile he'd given me, I could sit through a few of these lectures from the bubble gum head of the team. After about an hour and a half, she seems to realize I'm off in La-la land again, because I'm drooling as I replay the whole bath from start to finish a couple times. She makes a sound of disgust and stalks off. I laugh as I see her leaving, pulling me back into reality. Well, I'd better go fix up my suitcase, which Sasuke messed up when he shook me around that morning. I just know I'm going to be sore tomorrow. I just wish it was because of some other reason...