WD: Here's chapter 2 for you, just cause I feel like it. :D This chapter is shorter, but as soon as I write chapter 3, I'll post it. Thanks for reading! And I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimers: All Naruto characters and themes belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Original character(s) and themes belong to me.

Chapter 2

Ayame was true to her word. Naruto showed up every day. It's been two weeks since that fateful, life-changing day.

I found out a lot about him, unintentionally of course. He never shuts up, except for when he eats, and even then sometimes he talks. Anyway, he is a Jonnin ninja. How this guy became a ninja, I'll never know. He is on team Kakashi, who is his sensei, with a girl named Sakura and a boy named Sasuke. He told me the names of the other teams as well, but there are a lot, so I don't feel like naming them off. The thing that he talks about the most, though, is his dream. His dream is to be the greatest Hogake ever. I've never seen him in battle, so I had nothing to say at that, but he didn't really seem to care. He just kept prattling on about it. I found myself actually listening, though I certainly didn't show it. Oh no, I was NOT giving him the satisfaction of knowing he got through to me…if he did get through to me. He HASN'T! No, never. I'll never give in to him and his annoyingness.

"Kari? Are you even listening to me?" he asked, breaking my train of thoughts.

"Nope, sorry," I replied. I wasn't sorry, but my mouth has a mind of its own.

"It's fine," he said with a grin. I rolled my eyes as he dove into his ramen. I sighed, grabbed my book and started to read it.

"So, Kari," he started after he finished inhaling his ramen. "I've told you about me, but you haven't told me anything about you."

"Yeah, what about it?" I asked, my gaze never leaving the book. However, I was no longer reading it.

"Well, tell me something! How old are you? What's your favorite color? Stuff like that!" I sighed. I didn't have to tell him. I could ignore him. The only problem with that is that he would be unrelenting in his questioning.

"I'm 16. My favorite color is blue, I guess," I replied.

"And? What else?"

"I'm an only child and I live with my parents, but they aren't home very often. I'm not a ninja, obviously, or I wouldn't be working here. I like to read a lot." He nodded, as if signaling me to continue. I don't know what else he wanted to know. Oh well, none of this stuff is really interesting; he'll get bored soon.

"I like being outside, especially when it's raining. And…uh…I like to draw? I don't know what else you want me to tell you? I'm not that interesting," I finish. He grinned at me.

"Sure you are! I think you're interesting. So you draw, huh?" he asked. I nodded. "Can I see something?" I shook my head.

"I don't have any of my sketch books here," I stated. He nodded slowly, turning his gaze everywhere in the shop until his eyes rested on the napkins.

Oh boy.

"Well then, draw something on a napkin! It's paper! Plus, you have a pencil in your hand!" he exclaimed. I gave him an annoyed look, but he just smiled that goofy smile at me. I sighed, giving in and grabbed a napkin violently.

"What do you want me to draw?" I asked. He thought for a moment then his face brightened.

"Me! Draw me!" I stared at him blankly for a moment then went to work. I wasn't going to argue. He'd just beg, and I don't really like begging. I'd just give in anyways right? I did a rough sketch of him, hardly a masterpiece, and showed it to him. He looked at it with an amazed look on his face.

"You're really good," he stated. I shrugged.

"I have a lot of spare time," I explained.

"Cause you have no friends to hang out with, right?" he asked.
"Yeah, that's about right," I replied. We rested in silence for a few moments. He stared at the drawing.

"Well that's about to change! Soon, we'll be friends!" he announced. I stared at him blankly and then sighed.

"When are you going to give up on that?" I asked.

"Never! I never go back on my word! Believe it," he told me fiercely. I couldn't hold back the small smile that met my lips. It was slight, but he noticed.

"You…you're smiling!" he exclaimed. I turned my head.

"Well, so? Is it such a bad thing if I smile?" I asked defensively.

"No, no, no, no, no! Of course not! You should smile more often!" he exclaimed. So he noticed that I don't smile, did he?

"And why is that?" I asked, actually curious to see his answer. Maybe it's a sign that we're getting along, or it makes me seem nicer? Something dumb like that...

"Well, uh," he started, scratching the back of his head. "It makes you look even prettier than you already are," he replied. I froze. Wait, what? He…thinks I'm pretty? I felt my cheeks get hot, which had never happened before. However, I knew exactly what was happening to me when I caught my reflection on a metal pot. I was blushing. Why! Why the hell-no, HOW the hell is HE making ME blush? Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one to see the blush.

"What did he say to you?" Ayame asked in a teasing manner. I glared furiously at her, the blush growing to a deeper red.

"Nothing! Why would you assume that he said anything!!" I raged. She put up her hands in defense.

"Hey, don't chew my head off! You should take a look at your face though. You're completely red," she replied, laughing lightly. I glared daggers into her as she walked away. Some nerve she's got pointing out something like that. What business of hers is it?

"What was that about?" My thoughts were interrupted by Naruto's voice. I mentally calmed myself down.

"It was nothing. Just, mind your own business, or something," I replied.

"Or something? That doesn't sound very convincing," he stated with a smirk. I huffed and turned my head away.

"Whatever! I don't have to answer these stupid questions!" I retorted. He grinned.

"Look! We're already becoming closer friends!" I stared at him incredulously.

"What are you going on about? I just yelled at you!" I asked him. He grinned his goofy grin, again.

"Yeah, but you're showing your true colors. Your emotions, your feelings, even if they are anger, or frustration! Only friends show each other their true selves!" What scared me the most about what he said was that it actually made sense. There is a lot of truth in what he said. I sighed, but didn't say anything. I didn't want to lie and disagree, but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of saying he was right. Oh no, I will NEVER agree with anything he says about friendship. The only problem for me is that I can't lie. I hate people who lie to me, so I never lie to people.

"Eat," I stated as coldly as I could before burying my face in my book again. He didn't complain and he continued to eat.

For a while it was quiet. I was almost forgetting he was there. My hopes that he wouldn't talk to me because I had been cold to him, however, were dashed when I looked up to see him standing right in front of me. I was a little shocked, a little flustered, and a lot annoyed.

"You aren't allowed back here, you know that right?"

"I know, but I want to tell you something, and you won't listen if I tell you from where I sit," he stated. I have to admit, he's right on the mark. I sighed angrily.

"What?"

"I want you to meet my team."

"You mean that Sakura girl, Sasuke kid, and your sensei, Kakashi, or something?" I didn't want to make it look obvious that I'd been paying attention. That would be bad.

"You…You WERE listening to me!" I groaned. Damn it.

"It's kind of hard not to! You're really loud you know!!" He laughed.

"I'm getting to you, and you know it."

"Lies!!" He continued to laugh.

"I'm bringing them here tomorrow at lunch. You can meet them then," he stated.

"I don't want to meet them!" I yelled. He began to laugh and talk about his team and how we were going to be friends. I just plugged my ears and began to shout nonsense at him.

(Change of PoV)

Ayame and Teuchi looked at the two younger teens.

"They make a good couple, ne?" Ayame asked her father. Teuchi laughed and nodded.

"Yup, they do," he replied.

(Back to Kari)

"Are you finished? Good! You can go home now. Goodbye!" I shouted at him. That stupid grin! What is wrong with him?? Is he always smiling??

"I'll see you tomorrow Kari!!" he called as he ran off. I just growled and stormed to the back of the shop. He is so annoying! Why me? Why, God, did you curse me?