Sorry for it being so long since I last updated; I've been panicking for ages as to whether this chapter is any good. ^^; Somehow I don't think I'll ever grow out of that one. :P
Anyway, I shan't keep you long. Without further ado, here is chapter 5! :D
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto, never will, but Kasumi's mine. :3
Chapter 5
"Ohayo Ka-su-mi-chan!" A loud voice sang out.
Kasumi shifted under the blanket and then blinked owlishly out at the world. It seemed to take her a few moments to recognise her surroundings and remember what had happened. When she did, she bolted upright, eyes wide. Her shoulder gave a twinge of phantom pain and she winced slightly, before acknowledging the voice that had called out to her.
"Ah, N-Naruto-kun! What's the time? We're not late for school are we?"
Naruto called through from the main room, which was both his kitchen and bedroom, "Ehh? 'Course not! We have plenty of time. What would you like for breakfast anyway?"
"Ano… Toast, onegaishimasu." She answered slowly after pondering it for a little while.
His chuckling floated through to the training room as she was changing into the clothes she had taken from her house that morning.
She peeked around the doorframe and then stepped in quietly. She crept up until she was behind him and then asked in his ear, "What's so funny?"
He jumped and swore, turning around to find Kasumi laughing hysterically at his reaction and quite unable to stop. She eventually calmed down but was still gasping, trying to catch her breath. "Ow, my sides hurt!"
Naruto's eyes narrowed menacingly. Before Kasumi could ask what was wrong, he had jumped on her and proceeded to tickle her. She shrieked and squirmed away from him, but his onslaught was relentless.
"Stop… It!" She panted between bursts of laughter. She shoved him off of her and then tried to straighten and dust off her clothes, avoiding his other attempts while she did so.
Noticing the two pieces of toast on the counter of the cupboards in the corner she inquired, "Is one of them for me?"
He nodded and she grinned at him, "Arigatou gozaimasu!"
The two of them chatted about yesterday's prank with great glee around mouthfuls of food. After finishing, she looked at the clock on the wall and asked him, "Shouldn't we go to school now?"
Naruto pulled a face, "I guess. Ah, Kasumi-chan, you can go ahead. I have to lock up and get my things ready."
"Are you sure? It's okay – I can wait."
"No, please. I might be a while and I don't want you to be late, just in case," he responded, smiling.
"But, Naruto-kun…" She pouted, concerned. He just grinned characteristically and pushed her out of the door.
"Now take care and don't worry! I'll probably catch up!"
Will I just wait for him here? I don't want him to walk to school alone. She stayed outside his apartment door and stood there patiently.
When he came out ten minutes later, after locking his door, he turned and started when he saw Kasumi. "I thought I told you to go to school!" He exclaimed, indignant.
She shrugged, "You did but you're my friend, ne? I'm not going to just leave you on your own."
"Fine," he grumbled shortly and walked off, only to be joined a couple of seconds later by Kasumi who jogged up.
"You know," she giggled, "you're kind of cute when you're in a huff." She stuck her tongue out at him teasingly.
"Kasumi!" He shouted, trying to ignore the heat in his cheeks, "Oi, get back here!" She just ran past him, laughing the whole way even though a not-exactly-happy Naruto was chasing her.
"So, what was so funny earlier?" Kasumi piped up as they walked along one of the main streets in Konoha.
"Hmmm?" It took Naruto a while to realise what she was talking about. "Oh, what? At breakfast?" She nodded. "Ah, i-it's nothing, really." He looked askance and then yelped in shock as she prodded him in the ribs.
"Nuh-uh. Y-you're not getting away with that: tell me."
They stopped in the middle of the road (thankfully it was early enough that there weren't large crowds for them to get in the way of) and traded glares for a while. Finally Naruto sighed, shrugged his shoulders; "It's just because you're so polite. I mean, saying 'onegaishimasu' to a friend – only you."
He shot her one of his bright, winning grins; she punched him in the shoulder.
"Ouch!"
She giggled at the indignant look on his face and stuck her tongue out at him. "Well, if you couldn't handle that, then maybe you're weaker than you thought?"
She dodged as he lunged at her, and then started running in the direction of the academy.
"Oi! Come back here and say that to my face!"
"See? I told you we wouldn't be late," she smugly told him when they approached the building and heard children screaming and playing.
Naruto just pulled a face and decided to ignore her gloating, and rather wondered about their lesson after school that day. What's Iruka-sensei gonna teach us? Maybe it'll be an awesome new jutsu since Kasumi-chan can't spar today!
As they came into the yard in front of the building, the bell rang. Parents were lingering in the playground, chatting to each other and waving their children off. Kasumi and Naruto both started to run, not really wanting to be late even if it was just the first of three bell rings.
Without either of them noticing, one parent positioned near the door stuck her foot out surreptitiously in the hopes of tripping Naruto up. He never noticed the obstacle in his path and fell, crashing to the stony ground.
Kasumi, who had continued on before noticing, turned back and ran to his side. She helped him to his feet, concern lacing her voice, "Hey Naruto, are you alright?"
He grimaced in reply, brushing the grit and dust off of his clothes. In the meantime all the adults found his misfortune hilarious and their loud guffaws echoed in the space now devoid of pupils.
Kasumi heard them, stood abruptly and turned to face the woman who had made Naruto fall. Her fists clenched by her side and the way her hair fell in her face cast shadows across her features.
"Excuse me. Aren't you going to apologise?" She asked her voice deceptively calm and sweet.
The absurdity made the woman laugh even louder. "As if! Why should I say sorry to that demon? Does it even have any feelings?" Other mothers tittered in agreement.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Maybe I didn't make myself clear," Her tone exuded saccharinity, which suddenly melted into vehemence and harshness.
"I said," Kasumi snarled this time, looking up at her, frame shaking with fury, "apologise you bitch!"
That stopped the woman from laughing. An eerie, oppressive silence reigned over the yard, the wind frantically whipping Kasumi's lavender blue hair.
"Excuse me? Who the hell do you think you're talking to like that, brat! Such impudence!" She slowly and arrogantly stalked up to Kasumi, endeavouring to be intimidating. Despite her efforts, the woman failed miserably, she only managed to exacerbate her: her vision had never seemed so clear, focused as it was on her target; every nerve of her body alive and singing with anger.
"How do you know he doesn't have feelings, huh? He's human, just like y— everyone else in Konoha! I hesitate to call you human, because to be honest I'm not sure if something like you can be. Maybe you should try living with the kind of-of-" briefly she struggled to find the word she wanted to use "-animosity that he's had to deal with and I bet you wouldn't end up half as decent!"
Naruto just watched on, jaw slack and completely flabbergasted. He didn't know if he should try and stop them or go and get Iruka-sensei. He was so shocked by Kasumi's outburst that he wasn't sure how to react.
"Animosity? Oh, the little brat likes to pretend she can use big words," the lady sneered. "You should be taught to respect your elders." She raised her hand and swung it round to slap Kasumi.
Only to go crashing to the ground a moment later. Kasumi stood with her left leg extended in level with the woman's stomach, having performed a flawless side kick. She was positioned side on, torso lowered slightly towards the ground. Leisurely she lowered her leg and straightened.
"Perhaps you should think twice about touching me and my friends," she coldly bit out before turning away; Naruto, gaping and wide-eyed, took a few seconds to recover and trotted to catch up. They joined their classmates just before the last bell rang.
All the other adults standing there were absolutely shell-shocked, not quite sure what had just transpired. Had it even been real? Who on earth was that child who though she could treat a grown-up in such a manner?
Naruto never had the opportunity to speak to Kasumi about the incident until after school had ended. Whilst they sat in the empty classroom and waited for Iruka to come back, he turned to her.
"Kasumi, I never got the chance to thank you for that back there. You were so awesome! Thanks so much!" He grinned, his eyes gleaming excitedly.
She blushed and looked sheepish, "Really? It— I-I wasn't that cool. I mean I shouldn't have lost my t-temper like that."
"You're awesome," he reiterated, convinced. "But… Are you sure you won't get in trouble?"
She paused, wondering for a moment, "I probably will. But, well… I was defending a friend."
Iruka chose that moment to walk up and interrupt, "Sorry to intrude – you seem to be having a rather interesting conversation here – but it is time for your extra lessons."
"It wasn't that great Iruka-sensei – I was just deciding that Kasumi is amazing." Naruto grinned widely and Kasumi coloured.
Iruka raised an eyebrow; there was definitely a story there. "Oh really now? Sounds… Intriguing." Kasumi squirmed, looking utterly uncomfortable. He smiled, shaking his head, "Well anyway, it's time for you to get out to the training yard – I'll meet you there."
And he disappeared in a plume of smoke.
"So… You managed to dislocate your shoulder yesterday, Kasumi-chan?"
Her cheeks flushed and she nodded, ashamed. "Hai and the iryō-nin at the hospital said I was to rest my arm. So I guess taijutsu and sparring are out of the agenda for today."
Iruka rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well that was what I was going to be concentrating on today, but I guess not then. Any particular jutsu you want to learn?"
Kasumi and Naruto both fell silent, thinking about it. Suddenly both of their heads snapped up and they looked at each other.
"You know…"
"Yeah! That'd be awesome!"
Iruka blinked, astounded by their communication. He spoke up, "Ano… What exactly are you speaking about?"
"Y'know, what you used to disappear from the classroom Iruka-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Shunshin no jutsu, sou desu ka?" Kasumi interjected quietly.
He looked a little dubious. Kasumi, for a moment, was certain he was going to refuse but then he stated, "Well it is a D-rank so, as you'll more than likely be genin by this time next year, I'll try and teach you it. However, whether you understand what you have to do or not is a different matter."
"Well then, why don't you explain the theory behind it and then demonstrate it more slowly, without the smoke?"
It took Umino Iruka around ten minutes to fully explain the technique – how to execute it, what you need to do, its advantages and disadvantages – and the same amount of time multiplied by five to try and help Naruto understand.
"I mean I know what you're meant to do and what it does, but… How do you do it?"
Iruka sighed and felt like pulling out his hair. Kasumi just smiled and started to describe exactly what he had previously said, only simpler. She excluded all of the waffling, dissecting it to the pure basics. At the end of her explanation, when Naruto seemed to have worked it out, she turned to her teacher.
"Umino-sensei, could you please show us now? Step by step though, if you can."
That was exactly what he did. His hands formed the ram sign and he began to guide them through it.
"Right, I've taught you how to mould chakra, correct?" There was a slight elongated pause from Naruto but he nodded as well. "So, you gather your chakra but hold it inside your body; unlike with most other ninjutsu, you won't release it outwith yourself."
They seemed to be following him so he went onto the next stage.
"Now if you can manage you – I don't know how to describe it – let it flow through you, to every part of you. The main thing, however, is you must not let it out!"
They are both attempting it, he noticed, amazed. Even though they don't know what they're doing next!
He smiled, "If you've done it right and have directed enough chakra to your limbs, your legs should feel stronger and vitalised. Then when concentrating on that feeling – you turn it into movement!"
He vanished, only to appear several metres away behind them. "Of course the amount of chakra built up is linked to how far you can go – the height of the terrain can also change the required volume."
Two pairs of eyes blinked up at him in wonder. He scratched one cheek, a light blush colouring them pink.
"So… Want to give it a try?"
The two of them both practised for around two and a half hours. To begin with, they were both atrocious - Kasumi was better than Naruto due to superior chakra control; however the difference was marginal.
Whenever Naruto got frustrated she calmed him and when asked for advice she obliged.
"Naruto-kun, you will find it more difficult if you become annoyed as you lose concentration. You need to focus s-solely on what you're doing, on the next step, or else it won't work. At least, th-that's what okaachan always told me..." Her voice trailed off and she looked solemn for a few moments. He smiled hesitantly and placed a hand on her shoulder; she started, looked up at him. Then she gave him a small smile in return and they went back to trying the jutsu.
As time progressed there were improved results – they certainly were moving nearly instantaneously, although their passage was visible and the range extremely small.
Kasumi began to travel longer distances as an almost invisible blur. Iruka then suggested to them that a good way to hide their passage at first was to use smoke bombs. It didn't quite have the same effect that ninjas who had mastered the technique had, but it was a start. Anyway, it wasn't as if he had expected them to be able to 'teleport' from the get go.
By the end of the session Naruto was near the same level and, though exhausted and more than a little grimy from an accident with the smoke bombs, what they had managed to achieve in a relatively small space of time delighted them greatly.
And somehow, they managed to coerce Iruka into treating them to dinner at Ichiraku Ramen.
Right, Glossary time! :D I don't even know if people pay attention to this, or particularly need it. ^^; Oh well.
Ohayo: Morning (as in good morning - though for it to be that, it would be ohayo gozaimasu, I believe). It's used to greet people in the morning, funnily enough. :P
Onegaishimasu: This means 'please', though it's an extremely polite form. The reason Naruto laughs and then comments on it, is because it wouldn't be common to use it to a good/close friend.
Arigatou gozaimasu: 'Thank you very much'
Iryō-nin: This is the term used for a medical ninja
Shunshin no jutsu: The 'Body Flicker Technique'; in the English dubbed anime, it's referred to as the Teleportation jutsu. I happen to think it sounds cooler in Rōmaji. :P
Sou desu ka?: This little phrase means 'is that so?' or 'isn't that right?'
Well, hopefully that helped you out, and you enjoyed the chapter! :) I would like to promise you won't have to wait so long for the next one, but I sadly don't think I can make that promise. Though I shall try my darnedest to make sure that I release at least one more chapter before I start back at university!
Ja ne! :D