CHAPTER FIVE: RAIN VILLAGE
"Are we almost there?" Naruto asked for the fifth time. Team seven has been running from tree to tree for about an hour now, and Naruto was getting impatient.
"We're here." Kakashi said and the whole team walked over to the entrance.
"I'm guessing you guys are the ANBUs Tsunade sent." The Kage of the village seemed to be waiting for them to greet them personally. "I'm very thankful to have you guys here."
They all bowed to the Kage with respect and followed him into the village. "I don't mean to be rude, but I have a ton of work to get done." He took out folded paper out of his pocket and handed it over to Kakashi. "Here is a map to find the houses you'll be staying at. Please, feel free to contact me if you need anything." With that, the Kage left.
"Kakashi sensei, what are we doing here again?" Naruto asked and they all looked at what was left over of the village. The town was in bits and pieces. It was rare to see buildings that were still intact. Rubbish could be found everywhere on the floor and men seemed to be running around everywhere to rebuild the village.
"We're here to protect and restore the village." Kakashi motioned for them to follow him as he walked over to a small tea shop. He sat down and ordered a cup of tea and some rice cakes. "Sakura, here." He handed over one of the two pieces of paper the Kage gave him.
"What do you want me to do with this?" Sakura asked, eying the map.
"Naurto, you, and I will be staying at that house." At that, Sakura crumpled up the paper and twitched in anger. "And here's yours." Kakashi slid the paper over to Sasuke and Maki. Maki snatched it first and opened it.
"Here you go sir." The waitress placed the cup and plate onto the wooden table. He whispered a 'thank you' before she left. Just as Kakashi brought up the cup to his mouth, he saw the whole team but Maki looking at him.
"What's wrong?"
"Kakashi sensei, what do you look like under that mask anyway?" Naruto asked with curiosity.
"Seriously sensei, it's been years since we've known each other!" Sakura tried to pull down his mask but he backed away before she could.
"You guys have never seen him without his mask on?" Maki exclaimed and they all shook their heads.
"Is he good looking?" Sakura leaned in with excitement. "Tell me!"
"Oh my god!" Maki leaned in two and they both gossiped like old ladies. "If Kakashi was our age, I would be all over him!" Sakura gasped as Maki giggled.
"Nuh uh!" The pink haired kinochi exclaimed and the two other guys sat closer to listen too.
"What, what? Tell us too!" Naruto whined and Sakura just shook her head.
"When did you get to see his face?" Sakura asked and Maki looked over to Kakashi who smiled lightly.
"When Kakashi took me in. He never wore his mask at home." After her parents were killed on a mission at age six, she became an orphan. When Maki turned thirteen, Kakashi took her in after he saw her at the orphanage at the Sand village. He took her back to Konoha and raised her there. They became so close that Maki would call him her own dad sometimes. They stayed as close friends when she moved out at age sixteen.
"Wow Kakashi sensei, you must be really handsome from what Maki said." Sakura clenched her hands together, hoping he really was that good looking. "Can't I have a peek?"
"What does he look like? Tell me!" Naruto's curiosity was eating him alive.
"Seriously, tell me." Sasuke nudged Maki who just smirked at him.
"Kakashi's bare face makes Sasuke look bad." Maki sang and Naruto, Sakura, and even Sasuke stared at her in awe.
"Isn't that pushing it?" Kakashi said as he turned around to pull down his mask and drink his tea.
"Maki," Sakura grabbed Sasuke's face and turned it towards her. "Look at him. Please tell me you take back what you just said."
"I'm being serious." Maki devilishly smiled. "Kakashi's the best looking man I know."
Sasuke scoffed as his ego was bruised. Sakura sat down, dazed and confused. "Ehhh, Sasuke's not that good looking anyway." Maki threw in the final blow.
At that, Sasuke's ego shrunk down to the size of a pea. "Maki!" Sakura lectured her on how great Sasuke really was. "He's the most amazing looking man ever! Until I get to see, with my own to eyes, Kakashi sensei's face, Sasuke's the best looking man in Konoha!" Sasuke smirked after hearing the praise.
"Whatever, I'm staying on Kakashi's side." Maki was being stubborn and looked over to Naruto. "Naruto's good looking too!"
"You think so Maki-Chan?" He posed and plastered on a big, goofy smile. "What do you think Sakuka-Chan?"
"I think Maki's on crack." Naruto pouted at her response and went into a deep depression.
"Excuse me ma'am." Maki heard a small voice say next to her. She turned to see a little girl with a wide, bright smile. "Are you guys the leaf ninjas?"
Maki quietly laughed at how cute the little girl was. "That's us!"
"Yay!" She clapped her hands together and pointed to Naruto. "What's your name mister?" At the same time, she brought over a chair and sat down with them.
"Naruto, believe it!" His smile grew wider as the little girl cheered for him. "What's your name little girl?"
"Ayumi!" She said happily and looked over to Maki and Sasuke who were sitting next to each other. "What's your name?" Ayumi pointed to Maki.
"I'm Maki." She said gently.
"Then is that your boyfriend?" Ayumi pointed to Sasuke. They both immediately shook their heads and shouted "NO!" at the same time.
"Trust me, he's not a good guy." Maki said to the little girl who tilted her head.
"Oh please, don't brainwash the child." Sasuke pulled Maki back and waved at the little girl. "You can call me Sasuke."
"Sasuke!" Ayumi giggled and the whole team 'aw'ed at her cuteness.
"Why can't you girls do something cute like that?" Kakashi targeted Maki and Sakura. "All you two can do is argue and hit people." The two girls glared at their sensei who just shrugged.
"Ayumi!" A woman ran over and held her up from the chair. They assumed she was Ayumi's mother. She looked over to team seven and smiled. "Oh, you guys must be the ninjas from Konoha!"
"That's us!" Naruto put on a friendly smile.
"Well thank you for keeping Ayumi safe." She patted her child on the back. "I'm not sure which two of you specifically, but I do know two of you guys are staying at our home."
"Well we thank you in advance for letting us stay in your home." Kakashi said politely.
"Of course!" Ayumi's mother placed her child on the ground and held her hand. "We have to head home, but I would be delighted to see you guys later." They both waved before leaving.
"I think we're staying with them." Kakashi said to Naruto and Sakura.
"Why Naruto…" Sakura whispered to herself.
"Hey, isn't that guy good looking?" Some girls in the tea shop whispered to each other and team seven could hear them giggling. They pointed to Sasuke and even took pictures of him.
"They're not even quiet about it." Sakura clenched her hand into a fist. "I'll knock them out…"
"Calm down, they're not bothering anyone." Maki said and drank some of Kakashi's tea.
"But who's that girl next to him?" This caught Maki's ears and she stopped drinking. The others on team seven looked over to Maki to watch her reaction. "She's pretty…" Maki smiled at the compliment and kept drinking. "But she doesn't deserve him." She choked on her tea as Sasuke choked on air.
"What the hell did she just say?" Maki hissed in a low voice.
"We're just sitting next to each other, does that make us look like we're dating?" Sasuke cursed to his self and scooted away from Maki. He recomposed his self, going back to his 'cool and collected' state.
"Well, she's not that pretty." Maki heard one of the girls say and she bit her lip. She couldn't forget about the mission just because of this brat. It was their job to keep the village safe, not pick fights with the villagers.
"She's not pretty enough for that guy." That was the last comment Maki could take. Her hands began to shake and she fought her hands from making hand signs.
"Actually, I think she's very pretty." Maki was bewildered when she heard that. At first she thought it was Sasuke, but when she looked over, she saw a man looking over at her from across the room.
He had light brown hair that framed his face just perfectly and seemed to have been sleeping on the chair a second ago. "Kaito?" The girls squealed as he smiled and walked over to their table.
'Egotistic man number two?' Maki rolled her eyes. But instead of him flirting around with the girls, he slammed his hand down onto the table and eyed them all. He looked over to one girl again, the same girl that didn't think Maki was 'that pretty'. "Kiyoko." Kaito said and leaned in. All the other girls watched Kiyoko in jealousy as he leaned closer. "Calling other girls ugly won't make you any prettier. We can clearly see that from the condition your face is in." He yawned and walked out of the tea shop.
Kiyoko scoffed and turned beet red while the other girls assured her she was pretty. Maki and Sakura couldn't contain their laughter and Naruto even joined in. When Kiyoko heard them laugh, she got up and stomped over. She looked at Sasuke and then Maki. "Something funny?"
"Awww, is your ego bruised?" Maki teased the brunette who was growing angrier by the second.
Kiyoko tossed her hair over her shoulder and looked over to Sasuke. "And who are you?" She flashed a smile that made Maki sick.
"My boyfriend." Maki said in a stern voice and wrapped her arm around Sasuke's. Before Sasuke could fight back, she kicked him from under the table. "So back off, whore."
Kiyoko laughed evilly and bent down to be face to face with Maki. "Watch your back." That's all she said before the group of girls left with her. Maki let go of Sasuke immediately and looked over to Kakashi. "Let's make this into an assassination mission."
"Now, now Maki, don't be too mad. You're tons prettier." Kakashi said and stood up.
"Yeah, well." She said and got up too. "Are we going to find our homes now?"
"We sure are." Kakashi said. Kakashi, Sakura and Naruto left to go the other way while Sasuke and Maki walked another way. The house was surprisingly close and didn't seem to be damaged from the war. The two walked over to the door and knocked. When the door opened, Sasuke and Maki bowed first.
"Hello, we're-" Maki stopped when she looked up to see the boy from the tea shop earlier. "You!"
"Hey, you're that pretty girl Kiyoko was bashing on." Kaito pointed to Maki and looked over to Sasuke. "Is that really your boyfriend?"
"No!" Maki quickly replied and looked down at her map. "Are we at the right place?"
"If you guys are the two Konoha ninjas we're giving a room to, then yeah." Sasuke and Maki nodded and walked in. From seeing the quality and beauty of the furniture, they assumed they were wealthy.
"Well, here's your room." Kaito opened the door to reveal a nicely decorated and neat room with two futons lying on the floor. "My parents won't be home till tomorrow, so you guys can do whatever you want. I won't disturb you." He closed the door and left, leaving a very awkward feeling in the room.
"That little pervert…" Maki hissed and set up the futons. But it was really weird, she had to admit, sleeping in the same room as Sasuke. Sure she had before, but that was when the whole team was there. "Well, here." She stood up and Sasuke immediately collapsed onto the futon. "You bum, change out of your ANBU uniform before you go to sleep!"
"No." His voice muffled as he spoke into the pillow. "Take my vest off for me."
Maki stepped back in shock. "No way!"
"What's the big deal, it's only my vest!" Sasuke groaned in pain. "Those laps me and Naruto had to run yesterday were so painful. My body's starting to ache now…"
"Alright!" Maki bent down and took off his vest for him, leaving him in a sleeveless, tight, black shirt. She took off his gloves and brought the blanket over his body.
"Thanks Maki…" Sasuke whispered.
"Sasuke, can I ask you a question?" Maki asked shyly. It had been lingering in the back of her mind for the longest time, and right now was the perfect time to ask. "What did you mean when…You know, that thing you said yesterday."
Sasuke turned his head a little to peek at her through his hair. "Yesterday?"
"About Hatori…" Maki looked around the room, avoiding Sasuke's gaze.
He smirked and closed his eyes. "I just taught him a lesson, that's all." Maki was surprised to see that Sasuke might care for her more then she thinks.
"Well…Thanks Sasuke." Maki smiled and took off her vest and gloves. She crawled over to her futon and laid down. "Good night."
"Make sure you don't have a nightmare. Don't want to comfort you while you cry." Sasuke mumbled and color crept onto Maki's face.
"Oh shut up, that was once!" As Maki hid under her blankets in embarrassment as Sasuke chuckled.
"Sweet dreams Maki."