~Sasuke~

I had tried to corner Alai after we got back to the village, to ask her about my brother. I know that the ring on that necklace belongs to him, he was wearing it the night that my clan was massacred.

The night he took everything away from me..

I had to find out why she had it, but I couldn't just run up and demand an answer from her. On this past mission, I found out that she's alot stronger than I originally anticipated.

'Which means I have to be careful.'

"HEY SASUKE, STOP POUTING OVER THERE AND COME HERE!"

I pulled myself out of my thoughts and looked at Naruto, the stupid dope can't ever speak like a normal person, all he ever does is yell. My team was standing in the courtyard waiting for me to catch up, apparently I had been walking slower than usual. Alai looked over slightly concerned.

"Are you ok Sasuke?"

"Hn.."

"Leave him alone! He just got done saving everyone in that last mission. He needs rest- Oh! not that you need it Sasuke-kun, your so strong!" Sakura cut in.

I did need to rest, that much was definite. That ninja from earlier really did a number on my arm, it was still hard to use it. I looked down to my arm just before I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. Alai was moving toward me.

"That's right, you aren't able to move your arm. Does it hurt, or is it numb?"

"It's fine..."

"No it's not, now hold still."

I gave up arguing when I saw her grab hold of the pendant around her neck. It wasn't my brother's ring, the pendant was four circles intertwining with each other. She closed her eyes momentarily before opening them to reveal her eyes were glowing a faint pale white color.

I flinched when I felt her hands touching my arm. Sakura started screaming from behind, angry that I was being touched. I tried to pull my arm away at first, but then I realized that my arm was starting to gain feeling in it again.

'She's healing me.'

I watched as the feeling in my arm completely returned, it hurt but it was better than not being able to use it at all.

"You got better at that."

Kakashi-Sensei said from the back of the group, he was standing next to Naruto, who was peeking his head around the group to see what was going on.

"Kakashi-Sensei what is that light!?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because you seem to know everything about Alai!"

"I know very little about the girl."

"That's a load of crap Kakashi-Sensei and you know it!"

"...She's healing him."

"So she's like a medic nin?"

"Something like that..."

"There you go being vague again!"

Instead of answering the dope, Kakashi-Sensei came over to where Alai and I were, he was examining her progress with my arm. Naruto started yelling in the background as her eyes stopped glowing. She looked over to Kakasi-Sensei briefly before locking eyes with me. Her bright blue eyes seemed to shine through the dark brown bangs that framed her face.

"There you go! All better, just try and rest soon ok?"

She closed her eyes and smiled at me before turning to Kakashi-Sensei and nodding. It wasn't long though before our teacher decided it was best if we made camp for the night, we were all exhausted (minus Sakura) and it was getting late.

"So Kakashi-Sensei, we're gonna get a super cool mission when we get back right? No more of this D rank crap!"

"Naruto!"

Sakura punched Naruto on the top of his head while Kakashi-Sensei sighed.

"There isn't going to be a mission when we get back, you all deserve a break. And with the Sakura festival coming up I think a small vacation is just what Team Seven needs."

"Oh yeah, I forgot that was coming up! Sasuke let's go together!" Sakura tried to cling herself to my arm again, but I pulled away.

"No thanks..."

"What's a 'Sakura Festival'?" Alai questioned from her place next to Kakashi.

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SAKURA FESTIVAL IS!?"

"SHUT UP NARUTO YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW EITHER!"

"I DO TOO!"

As Naruto and Sakura yelled back and forth yet again, Kakashi-Sensei started laughing from my left side.

"That's right, you've never been to one have you?"

"Nope, with all the traveling we do. We've never really had a chance to see any of these 'Festivals'"

"What kind of backwater town do you come from anyway?"

Kakashi-Sensei remained quiet as he looked to Alai, a questioning look in his eye. Alai on the other hand simply laughed at my remark and replied.

"It's such a 'backwater' place that you won't even know what it is."

"IS IT FAR AWAY!?"

Naruto jumped up from his place on the ground, the argument between him and Sakura finally ended and now he was focused on our conversation...

'Great'

"Yes, it's very far away, it's not even in the fire country."

"That's so cool! What's it called?"

"It's a city called Myrna...a city that never sleeps."

'That name..'

"Are there festivals there?"

"I don't know what 'festivals' are, but we might have something of the sort where I'm from."

Naruto and Sakura looked to Alai for a moment before Sakura turned to Kakashi-Sensei.

"Sensei, we should all go to the Sakura Festival and show Alai what they are!"

"THAT'S A GREAT IDEA!"

As Naruto and Sakura started shouting plans about the Sakura Festival, I thought about what Alai had said. Myrna sounded familiar to me, but I had no idea why. I've never left the village really, and never left the fire country. I looked up to the sky, letting the voices of my team drown out in the background as I let Alai's words ring through my head.

~*~It's a city called Myrna...a city that never sleeps.~*~

'A city that never sleeps...'

~Alai~ ~FF to morning~

"NARUTO GET UP, WE HAVE TO GET BACK TO THE VILLAGE!"

"Five more minutes..."

Naruto closed his eyes again, trying his best to drown out Sakura's yelling. It was early but Kashi wanted us up so we can make it to the village before mid-day. The pink haired girl raised her fists when Naruto went back to sleep, but I decided there was a much easier way to get him up.

"Hey Naruto, didn't you say something earlier about ramen?"

"Hm? Yeah why?"

His eyes were still closed as he asked me, but I could tell I piqued his interest.

"Well if your sleeping, then who's gonna save the ramen from being eaten all up?"

"What!? E-eaten all up?"

"Oh yeah, Kashi told me that at these 'festivals' there are a lot of people, and if ramen is so great, wouldn't all the people be eating it?"

"OH NO! COME ON GUYS WE HAVE TO GET BACK TO THE VILLAGE RIGHT NOW!"

He got up and ran away so fast that he didn't even grab his bag. I laughed lightly before picking it up for him and walking slowly after him.

"Hm. I hadn't thought of that."

"You didn't think of it because you were too busy reading your gross books Kashi..."

"Are we going to have this conversation again?"

"I hope not, just thinking about that book gives me the creeps."

"What book is that?"

"Oh! It's nothing, he just reads this really creepy book. Trust me Sakura, you don't want to know."

"Oh, uh- if you say so!"

Soon after we left, I noticed that Sasuke was trailing behind the group, it didn't take long to know that he was doing it on purpose. So, because I'm a curious Alai I decided to hang back with him and see what it is he wanted.

"You look all lonely! Is your arm bothering you again?"

"It's fine...thanks."

"Your welcome! So if your not hurt then why are you back here?"

"What you said last night, about your hometown... I've h-"

"There you are Naruto! STOP RUNNING AWAY LIKE THAT!"

"But Sakura, I have to-OW! WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR!?"

I looked over to see Naruto with a newly acquired bruise on the top of his head. I looked back to my side quickly to see that Sasuke had caught up with Kashi, so I decided to run ahead and make sure that Naruto was ok.

"Naruto! Oh wow, that's a big bruise you have there."

"I'll be fine... I just wanted to get back to the village."

"We'll get there, how about I buy you a bowl of ramen when we get back?"

"REALLY!?"

"Of course!" I laughed at his enthusiasm toward the food before I noticed that he had wrapped his arms around my neck.

"THANKS ALAI!"

I hugged him back before we continued on our way to the village. Sasuke remained quiet and when I tried to ask him what he was going to say he simply avoided the conversation, I quickly gave up when Naruto grabbed my hand and pulled me ahead of the group.

"Alai..."

I looked back to Kashi as Naruto slowed to a stop, he looked at me curiously before he let go of my hand.

"We should stay with the group Jimbac."

"Jaymbaycu? what's that?"

"It means Vulpes."

"Vulpes?"

"Um, I think it's the same thing as what you call a 'fox' here."

"You mean- a kitsune?"

"I suppose so haha."

"Why would you call me that?"

"Because that's what you are, or at least what power you're holding deep down inside."

I poked his stomach where his seal was, making him jump slightly. He was shocked when he put the pieces together slowly and realized that I knew he was the host of the nine tails. If Naruto wasn't going to remember the friendship we had before I left, then I would make a new one.

~*~He'll remember, one day. If he's anything like his mother at least.~*~

Minato's words echoed in my memory, guess I had to just hope that he remembers like the fourth Hokage said. I sighed slightly before looking back to Naruto, who was looking down in defeat. He must have thought that I would be mad at him or something, it was something I dealt with when I first became his friend five years ago. I needed to cheer him up.

"Hm, Jimbac. I like the sound of that."

"What?"

"Your new nickname, if we're gonna be friends than it's required."

"F-Friends?"

"Oh I'm sorry, did you not want to be friends?"

Instead of answering me back with words like a normal person, my equally hyperactive friend picked me up and started spinning in circles, cheering.

"Dope, your going to drop her."

"Will not Sasuke!"

Naruto raised his hand in a fist to Sasuke, but he didn't realize that the hand he raised was the one that was he previously holding me with. So naturally I started falling to the ground.

...

"I think I should keep you around, you seem to be good at catching people."

Sasuke was quick to react and when I fell he grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward him before I could hit the ground. That was now the second time the lonely Uchiha caught me as I fell...Seriously, I need to keep this kid around, not even my guardian Kashi caught me.

I made a face before turning to Kashi.

"SOME GUARDIAN YOU ARE KASHI!"

"Where did this come from?"

Oh yeah, I forgot that all this came up because of the mental rant I had in my head. Well better let him know.

"Sasuke caught me again, that's twice now. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU CAUGHT ME!"

"Your not in any danger..."

"Doesn't matter, I should replace you.."

I turned away and crossed my arms, pouting. Kashi sighed before stopping next to me. He best be apologizing to me. He's my guardian and I don't think he's done anything to save me so far.

"I apologize ok? But we should really get going before we attract any 'unwanted' attention."

I opened my eyes and looked to Kashi, that meant that we were being watched by someone. I turned to look at him before I nodded quickly and linked arms with Naruto and Sasuke.

"COME ON GUYS, LET'S HEAD BACK ALREADY!"

"YEAH, BELIEVE IT!"

~FF to Konoha gates~

"Yay! We made it! Kashi, let's go to this festival you talked about!"

"Easy Alai, we'll go. First things first, we have to head home and bring our stuff back."

"Our stuff? You guys actually keep all your stuff at home?"

"Don't you?" Sakura asked as she tried to latch onto Sasuke.

"Um no, I keep my bow on me at all times."

"Well not tonight, we don't need villagers getting nervous."

~Sasuke~

I watched as Alai and Kakashi-Sensei walked away toward where ever they lived. She looked up at Kakashi-Sensei like he was kidding, before she recieved a look that she understood. She dropped her head in defeat before asking.

"Can I at least bring my knife?"

"Keep in concealed..."

He was acting like her father, it was...strange. She tried getting me to talk to her earlier, and I knew that if I was going to get my answers, I needed to get our teacher away from her, but he was sticking to her like glue for some reason.

'Is it because he's that afraid of her being captured?'

I remembered back to the mission we just finished, he asked me to watch her. But the request sounded forced, like he didn't want to leave her alone, but he had no choice. It was probably the only reason why I caught her that first time, but why did I catch her when Naruto dropped her? Kakashi-Sensei was right, she wasn't in any danger.

I needed to think.

~Naruto~

Sasuke was brooding in the back of the group after Alai and Kakashi-Sensei left, Sakura tried to talk to him but he just ignored her before turning to leave. Sakura looked down to the ground sadly.

'That jerk, I'll have to cheer Sakura up!'

"Hey Sakura! Do you want to go to the festival with me?"

"We're all going to the festival as a team! Why would I go with just you? I'm gonna go get ready, I'll see you later."

Sakura was always running after Sasuke, she never looked at me. I wandered to my house thinking about how much of a self centered jackass Sasuke was.

~Kakashi~

"We need to talk about the stunt you pulled before we left missy."

"No thanks, I think I'd rather talk about who was following us before we reached the village."

"We'll talk about that at the Hokage's office, now unless you want me to bring up your stunt to the Hokage, I suggest you revert back to my conversation."

"I'm not afraid of grandpa, bring it!"

"You wouldn't want that leash your wearing to be tightened now would you?"

She stopped her joking at that moment, realizing the wording I used was actually me saying that if she didn't comply, the Hokage would restrict her freedom even more than it was now. Normally she would have been gone by now, but whatever promise she made to this person is keeping her here. Especially now that Kalen gave her an order to stay here and accomplish it. The ring she had was that of the Uchiha, something that belonged to Sasuke's family. There was only one person left alive who it would belong to, and I know that Sasuke didn't own something like that.

Itachi Uchiha

"Well ya see, as I was saying before.. I'm trying to make sure that Sasuke is ready, he wants to fight his brother Itachi right? There's no way he can beat him now, so I want to help you prepare him!"

"...Where did you get that ring Alai..."

"You already know who it belongs to I assume, it's Itachi Uchiha's. He's one of the men looking for me."

"You already told us that, but you never said who it was exactly who was chasing you."

"Itachi and his partner were sent to find out who was asking questions about them. When he found me he tried to capture me. You know the rest..."

This changed everything...

"If you told us that before, we would have made sure that you didn't leave the village."

"And I would have been stuck in one place all the time, and not helping Sasuke."

"Is that the promise you made? To help Sasuke kill Itachi?"

"No, my promise is something different, but Itachi is a traitor, who killed a lot of innocent people. He needs to be brought to justice. And he's after me now too, I can't let him win."

"Itachi Uchiha is a dangerous man Alai, you know I can't let you just go off and search for an Akatsuki member."

"But you can help me train for it, and train Sasuke. He'll be looking for revenge Kashi, we need to stop anything bad that might happen. Please don't lock me up Kashi!"

I thought about everything that Alai told me, She wasn't going to tell me what this promise was, or who she promised. But at least now I know who exactly was after her, I would have to tell the Hokage, but I couldn't let her be locked up. I'll have to be strong enough to protect her alone though, at least until Nema and Kalen came back.

'Guess I'll be training my sharingan some more...'

Alai looked up at me, begging me to listen to her and take her side.

"...Alright fine, I won't let the Hokage hide you, but you can't hide things from me anymore. Deal?"

"AH ALRIGHT DEAL, THANK YOU KASHI!"

"Your welcome, now come on, let's get ready for your first festival."