Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Traveling
The four strangers are shinobi and are actually very nice. Father never told me they could be nice. Pineapple head is called Shikamaru. He seems to be the most organized one in the group. The smoking man is named Asuma, but I avoid using his name because I never know what adults want me to call them. Some like to be called by their first names while others think it is rude. The large boy with the swirls on his cheeks is called Chouji. He is my favorite because he talks to me like I am more than just some dumb, lost, little kid. But the other three seem to think that I am. It is annoying. I was living just fine on my own before they found me, so what do they know? And then there is Ino. She is the blonde girl. She is nice but very loud and bossy. This morning, after I woke in one of their bedrolls, she made me follow her to a nearby creek and wash up using one of her washcloths so that she could put this smelly gunk on the cuts and scraps I had gotten from running through bushes. Ino is also weird. When I got all of the dirt off my face, she suddenly gasped and said, "Wow, I can see the resemblance".
"What resemblance?" I asked, but she ignored me and started to rub more smelly gunk on my skin with an order for me to stay still. It stings a little, but it is not a big deal. I deserve it for abandoning my family.
They say that they are taking me to their village; Konoha. The same village from Father's story. But I am not sure I want to go there. Father did not make it sound like a very nice place. No place is a nice place if people are mean to people who have special blood. I miss Father. I wish that he was here. Mother and my brother too. They would know if going with these shinobi was a good idea or not.
All four of them are carrying packs. It looks like they have been camping for a while. They must camp a lot too because they are very well prepared. All of them have bedrolls, and Ino has that washcloth. I bet my father's weapons are in one of their bags. I have not seen them since that first night.
"Oi! Manami, keep up", Shikamaru called ahead of me. I was walking a couple of feet behind the rest of the group. It feels safer this way. Like, I could make a break for it if I had to. But that is also probably the reason why Pineapple head does not like me walking behind them. I run a few paces and fall into step with Shikamaru. I think that they are taking turns watching me because whenever I am more than a few feet from their little group one of them always calls me back. I tried to run away last night. I had woken up. The campfire was nothing more than a bunch of smoldering embers; they all appeared to be asleep so I thought that it was the perfect time to leave. I did not think that they were nice at this point. That did not happen until they feed me breakfast in the morning. But the second that I crawled out of the borrowed bedroll, Asuma asked what I was doing. So, not everyone had been asleep. I lied and said that I had to pee. He woke up Ino and made her go with me, and then I had to force myself to go. I do not think they trust me. But that is okay because I do not trust them. They probably will not kill me. They do not seem like the two scary men. But father said to never trust a shinobi, so I cannot; no matter how nice they are.
Shikamaru has his hands in his pockets; walking in a laid-back fashion. He glanced down at me and offered a small smile. Everyone in this group seems to be in a good mood. I think it is because the sun is out, we are traveling on a road that is easy to walk on, and because they are traveling home. I want to go home. But home does not exist anymore. At least, not for me. The only things I have left are the clothes on my back and Father's weapon pouch. Once I get it back. I looked a Shikamaru again, before turning my eyes forward. I think that he still has Father's weapons, but I am not sure. I jump the next couple of steps so that I am in front of Shikamaru. I turn around and start to walk backward so that I can talk to him. He stared but waited for me to make the first move. "Can I have my weapons back?"
He blinks a couple of times before giving me a flat and short, "No".
His answer does not shake me. I was expecting it. "Why?" I asked.
He looked at me as if he was trying to figure something out, before he said, "You're a kid, you don't need them".
"But they are mine", I countered.
Shikamaru muttered something to himself that sounded like troublesome, before he said to me, "Quit walking backward, you'll hurt yourself". And then he passed me. I turn forward and shrug. I will get them back eventually. He cannot keep them forever. That would be stealing.
We stop for a lunch break when the sun is at its highest. Asuma says we should reach Konoha by evening. When I hear those words my stomach drops. What is going to happen to me when we get there? Father said that shinobi villages do not like outsiders.
Everyone sat on the ground and pulled different types of food out of their packs. "Manami", Chouji called as he waved me over. I go and sit in front of him. I guess I did what he wanted because Chouji smiled and handed me a sealed bag of store-bought cookies as a reward. "Eat some of these", he said.
I smile back at him and said, "Thank you". This is another reason why Chouji is my favorite; he feeds me.
Chouji pulls out a potato chip bag and opens it like an expert. But before I can open the cookie bag Ino comes storming over; having abandoned her pack with an apple in her right hand. "Chouji!" She scolds. "Don't give her that", she said as she grabs the bag out of my hands. I have never had these before. Junk food was not allowed in our house. Mother said it was a waste of money.
Both Chouji and me stare at her in confusion. "Why not, Ino?" Chouji asked, with a chip raised to his lips.
"These things have tons of sugar in them", Ino said as she pointed to the back of the bag where all of the ingredients were listed. "If you give that to Manami she'll get a sugar high".
"What is a sugar high?" I asked, but they both ignored me. I looked over to Shikamaru and Asuma; to see if they can tell me what Ino is talking about. But they have their heads bent together; deep in conversation. What are they talking about?
"Besides", Ino continues. "Too much sugar isn't healthy". She threw the cookie bag at Chouji. It bounced off his knee and landed on the ground.
"But Ino I ate those all the time when I was Manami's age", Chouji argued.
Instead of responding Ino just gave Chouji a long look. It is kind of like the look that Mother would give me when I forgot to take my shoes off before entering the house. I forgot to take my shoes off the last time I was in the house. But Mother never got the time to give me that look.
"Here Manami", Ino said in a softer voice as she tosses her apple in my direction. "You can have this instead".
"Thanks, Ino", I said before taking a bit out of the apple. She smiled and turned to go back to where she had left her pack. Considering that these people are kind enough to feed me using their own supplies, I should not be picky about what I get. I am not in a position where I can demand anything and the apple is tasty. But I would have preferred the cookies.
Though there is still one thing that I do not understand. "Chouji", I started. With a mouth full of chips he grunted to signal that he was listening. "What walls was Ino talking about? What's a sugar high?"
Chouji paused in his eating as he looks at me with wide eyes. I stare up at him, waiting. He swallowed his mouth full before speaking. "It's when someone eats too much sugar and it makes them hyper". I nod my head and made a sound of understanding. "A lot of parents use that phrase. You've never heard that before?" Chouji asked.
I shook my head no, and answer honestly, "My father said I can only have sugar on birthdays". Chouji looked at me with sad eyes for a second before going back to eating.
When I am almost done eating my apple, Asuma came over to where Chouji and I were sitting. He nodded at Chouji and looked at me. "Hey kid, you didn't exactly tell us how long you had been running when we talked last night", Asuma state; looking at me expectantly.
I forced myself to look him in the eyes. It is hard, but Father always said to never appear weak in front of others. Not making eye contact is a sign of being lesser. "I do not know how long. It felt like forever".
Asuma wasted no time in asking his next question. "When did you stop? When did you sleep?" His tone is laced with disbelief.
I nod my head yes. "I slept when I was too tired to move". Why is he asking all these questions?
Asuma sighed and crouched down so we were at the same level. It made looking him in the eyes easier. "To get to the Land of Fire from the Land of Earth, where you say you're from, you'd have to travel through either of the countries of Ame, Kusa, or Taki. Which one did you go through?"
I shake my head at him. "How would I know? I did not know where I was last night. I did not have a plan".
He does not like my answer. "Did you see any villages or people when you were running?" He pressed on.
"I saw a few farming villages, but I went around them. And I heard a few travelers on the road, but once I did, I would run into the forest". I paused and when Asuma does not ask another question so I added, "My father said that traveling on roads is the easiest way to get caught".
Asuma's eyes were still on me. "Caught by what?" He asked; his voice is sharp. His tone kind of made me feel like I was in trouble.
"The two scary men that I told you about last night", I answered; shuddering at the thought of them. Why had one of them looked like Father? Why did they hate my family so much?
Asuma nodded once more before turning to Chouji. "We'll leave in a couple of minutes. Make sure that you're ready". He said before he got up and walked away. As he went, Chouji and I watched him take out a cigarette.
I turned back to Chouji. "I do not think he likes me very much".
Chouji shook his head with confidence. "He's just doing his job".
I want to ask him what job, but Chouji stood up; taking his pack with him. I took one more bite from the apple and tossed the core into a nearby bush before I got up to follow them. Ino was the last one to be ready to go. But as soon as she has packed up her stuff, we were moving again. This time, it must be Chouji's turn to watch me because he hung out in the back of the group with me. "Manami", Chouji said. I looked at him to see that he is holding out a cookie for me to take. "This'll be our secret, okay?"
I nodded, smiled, and took the offered cookie with one hand. Then I grabbed a hold of Chouji's hand. He smiled again, and we walk together. I used to walk with Father like this. Holding hands is a good way to make sure you do not lose someone. Maybe if I had held father's hand he would be here right now?