~Alai~
So remember when I said we were heading back to Kashi's house to get ready for the festival?
Yeah about that...
It kind of turned into a giant battle zone. Ya see I let Kashi convince me to leave me bow home, but I was taking my charms and knives with me. He didn't care so much at first, but the guy snuck up on me while I was fixing my hair, and I kinda cut his vest with my knife. Now he's trying to make me leave it home, and I'm not so willing to leave it behind.
Things were thrown.
Threats were made.
More things were thrown.
A deal was made....then broken...and now....
"WHERE DID YOU GET ALL THESE KNIVES FROM!?"
Yeah even more sharp objects are being thrown. Oops? Wait not oops. IT'S HIS FAULT. He told me he'd leave his book home if I left my knives home, so when I caught him sneaking it in his vest pocket, I threw a knife at him. Which by the way I've noticed I'm all out of. I search my pouch to notice the bunch of Kunai I managed to steal from Kashi the night before. I took aim while he was debating if it was safe to poke his head out from behind the wall.
"I believe your all out of knives miss."
"Your right I am."
He moved his head out from behind the wall and quickly retreated just as I threw a kunai at him.
"WHEN DID YOU GET KUNAI!?"
"When you were sleeping."
"You took my kunai? What if someone attacked while we were out there?"
"Then I would have kunai to stab them with as they tried to carry me away!"
"Can't we call a truce?"
"Last time we did that you broke it."
"Alright fine, you can take your knives with you if you let me take my book. Deal?"
"..."
"Alai..."
"Alright fine deal!"
I jumped out from my hiding place and gave Kashi back his kunai while he returned my knives. I took a few more minutes to get ready before looking to him to see if he was all set to go. I was wearing my Beckoners dress, since I was only 13, I kind of had to make my own.
~Dress on the side, I didn't feel like drawing (mainly because I'm horrible at drawing people) so she has brown hair and blue eyes.~
I looked over to Kashi after I realized that he wasn't around me. He was sitting on the couch reading his precious gross book. So what did I do? Well what any crazy hyper girl would do of course!
I took his book and ran for it.
"ALAI!"
"You'll have to catch me Kashi!"
~Sasuke~
We had previously decided to meet up at a tree just before the festival's entrance, so when I arrived I jumped up and sat on the branch above.
'Might as well get comfortable.'
If Naruto and Sakura weren't late, I was betting that Kakashi-Sensei and Alai would be. No matter what that lazy teacher of ours was always late. Morning or night, it didn't matter. It's like the guy was purposely late.
"Sasuke!"
"Hn?"
I looked down as the Alai's accented voice registered through my head, and in the distance I saw my teacher sprinting toward the meeting place.
The world must be coming to an end. The great Kakashi Hatake was actually early...
"How did you get him here early?"
"Eh hehehe, yeah about that. I kinda took his book. Hide me?"
"Hn, whatever..."
"You sound like my brother you know. That's never a good thing, the poor guy is so anti-social."
"Is he? I'll need to get some pointers from him then."
"Why is that?"
"Because he obviously found a way to ignore you and your hyperness."
"Oh that, yeah no he didn't. Aside from the annoyed tone he uses with Nema, he really only talks to me."
"Well since your so talkativ-"
"ALAI TYIADAIN, RETURN MY BOOK, I LET YOU BRING YOUR KNIVES!"
"That was only after I used your own Kunai against you."
"Would you like me to speak to the lord Hokage?"
"Ah! Sasuke he's scary! He'll get me locked up, help!"
"Your on your own..."
"'Didn't you have something to ask me?"
"What does that have to do with this?"
"Save me and I'll answer?"
I scoffed at the thought of having to make a deal with her, but at the same time I knew that it would be a lot easier than trying to corner her. So I decided to 'help', and by help I mean changing the subject.
"Your actually on time Kakashi-Sensei..."
"That's because this girl here took something that belongs to me.."
"She should steal that more often then!"
We heard Naruto's voice shout from behind us, He had arrived with Sakura in tow and they were both staring at Kakashi-Sensei, amazed at his presence.
"If taking that stupid book will get you here early and on time then I'm all for it, believe it!"
"Aren't we going to the festival? Can we just go already?"
Alai looked to me with gratitude on her face, she knew what I was trying to do. Kakashi-Sensei stared at Alai for a few moments before she threw the book his way. He quickly caught it, as if all life depended on it.
I took the time to look at everyone, Sakura and Alai were the only ones who had changed their outfit. Sakura was wearing a traditional pink kimono, with the leaf village headband missing from her forehead, her hair up in a bun. Alai was wearing another piece of clothing I'd never seen before. Her brown hair was let down out of it's usual ponytail and she was now wearing some type of dress. Blue and with small straps. Sandals that were tied up to her knees. There were ribbons in her hair and a weird charm on the left side of her head, weaved into her hair.
'Stupid girls...'
I looked to Alai who was looking down the road, to where the entrance to the festival was. She must have sensed me looking, because she quickly looked toward me and smiled with her eyes closed.
"You had questions for me to answer right?"
"I'll ask them later, but I won't be forgetting."
"Ok then!"
Naruto ran forward a bit and pulled Alai's hand with him. Kakashi-Sensei watched carefully as Alai and Naruto ran ahead to the festival.
"You think someone will take her now?"
"She's always in danger, and she knows that."
"She looks like she doesn't know anything..."
"You'll be surprised what she knows Sasuke...enjoy the festival."
That was our teachers way of telling us to shut up and don't ask anymore questions. He started hanging back in the group as Sakura got closer to me. I quickly avoided that by speeding up to join Naruto and Alai.
They were already past the entrance looking at a few of the stalls. I know that Alai said that she's never seen a festival before, but I thought she was kidding. When I saw her face though I know she'd been serious. Her eyes were glowing brightly with happiness and shock as she looked around at all the stalls, the lights and people.
"Jimac! Let's go see what this is!"
'Jaymbaycu? what the hell is that?'
"Jimbac?"
Kakashi-Sensei was behind us, pronouncing this strange word perfectly, even mimicking her accent. How much did he know exactly? Oh that's right, idiot won't tell us....
Alai looked back to Kakashi before elaborating.
"I think Naruto calls it Kitsune?"
Kakashi-Sensei nodded his head, understanding something that wasn't being said to us. Sakura looked curiously at everyone and voiced my question.
"Wait that means Kitsune? Why are you calling Naruto Kitsune?"
"Yeah, it's my nickname for him. He doesn't remind you of one?"
~Alai~
When Kashi nodded to me I looked to see that Sakura and Sasuke didn't understand the reason behind the nickname. Which meant that they didn't know his secret. Sakura looked at Naruto, trying to see how he looked like a 'fox' while I looked around the festival.
Everything was so beautiful and lit up. This was similar to the things I had seen back home, but we had a lot of performances and the other Beckoners would be around with their summons. The environment was different you know? Here the lights were subtle, almost like stars in the night sky. Back home, the only way they would look subtle is if you were out on the rocks by the bay looking back to the city.
"Alai! Look there's a ramen stall!"
"Let's go get a bowl then. Haha after all I did promise you one!"
Kashi was looking at me as I walked to the stall with Naruto, Waiting for me to try to make a move. As much as I wanted to leave to find my brother and best friend. I wanted to enjoy the festival, I wasn't going to take off tonight at the very least. So when I looked to Kashi, I tried to relay that message through the look in my eyes.
My attempt was rewarded with Kashi pulling out his book and reading it's pages, he understood that I wasn't going to leave tonight, so I was basically free to have fun.
Naruto and I finished our ramen and went to look at other stalls, with Sasuke and Sakura behind us. Sakura started out in back, latching onto Sasuke but later on she came up in front to talk to me.
"How are you liking the festival?"
"It's great, so pretty. I wish I knew these were always here! I would have come every year."
We spend the next few hours looking at all the stalls, playing games and having fun. Sakura taught me all of the different kinds of festivals as the sun was now finally set and the moon was high in the sky.
Sasuke was acting anti-social until I made him play some games with me, of course he beat me. But I made him laugh slightly when I failed at the games. Naruto tried to show him up and when he played the game, he ended up getting hit with the rings that he had to throw. Don't ask because in all honesty I don't know how. He even tried to win Sakura a prize but since he couldn't even throw those rings, you can just guess how getting a prize at any other stall went for him.
I started to slow my pace as no one was going to the stalls anymore, and they were moving toward a more open area.
"What's going on?"
"Oh that's right, you wouldn't know about the fireworks would you?"
Kashi heard Sakura's remark and looked up from his book slowly.
"Why don't we head up to a nice look out spot. You'll like them Alai, they're like your shows."
"Ah, really?"
"What are you talking about now?"
Sasuke was looking annoyed by our vague conversation. I wasn't going to explain anything though, best not to talk about the things in my home.
"We have shows at our 'festivals' back home, if Kashi's right then it's similar to your 'fireworks'"
Naruto kept asking me for details on our gatherings back home while we walked away from the festival, we were going to a hill near the training grounds. Up at the top, you were able to see the festival from a distance, it was all lights and small dots moving. It was gorgeous.
"The fireworks should be starting soon, Alai your going to love this!" Sakura promised.
I was patiently waiting for the fireworks to start when I felt a short tap on my shoulder. Sasuke was behind me looking to me, I looked and silently asked what he needed. He pointed up to a nearby tree so I followed, curious as to what it was he was doing.
When we reached the top of the tree I could see a view of the entire village, the Hokage mountain in the distance, slightly brightened by the festivals lights.
"The view of the fireworks will be better up here. If this is the first time your seeing these, it should leave a good impression."
"Oh really? Thanks Sasuke!"
It was silent for a moment before Sasuke slightly coughed, gaining my attention.
"That question I had to ask you, I need you to be specific when you answer it."
"Um, alright I'll try to be."
"That necklace around your neck, where did you get it from?"
"This one? My teacher gave it to me-"
"No...I meant the other one. The one you hide under your outfits."
"The one with the ring on it? Yes, It belongs to your brother."
"How did you get it? How do you know my brother? Why were you taunting me with him before?"
"Your brother is after me, him and the organization he works for."
"He's the one who put the bounty on your head?"
"No not him, his commander."
"So my brother chases you because of the bounty. How did you get his ring?"
"He gave it to me, told me to remember."
"Remember wha-"
His question was cut off by the sound of something making a loud booming sound. My reaction was quick and instinctive, moving behind Sasuke before dropping down a few branches so I was hidden by the many leaves.
~Sasuke~
When she told me what my brother said to her I immediately had another hundred questions about him. This was the perfect time too, with her being stuck in the tree with me and all.
But just as I started asking questions a loud boom had been heard in the distance and Alai reacted quickly. She hid behind me long enough for me to register that she had been there before she jumped down to the lower branches.
She sat there for a few moments before I realized that she was using that as a temporary cover, til she found out what was happening. I looked down at our team before I dropped down next to her, slightly amused at her reaction.
"What are you doing?"
"You heard that noise right? What was it?"
"Come back up to where we were.."
"Why?"
"You'll see loser, just come on,"
By the time we got back up to our original spot, I saw a line of light flying up into the sky.
"Look that way..."
She looked in the direction I pointed in to see the line just before it exploded into a red fiery design. She jumped slightly again at the noise but couldn't help smiling at the sight.
"Those are fireworks, from here you'll be able to see them better."
"It's so pretty, How does it turn into a red color like that?"
Another line appeared into the sky as she looked to me for an explanation. I nodded back in the direction of the line before speaking so that she could see.
"It's in the chemicals that they use for the explosives"
"That's so awesome, THAT ONES BLUE, LOOK SASUKE!!"
i don't think I'd seen someone so excited for fireworks before in my life, she jumped up and down and grabbed my arm while pointing at each one as it exploded into the night sky.
When it came to the firework finale, she wouldn't even respond when I tried to pry her hands off my arm. She was too busy marveling at the fireworks. Her eyes lit up with the reflection of the lights. Her blue eye color fighting with the different colors of the lights.
At one point we heard Naruto cheering and Sakura looking for Alai, Kakashi-Sensei looked around briefly on the ground before Alai whistled down to him, gaining his attention and putting his worry at ease.
When the show was over we climbed down the tree to join the rest of our team. The dope was running around like an idiot with Alai talking about how amazing the fireworks were.
"There were so many colors! I couldn't help but just stare!"
"I know! Fireworks are always so fun! I love the sound they make when they explode, believe it!"
"I can't believe we've never had these in my home!"
"You were really missing out."
They talked like that constantly until we reached the entrance of the festival. Even Sakura got in the conversation with them while Kakashi-Sensei and I watched from the back. I never thought that there would be another hyper person like Naruto.
I've been proved wrong...
At the entrance of the festival Sakura and Naruto said bye to Kakashi-Sensei and while Sakura tried to latch on to me, Naruto gave Alai a hug and she called him that 'Jimbac' name again. When I threw Sakura off me she sulked and hugged Alai quickly before retreating home in the same direction as the dope.
"We should probably go Alai, we have to give our report to the Hokage tomorrow morning."
"Is there anything else we have to do?"
"I think that we'll give the team a day off, until I figure out a good training lesson that is."
"Ok then! Sasuke what are you doing tomorrow?"
"Why?"
"I want to spar with you, see how far I need to improve."
Alai looked behind her quickly to notice that Kakashi-Sensei was buried in his book again while slowly walking away. He was aware of our presence but was obviously choosing to ignore it.
"You want to spar?"
"Yes, I figure that since we have a common target, it's best to train while we can. With Kashi training us, I need someone to practice it on, and I'm sure that you would like a target dummy as well."
"My brother is after you, and he's a target for you?"
She turned her back to me and looked up at the sky before speaking to me.
"Do you remember when I shot that arrow at Haku? Or original plan was to ambush them and make them tell us who set up the bounty. We CHASED them down. Itachi Uchiha knows the were abouts of this 'Pein' person."
"Isn't that a little dangerous?"
"Nema and my brother are out there risking their lives to protect mine, it's not right. I want to do whatever I can."
Alai looked down from the sky and smiled to me before going to walk after Kakashi-Sensei
"If you want to train with me, meet me at that tree you showed me around 8. I'll be there waiting,"
She started to walk away before she stopped again and turned back to face me.
"Oh yeah I forgot, Thanks for that by the way Sasuke. The top of that tree was a great spot to watch your villages fireworks. You were right, it was a great first experience."
She ran off then to catch up with our sensei before he got too far away. I watched for a moment before walking home myself. I thought about what she said on my way home, she wanted to help her brother and friend. I didn't want to deal with people, or even make a bond, but she had a point. Using her to practice my training would benefit me greatly. So tomorrow I'd be getting up at 8am.
'Let's hope she isn't as hyper in the morning as she was tonight...'
"Hn..."