He continued to amble through the, might I add, VERY crowded streets.
I kept my head down; I could feel their gazes on me! The one time I looked up, it was to find an old lady giving me a thumbs up while her husband stared at me, and a pack of fourteen-year-old girls giggling and blushing and pointing.
Of course, the head down thing was not helping with my 'no more peeking' rule either...
He turned and we entered (more like he entered, I was carried, but, whatevs) a small restaurant.
Kakashi plopped me onto a stool and set my bags beside me, then settled into one to my left.
I glanced over the menu, still shielding my flushed face, and picked a random ramen flavor.
"Hello! Welcome to Ichiraku's! How may I help you?" an old man asked kindly.
"I'll have some plain ramen, please," Kakashi ordered.
The man turned to me, "And you, Miss?"
"I'll have the miso ramen, please," I replied, just loud enough for him to hear.
He nodded, and strode away into the kitchen.
"Wow, you're living up to your name, for once," Kakashi teased me.
"............So?" I muttered, my cheeks going a shade darker as the incident of moments ago flashed through my mind...
"...It's... weird. Believe it or not, I like it better when you're loud and trying to be obnoxious," he commented in an almost disbelieving voice.
"...Really?" I asked looking up at him through my lashes.
"I suppose so... It's weird for me..." he remarked, amused.
"AWESOME!" I exclaimed loudly.
He chuckled and his eye crinckled in a smile.
"Maybe I shouldn't have told you..." he commented, rolling his eye dramatically.
"But then I'd still be in ultra-sulk-mode!" I shot back, giving him a cheeky grin.
"Oh, God forbid..."
"Here you are," said the ramen man, setting two steaming bowls on the counter. "Young couples these days, you are all getting so adorable!"
Heh...? ... processing data.........................................error; rebooting...
"Oh... Er, no. We're just...friends?" Kakashi said hesitantly, scratching the back of his neck.
"Yeah," I grinned.
"Oh... You guys doing the 'friends with benefits' thing then, huh? You know, we never used to do that in the old days. In fact, I think it's a waste of time. And effort..." the man babbled.
"No,no,no,no!!! We are strictly friends! No bennies! Just friends!" I repeated, my face glowing again.
"Oh... Well then... Why aren't ya together?!" he asked, but we were saved by a new customer.
"Hey, Mr. Ramen Man! I'll have the usual. Here's my coupon," the plant killer from earlier shouted as he slapped a small piece of paper onto the counter and took the seat beside Kakashi.
"Of course Naruto!" he said, and quickly went to the back.
"Oh! Hey PLANT LADY! I like what you did with the garden!" he exclaimed, grinning and adjusting his goggles.
I sniffed and turned away, still angry with him.
"Aw, come on, don't be like that. I didn't mean to wreck the place. The dogs chasing me did it."
"Didn't we just do this?" Kakashi mused quietly, only for me to hear.
I rolled my eyes, giving a slight nod.
"Come on! It's not my fault rabid dogs attacked me!" he whined.
I stayed silent, still not looking at him.
I heard Kakashi sigh quietly, and almost fell out of my chair when he poked my side.
I glared at him, and he gave me an innocent look.
I turned back around, and reached for some chopsticks.
I felt another jab, and squeaked.
I continued to 'break them apart' but stopped and grabbed Kakashi's hand before he could do it again.
I narrowed my eyes playfully at him, "Quit using my moves and words. It's not fair!"
"I'm the copy-cat ninja: that's kinda my specialty," he laughed, tugging his hand away.
"Um.. I'm still here ya know..." Naruto reminded us loudly, while slurping on his ramen.
I whispered quietly into Kakashi's ear, and he rolled his eyes at my childish antics.
"She says you have to give her a heartfelt apology and promise to never do that again," he passed my message on to Naruto.
"I'm really, really sorry about the pretty plants, Lady! I promise, I won't do it again!" he exclaimed across Kakashi, ramen hanging from his lips.
I turned to him, "Apology accepted..."
"Naruto Uzamaki! I'm gonna be Hokage one day! Believe it!" a large chunk of ramen spewed from his mouth as he spoke, landing in Kakashi's hair.
Staring at the half-eaten food gob, I shuddered in disgust.
"I'll believe that when I see it," I said, using my chopsticks to pick the...gob out of the silvery hair. Immediately flinging the whole apparatus away, I broke apart a new pair and continued eating.
"Thanks," Kakashi muttered, looking (the visible part at least) slightly pale.
I nodded, not looking up from my little piece of heaven!
Half an hour later, we had escaped the obnoxious little kid and the gossipy old man and were seated comfortably at the table in Kakashi's dining area.
"Well... That was an intriguing day..." I commented, my head in my arms, eyes drooping.
"Hmhmmm..." Kakashi agreed quietly.
"Imma go shower now..." I said tiredly, getting up and going through to the bedroom to rummage through my bags for pjs. I pulled out a random pair and stepped into the small bathroom, closing and locking (Come on! He reads Icha Icha Paradise!) the door behind me. I turned on the water and jumped in after stripping off my clothing.
It was then I realized that I didn't buy shampoo.... Oh well. Kakashi's smells good anyways. I quickly washed up, and rinsed, and stepped out of the shower. I moved the water off of my body and out of my hair and quickly slipped into my clothes, which consisted of black shorts and a shirt with a pink chibi panda on the front.
I brushed through my hair quickly, and brushed my teeth. I decided I was done and stepped out, and flopped(A/N Like Prodigious's cat) onto one side of the bed.
My eyes closed, but my brain refused to shut down.
I heard Kakashi stop by my side of the bed, then turn and walk away. The sound of a drawer opening followed.
Oh God! Must. Resist. Temptation!
The rustle of cloth could be heard, and my face burned, probably glowing in the dark. Soon after, the other side of the bed dipped as he laid down.
"I'm proud of you. You didn't peek once." his soft voice mummured teasingly.
My face went another shade darker, "I didn't want to, why would I?" My voice was muffled by the sheets.
"Not the impression I was getting earlier..." Kakashi trailed off sleepily.
"........Meaner," I muttered tiredly back.
... With a nice butt...
"Night."
"Night Kashi..." I mummbled, drifting into sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thump!
I froze for a moment, but then remembered where I was and that Kakashi was probably up.
"Damn it!" I heard him swear quietly.
I stretched slightly and turned my head, prying open my eyelids. The sight that awaited me shocked me into wakefulness.
Kakashi stood in the bathroom door, clutching his elbow and muttering profanity under his breath...dressed in a towel...
Something like 'Meep!' escaped my throat, my eyes becoming saucers.
His head snapped up, and he completely froze.
I'm pretty sure I resembled a fish at the moment.... I covered my eyes, and quickly got up, peeking through to run out of the room, completely embarassed, again.
Although... He did have great abs..... What? I'm a girl! I can ogle a guy if I want!.... Right? I need some girl help...
I quickly uncovered my eyes, and went to the center of the living room. I bit my thumb, drawing blood, and summoned Shira.
Her dark purple scales glinted brightly in the artificial light.
;Whaz up, Whisp?!;
)Did you know that Kakashi wears his mask in the shower?!? I mean... Ugh... I need help!!!(
;What do you mean? Wait... How would you know that...?;
)Well...Um... I woke up to a thump... And when I looked up...he was standing there in the doorway *insert blush* in a towel, clutching his elbow...(
She laughed, or more rumbled.
;Bet ya liked that sight, didn't ya!;
My face darkened.
)That's my problem!!(
;Well, dear, I don't know how to tell ya this, but that means you're attracted to him. Hell, I can't blame ya... It's too bad he's human... If we were the same species...;
)What are you talking about?(
Does she mean...?
;Well, you like him, to put it bluntly.;
"What?!" I gasped, my face even darker.
"You. Li-" she started, but was quickly cut off.
I clamped her muzzle together, and gave her the 'look.'
"Bathroom's free," Kakashi called quietly from somewhere behind me.
I jumped, and swung my foot and body around, knocking him off of his feet.
He rolled, catching my foot in one hand, the other suddenly holding a knife. The bit of his face I could see was terrifying. Then he suddenly relaxed, letting out a breath.
"Damn it! You can't do that to me. You trying to get yourself killed?" he demanded sharply.
"NO! I was listening to my instincts! Remember what I said?!" I snapped back, yanking away and running into the bedroom, slamming the door closed.
I slid down it and tried to calm down, that terrifying look that'd falshed across his face replaying over and over.
I got up and walked into the bathroom, splashing cold water onto my face.
Okay... It's okay...
;Calm your arse down! You know he wouldn't have hurt you!;
)Says you! You weren't on the receiving end of that glare!(
;........;
)Uh-huh! That's what I thought!(
;See?! All better!;
).....poo....(
I quickly went back to my bag, starting to rummage through it for some clothes. Someone knockecd on the door, interrupting my thoughts.
"Can you unlock the door now? I really need to get my stuff together..." Kakashi asked cautiously.
I grabbed out some clothes, my tooth brush, and hair brush. Standing up, I walked to the door, unlocked it, and darted through the bathroom door, locking it behind me.
I heard him sigh gruffly.
"Crazy female...."
"That's my name, don't wear it out!" I couldn't resist shouting through the door...
"Aren't you supposed to be in the shower?" he griped, although he didn't sound as grumpy as before.
"Nope! I got one last night!" I shouted, overly energetic.
;Are you bi-polar?;
"SHUT. UP. SHIRA!" I shouted.
"Eh...Wh- Nevermind. I don't wanna know." He fell silent after that, apart from the sounds of his movements in the other room.
I started to hum quietly, as I brushed through my really tangled hair.
"Oh I swear to you! I'll be there, for you! This is not a dive by-i-i-i-i!" I sang into my brush, laughing at myself in the mirror.
I continued with my fun, all the while getting ready.
Today I chose some black shorts and a green tanktop under a black tightly woven fishnet. I wrapped some bandages around my arms, and some halfway up my calf. I tugged on my steel toed boots as I walked, er... more like hopped, out of the bathroom.
"Stupid.... boot.... get... on... foot!" I muttered, not watching where I was going...and consequently slamming into something hard...and tall...and living.
A pair of large hands clamped onto my shoulders, steadying me.
"You should really be more careful," Kakashi commented, staring down at me.
"If I was then many men wouldn't be able to have children..." I mumbled back, still tugging on the stupid boot.
He sighed...again, then bent down, untied my boot, and slipped it on.
"Now you have to tie it," I commanded, dead serious.
"Lazy..." he grumbled, but he knotted the laces together anyway.
"Good boy," I patted his head and turned to my bag, moving things around and leaving out useless items.
"You're just now doing that?"
"Well, everything is here, I just have to organize it," I commented, almost done.
"Just hurry up, if you want breakfast before we go... What time were we supposed to meet her...?"
I face-palmed, "Seven."
"You shouldn't do-" he started.
I tackled him to the ground easily, covering his mouth with my hand, "I know, I know."
I sighed grumpliy, getting up, stepping over him, and finishing my packing. I clipped my bangs to the side with my special clip, and shouldered my bag.
"...Okay then... Come on." Kakashi headed for the door, leading me after him.
We meandered through the streets, apparently looking for something. He stopped at a large fruit stall and gestured vaguely at the brightly colored food.
"Pick something," he said, taking out his wallet.
"This is breakfast?" I asked.
"Yes, now pick something," his tone of voice left no room for argument.
Sighing, I picked two apples, and started to pull out my wallet.
The apples were snatched from my hand, and when I looked up, Kakashi was already paying.
"I wanted to pay for that..." I pouted.
"Don't be an idiot." he threw one of the apples at me. "Now eat... Where were we suposed to meet her?"
I almost face-palmed. Almost.
I glanced over at him, to see that his eye was crinkled in a smile. "An old shack outside the Northern walls?" I stated it as a question, seeing as I didn't know about any of these things.
He nodded, and led me up to the rooftops, speeding off to the North. Leaping down from the walls, he led me deeper into the forest, until a dilapidated old shack came into view.
Three covered wagons sat outside the shack, but there were no humans in sight.
"Are we... early?" I shuddered as I said the word.
"Nope." A figure dropped from the trees, landing directly in front of us.
I jumped behind Kakashi.
"Take him instead!"
"What? ..Nevermind. What is the first thing you ever said to me?" Gerilynn, who had dropped from the tree, addressed Kakashi with eyes narrowed.
"I told you that your front kick was the most unbalanced thing I'd ever seen. How did you respond?" he said, his eye narrowed in return.
"...I ran and hid behind Gia, yelling about a crazy one-eyed old man..." she answered, a bit embarassed. "And you," she turned on me suddenly, "What was the first thing you ever said to me?
"
"Somethin bout a toothpick, I think..." I scratched the back of my head thoughtfully.
"Yup, it's her..." the kunoichi grumbled, turning away. "Everyone's waiting inside. We'll do some introductions and then roll out."
We followed her into the small shack. It was crowded, so I stayed slightly behind Kakashi, so as to give more room....
And maybe a little peek...
He glanced back at me, the look in his eye teasingly knowing.
I stuck my tongue out at him and harumphed.
"So. This is Lord Akihiro, his wife Kiki, and his daughter Aniko."
Lord Akihiro nodded to us all, Kiki smiled warmly, and Aniko's eyes scanned the room, examining every male in the room, lingering on Kakashi for a moment.
My eyes narrowed and I barey surpressed the urge to hiss at her.
What is this...?
"The newcomers are Kakashi Hatake and Whisper Nakurama. Their code-names will be Fang and Hissy-Face."
"Excuse me? Um, I think you need to switch those." I snarled.
"Fine. She'll be Whiskers. Let's move out," she ordered, stepping out the door.
Soon after, we were walking along an overgrown path throught the forest.
I got positioned next to Shane as part of the rear gaurd.
"So, what is everyone else's code names?" I asked curiously.
He laughed, "Gia is Leo, I'm Pegasus, and Sis is Eagle."
"Why Eagle? Isn't she a panther?" I teased, though there was a serious undertone to it.
"Well, only when she wants to be!" he responded cheerfully.
Huh?
These people........ are weird.
;That's all you have to say?!;
)Yep. Now come down here, we can 'show off' if you want...(
I heard her give a small cry, and she swept down, pecking the toothpick's head as she went by.
The kunoichi leapt about a foot in the air, drawing a kunai from who knew where and immediately flinging it at the little dragon; she then leapt back to the wagon where Lord Akihiro rode, standing in front of him protectively.
Shira easily dodged. She then swooped over to me and landed gracefully on my shoulder.
"You know, you weren't supposed to scare the crap out of her," I asked, completely amused by this situation.
She shrugged her wings, a playful glint in her eyes.
I shook my head, and faced Gerilynn, "Sorry 'bout that. She likes to make an entrance, kinda like you!"
She growled, lithely dismounting the wagon.
"She better learn to be more careful, or I'm liable to have me a new pair of dragon-hide boots. She could completely botch the mission."
"Easy there, Eagle. They probably didn't mean it," Gia said placatingly from his place on top of the middle wagon.
"Still... Watch it. I'm serious about the boots... This pair is getting pretty worn out..." she threatened, then dashed ahead once more.
Meanwhile, Shira had shrunk some and crawled into the back of my shirt.
"It's okay, Shira. She's kidding... I think..." I looked at Shane for confirmation.
"Eh... Probably... I'll make sure she doesn't hurt your pet..." the boy promised.
Shira instantly climbed out and examined the boy.
"Hello," she rumbled, cocking her head to the side.
"Hey. How's it hangin'?" he smiled, flashing a peace sign.
"Pretty well... You are different..." she accused suddenly.
His face fell slightly, becoming faintly...sad?
"Yeah..."
She hopped onto his shoulder, something she'd never done before and informed him, "I like it. You're not an annoying little brat who tries to pry my scales off."
He perked up a bit, chuckling.
"Ha. Tried that once. The dragon threw me across the clearing and into a really nasty pond. Never tried it again," he explained, only half teasing.
"...Are you being serious?"
"You decide," he responded, a crafty look on his face.
It was then I noticed Shira was shedding, and that a loose scale was hanging from her shoulder. I reached out, and plucked it the rest of the way off, earning a growl from her.
"It was loose!" I defended, showing her.
"Meh..." she told me, and then turned forward, checking the area.
Out of my peripherals, I could see Shane glancing longingly at the purple scale still in my hand.
I held my arm out to him, palm up with the scale in it, "Here."
He instantly took it, and thanked me profusely, examining it closely.
I felt someone watching me, and turned my head in time to catch Kakashi watching us. I flashed him a peace sign, and turned forward, continuing to chat quietly with Shane.
;There is a small group of men at the edge of the forest...;
)Go and inform Gerilynn; don't startle her.(
She flew forward, landing carefully on the kunoichi's shoulder. They spoke quietly for a moment, and then she fluttered back to me.
;She said she smelled them too just now. She is going to go ahead now with Kakashi and Shane, and she wants us to take the principals off the road and wait for them to give the signal.;
I glanced worriedly over at Kakashi as Gerilynn and Shane made their way over to him.
They spoke for a moment, and took off, Kakashi sparing a reassurring glance back at me and Shira.
"Alright. We are going to stop here, off of the road, and wait for a signal to continue," Gia ordered, and everyone diverted the carts and themselves into the dense treeline.
"Shira, I want you to fly up by Gia and keep your senses peeled, you'll get the best results up there," I muttered quietly to her, stroking her head once before she flapped up to Gia's head.
~Gerilynn's POV~
I crept forward silently, my fist raised just high enough to be visible to the others, spread around me in the trees, signaling them to stay put and observe.
Four shinobi crouched in a circle between a few massive trunks, grunting quietly to one another. Their headbands glinted dully in the dim forest light, the sound insignia obvious to my sharp eyes.
Crawling back slowly along the branch I had perched on, I signaled the others to regroup out of earshot of the enemy.
Kakashi and Shane appeared from either side of me, and we made our way to a half hollow tree we had marked as a rally point earlier.
Crouching in the hollow of the trunk, I spoke quietly.
"What do you think? We could take them out now, or take our chances sneaking through the forest to the east," I presented.
"We should take them out now. The forest here is too thick for the wagons, and I don't like our chances on foot," Kakashi stated, his tone low.
"Agreed," Shane added.
I nodded.
"Okay. Kakashi, circle around to the west; Shane, take the east. I'll get the south," I ordered.
"What about the north?" Shane pointed out.
"You just let me handle that," I answered confidently, a dangerous gleam in my eye as battle fever started to burn in my veins. "Move out."
They disappeared instantly, and I started making hand signs, a bloody grin forming on my face.
I've been looking for a reason to test this jutsu...
Finished with my preparations, I returned to my earlier hiding place. Drawing a kunai, I wrapped a paper bomb around it and flung it at one of the ninja.
It struck him in the neck and he crumpled instantly, his fellows jumping up in a panic. A second later, a resounding bang sent a spray of red around the clearing as I leapt forward, detonating the bomb.
The nin closest to me fell quickly as I darted forward through the bloody vapor, tackling him and slashing his throat.
To my right, Kakashi kicked aside the suddenly limp body of the third shinobi. To my left, Shane was grappling with the last one, exchanging blows laced with fire as he activated a jutsu of his.
A second, much more potent, explosion rocked the air, the shockwave knocking me back a step.
"Pegasus!" I shouted, scrambling over to the last place I had seen him.
"Over here!" He was on the other side of the clearing, grinning through the grime on his face.
"How'd you do that?" I asked, dashing over and checking him for damage before pulling him into a tight hug.
"Fang helped me out," he said, squirming out of my grasp.
"Thanks," I said, holding out a fist at the older shinobi.
He tapped his lightly against mine.
"Of course, Captain. Now, let's get back. The smell is starting to annoy." He led the way back into the forest.
~Whisper's POV~
I paced back and fourth, and quickly darted infront of a wagon as I felt and, unfortunatly, heard, the shockwave a ways ahead. I took a kunai out, and got into a defensive position, the others doing the same.
What's taking so long?!
I heard footsteps coming right at us.
)Shira?(
;It's just them.;
I sighed in relief, putting away my blade.
Of course when I looked up, I almost fainted.
All three were covered in blood!
Oh God! Not... Good... With... Blood!!!!
;Calm down! Just, look away and think of a garden!;
)IT'S NOT WORKING!(
"What the hell's the matter with you?" Gerilynn asked gruffly, striding over and pulling my hand away from my face to peer into my eyes.
"AH!" I screeched, jumping away, waving my hand frantically! "GET. IT. OFF!" I roared, flailing around the clearing.
Someone landed on me suddenly, clamping a hand over my mouth.
"Quiet. You'll draw attention to us," Kakashi ordered, lifting his free hand to his face and wiping off some of the red. "It's not ours, alright?"
I almost fainted right there.
"NO! It's not alright!" I shouted through his hand, instantly pulling water from out of nowhere and soaking them, and me.
"Idiot," Gerilynn growled digustedly. "Who ever heard of a ninja afraid of the sight of a little blood? If my equipment rusts, I'll tear your ears off..."
I glared at her, managing to squirm from Kakashi's grasp and quickly put the water back, much better now that no one was coverd in... *insert shudder*
"That was way cool!" Shane exclaimed, rushing over to high five me.
"I assume it went well, then?" Lord Akihiro asked, amused.
"Yes, sir," Gerilynn answered formally, snapping to attention. "We should get moving. I plan to have us well away from the forest before night-fall."
I rolled my eyes, and Shira flopped onto my shoulder lazily.
;You should really get over that....;
)You get over it after you've been covered in your own families blood!(
I glared at her, and she took the hint, landing onto Kakashi's wide shoulder.
I then took up my position again, only this time silent and depressed.
"Hey. You know, being afraid of blood isn't that uncommon," Shane said quietly. "Eagle was terrified of it when she was younger."
"Yeah, well, I met blood a much different way than most people..." I mumbled, and sped up my walking a bit, not wanting to talk about it.
Shane frowned, lengthening his stride to keep up with me.
"I know what you mean... Anyway, thanks for the scale. Do you know what color it's actually supposed to be, like in artists' terms?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Hm... I've always thought of it to be a really deep violet with a tint of blue... But, then again, I'm no artist..." I mused, much brighter now at the change in topic.
"Hmm. I am an artist, so I like to know these things. You spend a lot more time around Shira, so you should know about any color-quirks, as I like to call 'em!" he explained brightly. "I'm thinkin' about drawing her."
I smiled softly at a fond memory, "I tried to once... I think I still have it acctually, 'cause she wouldn't let me get rid of it..."
"Maybe we can compare once I get done," he said lightly.
I laughed, "Unless yours looks like a cow...."
He joined me in laughing, and we walked along talking quietly until Gerilynn called a halt at sun-down.
By now we were traveling along an old country road in a flat, grassy area, the occasional farm popping into view on the horizons.
"We'll stop here for the night. Fang, take Whisker and find some firewood. Shane, you and Gia go find us some dinner. I'll set up camp." The tall kunoichi immediately dropped her pack and started rummaging around in it, ignoring us, completely confident that we were following orders.
I shrugged, and headed into the woods, Kakashi and Shira following behind.
"Shira, help gather sticks, please. When you have enough to keep the fire going a little while, bring them back and start it for them," I told her, and she nodded, gliding low to the ground, plucking pieces of wood along the way.
I turned to Kakashi.
"Is she always that bossy?"
"She can't help it. It's her job to be bossy. She's not actually that up-tight if you get to know her," he explained, smiling. "Anyway, what was so funny earlier?"
I shook my head, "Shane's an artist, so he asked me the color thought Shira was, and I told him. I also told him I'd attempted to draw her a long time ago, and I probably still have it cause she wouldn't let me ge rid of it. He said once he drew her, that we could maybe compare, but I told him 'Unless your's looks like a cow...'"
He chuckled quietly, "A cow?"
"Shut up!" I whined, hitting his shoulder playfully.
"Heh heh. Easy there, Whiskers." He dodged away, snagging several twigs from the ground and chucking them at me. "Have some wood."
"I'm not a beaver!" I retorted, catching them easily.
"Oh, that's right, too bad we don't have any milk!" he teased me right back, dodging the chunk of wood I sent his way.
"Whatever, Fang," I rolled my eyes, watching as he slowly gathered wood.
"Are you going to help?" he asked, amused.
"Sure!" I chirped, and pushed the wood on the floor into a neat pile infront of me, using some stray vines.
He dead-panned, "Why didn't you just do that in the first place?!"
"Cause I was having fun watching you do actual work," I shrugged, smirking at him.
He gave me a look.
"More like you were having fun staring at my butt..." he teased.
I turned red, muttering, "So?"
He laughed at me, and we quickly gathered up the wood, and started to head back to camp.
"What's your favorite color?" Kakashi asked me suddenly.
"It used to be pink... But I'm feeling electric green right now," I replied thoughtfully. "What's your's?"
"Hm... I don't really know... I'll have to get back to you on that..." he murmured thoughtfully as we entered the fire-lit clearing.
I dropped my pile by the fire and started to restock the dying fire.
I smiled when It was blazing again.
"Whiskers, get us some water," Gerilynn barked at me from across the fire, doing who knows what.
"What can I put it in?" I asked, getting up.
"There are a couple of gallon jugs in the supply wagon that you can fill," she said, seeming to be playing with something in her hands.
"Okay," I nodded, I quickly walked to the back of the wagon, snatched the jugs, and waled a little ways into the woods, finding a water rich area.
I quickly pulled the clean water into the jugs, and then lugged them back to the clearing, meeting Shane and Gia on their way back.
My nose scrunched at the smell and sight of the dead squirrels.
When we walked into the clearing my nose was still scrunched up.
;You know, you actualy look cute when you do that!;
I narrowed my eyes at Shira, and then set down the jugs and struck a pose, gesturing to myself, "This, *insert gesture*, is all pure adorableness."
She coughed a laugh, "'Course...."
I pouted, staring at her through my lashes.
"More like pure annoying..." Gerilynn grumbled, staring at the thing in her hands.
I pouted even more, crossing my arms.
"How old are you?" she asked me, irritated.
"How old are you?" I shot back, winking at Kakashi.
"Fifteen, if you must know," she said, somewhat proudly.
"Just barely fifteen..." Gia remarked, rolling his eyes.
"Oh... Dang... I feel old now..." I commented dejectedly.
"How old are you, really?" Shane asked interestedly.
"...Twenty-two..."
Everyone sweatdropped.
"Are you serious? Twenty-two? You act more like a two-year-old," Gerilynn commented scathingly.
"Yeah, well, 1, I like to, I have way more fun than you people. 2, I never really had the time to mature, or a good example, so why would I?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
She narrowed her eyes.
"I have plenty of fun, thank you very much. I'm just more tactful than you." A knife flashed in her hand as she swept it at the thing, apparently a block of wood.
The males sighed.
"Don't mind her. She's just irritable because she's not with her usual squad," Gia said wearily.
Kakashi nodded.
"And for the record, you look much younger than you are," Kakashi added as an after-thought.
"Yeah, I get that a lot..." I replied shrugging, and started to heave the jugs closer, setting them near Gerilynn.
"Well..." I started, noticing Shane and Gia getting ready to clean the squirrels, "I'll... Go hang over there!"I pointed to the edge of the trees, darting off as I spotted a flash of furry tail disappearing into them.
"Hey, wait up," I called to the little raccoon.
It skidded to a halt halfway up a tree, realized gravity, and flopped onto the ground.
"Whoa, are you okay?" I asked, concerned.
"I...uh...Are you actually talking to me, or do I have a concussion?" the coon asked, his young voice resounding in my head.
"Ah! Not so loud. And yes, I'm actually talking to you," I laughed.
"Oh... A human's never talked to me before... Thrown rocks at me, yes, talked, no." He plopped back on his haunches, rubbing the back of his neck with his little hand.
I laughed, "I do that too! Weird, huh?"
He nodded, "Yeah, I suppose."
"Oh! Where are my manners?! I'm Whisper Nakurama, you?" I asked him politely.
"Uh.. No, I'm not Whisper Nakurama. My name is Ringer," he answered.
"No, I know that. I meant what your name was... Nice name by the way!" I told him, smiling.
"Thanks."
"So, uh, while we're at it, you haven't seen any strange guys carrying weapons around here (other than us, of course), have you?" I questioned.
"Oh, yeah, they passed through here a few days ago. Said something about blood or destruction or something... Or maybe clouds and rainbows... My two-leg speak isn't the best..." he informed me, blushing a little.
How did I know? 'Cause I'm that awesome!
"Whisker? They're done!" Kakashi called from the edge of the tree lines.
"K!" I called back.
"Thank you so much, Ringer!" I thanked him, scratching the back of his ears.
"You're welcome!" he responded, and then scampered up his tree.
I quickly turned, and walked from my little spot over to where Kakashi was waiting.
"I thought you might've gotten lost," he told me teasingly.
"Noo... I was having a nice conversation with a racoon named Ringer and got some useful information!" I chirped, skipping back to the fire before he could respond.
I glanced back and laughed. He had the most confused and concerned look on his face!
~dinner cooked~
"How's your squirrel?" Gia asked amiably, his own meat mostly gone.
"Good, actually," I told him honestly, "I just can't eat anymore!" I stared down at the half-eaten squirrel.
I looked at the squirrel, than at Kakashi, then back again.
"It's all yours, buddy" I told him, placing the stick in his hand.
I leant back, resting my hand on my stomach, and stared at the stars.
"Eh... Thanks?"
"Welcomes."
Shane mimicked my pose, lying down next to me.
"Know any good constellations?" he asked contentedly.
"No. Wish I did though. I used to just make shapes in the stars when I got bored."
Gia and Gerilynn groaned in unison.
"Oh boy..." she said.
"Now you've done it..." Gia added.
"Weeelllll, I know lots of constellations. For instance, right up there to your right," he took my hand and pointed it at a cluster of stars. "Is the mighty winged horse, Pegasus. And over there," he moved my arm again. "Is Leo. And there's Aquila, Zeus's pet eagle. And there's Orion the Hunter. And there's Hercules. And-"
I quickly cut him off, "Wow! How did you memorize them all? And be able to find them so easily..."
"Lots of practice! I've been learning constellations ever since I was born! I just love them!" he babbled off to me. "We kind of have a thing for stars, you know. We-"
"That's quite enough, Shane," Gerilynn interjected sharply, giving him a pointed look. "Why don't you get some sleep. I'll take first watch with Whisker-face there."
I ignored her comment, and called over to Shira, "Come here, you can help me watch."
She soared over to me, and picked a wagon she liked.
"Good night, Whisker," Kakashi said as he passed me.
"Night, Fang," I smiled, then hopped up onto the wagon Shira had picked.
WOOOOOOOO!!!!! ANOTHER LONG ONE!!!!!!!! *insert slow-mo high five*
Yup... So, you will comment. And use more than one word. ;) Or I will hunt you down. And you will be sorry. Incredibly. Enjoy, and R&R, as we say at FF.net. -Prodigious ^.^
So, we treated you to, yet another, LONG chapter! I think that deserves a few votes, please! ^.^ <---Haha! I used Prodigious's face! Any ways, feedback and again, vote if you like! Thanks for reading! -Saphy ;P