Naruto Shippuden Fan Fiction ❯ Liability ❯ Ludicrous world ( Chapter 3 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Animefreak_11 
Anime/Manga: Naruto Shippuden Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.10.2015 | Pages: 8 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 197 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Naruto Shippuden Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.10.2015 | Pages: 8 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 197 | Status: Work In Progress
I'm back! Still out of practice!
Thankfully I have a few more chapter ready for you guys, it's just
hard to post them when not at home...
– – – – – – – – Chapter 3: Ludicrous world
Maemi felt as though she were floating. Through the darkness, she could hear unfamiliar voices, a faint sizzling and even smell something appetizing. Slowly, as if emerging from deep waters, she realized her body was lying on the ground and she was no longer cold. Her sore limbs awoke slowly, a tingly feeling coursing through her veins. Her eyes fluttered open and focused on the ceiling. Was it-- wood? There was a yellowish glow dancing with shadows around the room. The murmurs stopped as she shifted slightly, attempting to sit up. Pain shot through her arm and head nearly simultaneously and she remained lying, calming her breath.
She wasn't home. This wasn't a dream after all...
“You're awake,” stated a voice above her. Startled, she focused her gaze on the man who spoke. It was the same man as earlier, the one with the face guard. Now she definitely wanted to sit and have a good talk with these guys, as long as it meant a way home. He must have anticipated her reaction, “Easy, you hit your head pretty badly.”
Maemi could only reply a half mumbled “Huhn?”
“You fell from the cliff, do you remember?”
Cliff? Oh-- How could she forget? She gave a slow nod, trying to avoid another painful jab. It was only then that she realized something was wrapped around her head. “Here--” began the man then gently helped her sit up. He gave her a half smile and a cup of water before returning next to the fire with his two companions. Maemi noticed all three of them were staring at her even as she drank, downing the cup in three thirsty gulps.
The one she recognized as her savior from the river kept on smiling, his skin glowing yellow next to the small source of light. Seeing as no one else spoke, face guard man took the initiative. “Could we have your name?”
A name was benign enough, she didn't see the harm in sharing that information, and it was a good conversation starter. “Maemi,” she answered, still glancing around the room. It was utterly deserted, except for three covers and the small oil-based candle, but entirely made of wood, a rather strange sight.
The man smiled, as if relieved that she spoke at all. “My name's Yamato,” he introduced himself, “This here is Sai,” he patted the shoulder of the pale skinned man next to him, “and that's Kakashi,” he finished, motioning to the still and quiet masked man.
Kakashi...Now that she thought back, it resembled what that lunatic had called him. She nodded semi-politely, still feeling like a fish out of water. She was way out of her depth.
“And that,” Yamato pointed to the doll, “is yours?”
Maemi nodded too quickly at once, regretting that instantly when her head throbbed sharply, before uttering a “yes.” Yamato glanced at Kakashi before walking over and handing it to her. She grabbed it with a slight pause before holding it dearly with both hands. She stared at the plushie a bit before remembering she wasn't alone, yet the room had gone silent.
“What village are you from? I've never seen that kind of material before,” asked Yamato, referring to her dress.
This was bound to happen. She doubted whether or not they would believe her story, but facts were facts, and... she had no alternative. Taking a deep breath, Maemi told her story. The story about her friend wanting to cast a spell on her doll, how she disappeared from her world after touching it and how she came to be surrounded by the strange men. Silence reigned once she finished talking and she let herself glance at them. The one named Sai was still smiling, though now it looked forced. Yamato had gone quiet and was staring at the flickering flame while Kakashi was the only one who looked back at her.
“It could certainly explain her low chakra...” he mumbled, at once avoiding her gaze to look at his companions.
Only now did she notice their dirty clothes and traces of blood hidden beneath a few bandages, most likely remnants of the previous encounter. The vivid image of a guy hitting the tree violently floated in front of her eyes. She was both grateful and intimidated; if the guys who could defeat the earlier men turned out to be as crazy, she was, without a doubt, doomed. Their demeanor and polite treatment convinced her otherwise, but a whisper in the back of her mind kept her vigilant. She was in unknown territory, she better be ready for the inconceivable.
“Look,” she began boldly, “I just want to go back home. If-- you know of a way, I'd appreciate a little help...” she finished, wavering halfway through her statement. They were more intimidating than she liked to admit.
They all looked at each other, and judging by their reaction, they didn't have good news. “We understand...” began Yamato, a bit uncertain.
“But you're still injured. We've sent for some medics, so let's wait until they get here first before making decisions,” finished Sai, still smiling.
Medics? In the middle of nowhere? Might as well walk to greet them, what were the chances they'd find them? Nobody said anything for a long while, and even though Maemi had just woken up she felt tired and had trouble keeping her eyes open. Slowly she leaned back, resting on her right elbow, but as time passed she fell asleep.
She woke up to the sound of hushed voices. “You should have let me heal you first,” chided a young feminine voice. Maemi opened her eyes, saw pink hair and assumed she was still dreaming. Though why would she ever give someone pink hair? A most unfortunate idea.
Maemi's thoughts were distracted when someone chuckled, “Sorry Sakura, but you know me...”
“Indeed I do,” sighed the girl's voice, “'No no, it's nothing, don't worry.' I'll be damned to listen to you next time.” Maemi looked again, there wasa girl with pink hair, and the man with the mask looked apologetic. His back was against the wall and a strange green glow seemed to be coming off the girl's hands. How absurd, how could hands glow? Such a ridiculous world. “There, that should do it.”
“Impressive as always, Sakura. It's as good as new,” replied the live figurine, Kakashi, bending and extending his left arm. Only then did Maemi realize the other two were nowhere in sight, she briefly wondered where they went. The girl called Sakura stood up and turned around, looking at Maemi then smiling briefly.
“Oh good, you're awake. Let me tend to your wounds quickly, then we can be on our way.” She was at Maemi's side before she could even answer. The girl placed both hands around her wrapped head and a strange, warm tingling feeling spread through her skull. Before she knew it, her headache had vanished and she felt more present. “I can't use too much chakra for now, so I'll mainly heal the outer part of the wound on your arm. The rest will be seen to once we get to Konoha.”
Maemi was still confused, and somewhat speechless. Chakra? Wait, did she say Konoha? Her remaining doubts nearly imploded. Tsuneko would be happy to know the spell worked...Maemi was overtaken with the sudden urge to laugh at the situation yet somehow held it in. She felt her arm throb as the girl's hands definitely glowed green again. “Sorry, it's all I can manage for now...” smiled the girl apologetically.
“I-- it's fine...” stammered Maemi in response. She didn't quite know what else to say, mostly because she wasn't sure she understood the 'chakra' concept completely, if at all.
Sakura turned to speak with Kakashi, “I'll tell the others we'll be able to leave in fifteen minutes.” He nodded and she left the room.
Kakashi glanced at Maemi before taking a few steps towards her. “Can you stand?”
“Ah-- yes,” hurriedly answered Maemi, using her left arm as support. She realized how dumb that was as she winced in pain and toppled over from losing her balance. A maddening blush spread on her face, which deepened a shade when she heard a faint cough. Kakashi took one more step forward and held out his left hand for her to take. Flushing furiously, she grabbed the plushie with her left hand but stood up on her own, embarrassed enough to crawl into a hole. Her grip on the plushie was quite tight, and her semi-injured arm twinged in protest.
The plushie fell to the floor. “Ah--” Before she could bend to grab it, Kakashi was offering it to her. With a slight nod of the head, she grabbed the other half. In that instant, her left arm gave a sharp painful throb just as Kakashi concealed a wince, letting go of the plushie in the process. Maemi nearly dropped it again but managed to hold onto it by clutching it tightly with her right hand. When she looked up she noticed the disturbed expression on his face, the visible part anyway. “Is-- is something wrong?”
Kakashi's face broke into what seemed to be a giant smile, “Oh no, not at all. Let's go outside, Yamato's about to take this down.” He must have seen the confused expression on Maemi's face because he added, “We'll-- try to explain things on the way, right now we need to move.” And without waiting for confirmation, he grabbed the covers she'd been using and made his way out, showing her the way down two flights of stairs. They'd barely stepped outside that the wood seemed to shrink, creak and twist itself into the ground until it was no more.
Amazed, Maemi stared at the spot that a minute ago had been a decently sized mansion. Yamato grinned briefly then nodded to his companions. A new loud voice interrupted her buzzing thoughts, “--at's why I should have come the first time! None of that would've happened Kakashi-sensei!” Following the sound of the complaining voice, Maemi stared at the boy. Surely she was seeing wrong, the morning sun had somehow blinded her. How could someone's hair be so yellow? It was past blond!
The said boy noticed her staring and broke into a wide grin, but before he could even approach her, the girl called Sakura smacked him on the head. “Don't even think about it. We have to pack,” she said sternly.
“Yes... Sakura-chan,” he replied obediently. Maemi could only look from person to person, still attempting to grasp the situation she'd somehow landed in, yet it was-- difficult. The group she met yesterday was huddled, kneeling in a circle, a fourth boy with an explosive pony tail in their midst. They seemed deep in conversation, so Maemi turned to look at the pair with strange hair. They seemed younger than her, yet she felt they emanated a weird maturity. They checked the packed bags, and once everything was ready the blond boy walked up to her curiously.
Suddenly very self-conscious under his stare, she took a step back, keeping a slight distance from him. “What?” she asked defensively, frowning slightly.
“I didn't notice before, but it's like they said, you have almost no chakra! How can you even move around?” he asked, his face alight with nothing but curiosity. “Can you really stay awake the whole day?” Maemi blinked, unsure whether this was a bad joke or if she somehow looked incapacitated to them. Thankfully, she was rescued before she could even answer.
“NARUTO!” Sakura stomped forward with the motion of pushing back her sleeve. The blond gulped anxiously, putting his hands up as he stepped backwards slowly.
“N--now now, Sakura-chan, I was just cur--”
“What kind of questions do you think you're asking!?” she fumed and grabbed his head with her gloved hand.
The boy cringed in pain, “But, Sakura-chan-- isn't it some kind of medical discovery?” She must have tightened her grip on his head, “Ouch, that hurts-- Sakura-chan. Ow ow ow! Okay, I take it back! I'm sorry!!”
With a triumphant grin, she let go and gave him a meaningful look. “Next time, don't be so rude!” She turned her back on him and closed the distance between her and Maemi, who was really tempted to take a step back until she saw the girl's sincere smile. “I'm sorry about him, he's just an idiot.”
“That's-- quite okay,” replied Maemi neutrally with a weak nod.
The girl didn't seem to pay too much attention to her words and clasped her hands behind her back, “My name's Sakura. It's nice to meet you.” She bowed slightly.
“I'm Maemi. Pleasure...” Although Maemi felt her greeting was too sarcastic, Sakura made no indication that she'd picked up on it.
“Anyway, they're going over the last details for the way back. I think they said you'd be with Sai, it's fastest and probably safest for you,” said Sakura, “We'll meet up with you again in front of Konoha, of course,” she continued, oblivious to Maemi's blank stare. “So don't worry about anything and enjoy the ride!” she finally finished with a big smile.
Ride? Wait, Sai... He was the smiley one, the one who pulled her out of the river. And yet again, before she could ask questions, the meeting broke up and the one with the face guard (Yamato was it?) came up to her. “You'll be going by air with Sai.” He gave her a brief smile just as Sai came up behind him, a smile still plastered on his face. “You'll leave first, once we know we're clear.” Maemi gave a slow nod, still unsure what the heck was going on. By air? How exactly would that work?
“Gee Shikamaru, you've outdone yourself.” Sakura glanced at the scroll before he rolled it up.
“Heh, it's nothing but troublesome...” The guy with the explosive ponytail looked, if anything, utterly bored and ready for a nap.
Suddenly, a dog jumped from out of nowhere and landed in the middle of the dispersed group. Was he wearing clothes? Maemi stared at him dubiously when he sniffed the air and turned to look at her briefly before turning away. “Kakashi, you're good to go.” Maemi stared open-mouthed, but noticed everyone's lack of reaction. Was she the only one completely freaked out?
“Wait-- what?” she let out before she could stop herself, bringing everyone's eyes on her. “Did he just-- speak!?” There was a slight note of hysteria in her voice, as if this had been the last straw. Glowing hands healed wounds, and people who moved like blurs threw knives at each other. And now speaking dogs?
Kakashi smiled kindly, “He's my nin-dog, Pakkun.” Pakkun responded by sitting down and scratching his ear.
“Right... of course,” replied Maemi in a strained whisper. “I've landed in a nuthouse. Tsune, if I ever see you again, I'll kill you!”
Kakashi acknowledged Pakkun, who disappeared in a puff of smoke. “Well, we can't waste any time then. Sai.”
The latter nodded, whipped out a scroll of paper and a brush. Quickly and accurately he drew a large bird; nothing out of the ordinary, simply calligraphy practice at a very strange time. Maemi jumped back when the bird flew out of the scroll, her eyes wide in considerable surprise. Is there anything that's impossible in this world!?The ink bird flapped around and landed in the middle of the group. Sai agilely jumped on its back before looking at Maemi and extending a hand.
So this is what they meant by air travel. Right, no big deal, just a bird made of ink flying in the wide open sky. “Hell. No.” Maemi couldn't stop herself. This was ludicrous. Couldn't they just-- walk? Under everyone's perplexed stares, she shook her head. “I'm not getting on that thing. I mean-- what the hell!?” She could feel herself tearing up in confusion and frustration and saw the irritation in their faces, but she didn't care. She never asked to be here!
“Look--” began an exasperated Yamato, “We need you out of the way to move faster. Right now--”
“You're nothing but a hindrance,” finished Sai with a smile, his hand still extended towards her. Before she could reply, or protest for that matter, Yamato pushed her forward and Sai firmly grabbed her wrist, and pulled her on the bird behind him.
The bird flapped its wings and lifted off the ground, creating a cloud of dust. “See you in Konoha,” said Yamato just before the bird gained altitude and soared high above the forest.
Sai briefly glanced at Maemi over his shoulder. “You best hold on.”
The bird flapped its wings again and accelerated rapidly. “To what!?” shrieked Maemi, trying her hardest not to look down. The bird had no feathers to grab, it felt like paper, flat and smooth. Quickly, she grabbed Sai's shoulders tightly. Sai blinked. That wasn't what he had in mind, but as long as she didn't fall off...
– – – – – – – – Chapter 3: Ludicrous world
Maemi felt as though she were floating. Through the darkness, she could hear unfamiliar voices, a faint sizzling and even smell something appetizing. Slowly, as if emerging from deep waters, she realized her body was lying on the ground and she was no longer cold. Her sore limbs awoke slowly, a tingly feeling coursing through her veins. Her eyes fluttered open and focused on the ceiling. Was it-- wood? There was a yellowish glow dancing with shadows around the room. The murmurs stopped as she shifted slightly, attempting to sit up. Pain shot through her arm and head nearly simultaneously and she remained lying, calming her breath.
She wasn't home. This wasn't a dream after all...
“You're awake,” stated a voice above her. Startled, she focused her gaze on the man who spoke. It was the same man as earlier, the one with the face guard. Now she definitely wanted to sit and have a good talk with these guys, as long as it meant a way home. He must have anticipated her reaction, “Easy, you hit your head pretty badly.”
Maemi could only reply a half mumbled “Huhn?”
“You fell from the cliff, do you remember?”
Cliff? Oh-- How could she forget? She gave a slow nod, trying to avoid another painful jab. It was only then that she realized something was wrapped around her head. “Here--” began the man then gently helped her sit up. He gave her a half smile and a cup of water before returning next to the fire with his two companions. Maemi noticed all three of them were staring at her even as she drank, downing the cup in three thirsty gulps.
The one she recognized as her savior from the river kept on smiling, his skin glowing yellow next to the small source of light. Seeing as no one else spoke, face guard man took the initiative. “Could we have your name?”
A name was benign enough, she didn't see the harm in sharing that information, and it was a good conversation starter. “Maemi,” she answered, still glancing around the room. It was utterly deserted, except for three covers and the small oil-based candle, but entirely made of wood, a rather strange sight.
The man smiled, as if relieved that she spoke at all. “My name's Yamato,” he introduced himself, “This here is Sai,” he patted the shoulder of the pale skinned man next to him, “and that's Kakashi,” he finished, motioning to the still and quiet masked man.
Kakashi...Now that she thought back, it resembled what that lunatic had called him. She nodded semi-politely, still feeling like a fish out of water. She was way out of her depth.
“And that,” Yamato pointed to the doll, “is yours?”
Maemi nodded too quickly at once, regretting that instantly when her head throbbed sharply, before uttering a “yes.” Yamato glanced at Kakashi before walking over and handing it to her. She grabbed it with a slight pause before holding it dearly with both hands. She stared at the plushie a bit before remembering she wasn't alone, yet the room had gone silent.
“What village are you from? I've never seen that kind of material before,” asked Yamato, referring to her dress.
This was bound to happen. She doubted whether or not they would believe her story, but facts were facts, and... she had no alternative. Taking a deep breath, Maemi told her story. The story about her friend wanting to cast a spell on her doll, how she disappeared from her world after touching it and how she came to be surrounded by the strange men. Silence reigned once she finished talking and she let herself glance at them. The one named Sai was still smiling, though now it looked forced. Yamato had gone quiet and was staring at the flickering flame while Kakashi was the only one who looked back at her.
“It could certainly explain her low chakra...” he mumbled, at once avoiding her gaze to look at his companions.
Only now did she notice their dirty clothes and traces of blood hidden beneath a few bandages, most likely remnants of the previous encounter. The vivid image of a guy hitting the tree violently floated in front of her eyes. She was both grateful and intimidated; if the guys who could defeat the earlier men turned out to be as crazy, she was, without a doubt, doomed. Their demeanor and polite treatment convinced her otherwise, but a whisper in the back of her mind kept her vigilant. She was in unknown territory, she better be ready for the inconceivable.
“Look,” she began boldly, “I just want to go back home. If-- you know of a way, I'd appreciate a little help...” she finished, wavering halfway through her statement. They were more intimidating than she liked to admit.
They all looked at each other, and judging by their reaction, they didn't have good news. “We understand...” began Yamato, a bit uncertain.
“But you're still injured. We've sent for some medics, so let's wait until they get here first before making decisions,” finished Sai, still smiling.
Medics? In the middle of nowhere? Might as well walk to greet them, what were the chances they'd find them? Nobody said anything for a long while, and even though Maemi had just woken up she felt tired and had trouble keeping her eyes open. Slowly she leaned back, resting on her right elbow, but as time passed she fell asleep.
She woke up to the sound of hushed voices. “You should have let me heal you first,” chided a young feminine voice. Maemi opened her eyes, saw pink hair and assumed she was still dreaming. Though why would she ever give someone pink hair? A most unfortunate idea.
Maemi's thoughts were distracted when someone chuckled, “Sorry Sakura, but you know me...”
“Indeed I do,” sighed the girl's voice, “'No no, it's nothing, don't worry.' I'll be damned to listen to you next time.” Maemi looked again, there wasa girl with pink hair, and the man with the mask looked apologetic. His back was against the wall and a strange green glow seemed to be coming off the girl's hands. How absurd, how could hands glow? Such a ridiculous world. “There, that should do it.”
“Impressive as always, Sakura. It's as good as new,” replied the live figurine, Kakashi, bending and extending his left arm. Only then did Maemi realize the other two were nowhere in sight, she briefly wondered where they went. The girl called Sakura stood up and turned around, looking at Maemi then smiling briefly.
“Oh good, you're awake. Let me tend to your wounds quickly, then we can be on our way.” She was at Maemi's side before she could even answer. The girl placed both hands around her wrapped head and a strange, warm tingling feeling spread through her skull. Before she knew it, her headache had vanished and she felt more present. “I can't use too much chakra for now, so I'll mainly heal the outer part of the wound on your arm. The rest will be seen to once we get to Konoha.”
Maemi was still confused, and somewhat speechless. Chakra? Wait, did she say Konoha? Her remaining doubts nearly imploded. Tsuneko would be happy to know the spell worked...Maemi was overtaken with the sudden urge to laugh at the situation yet somehow held it in. She felt her arm throb as the girl's hands definitely glowed green again. “Sorry, it's all I can manage for now...” smiled the girl apologetically.
“I-- it's fine...” stammered Maemi in response. She didn't quite know what else to say, mostly because she wasn't sure she understood the 'chakra' concept completely, if at all.
Sakura turned to speak with Kakashi, “I'll tell the others we'll be able to leave in fifteen minutes.” He nodded and she left the room.
Kakashi glanced at Maemi before taking a few steps towards her. “Can you stand?”
“Ah-- yes,” hurriedly answered Maemi, using her left arm as support. She realized how dumb that was as she winced in pain and toppled over from losing her balance. A maddening blush spread on her face, which deepened a shade when she heard a faint cough. Kakashi took one more step forward and held out his left hand for her to take. Flushing furiously, she grabbed the plushie with her left hand but stood up on her own, embarrassed enough to crawl into a hole. Her grip on the plushie was quite tight, and her semi-injured arm twinged in protest.
The plushie fell to the floor. “Ah--” Before she could bend to grab it, Kakashi was offering it to her. With a slight nod of the head, she grabbed the other half. In that instant, her left arm gave a sharp painful throb just as Kakashi concealed a wince, letting go of the plushie in the process. Maemi nearly dropped it again but managed to hold onto it by clutching it tightly with her right hand. When she looked up she noticed the disturbed expression on his face, the visible part anyway. “Is-- is something wrong?”
Kakashi's face broke into what seemed to be a giant smile, “Oh no, not at all. Let's go outside, Yamato's about to take this down.” He must have seen the confused expression on Maemi's face because he added, “We'll-- try to explain things on the way, right now we need to move.” And without waiting for confirmation, he grabbed the covers she'd been using and made his way out, showing her the way down two flights of stairs. They'd barely stepped outside that the wood seemed to shrink, creak and twist itself into the ground until it was no more.
Amazed, Maemi stared at the spot that a minute ago had been a decently sized mansion. Yamato grinned briefly then nodded to his companions. A new loud voice interrupted her buzzing thoughts, “--at's why I should have come the first time! None of that would've happened Kakashi-sensei!” Following the sound of the complaining voice, Maemi stared at the boy. Surely she was seeing wrong, the morning sun had somehow blinded her. How could someone's hair be so yellow? It was past blond!
The said boy noticed her staring and broke into a wide grin, but before he could even approach her, the girl called Sakura smacked him on the head. “Don't even think about it. We have to pack,” she said sternly.
“Yes... Sakura-chan,” he replied obediently. Maemi could only look from person to person, still attempting to grasp the situation she'd somehow landed in, yet it was-- difficult. The group she met yesterday was huddled, kneeling in a circle, a fourth boy with an explosive pony tail in their midst. They seemed deep in conversation, so Maemi turned to look at the pair with strange hair. They seemed younger than her, yet she felt they emanated a weird maturity. They checked the packed bags, and once everything was ready the blond boy walked up to her curiously.
Suddenly very self-conscious under his stare, she took a step back, keeping a slight distance from him. “What?” she asked defensively, frowning slightly.
“I didn't notice before, but it's like they said, you have almost no chakra! How can you even move around?” he asked, his face alight with nothing but curiosity. “Can you really stay awake the whole day?” Maemi blinked, unsure whether this was a bad joke or if she somehow looked incapacitated to them. Thankfully, she was rescued before she could even answer.
“NARUTO!” Sakura stomped forward with the motion of pushing back her sleeve. The blond gulped anxiously, putting his hands up as he stepped backwards slowly.
“N--now now, Sakura-chan, I was just cur--”
“What kind of questions do you think you're asking!?” she fumed and grabbed his head with her gloved hand.
The boy cringed in pain, “But, Sakura-chan-- isn't it some kind of medical discovery?” She must have tightened her grip on his head, “Ouch, that hurts-- Sakura-chan. Ow ow ow! Okay, I take it back! I'm sorry!!”
With a triumphant grin, she let go and gave him a meaningful look. “Next time, don't be so rude!” She turned her back on him and closed the distance between her and Maemi, who was really tempted to take a step back until she saw the girl's sincere smile. “I'm sorry about him, he's just an idiot.”
“That's-- quite okay,” replied Maemi neutrally with a weak nod.
The girl didn't seem to pay too much attention to her words and clasped her hands behind her back, “My name's Sakura. It's nice to meet you.” She bowed slightly.
“I'm Maemi. Pleasure...” Although Maemi felt her greeting was too sarcastic, Sakura made no indication that she'd picked up on it.
“Anyway, they're going over the last details for the way back. I think they said you'd be with Sai, it's fastest and probably safest for you,” said Sakura, “We'll meet up with you again in front of Konoha, of course,” she continued, oblivious to Maemi's blank stare. “So don't worry about anything and enjoy the ride!” she finally finished with a big smile.
Ride? Wait, Sai... He was the smiley one, the one who pulled her out of the river. And yet again, before she could ask questions, the meeting broke up and the one with the face guard (Yamato was it?) came up to her. “You'll be going by air with Sai.” He gave her a brief smile just as Sai came up behind him, a smile still plastered on his face. “You'll leave first, once we know we're clear.” Maemi gave a slow nod, still unsure what the heck was going on. By air? How exactly would that work?
“Gee Shikamaru, you've outdone yourself.” Sakura glanced at the scroll before he rolled it up.
“Heh, it's nothing but troublesome...” The guy with the explosive ponytail looked, if anything, utterly bored and ready for a nap.
Suddenly, a dog jumped from out of nowhere and landed in the middle of the dispersed group. Was he wearing clothes? Maemi stared at him dubiously when he sniffed the air and turned to look at her briefly before turning away. “Kakashi, you're good to go.” Maemi stared open-mouthed, but noticed everyone's lack of reaction. Was she the only one completely freaked out?
“Wait-- what?” she let out before she could stop herself, bringing everyone's eyes on her. “Did he just-- speak!?” There was a slight note of hysteria in her voice, as if this had been the last straw. Glowing hands healed wounds, and people who moved like blurs threw knives at each other. And now speaking dogs?
Kakashi smiled kindly, “He's my nin-dog, Pakkun.” Pakkun responded by sitting down and scratching his ear.
“Right... of course,” replied Maemi in a strained whisper. “I've landed in a nuthouse. Tsune, if I ever see you again, I'll kill you!”
Kakashi acknowledged Pakkun, who disappeared in a puff of smoke. “Well, we can't waste any time then. Sai.”
The latter nodded, whipped out a scroll of paper and a brush. Quickly and accurately he drew a large bird; nothing out of the ordinary, simply calligraphy practice at a very strange time. Maemi jumped back when the bird flew out of the scroll, her eyes wide in considerable surprise. Is there anything that's impossible in this world!?The ink bird flapped around and landed in the middle of the group. Sai agilely jumped on its back before looking at Maemi and extending a hand.
So this is what they meant by air travel. Right, no big deal, just a bird made of ink flying in the wide open sky. “Hell. No.” Maemi couldn't stop herself. This was ludicrous. Couldn't they just-- walk? Under everyone's perplexed stares, she shook her head. “I'm not getting on that thing. I mean-- what the hell!?” She could feel herself tearing up in confusion and frustration and saw the irritation in their faces, but she didn't care. She never asked to be here!
“Look--” began an exasperated Yamato, “We need you out of the way to move faster. Right now--”
“You're nothing but a hindrance,” finished Sai with a smile, his hand still extended towards her. Before she could reply, or protest for that matter, Yamato pushed her forward and Sai firmly grabbed her wrist, and pulled her on the bird behind him.
The bird flapped its wings and lifted off the ground, creating a cloud of dust. “See you in Konoha,” said Yamato just before the bird gained altitude and soared high above the forest.
Sai briefly glanced at Maemi over his shoulder. “You best hold on.”
The bird flapped its wings again and accelerated rapidly. “To what!?” shrieked Maemi, trying her hardest not to look down. The bird had no feathers to grab, it felt like paper, flat and smooth. Quickly, she grabbed Sai's shoulders tightly. Sai blinked. That wasn't what he had in mind, but as long as she didn't fall off...