Chapter 2 - "Captured" Arc- Chapter 2

The festival was a splendid thing. Each year, the village went all out. Paper lanterns lined the streets so that the fun could continue late into the night. There were stands of food all over the center of the village. Everything from Okonomiyaki to yakitori, to yakinuki and oden. There were sweets, too. Manju was everywhere, and even things like ice cream and chocolate.
There were games, of course, and prizes. Balloons, toy ANBU masks, and headbands; the goldfish scoop, a dart game, and many other things. Games of skill and chance were all over, each bearing a warning that ‘use of shinobi abilities’ was ‘strictly prohibited’.

People also dressed carefully, too. As shinobi, we got very used to our uniforms. So getting to dress in something else was something of a treat. The girls dressed beautifully in yukatas, with their hair done up. The boys dressed in their own, often more plain yukatas.

I wasn’t much of a festival person. I never felt like celebrating. But I usually attended as an unofficial security guard. When the sake flowed, people got stupid. Especially with our visitors from the Sand village. More than once I pried apart two drunk, warring shinobi.

This year was going to suck. I could look at the girls, but all I would feel was jealousy. Jealousy that I didn’t have that kind of life- you know, hanging out with friends, flirting with abandon, and all that.

But that wasn’t my style, and it sucked. So I just resigned myself to having a lousy time.

“Hey, Ryouko-sempai, come with us!” Sakura called, waving. She looked gorgeous with her short hair done up and held in place with bells. Her bangs had been fanned out across her forehead. This was especially cute as she peered up at me with those big green eyes through her bangs. Said eyes were further accented by the dark pink yukata with small yellow stripes, held in place with a light pink obi (belt/sash).

I had really dressed up for the occasion myself. I had put on a dark blue formal samurai top with a deep purple hakama. I also wore a black haori jacket across my shoulders, tied with a very nice cord inlaid with genuine gold. My hands weren’t in the sleeves, but resting on my wakazashi.

“No, you go ahead. I’ve got some work to do,” I called back. That was only partially a lie, and therefore okay. Yeah, I’ll just keep telling myself that. The important thing was that Naruto have ample opportunity to get Sakura to like him. It was kind of a consolation prize: Someone I liked would live out my dream for me, since I couldn’t have it myself.

“ ‘kay! See you later!” she called, running off with Naruto. I thought she tossed me a backwards glance, so I made sure to force a smile onto my face.
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I immediately slunk toward the adult area, glaring at the guard when he asked me for identification. He didn’t press the subject further. I was old enough to drink, and no one was going to question me.

I slid open a shouji paper door that led to a drinking/gambling hall. Gambling wasn’t outlawed in the Leaf Village, but it was generally frowned upon. Thankfully, our leader enjoyed it, so it wouldn’t be banned.

“5000 ryo to enter,” called the tosei-nin to me as I entered. I kicked my sandals off in the pit near the door, picked out a cushion, and plopped down. I tossed the required amount on the table, accepted a cup of sake from a cute waitress, and took the chips given to me.

“So, you’re here to party, too?”

I looked next to me. As this was a festival in which no one had a job, formality was relaxed a bit. You could call your boss an asshole, and it would be forgiven. Besides, the boss currently talking to me was already deep into the bottle, and wouldn’t remember any mistakes I made tomorrow anyway.

“As to be expected from you, Lady Tsunade. I’m not here to party, I’m afraid. I’m just killing time until the kids call it a night.”

I tossed some chips into the pit we were using for a simple game of Han or Cho (odds or evens).

Tsunade clicked her chips together, counting them as she stacked them in her hand.
“Really? Would it kill you to have some fun yourself?”

ka-chik. She tossed her chips down.

“Why take the chance it will?” I replied, without a hint of snottiness in my voice. I was aware that everyone else, save for the tosei-nin, was now watching every move I made. Someone dared argue with the Hokage?! Perish the thought!

“Hm. A sharp-tongued child! That’s what you are!” she declared, seeming more amused than anything.

“Indeed,” I agreed. I looked at the dealer. He was supposed to ask me my bet any time now…

“Han or Cho?” he asked, belatedly. He had been caught up in my conversation with Tsunade.

“Cho,” I said instantly.

“Han,” Tsunade replied. “Care to make another wager, Ryouko-kun?”

“And that would be, M’lady?” I asked mildly, my eyes on the game.

“If I win, you agree to have some fun tonight. If you win, then I’ll give you something of Sarutobi-sensei’s. Agreed?”

I felt like I was kicking a puppy. “Sure. I’ll take the bet. In fact…All in on cho.”
I pushed my chips into a pile. Sure enough, Tsunade matched me. She was all in on Han.

The dealer rolled the dice. Pair of threes. Cho.

Tsunade grumbled, but muttered “A promise is a promise. Tomorrow morning, I’ll have something of Sarutobi-sensei’s for you. And you get to stay miserable.”

“That’s all I ask, M’lady,” I answered, taking my winnings and leaving. I heard her click her tongue at my sarcasm, but oh well.
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Naruto and Sakura wandered around the festival, keeping pace with each other. Naruto was wracking his brain, trying to think of ways to impress Sakura. So far, he had ‘impressed her’ by:

Spilling bean jam on his yukata
Telling a dirty joke
Completely sucking at the goldfish scoop
Eating too much food
Belching loudly

Now, he saw the dart throwing game. On top of the prizes, he saw a giant teddy bear. Immediately, he decided to win it for her.

“Hey, Sakura, check this out! See that bear? It’s gonna be yours!”

Sakura looked excited at the prospect. But then Naruto’s face fell.

“Eh…heheheh! I’ll be right back! I’ve gotta go hit sempai up for a loan!”

Naruto ran off, his fried squid on a stick landing on the back of his yukata. Sakura’s eyes twitched dangerously, as she had just about had enough of Naruto for one night.

But still, his heart has been in the right place. He’s been trying to act like a gentleman. I guess I can let him off the hook.
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As I stepped outside the gambling parlor, a girl in a beautiful yukata tripped into me.

“Sorry! My zouri (sandal) broke!” she exclaimed.

“Right. And I suppose you think you’ll find a replacement in my pocket?”

I had my hand firmly around her wrist. Her hand was in my jacket pocket.

“Ugh! I’ve never been caught before! How’d you know?!”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I took out my winnings and placed them into her palm.
“Don’t steal from anyone else tonight, okay? You can keep that.”

I walked away, not really caring about the money I had just given her. I didn’t have friends, so I made money. I could afford to give some away. But I hadn’t made it far before I heard frantic footsteps behind me.

“Hold on a second!”

It was the same girl. She and I were now under the light of a lantern, giving me a good look at her for the first time.

She had long black hair, not tied up traditionally- it flowed freely behind her, halfway down her back. Her yukata was beautiful, and obviously expensive. It was a sort of deep red color with light blue flowers printed on it. The obi was a mix of two kinds or gold, with the center being a lighter gold. She didn’t have the traditional snow-white skin either. It was still white, but with some kind of tan to it. She was clearly part foreign, now that I gotten a look at her. And the more I looked, the harder it was to tear my eyes away. The girl was a knockout!

“Sorry. I don’t need your money. I just enjoy the challenge,” she explained. Her eyes were dark brown, nearly black, and very deep. Pretty, too. They weren’t teared up, but they were wide enough to be.

“…Well, okay. But you can’t prove that’s my money. So you keep it.”

I tried to walk away again, but the girl seized my sleeve. I turned to face her, and found she was nearly my height. She was looking me in the eyes now, after having looked at the rest of me.

“…You aren’t like the other boys. Your eyes…they tell a different story.”

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. That was the sound of my heart as this girl talked to me. She leaned in closer and closer, as if she was going to kiss me. But she stopped once she got up close. Slowly, she raised a hand to my face, planting it on my cheek.

“…You’re cute up close. And your cheek is burning. You don’t have a fever, so it must be…ah! You’re girl-shy!”

I nodded slowly, secretly liking the feeling of her hand on my face. She was a kunoichi, so she could have been just messing with me, but I felt a strange sweetness about the girl.

In the distance, I heard voices shouting. There were looking for someone, apparently. I was obligated to help, but I really didn’t want to. I found I enjoyed having this girl talk to me.

“I’ve got to go…” she said suddenly, her voice full of regret. “It’s me they’re looking for. I’m something of a rogue ninja from the Sand.”

I looked at her seriously. How could this girl be a fugitive?!

“…Are you going to turn me in?” she asked, worry in her voice.

“…Tell me your name,” I requested.

“…Azami.”

I shrugged. “Well, Azami, you’re a rogue from the Sand, and as such, you’re not a concern of my village. Besides, this is a festival, and I’ve had a bit to drink. Maybe I’m talking with a really beautiful hallucination…”

Azami blushed at the compliment, once again looking at my face.
“…Thank you. You’re a sweet boy…You take care. I hope I meet lots more like you out there.”

She took my face in both her hands, pulled my head down, and kissed me on the cheek. Then she took off running, her long black hair flowing behind her, dancing a tantalizing dance that almost made me follow.

…Too bad I’ll never see her again. She was an interesting female. Now, I’d better just lay down and sleep off that ‘hallucination’.

I laid down on a bench, wadded my jacket up under my head, and pretended to be asleep. I heard a group of jonin and chunin run by, chasing after the girl I had just met.
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