A Hatred That Will Never Bloom Into Friendship

"I'll have a cheeseburger too," I tell our waitress kindly, handing her the menu with a warm smile.

She returns my smile. "Okay. So, I have two cheeseburgers. One order of the pan noodles with beef, and one miso ramen with chicken. Will that be all?" she asks courteously, putting her auburn hair back in place behind her ear.

"Yeah... I think that's it," Naria sensei answers, seeing our content expressions.

"All right. That'll be coming right up." With that said, she walks briskly away towards the back of the restaurant. I watch her as she disappears through the double doors to the kitchen with keen interest.

"Hey, Kimina. What are you staring at?" Lloyd asks me. By the sound of his voice, he seemed amused.

"Hmm?" I look at him sited next to me. "Nothing. It's just that that waitress looks really young."

"She is. Her name is Lea, you already know that. She's only a couple year older than you guys. Her father, Apaja, owns this restaurant," Naria sensei explains, her eyes focused on the red-painted ceiling.

By this time, the young waitress returns with a bottle of ketchup. I wait until she leaves again, before starting back up the conversation. But Lloyd beat me to the punch line. "How do you know that? Have you come here before?" I watch eagerly at our sensei sitting across the table, next to Rakuyo. That was exactly the question I had intended to ask.

"Yeah. I've been here a couple times before. Both times I was on my way to the Village Hidden in the Sand," she replies, a happy smile on her heart-shaped face.
Wow. There were some many questions I had now. What was the Village Hidden in the Sand like? What to expect? Who did she travel with? Or did she journey out here on her own?

But as I open my mouth, I quickly close it again. Because I noticed Naria sensei's attention was not on neither of us, but was centered intently on someone or something else directly diagonal from us. Her eyes were narrowed, but not in hostility or anger. In suspicion? I turn my body halfway, and stare out at the empty booths across from us. Empty.

I turn back to our own booth, new questions now forming in my mind. But one in particular was the one I thought of the most; What or who was she looking at? Whatever or whoever it was, was gone now. I gaze up tentatively in our sensei's direction. She was gazing back at me, her expression unreadable. I wonder what expression she saw on my face, because something flashed across her own face in response to it. Not wanting to classify what it was, I quickly avert my eyes from hers, and look at both Rakuyo and Lloyd, who seemed to not have even noticed anything.

"So... after we eat, we should head on over to the inn just up the road. It'll be good to get an early rest in for tomorrow. Seeing that we have a longer ways to go to the Sand village," she states genially.

"Fine with me. A good night's rest is what I need," Lloyd utters, stifling a yawn.

"All right. Here we go!" Lea, our waitress, proclaims in a merry tone. She walks up with a big, brown circular tray rested easily on the palm of her right hand; on top, each of our four dinner meals.

"Here you two go," she says to Lloyd and I, placing our cheeseburgers in front of us first. "And for you"--sets down Naria sensei's beef pan noodles-- "and here is yours," she adds politely, setting down Rakuyo's chicken miso ramen. "Okay, everyone. Enjoy your meal!"

~~*~~

The inn room was adequately small. Facing east, directly across from the door, was a nice-sized window that looked out into the neighboring village forest. Underneath the window was a quaint, but small wooden dresser-drawer. On the northern side of the room, was a door leading into the bathroom. And in the center of the room there laid two large cozy quilt's, with two fluffy white pillows situated across the top half; the bed, in all it's glory.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Naria sensei asks me, watching me with contempt humor as my eyes sweep the room for the third time. "So, are you just gonna' stand there all night... or are you going to let me pass?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, sensei." I scurry with quick briskness into the room, my cheeks heating up faintly from the slight embarrassment.

"It's not much. But were only staying here for one night, right?" Naria glances around the room herself, her facial expression hovering between amusement and distaste. She then closes the door behind her.

She walks slowly to the bed, and sits on the edge of it, facing the door. Mechanically, she rummages through her backpack, taking little knick-knacks out and setting them beside her; a bottle of water, some ninja weaponry, and the letter from the Third Hokage. I laugh mentally to myself; what Lloyd wouldn't give right now to be in here. To maybe be able to finally see what's inside it.

"I'll be in the bathroom," I utter absent-mindedly, hoping my voice didn't sound as humorous as I felt. Not waiting for a response, I trudge dormant into the bathroom with my bag still strapped over my shoulders.

Naria's P.O.V.

Rustle, rustle, rustle.

My hand freezes on contact in the confines of my bag. My eyes narrow, as I turn my head towards the sound coming through the half-open window. I stand up swiftly, moving with quick and soundless steps to the window. My hand clasps over the latch, and I pull the window open side-ways; as far as it could go.

I stare out into the encroached forest; my eyes sweeping over every tree and leaf, my ears catching each little movement and sound. Nothing. There was no sound, nothing out of the ordinary. They seemed to have left; their presence was felt nowhere in the vicinity. But why were they here in the first place? Why were they following us? I knew the answer; it was just my heart and mind didn’t want to acknowledge it.

End of Naria's P.O.V

~~*~~

The night wore on, and I wasn't getting any sleep from it. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could think about was that moment in the restaurant. Naria sensei's suspicious glare, staring out at the booths across from us; the empty booths across from us.

There was something or someone there, my sub-conscious told me again and again. Well, of course that had to be true. The skepticism in her eyes. Anyway, there was nothing to worry over, right? If there was any point of being in danger, or we were being followed, Naria sensei would have informed us from the beginning.

Sigh. "I need some air," I murmur softly, looking feebly at the window above me. I then look beside me at Naria sensei's sleeping form, hoping that I wouldn't wake her. With quick and hushed steps, I roll out of bed and hurriedly change from my flannel shirt and shorts into my daily ninja attire. I tie the lavender belt around my waist securely, and with another glance at Naria sensei, I jump quietly out of the window and onto the dirt back road. I immediately notice a path leading into the forest on my left side, and I follow it without hesitation, hoping that a nice walk would clear my head of all the panic that was beginning to creep up on me.

~~*~~
I don't know how much time had past since I began walking. Five minutes... twenty minutes... an hour? Time was totally oblivious to me now. I kept following the trail, until it took me to a small circular clearing, where it ended. The trees hovered so closely together in the small space, cherry blossoms beginning to bloom on each of them. I could see the night sky clearly from here, every bright-lit star and the perfectly full moon.

"So, what are you doing out here?" I nearly jump in surprise at the sound of his voice behind me. Only he would laugh in this situation. He nearly doubled over, laughing whimsically at my utterly astonished expression.

"I'm sorry. Did I scare you?" Lloyd asks, trying to compose his laughter.

"A bit... yeah," I admit, trying to compose my breathing back to a normal rate. "What are you doing out here?"

"I followed you," he states simply.

"Followed me?" I repeat, my eyebrows raised. He nods in response.

"Yeah. I was still up and I heard a noise from outside. Turns out it was you leaving your room. So, I decided to follow." He nods once again. "Why did you leave in the first place?"

"I couldn't sleep and I needed some air," I explain truthfully. I then go and sit down against a tree behind me, my back resting against it comfortably.

"Oh yeah... it's not like there's any air inside the inn." Sarcasm. Lloyd walks over and rests himself against the tree beside me. I needed to tell him. The panic was eating me up inside too much, and I needed to tell him about what happened in the restaurant. Something him and Rakuyo missed completely.

"Can I ask you something?" Lloyd questions, throwing my off slightly of what I was going to say.

"Um... sure. Nothing too personal, I hope," I reply skeptically, forcing a smile to my lips.

"I don't think so," he says, barely above a whisper. What was he going to ask me?

"Shoot," I encourage, my tone slightly unsettled.

He seemed to hesitate even more at this point. He cleared his throat. "Why... why do you dislike Sasuke so much?"