The Lost Princess Returns (Sequel to The Lost Princess, Kiba Inuzuka Love Story)

Chapter 5

Ayumi's P. O. V:

My teammates and I leap through the trees in the direction of Sunagakure. A few paces ahead of us is Naruto.

I call up to him, "Naruto! I know you're in a hurry, but quit breaking formation!" I was between Kakashi and Sakura.

Naruto looks back and begins to protest, "I know, but—!"

"Don't lose your cool," Kakashi interrupts. "Jiraiya-sama taught you better than that, didn't he?"

Naruto grits his teeth. Sakura groans in exaggeration, "Oh, boy...!" Suddenly, she looks down and gasps. "Temari!"

Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi and I leap down to the Sand ninja and she turns to face us. We explain to her as quickly as we can about Gaara being kidnapped by the Akatsuki.

"Gaara...?! You mean, he's been...?!" Temari exclaims once we'd finished. Kakashi nods his head grimly. She glared to herself.

Kakashi states, "We're two and a half days out from the Sand. We should hurry."

"Right," Temari agrees. The five of us leap back up into the trees and resume racing for Sunagakure.

Night falls sooner than I thought and I watch as Naruto pushes further on ahead of us.

I call up to him, "Naruto! Will you come on, already?! Stop getting ahead of us!"

"I can't take this anymore!" Naruto growls, causing Sakura, Temari and I to gasp. "I know why they're After Gaara and me. It's not like it's a mystery or anything! You know too, don't you, Sakura, Ayumi? There's no point I hiding it. The spirit of the Nine Tailed Fox is sealed away inside of me." Temari gasps at this. My gaze softens as I've known a lot longer than either of them. Naruto clutches at his heart. "Gaara and I are the same!! We both have monsters locked up inside of us... that's what these bastards are after..."

When Naruto kicks off from a branch, it snaps slightly due to the excess chakra he emits from his foot. Naruto throws out an arm out of frustration.

"And that's the worst part about it! To them, we're just monsters. All those bastards see is a means to an end! Everything about us was exactly the same." Temari lets out another gasp. "And he had to fend for himself!" Naruto continues. "A lot longer than I ever did!"

"Naruto-kun..." I think empathetically.

Naruto shouts angrily, "And now he's a target of the Akatsuki! One more thing we have in common! Why should his life be so full of misery all the time?!" I see Naruto clench a fist at his side. "Why is it always him?! That's why I've gotta hurry! I don't have a second to waste!" Naruto kicks off from a branch, getting ahead of us once again. "This time will be different. I'm gonna be there to save him!"

"And you won't be alone, either," I think with determination.

                       🗡🗡🗡

We barely stop for any rest that night and the following day rolls around quickly. Beside the pinkette, I see her take a food pill towards her mouth.

Kakashi says as he appears beside me, "You know, those food pellets are only for emergencies. And a girl at your age should especially be careful of high fat—"

Sakura makes a point of ignoring my Guardian as she chomps down loudly on the food pill and is given a burst of speed for the blonde in front of us.

I say with the flattest deadpan expression aimed at my Guardian, "Real smooth!"

"Is she mad at me...?" Kakashi questions me, an exaggerated expression on his face.

I say sarcastically, hearing Temari giggle behind us, "Gee, I wonder?"