Vision of Truth II: Shield and Sharingan (Naruto)

Curiosity Killed the Cat

Chapter 10: Curiosity Killed the Cat

Sakura chose for me an electric blue dress with three quarter sleeves that cut off just below my knees. She also pulled my short brown hair back into a bun. I did not look bad, and I wore shorts with weapons underneath in case of an emergency. After gushing about how perfect I looked, Sakura dragged me off to the party.

The room we entered was usually reserved for official gatherings to discuss important matters. Of course, reserving it would be no problem for Sakura who was a student of the Hokage. The room was decorated with banners and streamers, not too much unlike a party in my own world. There was even a table with snacks and drinks, and a group of villagers played lively music in the corner.

"Hey, everyone!" Sakura shouted. "She's here!"

It looked like everyone in the village had showed up - all of the ninja, at least - and dressed as nicely as me. They immediately looked in our direction, and I offered them a small smile. I hoped they did not expect me to say something. Then they all said in unison, "Happy birthday, Katsumi!"

"Thank you," I said, hoping that was sufficient. Fortunately, everyone went back to their activities.

"What do you think?" Sakura said, beaming at me.

"This is kind of nice," I admitted. "I'm surprised you got everyone to come." And even more surprised they had all managed to keep it a secret from me.

"Of course they came! You're our friend, and we appreciate you."

"The last guests have arrived," said Kakashi's voice from behind me.

I turned around curiously and gasped when I saw Gaara and his siblings. Had Kakashi invited them? And they really came all this way to see me? I had grown closer to all three of them over the past two years. The Leaf and Sand were allies, so our paths sometimes crossed during missions. And there was the occasional personal visit on both sides as well.

Gaara had recently been named Kazekage of the Hidden Sand. Of course, I was there at the ceremony with the group representing the Leaf. I could not have been prouder of my friend. He had gone from being an outcast to gaining the love and respect of nearly everyone in his village. He had become someone extremely dependable. He still did not outwardly show his emotions easily, but I could tell he had never been happier.

"Gaara!" I exclaimed as I ran to him and threw my arms around him, earning a chuckle from Temari and Kankuro. Gaara was more affectionate in private, but he was receptive to me in public. Officials in the Sand did not appreciate actions towards their Kazekage, but I did not care for their opinions because these were the same people who once shunned him. "I can't believe you're here."

"Of course I'm here," Gaara said. "Happy birthday, Katsumi."

I pulled back and smiled at him. "Thank you." Then I offered Kankuro and Temari a hug as well. "It's good to see all of you. I hope you enjoy the party."

I left them to make the customary greeting to everyone in the room. There were many people, making it a bit tiring, so at the end, I stopped by the food table to observe the others. Gaara soon joined me, though he remained silent at first. He too did not like to always be in the middle of the action but wanted to still feel a part of it, which was one of the reasons why we got along so well. We could be comfortable in silence together, kind of like Kakashi and me.

"I have something for you," he said after awhile.

Curious, I took the small box from him. I opened the top to see a tiny, wooden bear. I smiled knowing instantly what it was for. "Aw, it's your animal form."