A Visit to the Naruto World

Chapter Fourteen: Soul-Chasing

Emily fell asleep again on Kakashi's back.

She woke up on the ground, trees towering above her. Kakashi had apparently laid her down in the soft grass and had put a cloak around her. She wanted to scream from the cuteness, but Sakura was sleeping beside her and she didn't want to wake her up.

She sat up slightly and saw that Sasuke were sleeping a couple yards away from them. Kakashi was nowhere to be seen.

She searched the clearing for Naruto, and found him sitting up in a tree branch, staring out into the forest.

Emily climbed up the branches and sat beside him.

"What're you doing up here?" asked Emiy.

"Just thinking," replied Naruto. He looked kind of sad.

"Awwww, were you thinking about your sad past?" Emily gasped. "And how everyone in the village ignores you and hates you and you have no friends and you live by yourself, you poor little baby boy!"

She tried to hug him, but he jumped up and dodged her.

"Hey!" he cried. "You know about all that?"

"Of course," said Emily. "The villagers are jerks. I hate them."

"I don't hate them," said Naruto. "I just... I just wish they would stop seeing me as a beast, and see me as Naruto Uzumaki."

Emily's eyes teared up.

"You're really weird, Emily," said Naruto. "I mean, thanks for listening to me and all... and thanks for being one of the only people who seems to kinda understand me... But you sure cry and scream a lot."

"Yeah," sighed Emily. "I can't help it. The emotions are just too much."

Suddenly Kakashi popped up beside them.

"Good morning."

"Are we going now?" Naruto cried.

"Yup," said Kakashi. "The sun is beginning to rise, so we'd better get a move on."

Emily wanted to try leaping through the trees like a ninja. She made it across three or four branches before she slipped and had to be caught by Kakashi.

"Why don't we get you back alive instead?" Kakashi suggested.

So Emily rode on Kakashi's back again.

"What a lame mission," complained Naruto as they neared the Leaf Village at last. "We didn't even get to fight anyone!"

"You're only a genin, Naruto," said Kakashi. "You may have to put up with a lot of 'boring' missions before you are even able to go on a C-rank mission."

"I had fun," said Emily. "I got to meet the Sand Siblings!"

"Who are the Sand Siblings?" Naruto asked, wrinkling his nose.

"You'll know soon enough," Emily said.

When they at last came to the Leaf Village, Emily decided to risk it and made another attempt at grabbing Kakashi's mask. And just as he had promised, he did not hesitate to drop her. In fact, Emily suddenly found herself hugging a log as Kakashi appeared in the next branch over.

Emily fell into some bushes.

"I warned you," said Kakashi. He had pulled out his book and was casually leaning against the trunk of the tree.

Jerk, she thought. But she still loved him.

"Kakashi!" Team Seven looked up to find Kurenai Sensei jump out from a tree, followed by Hinata, Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru.