Something Precious

Chapter Twenty Five

Naruto was quick to hide his recognition. He could hear his heart beating a million miles a minute, the rush of the blood coursing through his body drowned out all other sounds. Still, he kept his face a mask of perfect and practiced calm.

"I'm sorry." he said again and scratched the back of his head in habit. He couldn't quite look in his eyes so he was grateful for Killer B's shades that were always in place.

"It's no problem, man." B said before an awkward silence descended upon them. Wow, could this get any weirder?

"Ah, yeah okay. Well, it was nice to meet you." Naruto bowed and tried to make a run for it.

"Say, you look familiar. What's your name?" Killer B stopped him before he could escape. Naruto knew that if he wasn't rapping, he was getting serious.

Naruto looked at him carefully before he answered. ". . . Naruto Uzumaki." he knew how perceptive Killer B had been in his time so he was more than a little cautious.

Killer B considered him for a moment. "Nice to meet you Naruto Uzumaki, my name is the infamous Killer B." he held out a fist. Naruto pretended not to notice and bowed again.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Killer B. I have to go, maybe I'll see you around." Naruto said.

Whatever god was out there must have hated his guts. "Wait." B called once again foiling his attempts to leave the situation he wasn't sure he was ready to handle. Naruto turned his head back to face B reluctantly.

"Have you heard any rumors of Konoha nin around here lately?" B kept his eyes glued on the blonde, daring him to lie. The question brought the weight of reality with it, Naruto and Killer B were not friends. The shinobi in front of him was not his mentor. They were enemies, if Killer B knew that he was a Leaf shinobi hr would probably kill him or bring him to his Kage or A. This man was here for one reason, to spy on the Land of Fire so the Cloud could gain the upper hand and possibly destroy it, or at the very least take some of its forces.

Taking the role of an innocent villager Naruto adopted a surprised expression. "Konoha? Can't say I have. . . why?"

Killer B smiled in a way that made it unclear if he believed Naruto or not. "It's nothing."

As much he wanted to Naruto knew that prying would only give him away so he nodded politely before walking to the inn as casually as he could. He suppressed the urge to book it down the road to get out from the gaze he could feel was watching him.

As he strolled up to the desk of the inn to book himself and the rest of his new team rooms, he caught his reflection in one of the windows. His face was a mask of calm and collectedness - the complete opposite of how he really felt. He wondered when he had become so good at masking his emotions. It was a shame in a way, he used to be such an open book even a blind person could read him, it had been one of the reasons people so easily trusted him - well that's what Kakashi had said anyways.

Someone cleared their throat. "Can I help you?" Naruto' gaze turned to the woman at the reception desk.

"I need four rooms please, three single and one double." he requested. The woman looked in a book and sighed.

"I'm sorry sir, we only have two single rooms available, we could change to two double maybe?" she informed in a small voice. Though he seemed friendly, it was hard not to be intimidated by Naruto's intense blue eyes.

Naruto was put out slightly, he really didn't want share a room, he knew that he talked in his sleep, and with all the nightmares he had been having the last thing he needed was for someone to hear something they shouldn't. But he nodded in affirmation and he was handed three room keys. He realized that he would have to go back to the springs and give the rest of his team their keys and had to hold in a groan.