Chapter 2 - Rainy Days & Ramen {Oneshot}

Rainy Days and Ramen

Drip drip. Pit pat. Splish splash.

Nozomi shivered as a cold gust of wind kicked up, giving her goosebumps all over her legs, as well as her shoulders. 'Stupid baka! she scolded herself silently. 'You should have at least grabbed a jacket!'

True, a netted top and knee length slitted dress with sandals was anything but appropriate attire for this weather.

The cat girl sighed. "Then again, I didn't exactly get a chance to grab anything before I left." A drop of sweat rolled down the back of her head as she thought back to what had happened only moments before.

..::FLASHBACK::..

Nozomi had been lounging lazily in a chair with a blanket, silently listening to the rain fall. She hated it when it rained, absolutely hated it! This was all due to the fact that having a demon cat in her made her feel drained and exhausted on rainy days. Nozomi's eyes had just slid shut when suddenly the door slammed open, revealing none other than the silver haired Jonin, Kakashi.

Nozomi jumped, surprised by the sudden intrusion, and shrieked. Kakashi sweatdropped, putting a hand on his ear. "Nozomi, calm down. It's just me." he said, his slightly monotone voice hard and firm as he fought to be heard over the cat girl's shrieking.

Nozomi stopped and frowned at him. "Kakashi-sensei? What are you doing here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"I'm here to inform you of your next mission." Kakashi replied.

Nozomi nearly went through the roof at this. "Whaaaaat?!" she yelled. "Oh no, I'm afraid it'll have to wait, sensei. I am NOT about to go out traveling on a day like this!" she yelled, pointing one clawed finger at the window, where rain could be seen coming down so thick you couldn't see anything else.

"Who said anything about traveling?" Kakashi shook his head. "Your mission is simple. Just find Naruto and bring him back."

Nozomi sweatdropped. "What do you mean, bring him back? He's not at home?" When all she got for an answer was a nod, Nozomi sighed. "Why can't Sakura go? You know how much I hate the rain!"

"Sakura is down with a cold." Kakashi said matter-of-factly, "So that just leaves you."

Nozomi groaned. "Why can't you go?"

"Because, I'm the sensei," Kakashi said, "and I'm telling you to! Now go on before Naruto catches a cold, too!"

"Whatever." Nozomi growled, climbing off the chair and taking the umbrella the silver haired Jonin held out to her. "I'll bet it's 'cause you want to read that dumb book!"

"I can assure you it's not." Kakashi said, sweatdropping. "Now get going!"

"Yeah, yeah, all right already! I'm going!" Nozomi snapped as she stepped outside, only stopping to open her umbrella, and walked off.

Kakashi stood watching her from the doorway for a few moments, before shutting the door and sitting in Nozomi's chair. He pulled out a small, hand sized book with a red restricted mark on it, flipping rapidly through the pages. "Now...where were we?"

..::END FLASHBACK::..

Nozomi groaned and squinted her eyes, struggling to see through the downpour. The rain was coming down so hard it was difficult to see anything!

Nozomi shivered as she walked past the academy. It was here where all Hidden Leaf ninja started. They were taught, trained and tested to determine whether or not they had what it took to be a ninja.

Nozomi was snapped out of her thoughts as she heard a loud sneeze nearby. "Ah-choo!"

"Naruto?" Nozomi glanced around, though it seemed futile as hard as the rain made it to see. Somehow she was able to make out the blond haired boy on the steps of the academy. Most likely because with a navy blue and bright orange jacket, he was hard to miss. Even in the rain.

"Oy...Naruto that baka...he doesn't even have an umbrella!" The cat girl muttered in frustration.

As carefully as she could, Nozomi walked up the steps and sat down beside the wet ninja, cursing Kakashi in her head for giving her such a small umbrella that she'd need to sit practically hip to hip with the boy. "Naruto?" she said softly, holding the umbrella so it covered them both.

Naruto glanced up in confusion at the umbrella that shielded him from the rain, then at the girl holding the umbrella. "Nozomi?"

Said cat girl sweatdropped. "Hello, Naruto." she said then glanced away, bracing herself for a loud, enthusiastic greeting.To her surprise, the spiky haired boy just nodded his head and said, "Hey."

Another drop of sweat rolled down Nozomi's head. What should she say now? A long, heavy silence fell over the two, and the only sound heard was the loud pitter patter of the rain.

"So...uhh..." Nozomi trailed off, struggling to think of something, anything to say.

"It's crazy."

"Neh?" Nozomi's head shot up and she stared at Naruto. His face was sober, his eyes seemingly emotionless with just the slightest hint of a sad smile on his lips.

"It feels like it was all just yesterday," Naruto began (whether he was talking to himself or to her, Nozomi wasn't sure), "when I was just starting out here as a student. Sakura, Sasuke and me."

Nozomi was about to correct his grammar, but he spoke again, not giving her the chance.

"Sasuke...Man, he really ticked me off sometimes with that attitude of his." There was a hint of a chuckle in his voice. "He was always doing things better than me without trying. That made me so mad, I went out of my way to challenge him to a competition of anything that came up."

Nozomi sighed inwardly at this. She remembered hearing about Sasuke. He had been the original third team mate in Kakashi Hatake's squad, until he had betrayed them and gone with Orochimaru. Shortly after that, Nozomi had stumbled across the Leaf Village. More like collapsed outside of it. Anyways, Naruto had found her, and after a long fight of one knuckle head verses another, he'd talked her into staying and living her life as a Leaf Shinobi. Afterward, the fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade had assigned Nozomi to Kakashi's squad (to her dismay), insisting that they needed someone to take Sasuke's place, at least for the time being so that the squad could continue.

Nozomi sighed again, shivering as another cold gust of wind went by.

"Are you cold, Nozo-chan?" Naruto said suddenly.

This shocked the cat girl. She'd assumed he wasn't paying attention. She sweatdropped and nodded her head sheepishly. "A little." she admitted reluctantly, "But that's beside the point. Not important." she glanced away again.


"Well...if you say so." Naruto said, looking away from her and resuming his walk down memory lane, the sadness still plain on his face.

Nozomi couldn't stand seeing him like this! Sure, the kid annoyed the heck out of her, but still...Her heart felt like it was breaking in two seeing him this down.

'Darn you, Sasuke, this is all your fault!' she cursed him in her mind, 'You caused such a hurt that nobody can heal by leaving! I don't even know you but right now, I HATE you!'

Nozomi sighed and lowered her head, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. Just the sight of him, his form bent, head hung to hide the sadness on his face, it hurt her more than she could understand. 'It's because he's always so darn happy.' she realized. 'He's always had that big, toothy grin on his sweet face while la-- wait...SWEET?! I did NOT just think that!' The gold eyed girl sweatdropped, smacking herself mentally. 'Anyways, I have to at least TRY to cheer him up...Otherwise he'll never come home, and Kakashi-sensei will punish me for failing! Ahhhhh! I don't even wanna think about what methods he might use!'

She furrowed her brow and frowned, thinking about what she could do to try and help. Then she suddenly had it! Ok, it wasn't anything big or special, but it WAS a stretch, especially for someone like Nozomi. The cat girl sweatdropped, her cheeks coloring slightly. Hopefully Naruto would appreciate it. She gulped before shifting the umbrella to her other hand, and putting her arm around Naruto's shoulder gently.

This act alone snapped Naruto out of his thoughts, and he cast a blank, wide eyed look at the girl. "Uhh..Nozo-chan? What is it?" he asked, looking extremely confused. This was way out of character for someone like Nozomi!

Nozomi blushed faintly, knowing what he must be thinking since she usually kept her distance from him...and now here she was hugging him.

"Nozomi?" Naruto said again.

Nozomi just wrapped her arm around him tighter and leaned against his shoulder, though her instincts told her to jerk away. The fact that she didn't was what surprised Naruto the most. Here was the girl who acted like she despised him, who jumped away if he happened to be standing only a few feet away from her...and now here she was hugging him?!

"Naruto..." Nozomi began, unsure of how to word the things she heard in her head, "I know the things I say can't heal you..or even help you...so I don't know WHY I'm saying this, but..I do believe you'll get Sasuke back one of these days...but you have to keep trying harder and harder...and you can't give up! No matter what happens, even if it means fighting to the death! You aren't to quit if you want to get him back. You can't give up." She sweatdropped, mentally slapping herself. Ok, that had sounded really bossy to her...not at all like the motivating speech she'd heard in her head.

Feeling awkward, Nozomi removed her arm from around his shoulders and pulled away from him. "Of course," she said, looking at her feet, "You don't have to listen to me...d-do what you want."

Naruto stared at her, still surprised. He had just opened his mouth to answer when she spoke yet again, cutting him off.

"...Listen. I know I can't take Sasuke's place on squad 7...or in your heart. I can't fill the hole he made..but..." she paused, "Still, I will try my best to help you get him back...and when you feel lonely, you can come to me. I'll listen...you can cry on my shoulder...or if it's just a hug you need...I'll be here."

Nozomi broke off her sentence in disbelief. Ok, once again, that had come out different than she'd heard it in her mind. Instead of sounding like someone trying to console a friend, she had come out sounding more like some girl trying to comfort her boyfriend! She frowned, feeling the blood rushing to her face. Had seeing him so down honestly made her sympathy level rise so much that she couldn't comfort him without sounding like some love crazed school girl?!

"I-I'm sorry. Th-that was a dumb thing for me to say." she broke off again, handing Naruto the umbrella. "Here, I'm gonna go home..and you need this more than I do." She inched away from him, cringing as she felt a drop of rain soak through the netting on her shoulder, freezing her skin. "Anyways...don't stay out here too much longer or you'll catch cold." she said. 'And then Kakashi-sensei will KILL me!' she added silently.

Suddenly Naruto put his hand on hers, stopping her. "N..Naruto?" she stammered, turning her head and looking at him. Her face turned red and she wished she HADN'T looked as she saw the expression on his face.

His eyes, though still clouded with some sadness were brighter and shining; his mouth curved into a small sad, yet grateful smile as he stared into her eyes. "Thanks, Nozomi. You did help a little." His smile widened slightly.

Nozomi looked surprised. "I did? How?"

Naruto's smile grew slightly. "Well, it's not what you said, though it was nice of you to try and make me feel better."

Nozomi sweatdropped hearing this. "Then how did I help you?" she asked in confusion.

Naruto's face broke out into his regular grin, teeth exposed and all. "It helped a lot to have a cute girl sitting with me of her own free will...and sitting so close with her arm around me!"

Hearing this, Nozomi's face turned a dark shade of crimson, and she was forced to turn her head away, otherwise face the headache of coming up with an excuse as to why she was so red. "W-well, you were getting r-rained on, and-and Kakashi-sensei said to go find you, so I-I really didn't have a choice in the matter!" she stammered.

Naruto nodded his head, a smirk on his face. "Uh huh...sure. Whatever you say. Though I think it's because you like me."

As impossibly as it seems, Nozomi's face turned even redder, and her eyes grew to about the size of saucers. "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! I do not!" she stammered. "I don't like you in the least! I hate your guts!" She growled at him and turned away, her back facing him.

Naruto still just smirked. "Well I don't believe you...and you're in luck, you know," Still clasping the umbrella with one hand, he leaned against Nozomi's shoulder. "Because," he said softly into one of her cat ears, making it twitch, "I can't get Sakura to date me, so that means I'm available!"

The fur on Nozomi's tail spiked up, and she turned to glare darkly at him. "Well STAY available, 'cause I'm not interested!" she spat.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Oh really...then...why are you so red?" he asked with a smirk, knowing he had her trapped.

Nozomi glanced away, one of the veins on her forehead popping up in anger. Darn it, he had her there! As she sat there, silently struggling to think of a come back, Naruto threw his head back and let out a big, hearty laugh.

"Oh, Nozo-chan...you're so silly!" he laughed, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "Why do you always choose to fight instead of just admitting it?" He laughed again. "Man, I feel so much better...thanks, Nozomi." he grinned at her and she sweatdropped. Why? Because he managed to get me so embarrassed?' she wondered silently.

"D-don't mention it." she managed to say.

There was a brief moment of silence which was broken as Nozomi suddenly sneezed loudly. Naruto looked at her, concerned. "Nozo-chan, you sound like you're getting a cold." he said, leaning in close and putting a hand on her forehead. She felt warm. "I guess that's what you get for not wearing a jacket." he said. "You should know better."

Nozomi sweatdropped and rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Look, Kakashi-sensei practically shoved me out the door! I didn't have a CHANCE to grab a jacke- Ah-CHOO!" she sniffled, groaning softly. Great, it was beginning to seem like she was coming down with a cold!

"C'mon, Nozo-chan." Naruto said suddenly, getting up. He grabbed Nozomi's hand and pulled her to her feet.

Nozomi's face colored to a light shade of pink at his touch, and she jerked her hand away. "Wh-where are we going?" she asked, looking confused.

Naruto smiled. "To get ramen, of course!"

Nozomi blinked and raised an eyebrow at him. "Ramen?" she repeated, sneezing again.

Naruto nodded his head enthusiastically. "Of course! There's no better cure for a cold than nice, hot Ichiraku ramen! You'll be better in no time!"

Nozomi stared at him, her expression softening. "...You don't have to do that, you know."

"Hey, I want to." Naruto replied. "You helped me out, now I'm gonna help you out!"

Nozomi could only stare at him, a small smile forming on her face. Naruto...Sure, he could be wreckless, and a knuckle head, but he could also be sweet when he chose to be. At first, she'd perceived him to be nothing more than a loud mouthed, slightly perverted (at times) show off who liked flirting with her. But maybe, just maybe she'd been wrong. Perhaps this was how he acted with all his friends that were girls...maybe..

Nozomi snapped back from her thoughts as she heard Naruto snicker. "What? What's so funny?!" she demanded.

Naruto grinned mischievously and stuck his tongue out. "Nothing. I was just thinking what a great first date this will be!"

Nozomi's face heated up yet again, and she knew she had to be blushing again. "It's not a date!" she insisted, still blushing furiously. Why did he always seem to have that effect on her?! She sweatdropped and shifted her gaze away from him.

Naruto just smirked. "You know, you better move closer if you want this umbrella to keep you dry!"

Nozomi groaned. "I'm already right next to you! What else am I supposed to do?!"

"You could walk with your arm around me." Naruto suggested with a sly grin.

Nozomi nearly socked him for that one.

"What? If you don't hang on, you might walk out from under the teeny tiny umbrella!" The blond haired boy's grin widened.

Nozomi growled as she backed away slightly. "You're exaggerating! I'll be fine!" No sooner had these words left her mouth then a cold drop of rain splashed against her back, and she jumped. "Kyaaa!"

Naruto's face broke out into a big, toothy smile. He knew he had won. The boy fought back the urge to say "I told ya so" as he extended an arm out to the cat girl. "You comin'?" he asked in an innocent sounding voice.

Nozomi growled and cursed under her breath, sneezing again and again. Darn. That stupid cold was really beginning to get annoying.

"Nozomi?" Naruto pressed.

Nozomi growled again as another rain drop hit her, this time on her ear. "Fine!" she grumbled, wrapping her arm around his shoulders, closing the space between them.

Naruto snickered softly and put his free arm around her middle, nearly doubling over with laughter as he saw how plainly this simple motion affected her. "Well then, let's go before you get so sick you can't walk and I have to carry you there!"

A drop of sweat ran down the back of Nozomi's head and she gulped, nodding and letting him lead.

God, this was so embarrassing! 'It's all Kakashi-sensei's fault!' she thought angrily. She could hear Naruto snickering under his breath. He thought how worked up and embarrassed she was was funny! It was almost unbearable!

'Darn you, Kakashi-sensei!' she thought, face flaming with embarrassment, 'Next time, give me a bigger umbrella!'