AN: So sorry for the lateness of this chapter! I haven’t forgotten about it and much less lost interest -- heck, I’ve got a sequel for this story!

In the last chapter:

Amaya, along with her team, trained on their tree climbing. Later on, she had completed her new jutsu.

Chapter Eight - Just Teammates

“Naruto you idiot, you’ll wake her up,” a harsh whisper was heard from the other side of the bedroom door.

I’m already awake, Amaya thought to herself as she slowly stood up from her bed, her right hand carefully placed over the white square bandage that covered the right side of her hip. It had been a couple of hours since she last stood up, and it had only taken a couple of seconds of standing before she felt a sharp pinch under the bandage.

“Hey, I’m her friend too! I want to see ho—hey! What was that for?!”

“You’re shouting, and besides, you’re not allowed to enter the girls’ room without permission,” Sakura said matter-of-factly. “No, you’re not allowed.”

Amaya grinned at what she heard before she turned her attention to the bandage. After pulling the waistband of her pants down enough to see it, she gingerly pulled back the material far enough to notice the five stitches that were required for her wound to close. She had been awake when the village doctor stitched her up, and while she had not felt the pain—thanks to an anesthetic—she could not help but groan inwardly as she now felt the throbbing pain. Had she (along with her team) not been involved in the fight earlier today at the bridge—with the one who was thought to be dead, Zabuza—she would have certainly not been in the condition she now was. Yet it was that situation where she had met the one named Haku.

Had she met him under different circumstances, had he not been the enemy they had all fought against, Amaya would have found someone to whom she could relate. She could have been able to ask him about the kekkei-genkai they shared, for he had evidently mastered the use of the Ice-style jutsu. But in the end, as she had knelt outside of the ice mirrors he had created and with a hand over her bloody wound, she watched his death take place before her eyes. A meaningful death from what she’d heard, but a life completely gone to waste. Now all he had left behind was the style of jutsus he had used against them, jutsus that she, Amaya, could possibly try to recreate on her own.

After she pulled up her black pants, making sure the waistband did not lie directly where the stitches were, she made her way towards the door. “Hey guys,” she said after opening the door, which was enough of an action to interrupt the little “chit chat” Sakura and Naruto were having. “By any chance, did the doctor left some pain medicine or something?”

“Amaya!” Naruto greeted exuberantly.

“Oh, he has. He left it on the corner table, here, I’ll get it for you,” Sakura offered as she passed by the opening Amaya made for her. While Sakura was inside the room, Amaya turned to Naruto. “I’m jealous; you look as if you weren’t in the fight at all.”

“What? Of course I wa—”

“I mean, there’s not a scratch on you. I can see a bruise or two, but that’s about it. While I, on the other hand, had to get stitches,” Amaya said, pulling down the waistband of her pants for Naruto to see the bandage. “Want to see?” she asked, looking back up at him.

“I—uh…that’s all right,” Naruto answered with a sheepish smile.

“Don’t be so eager to show off your wound.” Sakura appeared beside Amaya with a glass of water and a small square container. “Here, take two.”

After Amaya quickly gulped down the pills and thanked Sakura, who took the empty glass and the box of pills, Amaya, again, turned to Naruto.

“You have a habit of appearing out of thin air, but really, you did well out there while I keep getting my butt whipped.”

Naruto smiled ear to ear as he rubbed the back of his head, a light blush tainting his cheeks. “We all helped o—”

“Don’t inflate his ego, Amaya,” Sakura said from behind her. “It’s bad enough.”

Amaya grinned at Naruto. “Just like you do with Sasuke, huh?” she asked over her shoulder. “By the way, where is he?”

“He’s outside,” Sakura quickly answered.

“Lonesome as always; I guess I’ll have to…” Amaya hesitated, “thank Sasuke for saving me again.”

“Just don’t make that into a habit,” Sakura said, as she appeared by Amaya’s side.

“I don’t dream of making it into one, Sakura,” Amaya sighed, and shook her head side to side. “If anything, I’d rather have Naruto save me instead of Sasuke. At least then, I know he won’t gloat at me for failing.”

Sakura started chuckling while Naruto stood there with a blush that seemed not to go away. “Oh Amaya, you’re such a joker!” Sakura blurted, bent over laughing. “Naru—Sasu—” Sakura was highly amused.

“What’s so funny about that, huh?” Naruto asked sincerely.

“You…must…have…hurt…your…head…” Sakura breathed out, as she leaned against the doorway for support.

Amaya felt her own cheeks heat up and quickly shook her head, “All right, okay. I get your joke, Sakura.”

“What’s so funny?” Naruto asked again.

“Oh, wow…”Sakura sighed, ignoring Naruto’s question as she turned to Amaya. “Pick Shikamaru, at least he thinks through his strategy instead of jumping ill-prepared.”

Amaya cocked her head at her statement. “Uh, what?”

Sakura waved her hand. “Ah, never mind. Hey, you should get something to eat. Follow me.”

“What was that all about?” Naruto exclaimed as Sakura made her way down the hallway.

“I believe she just insulted you with this Shikamaru person,” Amaya answered, walking past Naruto and after Sakura.

“What? Sakura!”

X…….x…….X

“What was that all about?” Etsuko asked Amaya as the two left Ichiraku. Amaya looked down upon the small booklet she special ordered from the ramen shop. “Not only that, but if looks could kill, whoa!”

Amaya quirked an eyebrow. “What?”

“Were you ignoring me this whole time?”

“No, why?”

“What’s with the ‘what’?”

“He was the guy I told you about a week ago, the one on whom I was going to use the icicle. Had it not been for Sasuke, I would have likely regretted my action…” She stopped and walked over to a bench that lay directly underneath the shade. The sun’s heat had been bothering her since she left home a couple of hours ago, so Amaya was relieved to find a cool shade to be under. “Which in itself was a stupid thing to create at the moment,” Amaya muttered.

“Oh, one of the Suna-nins,” Etsuko stated as she joined Amaya under the shade. “Ah, well that explains the look he gave you.”

“Not only have I created an enemy of sorts, but a new jutsu resulted from that encounter. Funny, huh?” Amaya sighed, slumping against the bench and placing the booklet between the two of them. “Anyway, the whole sister-standing-up-for-her-younger-brother-role came to play. Had it not been that, I would have just walked away.”

“Were you going to use it on him?”

“Of course not, I was taken by surprise by the sight of it. Were I in a battle, I would have been killed for hesitating. No time to be taken by surprise. Anyway, that’s when Sasuke stepped in.”

“Hey.”

“Hmm?”

“If I was to buy a drink and it got warm with this heat, could you chill it with those special powers of yours?” Etsuko asked, also slumping against the bench. Had the two been in a location where many people passed by, neither of them would be sitting in the manner they were.

“I’ll turn it into a popsicle if that’s what you want.”

“I knew I should have bought that drink back in Ichiraku. Speaking of which, who’s this for? I didn’t know they sold gift certificates.” Etsuko took hold of the small, coupon-sized booklet Amaya placed between them.

“They don’t, I had to ask. The owner was grateful enough of me asking for it.”

“Free food, oh!”

“So are you studying for the Chunin exam?” Amaya asked, taking the small booklet from Etusko’s grasp.

“No, but who’s the gift for?”

“Naruto’s birthday is tomorrow, and being teammates and all, I got him this.”

“Naruto, huh?”

Amaya nodded, sitting straight up. “He’s easier to figure out. Well, after Sakura who makes it so obvious.”

“Really.”

“Her birthday isn’t for a couple of months, but I’m sure anything Sasuke-related would rock her world.”

“Who wou—”

“Don’t start, I get enough from Sakura,” Amaya interrupted.

“Just stating the obvious, but hey, if you like Naruto, that’s, well, uh…good for you.” Etsuko did not bother hiding her sly grin.

“What?!I do not like him that way! He’s only a teammate and a friend, that’s about it,” Amaya responded as she stood up in a hurry. “Seriously!”

“Now that you mention it…” Etusko started, “Konohamaru also made a friend out of him, if he following Naruto is any indication.” Amaya turned, and just as Etusko mentioned, Naruto and Konohamaru’s gang were walking along with the blonde. “Interesting friendships the Sarutobi clan makes,” Etsuko said, and poked Amaya’s side. “Anyway, I have to go to the library. I’ll see you later!”

Amaya barely bid her a “bye” as the small group neared her. When has Konohamaru been hanging around Naruto? she thought, moving towards them. “Hey, Naruto!”

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