Summary: Kishimoto, Asuka is a tracker ninja. As such, she is supposed to have the elite skills of sensory details, and the advanced ability to analyze and convert data. Her heart shines bright towards her fellow classmates, who have been re-instated into "Academy" for re-enhancement. As part of her training, she uses her skills to "study" a subject, and injects the data uncovered into the files stored within her brain. Her latest test subject of late has been one Uzumaki Naruto. When Asuka is struck with a forbidden jutsu out of the blue, and placed in the hospital, her "test subject" is the one worried most.
Akira: Ummmm, that was stupendously hard to think of. So please just read [pweeety pweeety pweeeeze] This is my second post, and please do not expect it to be . . . . . like the first one. I am trying many different styles, and this is just one of them. A bit of it is rushed and sloppy, and for that, I apologize, I really wanted to polish it over, but I haven't posted another piece in a looooooong while. Please don't be angry if you don't like, I personally think I could have done better, and there is major OCC, so I'm letting you know that now. So you comment, and your like, why is it so OOC , it just is. XD So, Love you all, and enjoy.
Title: Tracker Ninja aren't always sure
Pairing: Naruto x OC
Word Count:4,285 approximately.
:D
Everyone seemed to receive the positive end of his emotions. He was always so happy and cheerful when surrounded by his friends and classmates. Always. I had constantly wondered where all of his pent up anger went while he was so joyful. Did he ever even feel angry? At least once? It just felt strange to see his face always split with a grin, or his eyes twinkling when they sought out Sakura's face. Long and hard I observed him, so close I thought it stupid that he hadn't noticed yet. Where did all of his happiness and joy come from, where did all that energy disembark? Of all the people to be scoping information upon, why him? In the beginning he was nothing, a piece of dirt in tons of never ending grass as I had been told. Everyone shunned his very existence, his very being, so why? Why did I care? It only took a moment after I myself thought it over, and it came to my attention, I was getting in too deep. His bright smile with those adorable cat like marks had begun to leave an impression on me. The way he laughed loud and obnoxious, I realized too late, I had gotten use to. My dreams consisted of blonde hair and blue eyes. This isn't right. One cannot seemingly fall for his research subject. That was my spoken rule over all, and you must never break that rule. Never.
"Kishimoto-Chan," Kakashi-Sensei announced loudly, breaking me out of a patronizing stare at my blonde test subject I had no realization I had even been doing, "Now that I have your attention, what is the answer to the question?" I stared blankly at him, while I rewound what he had been saying while my mind was away.
"San," I answered in one breath. If I had not trained my mind for so long, that would not have been possible.
"Thank you. Now please read section 7, Haruno-Chan." Sakura stood in all of her ostentatious glory, clearing her throat dramatically before reading the said section in a girlier voice then usual. Her stance proved to show that she felt herself superior to all; the stare quickly turned to a smirk when it met my own blank stare. Of course, I was garbage now. Even more so then my test subject use to subsist. With an air of "I have more millions then you" Sakura sat back in her seat slow and carefully, shifting her left leg on top of the other, speaking the words "I'm much classier then you" non-verbally.
"Now Uchiha-Kun, read section 9 paragraph 2." I blinked, my eyes settling in on Sakura's action. Her head had instantly craned sidewards in an attempt to get a view of the speaking Uchiha, who was protected from view due to Choji's slightly large size. Try as I might, I couldn't help but feel a bit smug at the fact that she could not even lay her eyes upon her heart's desire. It was karma, which she gladly deserved.
"Thank you," Kakashi-Sensei answered in that tired voice I had been hearing since my school academy days, "That's the end of class. Talk amongst yourselves until the bell." 20 free minutes, was Kakashi asking for a fight to break out? I was sure someone would say or portray an act that would anger the rest, that is what usually happened these days. Having a group of hormone amped teenagers together under no actual authority was so idiotic. I watched as everyone split off into their groups, it was like a pre-existing cycle. Ever since the teams had been split to individuals for this special re-enhancement school, the members still continued to come together as they did before. Ino quickly shifted away from Sakura and stepped over to sit with Shikamaru, who already had his head on his clean desk, and Choji, who pulled his favorite barbeque chips from his bag. Neji sat reading another history book, while Ten Ten and Lee initiated an arm wrestle on the desk close by. Hinata sat quietly by Kiba as he ranted on and on about various topics, and Shino sat in front of Hinata, a small beetle in the palm of his hand. I suspected he was conversing with it instead of listening to his team mate. Gaara sat alone, purposely isolating himself from the others because of his naturally introverted personality. His brother Kankuro and sister Temari sat away from him, chatting with older shinobi. This academy had no age difference, just different classes in which to teach a unique skill. Sakura Haruno's highly girlish snort caught my attention and pulled my thoughts away from analyzing the others actions. The pink haired heiress sat right where I was sure she had wished to be all this time, in her Uchiha boyfriend's lap. Sai sat close, laughing along with whatever was said, but he was not. No laughter passed through those soft looking lips. Why?
"You must be joking Naruto-Kun!" Sakura exclaimed, shaking with more laughter. Why did she deserve the right to call him by his first name?
"I'm serious," I heard him say, taking a defensive tone. The blonde sounded hurt.
"But she's . . . . . such a loser! I mean, really? You could do so much better." Personal issues of any degree which do not concern me, I erase my self from witnessing. The classroom door slid open suddenly, fortunately blocking out all connection of sound between myself and Sakura's voice.
"Your just in time , class ends in 15 minutes," Kakashi spoke dully, seeming not to care, though if anyone could sense it, I could, the group would serve detention for a week.
"Come on Kakashi-Sensei, you know it takes us way longer then anyone else to get here, un!" The infamous clay artist Deidara said, stepping in first, followed closely by Sasori. I saw that they were conjoined by a hand between them, clasped tightly. Kakashi didn't bother to reply, instead focusing more on his little orange book. Deidara pulled Sasori along to the seats at the top row, about 4 seats away from me. Kakuzu, also known as the lover of money, sauntered in next, his partner/best friend/enemy Hidan following behind. I noticed that they each offset intense waves of irritation towards each other that bubbles to the surface at anytime, but I've also noticed the way Hidan stares, and how gentle kakuzu is with him when he assumes no one is watching. Zetsu, the only member of the class with a mental disease called schizophrenia, stepped inside happily, a smile on his uniquely discolored face, his green hair standing out immensely. To me, Zetsu has calmed down his hallucination numbers by far since the first semester here, I'm hoping perhaps due to our gardening sessions. Tobi bounced in after him, sitting with him without fail. Tobi was just a kid stuck in a teenagers body, that was his only fault. He loved everything, and everyone, which is highly unusual for an Uchiha. I often pondered whether he was the only one to be dropped on his head as a child. Either way, Tobi was my favorite out of the Uchiha trio by far. Kisame, the other oddity for bearing slightly blue tinged skin, stepped through the door, and sat in the row beneath me, sharply towards the right, just beneath Sasori and Deidara. Itachi, the last of the Uchiha Trio, slouched inside, imperceptibly staring first to the right, then the left, before he uncovered Kisame's location. Pein walked in with an air of "kneel before me" as he held on to Konan, Nagato silently instep behind them. The Akatsuki, as they had been called frequently had finally graced the school with their presence. Maybe now it was possible to not feel so utterly quarantined as I had since class had started, sitting by myself. I help everyone, but to be expected, no one wants to share a word with me when she is around. I can understand why, so I bear her words so she will leave everyone else be. It is the least I can do to help everyone.
"Hey, Kishimoto-Sempai!" Tobi literally squealed from his location at the bottom of the stairs. Amazing, how loud Tobi could be without even trying. Many a time I had studied him rather diligently, but he was nothing like the Uzumaki child. Uzumaki was . . . . let us just say, different. The overly hyper Uchiha jogged up the steps to me, taking a seat on my lap instead of the empty chair next to me. Not even a moment later, I noticed the blonde subject angrily push away from his desk and friends.
"Naruto-Kun, your actually mad over her? She can't even afford your lifestyle let alone be with you! Your setting yourself up for failure! You should really listen to me," Sakura preached to his turned back. My information on the Uzumaki had always told me that he loved Sakura, that he would always listen to her word over anyone else. Had I been wrong? Staring ardently into his turned head, I absentmindedly heard the bell ring for Technique classes.
"Kishimoto-Sempai, let's go!" My Tobi cheered, taking up my books and deciding to run down the stairs. I looked away, sighing at the trembles Tobi's legs were giving away, in less the 2.4 seconds he would crash into something or another. Right on cue, Tobi dashed into Deidara, dropping my things all over the place. The blonde pushed him away harshly, forcing the rest of my books as well as papers to the floor.
"I'LL GET THEM KISHIMOTO-SEMPAI" The Uchiha screamed, dropping to his knees to do the deed. Slowly, I really had no worries or time to rush, I stepped down the stairs only to stop dead in my tracks. My research had also squatted lower to pick up my notebooks. Uzumaki Naruto has never even glanced at me before. What was this, generosity? Pity?
"Here Asuka-Chan. Tobi-Kun, be more careful with her things next time."
"Of course Naruto-Sempai." Tobi retrieved my books from his grasp, but continued to carry them for me like the sweetheart that he was. As I stepped through the doorway, something else struck me as a surprise. When he had handed my books over, he said my first name, like he really, honestly knew me. The way each syllable rolled off his tongue sounded excruciatingly pleasant to my ears. No. No. NO. Stop this wishful thinking. Uzumaki Naruto does not want a low class tracker for a girlfriend of any sort. He is much too rich and respected to sully his own name in such a way.
"Kishimoto-Sempai? Are you feeling okay?" Tobi asked softly as he walked next to me, a look of concern etched on his child like features.
"I'm fine Tobi-Kun," I responded, for all the world lying through my teeth. I, in fact, felt the exact opposite from fine.
"Your face is paler then usual, and your shaking. Are you sick? Do you feel cold?" Was this true? Were these symptoms present?
"Tobi-Kun, I pro-" a shriveling pain escaped my lungs, crippling me from speaking.
"KISHI-SEMPAI!" I have no doubt Tobi had screamed at the top of his lungs, but to me, it met me as a caressing whisper. The contours of the hallway merged, streaking over with black. A small blossoming pain enveloped my head.
"Someone must really hate this girl," a medical-nin spoke gravely, his brows furrowed in confusion, "To use such a dangerous jutsu must mean that. The jutsu used was also forbidden, and its intent is to kill. I'm fairly surprised she is still hanging on so fiercely. Most people die on impact from the experience. I will have my team run a few more tests, but for now, she is not in the clear just yet." Izu Kishimoto hung his head in grief, fighting and losing against the will to cry. His one and only daughter, attacked in a place that was suppose to hold protection over those inside of its walls. Who would do such a thing to anyone? O use a forbidden jutsu was pure evil.
"My Asuka," Izu's loving wife Yazi cried, too weak to even grasp a hold of her daughters hand. Why her sweet little girl? Asuka may not have been the most liked, but she had never done a thing to hurt anyone. Such a dedicated person, Asuka was, she never gave up on anything, forever researching something new until she could recall it at a will. Asuka was her golden orb. Without her, life would have so very little meaning.
"Can we come in and see Kishimoto-sempai?" The Uchiha, Tobi, asked from behind the closed door. He was responsible for transporting her to the hospital as fast as he possibly could. Izu took one last wistful look at his daughter, her face had gotten paler since her arrival, and looked towards the door.
"Yes. Come in Tobi-Kun." Tobi pushed his way inside, but that wasn't his only company. More then half the people from Asuka's classes had come to see her well-being. Izu's heart swelled, and he let the tears finally dominate his eyes. Quickly wiping away at the stinging streaks of water on his cheeks, Izu stood, softly groping his wife's hands and helping her up to her feet.
"We'll give you some time with her." Izu had an even harder struggle to keep his voice straight, "And thank-you so much Tobi-kun. We are f-forever in your dept." Tobi had no time to respond, Izu had already shuffled himself and Yazi out of the door and closed it just as it was before.
"She looks so-so pale," Deidara muttered sadly in the silence, "She was never that p-pale before."
"Don't cry Dei-chan," Sasori called him by his pet name, caressing the blonde's back affectionately, "I know she'll be fine."
"But look at her Danna, s-she-" Deidara was unable to finish.
"We didn't even acknowledge she was there. We always sat back and let her take the weight from Sakura, because we thought if not her, then Sakura would use her status to bully someone else," Ten Ten spoke the truth, so very ashamed. Lee stood next to her, not bothering to hide his tears. He was just as Ten Ten said. One of the bystanders.
"I remember she always greeted me with a ohayogozaimasu, and iterasai at the end of the day. No matter how badly Sakura tore away at her, she never let it show. Not even once," Kiba mumbled, a bit choked up. He should have been there, to protect Asuka, instead of looking away when Sakura shoved her around.
"Everyday, she would make me eat a bento she made, and I remember she would smile when I finished, and ask me if I ever wanted anything specific for the next day," Kisame said, feeling so low. Yes, he had heard rumors about what Sakura had been ensuing, but he had never progressed the matter further, because he was always too late to the scene.
"She managed to get me to stop cussing for at least 5 minutes a day. I never thanked her for it," Hidan muttered, not an oath uttered once in his sentence.
"No matter how much I needed, Asuka-Chan let me borrow the money, not ever worrying over when she would get it back. I always made sure to pay her the next day, and she would say domo arigato, but leave with less then she was suppose to," Kakuzu sighed, his hand immediately squeezed by Hidan's. Pulling out a huge wad of cash, there was no want to keep it, Kakuzu leaned closer to the bed ridden Asuka, and slipped the cash under her pillow.
"Now she has to accept it." Itachi stood close to Kisame, not letting his emotions betray him, but let the sadness swirl inside of himself. Asuka had always forced more then "Hn" out of him. He respected her for it. Choji stood by the edge of the bed, hunger nowhere present on his mind. Asuka gave him his favorite chips whenever he passed a test, which forced the Akumichi to do better and accomplish big things. He could never repay her. Next to Choji, Shikamaru stared blankly at the sleeping girl's discolored face. Asuka was not a troublesome women like so many others.
"She helped me with my observations whenever I asked her too," Shino whispered to himself, his eyes red rimmed behind his round shades. Pein and Konan stood closer to the back of the commodious room, not actually wanting to see what had befallen their dear friend. If not for Asuka's help, the two would have never found each other as they did. Seeing the maker of the duo hanging on for dear life, was a low blow. Memories of planting roses dashed across Zetsu's troubled mind, making his head hurt so badly. Gaara felt his former sadness take hold of him, rippling through his insides like a poison, and battled it away, remembering the teddy bear he held in his hand, the one she re-stitched for him. No words could even reciprocate the same way as how the redhead felt. The Hyuga prodigy let silent tears slip from her swollen orbs, slightly bent over from the pain. For her, Asuka worked away most of her nervous tendencies. The Hyuga hadn't twiddled with her fingers in quite some time. The renningen master closed his eyes. How many of the people he cared about suffer? Why did it have to be her, such a kind and loving soul. A help to all humanity. Asuka reached out to Nagato, giving him something to believe in. Tobi stepped forward, and reached a trembling hand out to his sempai. If he touched her, would she move, or wake up? Would she even feel it? Breathing in short little bursts, Tobi took a hold of Asuka's hand, a whimper passing through his lips at the sensation of cold skin. It felt as if she were already dead. Asuka cannot die, Tobi assumes she is already an angel.
"Tobi-kun is a good boy, right Asuka? Please, tell Tobi-kun he is." No response. Zetsu had to rush a rapidly sobbing Tobi from the room. Tobi is a good boy, Asuka would always say so. After a few more hours, one by one, the room lessened, until only he was left.
"It's ironic," Naruto spoke softly, finally standing before the girl he had argued with Sakura over, "I fight with myself for years about when to tell. Now, later? The conclusion always remained equivalent to never. Now look, your hurt, and you may never open those eyes again. S-so now, I-I'll tell you, just to be able to say I did it. Even though I really haven't at all. A-Asuka-Chan, I'm in love with you. There. I-I s-said it. F-finally." The bijuu possessor openly broke out in not the tears of a boy, but the tears of a man. Possibly losing someone you love, that was one of the cold prospects a man goes though. Boys do not love. Men do. Naruto stumbled back, just as the monitor went dead. Lives were simply destroyed as the monitors long tone continued to ring out. Groups of Medical nin sprinted through the door at top speed, one of them quickly pulling an ashen faced Uzumaki from the premises, and back to the waiting room, where many still sat. The only person who had to leave was Hinata, due to her father forcing her to go home. The heiress would have stayed had the choice been given to her.
"W-whats going on, un? Why are so many docto-" Deidara dug his head into Sasori's neck and began to sob harder. So many medical nin at once could only spell a bad omen. Nagato dug his head in his hands and cried, while Lee committed the same act on Ten Ten's shoulder. Neither Hidan nor Kakuzu cried, they couldn't. No matter how much they wanted to.
"I told her," Naruto said blankly, "It had t-taken me forever. But I s-said it. I said it." His cries were among the hardest, and most heartbreaking.
"Add more chakra to the liver, quickly, we're losing her!" The lead medic shouted over the monitors failing flat-line. The specialist worked quickly to try and re-stabilize her heartbeat.
"I found the poison, everyone, direct your chakra to the kidney and don't stop until I say so!" Thousands of units of concentrated chakra blasted into the kidney, showering the liver and stomach as well. The medical nin that had spoken silently counted down the seconds in his head.
"One . . . Two . . . . . Three."
"NOW!" The flow of chakra cut off on point, and in the silence that followed, each man or women waited, hoping, praying that this young soul would not be lost to death's hands. A small, very little beat of the monitor picked up in volume, until it rang strongly in the cluster of medical ninja's ears. Kishimoto Asuka would live.
"A-Alright everyone, clean this mess up and bring in a new IV bag. We need to prepare ourselves just in case this is another fluke."
Awareness seeped back into my weary bones as an aching pain. Was this how hell felt? Did all of my good deeds not deem me good enough even for the walls of heaven?
"Bring . . . . new IV bag . . . . . Prepare ourselves . . . . another fluke." Voices. Voices were permeating my dull senses, only meaning one thing. Hell had upgraded.
"I am relieved to say that Kishimoto-Chan is alive. We are keeping an eye on her constantly, so be assured, nothing else will affect her in any way," the nurse spoke reassuringly. Every person in that waiting room, every single person, took a breath of relief. A few cell phones rang at the same moment, pulling away those few if only for a minute or so.
"Keep me posted on her," Kiba shouted from the exit, Nagato, Pein, Konan, Itachi and Kisame behind him. The remaining visitors stayed a small interval later, before ultimately leaving. One remained, unable to leave this threshold. One Uzumaki Naruto. The kyubbi holder felt his feet plastered to the floor permanently, and he gave no bother to even trying to move. His Asuka lay there, alive, and it presented him with a chance to redeem himself.
"I'll stay, and when she wakes, I'll come out and say it."
"Here Asuka-Anata," such sweet words wafted through my subconscious, the tinkling of small bells chiming not far behind.
Will you always stay with me? Always? I often pondered whether or not love was really worth the mental risk. Letting someone into your deepest, darkest regions, why bother? A second later, they could disappear.
"I'll always be here Asuka, believe it." Uzumaki Naruto was more then I could ever possibly manage, in looks, personality, and the main obstacle. Money. My parents were low when it came to cash, and my money earned from missions was the only thing keeping us off the streets. Therefore, we never truly had money to spare. All knew.
"Let me take care of you." I cannot be the one under the care of another. It is not my nature.
"Please, love me." My eyes opened slowly, yet I was effectively able to understand the motion around me. Medical nin darted left at right, speaking in hushed tones, most likely under the impression that I still slept.
"Am I out of harms way?" I questioned politely, causing ten of the fifteen ninjas to jump in surprise.
"Oh, Miss Kishimoto, your awake? Ah, you seem to be fine at the moment, but we need-" I sat up, scratching at the bandage peeking from under my disgusting hospital apparel.
"I feel fine, can I go home?"
"But Miss-"
"Please? Whatever jutsu the person used did nothing but hinder me unaware for barely a whole day. I will be fine." My warm and cheery tone probably convinced them to let me leave more then what I actually said.
"Please Miss Kishimoto, we are asking you to stay, at-least overnight." The nurse helping me down the hall stated, though she made no actual attempt to stop me.
"I am fine." Her insisting began to annoy me, so I blocked her out of my head, instead rewinding the audio files that had automatically began recording when I went under. Little by little, I felt my heart crumble from sheer happiness. People visited me while I was away, they cared. And Uzumaki. . . . . Naruto.
Uzumaki Naruto spoke words of love that left me withered. He loves me. Me?
It had to be some sick, twisted joke. I twisted along the corridor halls, limping slightly, but trying my best to cover it up. A sign reading "Waiting Area" flashed by my view, my eyes quickly scanning over the words and moving to look forward again, completely missing the blonde gaping a few feet away.
"Asuka?" His voice sounded detached, and not the same as his hyperactive nature.
"Uzu-"
"Naruto," He spoke, his feet journeying closer, "Just Naruto."
"What are you doing here? Isn't there school tomorrow?"
"I . . . had to see if you were okay. Are you sure you can walk? Shouldn't you be in bed right now? Do you feel alright? Maybe you need-" I took a chance, covering his mouth with my puny hand.
"I'm fine N-Naruto." His hand raised to gently grasp my own, his movements somewhat lost to me. He lowered our conjoined hand.
"Then Ill take you home." His straightforward attitude, especially towards me, was highly unexpected, but I allowed myself to be drawn away by the hand he continued to hold.
"You had everyone so worried, I mean everyone, and I thought I was going to die, dattebayo!"
"But why? I didn't even think you knew who I was." He had led me safely out of the walls of Konoha Hospital and into the night.
"You've always been on my mind Asuka. I just never knew what to say. Knowing that you were going to die, it pissed me of. I've loved you for as long as I can remember, seeing you like that . . . . I won't back down anymore. I WILL EARN YOUR HEART!" His declaration of love somewhat reminded me of Lee, and for that, I giggled furiously. My tall blond experiment? Paused in his steps.
"Don't laugh. I'm serious." I cut off mid-laugh. His tone had shifted lower, unlike the bubbly tone I was so use to hearing. I shuffled through all of my information banks to my file labeled: "Uzumaki." The name had been subconsciously erased and replaced with "Naruto." I opened the file carefully, fully prepared to scan over all of the information I had gathered in the past months, only to find nothing. Where did my precious data go! A slight feathery feeling grabbed at my spine, cutting off motion in my legs. I swayed slightly off course, dread eating its way into my semi-twisted mind.
"Whoa, Asuka, you alright?" Naruto questioned softly, pulling me quickly to his side so that I could lean on him.
"There's a bench over there you can rest on," I heard him murmur, and he ventured off to the left, coming upon said bench in a matter of minutes. Naruto set me down first, then sat a few inches away, I suspected to give me as much space as I needed, but I secretly preferred that he sit as close as possible.
He gave me a few minutes to myself, before speaking.
"You should go back to the hospital Asuka. I should of made you stay."
"I'm fine," was my low reply, "I just need a breath. That's all." The blonde remained persistent.
"Why do you always take care of everyone, but when it comes to you, no one is allowed?"
"That's not true. I am alright. Honestly."
"But I want to take care of you." The bench creaked with his steady move closer to me, "So let me." As a tracker, I have utilized my sensory skills to optimum level, not leaving a single detail out of anything I ever did. Uzumaki Naruto, continued to prove my honed skills useless. I should have known what his next motion would be, but I did not, and instead, I simply shivered at the feeling of his warm fingers cupping my cheek. Also as a tracker, my reflexes were on point. All sense of what I knew seemed to ebb away as I met his eyes. Those eyes I had sometimes compared to the most perfect sparkling sky. His lips slowly gathered onto my own, my skills allowed me to slow down movement within my mind. It felt too easy to give in to him, no matter how much I had been chanting "he is a subject." Let's just face it, Uzumaki Naruto had never been as simple as just a subject for my research. I had always felt attracted to him, always loved his smile and those feline like features. His eyes of crystal blue had constantly intrigued me, and I had continuously ran away from my need to run a hand through those luscious golden locks. Fact is: I was in love with Naruto from the very beginning.
"I love you," I whispered against his retreating lips, uncertain if I should have let that slip. Since when had I been so unsure of myself?
"Not as much as I've always loved you." No amount of training could have prepared me for the joy that overcame all of me.
Trackers aren't certain of everything. I learned that from Konoha's #1 Knuckle Head Ninja . 3
