Kozue sighed. She
knew her brother was watching her.
"Yo, please don't spy,"
Kozue muttered. The bushes shook and her older brother stepped out.
"They don't like it you know," Yo told her.
"I know
but I do. I never let anyone but you see me. You know I haven't, no
one will get their eye on me," Kozue said defensively. She loved
being a ninja, even if no one knew, and she had never fought.
"I
don't know how you get away with it, I used to get in trouble for
pretending to be a ninja," said Yo giving Kozue an annoyed look.
"Well I am the princess in the family," said Kozue with a
smirk. Yo shrugged.
"I prefer not being the princess," Yo
said to his 13-year-old sister. Kozue laughed.
"So I've got
your present for the party," said Kozue smiling, "Are you going
to have a sweet sixteen?"
"Guys don't do that," said Yo
giving her a dirty look.
"Are we heading home then?" asked
Kozue.
"Actually I'd rather see that move you were about to
do," said Yo, he was practically obsessed with ninja moves whether
or not their parents forbid them. Kozue sighed and took her senbon
out of her senbon hoister.
"If I puncture the air tube they'd
be dead in seconds. I'll hit that bug crawling on the wood," she
announced. She threw her senbon and it hit the bug in the center of
it's body.
"Impressive," said a woman's voice. Yo and
Kozue spun around to see a woman with blue hair. She wore a black
cloak with red clouds on it and there was origami flower in her hair.
"It's you!" Yo almost shouted.
"What's your name?"
she asked Kozue.
"Ko-" Kozue began but Yo interrupted.
"Kozy
Rickson!" he said panicked.
"I know that's not her name,
it's better if you don't lie to me," said the woman.
"Sorry
ma'am," said Yo nervously.
"I'm Kozue Wattan," said
Kozue trying to take the pressure off her brother.
"I would
like you to come with me to see Pein," said the woman. Yo groaned,
Pein was one of the leaders of the ninja village. Kozue was
practically shaking.
"Can my brother come along?" asked
Kozue.
"I don't see the harm," said the woman with blue
hair.
"Is it true your name's Angel?" asked Yo trying to
make the most of their situation.
"No, my name's Konan,"
said the woman.
"May we call you that?" asked Kozue.
"Sure,"
said Konan staring at Kozue. They reached the town and people moved
out of the way for Konan. She was practically treated like royalty.
They walked into a building with rock work stairs. They walked threw
a lot of hallways. They finally reached a door and Konan knocked and
then opened it.
"Pein, I have an interesting girl, her name's
Kozue Wattan," said Konan. Kozue stared at a man with orange hair
and a lot of piercings over Konan's shoulders. Konan stepped to her
left to unveil Kozue so to speak.
"How old are you?" asked
the man who Kozue's parents had tried to protect her from for so
long.
"Thirteen," said Kozue playing with her fingers.
"What
rank are you?" asked Pein.
"Excuse me?" asked Yo almost
challengingly.
"What ninja rank is she?" asked Pein.
"She's
not a ninja," said Yo.
"If you were a ninja what rank do you
think you would be?" asked Konan.
"I don't know," said
Kozue shrugging. Pein flicked his wrist. Kozue saw a kunai flying at
her and acting on pure instinct she grabbed a senbon and slid it
threw the kunai's finger hole. She stopped the kunai had it for
herself. Konan clapped politely.
"I think she's ANBU at
least," said Konan.
"How long have you been watching her?"
asked Pein.
"Three days," said Konan and Yo had to resist the
urge to strangle his sister. He thought she only did it about once a
week but she did it everyday. Pein faced Kozue.
"How would you
like to join the akatsuki?"
asked Pein. Kozue took a step back.
"I refuse to join the
akatsuki,"
said Kozue stubbornly and plainly.
"If you refuse then we'll
have to make you," said Pein.
"You
can't make me," said Kozue with her nose crinkled.
"First I
must say the akatsuki could
so make you," began Pein, "But what we'll do so you have a fair
chance is this: We'll let you fight an akatsuki
member. If you win, we will
leave you alone, but if you loose you'll become a member." Kozue
stared at him her green eyes wide. She had short layered light brown
hair and she slid her finger in it. She began to twirl it around her
finger and bite her lip.
"Do you agree?" asked Pein.
"I
agree," said Kozue defiantly.
"Then the fight will be
tomorrow at ten AM wherever you were training," said Pein.
"Will
I be fighting one of you two?" asked Kozue. Pein shook his head.
"No, you'll be fighting a different member," said Pein.
"You two can go now," said Konan. Yo began to walk but Kozue
stood looking confused. Yo stopped grabbed his sister and led her out
of the room.
