Hey everyone! I took the time off to go through this story again to edit some grammatical inconsistencies regarding POV (I keep getting confused before 1st and 3rd), but it's all fixed! I added a little bit more to the story as well.I don't own Naruto in any way. The only character I made is Mayu and her mother. :3 Thanks for following, and feel free to comment!
Today was the day…
She was returning back to Konoha after 15 years of travelling, training, and meditation. As an incredibly gifted kunoichi with impressive aptitude, she was praised as being a shoe-in for the next position as Hokage even at such a young age…except she had a different plan in mind.
Kakashi Hatake groggily removed the blanket that separated him from the harsh, morning sunlight. He winced, adjusting to the brightness. It's been fifteen years since he's seen her, fifteen years too long. He wondered how she progressed with her training, if she was still light-years ahead of him in skill, what she looked like now…if she had seen other men…
"Mayu…"
He shook the offending thought out of his head. She never belonged to him; rather, they were rivals during their childhood. Mayu strongly disliked his condescending, arrogant attitude while Kakashi envied her natural talent and care-free demeanor. In his eyes, she wasn't fit to be a shinobi; she was the kind of trouble-maker that would put emotions over mission goals. It also didn't help that her and Obito were best friends. Their bond only started to develop after that day happened. They both lost someone of importance to them; someone who had equally affected their lives.
They would both visit Obito's grave together…then they accidently started allowing each other to become close. It wasn't ever a relationship status, but it was obvious that Kakashi was very fond of her.
It broke his heart when Mayu informed him of her plans to leave. It was obvious that she admired her father so much- his grand stature, commanding presence, intellect, patience, humor- all he stood for. She intended on leaving the village to train, to become a sage, to make her father proud.
"She was about 10 when she left…," Kakashi thought out loud, "That means she is 25 now…"
She left a child, and now she will return as an adult. He couldn't let that thought escape from his mind. There was excitement and a slight fear stirring up inside of him. What if she didn't remember him? What if she didn't find him attractive? What if she changed?
He covered his bare chest with a long-sleeve navy shirt then slipped on his jonin jacket and mask. Grabbing his treasured Icha-Icha Paradise novel, he headed out the door towards the front gate.
When Kakashi arrived, there was already a fairly large group waiting to greet her, including the Hokage and Toad Sage, Jiraiya.
"Yo!" Kakashi greeted everyone.
Tsunade approached him in her Hokage garb. "Oh? This is the first time I've seen you punctual. You must be excited for her arrival." She gave him a teasing smile.
"Well, it's been 15 years after all. I don't think she'll ever forgive me if I'm late for this." He rebutted while scratching his head nervously.
"Of course." She gave him another smile before walking off.
'I'm too obvious.' He sighed, defeated.
After a few minutes of waiting, someone shouted "Hey, look! Is that her? I see someone coming!" Everyone stopped their mingling and averted their attention towards the on comer.
A woman standing around 5' 5" was seen hauling a decent sized backpack and was approaching the gate. She was clothed in a simple sapphire blue cropped kimono, with a light blue trim and bow tied at the waist. She had a slightly unkempt disposition; her white hair grown long, reaching down the length of her back- knots in her locks of waves could be seen. She also walked barefoot and had traces of dirt on her feet and legs.
However, there was a look in her blue eyes that were orderly, passionate, caring, and pristine. No matter how disheveled she appeared, Mayu carried herself like a respectable woman.
"That's her alright." Jiraiya smiled. "That's my girl."
"Hello, everyone!" She shouted and waved from a distance. She picked up her pace from a brisk walk into a run, reaching the gate in mere seconds. She was glad to finally be home with her friends and family. She flashed smiles and thanked everyone for welcoming her home, some of them unfamiliar faces, but her eyes were scanning the crowd, searching for specific people.
"Mayu!" She quickly spinned her head and smiled. "Father…I've missed you…you've gotten old…I can't wait to show you what I've learned." She embraced the Toad Sage and had a smile decorate her face. The aroma of earth both decorated their bodies; they were truly father and child.
He let out a hearty laugh. "No need to be in a rush. We have our appointment to meet Tsunade, who is now Hokage, later in the evening to discuss your progress, but for now let's get you settled and cleaned, and then we can grab some Ramen at Ichiraku's." She nodded in agreement and slowly let go of her father when she felt another familiar presence approach her from behind.
"Kakashi…" Mayu said in a whisper before turning around. They both gazed at each other, analyzing how they've grown, how much they've changed. A light blush creeped onto her cheeks when he eyed her up and down.
She had also approved his looks. Kakashi had always been handsome, but she never felt an attraction towards him when they were younger.
Maybe that will change?
"It's been a while, Mayu. I hope your training went well?"
"It did. I think you would even be impressed with how I've progressed. Have you been visiting Obito and Rin like you've promised?"
"Of course."
"Well, first order of business needs to be taken care of." Mayu said while looking at her dirty garbs. "I'll meet there in about half an hour?"
Kakashi nodded his head.
Mayu bid farewell to everyone and thanked them again. Jiraiya told her to meet him at Ichiraku's after she was finished with her business.
"I hope I still know my way around here…" she sweatdropped while wondering aimlessly around the market streets.
Weird glances and looks were thrown her way. Mayu surely was a spectacle to be seen; not only did she look dirty and mangled, but it wasn't every day that outsiders were allowed into the walls of Konoha.
Mayu leaped onto the roof of a building. "If memory serves me right…the apartment should be somewhere around the corner…"
She searched through the sea of structures until she found what she was looking for. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, she landed on the balcony of the tallest apartment and slid the door open.
The apartment looked virtually clean and untouched, other than some dust collecting on some of the furniture. It was expected since father wasn't home very often. Through the "uninhabited" look, the apartment was quite nice. It was large and spacious, with simple furniture decorating the room.
As she walked through the rooms, she old pictures of herself and her father adorn the walls and tables. Stopping in the master bedroom, an old photo of her mother stood on the nightstand. She picked up the photo and wiped the dust off the glass. She was beautiful. She had sleet black hair and crystal blue eyes. In her arms was a baby bundled in colorful, silk fabrics.
"Man, no wonder why my dad had the hots for her." Mayu laughed and returned the photo to its original position.
I should probably wash up and hurry. Unpacking her bag, Mayu picked out a dark blue cropped kimono with a white obi and sash, with a dark blue bow to tie back her hair.
Meanwhile, Kakashi stopped by the Yaminaka flower shop to purchase a bouquet for his past friends. He was hesitant to purchase flowers for Mayu as well, seeing as how she has just returned, and she probably didn't like him that either.
Kakashi exited the shop, and whipped out his trusty pornographic novel and made his way towards the memorial site.
Upon arrival, Mayu was already kneeling in front of the stone eyes closed. Kakashi approached her and rested the flowers in front of her.
"I haven't gone a single day where I haven't thought about him…" She said in a somber tone. "I just wished things worked out differently than it did; I wish I was there to help in some way.
Kakashi looked at her with sad eyes.
"We all wish it to be differently…" He responded, unsure of how to answer her. "…But he chose to risk his life for Rin and I's. He died with honor and with my respect. He is a true shinobi."
She let out a loud sigh and nodded in agreement. "I miss you Obito-kun…" She smiled. "I hope you miss me, too. I have so much to tell you, so many experiences I'd like to share with you. I think you would be proud of me, Obito-kun."
Mayu lifted up her head and glanced over at Kakashi.
She let out a smile and slowly lifted herself out of the kneeling position.
"Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah."
Mayu and Kakashi walked together towards Ichiraku Ramen. They received weird and curious glances from the locals.
"Who is that girl? Wasn't she the one from earlier?" One man whispered to another.
"I think someone told me her name was Mayu…" He responded.
"Mayu?! That pervert Jiraiya's daughter? She's beautiful!"
She giggled at all of the attention she was causing, while Kakashi tried to keep a straight face.
"Are they dating?" A girl asked another.
"I don't know…I hope not. Kakashi's handsome, but he always turns down women. Maybe that's why…"
"Konbanwa, Teuchi-san!" Mayu greeted as she parted the fabric.
"Is that you, Mayu? It's really you! Jiraiya-san was just talking about your arrival today."
She smiled, "Oh really? She took a seat next to her father, while Kakashi sat next to a blonde boy.
"Wow. It's really busy here today…I hope I'm still your favorite customer." She joked.
"Of course you are." He smiled.
"OI. THAT'S NOT FAIR. YOU SAID I WAS YOUR FAVORITE."
She looked around at the unfamiliar faces. Seated in between Kakashi and Jiraiya were three teenagers. One of them was a girl with pink hair and green eyes, another was a boy with pale skin and black hair. Lastly, was a blond boy who was profoundly resembled Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage. He was standing up and pointing at Teuchi.
He let out a hearty chuckle. "Now now, no need to be mad Naruto. You're both my favorites."
"These are my students." Kakashi explained. "Sakura, Sai, and Naruto. Sai is our newest member."
"Naruto you look a lot like…" Jiraiya and Kakashi both leaned in with nervous expressions. "Never mind, I'm silly for thinking that."
They sank back into their seats with a relieved sigh. "Hunh? What's wrong?" She looked suspiciously at the two men.
"W-we're just…uhh." Jiraiya stuttered.
"We're just hungry. That's all." Kakashi nervously chuckled.
"You should have told me you were hungry. We could have left earlier." Mayu said with concern. "Let's order!"
Teuchi and Ayame, who Mayu found out to be his daughter, served everyone their steaming bowl of ramen.
"Mmm…this looks delicious! It's been a while since I've had a meal like this." Mayu said in a dreamy tone with comical tears running down her eyes.
"Hey lady, who are you by the way?" Naruto inquired.
"Yeah, I haven't seen you around her. Are you from this area?" Sakura included.
"Father, you haven't told them about me?" She looked at Jiraiya.
"Naruto, this is my daughter, Mayu."
"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?! ERO-SENNIN, YOU HAVE A DAUGHTER?"
Everyone chuckled at his reaction.
"Yes, there was a woman I met during one of my travels when I was younger. She was a maiden from the Land of Iron by the name of Kamiko Yamada. She was extremely gifted in the art of the katana. I travelled there to specifically learn and train from her as well as study Kenjustsu. Her skill as a swordsmaster showed prowess but so did her beauty. It didn't take long for us to become infatuated with each other. She became pregnant not too long after; however, she couldn't care for Mayu while running her dojo simultaneously. I came back to Konaha to raise her. Fortunately, Mayu wasn't difficult to rear. Let's just say she was a genius. Mayu graduated from the Academy by age 7 and reached became Jonin within two years. She left the village soon after she turned ten to travel and train independently. Now here she is! Back home 15 years later."
"I actually met Mother during my travels. She was more than happy to teach me about the samurai culture in the Land of Iron. She told us to visit soon."
"Oi, Mayu-chan. I bet you know a lot of awesome Jutsu, right?" Naruto said while slurping ramen noodles. "Maybe you can teach me some!"
"I guess you can say that. Are you sure you're up for the challenge?" She smirked.
"I think you've learned enough justu's for now, Naruto." Kakashi lectured and pointed to the cast on his arm. "You're still recovering from the Rasen-Shuriken."
'Rasen…Rasengan…so Minato and Kushina had a son…' Mayu thought. 'No one has told me yet…I guess they're keeping it a secret for now…'
"Mayu?" Her father noticed her staring at Naruto.
"Hm?"
"Are you ready to see Tsunade?"
"Oh yes, of course. Will Kakashi be accompanying us?" She glanced over to him.
"Hai. I'm pretty sure he's just as curious as all of us to see how you've progressed."
"Well." Kakashi got up. "It looks like we have head out now to meet with the Hokage." He told his students.
"It was nice meeting you all. I'll see you sometime soon." Mayu bowed. "Ja ne." She waved and walked off with the men.
"Naruto…that's Minato and Kushina's son?"
"Hai." Kakashi answered.
"He shows some serious potential, might even pass his own father in skill."
"I guess I won't go easy on him if we ever spar, ne?"
Shizune knocked on Tsunade's office door.
"Tsunade-sama! Mayu, Jiraiya, and Kakashi have arrived. Are you ready?"
"Yes! Come in!" A shout came from behind the door.
Shizune opened the door and motioned for the three to come in.
"Take a seat." The Hokage said. Shizune gently shut the door closed and took a place next to the blonde.
Mayu threw down her bag and sat down on the lone seat in front of Tsunade's desk while Kakashi and Jiraiya stood next to her.
"So…we'll begin when you're ready."
