The Glass Kunoichi
by Spottedleaf9
Chapter 9
(Kakashi POV)
When I awoke, my back was on fire and I felt anger like no other. I hadn't even been this upset when Obito died before my eyes. This feeling was grief because I'd lost something dear to me. I didn't want it so I shoved it down. Sitting up, I wiped my brow and spied my forehead protector on the ground next to me. Picking it up, I stared at it in my hands for a while before making a decision; with a lump in my throat, I tied the headband around my neck and let it rest against the hollow there, just as Akane liked to do. I had failed as her father; here I was recovering from a single wound to the back while my daughter was somewhere, probably getting tortured for information or beaten to consent joining. Arisu….I'm so sorry I couldn't keep my promise. Our child became a shinobi…and now that she has a reason to keep fighting…for her father…she'll never give up.
Naruto dropped from a tree to settle beside me, took in the change I'd made with my forehead protector, and his face fell. "Gomenasai, sensei. I…I first snooped in your things and then I failed to keep her safe."
Keeping my voice cool and unbothered, I looked my student in the eye. "Naruto, Akane is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She is a shinobi, not a civilian so she has her ways. As for you stealing my book, that was out of line. Had you stopped to consider that perhaps Akane was being kept blind to my true identity for a reason?" I was only smiling that time because I knew Akane would return my book unopened. I knew she had that much honor.
Surprise filled his naïve face and he looked even more repentant. "Gomen…" Crestfallen, he crouched beside me. "Tsunade-sama has finally gotten back to us with a message from Pakkun." He hesitated and I had to nudge him. Pakkun was one of my ninken; a dog that I was able to summon at any time. He was capable of speech and was therefore perfect for relaying messages. He even had the evasive abilities of a shinobi should he get into trouble somehow.
"Out with it, Naruto. I don't like to be kept waiting." Looking up so that his blue orbs could meet mine directly, Naruto cleared his throat as if he were about to deliver something heavy.
"We are to finish the mission and return to Konoha. Nothing else." Heaving a sigh, Naruto's eyes got teary. "We…it's…we aren't allowed to go bring her home. I'm not anyway. She wasn't clear, but Tsunade-sama may send you back out here later to retrieve Akane-chan."
I closed my eyes and thought of how ironic it was I had been thinking of Obito just moments ago. "Those who abandon their comrades are trash. I will not abandon my comrade, student, and daughter for a mission. Naruto, you take the prince and finish the mission. I'm counting on you to do this for me so that I may able to rescue the girl who is my treasure. Please? Take Lee with you. I must not allow any of you to fall with me should I fail."
Opening his mouth to protest, Naruto quoted me. "Those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash, sensei." Damn. I taught him well.
I sighed. "Naruto, you're making me have to do this. Remember it later, ok? I'm pulling rank on you now. What I've told you is an order and going against me now will be treason. Go."
Lee, who had been observing quietly spoke up. "But you telling us to do this so that you could go after Akane yourself is the same thing. Only…isn't it worse?" He asked after a moment. "I mean, you are going against hokage-sama herself, Kakashi-sensei."
I considered this before responding carefully. "I've lived long enough, I suppose."
A familiar whirling sound resonated in my ear as it seemed Naruto was creating a Rasengan. As I looked over, I was surprised to see the prince standing in grim determination holding a swirling ball in the palm of his hand; nothing like what Naruto's Rasangan but something of its own class. The young prince spoke, his face strained with grim concentration and determination "I will be accompanying you." He slammed the ball into the ground and it tore its way through it, like a wood chipper eating away at wood. At the apex of the attack, it exploded sending bits of water at lightning speeds into the surrounding dirt tearing it into shreds. The result; a large clean cut hole in the ground surrounded by tree roots uprooted from the ground, the area had been ravaged by a combination that I could only guess was water and air. I raised my eyebrow in admiration. Perhaps this simple prince might be able to help.
(Haru)
Darkness reigned in my world as everything came crashing down upon me. These past few weeks I was so happy living in the forest with the animals, living with the peace and quiet and being one with nature. Every day I woke up and there was some new adventure to be had, some new wonder to be explored. I had captured fish and put them inside a crafted glass jar I had managed to get my hands on while passing through town, keeping them alive over the period of weeks. Of course, I knew they would die soon and their presence would leave my world, but I managed to keep them alive until then. I grew attached to these little creatures who had come to realize when I was going to feed them and swam frantically about, I had become accustomed to them as I had many of the other beautiful pieces of life in the land.
But before long I realized I had to go back to my home and serve once again as the prince until I could take my rightful place. The fish had died shortly before I was forced to leave my hut and return to my home, just as many of the other feelings that had sprouted up within me while I was there. The shinobi would be coming soon and I would have to go with them.
Over time I had come to know Akane as she helped me train. She was very kind and behind those eyes that wouldn't let me see what she truly felt, I could see someone who might actually want to be my friend. If only the stubborn woman could stop using such formalities with me such as your majesty. And now, as I was in the process of being forced to return to my homeland, Akane had been seriously hurt and captured. There was only one thing for me to do. As far as they were concerned I was a useless prince that had to be escorted home and as such they could not put me in danger to save one of their closest comrades. An overbearing feeling took over my body and soul, until I realized I had to go with them. I had seen Naruto create a ball of spinning chakra within the palm of his hand, and it gave me an idea.
My only chance was to get Kakashi to allow me to help and save Akane or die trying. In this short time I had already grown accustomed to these people and it seemed wrong to simply not have them in my life. I concentrated everything I had into the palm of my hand, creating those small droplets of water that I had used to attack Akane with during all those nights of training. This time I created far more droplets, making them slightly bigger to create more mass and keeping them in a confined area in my palm. I could feel my chakra start to spin as those droplets began to rotate in my hand, some clockwise and some counterclockwise. The droplets picked up and speed and continued to do so, radiating wind all around whipping ferociously at my long hair. I could feel Kakashi's attention turn to me at last as he pondered what to do, "I will be accompanying you." I winced in slight surprise as I slammed the ball into the ground. It ate through dirt and rock alike, I was amazed at the destructive force as it rended its way into the ground. I could feel each water droplet strain against being forced into the ground trying to break free from its orbit under such great pressure. Finally I could hold it no longer and instead of fading away showing that the jutsu was not perfected, the droplets scattered maintaining their speed and tearing through the ground around them. Roots tore out of the ground and arose to the surface showing the destructive power of the unrefined jutsu and that it could clearly become stronger. Whether the jutsu was just as strong as Naruto's or whether it even had the potential to be, I do not know, but what I did know was I might be able to compensate for my lack of experience with the raw power I seemed to hold hidden somewhere.
I stood, well aware that I had plenty of chakra and could probably use that jutsu many more times if I needed to, but also realized that because I did not have the control over my chakra it was much more exhausting than it should be. I tried to catch my breath for a moment as I looked Kakashi dead in the eyes. "Train me with whatever extra time we have, train me and make me stronger. I will best Naruto, I will best you, and most importantly I will best the Akatsuki." It was a bold claim, but one that I meant.