I don't own Naruto and all the characters, settings etc. I only created the Takakuro Clan.
Naruto and the rest are about 17 years of age.
Chapter One: Forbidden Child
Icy winds blasted against the walls and howled forcefully through the deserted streets of a small northern village. Hail hammered down heavily on the roofs of buildings as twigs and branches tapped angrily on their windows. The fragile structures seemed to hold up boldly against the merciless weather. Then there was a shout, followed quickly by another, this time sounding more urgent and piercing than the first.
"It is time!" A heavily pregnant woman told her husband who had entered her room. With a curt nod, Kaemon hurried off to get the medical nin and her assistant.
"Don't worry so much, my dear. All will be well," an older woman, Oki, stepped forward, dabbing the pregnant lady's moist forehead. Her moaning ceased for a moment, desperate eyes looked painfully at the people surrounding her bed. Kaemon rushed to his wife's side, cupping her trembling hands in his strong, steady ones. He had not expected the pregnancy to be this painful and difficult. Hisa was a strong woman, but now she looked every part of a dying and suffering lady.
"Hisa, please be strong," he whispered to her as she turned to him, her eyes wide. Kaemon turned to the medical nin, begging her to ease his wife's pain. Hisa cried out again, tossing her head, she was close to being hysterical.
"Hush now. Drink this," Oki said soothingly, bringing a potion bottle to the lips of the screaming female. Hisa sipped the black concoction and lay unsteadily back into her pillow. Without warning, she gave out one final cry and a female babe swiftly appeared. While most newborns would cry noisily right after birth, the baby remained silent. The adults peered and examined her, but she appeared to be perfect in form; she was beautiful in every way.
"A girl…," Kaemon spat; he was told that he would be receiving a second son. A girl would be useless to him and the clan.
"Would you like to name your new daughter?" Oki asked him.
"I was expecting another son! How did this happen?" The head of the Takakuro clan questioned calmly as he glared at the medical nin.
"Well, I … I did say that I could not…. Ermm… say for sure that it would be a son. It seems like it would be… well," Oki stuttered, she froze in fear when she saw how angry Kaemon was, he eyes turning completely black. "No…" she gasped.
"Enough excuses!" Kaemon barked as he punched the medical nin, silencing and killing her at the same time. He turned to her quivering assistant and shouted that she get out of the house.
"Kaemon… please. This… is our… child. Please…" Hisa called out to him weakly. She reached out and grabbed his sleeve, never in her life had she felt so frail and helpless. Her husband held her exhausted body, stroking her dark hair, listening to her ragged breathing, He did not mean to make her so upset, but he could not help it, he never wanted a daughter. The Takakuro clan always aborted the fetus once there was clear indication that the child would be female.
"I… wish… that you will name her. Please take care of… our daughter…" Daughter. That word cut him deeply; he still could not believe it.
"Remember… that I love you… Kae…" Hisa's fingertips touched her husband's face one last time. No, it can't be! His flower had withered. Kaemon glowered at the female baby wrapped up beside his wife. He would kill her now and stop this foolishness. He raised his arm, prepared to strike. Please take care of… our daughter…He could not kill her, he would take care of her but he would never love her.
Just behind the door, a little boy whimpered. He wished that his mother would comfort him, he wished to hear her soothing voice, he wish so hard to feel her arms around him.
"This time I'm going to beat you, Sasuke-baka!" Naruto taunted his teammate as they whizzed through the forest.
"What the… arrghhh!"
"Maybe you would stand a chance if you weren't that clumsy… or stupid!" Sasuke replied, leaping away.
Something hit me. Damn that arrogant Sasuke! Naruto looked down and what he saw shocked him. A badly wounded girl about his age laid in a bloody mess at his feet.
"Ack! Are you alright? Are you even alive?" Naruto stared at her, eyes filled with concern. Thank God she's breathing. The blonde ninja scanned their surroundings, wondering if there was anyone after her. He was getting worried, judging from her state, she would need medical attention as soon as possible.
"Ah, Sakura! Quick. Over here! I think she's dying!" The teenage boy called out to his pink haired teammate when he saw her.
"Who's dying? Oh my… Naruto… What the hell did you do to her?" Sakura whacked his blonde head brutally before attending to the bleeding girl.
"What? I found her like that!"
"Shut up and help me! We should stop her bleeding and bring her back to the village immediately. I don't have the proper medical equipment to treat her." Sakura said punching the orange-clad boy again.
"Naruto, you coward! You ran back to the village without telling me!" Sasuke growled angrily at the shorter boy.
"Something came up! It was an emergency…"
"Whatever, I won the race okay."
"You idiot! That wasn't fair I…" Naruto was abruptly cut off by Sakura when she slammed the solid wooden door into his whiskered face.
"Stop making so much noise! Kyoshi's trying to rest. Oh, hi Sasuke, so you're back…"
"Who's Kyoshi?" Sasuke asked, ignoring Naruto's moaning and fidgeting.
"The girl Naruto found."
"Hey, isn't Kyoshi a guy's name?" Naruto inquired, suddenly forgetting about his aching face. Sakura simply shrugged and walked off. She was tired and she hated to get blood all over her beautiful clothes. She did not have the energy to answer Naruto's questions, not that she wanted to anyway.
Sasuke entered the ward and walked up to the hospital bed where Kyoshi slept. He could not understand why he would bother concerning himself with such matters but he was curious. There was something that drew him to this girl. Something he could not place his finger on. He looked down at her sleeping face, she seemed quite weak to him. Perhaps it was because she had lost a lot of blood, but still, Sasuke hated weak people. She was not having a peaceful rest as he noticed her furrowed eyebrows and twitching fingers. The pale girl tossed uneasily in the hospital bed, gripping the sheets till her knuckles turned livid white. Her constant breathing turned to insistent gasping and she began to perspire slightly. Was she having a bad dream? Sasuke wondered, he was quite amused by the sight. Suddenly, the girl opened her eyes and stared right at the teenage ninja standing by her bed. Those eyes… it was like she could see right into him, piercing him, knowing his every thought and every best kept secret. They're so strange. So intense. So unnerving. Sasuke backed away ever so slightly, forced himself to tear away from her graze and fleetingly hurried out of the room.