All he could here was the soft pad of sandals as someone was bound to walk right past him again. With his luck, whoever it was would give a scowl as they passed and probably another on their way out. It had been six months, he had been stuck in this cell for six months, and no one visited. He listened for the footsteps to soften, but as soon as they reached their closest, they stopped. He was tempted to turn around; to see what was going on. He figured it was useless, just another person trying to affect him with a stare. There was a small shuffling, and then a soft contented sigh. More silence.
"Sasuke Uchiha." The voice didn't sound like that of an adult, but it had presence. "I-I've heard so much about you." As he listened to it, it was a girls voice.
"With how this godforsaken village looks at me, I'm surprised you haven't spit on me yet." The first person to speak to him in months; he felt he deserved the girl a response.
"W-why on earth would I spit on someone, who I've heard so many wonderful things about?" Sasuke's eyes shot open in confusion. He felt tempted to turn around, but didn't.
"Wonderful things, huh? There must be something wrong with you." There was a silence so frail, he wouldn't be surprised if the girl got up to leave.
"Heh, Sensei says I was much like him, when he was my age." It sounded as if the girl was drifting off, but she came right back. "But, you would probably already know that, if I had spoken to you sooner. It's just, with all the things going on and how much I've improved I-"
"What?" Sasuke turns his head to get a glimpse of the person speaking to him. She didn't look more than fifteen at the most. Thirteen most likely. She sat on her knees and she had long dark hair that hung a ways past her shoulders. With where the light was coming from, it almost seemed as if there was a halo around her. Her deep eyes were difficult to see, but looked deep green or brown. Her face looked afraid as if she had done something wrong.
"I'm sorry if, I had you remembering something you had preferred not to remember." Her voice came as a whisper, and she looked down to fidget with her shorts. Grunting Sasuke turned back to the desolate empty wall he had been staring at. Moments seem like hours, but no one moves. Finally more steps come, longer strides and heavier thuds. A loud voice calls out.
"Chinatsu, we have to go. I told you I didn't mind if you stopped by, but when it cuts into your training schedule-"
"I'm sorry. I lost track of how long I had been here." The other voice sounded familiar to Sasuke, and he could still hear as the girl lowered her voice, so only her sensei should hear. "He's just as you explained him." This piqued his curiosity enough to look. And what met his eyes, he would not have believed had it not stood there in front of him.
It had barely been two weeks, since Naruto had brought Sasuke Uchiha back. Everyone was always saying how happy they were that they didn't have to worry about Sasuke. How proud they were that Naruto had brought him back. But Naruto knew in his heart that it wasn't a fair fight. When he found Sasuke, he was in shambles. His clothes barely covered him, there was blood and dirt caked on his face. He was thin, from malnutrition. When their eyes met, Sasuke's eyes had lost the good hearted fire that always seared within them. Sasuke was in a word, broken. They fought each other, and even though Sasuke was at a disadvantage, he didn't hold back. Naruto could tell that he would die there, or spend the rest of his life in a prison cell.
Naruto walked down the main road to the gates. He was to meet Kakashi for something important on the training ground. The two of them may be about equal in strength, but Kakashi was still Naruto's superior. He hadn't given any indication to what would happen, other than it was important Naruto be there on time. He waved to the people on duty as he walked through the gates, and made no haste as he ran to the training fields. Once inside, he looked around. It was faint, but he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was stalking him. He more than once thought of going to find out what it was, but decided against it, and that it couldn't be that important. He soon found the clearing Kakashi had told him to meet in. As usual, the copy ninja was late. Naruto sat under a tree that provided some shade and closed his eyes. A small rest couldn't hurt, and he deserved it with how he'd been staying up late at night, thinking.
It was a while before Naruto's eyes fluttered open and Kakashi stood over him. Of the quarter of his face that wasn't covered, he didn't look amused. Naruto flashed an apologetic smile, and stood up.
"So, Kakashi sensei, why did you want me to meet you here?" Naruto blinked a couple of times as Kakashi silently looked him over. With a slight sigh, Kakashi turned away. Naruto, surprised, simply followed him out to the middle of the clearing.
"I'm going to entrust you with something VERY important. I think you're ready for it." Kakashi gravely looks over Naruto, as the blond wears a confused but interested expression. After what seemed, to Naruto, like an eternity Naruto spoke again.
"So, what is this thing?"
"Should be arriving, …Now." And with that something wheeled past the two of them sending a shocked, and ready to defend himself, Naruto stepping back. This blur catapults over the stream to the other side and lands in a one legged kneel. Pulling herself up, this, girl, smiles as she takes a second or two to move her chakra to her feet and walks across to the two men. She looks at both of them and smiles, and stands between the two of them.
"Who's this?" Naruto sounds almost disappointed that there was no threat, and looks over the girl. Her light brown eyes and extremely light brown, or extremely dark blonde hair hands around her back and her naturally long lashes bat in a very adorable way. She was a cute young girl and her dark blue shorts and white half jacket, looked mature, but rather childish. Her black mesh shirt showed under the jacket and there was a bracelet hanging off her right wrist. She must have noticed Naruto's stopped gaze on this accessory, because she pulled her arms behind her back out of sight.
"Chinatsu, she's twelve, and in need of some additional training." Kakashi sets a hand on her shoulder and she doesn't move. Naruto looks from Chinatsu to Kakashi a few times before Kakashi sighs and turns Chinatsu to face only Naruto and gives a small push. "I'm entrusting her to you."
"What!" Naruto's gaze snaps up to Kakashi.
"I think it's time you took a student on. I've been thinking about it for a while, and lady Tsunade said it would be a wonderful idea." This girl looked up to Naruto and her face was blank. Naruto inwardly groaned as he begrudgingly reached out for a handshake. She looked at it surprised, but took it.
She led the way back to her place of residence and was fairly hospitable, but not very talkative. Naruto had been there for a few minutes, but it looked to him like only one person lived in the home. Chinatsu took out a glass and walked to the refrigerator. She pulled out some juice, and walked over to the counter. Naruto watched her as she poured her drink.
"Where are your parents?" She stopped for a second. Her grip on the juice tightened and it was obvious she was tense as she set it down. She didn't turn around.
"They aren't here." She flexed her clenched hand around the carton, crushing it beyond repair with each vice grip.
"Is there a time that I could meet them?" It was evident she was faking it as Chinatsu turned around with a smile plastered on her cheeks.
"When do you plan to die?"
"There's no need to be-"
"That's the only way you could look forward to seeing them." Her smile was replaced with an expression of deep longing. She drops the carton to the floor and hurries out of the room, hitching her breath as she left. Naruto suddenly sympathized with the girl. He stood there as the purplish red liquid seeped across the hardwood floor. After a few deep breaths and careful consideration, Naruto walks to look for Chinatsu. He can hear her chocked sobs as she tried to discipline herself into not crying. He walked down the short corridor to a small back room and crouched just outside the door. He listened a bit more, trying to keep himself from getting emotional over the girl he just met. The truth was, he would have reacted much worse; not emotionally reacting at all, and that would only wound him more. He shuffled into the room and silently sat down beside the girl who had her face buried in her arms and knees.
"I'm sorry."
"I don't want your pity!" She looked up and scowled at him but simply stood to walk out. Naruto absently reached out and grabbed her wrist. She looked at him, like this was the most alien thing she had ever seen. Naruto stood up to stand over her.
"It isn't pity; it's sympathy." Chinatsu looked at him softer. "I grew up without parents too. I know how it hurts when people assume." Chinatsu wipes new tears from her eyes and sniffs as she stares at the ground. Naruto lets go of her wrist and she rubs it, avoiding his stare.
"I, didn't know."
"Neither did I." Chinatsu steals a glance up to the comforting smile of Naruto. She looks back to the ground and thinks over what to say next.
"D-did you know them?"
"Nah. What about you?"
"No… I don't even know what happened to them. I spent most of my childhood in the hospital, so it wasn't like I was completely on my own."
"What?" Chinatsu looks back up to meet Naruto's concerned stare. She sighs and kneels to the ground. Naruto kneels down too and watches her as she recalled what she had been putting aside for so long.
"I, was weak and stupid as a child. It took a lot to discipline myself to get to the stage I'm in now. I would constantly be getting hurt while I tried to prove myself. I would work myself too hard, and my body would give. I would be in the hospital, sometimes every day, or every other day. Everyone there told me I shouldn't work myself so hard, but I wouldn't listen. By the time I was enrolled in the academy, I was passing everything at an unbelievable rate. I passed the academy only behind one other that the sensei could remember. After that, I never gave up. I didn't know what I was trying to prove, I just felt compelled to do it." Chinatsu's lip quivered as she tried to hold back another wave to tears. Naruto felt even more sympathetic to the girl. Chinatsu was shocked to feel a hand on her shoulder and as she looked up, Naruto smiled at her. And for the first time, Naruto saw a genuine smile from her.
As the two of them jumped from branch to branch, Chinatsu smiled. She looked to her right, and giggled.
"What's so funny?" Naruto looks at her briefly before re focusing on the path ahead of him.
"I'm gonna beat you!" Chinatsu responds in a sing-song voice and grabs the branch over top her. She swings to land in a crouched position and watches as her sensei leaps on ahead of her. She smiles and laughs to herself. "It'll take him a while to realize it's a genjutsu."
"Oh really?" The voice of her superior comes from behind her and she slowly turns to face him. "It was a good move, but you shouldn't have congratulated yourself so early."
"Dang it!" Chinatsu clenches her fists and stomps her foot in defeat.
"Don't beat yourself up. I was a lot like you when I was little." Naruto ruffles the girl's hair and smiles. After only five months, six after the next week was up, he had grown to love his student. He shared his kage bunshin technique with her and she seemed fascinated by everything he showed her. But what she was really fascinated in, was when he told her about his childhood. She was sad and angry that Naruto had been hated as a child. She wondered how people could not know how amazing he was. She was interested in his team and Naruto always spoke rather fondly of Sasuke. There had been a few times that Chinatsu had asked where Sasuke was, and her sensei had nervously changed the subject.
"Sensei, do you ever wish you could see your team again, or that you could go out for another mission, all together?" Chinatsu looked at Naruto with huge doe eyes as she sat on the branch and kicked her feet over the edge.
"Of course I do. It's just, complicated."
"Yeah, Sasuke-san is probably off on really important missions, so that's why you never get to see him." Chinatsu closes her eyes and smiles. Naruto really hated lying to her about Sasuke's whereabouts. He sighed, and promised at the end of the week he would take her to see him. No one visited Sasuke, Naruto knew this. There was still good memories of Sasuke in Naruto's heart, but the thought of there being no more, hurt.
"Chi," Naruto used the nick name he occasionally used with his student." How would you like it if I gave you the directions to where Sasuke-san is?"
"You can do that! Naruto –sensei, I would love that SO much! There are so many things I want hear from him!"
"I know, I know. I'll leave it at your house at the end of the week, on one condition."
"What condition! What condition!" Chinatsu bounced up and down in anticipation.
"You have to work hard for the rest of the week. Got it?"
"I've got it! I promise! I swear! You won't have to worry about it!"
"I know I won't." Naruto says to himself.
Chinatsu walked through the doors of the place Naruto had told her Sasuke would be found. She spoke to the first person she could find who looked like they worked there.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for a…" She pulled out the paper Naruto had given her and looked at his last name. "Uchiha Sasuke. Where would I find him?" This man just looked at her confused for a few moments before he sighed and pointed down the hall.
"Seventh one down." Chinatsu looked down the hall, and looked back.
"Those are holding chambers…"
"Yeah, that's the point." Then it clicked, Naruto hadn't exactly told her what Sasuke had been doing since they were her age. Sasuke was a prisoner.
"oh." Chinatsu looked down at her feet and then turned to walk down the hall. She was nervous, but this was what she wanted to do. All he could here was the soft pad of sandals as someone was bound to walk right past him again. With his luck, whoever it was would give a scowl as they passed and probably another on their way out. It had been six months, he had been stuck in this cell for six months, and no one visited. He listened for the footsteps to soften, but as soon as they reached their closest, they stopped. He was tempted to turn around; to see what was going on. He figured it was useless, just another person trying to affect him with a stare. There was a small shuffling, and then a soft contented sigh. More silence.
"Sasuke Uchiha." The voice didn't sound like that of an adult, but it had presence. "I-I've heard so much about you." As he listened to it, it was a girls voice.
"With how this godforsaken village looks at me, I'm surprised you haven't spit on me yet." The first person to speak to him in months; he felt he deserved the girl a response.
"W-why on earth would I spit on someone, who I've heard so many wonderful things about." Sasuke's eyes shot open in confusion. He felt tempted to turn around, but didn't.
"Wonderful things, huh? There must be something wrong with you." There was a silence so frail, he wouldn't be surprised if the girl got up to leave.
"Heh, Sensei says I was much like him, when he was my age." It sounded as if the girl was drifting off, but she came right back. "But, you would probably already know that, if I had spoken to you sooner. It's just, with all the things going on and how much I've improved I-"
"What?" Sasuke turns his head to get a glimpse of the person speaking to him. She didn't look more than fifteen at the most. Thirteen more likely. She sat on her knees and she had long dark hair that hung a ways past her shoulders. With where the light was coming from, it almost seemed as if there was a halo around her. Her deep eyes were difficult to see, but looked deep green or brown. Her face looked afraid as if she had done something wrong.
"I'm sorry if, I had you remembering something you had preferred not to remember." Her voice came as a whisper, and she looked down to fidget with her shorts. Grunting Sasuke turned back to the desolate empty wall he had been staring at. Moments seem like hours, but no one moves. Finally more steps come, longer strides and heavier thuds. A loud voice calls out.
"Chinatsu, we have to go. I told you I didn't mind if you stopped by, but when it cuts into your training schedule-"
"I'm sorry. I lost track of how long I had been here." The other voice sounded familiar to Sasuke, and he could still here as the girl lowered her voice, so only her sensei should hear. "He's just as you explained him." This piqued his curiosity enough to look. And what met his eyes, he would not have believed had it not stood there in front of him.
"Hm. Sasuke…" Naruto smiled, but his eyes were sad. He hated seeing Sasuke like this, and knowing it was his fault Sasuke was reduced to this made it worse.
"Naruto? What-what's going on?"
"Sasuke-san! Naruto-sensei has told me so many stories about you, but, h-how?" Sasuke looked over to Chinatsu, who looked sad as she held onto the bars and rested her head on the backs of her hands. She almost looked like if she could squeeze through the bars, she would.
"I think that story is best left up to Naruto."
"No. I want you to tell me." Chinatsu only looked more broken as her lip quivered and she sniffed a few times.
"…Another time." Sasuke turned back to the wall. He listened and only heard the small wimper of Chinatsu.
"I-I brought you something… I… I guess I'll just set it here." Chinatsu bent down and set her gift on the ground just inside the bars. Standing back up, she swallowed hard and tried to smile. "Good bye, for now, Sasuke-san." Chinatsu reached out and took hold of Naruto's hand. She walked out and Naruto stole a glance back to Sasuke, who just sighed. It almost looked as if he were depressed. Once the two of them were gone, Sasuke turned back around to face Chinatsu's gift. It was a small black rectangle and didn't look threatening. Upon closer examination, it was a notebook. Sasuke picked it up and looked it over; he looked inside and on the first little page, scrawled in poor hand writing, was:
"For Sasuke-San. I wish you could have been on our adventures with us. Maybe you can come on some of the next ones! "
Sasuke flipped through the whole thing and there were entries for almost every day for the greater part of six months. The last entries were scattered from the last few weeks and the final entry was the previous day. Sasuke decided to read it.
Sasuke-san! Naruto-sensei gave me the directions to come see you tomorrow! I'm so excited! There are a bunch of things I wanna ask, but I'll limit it to what you can answer in what time we have. Naruto-sensei told me he hasn't seen you in a while, and not to get my hopes up that you would be exactly the same, but I don't think you could be much different. With all the cool stories I've heard, I bet you'll be awesome! Naruto-sensei won't tell me a lot about your family other than that you had a brother. Maybe you can fill in some blanks! (Hint Hint laugh) But I can't wait to see you. I've met Sakura a few times, but I bet your WAY cooler. (You do remember Sakura, right?) Naruto-sensei says we have training tomorrow too, so we might not get a ton of time, but at least we get some, right? Anyway, I should go. It's late and I have to be well rested so I can see you tomorrow.
Big Wishes,
Chinatsu
Sasuke read and reread… Then read one more time to be sure. This girl was thrilled about meeting him. Sasuke sat down and started from the beginning. The first entry was of the day Chinatsu had an actual training with Naruto. Sasuke shook his head at a few entries. Naruto had shared his Kage Bunsin no jutsu and Chinatsu drew a picture of his approval.
Chinatsu couldn't get Sasuke off her mind. He had been cold to her, but he really did look sad. She had been less talkative through her training and was deep in thought. She hoped Sasuke would at least consider reading her gift, but at this time, she wasn't very hopeful. Naruto had noticed her face, barren of a smile, and was deeply worried about his student. He needed something that would cheer her up, his last surprise hadn't gone, … nicely, to say the least. He needed something that would work for sure, some sort of bondage activity. The only question, was what? It bothered him all the way home, and as he lay in bed staring at the ceiling, thoughts didn't come much easier. He was deep in thought, and almost didn't hear the knock on his door. Rolling out of bed he swung open the door and staggered back after noticing Kakashi's un amused,… eye.
"Kakashi?" Naruto tipped his head slightly.
"I believe, this, belongs to you." Kakashi pulled a slightly dirty Chinatsu from behind him, and she just smiled sluggishly.
"Chi!" Naruto stared down at the exhausted girl and tried not to shout questions.
"I decided to take a stroll through the forest, and lucky I did. Chinatsu here was pushing herself practicing Kage Bunshin. She was nearly passed out from Chakra exhaustion but when I kindly asked her to sit down," Kakashi paused and looked down at the girl who was already wobbling, but every now and again tried to escape from his grasp. "She refused."
"Naruto-sensei, I've almost got it perfect." Chinatsu tried to smile once more, but I turned into a pathetic curve. Naruto just sighed and looked back to Kakashi.
"Thanks, she'll rest." Naruto reached out a hand and Chinatsu went to reach for it. As soon as Kakashi let go of her so she could step forward, Chinatsu fell to the ground, passed out. Naruto winced as she hit the ground, but bent down to pick her up. Once she was hanging limp in his arms, Naruto went to step out.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm gonna find Sakura. Maybe she'll know better what to do." Naruto walked all the way over to Hokage tower, and asked to speak with Tsunade.
"Naruto? I haven't seen you in a while." Tsunade leaned on her desk and smirked at Naruto, then noticing the, drooling, girl lying in his arms, raised an eyebrow. "And who is this… angel?"
"Chinatsu, my gennin student. I was looking for Sakura, do you know where she is?"
"She isn't around right now, but I have a few minutes, so I can look her over. Set her in the chair for now and help me clear off my desk." Naruto did as he was told, and once the desk was clear he laid Chinatsu out so Tsunade could examine her.
"Kakashi said he found her in the forest practicing and she was exhausted when he found her. He asked her to sit down and rest, but she wouldn't. She passed out just after Kakashi brought her to me."
"Chakra exhaustion." Tsunade didn't even look up to Naruto, but instead continued to check his student. "She'll be fine after an hour or two, back to normal, she just needs to rest. …She'll likely be awake after half an hour, and want to get out of bed after an hour and a half. You have to keep her at least sitting for a whole two hours. Can you do that?" Naruto nods and looks down to his student. Chinatsu's eyes were fluttering open and closed. Tsunade seemed to notice Naruto's stare and was taken aback herself to see Chinatsu trying to sit up on the desk. It had only been about fifteen minutes, yet Chinatsu was already sitting up seeming mostly recovered.
"Naruto –sensei, where are we?" Chinatsu looked around the office and scratched her head, only to look back to Naruto with somewhat tired eyes.
"Tsunade's office. Ch-Chinatsu, how do you feel?" Naruto tried to stay calm, but he seemed a bit confused and worried.
"Exhausted, I won't lie. But I'll be fine, I've trained my body to run on low chakra levels before, I still do. So, what's next?" Chinatsu rubs her eyes and blinks a few times before looking up and smiling to Naruto.
"I-I don't know…" Naruto looks up to Tsunade for guidance and the woman only gave a confused shake of her head.
"Tsunade-sama, why am I on your desk?"
"No reason."
"Naruto-sensei, Can I go home? I'm hungry." Naruto blinked to clear his thoughts and reached out to help Chi down. Chi dismissed his help and hopped down herself, landing rather steadily on her feet. Once she was down she latched onto Naruto's hand. "Thank you Tsunade-sama. For whatever you did." Tsunade nods and she walks out the door talking to Naruto, who simply pretended to understand. Shaking her head, Tsunade sits down. She rests her head in her palms and smiles to herself.
"The girl's acting like he's her father." After a few moments of consideration Tsunade sits up. "I wonder…" Her thought trailed off and she looked out the window to find them walking down the street. Chi still looked a little wobbly and Naruto stopped and hoisted her onto his back where she gently held on. "Hm. It's only a matter of time." Turning back to her desk she began to place things back on it.
"Naruto-sensei, this isn't the way home." Chi looked around her and Naruto simply smiled.
"Nope, I'm taking you for ramen."
"But, why?" Chi looks at the back of her sensei's head and wondered. He turned his head to glance at her.
"Because I want to." Chi was still confused, but she didn't question. Once they reached the stand Naruto sat her on a stool and she waited patiently. She was quiet when he ordered. She was quiet when they were served, save a small thank you to the owner. And she was quiet as she gave thanks. Naruto looked over to her, concerned. He brushed the hair out of her eyes and felt her forehead to see if she had a fever. "Are feeling alright?"
"I'm fine. Really, I am." Chi pulls away from Naruto's touch and quietly eats her food. Naruto continues to watch her for anything that may be wrong. "Why didn't you tell me?" Chi looked over to him with a sad and confused expression.
"About Sasuke? I didn't want you think any less of him, just because he made a few bad decisions." Glancing away and noting that no one else was around Naruto sighs.
"Will he ever… get out?" Chi was hopeful, and Naruto looked at her.
"I don't think so, Chi."
"Why not?" Chi's eyes began to well up with tears. Seeing this Naruto quickly paid for the food and lifted Chi who was about to spill over with tears. Hanging onto her, he walked away. Chi began to cry. She buried her face into Naruto and held onto him with all her might.
"We're going home, Chi. Just hang on, it'll be alright. Sasuke's a good person, we both know that." Naruto whispered comforting words to the child and she sniffled.
"Poor Sasuke-san."