A/N: Please note that this story is written from Katsuki Yamasaki's viewpoint, a character I've invented. I hope you like it!
Beta-read by Raina1.
Unexpected Love – Chapter 1: A New Home?
The best love story is when you fall in love with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time – unknown quote
This was only my second day at the Hidden Leaf Village and already I felt completely at home. It was strange, but I'd never expected to feel like this. Over the past couple of years I've been on the move, shifting from one village to another. Due to this I've never really had the chance to find a place I could call my home. So you can imagine my surprise, when I felt at ease coming to the Hidden Leaf Village.
My name is Katsuki Yamasaki and I'm twenty-three years old. My past is cloudy and I barely have any memories of it. My Sensei tells me that he found me lying unconscious in the woods three years ago and took me under his care. However, he always avoided eye contact with me whenever I mentioned it. I figured out a long time ago that he was hiding something from me, but no matter how much I pressed him on the issue, he always gave me the same answer every time:
"Katsuki... how many times have I answered your questions? Quit asking me again and again!" he would say. Like always I would lower my head in disappointment. I couldn't understand why he wasn't being honest with me. Eventually I gave up asking months ago.
It was only a few days ago when he told me we were headed for the Hidden Leaf Village. I had been taken back. It was a place I hadn't visited before. I'd heard many stories about it from him and I had suggested visiting it several times, but he refused each time. I knew he was from the Leaf Village originally, so I couldn't understand why he didn't want to go there, after having been away from it for so long.
After we arrived yesterday, we were greeted by the Hokage, Lady Tsunade. She was a beautiful woman, but according to my Sensei, she had quite the temper. He went all mushy when he saw her though, making me suspicious. These two definitely knew one another on a personal level.
"Tsunade, how are you? It's been ages!" he said.
She smirked with a raised eyebrow. "I see you haven't changed one bit, Jiraiya..." she replied in an exasperated tone.
He grinned. "Nor have you. You still look as beautiful as you did back when we last met," he answered back cheerfully.
I'd looked from one to the other with raised eyebrows. "I didn't know you knew one another so well..." I voiced out loud. They turned to face me then, as if only just remembering I was there.
"Hello Katsuki, I see you've grown up to be quite a beautiful woman. Jiraiya told me all about you, the last time I saw him. From what I recall, you're a great ninja as well," she said.
I smiled at her words. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade," I said with a bow.
She nodded and turned back to my Sensei. "We'll talk later, Jiraiya. How about we let the both of you rest? You must be tired after your long journey here," she told him.
He nodded.
Suddenly the door slammed opened and a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes burst in. He scowled at Jiraiya Sensei when he saw him.
"Pervy Sage, where the hell have you been? I haven't seen you in so long!" he cried out angrily.
Jiraiya Sensei flinched visibly. "Naruto... wow, word sure does travel fast around here. I must say, you have grown into quite a fine young man, haven't you?" he said with a smile.
"Don't give me all that sweet talk! We were meant to go training that day when you suddenly disappeared. That was three years ago. Where've you been all this time?" Naruto fired back.
Jiraiya eyed him nervously before exchanging glances with Lady Tsunade.
"Naruto, how many times have I told you not to enter my office without asking for permission first?" Tsunade told him sternly.
Naruto bowed his head and apologized. "I'm sorry Grandma Tsunade. It's just that when I found out that Pervy Sage was back, I hurried over and forgot to knock," he answered lamely. The Hokage sighed.
"What am I going to do with you, Naruto?" she cried out in frustration. It was then Naruto noticed me standing there. Before he could question who I was, we were introduced to one another.
"I like you to meet Katsuki Yamasaki, Naruto. Katsuki, this is Naruto Uzumaki," Jiraiya Sensei explained. We exchanged hellos. I instantly developed a liking for him. He was a funny character, very bubbly too. You couldn't help feeling comfortable around him.
"Naruto, I'm sorry. There was a reason I had to leave at the time. I'll explain later," Jiraiya Sensei clarified.
"Fine...We can talk over at Ichiraku's, and you're paying," Naruto replied in a cheerful tone.
"I guess I've no choice," Jiraiya Sensei responded with a sigh.
"That's enough out of both of you. Naruto, you may leave now. Jiraiya, I've already sorted out accommodation for both of you, so go get some rest. I'll send a message later and we can talk then" Tsunade ordered impatiently.
Naruto exhaled noisily before he left the room, closing the door behind him.
"Let's go, Katsuki. I'll show you where you're staying," Jiraiya Sensei said to me. I nodded and we both left the room together. As we were walking down the corridor, we came across another person. He was tall, with spiky silver hair, and most of his face was covered by a mask, leaving only one eye visible. His head band was concealing the other eye, which was quite strange. He was wearing a flak jacket, which was designed for shinobi at Chunin or Jounin rank, over his clothes.
"Kakashi... How are you?" Jiraiya Sensei greeted him.
"Jiraiya, long time no see. I've been good. What about you?" the guy named Kakashi answered. He turned to look at me and I smiled politely.
"Same here... This is Katsuki Yamasaki, and Katsuki, this is Kakashi Hatake," Jiraiya Sensei introduced us. We exchanged greetings and I found myself staring at him. I couldn't understand why, but something about the man intrigued me.
"Well... I'll best be off then. I need to speak to Lady Tsunade. Later!" he said casually and walked away. I risked a glance back, as we were walking away and found he was looking back at me as well. Our eyes met briefly, well to be more precise my eyes met his eye before I turned away.
That was my first encounter with Kakashi Hatake.
I'd been given my own place to live. It was small, but the ideal place for me. I wanted to speak to Jiraiya Sensei, but he'd excused himself and hadn't returned just yet. Luckily, I was staying near a restaurant and had eaten there. Afterwards I'd returned to my new apartment and fallen asleep. I hadn't realised how tired I was.
That was what happened yesterday. The next morning I'd woken up feeling much refreshed. After taking a shower I went outside to get something to eat. Jiraiya Sensei still hadn't returned, much to my annoyance. As I was walking outside, I bumped into a young woman with pink hair and green eyes.
"Hey, are you Katsuki Yamasaki by any chance?" she asked with a smile. I nodded.
"My name is Sakura Haruno. I was told by Lady Tsunade to come and check up on you. Is there anything you need?" she enquired. To me, she seemed genuinely friendly.
"Well, I was just on my way out to grab something to eat. I was hoping to see Jiraiya Sensei, but he hasn't come back since yesterday. Do you know where he is?" I asked.
"Lady Tsunade said he'd to leave the village for an important mission and that you were to stay here, until he returned. It was a matter of great urgency and he apologised that he couldn't see you before leaving" she answered in a regretful tone. I sighed.
"That's Jiraiya Sensei for you, always disappearing. I was wondering if you could give me a quick tour of the village? I would really like to know my way around," I requested.
She nodded happily. "Sure why not? I was just about to suggest the same thing. Let's talk over breakfast then. I could use something to eat too" she answered. We headed over to the same restaurant I'd gone to yesterday. After ordering our food we sat down and began talking. She was really nice. I discovered that she was a Medical Ninja, personally trained by the Hokage herself. She was a Chunin rank and was aiming for Jounin level. After graduating the academy as a Genin, she'd been in a group with two other ninjas and was led by Kakashi Sensei. I perked up when she mentioned his name. Don't ask me why because I don't even know myself.
"You mean Kakashi Hatake, right?" I asked casually. She turned to me in surprise and nodded.
"I met him yesterday outside Lady Tsunade's office," I explained. Our food arrived at that point and we started to eat. In between eating our food, she asked me questions about myself. To be honest, I didn't really like the idea of people knowing I couldn't remember my past. It wasn't the answers that bothered me, as much as it was the uncomfortable questions and not to mention the sympathetic looks. Luckily she didn't take my silence in the wrong way.
"It's okay if you're not comfortable talking about yourself. I can understand. Some people prefer getting to know a person before opening up about themselves," she said brightly. I relaxed and smiled back at her.
"Thanks...y ou don't normally come across understanding people nowadays," I said.
She nodded in agreement. "True, but here in the Leaf Village you're going to come across many people who, I'll bet, you're going to befriend. Everyone here is like a member of my own family. We get on so well," she answered.
"I would like that," I responded almost shyly. She laughed lightly at my tone.
"I suppose having Jiraiya Sensei as company isn't exactly fun. Let me guess, you spent more time hanging out in hot springs than anywhere else," she commented rolling her eyes. I found myself laughing.
"That's right. It was so annoying at times. He would always find excuses to stop at one here and there. Sometimes it would be for research, for his stupid books and other times it was to relax, after our so called intense training," I replied with a sigh.
"No surprise there. No wonder Naruto calls him Pervy Sage. All he likes to do is peek on the women," Sakura said. I burst out laughing and told her what'd happened yesterday when Naruto barged into the Hokage's office.
She shook her head with a smile. "That's Naruto for you... he can be such an idiot," she said almost tenderly.
"Sounds like he's someone special," I teased. She reddened slightly, but didn't answer.
"Sakura, I see you're pigging out as usual," someone called out. Sakura's face took on a look of annoyance.
"Look who's talking, Ino Pig...You're the one who practically lives here. No wonder you look like you've gained a pound or two!" she yelled back. A young woman with blonde hair and bluish green eyes appeared at our table.
"I haven't gained any weight, so you better take that back...Hey, I'm Ino Yamanaka," she said turning to me.
"Hello, my name's Katsuki Yamasaki," I introduced myself with a smile.
"It's nice to meet you. So what are you doing hanging out with a douche like Sakura?" Ino replied flashing an evil look at Sakura.
"Ino give it a rest. Lady Tsunade asked me to keep her company. She only arrived yesterday with Jiraiya Sensei. So what are you doing here? Is Choji, Shikamaru and Asuma Sensei here too?" Sakura asked. Ino nodded.
"I should get back to the others. I'll see you two later. Bye!" she said before walking away. We'd finished eating anyway and decided to go see the others Sakura had mentioned. They were a funny bunch. The fat one, Choji, wouldn't stop eating, whilst the others chatted away. After hanging out with them for another few minutes, we excused ourselves and left.
As we walked through the village, Sakura pointed out where everything was. It was indeed a very beautiful village, filled with happiness. You could sense the love and kindness radiating off the people. It was certainly a place I could call my home.
While we were passing, I noticed some of the people looking at me with curiosity, not to mention the guys.
"It seems you're getting quite the attention from the guys around here," Sakura pointed out teasingly.
I blushed slightly. "It's bound to happen when you're not from around here," I replied back.
"We both know that's not the only reason they were looking at you. It's not surprising when you're so beautiful," she said enthusiastically. I thanked her for the lovely compliment.
In a way she was right. I was used to guys looking at me, not being big headed or anything. With my long brown hair and dark green eyes, I'd caught the attention of many guys. My face was oval shaped with a small nose and full lips. I was tall and slim with womanly curves in the right places. I'd been told I was beautiful countless times.
To be honest, it wasn't something that interested me in the least. No guy had ever caught my attention, except for one and his name was Kakashi Hatake. Even though I'd met him only once, I couldn't shake off how affected I was by him. Recalling how we'd locked gazes yesterday made me smile. I wondered if I would see him again.
After another two hours of wandering around, Sakura said she'd to leave.
"I'm so sorry, Katsuki, but I really need to get back to work. I've to go and visit a few of my patients at the hospital. I will drop by later and we can hang out again. Is that okay?" she asked hesitantly.
"Of course it's okay, Sakura. Don't worry I'll be fine. I'll see you later then," I assured her with a smile.
"Thanks Katsuki. See you later," she said and walked off. I decided to go and find a quiet place to train, since there was nothing else to do. Thanks to Sakura, I was already familiar with most of the village, so finding a decent spot wouldn't be an issue.
I returned to my apartment and got changed into my training gear, which consisted of black combats and a vest. I grabbed the pouch with my gear and attached it to the back of my slacks. It was quite warm today, so there was no need to wear a jacket.
After grabbing a bottle of water, I made my way outside. As I walked in the direction of the nearest training grounds I found myself thinking. Why'd Jiraiya Sensei decided to leave, after only just returning? It didn't make any sense. What on earth could be so urgent that he couldn't get a few days of rest? I kind of got the impression that they were hiding something from me... Even I could tell, whatever it was, Lady Tsunade was aware of it.
I noticed that I'd reached my destination and leapt over the wired wall, into the training ground. The place was empty, much to my relief. I preferred training on my own, unless Jiraiya Sensei was there to instruct me. I bent down to start off with my regular stretches. It helped to ease the muscles and this way I could move my body effortlessly. Getting back up, I made the signs for a Shadow Clone Jutsu and a Clone appeared with a poof. I smirked and prepared myself for some intense Taijutsu training.
Fighting your own Clone was an effective way to improve one's Taijutsu, I believed. With our Chakra evenly disputed between us, it was more of a challenge. Another more effective way was to fight against an opponent. Unfortunately, I didn't have one at the present moment. So, I'd to settle for the next best thing, fighting against a Clone. I pulled out a hair band from my pouch and tied my hair back.
The fight started off with hand to hand combat. I started off slow before giving my all. Whenever a Clone was defeated, I made another one. The second time I defeated it, I made two. This time it would be two against one. They grinned back at me before launching their attacks. One disappeared, whilst the other attempted to strike from the front. I ducked the high kick aimed at me before delivering a low roundhouse kick to the one who'd appeared behind me. We continued to spar deeply, until I managed to defeat them.
Out of breath, I settled down and drank from my bottle of water. I still had plenty of Chakra left, even after all that. It was time to get more serious, so I decided to use Ninjutsu as well. I'd recently learned the Rasengan Jutsu; taking two and a half years to get it right. According to Jiraiya Sensei, only a few had learned to master it fully. One of them was the Fourth Hokage, who was no longer alive. It was an extremely powerful attack and should only be used when it was necessary. Well, that's what her Sensei told her.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" I called out and a Clone appeared. I held out my right hand in front of me and my Clone followed suit. We conjured up the Rasengan Jutsu in our hands and ran forward, towards each other. The attack connected, causing a loud explosion.
I stood panting several metres away, after escaping the aftermath of the blast. My Clone had vanished and in her place, there was a huge hole in the ground.
"That was quite intense. Should you really be using the Rasengan in training like that?" someone called out from behind me. I turned around quickly in surprise, only to see Kakashi Hatake stood a small distance away from me, with what looked like Jiraiya Sensei's new book in his hand. There was silence, as we stared at one another. He placed the book back into his pouch.
"Not really, but Jiraiya Sensei isn't here to scold me, so I guess it's okay" I replied back easily.
"I'm impressed that you mastered the Rasengan jutsu. Not many people have," he said. I smiled.
"Thanks. It took me two and a half years to master it though," I answered back. He looked away as if in deep thought.
"Hmmm, I think it took Jiraiya Sensei longer... Though, I know of someone who mastered it in a week," he responded.
My face took on a look of surprise. "One week? That's shocking. Who was it?" I responded in amazement. To think someone could master such a difficult jutsu in such short time was beyond imagining. I was genuinely impressed.
"He used to be my student, but now we are equals. Jiraiya was the one who taught him the Rasengan. His name is Naruto Uzumaki," Kakashi replied almost proudly.
My eyes widened. He was talking about the young man she'd met in the Hokage's office yesterday.
"Naruto Uzumaki, eh? You mean the young man who refers to Jiraiya Sensei as the 'Pervy Sage'" I asked. Recalling the memory made me laugh lightly. His face lit up even though most of it was hidden from view.
"The one and only..." he answered with a chuckle.
"So what are you doing here?" I asked, settling down on to the ground.
"Well... I came out here to find a quiet spot to read my book, but a certain blast got my attention and I was distracted," he responded lazily.
"You came to the training grounds to find a 'quiet' spot to read a book?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. He was taken back by my sarcastic remark and scratched the back of his head, with a chuckle.
"Hmmm, you do have a point there," he said. I found myself laughing out loud for the second time and noticed him looking at me again, as if he was examining me.
"I heard you're a great ninja," he said casually.
"Did Sensei tell you that?" I asked with a smile. He nodded.
"How about I test that, to see if it's true?" he challenged. I couldn't tell if he was messing around or if he was being serious. It wasn't easy to figure him out, considering this was the first time we'd actually spoken to one another.
"Fine by me," I replied with a shrug.
"I hope you don't mind if I use this?" he asked and pulled his headband up. His right eye opened and revealed something I hadn't been expecting.
"You have the Sharingan..." I stated, hiding my surprise. So, he's the Copy Ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village I've heard stories about. He was the ninja with the single Sharingan, who according to the rumours, had copied over a thousand different jutsus. His father was known as the 'White Fang' from the Leaf Village, who was dead.
We stood facing one another, sizing each other up. It wasn't going to be easy to win this fight. I was at a disadvantage because he'd the Sharingan. He was capable of seeing my attack before I even executed it. My only hope of defeating him was to try and figure out a weakness quickly.
Suddenly he vanished and I quickly sensed him behind me. I ducked the punch he'd thrown at me and launched a hard kick of my own. He stopped it with the palm of his hands and without wasting another second I brought my other leg up to strike. He ducked just like I thought he would and flipped over him, stopping a small distance away. I grinned, feeling the adrenaline pumping inside me. This was going to be fun.
"Not bad, but is it good enough?" he called out. His hands came together and with incredible speed, formed hand signs, even I couldn't follow.
"Fire Style Fireball Jutsu!" he called out.
My eyes widened, as the attack shot out and hit me before I could duck out of the way. He quickly realised I'd used a Substitution Jutsu and came after the real me, who'd appeared behind him. I gripped him in a head lock and found he'd used a Substitution Jutsu as well. He'd disappeared and was hiding somewhere. I let my eyes wonder and quickly calmed myself down, attempting to sense his location. Only seconds later, I leapt up into the air when his hand appeared from underneath me. He'd been concealing himself underground. Just as quickly I powered up a Rasengan Jutsu and launched it at him. He emerged with a Lightning Jutsu of his own and the two blasts connected with an explosion. There was a huge blast and when the smoke had cleared, the two Shadow Clones we'd used were gone.
We both hid in the cover of the trees, breathing heavily. I could sense him and knew he could see me. He'd the Sharingan after all. For now, he was going to keep his distance and wait for me to make the first move. Still, I kept my guard up and prepared to use the Substitution Jutsu once more, if needed.
He was indeed an impressive fighter. One of the best I'd ever encountered. I wasn't going to let him win this fight though. It may seem I was at a disadvantage, but I wasn't the type to give up, no matter how hopeless the situation was. Even now, I still had some sneaky attacks up my sleeve and would use them, if it was required. So far, I'd avoided using any of my Ninjutsu attacks only because I wanted to see what kind of attacks he used first.
I was still trying to figure out a weakness of his and so far had come up blank. It was difficult because I didn't know what kind of person he was and his attacks were perfectly executed. He wasn't even giving me a chance to figure out his moves, let alone any weak points. The only other thing I'd gathered was that he liked to read. He was currently reading the latest version in Jiraiya Sensei's books. It wasn't even released yet...
My eyes widened suddenly and a smirk appeared on my face. I'd a plan. I jumped down from the tree I was hiding behind and walked confidently towards him. I knew he was watching me, trying to figure out what I was up to. There was also the possibility that he would try attacking me, so I made sure to keep my guard up. He looked down at me from the tree he was standing on, looking ever so mysterious.
"Are you giving up?" he called. I shook my head and he waited. There was silence as we gazed at each other. It was obvious he was on his guard, expecting me to pull a quick one on him. The minutes ticked by and still nothing. He dropped down onto the ground in front of me, without breaking eye contact.
"If you're not giving up, why have you stopped fighting?" he asked curiously.
"Do you like to read quite often?" I asked him. He cocked an eyebrow at the question.
"Hmmm, I guess I do," he replied slowly.
"I see you were reading the latest in Jiraiya Sensei's books earlier. Do you like reading them?" I asked in a casual tone. He touched his chin looking all thoughtful and then nodded. It was obvious he was confused, wondering where I was going with this. I resisted the smile I knew was dying to show itself on my face. I kept my face blank, hoping to keep him speculating.
Taking a few steps forward, I moved towards him and he instantly perked up, following my moves.
"Well, the thing is..." I stopped when I felt arms grab me from behind.
"You let your guard down," he whispered into my ear, as he held me against him. I smiled and leaned back into his body. My face moved closer to his and I started whispering something in his ear. His eyes widened, letting go of me. The Shadow Clone I'd encountered first was already taken care of, thanks to my Clone, who'd appeared behind him.
"Come on, I'm sure you're dying to know what's going to happen next. I could tell you how it ends..." I teased him, while taking confident steps in his direction. He shook his head in panic and covered his ears, closing his eyes as well when he noticed his Sharingan could make out my words. I smirked and with my most powerful kick, sent him flying into the air before appearing on top of him and with my Chakra directed into my fist, sent him crashing into the ground. I landed next to him and bending forward, whispered the words I'd been waiting to say.
"I win..." I said into his ear and after moving away, held out my hand to him. He looked up with narrowed eyes and accepted the hand offered. I pulled him up with ease and waited for him to speak.
"That was quick thinking. Good work," he complimented me, covering his Sharingan with his headband. I smiled.
"Thanks. That was one of the best fights I've had in a while. You live up to your name Kakashi Hatake, aka Copy Ninja of the Leaf," I commented. He nodded accepting the praise.
"Jiraiya was right about you too. You are a great ninja. It's expected though, since you're his student," he replied.
"He is a great teacher. Any ways, I should get going. I'm starving and could use a shower right about now. Thanks for the fight. I really enjoyed it!" I told him.
"No problem. We should do it again sometime and this time I'm going to win," he answered back cheerfully.
"We'll see...you really should finish that book beforehand though. Let me know how it ends!" I responded cheekily, turning away. His eyes widened at the meaning behind my words before shaking his head in disbelief.
"I can't believe I was fooled twice with the same trick!" I heard him say, making me laugh out loud. I picked up my bottle off the ground and with a final wave I walked away, without another backward glance. If I'd turned around to look at him, I would have caught him still standing there, looking at me with a strange look on his face…
A/N: Please review! :D