The Namikaze Chronicles
Part One: The Girl Known as Taishi
The Wind Country Daimyo sat on a pile of cushions in all his fat, stupid glory stuffing his face with meat the troops hadn't seen in months. Taishi pinched her lips together, balling her fists at her sides. She had to protect the glutton or she would have hunted for food an hour ago. How long had it been since she'd eaten anyway?
Too long and this jerk had the nerve to nibble on pork in front of her. She scowled, turning away from him and plopping in the dirt. The empty camp beyond the flap of the tent wasn't helping either. If someone else had been there, she'd leave the fat man to his meal and go find her own. She couldn't though.
"Are you hungry, little turtle?" He wasn't offering, his tone was too mocking for that.
"Taishi," she corrected, scowling at him as she shifted into a lotus position, "And the state of my stomach is not your concern."
"You're very disrespectful."
"And you're very fat."
The Daimyo laughed.
She rolled her eyes and cupped her cheek, peeking through the crack in the tent. Explosions rumbled in the distance and she nibbled her lip. The entire platoon, save for her, had been sent to the frontline and it left a boulder in her gut.
If Konoha realized the Daimyo had been left with a six-year-old guard…
"You're nervous, little turtle."
"You think?" she scowled, "You left us at a disadvantage. You can't fight and honestly, I don't have enough experience to save you if we're attacked. You should have left at least two guards with us, but you're old and stubborn and fat and can't think with that pea size brain of yours."
"You're lucky you're adorable or I'd have your throat slit for the insults, little turtle."
She snorted. "Good luck with that."
The Daimyo snorted, shifting on his cushions and watching her with his beady eyes, "Tell me about your otousan, little turtle."
She shrugged. "Don't know him. Why?"
"I'm bored and was hoping you'd entertain me while we wait."
"You do know I'm your temporary guard, not an entertainer, right?"
"I'm aware, but indulge me. Sitting here listening to thunder rumble is quite boring."
She glared at him. "That's not thunder."
"Oh?"
"They're explosions, you twit."
"Mouthy for a child, aren't you?" The Daimyo leaned forward on the cushion with a smirk on his face, "And entertaining. I was unaware children were so eloquent when they spoke."
"Then you don't listen."
"Do you sleep with a stuffed bear? My daughter adores hers and she's about your age."
She scowled at him. "I may slit your throat if you keep insulting me like that."
The Daimyo frowned. "Pity. So young, yet so old. Must be hard on you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I mean, little turtle, you are a child, yet are treated, act, and speak as an adult. It saddens me to see one so innocent so corrupted by our world."
How was she supposed to respond to that? She frowned, dropping her gaze to the dirt under her. She scratched her arm, glancing through the crack of the tent. The frequency in explosions was starting to die down. That was good, right?
"Come here, little turtle," the Daimyo beckoned, "And bring me that small trunk over there." He pointed to a trunk that he could have reached if he'd been bothered to move.
She rolled her eyes and stood, dusting her cloak off and heading for the trunk.
Yanking the handle and digging her feet into the ground, she grunted. No wonder he hadn't gotten it himself! Her muscles pulled, her back screamed in protest and she collapsed. Two inches. That's all she could manage?
"I…can't move it," she gulped, tilting her head toward him as heat flooded her cheeks. She was a shinobi, she should've been able to do better than two inches!
He smiled at her, rolled off his cushions and stood before heading to her. "You tried, little turtle, that's all that matters."
She snorted, hearing the lid snap open. What a pathetic excuse for a Jonin…can't even move a trunk…
She sighed, jerking as something was shoved in her face. "What the?" She grabbed the soft thing and held it over her head. A stuffed wolf. The black and white fur was soft and it had adorable pointed ears and pretty blue eyes. She frowned. "What's this?"
"I'd intended on giving it to my daughter, but I think you need it," the Daimyo smiled at her.
She nibbled her lip. It was adorable, but… "What am I supposed to do with it?" A stuffed wolf wouldn't be any help in battle, so what was the point of it?
He puffed up so much, she could almost smell the anger rolling off him. "You've never had a toy before have you?"
"Do kunai count?"
"No." He glared at her, face redder than her hair, "I can't believe your parents would condone a child being used like this…you keep that wolf and hang on to as much of your childhood as you can, you hear me?"
She gulped and nodded, stuffing the wolf in her vest.
The Daimyo seemed satisfied and returned to his cushions.
What was his problem?
She nibbled her lip as she sat up. She now had a toy, but again, what was she supposed to do with it? Sighing, she shook her head and stood, heading to her spot by the flap of the tent again. She'd figure it out eventually.
She resumed her spot near the door. Pulling the wolf from her vest, Taishi sat it in her lap and kept a hold on it as she listened for her platoon's return. The explosions had stopped and the sky was turning a dark blue fading into orange as the sun began to set.
They should be back any time.
She fingered the fur of the wolf as she strained her ears, listening for the footsteps of her squadron. She heard the Daimyo shift against his cushions and crickets begin to chirp as the sun sank lower behind the trees. An owl hooted somewhere in the distance and an animal scurried through the underbrush behind the tent. Stars began to speckle the dark blue sky as the sun dipped further.
Where were they?
She nibbled her lip, straining to hear a scuff of dirt, a branch snapping…anything other than the sounds of the night. The Daimyo dozed off and started snoring as the sun disappeared completely and a blanket of stars covered the heavens and still, she listened, holding her breath and praying they'd return.
"Katon: Gōen no Jutsu," whispered from behind the tent.
Her heart leapt to her throat the same time her feet bolted for the Daimyo. Cramming the wolf in her vest, she grabbed his arm. "We got to go!" She yanked him up and dragged him to the door as flames engulfed the tent.
Bursting into the open space of the camp, she froze, tightening her grip on the Daimyo's arm. Moonlight and the glow of the fire behind her glinted off a dozen Konoha headbands. She swallowed, stomach clenching in fear.
"A kid?" one of the shinobi to the right chuckled, ANBU tattoo on his right arm gleaming in the light, "Piss poor excuse for a guard if you ask me."
"Careful, she looks like she might have some bite to her," one to the left said, ANBU tattoo on his left arm.
They were dead.
Worse than dead.
If these men were Chunin, she might have a chance, but three ANBU and nine Jonin were beyond her fighting ability. Her strength was survival, not ninjutsu. Why had she been left to protect the Daimyo?
Think, Taishi, think…
There had to be something. Some way out of this…
She bit her lip. It might not work, but…
Digging into her vest, she grabbed a handful of smoke bombs. Maybe they could run for it?
She threw the bombs, yanked the Daimyo's arm, and bolted for the woods.
Her heart hammered in her chest as she ran, dodging and leaping over logs.
The world tilted and dirt filled her mouth as pain erupted through her nose and leg. What the? Turning, she spotted the Daimyo face down in the dirt, wheezing. She sat up, spitting the dirt out only to have copper replace it as blood dripped into her mouth. She tugged his arm.
They couldn't stop here.
Already, the shinobi were in pursuit, hovering just on the edge of her senses like tigers ready to pounce on their prey. She had to get him up, get him moving again, but how? The man was three hundred pounds of flesh and had probably never run a day in his life. How could she keep him moving?
Carrying him wasn't an option. He was much bigger than her and a lot heavier than the trunk in the tent had been. What could she do?
Her stomach dropped to her toes.
Nothing.
There was nothing she could do.
Arms circled her shoulders and she screamed as she was lifted from the ground and caged against a muscled chest. She kicked at the man holding her, stabbed a kunai in his leg, yet his hold never faltered.
"Let go!" She squirmed, bit his arm, and still, he held fast. Why wouldn't he let go!?
Tears pricked her eyes and her stomach rolled as a gurgled voice breathed, "Little turtle…" before silence filled the clearing. Bile rose in her throat and she heaved, puking on the forest floor.
He was dead. The Daimyo was dead.
And it was her fault.
She heaved again, acid stinging her throat. Why? Why was she so useless?
"Easy, kiddo," a voice murmured.
She stiffened as a large hand rested on her back. Her chest heaved, acid rose in her throat, and she puked again. Why…why…why…
"Calm down, little one," another voice soothed as a hand rested on her head, "Just breathe."
Something in her snapped. "Breathe!" She jerked her head up, glaring at the man who'd spoken and kicked her feet at him, "You killed him!"
He grabbed her legs, unknowingly sending a jolt of pain up her left one. "I know, but you need to calm down. You're only going to hurt yourself."
Light flared from somewhere to her left, blinding her for a moment before eleven faces came into view. They stood around her and the man holding her, blocking the Daimyo's corpse from view. Had they not been her enemy, she might have been grateful for the thoughtfulness. She couldn't be though.
Not now.
Not after…
She sighed, bowing her head and going limp in the man's arms. "What are you going to do with me?"
"We're not killing you, little one," the blond man ruffled her hair, "We are, however, going to take you back to camp and see what Minato-taichou wants to do."
"Yeah, never had a child prisoner before," the man holding her murmured.
She stared at her feet, clinging to the strong arms caging her like the small child she was as the shinobi began to walk through the woods. She was a prisoner of war now. If her okaasan knew, she'd be more even more disappointed.
She sighed. Sunagakure was going to be disappointed in her too. She'd graduated so early and they'd labeled her a genius. Yet, her first time fighting alone and she couldn't even put up a fight.
"Haha's going to kill me," she breathed, resting her chin on the man's arms and closing her eyes. The footsteps and quiet breathing around her were soothing. If she relaxed enough, she could almost pretend the man's arms were her otousan's and he was simply carrying her home after a grueling day of training.
She chuckled. What was wrong with her?
She didn't even know her otousan. How could she even think something like that?
The man holding her shifted and warm breath tickled her ear. "Thank you," whispered against her skin.
"For?"
"Not fighting us. I didn't want to kill a kid." He squeezed her waist and rested his head on hers, "I was hoping you weren't stupid enough to attack us and you weren't. You have no idea how comforting that is."
She shrugged. "You're welcome I guess."
The man with spiky brown hair pulled in a backward ponytail walking next to her and her captor frowned. "Why didn't you fight us?"
"I'm no match for nine Jonin and three ANBU. I'd barely survive attacking a Chunin if I wanted to." She sighed, resting her cheek on her captor's arm.
"Well, least you know your strengths and weaknesses," the man to the right chuckled, rubbing her head, "Smart girl."
In what universe?
She yawned. Between the quiet of the forest, the soft breathing of her captors, and the rocking motion of the man holding her, her eyelids were getting heavy. Or maybe it was the adrenaline wearing off?
"Tired, kiddo?" the man holding her asked.
She hummed in her throat, drifting somewhere between awake and asleep.
"Hang on," the man stopped and shifted her till her head was on his shoulder and his arm was under her bottom.
She couldn't protest or move as she dropped off to sleep, absently clutching the furry toy in her vest.
When Taishi woke again, a woman who looked like an overgrown owl stood over her and smiled with slightly crooked teeth. The woman was a nurse, judging by the uniform, so she was in a medical tent. Why?
Owl woman smiled, "You have a broken ankle."
She nodded, tilting her head and spotting the man who'd carried her on the cot across from her. His chest was covered in bandages, but he was smiling at her.
"Welcome back, kiddo."
"Thanks?"
He chuckled, "Name's Toshi. What's yours?"
"Taishi." She bit her lip, looking him over. His face had a scar running from his right ear to his lip and his green hair seemed to be in a permanent state of messy, but he seemed friendly enough.
"You aren't going to try to run after you're healed, are you?" he asked, tucking an arm under his head.
He had no idea what he'd done.
"And go where? Thanks to you my charge died and I was captured. It'd be a death sentence if I was stupid enough to try to go back home," she sneered at him, crossing her arms over her chest, "And I like my head where it is, thank you."
Toshi looked surprised. "You can't go home?"
"Were you listening? No. I can't."
He shook his head. "Man, I heard Suna was rough with their shinobi, but didn't know they'd kill you if you were captured."
She pinched the bridge of her nose. "They'll kill me for letting the Daimyo die. Getting captured leads to an extensive and, often invasive, interrogation."
"Those are big words for a little girl," Owl woman murmured, staring at her while she worked on the patient on Toshi's other side, "How old are you?"
"Six and my haha insisted I not be a complete idiot when speaking with people."
"Geez, my son doesn't even talk that good," Toshi groaned, rubbing a hand over his face.
"It's well, you idiot. Your son doesn't speak that well," she corrected, shaking her head, "And I can see where he gets it from."
A snort drew her attention to a short haired, blond man in the doorway. She pinched her lips together at the seriousness in his face. Something about him screamed authority and the hairs on her neck stood on end as he bent over her like a blond grim reaper ready to rip her apart.
"I would suggest you stop the attitude." His tone was steel. "They saved your life and you are being disrespectful to them. I will not tolerate it."
She bit her lip, glancing at Toshi over the man's shoulder. He had a point, but… "I didn't ask them to save me…" she said quietly, dropping her gaze to the splint on her foot.
"Minato-taichou?" Owl woman murmured, looking at the blond man.
"Hm?"
"Perhaps she doesn't know better? Sometimes children are rude because that's all they know," Owl woman said, "And being so young..."
She snorted, glaring at the woman. "Don't think you know me, bird woman."
"There you go again," Minato sneered, getting in her face.
She could smell the hint of mint on his breath and gulped. He was going to kill her!
"I'm warning you. Stop insulting my squadron or I'll have them dump you somewhere. Got it?"
She chewed her lip, plucking at the wolf tail poking from under her vest. Had she really been that rude? She was used to insulting and being insulted by her squadron and haha. These people weren't her squadron though.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, dropping her gaze to the man's vest, "I'm not used to people being nice to me."
"What's your name?" Minato asked, straightening so he was standing over her.
"Namikaze, Taishi."
Silence.
She nibbled her lip. Everyone in the tent seemed to have frozen, staring in mixes of shock, awe, and curiosity at Minato who stared at her in absolute horror. She squirmed, absently fiddling with the wolf tail again. Had she said something wrong?
"You…have a daughter, Minato-taichou?" Toshi breathed, breaking the stillness of the room.
Her shoulders were grabbed and she winced as Minato's fingers dug into her arms.
"You're okaasan. Who's your okaasan?"
What was he panicking about? She tilted her head. "Fuugaku, Chiori. Why?"
Minato deflated, releasing a heavy sigh as his head rested on hers. "You aren't my daughter," he chuckled, sounding half insane.
"Chichi's name was Namikaze, Matsu. He died three years ago."
"Oh hell…"
Taishi glanced at Toshi who'd gone pale.
"Your otousan was Matsu?" Minato mumbled, voice so quiet she almost missed what he'd said.
"Hai," she nodded, "I didn't know him, but haha mentioned him once shortly after he died."
"Did she ever mention any siblings?"
"I have an otouto." She pinched her lips together. Why did he look so sad?
Before she could protest, Minato yanked her off the cot and tucked her into his chest like a newborn baby. What was he doing!?
"I've got her," he said quietly to Owl woman as he turned for the door.
She caught one last glimpse of Toshi giving her a thumbs up before the tent closed and the sounds of the camp invaded her ears.
She chewed her lip.
Chunin, Jonin, ANBU…
There was no way she was getting out of here alive.
The scent of meat invaded her nostrils. Her stomach rumbled and heat flooded her cheeks. Minato changed direction and the warmth of a campfire hit her back as he plopped down next to it and turned her around. The ones who'd captured her sat around the fire eating their dinner and her mouth watered as they shoved noodles and meat into their mouths. Was she getting food too?
"She's hungry," Minato commented when the man with the spiky brown reverse ponytail quirked a brow.
She grinned. She was going to eat too!
Taking the bowl the man handed her, her mouth watered at the meat, vegetables, noodles, and broth in the bowl. How long had it been since she'd had actual food?
Suddenly ravenous, she shouted, "Itadakimasu!" before cramming her mouth full of pork. Flavor exploded on her tongue and she moaned. It'd been way too long…
Meanwhile, Minato watched the back of the girl's red head.
This girl.
This tiny, little girl was his imouto and she had no idea.
He sighed, leaning his forehead against the back of her head. She stiffened for a moment before she shrugged and continued eating. He squeezed her tiny waist.
His otousan cheated and created a child.
He wanted to puke…
Or scream…
Or crush the waist in his hands.
He didn't, but the temptation was overwhelming.
Instead, he wrapped her in his arms and squeezed her tight. His men would've killed her if she hadn't been so young.
He frowned. If they had, he wouldn't have known about her. Wouldn't have known about his father's infidelity, but…would that have been a good thing?
He squeezed her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. He could kill her, make it seem as if she never existed and save his okaasan some heartache. It'd be so easy too. She was so fragile and, while a bit weary, far too trusting. But…
She was a child, barely into life. Could he really kill her if he had the chance?
No.
He couldn't.
He sighed, dropping his hands around her waist again. He couldn't kill her, but could he accept her?
Out of the two, that was going to be the hard part. He didn't know her, yet some part of him wanted to. Perhaps, he could get to know her and maybe, accept her one day. Until then, he'd keep her close and make sure nothing happened to her. After everything his otousan had done for him, the least he could do was take care of his child. He owed the man that much.
"You're feeding a prisoner?"
Kakashi.
The preteen stood next to him with Rin and Obito behind him, confusion written on all their faces.
Damn it…
"We can't let her starve," Inoichi shrugged, shifting to grab a water bottle.
Kakashi frowned. "But rules of warfare-"
"Require a prisoner to be coherent if possible," Taishi frowned at the older boy, "Not giving them food makes them incoherent, doesn't it? Makes it harder to interrogate them?"
He quirked a brow. How'd she know that?
"True. However, you are also unbound. Rules-"
"State that incapacitated prisoners are not required to be bound. My ankle's broken so it's not like I can just up and run, you know. I can't even walk on my own," Taishi jutted her chopstick at Kakashi, "Aside from that, even if I were capable of running, I wouldn't. I'm not moronic enough to try and escape a camp full of shinobi who are bigger than me. Learned that lesson already, thank you very much."
"You know a lot of big words for a little brat," Obito scowled at her.
Oh hell…
Didn't he just get her to stop insulting people?
"You're pretty observant for a goggle wearing idiot who thinks it's fun to pick on little kids," Taishi snipped before shoving some noodles in her mouth and glancing at Minato.
He sighed. "He insulted you first, so I'll let it go this time."
"What'd you say?" Obito growled, rolling his sleeve up while Kakashi and Rin grabbed him.
"Stop," he ordered, glaring at the boy, "You insulted her, so it's only fair that she insult you."
Obito snorted, plopping down in the dirt and glowering at Taishi. "Babies shouldn't talk like that. Could get you killed."
"With what? The plastic kunai you pretend to be a ninja with? Please…" Taishi scoffed, handing her empty bowl to Shikaku.
"More?" Shikaku questioned.
Taishi nodded. "If you don't mind. I haven't eaten in a while."
"Why not?" he asked, bending till he could see her face.
He grimaced.
She had their otousan's nose and slightly darker blue eye color…
She shrugged. "Ration supplies have been low."
"Serves you right," Obito snorted.
Rin smacked him upside the head. "Rude!"
He rubbed his temple. Was it possible for a brain to explode?
Taishi resumed eating while Kakashi and Rin joined Obito on the ground next to him. Kakashi's eyes moved over the arms around Taishi's waist before he looked at him, question clear in his eyes. He cleared his throat.
He was not explaining.
Minato listened as Taishi and Rin chatted about themselves for a while. At least Rin had the sense to be nice to his imouto. Obito was a lost cause and Kakashi just didn't seem to care. Though, he didn't miss the curious glances his younger student was giving the girl or him for that matter.
Taishi shifted in his lap and tossed her cloak behind her like a cape before she grabbed her bowl again. His breath caught.
"You're Jonin?"
"Mmhmm" she nodded, glancing at him with a mouth full of noodles.
"How!?" Obito screeched, leaping to his feet and pointing at her, "You're like three! There should be a law against that."
"I'm six, you jerk," Taishi scowled at him before something flashed in her eye and a smirk appeared on her lips, "And I've been Jonin for a year."
He pinched his lips together to keep from laughing as Obito dissolved in a puddle of shame and pulled hair.
"There isn't a law against child shinobi," Kakashi murmured, staring at Obito, "We're considered child shinobi ourselves, so it's possible for some to be younger than us."
"It's not fair…" Obito moaned, burying his face in his knees.
"Life isn't fair, twit," Taishi sighed, leaning forward and touching Obito's knee, "And to be completely honest, I wouldn't be Jonin if it hadn't been for my test scores in the survival exercise they gave us at the Academy. A five-year-old isn't supposed to know how to hunt, skin, and cook animals, what plants are poisonous and what aren't, or how to find water in the desert when there isn't any. I did and my instructor demanded I graduate on the spot. Had nothing to do with my chakra or fighting skills."
"Really?" Obito questioned, peeking at her.
"Hai," she nodded and smiled at him, "In fact, I bet you could beat me in a fight. My fighting skills are sorely lacking and my chakra control is terrible."
Okay. Now, he was curious…
"How do you know how to survive like that?" Minato asked causing her to look up at him.
"Let's just say my haha isn't particularly fond of me…" she murmured, frowning at his leg.
He narrowed his eyes at her when she didn't continue. What had she been through?
A/N: I hope you enjoyed the story so far. As of right now, it's six chapters long. Some chapters are longer than others, so fair warning if you continue to read this. I'm posting only the first chapter today to see what kind of response I get. Also, I wasn't sure what Genre this is. Let me know what you think! Thank you!