Yes, I have rewritten it. I didn't like the current way I had set up the plot, because I was rushing things too much. I have decided to make several changes to the plot, and as such, had to rewrite the story to prevent conflicting plots. I apologize for those that like the former story, but I will make it up to you all with this!
Warning: The Konoha Council (specifically the civilian and elder sides), Sasuke, Sakura, Kiba, Ino, Neji, and a majority of Konoha's civilians will be bashed throughout the story. Naruto IS a female in this revision, and will be referred to as 'Naru'.
Arc: Introduction Arc
Prologue: The Beginning Starts at the End.
Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. It was often viewed as 'The Village of Peace', because of the overall warmth that seemed to exude from the village, and it's people in waves. From the weary travelers, to visiting shinobi, they were all shown top-notch hospitality. All of the civilians were friendly, the shinobi in the village were not hostile towards visitors, and the Hokage himself was a kind man. Everyone seemed to look out for each other. Even those without families were well taken care of, along with strays, the sick, and the poor. The equality shown had even surprised Iwa shinobi that had visited, for they had been expecting a purely militant village.
Yet, through this, there seemed to be one variable that was over looked. A child around five years of age, currently hiding in a dumpster as the sounds of hateful insults, and promises of pain rang through the alleyways which the dumpster was located in. 'His' spiked blond hair was dampened with dirt, to the point where it looked like 'he' hadn't cleaned himself in days. 'His' normally shining cerulean eyes were steeled over in a look of worry, and pain. 'His' lower lip was quivering to the point where the ragged pained breaths 'he' was trying to hold in were escaping 'him'. On 'his' neck, there were several round bruises. Four to the left, and one on the right. Yet, the entire neck seemed to be slightly bruised, even if it wasn't as apparent as those marks. 'His' torn white shirt was sullied with the various substances in the dumpster, and 'his' black shorts were stained with red, as the crimson substance dripped down 'his' leg.
While the child was hiding in the dumpster, he was unaware of the activities that were happening in the alleyway. Several civilians had scattered throughout the streets the child was last spotted in, all searching for the blond. As they scurried about, they barely noticed the arrival of a figure in a long black robe. He was currently standing on the rooftop in which the dumpster was located behind, bending down in a crouching position to scope the alley. The mask on his face, shaped oddly like a Dog's face, was briefly removed. It revealed a teenager with silver hair, a dull looking black mask covering most of his face, obscuring his mouth and nose. At first glance, it could be assumed the man had Heterochromia Iridus, for his right eye was a sleek black, while the left was a glowing red. Yet if one looked closely enough, they would see three tomoe spinning around the pupil. As he looked down upon the scene, he was soon joined by a second figure, also hidden behind the black velvet cloak. The only visible feature that could be seen, were two purple bangs coming down just past her neck.
"Inu-sempai...shouldn't we do something about this? They always get this bad during 'Happy Hour'..." The woman drawled, worry evident in her voice. The silver haired man just shook his head, staring down at the scene below. They were now calling out various insults; Demon, whore, monster, murderer, bitch, or a combination of any two listed. They were usually accompanied by a threat, or an order for the blond to show 'itself'.
"No...you know the law. We can't intervene unless they actually find her. If we did, then they could say they were just walking about, thus giving the civilian council a way to get around the law. If we want to catch these bastards...we have to wait. I know you care for the girl, Neko, but don't let your maternal instincts get the best of you." Inu ordered, yet growled at the mention of the council. However, he stood up and quickly slid his mask back into place. It seems like they had heard the blond child, and had surrounded the dumpster.
"C'mon you little demon whore. Don't keep your betters waiting..." One of the men in the group slurred, casually bringing his fist down upon the lid. The resounding bang had the desired effect, and a cry was heard. A second man gave a grin, stepping forward as silently as he could. As he did so, he put his ear to the dumpster, not minding the slime that had coated it through the various years it had seen. Giving a thumbs-up to the third, he used the noises from the inside to pinpoint the exact location where the blond had hidden. Standing up to full height, the man brought out a sharpened knife. Lunging forward, the man was about to make contact, when a blur of movement shuffled in front of him.
Inu had positioned himself in front of the knife, using a tanto held in a reverse grip to block it. The clang of metal was heard, and the knife gave in, for Dog maneuvered his free hand to smack the underside of the man's wrist, the force of which made him drop the knife. As this happened, the man backed up, sending a worried glance to the first. Yet he had to hold in the urine that was working its way through his bladder, because as he tried to call for help, he noticed that there was now a tanto being held to his neck. He turned his head a bit, and his blood ran cold when he saw Neko, radiating killer intent. Seeing the intervention, the remaining civilians seemed to back away from the first two, before disassembling their little mob, not wishing to be caught by the Hokage's personal guards, the ANBU.
"Ahem...due to Hokage's Law, Section 3, Article 9; The Jinchuuriki Law...you are both under arrest for almost revealing an S-rank secret, and attempting treason. If you have anything to say in your defense, please say it now, or we shall proceed to escort you to the Hokage's Office where you will receive punishment fitting your crime. Personally, I would warrant death for what you two blundering fools almost did, but lucky for you, I don't make the rules." Inu spoke with such venom that Manda, the King of Snakes, would be proud. By now, both of the civilians looked like they had wet themselves, and they had paled considerably. Yet, the one with a tanto near his neck actually had the gall to speak out.
"That filthy demon bitch got what she deserved! That damned Ky-" This was all he managed to get out, because with a quick slide of Neko's tanto, he crumpled to the floor, blood spilling from his new wound. Kicking the body aside, Neko grabbed the first civilian's arm, and proceeded to use the Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique), leaving behind a swirl of leaves as the pair disappeared, presumably to the Hokage's office. When Inu finished cleaning up the scene, he quickly walked over to the trash can, knocking in a soft manner.
"I...I heard your voice...I-i-is that you, Inu-san?" The girl inside stuttered, the voice filled with so much hope, that it had both warmed Inu's heart, and brought tears of regret to his eyes. He hated how he couldn't be there for the girl all the time. The damn council forbid anyone from taking care of her, so the most he could do was protect her from the civilians.
'And even then, I'm not all that competent...' Inu thought, before responding to the girl, "Yes, Naru-chan. Inu is here. Please, come out from the dumpster...you shouldn't be forced to dirty yourself like that." The request was spoken softly, knowing that the newly identified Naru was probably shaken from the event. Slowly, the lid opened, and the mop of spiked blond hair was visible, before the girl fully lifted her body into visibility, as she clambered out of the dumpster.
"Inu-san...am I in trouble for being a demon?" The girl asked, tears welling up in her eyes as she recalled the loneliness of being whatever the word meant. Inu just released a bit of killer intent, yet reeled it back in when he remembered he was in the girl's presence. Instead of hunting down the civilian bastards that did this to her, he knelt down, and hugged the girl. Naru just whimpered as she knelt into Inu's warm body, tears dripping down her face as she did so.
"No, Naru-chan...you're not a demon, so you can't be in trouble for being one. Don't listen to the civilians. They're just hateful bigots that discriminate against you because of something you can't control..." Inu whispered, slowly rubbing the girl's back as he stood. He then proceeded to take to the rooftops, intent on bringing the girl to see the Hokage. They needed to talk about her living conditions, and he wouldn't be refused again.
With Neko...
"Excuse me, Ms. Fujizaku, is Hokage-sama available?" Neko questioned politely. She had to tread carefully around the bitter old woman. She was one of the many civilians that had lost loved ones in the Kyuubi Attack, causing her to be a bitter old woman that absolutely hated Naru. As a result, she would often stall the ANBU and Jounin that came in with civilians caught attacking the five year old. However, she still kept up a facade of kindness, lest she get fired by the Hokage.
Ms. Fujizaku merely looked up from her position, where she was reading a tattered green book, before muttering something. As she lowered the feet from the makeshift footrest under the counter, she reached a slightly wrinkled hand towards the clipboard in front of her. Glancing at the page, she snorted, before turning back to Neko so fast, that the dyed brown hair slightly flew out of place, her green eyes narrowing as she sneered.
"Sorry, but Hokage-sama is currently in a meeting with Elders Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado. You'll have to come back later, girl." She spoke, using a business tone to try to hide the hatred in her voice, yet failed miserably. Neko just sighed, before snatching the clipboard in a swift movement, ignoring the old bat's heated cries of protest. Looking over the list of appointments, she found the time which the meeting would end...four hours ago.
'That lying old bitch...I really need to talk to Hokage-sama about this. These people need to be taken care of immediately, not at the convenience of this wrinkled perfume riddled bat.' Neko thought bitterly, before clearing her throat. "I see Hokage-sama is free. Thank you for your help, Ms. Fujizaku. Please, continue to do your job with some proficiency, lest you are on the end of a reprimand for obstructing justice." With that, Neko opened to door to the left of the desk, dragging along the knocked out civilian with her. Reaching the end of the hallway, she knocked on the wooden oak doors in front of her.
"Enter." An elderly voice from inside had called, yet it had sounded very tired. Slowly opening the door, Neko slid inside, throwing the civilian in front of her, before closing the door behind her. After dragging a chair from the side of the room forward, Neko plopped down into the chair, using the civilian as a footrest. Not feeling the need to hide her identity in front of her boss, she took off her mask, revealing Uzuki Yuugao. Her hair was cropped in front, the short, silky bangs barely reaching the tips of her eyebrows, while it reached her waist in the back. She had kind honey-brown eyes, and she had a soft smile gracing her face, as she prepared to deliver the good news to her Hokage.
"Well...what can I do for you, ANBU Uzuki?" The Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, questioned. He was currently wearing the Hokage Robes, leaving off the hat. The robes involved a red gown, tied at the waist by a white sash, while an ankle-length white cloak was worn over it. Hiruzen had spiked gray hair that was balding on the top, the blank spot covered in a few liver spots. His narrow eyes held cobalt irises, but still held a loving twinkle in them. He had wrinkes creasing the underside of his eyes, while at the end of his narrow chin, a gray goatee hung from his face. While he had a grandfatherly aura, his posture suggested that he was a man of power that demanded respect.
"Well, Hokage-sama, I found this..." Yuugao stopped, trying to be professional in front of her Hokage, so she refrained from using any insults, "...civilian breaching the Jinchuuriki Law, and as such, I brought him here to await his sentencing by your hand, as you requested of ANBU." With that, Yuugao bowed her head, indicating she was done speaking. Hiruzen just nodded, taking out his pipe.
Bring it towards his mouth, Hiruzen used a small Katon jutsu to light it. 'Oh dear Naru...what would your parents think of this village of ours?' Hiruzen thought, closing his eyes as he took a drag from the pipe. He was getting up there in the years, and the constant pressure from the council to hinder Uzumaki Naru was taking it's toll on him. He shed the grandfatherly look, revealing his true appearance; That of a tired old man whom only wanted peace for his surrogate granddaughter.
Yuugao just sat in silence as she watched Hiruzen close his eyes, the old man rubbing his temple in annoyance as he stared down at the garbage she had rested her feet upon. She knew what this would lead to. Another council meeting in which the civilians tried to have Naru killed for causing a disturbance, even though she had done nothing. How she hated politics.
"Well, we'll have to bring him in front of the civilian and shinobi council. You know they'll throw a fit if we don't...although we already know what the verdict will be." Hiruzen spoke, though there was disappointment clear in his voice. It wasn't a secret to the ANBU how much the Hokage and Shinobi Council detested the civilian side, sans the other three elders. They would have been thrown in prison long ago if Hiruzen could just get some evidence on them.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. After Hiruzen gave his verbal permission, in came Inu, better known as Hatake Kakashi. Behind him, Naru was hiding, clutching his right leg in fear as they walked in. Hiruzen immediately stood up, walking around the desk, for he wished to check on his granddaughter. Naru still had tears down her face, but embraced the elderly man anyway. Kakashi merely stood there with a grim look on his face, and Hiruzen was able to interpret what had happened from said gaze.
"I apologize for what they did to you, Naru...did you recognize anyone in the crowd near you?" Hiruzen inquired, using his grandfatherly tone. It wouldn't do well if she were to be spooked in her fragile state, for she tended to clam up after that. Naru just shook her head in disagreement, yet she had recognized a few: Harune Hitomi, one of the orphanage caretakers; Suifuuka Gou, one of the vendors in Konoha's marketplace; and Touji Mizuki, whom worked at the academy. Yet, she knew she couldn't tell. They always knew if she said something to the Hokage, and that landed her in more trouble.
'They'll just beat me again...I know it...' Naru reminded herself, fear overtaking her thought process, as she proceeded to bury her head in Hiruzen's shoulder, clutching the man's robes as if her life had depended on it. Although, her thoughts were pretty clear to the trained ANBU in the room, along with the highly experienced Hokage. As he tried to calm the girl down, the civilian beneath Yuugao's feet began to stir, which caused the woman to send a warning glance to Hiruzen.
"Ah...Kakashi, could you take Naru for some Ichiraku Ramen? I heard they were having a special today..." He said, causing Naru to brighten up a bit, releasing her grip as she jumped down. She walked up to the masked-nin, raising her hands upwards, clearly a request for him to carry her. Chuckling a bit, Kakashi knelt down to pick the girl up. As he did so, he gave Hiruzen a small nod, before going out the open window to the left. Now that Naru was gone, they could start the questioning.
At Ichiraku Ramen...
Kakashi had leaped off of the final rooftop, which was across the street from Ichiraku Ramen, and landed in a crouched position. He had decided to give Naru a piggyback ride to the stand, and all throughout the ride, she was giggling. The girl was actually laughing! Kakashi almost never heard her do that, unless she found something particularly fun or amusing.
Naru wasn't like most girls, thanks to the village. She was more reserved, usually keeping to herself when around others. More often than not, she didn't speak unless spoken too, and even then, it was a quiet mumble. Many of the villagers originally thought she was a boy, thanks to the boyish hairstyle she had, so they were quite brutal at first. However, after finding out Naru's gender, some toned their abuse down a bit. This was not the case for most of the village. In fact, it only fueled them more, and gave them more things to attack her with. She was only five, yet she knew of the world and it's pain.
To that end, Kakashi was disgusted with this village. They were doing the same thing to Naru as they did to her mother, which only stopped in the later years, once she was married to Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime (Fourth) Hokage. Kushina had grown up in Uzushiogakure, however, so she had a normal childhood. It was when she had to enter the academy at Konoha, that her life had changed. Though, by that time, she was capable of defending herself against those that attacked her.
Feeling a tug on his leg, Kakashi snapped out of his thoughts. Looking down, he saw Naru giving him a confused look, before she pointed at the stand. Giving a laugh at the girl's antics, Kakashi grasped Naru's hand as he walked her across the street. They paid no mind to the hateful glares sent their way; Kakashi because he knew that they would try nothing while he was here, and Naru because she was focused on the ramen shop in front of her.
As they got near the entrance, Kakashi pushed past the hanging white sheets, which held the kanji for Ramen Ichiraku (Ramen is The Best Pleasure), written in red. As they entered the stand, Ichiraku Ayame, the owner's daughter, immediately leaped over the counter, carefully landing on her feet as she did so, and swept Naru up. Kakashi, not used to seeing this, immediately got into a stance, but relented once he saw what she was doing. As he went back to normal, he whipped out a familiar orange book, giggling a bit.
"My my, don't you look cute today, little Naru!" Ayame squealed, hugging the girl to her chest. Her long brown hair was tyed back, and she wore a white bonnet to keep it from getting in her eyes. Her eyes, which matched her hair color, reflected the strong feelings she had for her younger friend. Ayame set Naru down after a bit, and ruffled her blond locks. Naru simply looked up at her, blushing from embarrassment.
"Aya-neechan, don't do thaaatttt!" She cried out, playfully pushing the girl, though Ayame didn't budge. "You'll make me look bad in front of Ero-Inu!" With that, Kakashi felt the intensity of Ayame's glare beating down on him, and she suddenly brought out a skillet from the back of her apron.
"Oh...this could be bad..." Kakashi muttered, feeling the killer intent of the woman before him. Ayame suddenly calmed herself, and walked up to Kakashi with a cheerful smile on her face, getting into his personal space. She had seemingly copied his eye smile, perhaps to hide her fury? Kakashi quickly put the book away, hoping it would quell the girl's anger...but that didn't work. Instead, Ayame leaned forward, whispering into Kakashi's ear.
"You know...you shouldn't read such materials...especially in the presence of a five year old girl. You could leave very bad impressions on a girl so young, and I'm a bit protective over who my younger sister is around. If I see you with that book out again, I'll have to see if I can make 'Icha Icha Ramen' the new special." Ayame growled, but kept her voice down so that Naru couldn't hear. Kakashi just sweatdropped and frowned, while inner-Kakashi was clutching his Icha Icha protectively.
"Hey, hey! Aya-neechan, are you kissing Ero-Inu?" It was at this point, that Ichiraku Teuchi had walked through the door from the back. He had originally came to see Naru, but after hearing that comment, he glanced towards Ayame...
"OI, GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!"
Back at the Hokage's Office...
Within the Hokage's office, the lights had been dimmed to the point of non-existance, and the only major light source was the candle on Hiruzen's desk, which was laid carefully on top of a stack of paperwork. Hiruzen sat behind his desk, no longer holding a kind expression on his face. This was the look of a man whom served in many battles, went through wars and lived, and killed hundreds. This was 'The Professor', the once feared man whom had slain countless shinobi in the First Shinobi World War.
The civilian, whom Hiruzen had found out was Shigure Hiiro, was currently in front of him, tied to a chair. Surrounding him were Yuugao, Morino Ibiki, and Mitarashi Anko. The last two were members of Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Unit, dedicated to breaking the most hardened criminals to find information to help Konoha. While many would crack under the pressure, both thoroughly enjoyed their jobs. They were both hardcore sadists, after all.
Hiruzen didn't want to admit it, but he wanted to kill the man in front of him. He had been behind several attempts to end Naru's life, and one of the few to actually injure the girl. He was the one that delivered the stab wound to Naru's leg today. He had almost forgotten in the commotion. However, if he were to bring this man in front of the council, they'd let him go for sure. In fact, they'd probably make a 'National Shigure Day', in which Hiiro-teme was celebrated, while Naru was beaten vigorously...again...
Anko was leaning forward on the balls of her feet, her violet hair undone from it's usual ponytail. Her eyes, which were a chocolate color with no pupils, held a menacing gleam in them. In her hand, a kunai was quivering in anticipation, while she licked her lips dangerously. The others in the room thought that she was going to go wild on Hiiro, especially since she was so protective over Naru, having been through the same things she had.
Ibiki just stood there, sighing. He was wearing a black bandana over his head, his sharp black eyes narrowed in a hidden rage. Although he wasn't as obvious about it at Anko was, he wanted to kill the man in front of him for the sins he had committed. The trench coat he wore shuffled lightly as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, fingering the various weapons he kept within.
Yuugao refused to leave the room, wishing to watch this for herself. She wanted to see this fucker pay, for everything he had done to the sweet innocent girl known as Naru! 'This bastard...this GOD DAMN BASTARD! HOW DARE HE EVEN THINK OF LAYING A FINGER ON HER!' She ranted in her mind, hatred coursing through her veins. She was honestly sick of all of the civilians that were needlessly hunting Naru. All because of those damned elders...if only she could wrap her hands around their throats...
Right as they were about to start the interrogation, which involved Anko torturing Hiiro into submission, was interrupted by a harsh rapt on the door. Giving a death glare to the door, Hiruzen motioned for Yuugao to unlock it, giving his usual permission to enter. As soon as Yuugao turned the handle, she was roughly pushed out of the way as Koharu entered the room, followed closely by Homura.
"Hiruzen, stop this atrocity right now! You know you aren't supposed to act like this without consulting the council first. What if the council were to deem him innocent? How would that look if someone were to find out? Do you want us to be the joke of the Elemental Nations?" She yelled, unjust rage filling her system. Hiruzen looked like he was ready to kill her, and was fighting the urge to strangle the nagging wrinkled bag of flesh in front of him, when Homura spoke.
"Aside from Koharu's ramblings..." A jab was given to his side, causing the man to flinch but otherwise keep his composure, "The council has found out about Hiiro-san behind held captive, along with Godai Shinji's death, and wish to see you, and Hiiro. You may bring Yuugao-san, Anko-san, and Ibiki-san if you wish, but the council will most likely throw a fit about the second in that listing..." With that said, Homura turned on heel, exiting the room. Koharu let out a huff in annoyance, before following her fellow elder. As soon as they had left, Anko let loose. While doing so, she landed a vicious crack to Hiiro's jaw, causing a cracking sound to be heard within the room.
Hiiro just started laughing, despite the pain that he was in. He knew he would be set free, and this would give him even more motivation to get the 'demon whore', as everyone so kindly dubbed her. He would finally kill her...tonight would be the night. Even if he couldn't be there, he had set it up so that she would be murdered. The council meeting was a distraction, and Inu would be called in to give his story. Hiiro knew the girl would walk home alone, and that is when they would strike. His cackling could be heard by Ms. Fujizaku, whom simply gave a smirk. Yes, the bitch secretary was in on it too. As he was dragged through the doors by Ibiki, whom was following Hiruzen, Yuugao, and Anko, they shared a secretive smile. Yes...tonight would be a good night.
Back at Ichiraku Ramen...
Naru was sitting in front of the bar, a steaming hot bowl of ramen placed in front of her. She was smiling as she dug into the contents of the bowl, nearly inhaling them in hunger as she did so. Next to her, a small stack of bowls which was slowly rising, were perfectly set upon the table, making a tiny tower. Kakashi seemed to let out a cry as he observed the scene, mentally kissing his wallet goodbye.
Although, Kakashi was relatively pleased that his sensei's daughter could actually find a place where she could smile, and be happy. A place where she wasn't discriminated against because of what she contained. The two owners, Ichiraku Teuchi, and Ichiraku Ayame, treated the girl like family. However, Kakashi was still a bit shocked that Teuchi was a retired Jounin, and had the accuracy that surpasses Gai when he had his Nunchaku out. Especially since he was on the receiving end of a ladel to the face...
Oh, how Kakashi would have cried, if he had to remove his mask.
"Ne, Ero-Inu, why did you take me out for ramen? Nobody besides Aya-neechan, and Teu-tousan are this nice to me. Not even Hokage-jiji, seeing as he is always busy!" Naru questioned. Kakashi sighed at the nickname, but was debating on how to answer this question. If he wanted to make a good impression, he'd have to lie a bit...but that would be the founding of a bad relationship. Could he just go out and say 'Because you're my sensei's daughter? He supposed he couldn't, seeing as Hiruzen wanted them to wait to reveal Naru's heritage.
"Ah...well, for starters, please call me Kakashi-sama!" Kakashi began, an air of pseudo arrogance overcoming him as he crossed his arms, and gave the girl one of his eye smiles. This quickly earned him the sight of Ayame imitating ripping something up. "Ah...Kakashi-san works fine too. Anyway, I took you out for some ramen, because I know how hard life can be sometimes. At those times, nothing feels better than a nice steaming bowl of ramen, and since I heard you like it so much, I decided to get you some!" Kakashi exclaimed, hoping that the questions would end. He knew first hand how inquisitive the young girl could be, even at such a young age. It would be just his luck that she called him on the white lie...
"Oh...okay then." Naru said, a grin being spread across her face. Kakashi mentally let out a breath of relief, but he still was weary of the girl, lest she throw a curve ball question.
However, she remained silent as she slurped her ramen, her eyes closing in delight. Well, it seems all was well...Until a squad of ANBU proceeded to enter the stand, walking up to Kakashi. Now this was surprising. They wouldn't come here unless there was something required of him...which meant that there was probably a-
"Kakashi-sempai...the council requested that we bring you to the Hokage's Meeting Chambers. There is another one of those delightful meetings being held, and none of us wanted to listen to the 'High and Mighty' Haruno Minikui screeching at the top of her lungs. So please, do us a favor, and just go to the damn meeting." The head ANBU, whom was in a Tiger Mask, requested. Though, he soon found himself with a rather large bump on his head, courtesy of Ayame.
"Oi! There is a child in here, watch your mouth!" Ayame ordered, glaring at the ANBU. Surprisingly enough, they all gulped and bowed their heads, with Tiger Mask apologizing to both Ayame and Naru. Kakashi, however, stood up with an audible sigh. He hated these damn meetings with a passion, especially when he was called for no damn reason...as usual.
Naru just sat there, curiously gazing at Kakashi. 'Does Kaka-san have to go? Just because the mean people in the black robes said he had to? No! They punish criminals. Is Kaka-san in trouble for helping me? They can't take him away!' She thought, a look of worry crossing her face. She had misinterpretted the meeting as a sentencing, and as such, had hopped out of her chair. Within the second, a light wail was heard, and the ANBU had looked down to see Naru clutching Kakashi's leg, not willing to let go.
"No! You can't take Kaka-san away! He just got here! He wasn't a bad man, don't make him go to the council meeting!" She cried out, making a few of the ANBU chuckle. Kakashi just stood there, his one visible eyebrow raised.
"Well, gentlemen, you know its bad when a five year old knows the council meetings are bad. Anyway...tell the old bats I'll be there in a moment. I have to finish up my business here." With that said, the ANBU nodded, disappearing from the stand. Kakashi glanced down at Naru, before gently prying her off, and setting her back in her chair.
Naru just sat there, with tear filled eyes, before letting out a small whisper, "Kaka-san...are you going away like everyone else?" That one question, accompanied by the sorrowful tone, was almost enough to make Kakashi's heart shatter. To think that in such a short time of them knowing each other, not counting when Kakashi had saved her in his ANBU uniform, she had already worried about him when he had to leave. 'Or was it perhaps a fear of being abandoned?' Kakashi mused, before shaking his head of these thoughts.
"No, Naru. I'll only be at the Hokage's office for important business. I promise, I'll be back as soon as possible." Kakashi reassured her, giving a small masked smile when the girl calmed down a bit.
"Okay...but if you don't come back, I'll never forgive you!" The blond proclaimed, giving the ANBU in front of her the best glare she could muster up. Instead of menacing, it came off as adorable, and elicited an 'Awwwww' from Ayame. Teuchi just shook his head, and returned towards the back of the shop, no doubt to continue cooking the delicious ramen he so expertly made.
"Alright Naru...how about this? I can seal the deal, to make sure that I'll have to come back, how does that sound?" Kneeling down, Kakashi brought up his right hand, interlocking his pinky with the blond's now outstretched pinky. As he grasped it, he gave the girl a reassuring eye smile, before slightly bringing it up, "Jaa yubikiri shiyou (Let us make a pinky promise, not sure if this is an accurate translation)!"
Giggling at the silver haired man's antics, Naru returned the chant, remembering Hiruzen-jiji teaching it to her. "Yubikiri genman uso tsuitara hari senbon nomasu (If you lie, I shall make you swallow a thousand needles, though like before, this may be incorrect)! Aya-neechan, since you're here, can you be are secret person?" Naru requested, giving an adorable tilt of her head as she did so.
"Ah...of course, Naru-chan! If Kakashi lies, I'll make sure he eats a thousand needles...though through which head, I still haven't decided..." Ayame returned, a threatening tone entering her voice at the end. Kakashi merely twitched in fear, and Naru held a confused look on her face, contemplating where her Kaka-san could have another head.
"Ahh...well, anyway, I gotta get going to the council meeting...Ja ne!" With that, Kakashi sped out of the ramen stand, fearful of the supposed innocent waitress. 'Gah, did Ibiki teach her or something? I haven't seen a civilian be that scary...ever!' Kakashi thought in a panic, but then his face ran paler than a ghost. 'Oh God...what if he teaches that Haruno woman? She is already scary enough with that screeching voice that makes my ears bleed...'
With that thought, Kakashi gave a small chuckle, leaping through the rooftops of Konoha. Hopefully, this wouldn't take up most of the night, because he still needed to get back to Naru...lest he break his promise!
At the Council Chambers...
Within the chambers, several voices at once were sounding out, echoing against the wooden walls. The council chamber itself was actually a room set up in a style similar to a western courtroom. At the back of the room, there were three podium-like stands, behind each was a stone chair, complete with a cushion in the middle of it's seat. The middle was raised the highest, and held the kanji for 'Hokage' on it, thus making it obvious whose seat it was. The two on either side of the Hokage's seat, were for the Hokage's two advisors. The advisors were currently a pair of elder people whom had served with Hiruzen during his genin days, making up Tobirama Hashirama's squad. Their names were Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane.
At the front of the room, there were several benches set up in a church style, leaving the middle as a walkway. These were meant for any non-serving shinobi whom were involved in a meeting to have a place to sit, along with the ANBU whom were set as peace-keepers, in case there was an outbreak of violence. This had only happened a few times, more than often caused by Councilwoman Haruno, whom tried to hit several of her fellow civilians several times, and had once tried to hit Uzumaki Naru when she was present in a meeting. However, because ANBU had stopped her, the most she had to do was pay a fine. Not to mention, Hiruzen couldn't send her to prison in good conscious, because the woman had a young daughter at home, and was a widow.
Both the left, and right sides were set up the same. A long oak desk, with chairs facing the opposite side of the room. However, there was a difference between the two sides. The left was for the Shinobi, whom were clan heads, or major contributors to the village. Their clan's markings were over their chair, so the Inuzuka had their markings placed on their head's chair, the Uchiha had their fan placed on their head's chair, and so on. The right was for civilians, and was heavily unorganized. For whatever reason, they all switched seats daily...it was like an 'early bird gets the worm' decision.
With the current meeting, though, several people were now covering their ears for Councilwoman Haruno had screeched another sentence.
"WHERE IS THAT USELESS HATAKE? I TOLD HIM TO BE HERE FIVE MINUTES AGO! HIS LAZY ASS SHOULD DO WELL NOT TO DISGRACE THE HATAKE NAME MORE AFTER HIS FATHER DID WITH THAT MISSION!" Haruno Sairen yelled, making everyone wonder how she was not mute from all of the damage on her vocal cords.
"Councilwoman Haruno, I would like to remind you that you should not speak of matters that you have absolutely NO comprehension in." Shimura Danzou, the fourth Elder, spat. He sat on the Shinobi's side, in the chair closest to the Trio's podium. While he was known for his belief in how the mission comes first, he also believed that civilians should not have any place in a shinobi society, and thus, took every chance he got to piss off the civilian side.
"WHAT? HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH A THING? OF COURSE I HAVE COMPREHENSION IN THAT MATTER! IT WAS ALL MY FRIENDS GOSSIPED ABOUT THAT ENTIRE WEEK! NOT TO MENTION MY BEAUTIFUL LITTLE GIRL, SAKURA, IS GOING TO BE A SHINOBI SO SHE CAN GET HER TRUE LOVE!" The 'decent woman' countered, rage filling her eyes at Danzou's accusation. It should be noted that Danzou did not give a flying fuck, and gave the woman the bird under the table. This was something that Uchiha Fugaku, whom had sat next to him, had caught, giving a snort at the man's antics. Seriousness be damned, nobody liked Sairen.
"Ah...you have friends?" The ever blunt Hyuuga Hiashi questioned, his eyebrow raising in surprise. His long brown hair shook along with his head, as his pale eyes closed in confusion. "I'm honestly surprised..." He muttered, something that sent Inuzuka Tsume into hysterics. The feral woman had rested her head on her arm, the beginning of tears forming in her black eyes as she laughed. Her wild, spiked brown hair was soon one with the desk, as she laid her head down to try to hide her laughing.
"GAH. JUST BE QUIET YOU B-" All noise immediately stopped as the Hokage coughed into his hand. Hiruzen sent an annoyed glance at all of the people within the room, leaking a bit of killer intent.
"Now that the commotion has stopped, I believe it is time to do some attendance, seeing as Kakashi has just entered," It was true, Kakashi had entered during aforementioned commotion, and had proceeded to plop down on the front bench, sitting near the ANBU from before. "Shall we begin?"
"Aburame, Shibi?"
"I am present, Hokage-sama." A man with spiked, light black hair spoke, his sunglasses covering his
"Akimichi, Chouza?"
"Here, Hokage-sama!" A portly man with long, spiked red hair bellowed, a grin on his face. Upon his cheecks there were two swirls, and his eyes were closed.
"Aisuru, Junjo?" Junjo was a serious looking young woman. She had short-cropped brown hair, and wore glasses over her amethyst eyes. She was made the head director of the hospital, after Yakushi Nono's mysterious disappearance.
"Here, Hokage-sama."
"Haruno, Sairen?"
"HERE, HOKAGE!" Everyone in the room cringed at that.
"Hyuuga, Hiashi?"
"Here."
"Inuzuka, Tsume?"
"Here, Hokage-jiji!" This caused a sweatdrop at the informality, but Hiruzen continued anyway.
"Nara, Shikaku? Shikaku? Oh for Kami's sake, somebody wake him up..." With that, Yamanaka Inoichi shook his friend awake. Inoichi had long blond hair tied in a ponytail. He usually held a stern expression on his face, his blue eyes firm. Shikaku had black 'pineapple-style' hair, and matching black eyes. However, he was sleeping, as usual. The Nara clan, while smart, was also renown for their laziness.
"Shimura, Danzou?"
"Hello to you too, Hiruzen."
"...alright then. Uchiha, Fugaku?
"Here, Hokage-san."
"Yamanaka, Inoichi?"
"Here, sir." (A/N: There are more civilians, but I honestly only included the civilians that are going to actually be important later. Except that Haruno woman. She is just comic relief.)
"Well, now that roll call is done, what are the topics being brought forward by this meeting?" Hiruzen ended, casting a short, angry gaze at the civilian side. All of them, aside from Junjo, were those that hate Naru. Even then, Junjo was neutral at best.
As soon as the Hokage finished his sentence, the civilians burst out into commotion again. Cries of 'demon did this', or 'whore did that', were proclaimed into the air as the shinobi side all seemed to sigh in fury. They didn't really care about the constant topic of Uzumaki Naru. In fact, most of the shinobi seemed to like the little girl, even Danzou, whom had originally wanted her as a weapon. Apparently after being rejected during all of the times he asked, he seemed to submit.
"Well, Hiruzen-kun...the matter of two civilians being attacked by ANBU for no reason was brought to our attention. In fact, I do believe you have one of the men tied up a few rooms down?" Koharu began, but was forced to finish the beginning of her rant, as a massive killer intent rained down upon her.
"NO REASON?" Kakashi had shouted, standing up from the bench he was sitting on. "NO REASON, HUH? I'M SURE YOU'D LIKE TO TELL THAT TO UZUMAKI NARU, WHOM WAS ALMOST MURDERED BY THOSE WORTHLESS SACKS OF SHIT?" The killer intent was now focused solely on the civilians, whom had began muttering under their breaths. "AND YOU WASTES OF SPACE WOULD HAVE HAILED THE MAN AS A HERO HAD HE SUCCEEDED." The fury of the copy nin was escalating at a fast pace, to the point where his sharingan had been revealed as he pulled up his headband.
"Kakashi-kun." Hiruzen's kind voice sounded throughout the room, calming the ANBU captain down by bringing him back to reality. "You need to get a better hold of your emotions. While I too, believe that Koharu is a liar..." The woman's look of shock almost made him laugh, "You need to set an example. You are ANBU after all."
Kakashi merely bowed his head, a disappointed look upon his face, before sitting back down upon the bench. As he did so, his fellow ANBU had gave him some support, not wanting to see their captain in such a state. Coughing into his hand, Homura seemed to bring attention back to the meeting.
"As Koharu-chan was saying, two civilians were injured today. In fact, one of them was pronounced deceased as he was brought into the hospital. As such, we would like to have testimony from the survivor of this tragic incident. ANBU, please fetch Shigure Hiiro-san. He is in the holding cell two rooms down, currently being guarded by ANBU Neko, and Captains of the T&I, Morino Ibiki, and Mitarashi Anko." As he stated the last name, more muttering began, the faint whisper of "Traitorous whore" being audible. Strangely, Sairen was silent. Yet, she had a deceitful grin upon her face, thinking about what would be happening once poor little Naru headed home...
Outside Ichiraku Ramen...
Naru had finished her meal with a thankful belch, a smile gracing her face as she did so. This was the first time today she had eaten, so she was very hungry. Yet now, her stomach was content, and she could go about the rest of her day. As she exited the stand, she gave a kind wave towards the vendors. Ayame returned the wave with as much cheerfulness as she could give, causing Teuchi to smile. What the two didn't notice, was the group of civilians that were waiting a few shops away, staring intently at the blond girl as she skipped off down the street, ignoring the glares she got.
Unfortunately for the five year old girl walking down the road, fate was not on her side. The civilians whom were glancing at her from across the street, had now taken to following her around, ushering more people to silently follow them, yet stay far enough away so that she wouldn't get suspicious if she looked back. By now, Teuchi was getting suspicious as he glanced outside after seeing the growing crowd. Feeling a pang of fear in his gut, he was about to turn to see the Hokage, when he heard a shriek coming from within the back room. Rushing back into the shop, he saw a few chuunin whom had captured Ayame. The twelve year old girl tried struggling against the one that held her, only to receive a chop to the back of her neck.
Teuchi was about to bring out a few kunai he had hidden within his pouch for emergencies like this, but a jounin had moved into the shop, bringing his own kunai, and holding it towards Teuchi's neck. The chuunin just smirked, as they brought forward Ayame, laying her down on a table.
"Now now, Ichiraku Teuchi...you shouldn't struggle so much. You might just find yourself dead in a ditch if you don't hear us out..." The jounin whispered, but Teuchi kept his resolve strong, and slammed an elbow into the jounin's gut. As the man recoiled from the attack, he was surprised to see a chuunin holding his katana towards Ayame's neck. The jounin just gave a predatory grin, licking his lips at Ayame as he walked back up to Teuchi, keeping a fair distance away from him, "As I was saying...it would certainly be bad if you didn't hear us out...but since you wanted to struggle, you'll have to be punished..."
In a short burst of speed, the jounin had rushed up to Teuchi, taking his right arm in his left hand. Grasping Teuchi's shoulder with his right hand, the jounin hooked his leg under Teuchi's ankle, bringing Teuchi into a kneeling stance. As Teuchi gave a grunt of pain, he stared up at Ayame's unconscious form, trying to preserve his strength. He needed to save his daughter...
Though that thought was quickly erased from his mind, as pain flooded his system. The reason? The jounin had brought Teuchi's arm, still within his grasp, and was twisting it. Teuchi let out a choked gasp as he tried to hold in his cry of pain. He wouldn't let them see him in a vulnerable position. Suddenly the pain stopped for the moment, as the man had stopped twisting the arm. The chuunin just laughed at the ramen vendor's face, while the jounin merely gave a grunt of amusement.
"Now then, Teuchi...let us try again. You will obey our orders if you want your pretty little daughter to survive...so we're going to give you two options. The first option: You refuse us, we kill you along with this bitch, and we burn your stand down. The second option: You leave town, so that the Kyuubi whore can wallow in the misery she deserves." The jounin explained, a malicious grin coming upon his face as he let out a chuckle.
Teuchi just sat there, a look of sorrow overcoming his face. Either way, Naru was going to get hurt...but only one option let him keep his daughter. Closing his eyes in recognition, he let a lone tear roll down his face. 'I'm sorry, Naru...but my family is in danger...As much as I love you, I can't let Ayame go...'
With that, Teuchi schooled his expression into a stone cold mask. He stared up at the men whom had forcibly changed his life, the men whom had ripped almost everything he loved away from him. As he stared at each of them, he memorized their faces, their eyes, their voices...everything. He would come back one day, and he would get revenge.
"Fine...I will leave town with my daughter...thought it is quite saddening..." Teuchi started, closing his eyes as he shook his head in distaste. The shinobi just glanced at him, a puzzled look on their face as they muttered about what the 'crazy old man' had meant. The jounin just stared at Teuchi, before smirking.
"Oh? What is saddening? The fact that believing in the demon slut got you punished, just like everyone said?" The jounin inquired, knowing he would be right as he awaited the answer. To his surprise, Teuchi just shook his head again, this time with his own smirk on his face.
"No...the fact that the protectors of the village are the very people whom are selling the village to the devil." Teuchi spoke, but the jounin just snorted in response. Pushing him to the ground, the jounin kicked him in the stomach, before dragging the bodies of the Ichiraku family in the back. It wouldn't do well for anyone to find this mess, after all.
With Naru...
The young girl had dropped her smile a few meters back. Instead of a bounce being in her step, she was moving slowly, as if she was trying to avoid detection. Which she was. This time was the time that the bars began closing down, and those inside were released upon the streets. Most of them in their inebriated state, had fancied themselves 'professional demon hunters'. As such, they took great pride in trying to attack Naru at any occasion they could.
It was just Naru's luck that she had stumbled through the red light district on her way home. While most of the civilians that drank, and got their various pleasure fulfilled in this zone, some did not actually hate her here. In fact, some of the strippers, bartenders, and waitresses helped Naru, mainly because they were retired kunoichi whom were employing their profession to make a living. After all, kunoichi were the best at using sex appeal to gather information, or resources. It used to be standard practice within the academy until the council banned it, seeing as civilian born kunoichi were usually loud and bitchy, the complete opposite of what a true kunoichi was supposed to be.
As stated before, fate was not with Naru on this night. As such, any of his usual protectors were not in sight, as she tried to maneuver her way through the streets without being detected by the drunks that had started to exit the bars. Unfortunately, that would not be a possibility for the poor girl, as the crowd that had gathered to follow her before decided to make itself known.
One of the civilians within the crowd decided to speak up, gathering the attention of the crowd. "HEY, YOU DRUNKS! TO CELEBRATE THE WONDROUS DRINKS YOU HAVE JUST FINISHED CONSUMING, HOW ABOUT A DEMON HUUNNNTTT?" The proclamation immediately put Naru on edge, and she made a move to rush away from the area before being detected. This was all for nothing, though, as a man so generously pointed at her, and screamed her position.
Naru let tears of fear stream down her face, as she immediately took off from her position. 'Things like this always ends up badly...why can't Inu-san help? He said he'd be back...but where is he?' Naru thought desperately, glancing around as she ran down the street. Instead of the meager crowd that was following her, she now head an entire mob forming, all converging on her location. She saw more people at the end of the street she was running towards, creating a wall so that the girl couldn't escape.
Giving a mental swear, Naru quickly turned on heel, and darted down an alleyway. Because of her experience in running, she knew she would be able to run away from the civilians, but she'd be in bad shape if a shinobi were to-
Ah. Shit.
A flicker of movement darted before Naru, and it was revealed to be the chuunin instructor for the academy, Touji Mizuki. Naru had heard of the man, and his various misdeeds, but was too young to understand most of them. As such, the only thing she thought about when Mizuki got a hold of her, was the physical pain he was going to cause her.
Unfortunately, the world is not that kind.
"Feh, and they said you're all that...I thought you'd put up more of a chase than that, demon slut." Mizuki growled out, narrowing his eyes in distaste. He then proceeded to sigh, before using the shunshin to get them away from the alleys. Instead, they were now surrounded only by the trees, as the winds howled through the skies. Mizuki threw Naru on the ground, causing the small girl to cry out in pain.
"W-w-why would y-you do th-this...?" Naru rasped, pain evident within her voice. She had tears welling up in her eyes, making them moist, as the pain spasmed in her nervous system. She was only five, after all, and her body wasn't strong. Such a thing made it easy for Mizuki, whom had chuunin-level strength, to inflict a good amount of damage on the girl with a single attack.
"Why? Do you really want to know why?" Mizuki whispered, leaning in. He wanted to see the girl's face when he revealed the secret, consequences be damned. Naru just seemed to lay there, not making a noise in fear that she would be attacked again. Mizuki just give a scowl, infuriated by the girl's insolence. He would not be ignored by this demon! Mizuki let out an enraged cry, before kicking the girl in the stomach, causing her to roll over. As she did so, Mizuki picked her up by the throat, his rough fingers clenching around the girl's narrow neck.
"S-Sto-sto-" Naru tried breathing out, but couldn't find the energy to complete the word. The pain in her system was just too much for her body, and she slowly began to pass out. Mizuki looked at her, before giving a smile. Adding more pressure to the girl's neck, he leaned in, close enough so that the girl could hear him.
"I did all this...because you're the Kyuubi reincarnated...you're nothing more than a demon hiding in the flesh...that is why they all hate you. That is why you have to die. Although, you don't have to worry about it...want to know why?" Mizuki grinned, before continuing. "Because I love you, dear Naru-chan...that is why you have to die. Love drives people insane...it makes them want what they can't have...and for a little girl like you to have such untaped power in you...it makes me go crazy with lust." With that, he leaned in, biting down into the girl's neck. He made sure to make it more painful than usual, leaving his mark on the girl. "You would've made a good slave later on...but other people wanted to show their love to you too...like the ANBU...the Ichiraku family...the Hokage..."
Naru widened her eyes, startled by the proclamation. So much information was being crammed into her brain at once. She was the Kyuubi? She was the thing that nearly leveled the village five years ago? Impossible...she couldn't be the Kyuubi! And what did this insane guy say? The person that was killing her...loved her? 'Is this what love is? Pain? An endless spiral of beatings? This entire time...I've wanted the village to love me...to accept me like everyone else...were they doing that the entire time?' Naru contemplated, tears slipping from her eyes. 'No...that was hatred...yet I was so nice...perhaps I should have hated them back...' With that, Naru's eyes began to close, the pain in her system.
"Sorry it had to come to this, Naru...but...I'm very possessive. Hopefully, you understand. I love you, dear Naru-chan..." Mizuki spoke, watching as the light finally left the girl's eyes. Releasing his grip, Mizuki let out a sinister laugh, watching as the limp body now slid to the floor. He finally did it. He killed that bitch, and made her suffer both mentally and physically as she died. "Heh...burn in Hell, you filthy demon spawn. Nobody will miss you up here..." As he said that, Mizuki left, whistling a jovial tune as he made his way to the edge of the clearing.
Well, I'm not dead...don't hate me too much!
Anyway, I really wanted to rewrite this for awhile. As you can see, I made some major changes to the plot...and yes, Danzou is going to be on Naru's side. The pairing is undecided as of now, but do understand that I will probably not be pairing Naruto with a woman. If I do, it will most likely be with either Tenten, Anko, or Temari. Though, I also don't want to jump on pairing her with Madara either. Maybe I'll pair her with Kurama...-evil laugh-
Anyway, ta ta dearies, see ya in the next chapter~
-Yatero.