Chapter 1
It has been roughly eight years since the attack on Konoha by the Nine-Tailed Fox, since the death of the Fourth Hokage - Sarutobi's chosen successor. The Yondaime - having died much sooner than he had expected - had chosen no successor in the event of his death so the previous Hokage stepped up to the task once again. Passing laws to secure the safety of the sole reason for their continued existence.
Now he faces a difficult decision. A decision that may increase the hostilities in the village if he doesn't play this just right. The politics made him wish there is a suitable successor for him to choose so he can step down again and leave the headache to them.
Sarutobi looks down at the scroll in his hands. Listing the details of the person whom he has been requested to accept into the village and consider adding to the Shinobi academy.
Name: Kazama, Oretzi
Parentage: Unknown
Age: 8 years
Birthdate: March 21
Bloodtype: A
Gender: female
Hair: dark brown with streaks of silvery white
Eyes: dark brown | Suspicion of a doujutsu - yet to have developed or revealed itself
Height: 4'8" | possibly will grow some more
Weight: slightly underweight for height
Notes: Possibility of demonic parentage. Has a black flexible tail similar to a dog. Nails are sharp and untypically pointed despite filing them down. Rapid healing and unstable chakra manifests whenever angered. Has a great sense of smell and hearing [side note: a dog whistle - blown at the other side of the village - reduced Kazama to tears and begging for the noise to stop]
"You want me to accept Kazama-chan into Konoha," Sarutobi repeats as he looks at the woman before him, a tall blonde in her mid to late forties. He would be willing to accept her but with Uzumaki Naruto already causing trouble with his pranks and the tension reaching a new high as civilians and Shinobi alike call for his death at the Council meetings. "In addition to that, you want me to consider her for the Shinobi academy. Did I forget anything else?"
"That's everything, Sandaime Hokage," the woman tells him.
"I will admit that Kazama-chan has some admirable traits," he starts, rolling up the scroll. "Yet, the fact that she has a demonic parent makes this decision quite difficult."
"I'm aware, Sandaime-san. However, she has shown some skills in being a tracker." Sarutobi motions for her to continue. "Once, when someone snatched a child from the orphanage she retrieved one of the girl's shirts and used it to get her scent. She then led the local police straight to the man's hideout - right before anything bad could happen to the child." Sarutobi could see the benefits of having her trained to be a hunter-nin, if she so wished it.
"Skills or not," he starts, "there is still the fact that she has a tail. No amount of hiding will keep her identity a secret." He picks up his pipe and takes a few puffs. "If someone discovers the fact that she is a half demon there will be riots all across this village."
The matron of the orphanage makes to say something but stops when there is a soft tentative knock on the door behind her. She recognizes it to belong to her charge and looks at the Sandaime Hokage who is puzzled as to who it could be. "Come in," the elderly man calls to the person.
The door swings open to reveal the girl in question. Sarutobi couldn't help but note the long trench coat that the girl is wearing, effectively hiding her tail or so it would seem. Dark brown eyes stare up at him from the doorway, her dark hair unnaturally spiked and wild in a manner that reminds him of Uzumaki Naruto. There is a single white streak starting at the center of her bangs and swept over her right eye - just slightly obscuring his ability to look at that one. The girl looks like she has already lost all of her baby fat on her face and he was stunned to find that she has already mastered a serious expression that seems to age her beyond her years.
"Pardon me, Hokage-sama," the girl bows before she steps into the office, shutting the door behind her. "But I could not help but hear your conversation."
"Eavesdropping is bad," Sarutobi tells her, "Unless you're a Shinobi."
"Hokage-sama, she cannot help but overhear things, even behind closed doors," the Matron puts in quickly. She didn't want him to assume that Kazama is a nosy child. To be quite honest she usually allow people to keep their secrets, despite the possibility she may already know each and every one of them.
"Ah… your hearing," Sarutobi states simply, recalling the mention regarding the dog whistle. If the girl is allowed to live in the village he'll have to request the Inuzuka clan to not use any dog whistles or something of the like.
"Aye," the girl says before getting down to her knees and press her forehead to the floor in a show of ultimate submission, her posture rigid as she forces herself. "Please, Hokage-sama, permit me to make my case to you."
"You are much too old for your age," he sighs before telling the girl to get up. "Please, sit. Tell me, what is your reasons to want to join the village?"
The girl eases herself into one of the chairs in the office, her hands on her knees. "Has the Matron told you much about my past?" She was staring only at him so when he shakes his head no she sighs to herself. "Up until I was five years old I had lived with the local pack of wolves. Not just any wolves though." She watch his eyes widen slightly at what she is hinting at. "The alpha has told me stories about my mother who fell in love with a man. He never told me what happened to her but they believe she died. My father, however, was - according to the alpha - formerly a member of Konoha Shinobi ranks."
This surprised Sarutobi, causing him to reconsider the girl seriously. There were many Shinobi members he had to consider, not counting the ones who were killed in the Kyuubi attack."Do you have any details you know about your father?"
The girl looks thoughtful for a moment before she digs into her trench coat's pockets. "The alpha female, she gave me this just before they left me at the village to make my way with the humans. She told me to go to the village from where he lived and join the clan he left," she explains as she pulls out apendant that is on a thick chain-like necklace. She hands it over to the Hokage and he is stunned to recognize the red fang that are usually tattooed [painted as it is the case for those younger than 16] onto the members of the Inuzuka clan.
"This… alpha female," he pauses to make sure he had that right. When she nods at him he continues, "She gave you this saying that it belonged to your father?"
"Hai. Stalks the Night," the girl starts only to get a confused look at the name, "That's the alpha female's name." He nods his head in understanding. "Stalks the Night once told me that my father was chased away by his partner - the head of the clan from which he is from, only by marriage."
He taps his fingers on his desk, considering his actions now. Inuzuka Tsume would not be pleased to hear that her former partner's offspring has shown up in his office. Nor would she be pleased to know that the child has been left in the care of the orphanage of some random civilian village. If there is one thing he knows about Inuzuka Tsume it's that she hates the orphanages.
"Matron, Kazama-chan, please excuse me for an hour," he tells them after he made his decision. The two nod their heads in acceptance and make to leave. "Wait," he calls after them and gets his secretary to summon up one of the jonins to escort the two around the village for now.
Maybe five minutes later one of the Tokubetsu Jonins appeared in his office with a whirl of leaves that has young Kazama gawking at the display. He has to stifle his chuckles at the girl's amazement, taking it as a sign that the small village where she has been left is too small to host their own Shinobi.
The Tokubetsu Jonin turns out to be Mitarashi Anko, a purple haired woman with lavender eyes that always look blank to him. If memory serves him right she'll be turning twenty soon and might be the right sensei for the young Kazama. He's getting ahead of himself. First the girl must accept entering the academy and then graduate from it before he can consider her sensei.
"Mitarashi-san, would you be so kind to show Matron Kin and her charge to a nearby restaurant?" he requests her.
The jonin looks down at the girl in the chair who looks at her with those wide eyes, strangely showing her age for the first time in front of Sarutobi. "Sure thing, Hokage-sama." She moves to the door and swings it open, holding it steady for her two charges. "I hope you like dango dumplings."
For the first time since she arrived in Konohagakure in hopes of convincing the Hokage to permit her into the village, Kazama smiles and Anko is struck by the innocence in the girl's face. Almost as fast the girl ducks her head and she mumbles something too low for the older woman to hear. So she turns to the Matron with a questioning look. "Translation?"
"She likes dango, a lot," Kin tells her, shaking her head. "I hope you're prepared to lose a great deal of money to pay for her."
"Eats a lot?"
"If I let her eat only three meals a day she'll unfortunately eat the orphanage out of their money," the Matron explains solemnly, unhappy that she has to restrict the girl's eating.
"Wouldn't that make her eat more, to compensate the lack of meals?" Anko questions and gets a slow nod. "Well, that's stupid."
"You'll understand once you've seen her eat," is Kin's only response.
~Kazama~
Sarutobi studies the pendant in his hand, turning it over several times as he waits for another Tokubetsu Jonin to join him."Hokage-sama?" he hears and he looks up to see Inuzuka Tsume step into the office with her companion, Kuromaru, right by her side. Kuromaru is a large wolfish dog with his left ear missing and a patch over his right eye. The top of his head at a height just around Tsume's waist. He is probably one of the largest dogs in Konoha, second to Hatake's ninken, Bull.
"Ah, Tsume, thank you for making time for me," he says to her, gesturing at one of the chairs.
"Of course, Hokage-sama," she says to her, her wild hair framing her face and fang-like tattoos. "What was it that you needed?"
"Please, have a seat. I believe this conversation will not be easy for everyone in this office." Tsume share a look with Kuromaru before taking a seat as per his request. "Now… I believe you would know what this is?" he questions as he leans forward, dropping the pendant into Tsume's outstretched hand.
She instinctively curls her fingers around the cool metal that hits her palm. She brings her hand closer to her chest before opening her fingers, her eyes widening at the familiar sigil of her clan. She had not seen this pendant in years, not since she chased off Hana and Kiba's father shortly before Kiba was born."What are you doing with this?" she questions softly, her eyes dark and borderline feral as she looks at the Hokage.
"There is a child here in the village," he starts, holding up a hand to ward off any protests or shouts from the Inuzuka clan Head. "The Matron of an orphanage in one of Konoha's vassal villages brought the child here in an effort to have her accepted into the village and into the Shinobi academy. She had this pendant with her, given to her prior being left in the vassal village."
"Orphanage?" she mutters in surprise before she is handed a scroll. She unrolls it and quickly scans through the information, her hands shaking as she reads the information about her demonic parentage. "What does this child has to do with me?" she questions, bunching the scroll in her hands before Kuromaru bumps his nose against her hand. She quickly rolls the scroll up before she destroys it any further.
"The child claims that the pendant belonged to her father. Left for her prior his disappearance with the instruction that she is to join Konoha and join the clan he previously belonged to." He has to lean back when Tsume slam her hands onto his desk.
"There's no way in hell that my kids' father even fathered another child!"
"I was not under the impression that he was neutered prior his departure," Sarutobi says calmly, getting a wince from Kuromaru at the mention of being neutered. Tsume falls back into her chair as she rubs the bridge of her nose, exasperated by the constant headache her former partner always seems to give her. "Now, regarding the girl's mother… well, from the information provided to us by the Matron she shows a link to wolf demons."
Tsume and Kuromaru looks at him, startled by what he said. "Wolf demons? They're impossible to even find! Let alone talk to them!" Tsume protests. "And you mean to tell me that he sired a child with a wolf?!"
"According to the child, yes." Tsume growls lowly under her breath as she shakes her head in disbelief. "Now, there is an issue I would like to discuss with you." This catches her wandering mind again and she nods her head, giving him her full attention. "I have yet to decide if Konoha can accept the presence of another demon, even if she is a hanyou. Never mind the fact that Naruto is simply a jinchuuriki." Kuromaru nods his head, recalling the fact that many of the civilians and shinobi alike are unwilling to let go of their hatred for the Kyuubi vessel. Going so far to beat him up on his birthdays. "The girl had been instructed, three years prior, to come here and join your clan."
Tsume went tense at his words and made to protest, getting a quick 'hold on now' gesture from Sarutobi. "She does not know what clan her father is from. All she has is the pendant which I have shown you. In the event which I decide to accept her into the village I can easily tell her that the clan does not exist any longer." He staples his fingers together and uses it to prop his chin up as he stares thoughtfully at her. "However, due to her sensitive hearing any dog whistles in the village will be banned to protect her. I will also have to station guards to ensure that the villagers does not attempt to kill her upon the discovery of her hanyou status."
"This all sounds like a great deal of paperwork for you, Hokage-sama,"she comments drily.
"In all honesty, it is," he sighs as he considers the young girl. She - according to the information provided by the Matron - is roughly the age of Kiba. "However, I would accept the girl into our ranks in any case."
"Why?"
"Because, Tsume-san, I believe that the next generation will be better than us," he says simply. Kuromaru and Tsume look at him, puzzled before slowly nodding their head reluctantly as if to say 'I don't know what you said, but okay'. "In any case, I will let you decide if you wish to permit the child into your clan or not. Please let me know within the hour."
She bows to him in respect, taking his words as dismissal, and leaves with Kuromaru besides her. She waits until they have exited the office before looking down at him. "What do you think, Kuromaru?"
"I say the child could be a great asset to the clan," the wolf-dog comments drily. "A wolf hanyou of all things is extremely rare. She would benefit greatly from the clan's techniques."
"How the hell would I even begin to explain this to Hana and Kiba?" Tsume wonders out loud.
"I would suggest waiting until you have made your decision," Kuromaru could remember that she particularly disliked her partner near the end of their relationship. It came to an ugly head when she discovered that she was pregnant again - she had sworn up and down that she was never going to get pregnant again after Hana - and she chased him away. She stayed in Konoha during the pregnancy, giving birth to Kiba, and resumed missions afterwards. "The child has little to no connection to the clan. The council elders will not be willing to accept her into the clan unless you wrestle them into submission."
"If the child had been born a dog hanyou it would be much easier," Tsume sighs. Dogs, they can understand. They spend their entire lives around them. But wolves have a strong animosity towards their distant canine relatives. She has yet to meet the child so she doesn't know if the girl will have the same animosity towards dogs as her wolf ancestors do.
They were passing a dango shop when they hear Anko's shout of laughter and amusement. "Damn girl, do you even have a limit?"
"I told you she'll eat you into an early grave, Mitarashi-san," they hear a soft spoken feminine voice say.
"Maybe if you let her eat more often she wouldn't eat your precious orphanage into bankruptcy," came the woman's harsh reprimand.
"Orphanage?" Tsume mutters as she looks at her companion. "Surely this could be a coincidence."
"I think by now we know better than to assume such a thing," Kuromaru says gruffly. Tsume nods her head in agreement and she steps into the shop with him right behind her. Automatically her eyes land on Mitarashi Anko, a woman whom she had the pleasure of working side by side with several times over the years. Her eyes wonder from the Tokubetsu Jonin and lands on the elderly woman who is bickering with Anko about limited money and food before finally finding the subject of their heated debate.
It is a small girl, standing at perhaps five feet, with her dark wild hair giving her the appearance of an extra inch or two. The wild hair reminds her of her own hair, amusing her a great deal. The girl looked older and taller beyond her years, the baby fat practically nonexistence on her face and body. There was strangely a silver white streak that starts at the center of her hair and drops down through her bangs which have been partially swept over her right eye. The girl is wearing a long trench coat similar to the one Mitarashi Anko is wearing except its' black. The girl is also wearing a completely black outfit.
Kuromaru looks over the girl with approval. "She certainly does have the making of a shinobi," the ninken comments, attracting the attention of Anko and the woman.
"Tsume!" Anko acknowledges, waving her over. "What you doing here?"
"I overheard your loud voice from outside and thought I'd see what trouble you were getting into," is Tsume's only response as she waves down a waiter and gave her orders.
"Ah," Anko had the decency to look bashful. "Let me introduce everyone," she says before she clears her throat. "Tsume, this is Matron Kin from Phoenix, one of Konohagakure's vassals. With her is Kazama Oretzi." The two bow to Tsume who recognized the girl's name from the scroll. So this is the one who her former partner sired. Obviously she gained her looks from her demon mother. "This is Inuzuka Tsume and her companion, Kuromaru."
"Hello," Kuromaru greets them, getting a stunned look from Matron Kin and an amused smile from the girl, Kazama Oretzi.
"He can talk?" Matron Kin says in shock while Kazama looks curiously at Tsume.
The mother of two looks at the girl, noticing the question on her face. "What is it?"
"Can I give him one of my dango?" the girl asks, holding up her last one.
"It's up to Kuromaru," she answers her, looking down at the dog in question. Kuromaru doesn't even say anything, simply moved around so that he's right next to Kazama and when she offers the dango - off the stick of course - to him he gobbles it up. The girl smiles before dropping her hands into her lap, gripping her hands tightly.
Tsume was surprised to realize that the girl wanted to pet Kuromaru but isn't asking out of respect. She hadn't expected something like that and was now puzzled as to what she should think. She had been presuming that the girl would harbor the same animosity her ancestors bear towards dogs.
"You can pet me," the ninken spoke up, startling the child out of her thoughts.
"Really?" she asks excitedly. Kuromaru just nods his head and she smiles at him, first petting his head gently, her hand shifting through his rough fur and sliding down over his back before returning to his head. This time she scratches at a spot right behind his ear and he can't help the wag of his tail when she finds that one spot he can never get. When his tail begins to thump against the floor she takes that as a good sign and continues scratching at it.
"Not many knows where to scratch him," Tsume comments idly, smirking at the pure bliss on her companion's face. She regrets that she doesn't get much time to tend to him as she used to but it is amusing watching this scene unfold.
"The alpha pair had a litter just before they left me with Matron Kin," Kazama explains, "The pups always wanted to be scratched right behind the ears."
"You lived with the wolves?" Tsume questions softly.
"Yah-huh. Stalks the Night told me that mama left me with them before she disappeared. They think she died though." Tsume caught that and leans forward to look at the girl's dark brown eyes. Kazama looks back at her, unflinchingly, and she was struck with the notion that she'd make a great clan head someday. Already she shows the attitude of an alpha by not averting her eyes.
"But you don't?"
Kazama shakes her head and puts a hand over her heart. "I think mama had to go away to keep me safe…" Tsume was not surprised but amazed by the girl's ability to be so sure about a matter such as her mother, who apparently been missing from her life since she was a baby."Stalks the Night told me stories about mama. About how she was the strongest wolf to ever walk on this world and how her five tails could create illusions so powerful no one can ever break free. She could also control plants!"
Tsume and Anko coughs as they realize just who or what little Kazama was describing. She had not expected hear that the Hokou had sired a child! Tsume couldn't believe that one of the Nine Bijuu Lords had sired a child with a human!
"Kazama," Matron Kin reprimands quietly, realizing belatedly that her charge has revealed too much about her heritage. The girl looks at her, startled, before ducking her head. She drops her hand from Kuromaru's head and the ninken looks at her in concern. He shares a glance with his human companion before sighing, moving to rejoin her side. "I think it is best we turn to the Tower," the elderly woman says as she stands, her hand finding purchase at the girl's neck.
The two trained Kunoichi and ninken did not miss the way Kazama tensed at the touch. Tsume, sensing a valid reason behind this, makes to protest the treatment. Anko quickly stands up and ushers them out of the shop, her actions separating the Matron from the young girl. The younger woman's action did not go unnoticed by Tsume and she lets out a relieved and thankful sigh.
"I sense that the girl is particular sensitive at the neck," Kuromaru states bluntly, getting a 'no shit' look from Tsume. "What worries me, however, is the reaction she had."
"You don't think she's been abused?" Tsume growls softly under her breath.
"Considering the girl lived in an orphanage, for three years, with obvious proof of her mix heritage," Kuromaru starts, "I would not be surprised." He gives Tsume a look. "After all, Uzumaki does not bear the same obvious signs of his 'burden' and yet the entirety of the village takes their anger and fear out upon him."
"The boy has too obvious features," the woman states drily as she splits her order into two, handing one half to Kuromaru who quickly snatches it up with a snap of his jaws. "And the villagers found about what happened from the witnesses."
"Never the less the children of mix heritages such as the girl will always retrieve beatings. They will never be accepted by either of their races." Kuromaru's sole remaining eye looks at her grimly. "Humans and demons rarely if ever accept the presence of the hanyou. They are looked down upon by their demonic peers for their human blood and humans fear and hate them for what they cannot control."
"You scare me by being so sure about that."
"It is not that much different from being a wolf-dog hybrid. Hybrids rarely ever get accepted. It takes a deep and caring heart to accept someone of such different races," Kuromaru shakes his head. "I'm curious as to whether the girl will have much youki." He gets a curious look from his companion. "Many hanyou rarely if ever are ever a perfect stable version of their mixed heritage. The reason for this is unknown. It is possible that such a union is actually isn't supposed to happen and their children are proof of that."
"What exactly happens with the hanyou?"
"Mm… well, at one paw there is a possibility that they will simply produce a human with extremely enhanced abilities and senses but rather pathetic youki capabilities. Think a civilian with their chakra." Tsume nods her head in understanding, civilian lack the ability to manipulate their chakra as well as the sufficient amount to safely be a ninja. Rock Lee is an example of someone unable to manipulate their chakra but he is well in the safety range to be a ninja. "Or they can be wild beasts that will attack everything and anything that enters their territory."
"So much like animal," Tsume concludes bluntly.
"Much like one," Kuromaru agrees. "It is possible that the hanyou can retrieve powers from one or both of their parents. Or they can develop powers unique to themselves. However, most hanyou rarely if ever survive their childhood. Demons do not care for the hanyou and will do anything to eliminate them and as we all know, humans are incapable of looking past the surface."
"Did the girl not mention that her mother left her with a wolf pack? A wolf demon pack?" Tsume questions as she finishes up, leaving money for her order and leaving the dango shop.
"Actually, yes… I do not know how to explain that one… It is possible that as a result of being born from one of the Bijuu the child inherited the status and strength from her mother. Resulting in respect and protection from the alpha pair." Kuromaru's voice expressed his doubts about that reasoning.
"Respect and protection from the alpha pair simply because of who her mother is?" Tsume questions out loud. Both of them shake their head in disagreement with that line. Simply not possible.
"Perhaps the Bijuu tasked the pack with the job of protecting her child until a suitable age?"Kuromaru suggests.
"That is a slightly more acceptable reasoning," Tsume says before deciding to leave the matter alone for the time being. Now that she has a faint idea of who the child is she must make her decision.
Shun the child or accept her into her clan.
~Kazama~
I know, I know, I haven't finished my other two stories (if you're following those) but I just couldn't resist! Like how do you resist the concept of writing a complete OC and not insert her into the world of Naruto?! I don't even know where this story is going. I'm just following along writing the tale as the characters' lives unfold. Anyway, please R&R!