She backed into a corner, bringing her hands to her chest looking very helpless. She screamed, and even then her three pursuers moved forward. One took out a small knife from his belt pressing it to her small stomach, while another smirking, tilted her head back to look into her eye, before smacking her cheek hard enough to bruise it. The man holding the knife was about to plunge it into the young girl, when a tall figure came down swiftly dressed in a long trench coat stopping the knife's progress.
The other two started running when they were stopped by two of the same figures appearing in front them.
"I will not have such unseemly behavior from you anymore. I'll see you three in my cell, soon" said the woman placing a small paper on each of their necks. Waving her hand the clones dispersed making the three men also vanish, the transport tags taking effect.
"Akira…. Come with me"
"….Mom, wh-"
"I believe I asked you to come with me" said the woman turning to look back at the smaller girl sternly. Nodding the young girl followed her mother out of the ally.
"Mom,-"
"Oh Akira, I thought I'd loose you today" said the woman. The small girl, revealed to be Akira was now standing in the middle of a simple but luxurious living room. Her mother was kneeling in front of her holding her shoulders in a firm grip.
"Mom-"
"Akira, how many times have I told you, don't talk to those villagers? They hate your existence… they'll do anything to harm you….or maybe even kill you! Akira, I cannot, absolutely cannot bear to loose you." The lady said sobbing looking her daughter in the eyes.
"Mom….. Why do they hate me?" Akira asked staring at her feet.
"Darling….I can't tell you that. It's a law."
"What law? Why can't I know why people want me dead? Huh? They want me dead mom! And I don't know why-"
"I don't know how you feel Akira, but know this; your dad and I will tell you when you become a ninja. You are only seven, I cannot tell you - for you safety. Please forgive me" she said standing up when she heard the doorbell ringing.
"Yes?"
"Uzumaki-hime, team ZS, have returned. No fatalities. Uzumaki-sama is injured, he's being treated by the hospital right now." Said the ANBU with a cat mask kneeling down in front of her
"Thank you. You may go. There are three villagers in the cells, do not release them. I have some, uh business, with them. I will have your head if they leave without seeing me first" she said walking back inside.
"Akira, your dad has returned. Do you wanna go see how Naruto is doing?"
"What happened to him" the young girl asked wiping her tears away
"I don't know honey, shall we go see how your father is doing?" she asked bending down to the girl's eye level. Nodding the girl hugged her mom bursting into tears
"Uzumaki-sama, your wife and daughter are here. Shall I let them in?" asked the doctor poking his head into the room
"No, I don't want to see anyone now. Tell my child that. Ask Ino to go away, I have no wish to see her" Naruto said turning away.
"But Uzumaki-san, they are your fam-"
"DON'T say that word. It brings a filthy feel to me. Ino has no right to visit me anymore….. from now on. Tell my child I will see her …. At 5 in the morning at the memorial stone. That is all. Now go away" said the blond man closing his eyes waving the man away.
"Hai, Uzumaki-sama. I will see to it" said the man bowing his way out.
"Uzumaki-hime…he does not wish to see you anymore. Akira-chan, your father will meet you at the memorial stone at 5 tomorrow. That is all"
"Thank you, Fujitaka…. Tell him I'll send the papers to him tomorrow. Signed. Akira come; Your father doesn't want to see you now." Ino said sighing in defeat.
"I will Uzumaki-hime"
"I'm not an Uzumaki anymore Uncle. You can stop calling me that. I'm a Yamanaka again." Ino said walking away followed by her young daughter.
"What's going on?"
"Akira, let me tell you this, your father and mother aren't going to be living together anymore. He's going to marry someone else." Ino said kneeling down at the memorial stone tracing the name of her sensei slowly
"Can I live with him?" the young blond asked softly
"I don't know. You'll have to ask him that when you meet him tomorrow."
"Don't you want me to live with you?" her daughter asked in a depressed voice
"I have no qualms as to where you stay honey. It's up to you and your dad. I have no say in it. He has told me so clearly. I am not to interfere, ne Asuma-sensei?" she said a tear falling down her cheek.
"Akira, leave me for sometime. Don't talk to the villagers. Be careful" Ino said turning to look at her daughter who nodded in understanding backing away.
"Asuma-sensei, I messed up again. I lost him….. I lost another one….I told you once that I won't ever loose to anyone or anything….. I actually broke that promise, three times…first I lost the trust of my best friend…then I lost my husband….now I've lost myself…Well I guess I'll be loosing Akira also." Ino said falling to the dais, a look of despair on her face.
"…Sensei, I'm a failure….. help me…..please" she said sobbing tears flowing down her face freely, as the rain started to pour down.
"Akira, wake up fully before seeing me"
"Father… what's going on?" Akira asked rubbing her eyes yawning slightly
Pursuing his lips Naruto looked up at the sky before replying "Akira, your mother and me…. Well we can't live with each other anymore. I…Ino…. I guess we don't love each other anymore….we agreed to leave each other and find someone else we can love-"
"Then my mother's lying." Akira cut Naruto short glaring at her father
"….I guess she is. We….no I cant live with her anymore. I never could." He said jamming his hands into his pant pocket
"Why not?"
"I never guessed you would be born, I just went with the flow."
"So you don't love me?"
"Akira, I love you. I don't love your mother. She…well I …..I don't like her Akira, I just got married to her so she wouldn't be thrown out of Konoha, or her family. I love someone else, I can't live with her anymore" Naruto said looking at his daughter wake up completely.
"So, can I live with you? Or do I have to live with mom?" she asked knowing she wasn't going to get anything out of him
"If you want to." Naruto replied kneeling
"I want to" Akira said hugging her father
"Then you won't be able to see Ino much." Naruto said pulling away looking into the young girl's eyes, much like Ino had done a few hours ago.
"Alright daddy." Naruto kissed his daughter's forehead, smiling at her.
"I'll miss you Akira. I promise to see you on your birthday. Tell Naruto I won't bother him or….or….even….even you" Ino said hugging her daughter tightly, crying.
"I will mom. I'm sorry mom, but I want to live with daddy beca-"
"I know Akira; he's the one who'll understand the pain you go through. He can give you the comfort…..another thing I wont be able to give you….ever. Please don't forget me; you'll be getting a new mom now. You'll love Sakura a lot. She's a very nice person….. She's so nice, you'll actually love your new mother more than you ever liked you old one."
"…..Mom, I won't forget you. I promise." Akira said a little shocked to her stoic mother breaking down in front of her
"Sakura….. she was like a sister to me, she was my best friend, she'll love you just as much, maybe even more….go Akira, just go away. Please" Ino said hugging her daughter one last time before rushing away, furiously wiping her tears.
So that's the Prologue. Please read and Review. As always I only wish I owned Naruto, but I don't and I doubt I ever will :|