"blah" - speech
'blah' - thoughts
Chapter 1The Sun, high above the horizon beamed down through the narrow gap in the curtains and onto the slumbering twelve year old's face. A nose wrinkled in sleepy distaste and the head shifted and buried itself in the warm pillow, safe from the Sun; warm, warm… a thought drifted slowly through her brain. She was forgetting something. Something important. Groaning softly, Mayashi Kira opened one bleary eye after turning her head of messy ebony hair halfway out of the safety of her pillow.
Hmm… a blurry black lump…what could it possibly-
Kira blinked. Her alarm clock?
…
…wait a minute…
How the hell did that happen?!
+ Flashback + Two hours ago
The shrill, piercing cry of an alarm clock shook her from her pleasant dream. Half asleep, she slapped the snooze button and rolled over, returning to her dreams as the noise ceased.
- Five minutes later -
BEEEP! BEEEP! BEEEP! BEEEP!
Snarling, she rolled back over one hand pulling her blanket over her head, the other snaking out towards the source of her discomfort.
BEEEP! BEEEP! BEEEP! BEEE-CRUNCH!
+ End Flashback +
Kira sweatdropped, now finally awake as she lifted her head from her pillow to regard her alarm clock with both sapphire blue eyes.
Or, at least, what used to be her alarm clock.
'Some thing tells me its not going to work anymore.' She mused, sweatdrop hanging over the back of her head as she noted the inch deep dent in her alarm clock in the shape of her fist and part of the weighted wristband she wore.
…she was still forgetting something. Maybe exhausting herself trying to master that technique last night was a bad idea…
It hit her like an ice cold water jutsu, as she shot upright in bed.
"Oh crap! I'M LAAAAAAATE!!!"
With that Kira vaulted out of bed and towards the bathroom.
Kira ran as fast as she could to the ninja academy, cursing softly between breaths, tying her hair into a neat high ponytail that ended at the base of her head. This was not her day. Let's see; first, she broke her alarm clock and overslept by about two hours, then she turned on the cold water instead of the hot when she took her shower, only to trip and fall down the stairs when pulling her bottle green jacket over her loose black t-shirt and after brushing off her black cargo pants attempted to throw together a quick breakfast before noting the time on the kitchen clock, cursing, giving up on breakfast and bolting out of the door. Did she mention she was very late now? And that Iruka-sensei was going to murder her?
Back to the present…
Kira walked down the empty hallway to her classroom, being careful to keep her footsteps soundless.
'What luck,' she though with an internal grin, 'the door is open. Now if I could just…'
Peering in, she noticed Iruka-sensei with his back to her, lecturing a tied up Naruto. A slight sweatdrop formed.
'I wonder what he did this time…'
Oh well, it worked to her advantage. She slipped in through the door noiselessly. Of course, most of the class had noticed her with varying reactions.
'That stupid girl is late again.' Sakura.
'Can't that moron ever gat to class on time?' Sasuke.
'She's late. Again. Troublesome…'
'Finally! What took her so long?' Naruto, pretending to listen to Iruka.
Oblivious to these thoughts, Kira crept silently towards her seat, exercising all of the stealth abilities taught to her. She was almost there…just a few more steps…
"-and finally, Kira, you're late!"
'Damn, so close!' Kira froze and turned to see Iruka now facing her, hand on hips, glowering. Laughing nervously, she scratched the back of her head.
"Iruka-sensei! I didn't see you there!" Iruka's eyebrow twitched. "Well, you see, Iruka-sensei-"
"I don't want to hear it! Just for that everyone line up for a re-test in the Henge no jutsu! You can thank Naruto and Kira!"
Most of the class groaned and glares were sent at both Naruto and Kira's directions. Kira merely sighed and trudged back down the stairs and into line, giving Naruto a smile as she slipped in front of him.
"Do I even want to know?" she murmured as Haruno Sakura moved forward.
Naruto grinned. "Just take a look at the monument. Where were you?"
"Haruno Sakura. Henge!" Sakura announced.
"Ano…I was sleeping?" Naruto sweatdropped.
A puff of smoke cleared to reveal a perfect copy of Iruka.
"Okay. Next, Uchiha Sasuke."
"Did you see that Sasuke-kun?" Sakura squealed, inciting an eye-roll from Kira and an adoring look from Naruto.
"You trying to deafen us or something, Haruno?"
Sakura glared at you before turning back to Sasuke, hearts in her eyes, hads clasped adoringly. Sasuke, of course, ignored all of this and simply stepped forward.
"Hai." Without a further word or handseal, he turned into a perfect Iruka.
"Okay." Sasuke changed back, hands in his pockets and stepped to the end of the line. Both Ino and Sakura had hearts in their eyes. Naruto glared at him.
"Mayashi Kira."
Kira stepped up and formed the correct seal. "Henge." No point yelling it like most people did after all. Smoke puff. Perfect Iruka.
"Okay, next. Uzumaki Naruto."
"Geez, this sucks." Grumbled Shikamaru, who was after Naruto.
"This is all your fault, you two!" Ino scowled.
"If it ruined your day, you obsessed barbie, I was happy to oblige." Kira said with a satisfied grin.
Naruto stepped up with a scowl before suddenly grinning.
"Hey, Kira! Watch this!"
Kira looked up from observing the flushed Hinata with a knowing eye. The girl had only blushed deeper when she caught Kira's gaze.
"Henge!"
Instead of Iruka, a sexy, nude blond girl appeared, her long, blonde hair tied in twin high ponytails. The remaining smoke covered her most private parts as she winked and blew a heart at Iruka, but it was enough to make Iruka stare in disbelief before being thrown back by a powerful nosebleed. Another poof of smoke and Naruto was back, laughing, pointing a finger at Iruka, the other hand holding his stomach. Kira snorted and tried, and mostly failed, to conceal her sniffled laughter behind a hand.
"What do you think? I call it the Sexy no jutsu!"
Iruka righted himself, a twisted piece of paper up each nostril.
"Naruto! Don't invent such stupid techniques!"
Kira stopped laughing before Ituka could think up some punishment for her for laughing, though the grin was still present on her face.
'I should hit him for thinking up such a technique,' she mused, 'but its so effective!'
"Kira!" Crap, wasn't fast enough. "Don't encourage him! Both of you stay after school to clean up the monument!"
After a brief delay thanks to Kira,
('How could I have missed that on the way to the academy this morning?!'
"Nice one, Naruto!"
"Heh heh, thanks Kira!"
"Kira! This is no laughing matter! You too, Naruto!")
the three arrived at the monument where Iruka set them to work to clean the monument by hand, while he sat on top of the heads, arms crossed, overseeing them.
"I won't let you two go home until all of this is clean."
Naruto looked up from his scrubbing, a scowl on his face. "Like I care! It's not as if someone's waiting for me back there anyway!"
Kira just kept scrubbing, though she agreed with Naruto. 'I bet he forgot again. Baka Iruka-sensei.'
Naruto didn't know how similar their situations were. He assumed that Kira still had family and she never bothered to correct him or anyone else. 'I don't want him to worry about me.'
Silence.
"…Naruto…Kira…If you clean all of this up quickly, I'll treat you two to ramen tonight."
Iruka blinked at the abrupt change on Naruto face. Kira who was wringing the water out of her own cloth, noticed the change as well and hurriedly dropped her cloth back into the bucket and stuck her fingers in her ears. Just in time, too.
"Yatta! Work hard, Naruto!"
Geez, was everyone trying to deafen her today or what.
At the Ichiraku Ramen Stand Naruto sat between Kira and Iruka enjoying his large portion of ramen. Where he put it all was a mystery to all, including Kira. She had a smaller portion and was only half finished as she watched Naruto inhaling his favourite food.
"Naruto, why did you deface that monument? Don't you know who those people are?"
"Of course." Naruto paused to drink the soup in the ramen bowl.
Kira stared. 'How does he eat so much, so fast and not choke or get indigestion?'
"Basically, those who receive the name Hokage are the number one ninja in the villiage, right? And one of them is the Fourth, a hero who saved the villiage from a demon fox."
'So he does pay attention in class.' Kira ate her ramen in silence, listening.
"Then why?"
"One day, I'm going to be the Hokage, and I'm going to surpass all of the previous Hokage!" he declared.
His declaration had obviously caught Iruka by surprise. It wasn't everyday one sees their sensei sit there, mouth full, eyes wide, with a noodle hanging out of his mouth.
Naruto continued, oblivious. "And then, and then, I'm going tomake the villiage acknowledge my strength!"
Kira watched as the dangling noodle was sucked in.
"By the way, sensei," Iruka swallowed, "I have a favour to ask."
"You want seconds?" Iruka guessed.
"No, I was going to ask if I could borrow you hitae-ate."
Kira blinked before drinking the soup in her bowl. 'I didn't see that one coming.'
"Oh this?" Iruka touched his hitae-ate. "Sorry, Naruto, you can only wear one after you graduate. It signifies that you are a true ninja. You can get one tomorrow when you pass the exam."
"Stingy!" Kira rolled her eyes at that. Naruto was back to being predictable.
Iruka laughed. "So that was why you removed your goggles."
'I wonder if they've forgotten I'm here.'
"I want seconds!"
"Wha?!"
Kira leaned over next to Naruto's ear, a mischievous smile on her face. "Boo!"
"Ahhh!" Naruto jumped sideways into the air and ended up knocking into Iruka. Both ended up on the floor. The man behind the counter hid his amusement.
"And you call yourselves shinobi; really…"
"Kira!"
"Kira!"
Iruka stood, as usual, at the front of the class. In his hand he held a list of names.
"We will now begin the graduation exam. When you are called, please go into the next classroom. The test will be the Bushin no Jutsu."
Naruto looked horrified. 'Damn! That ones my worst jutsu!'
Kira glanced worriedly at the blond beside her. 'Of all the jutsu we learned, why that one?!'
After Iruka had left the room, Kira turned to Naruto. He still had the same expression on his face, though he looked a little resigned now. Kira sighed. 'The things I do for this guy…'
Whack!
"Itai! Kira! What was that for?!"
Thankfully, the rest of the class was too nervous to pay attention to the two 'idiots'.
"Don't think such discouraging thoughts, baka." When Naruto opened his mouth, she added, "It was written all over your face."
Naruto sighed.
"Just calm down, alright? When you take the test, take your time and just concentrate. Just do your best."
"Ne, Kira…"
"Nani?"
Uncertain blue eyes met hers.
"Do you really think I can pass this test?"
Kira blinked. 'He hasn't looked this serious in ages. I hope my crappy confidence is enough for the both of us. Usually I'm the one borrowing off him…'
A rare, gentle smile, which mirrored in her voice, appeared on Kira's lips. "Daijoubu, Naruto. I know you can do it. You're going to become Hokage after all."
The uncertainty wavered and almost completely disappeared. Kira's voice contained nothing but truth. She truly believed what she was saying. Naruto smiled at her.
Happiness spread through Kira, boosting her confidence. 'I swear I'm going to make him smile like that more often. Truly smile, because he's happy.'
"Ne, Naruto, let's make a promise."
"Huh? What kind of promise?"
"Someday you're going to be Hokage and I'm going to be a great ninja. Let's help each other achieve our dreams and only ever lose to each other!"
"So that means when if we achieve our dreams, you'll only lose to me?"
"Not if, Naruto, when. Yes, the only person I'll lose to will be you."
Naruto grinned.
"Of course," Kira continued, a devious smile now on her lips, "that also means, when you're the Hokage, the only person who can kick your ass will be me!"
"Hey!"
'Well, his confidence is back. Mission success!'
Naruto's expression became serious again. "So it's a promise?"
"It's a promise."
Two pinkys hooked together.
"Mayashi Kira!"
"Here I go Naruto." Kira stood, glancing back at the blond, whose own gaze was fixed on her. "Remember, we can't afford to be defeated here."
Naruto nodded, his face once more filled with his usual confidence.
Kira headed down the stair and out of the door, not even glancing back once.
Kira stood in front of Misuki-sensei and Iruka-sensei. On the desk in front of then lay neat rows of Konoha hitae-ate. Nervousness crept through her as she stared at them.
"Please create three of more bushin, Kira."
Kira nodded, eyes never leaving the hitae-ate. The nervousness grew. 'What if I screw up?'
+ Flashback +
"So it's a promise?"
"It's a promise."
+ End Flashback +
Confidence replaced nervousness.
'One of those belongs to me.' She thought firmly.
Her hands flashed through the seals.
"Bushin no jutsu." She stated, quietly, confidently.
A puff of smoke.
Four bushin. Two on either side of her. Identical.
"You pass!" Kira sighed in relief.
Naruto looked up at Kira returned to the classroom, hitae-ate grasped tightly in her hand, and grinned.
She collapsed in the seat next to him. His grin faded slightly.
"Was it that hard?"
She turned to him with a smirk. "No really, but you know me, I didn't have that much confidence in myself, so I was really nervous I'd do it wrong."
"You need more self-esteem, Kira. Like me! I have lots."
"Good, then you can be a good friend and share."
"Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Gambatte, Naruto."
Kira followed Naruto into the corridor but waited by the door, leaning against the wall, whilst he continued to the examination room one door down.
'I'll definitely do this!'
Naruto took a stance making the final seal.
Blue chakra swirled in a circular motion.
"Bushin no jutsu!"
A puff of smoke cleared a reveal only one clone; a half dead clone at that. Naruto stared in horror, an 'oh crap!' look plastered on his face. Iruka's eyebrow twitched rapidly.
"You fail!"
Naruto was devastated.
"Iruka-sensei." Iruka looked to his left at Mizuki-sensei. "He has excellent athletic ability and stamina plus he did technically do the bushin no jutsu. We could let him pass."
Naruto looked up, hopefully.
"Mizuki-sensei," Iruka began, "everyone else divided into at least three. But Naruto only created one clone and it was a useless one. I cant let him pass."
Kira looked up as the door slid open and Naruto burst out.
"Oi, Naru-"
and straight past her. And he didn't have a hitae-ate. Cold dread stirred inside her. Her empty hand raised itself as if to stop Naruto as she watched his retreating back.
Behind her, the two teachers emerged from the room. Iruka took one look at Kira and could see almost instantly what had happened.
"Kira-"
Oblivious to both his and Mizuki's presence, Kira bolted after the orange jacket that was growing smaller with every passing second.
Behind her, an object dropped and clattered onto the floor in a mess of metal and blue cloth.
Outside, Naruto sat forlornly on the swing under a tree watching the academy graduates laughing happily, congratulating each other and being congratulated by their families. Kira's family seemed to be absent but she had explained when he'd first met her brother that he and her father were very busy people. Broken comments and conversation reached his ears.
"I did it! I'm a man now!"
"Great job! That's my son!"
"I'm so proud of you. I'm going to make your favourite dinner."
"Hey, that kid…"
Naruto blinked. They were talking…about him…?
"Yeah, that 'the' kid. I heard he's the only one who failed."
The two women stared at him with cold eyes.
"Well that's good."
"We can't have him becoming a shinobi. Since he is…"
"Hey, we cant talk about that. You're going to get into trouble."
Naruto didn't want to listen anymore. He replaced his goggles on his head in silence, head bowed slightly to avoid their eyes. He looked up suddenly as something landed with a thump beside him.
'Mizuki-sensei?'
Kira had reached the entrance of the academy building. All of the new genin were in a huge bunch just outside.
'Great. I hate crowds.'
Taking a deep breath, she shoved into the mass of kids and their families, seeking out her brightly coloured friend.
There! A flicker of orange through the people. With renewed strength, Kira shoved harder, squirming between the loud, annoying, and in her opinion, obnoxious crowd of people.
'Geez, try a little harder to suffocate me, why don't you.' She thought sarcastically.
With one final push, she broke through the crowd. "Naruto!"
An empty swing met her gaze, still swinging as if it had just been vacated. Kira cursed softly under her breath, and ran out of the academy grounds. The feeling of dread was growing. She had to find Naruto before he did something stupid.
Unnoticed by everyone, including Mizuki, Naruto and Kira, the Hokage and Iruka had witnessed all of this. Kira's hitae-ate dangled from Iruka's hand. The Hokage frowned. Iruka had a serious look on his face.
"Iruka, I need to speak to you later."
"Hai."
Several rooftops away Muzuki and Naruto sat on the edge of an open balcony watching the sunset.
"Iruka-sensei isn't picking on you."
"Then, why was it only me?" asked a downcast Naruto, hurt.
"Probably because he thinks you want to become genuinely strong. He's an orphan too, you know." Mizuki revealed.
"But…I really wanted to graduate…" Naruto looked close to tears, "I promised Kira I would graduate…"
Mizuki gave a soft chuckle. "I guess I have no choice then." He glanced at Naruto, who had spun to face him.
"If you want to pass that badly, I tell you a special secret…"
Naruto blinked. '…a secret?'
Kira stopped running and paused to catch her breath. She glanced around the street she had stopped on. No Naruto.
'Dammit, where the hell is he?! Why does this villiage have to be so big?! He's not in any of his usual spots; think Kira!
She looked up at the sky. The Sun had long since set and the stars shone down clearly on her.
'I guess I'll try the wooded areas next.'
Elsewhere, Iruka was shaken out of his inner musings about what the Hokage spoke to him about earlier by several rapid, loud knocks on the door of his apartment.
"Iruka-sensei, please wake up!"
Iruka opened his door to reveal a panicky Mizuki.
"What is it?"
"We have to go to Hokage-sama's place! It seem Naruto-kun has stolen the forbidden Scroll of Seals!"
"The Scroll of Seals?!"
Somewhere in the forest, Naruto sat on the ground with the partially opened scroll in front of him.
"Let's see, the first skill is…Kage Bushin no jutsu."
A pause.
"What the hell?!" Naruto moaned. "Why does it start with the one I'm bad at?!"
All available chuunin in the villiage were gathered in front of the Sandaime Hokage. And they were outraged.
"Hokage-sama, he'll not get away with this one!"
"That scroll is dangerous and its usage forbidden by the previous Hokage! If it was used in certain ways… We can't have it taken outside the villiage!"
Iruka and Mizuki joined the group.
The Hokage grunted. "Bring back Naruto." He ordered, dismissing them with a wave of his hand.
"Hai!"
The chuunin separated.
Naruto sat, head bowed, panting. The Scroll of Seals was carried securely on his back. He looked up as a shadow fell over him. Iruka-sensei. A very angry Iruka-sensei, he absently noted.
"Oi, Naruto…" His eyebrow was twitching rapidly.
Naruto laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, unconsciously mimicking Kira. Iruka blinked and straightened as Naruto stood.
"You found me. I've only learnt one jutsu so far."
Iruka was bewildered. 'Huh? He was here the entire time learning jutsu? So much that he looks this tired?'
His train of thought was interrupted by Naruto. "Ano sa, ano sa, I'm going to show you a really great jutsu and if I do it right, you'll let me graduate, right? If I show you a jutsu from this scroll, it's guaranteed I graduate, right?"
Iruka's jaw dropped momentarily, as he stared at Naruto on shock.
"Who told you that?"
Naruto was only too happy to tell him. "Mizuki-sensei! He told be about the scroll, and this place. Mizuki-sen…sei…" Naruto trailed off as he noticed the look of horror on Iruka's face.
'Mizuki did?'
Iruka suddenly turned, simultaneously shoving Naruto hard to the side and kunai sped towards both of them. Iruka was hit in the right leg and was grazed on the left shoulder.
"I see. So that's what's going on…"
He looked up to see Mizuki perched on a tree branch, two huge shuriken strapped to his back.
"Naruto," Mizuki said, calmly, "Give me the scroll."
Naruto sat, jaw dropped, staring at him in disbelief. He looked between Mizuki and Iruka, who was pulling the kunai from his leg.
"Ano sa, ano sa, what's going on here?!"
Iruka pulled the kunai out and tossed it away, panting. "Naruto, don't give him the scroll, even if it costs you your life! That's a dangerous scroll full of forbidden ninjutsu! Mizuki used you so that he could get his hands on it!"
Naruto glared at Mizuki.
"Naruto, Iruka is just afraid of you having that."
Naruto, confused, switched his gaze from Mizuki to Iruka.
"What are you talking about, Mizuki?!" yelled Iruka, "Don't be fooled by him, Naruto."
Mizuki laughed. "I'll tell you the truth."
"No! Don't!"
Mizuki ignored Iruka and began. "Twelve years ago, a rule was made in this village."
"A rule?" Naruto asked.
"That's right, a rule no one was allowed to tell you about."
"Just me? What kind of rule?"
"Don't, Mizuki!"
"A rule that no one can talk about the fact that you are the Kyuubi, the nine tailed fox demon that attacked Konoha twelve years ago." Naruto's eyes widened. "That means that it was you that killed Iruka's parents and destroyed the villiage!"
"Stop it!" Iruka screamed.
"You've been lied to by everyone," Mizuki continued, "Didn't you find it odd how everyone hated you?"
Naruto's chakra appeared, uncontrolled, as it responded to his strong emotions.
"Naruto!"
Mizuki egged him on further. "No one will ever acknowledge you. Iruka hates you too! I bet you're little friend Kira will hate you too if she ever finds out! I wonder how many of her loved ones you killed!"
Iruka remembered what the Hokage told him about Naruto. And how similar he was to Iruka.
"Die, Naruto!"
Naruto turned and tried to crawl away, crying, terrified as Mizuki launched one of his giant shuriken at him.
"Naruto, get down!" Naruto cowered and covered his head with his hands. The shuriken never hit him. Naruto twisted, eyes wide, to see Iruka protecting him with his own body, the shuriken planted right in the middle of his back. Blood from Iruka's mouth dripped into his cheek.
All Naruto could ask was "Why?"
And the answer he got shocked him. "Because we're the same."
Kira jumped from tree to tree scanning for any shred of orange. Nothing. 'This has got to be the most I've run in one go since…hmm…ever! Naruto, I'm going to kick your ass for making be go through this when I find you!'
Naruto jumped through the trees with the scroll. Iruka appeared behind him.
"Naruto! Mizuki was lying to you! Pass me the scroll quickly! Mizuki is after it!"
Naruto wordlessly changed course and tackled Iruka hard in the stomach. Iruka hit the ground on his side and skidded leaving a trail of dust. Naruto landed on his feet and skidded to a stop, panting.
Iruka slowly picked himself up. "It cant be…"
Naruto tugged the scroll off his back and held it in his arms backing up unsteadily into a tree and sliding to the ground.
"How…Naruto…how did…" Iruka's voice changed. "How did…" A puff of smoke revealed Iruka to in reality be Mizuki using Henge no jutsu. "How did you know I wasn't Iruka?"
Naruto gave a wide grin and laughed before smoke enveloped him and dispersed revealing Iruka. "I'm Iruka."
Mizuki sneered. "I see. You'd even transform into the monster who killed your parents to protect him?"
"I wouldn't just hand the scroll to an idiot like you."
Mizuki laughed. "You're the idiot! Naruto and I are the same. We both want what's in that scroll for power. Are you telling me the demon fox wouldn't want that?"
"That's true."
From his hiding place a few trees away, Naruto heart jumped in his crest painfully. 'So even Iruka-sensei…'
Kira stopped, listening. 'I'm sure a heard-there!'
Kira turned and started in the direction of the faint voices carried to her on the wind.
"If Naruto was actually the fox demon." Iruka finished.
Naruto's eyes widened.
"Naruto is different. I've acknowledged him as one of my excellent students. He's hardworking and dedicated. But because he's so clumsy, no one but Kira would acknowledge him. He's not the fox demon; he Konoha's Uzumaki Naruto!"
By the end of Iruka's speech, Naruto was in tears and Mizuki…Mizuki was staring in disbelief, jaw slack, eyebrow twitching.
"Okay, you're hopeless… Iruka, I've changed my mind, I'll take care of you now. Hurry up and die!"
Mizuki grabbed his remaining giant shuriken and spun it around his hand. Naruto appeared out of nowhere kicking him hard in the chin. Mizuki flew back, but not before he launched his shuriken, which sped past Naruto towards Iruka. Naruto turned in horror, but before it could get any closer than five meters to Iruka, it was bombarded by a hail of precise kunai which deflected it upwards, harmlessly. The three of them glanced to the right to see Kira perched on a tree branch. Seeing all eyes on her belonging to a surprised Iruka, a shocked Naruto and a disbelieving Mizuki, Kira waved a hand nervously.
"Ah, don't mind me…please, continue."
Iruka and Naruto sweatdropped.
Naruto turned back to Mizuki. "If you try to touch Iruka-sensei again, I'll kill you!"
"Shut up!" Mizuki snarled, forgetting Kira in an instant. "I kill a kid like you in one shot!"
"Try it, trash." Naruto stated calmly, forming a cross type seal with the index and middle fingers of both hands. "I'll return it a thousand times over."
"Then do it you-"
Naruto cut him off before he could blurt the secret in from of Kira. "Kage Bushin no jutsu!"
Iruka jaw dropped and Kira almost fell out of her tree as stars shone in her eyes. "I wanna learn that jutsu! It's so cool…" she said dreamily.
Hundreds of Naruto clones appeared everywhere in the clearing. A couple even appeared on Kira's branch, much to her delight.
"Wha?!" Muzuki stumbled, looking completely overwhelmed.
"What's wrong?" taunted the Narutos, "Come at me!"
Mizuki fell ungracefully on his butt.
"Well then…" started one Naruto, "I'll start things off!" finished another.
Mizuki screamed as Naruto and his clones beat the tar out of him. Well, all but one of the clones who had been the one unfortunate enough to materialise next to Kira, who promptly grabbed him and started poking him with her free hand and peppering him with questions, not even stopping to hear the answers.
When Mizuki was a bloody, twitching pulp, Naruto cancelled the jutsu much to one clone's relief and Kira's disappointment. Kira, now back to normal, hopped off the branch to join them, as Naruto sheepishly but happily rubbed the back of his head.
"I went a little to far." 'There's no way he can tell Kira now!'
"Oh? I think you should whack he again. Just to make sure, you know?"
Naruto rolled his eyes at the typical Kira type response.
"Iruka-sensei, are you alright?" she continued, turning to their teacher.
Iruka just smiled at them. "Naruto, Kira, come over here."
As they started over, he continued, "There's something I have to give the to of you."
Kira and Naruto stopped in front of Iruka. Kira gaze flicked between the two in a split second. "You first!" she chirped, eyes closed happily, as she shoved Naruto ahead of her.
Naruto stumbled before catching his balance and scowling at her. "Kira!"
Iruka chuckled. "Close your eyes Naruto."
Naruto closed his eyes, grumbling slightly, probably about Kira, who watched with a gentle smile as Iruka tied his own hitae-ate around Naruto's forehead as he waited impatiently. Iruka sat back and waited.
"Sensei, now?"
"Okay you can open your eyes now."
Naruto opened his eyes, blinking a few times to adjust them to the light from the rising Sun. His gaze met with the image of Iruka-sensei and his best-friend smiling at him. Something was different. Something was missing.
"Oi, Naruto." His attention turned to Kira who held his goggles in her hand, having slipped them off when she noticed Iruka's intentions. "Congratulations on graduating."
That took a moment to register. He stared.
"Okay. Let's celebrate. I'll buy you two ramen."
Staaaaare.
"Ne, Iruka-sensei." Kira shifted carefully over to Iruka. "Did he die of shock or something?"
Before Iruka could tell her off, they found themselves tackled and being hugged to death by Naruto.
"Itai! That's hurts, you know."
"What are you hugging be for, baka?! I didn't do anything!"
"Iruka-sensei! Kira!"
When he finally let go, Iruka and Kira climbed to their feet. Iruka turned to Kira.
"Here, Kira?. You dropped this."
"Huh?" Kira stared as Iruka produces her own hitae-ate. "Oops…"
Naruto snickered. "You lost it?"
Kira's eyebrow twitched. Ignoring Iruka and her hitae-ate, she turned to Naruto and kicked him in the head.
"Itai! Kira, what was that for?!"
"What was that for? I'll tell you what that was for!" Kira's kick hadn't been strong enough to knock him over, just hard enough to get her point across. "You ignored be after the exam –kick-, ran off with some nutcase –kick-, made me worry –kick-, made me spend the afternoon and the entire night searching for you because I was worried –kick-, almost got yourself killed –kick-, -kick-, and more importantly I got no sleep because of that!-whack-" Kira finished her rant with a good whack from her fist. "And for your information, I dropped it because you're important than the stupid thing!"
Naruto moaned, holding his abused head. "Itaaaaaaiiiii…"
Iruka sweatdropped at the scene. Kira turned to him and took her hitae-ate and stalked off toward the villiage in an offended manner while tying it around her forehead. Naruto noticed and ran to catch up with her, Iruka following further behind, seemingly forgotten about by the two but still within hearing range.
"Ne, ne, Kira, what did you mean just now?" Naruto tugged on her jacket to get her to stop.
"What do you think I meant, baka." She muttered, turning her head away slightly, embarrassed at what her worried outburst had revealed. "I was planning on re-entering the academy with you."
Naruto was silent for a few seconds
"Arigato, Kira." He said quietly, and before she could protest, or move, he hugged the taller girl. Kira twitched, grumbled slightly under her breath about blondes and gave in hugging him back for a couple of seconds before giving him a light shove to get him to let go.
"Enough of the sappy crap."
Naruto just smiled and released her before walking in the direction of the village again. He heard Kira turn to Iruka who had almost caught up with them. "You tell anyone what you just saw, and I swear in the name of the Hokage, I'll dye your hair bright pink. Permanently." Naruto smiled.
Elsewhere, Sandaime Hokage-sama smiled to himself as he viewed the touching scene on his crystal ball.