Valhalla

Chapter One: Kita Nama

A small girl with gray-green eyes stared up at her mother. Her small, toddler-like hands gripped the woman's dress as she moved the fabric back and forth in an attempt to get her attention.

"Kita," the woman snapped, looking down at her daughter. "I said give me a second."

"But, moooooooom," the girl wined, turning her attention to the man beside her mother. "We need to go now."

"In a minute," the woman responded, tearing her dress away from the child. The little girl pouted, but didn't dare move.

"I'm right, you know," the girl said, turning her back towards her mother and sitting down with her arms crossed. "That man is evil."

"Cut it out, Naruto!"

The troublemaker stuck his head out of the classroom door just in time to almost head bump the girl who had been walking towards them.

"Yikes! You sure scared me, lady," he said, stumbling backwards.

"Lady?" The girl asked, eyes wide. "Uh... okay."

"Hey, why are you dressed so funny?"

"Naruto, you just can't ask people why they're dressed funny. Stop being so rude!"

The girl looked from the kid with the spikey blonde hair to his pink haired companion, and then down at herself. She wore tight black pants, a fishnet shirt, and a rather large, red shall across her shoulders.

"I... uh... okay," the girl responded. "I'm gonna go now."

"What was that all about?" Naruto asked, scratching his head as the girl walked away. "Now... what was I going to do? OH YEAH!" He sprinted towards the chalk board, picking up the eraser and cackling to himself. Sakura got ready to lecture him, but was cut short by an ANBU running down the hall.

"Lady Kita! Lady Kita!" The ANBU stopped, glancing in the room at the three children who stared with wide eyes at the monkey man in front of him.

"Uh..." the three dead panned at once.

"Have you seen a girl about this high," the man moved his hand slightly lower than his shoulder. "With black hair?"

All three pointed towards the direction the girl had gone.

"Thank you!" The ANBU yelled as his sprinted away. "Get back here!"

"What was that all about..." Sakura asked, before turning back to Naruto who had successfully managed to place the eraser on top of the door. "Naruto!"

"There you are."

The raven haired girl turned, grinning at the sight of the monkey mask that was staring up at her. She had been standing in one of the trees near Kohana's academy, staring over the building in awe.

"Come on, Lady Kita. It's time to go home."

"I don't want to go home," the girl said, glaring at him with strange eyes. "I want to stay here."

"You know you can't do that," the ANBU responded. "It was against Lady Hitomi's wishes."

"HA," the girl barked. "We both know my mother wasn't much of a Lady." The girl stuck out her tongue.

"Miss, please. I don't want to force you."

"Okay, Mr. ANBU. I'll come with you. For a bargain."

"And what would that be?"

"Show me your face!" She laughed. The ANBU sighed.

"What in the world possessed the Hokage to put her under my care..." he grumbled. "Alright, I'm coming up!"

"But, Hokage! I can't live like this anymore!"

The Hokage stared down at the girl in front of his desk. She had grown up much in the six years she had been put under the village's care, yet her maturity was still lacking.

"I will not tell you again... you cannot become a ninja."

"Then I'll defect! I'll leave the village and join a new one. Come on, Mr. Sarutobi," she was flailing her arms at this point, her gray-green eyes wide with enthusiasm. "Would you rather me be fighting with you guys, or against you?"

"Why do you want to be a ninja so bad?" The ANBU asked. "Maybe if you explain to the Hokage, he'll help you."

"No, he won't," the girl said, crossing her arms over her chest and closing her eyes. "Becuase my mother told him never to let me. And for some reason, the request of a dead person is much more valuable than the request of a living, breathing person that is standing right in front of him."

"KITA, show some respect! To both your mother and the Hokage!"

"Oh, quiet," she responded, sticking her tongue out at the monkey mask. "It's not like you knew her, anyway. And besides," she opened her eyes, staring the old man straight on. "It's not like the Hokage deserves my respect. He can earn that when he's chasing me out of the village gates. Kita, come back! He'll whine. We're sorry! But it'll be too late, I'll be gone and - OW!"

The girl rubbed her head where the ANBU had whacked her.

"Whatever," she grumbled. "I'm going home."

"Kita," Sarutobi said, closing his eyes as the girl turned away from him. "If you walk out of those village gates, you'll be classified as a missing person. You'll be seen as a traitor to your village. You will be seen as a threat. "

"Except," she said, holding up one of her fingers. "I'm not a shinobi. Which means I have no classified information to give other villages. I can't very well be charged with treason, when I have nothing that could harm the village anyway, could I?"

"You could harm the village," the man responded. "It's our duty to keep you safe."

"Bullshit!"

"Kita!"

"No, let go of me," she yelled, ripping her arm from the ANBU's grasp. "This is bullshit! I didn't ask for this! Everyone's gone, don't you see that, old man? They're gone! Forever! And it was because no one was there to protect them!"

The room was silent, except for the sound of the young girl's tears hitting the floor.

"Just..." she wiped her face. "I need to protect everyone..."

The Hokage sighed.

"Go home, Kita. Shiro will walk you."

There was a stampede of people running towards her, but she wouldn't budge.

The small five year old had hid herself under the floorboards near the wooden staircase. She watched as the band of ex-shinobi ran about the house in a fluster.

"It's over."

The young girl's eyes widened at the sound of her mother's voice.

The girl closed her eyes as soon as the fighting began. She had eventually fallen asleep underneath the floorboards, and when she awoke...

Everyone was dead.

"You're insane!" Danzo practically yelled. "There's no way she can be a shinobi! Do you know how much easier that would make it for the other villages?"

"Danzo, while I see your point, it can't be helped. The child has threatened to leave the village."

"Please, Hokage," the man argued. "How hard is it to stop a little girl? ANBU are watching her day and night. And besides, if she becomes too much, we can just lock her up. Kita Nama will never leave this village."

The elders nodded in agreement with the bandaged man.

"You aren't thinking clearly," Sarutobi responded, narrowing his eyes. "You are only thinking of what is best for yourself. Do you honestly believe... that she will be that easily detained?"

"We will see to it."

"Kaskashi, there has been a slight change to the mission."

The man sighed.

"Please tell me they can still take the bridge builder... I don't think I can handle Naruto's bickering much longer."

"No, team 7 will still be taking Mr. Tazuna back to the Land of Waves," the Hokage responded, causing Kakashi a relieved sighed. "However, you will also be escorting someone else."

"Hmmm?"

"Kita Nama will be traveling with you," the Hokage responded, causing a questioning glance from the jounin. "She will be told that this mission is to test her ability as a ninja, but in actuality... it is for her protection."

"So..."

"So, when you reach the Land of Waves, there will be a ninja from Suna waiting for you. You will place Lady Kita under their protection."

"But... she is the last of the Nama clan... her father would - "

"Her father's wish was the protection of his daughter. As much as I hate to say it, Lord Kenji could have cared less for the land of fire."

Kakashi nodded.

"Understood."