Disclaimer! I do not own Naruto, Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters in this story. I just wrote this story so that others can enjoy it.
Summary: Layelle Uzumaki is a quiet, smart and somewhat talented young shinobi that is cursed with the burden of carrying the nine tailed fox inside of her. Not asking to be pitied or looked down upon, she works hard to become a strong shinobi and along the way forms new bonds with her teammates and other fellow shinobi. Sometimes losing her way, and blinded for the need to help her friends, but the will of fire is strong inside of her and she will do anything to save her friends.
Note: First few chapters start off with them being young, but in the later chapters they will be older. Also, Layelle is a name that I made up and love it…borderline obsessed…I am aware that it is not a Japanese name, but seeing how she is my original character I wanted an original name, not the generic Naru/Naruko name…sorry! Yes her hair is white….something else I am obsessed with (Yeah I'm weird). I mean Sakura has pink hair, Gaara has bright red hair, I don't think adding a character with white hair is very strange. Again she is my original character so she doesn't have blonde hair. Yes I am aware that probably 98% of you know what shinobi means, but there is that 2% that doesn't. I just want to cover my basics.
Please enjoy!
Chapter 1
火
Okay! Today is my first official day as a shinobi [1]! You hear that mother, father?" A small scrawny girl with pure white hair says to the empty room. "I'm going to make you proud." I've never known my parents, I don't even know what they look like, but talking to them and just acting like they are up there listening gives me the confidence to continue living my life.
After quickly putting her long flowing white hair into a pony tail and slipping into her black zori [2], the girl runs out the door of her small apartment and into the warm summer air. Full of excitement and nervous energy, she reaches her destination quickly. I hope this is the right bridge, nobody is here yet. Guess I am a little early. Quietly, the girl sits on the railing and stares up at the sky in wonder, watching the large clouds drift lazily across the sky. But a rather loud and obnoxious voice breaks the peaceful silence.
"Sasuke! I'm so happy we are going to be on the same team! Let's train together!" A girl with a large forehead and long pink hair squeals with excitement as her and a boy with onyx eyes and spiky raven black hair approach the bridge.
Why does Sakura always have to be so loud? She's constantly fawning over Sasuke like he's a cute little puppy. Can't she get the hint that he doesn't like her? Ugh, so annoying!
As the two reach the bridge, the pink-haired girl's squealing stops abruptly. "Why does she have to be on our team? Compared to you Sasuke, she's so weak! Sasuke, she's just going to hold you back."
"I can hear you, you know." Stupid.
"Whatever," she replies with her tongue sticking out. "Hey Sas—"
"Will you just shut up already? You're so annoying Sakura." The raven-haired boy says coldly. With the love of her life having just scolded her, Sakura goes off and sits by herself on the riverbank, pouting.
"It is going to be a long day." The white-haired girl says to no one in particular. Several hours later, the three are still sitting there, waiting for their team leader to arrive.
"I thought Kakashi sensei said he'd be here three hours ago!" Sakura wines, breaking her silence, clearly over the scolding Sasuke had given her a few hours before. Right on cue a puff of smoke appears to reveal a man wearing standard jounin uniform, the bottom half of his face hidden behind a mask and his left eye covered by his leaf headband."Sensei, you're late!"
"So sorry guys, a black cat crossed my path and I had to take the long way around."
"Yeah right," Layelle mumbles to herself.
"Now let's get to our first mission. It seems our client's cat has gone missing and she has hired us to find him and return him to her. Any questions? None? Okay good. Get going because later we have to help Mrs. Yamakawa weed her herb garden. And when I say we, I mean you three."
"Are we really going to do menial things like that?"
"Yeah can't we go on a real mission?" Layelle adds to Sasuke's previous remark.
"You three are genin you will only be getting D-ranked missions. So stop complaining and do as you are told. Every genin starts off with low ranked missions and eventually with experience your missions will become harder. Understand?"
"Yes sensei."
"Good. Now I've got some things I need to do so I will find you guys and check on you later. Have fun!" and with another puff of smoke, the silver-haired jounin is gone.
"That bastard! Leaving us to do all the work!" Sakura yells, slamming her fist into her hand.
"Just shut up and let's get to work," Sasuke replies as he gets up.
"Yeah, the sooner we start, the faster we can get done."
火
Two Weeks Later
"Okay team. Today we will be painting—"
"Sensei please, can we do something else besides these chores?" Sakura pleads, the other two nodding their heads in agreement. Sakura is right, these are nothing but chores. Academy students should be doing this.
"Listen, the missions you are assigned isn't up to me. You'll have to bring it up with the hokage. But I will see what I can do. I have to report on your progress to the hokage later today so if the opportunity arises then I will ask about you three getting more difficult missions. But in the meantime you're just going to have to make due. So as I was saying earlier, today you will be painting Mr. Suzuki's fence. Have fun!" A puff of smoke and he's gone.
火
Hokage's Office
"Kakashi, how is your team doing?"
"Quite well, a few complaints here and there but overall not so bad."
"Oh, complaining about what?"
"They want more difficult missions. It seems that they believe they are more skilled than they really are."
"Yes, seems like they are ready to grow up," the hokage laughs. "Give them a test. If they pass then they will start getting slightly more challenging missions. If they fail, well then they will just have to continue painting fences and retrieving lost cats."
"Understood," Kakashi bows his head and turns to leave.
"Kakashi."
"Yes hokage-sama?"
"Tell me, how is that Uzumaki girl doing?"
"She is doing fine, having a little trouble getting along with Sakura, but one day she will make a decent shinobi."
"Good. Just do me a favor and keep a close eye on her."
"Yes hokage-sama."
火
Training Grounds-Next Day
"Late again sensei!" Sakura fumes.
"Heh, sorry guys. I was busy helping this little old lady cross the street."
"For two hours?"
"It was a very wide street…Anyway, so the reason we are meeting here today is because I have a test for you."
"What kind of test," Sasuke asks semi-interested in the conversation.
"A teamwork exercise. If you pass then…"
"Then what!" Sakura and Layelle ask, practically bursting at the seams.
"Well, I will tell you if, I mean when you pass."
"Just tell us what we have to do already." Sasuke demands irritably.
"It's simple really. All you have to do is each of you get these bells from me," he says as he takes two bells out of a pocket, jingling as he does.
"But there are only two bells."
"That is correct Sakura. You will have to figure out a way to get them. And to get them, you can use any means necessary. If you're not prepared to kill me then you will not be able to get the bells. Got it?"
"Hai," they all respond simultaneously.
"Good. On the count of three the test will begin. 1…2…3…Go!"
Immediately all three genin disappear from sight, Kakashi pulling out the latest edition of Make Out Paradise from his belt pouch.
Is he really going to read a book? Show's how much confidence he has in us, Layelle thinks to herself.
Well they understand what hiding means anyway. Looks like this might take awhile. He flips to the next page.
Suddenly a handful of kunai fly out from the bushes, heading straight for Kakashi's head, but at the last moment, he ducks, easily avoiding them.
"Going to have to do better than that!" he taunts. Without warning Sasuke jumps out from his hiding spot, several feet into the air. Moving his hands with lightning speed, he forms the necessary hand signs for a jutsu.
"Fire style: Fireball Jutsu!" A large ball of fire shoots out from his lips from in between his index finger and thumb, the fireball quickly expanding and consuming the reading jounin.
Did Sasuke get him? No, it can't be that easy.
The moment Sasuke lands, Kakashi appears behind him and sends Sasuke flying with a kick. "Impressive that someone your age can successfully execute such a high level jutsu. But you're still going to have to do better than that if you want to get these bells from me!"
My turn!
Jumping down from her hiding spot, Layelle draws a kunai and charges her sensei, after easily dodging several well aimed punches and kicks Kakashi lands a single blow, causing Layelle to dissipate with a puff of smoke. A shadow clone, how interesting. Several more shadow clones charge, but are quickly defeated.
"Come on guys, I know you are genin level but so far you're fighting at—" The soft jingle of bells stops him mid-sentence. Quickly, Kakashi jumps into the air to see nothing but empty space.
"I've got you this time sensei!" Layelle boasts as she appears behind Kakashi in midair, but he easily foils her attempt at stealing the bells.
That was close. How did she sneak up on me like that? Hmm, Sakura hasn't made a move yet.
Suddenly Kakashi disappears leaving Sasuke and Layelle baffled, but a scream in the distance confirms their suspicions.
That was easy. If a simple genjutsu freaked her out that much, I'd hate to see what she would do against an actual opponent. Now for the others…
Think Layelle, use your head. If Sasuke can't defeat him on his own, then you surely can't. I'm beginning to understand, we're going to all have to work together. As quickly and quietly as she can, Layelle runs after her teammates, finding Sasuke first.
"Hey Sasuke."
"Yeah?"
"We can't do this alone. We're going to have to work together. You know where Sakura is? I haven't seen her since this thing began."
"Yeah you're right. That was her screaming earlier, it sounded like it came just north of where we are now. Let's get going."
Together the two move in the direction they heard Sakura scream, easily finding her sprawled out on the ground unconscious.
"Hey Sakura," Layelle whispers, lightly shaking her. "I said wake up!" this time shaking her harder.
"Wh—what happened?"
"Sensei is what happened. Come on we need to come up with a plan."
火
"I wonder where those three have gone. It's been a while since their last attempt. Maybe I should go looking for them." He turns another page. "On second thought, I'll stay right here."
More kunai fly out from the trees and bushes, heading towards Kakashi with incredible speed, but he easily dodges them. Another wave, and then another fly out from hidden spots, Kakashi dodging them, making it look as though he were dancing. But without warning in the midst of all the flying kunai a giant fireball works its way into the fray, followed by two more from different directions, creating a smoke screen when they explode. Out of the smoke come fifteen shadow clones, plus the real Layelle, all kicking and punching without abandon. Simultaneously Sakura sneaks up, her fingers grazing the bells. Catching on, Kakashi jumps high into the air, landing silently on a tree branch.
"Okay stop."
"Sensei we haven't gotten the bells yet."
"Yes I can see that Layelle. But the exercise is over. Even though you have failed to obtain the bells, you still pass my test."
"Huh?"
"This was a teamwork exercise. I had to see if you three were capable as working as a team," Kakashi replies, putting away his book and jumping back onto the ground. "At first things were looking bleak, but there towards the end you three really banded together and started working as a team. This shows me that you are ready for more slightly difficult missions."
"Really?" Sakura asks in amazement.
"Yes, so as a reward for passing, you three get to help Mrs. Yamakawa pick some herbs and then deliver them to the hospital."
"Sensei!" All three yell in unison.
"And then tomorrow morning at eight meet me outside of the hokage's office."
"Haha yeah!"
"Now get going, don't want to be late! See you tomorrow!" A puff of smoke and he's gone.
[1] Ninja
[2] Shoes worn in Naruto world
This is the revised version of the original chapter 1. I added/changed a few things. Thanks again for reading!