Chapter 1: Child of Prodigy
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but a five dollar bribe to Kishimoto may one day change that.
A/N: Post 4th Shinobi War. Story will revolve around multiple characters. There will be harsh language and violence at times, hence the rated T. Oh...and there will be character deaths, multiple character deaths, on both the good and the bad side because I hope for this to be a long story.
Fire of Konoha
Child of Prodigy
Walking the dusty streets of Konoha, oblivious to the world around him, the 14 year old genin had only one thing on his mind, tomorrow, and all the changes of his life that will come with it. As if he weren't already considered the prodigy child.
Unnoticed by the boy, across the street, a young women walked out of a tailor shop, hands filled with bags from the recent purchases she had just picked up for the upcoming event.
She quickly took notice of the genin and immediately recognized him, though curious to why he seemed to be slowly pacing the streets. She could tell by the boy's grey eyes, which caused most that didn't know him to think he was blind, focused on nothing ahead of him. He was obviously deep in thought.
A smirk began to play at her lips.
"To much of a celebrity to notice the little people around you, huh, Kazuya?" said the girl, who now appeared right behind the boy, looking no older than he was with amusement clearly written across her face.
Coming out of his trance by the surprising words, the young ninja quickly turned towards the direction the voice had came from.
He quickly smirked as recognized the person who now stood before him with grey eyes reflecting his own. "Now Aomi, don't be silly, I love my adoring fans. They're what keeps me going day in and day out."
"Is that so?" said Aomi while suppressing the urge to laugh, " I always thought it was thinking of Shiari in nothing but undergarments that did that."
Kazuya's smirk quickly faded away and was immediately replaced by blushing cheeks. "Umm...yeah...so….how are things with you Aomi?" He said trying to change the subject.
Mentally claiming victory over him for this conversation, she decides to leave the jokes alone, for now of course, and answer his question. "Things are great Kazu, although I had to sharpen all of my weapons this morning, which took about 4 hours to do because mom insisted I have them all placed into the twin dragon scrolls." Aomi said rolling her eyes, "But other than that, things couldn't be better for me."
"Thats good to hear. So...what's up with all the bags, you have another date with that loser boyfriend of yours? You do know that his ass keeps getting kicked by me, your brother and uncle right?" Kazuya said keeping in his laughter.
Now regretting dropping the subject of Shiari, Aomi displayed a straight face to hide her anger at her now annoying cousin. "Actually!" She says changing the subject with a little irritation in her voice. "I just picked up the clothes my mother had ordered for us, they just arrived at the store not too long ago."
Kazuya looked down towards the bags at the side of his cousin, eyes growing wide as he recognized the silver tree symbol on the side of them.
"Wow, Aomi, that's gotta be some pretty expensive stuff seeing as you bought it from the Shinning Leaves."
"Yeah, guess it is, but it's worth it. It's not like everyday someone becomes Hokage."
Kazuya winced as he remembered the events taking place tomorrow. "Oh yeah, that's tomorrow isn't it." He said more like a statement than a question. "I forgot all about it."
Aomi just stood there, a puzzled expression plastered on her face.
"Forgot? That's not something that people just forget about, Kazu. Especially not someone in your position. I mean, for crying out loud, you're the future Hoka...
"Yeah, yeah. I know what I am. Isn't being the next Fire of Konoha enough for one boy's life time. I guess not, seeing as this is gonna happen whether or not I want it to anyway."
Seeing how hurt and annoyed her cousin was about the upcoming event, Aomi took a couple of steps forward until she was directly in front of Kazu, brought her arms up as best as she could (which wasn't to good do to the bags she held) and wrapped them around Kazuya's neck, embracing him in a warm hug.
"Don't worry Kazu, everything's gonna be alright. Nothings gonna change. You'll still be my annoying cousin who I'll attempt to kill every now and then." Aomi said with small smile on her face.
"I guess," Kazuya sighed.
Taking her arms from around his neck, Aomi noticed a girl not to far away ducking behind a heavily built brown haired boy eating chips, trying to get out of her sight.
A devilish smile instantly came to her face because she knew exactly what could make Kazuya happy, and at the same time get her revenge on a certain shadow manipulator.
"Ohhhh, Kazu, my dearest cousin," she began in a sing-song voice. "I just found something that will surely brighten up your day." Aomi rose her hand and had it now pointing towards the heavy boy standing several yards away.
Kazuya turned his head towards the direction his cousin pointed in and noticed the boy. Quickly his expression change from sad to irritated.
"What are you talking about Aomi? That's only Chotake over there filling his big gut with those disgusting chips." Both Kazu and Aomi flinched a little thinking about what nasty flavored chips Chotake could be eating this time.
Quickly shaking that thought away Aomi sighed. She now was thinking of how slow her cousin could be sometimes, yet, he could be a genius when a came to a fight. Guess he's only smart when he wants to be.
"Yes Kazu, its Chotake and...?" Aomi began motioning her arms around hoping her cousin would catch on.
Epic Fail.
"And?" Kazuya replied picking his nose with a dumb expression upon his face.
Aomi faceplanted, even though her hands were filled with bags.
"Baka." She said under her breath. "Of course it's Chotake, but think Kazu, where there's Chotake there's..."
"Shiari!" Kazu interrupted with realization and eyes now becoming wide with excitement.
Aomi felt triumphant because she just achieved the impossible. Helping Kazu figure something out.
"Anyway, I gotta get going Kazu, gotta get these stuff home before mom unleashes a barrage of kunai at me for being late, again." Aomi joked, but quickly realized that there's a chance that statement might hold a little truth to it.
Kazuya quickly turned to his cousin, whose back was now facing him as she began to power walk in the direction of her house. "Umm...See ya later Aomi." He shouted. "And hope you live to see tomorrow. Hey, but don't worry, if you don't, I'll be sure to kick your boyfriends ass, again."
Kazuya could no longer see Aomi's face as she waked in the opposite direction to notice the smirk now playing at her lips, however he could see her occupied hand being raised above her head which was now flicking him off.
Remembering what only lay a few yards away from him, Kazuya quickly turned around and began heading in the direction of Chotake.
Kazu quickly noticed that the distance between him and Chotake had increased, and was still increasing by the second, but that Chotake was still faced in his direction, of course continuing to eat his chips.
He also noticed Chotake had a pair of legs moving in unison behind his.
"Hey, Chotake!" yelled Kazuya. "Why are you walking backwards?"
"Uh-oh, Shiari, I think he sees us"
"Shit. Well...umm...maybe he hasn't...try picking up the pace a little Chotake. As soon as we get arond the bend, we'll make a run for it."
"Umm, Shiari."
"What the hell is it Chotake? Can't you see I'm trying to make a quick escape?"
"Yeah, about that quick escape thing."
Shiari faceplanted knowing exactly what was about to happen.
"Let me guess, he's standing right in front of you?"
"Yep. Damn, and you were so close this time." Chotake joked.
So close yet so far, Shiari thought to herself while stepping from behind Chotake's back, mentally bracing herself for what was to come.
She was immediately met with a giant clown like grin.
Shiari hadn't seen Kazuya in a while, not just because of her avoiding him but also because of her constant travelling between the leaf and the sand, so she took in the sight of the figure that now stood before her.
Shikari had a slight tallish built for a girl, just like her mother did at her age, so she had always had a few inches on Kazuya, but she did noticed that he'd gotten taller as well, and was only an inch shorter than her if not eye level.
She gazed a little at Kazuya's long red hair, which she he inherited from his grandmother, and she noticed it was still kept neatly in a single braid but seemed to have gotten longer sense last she saw him. His long bangs that hung over his forehead protector, now reached a few inches below his chin.
Next, she looked at what he had on; a short sleeved grey jacket, with a red swirl on the back, black ninja standard pants, that reach just above his knees, standard ninja open-toed boots/shoes, and a kunai pouch kept on his right thigh. She took note of the newly added bandages wrapped around his right arm and leg, a trait he must have picked up from his uncle or cousin she thought. But what Shiari took in most of all of Kazuya's appearance was the very notable features on his face, the whisker like markings on his cheeks, and his blind like grey eyes.
Shiari had no idea that she too was being analyzed at this very moment though.
Kazuya gazed over her lightly tanned skin and her dirty blonde hair, which she kept in a spiky ponytail that reached the nape of her neck. His eyes then began scanning her appearal, taking in evey detail; her short sleeve black shirt which was wide at the collar so it hung slightly off her shoulders and the bottom stoped just above her navil; her dark brown tights, very tight tights that is, stopped mid way down her thighs and were laced by a green and gold belt, which he knew were her clan's trade mark colors, and her headprotecter hung around her neck, just like her mother's did.
Kazuya always loved the way she dressed, because it revealed her curvy, feminine figure. She had quite a mature body for a 15 year old, but to him she was much more sexier than any other Konoha girl, which she indeed was.
Lastly, Kazuya took in her beautiful emerald eyes that drove men crazy, almost, as though they were placed in a genjutsu, without really being in one.
Kazuya knew he didn't have a chance though, she could pick, choose and refuse any ninja she wanted. Most boys would kill to be hers. Literally! But Kazuya knew she didn't take intrest in any of them, so he kept trying his luck.
"Hi Kazu" Shiari said sighing defeatedly.
"Hey Shiari, long time no see."
Not long enough, she thought, guess I can't avoid him forever.
"I would never had noticed you if Aomi hadn't said something."
That Bitch, Shiari thought, guess this is her payback for getting her busted with that loser boyfriend. "Yeah, I never see you around anymore. We gotta catch up one of these days." She began mentally kicking herself for that last line, knowing how serious her words would be taken.
Chotake let out a light chuckle at her fumble but quickly held it in after a quick stealthly elbow from Shiari.
Kazuya face lit up even more with excitement at this offer. "Yeah, how about tomorrow we go see a movie or something?"
Mentally Shikari was now dropping multiple paper bombs upon herself for making such a stupid mistake.
"Oh...umm...tomorrow?...umm..we can't...umm...oh yeah, that thing with the Hokage is tomorrow, and I was planning on spending the festival part of it with my family." She felt relieved that she could find an excuse, though she trully was spending tomorrow with her family.
"Oh...well how about the day after that?" Kazuya asked.
"I'm babysitting both my little brother and Neko for the Hatake's that day."
"Umm, the day after that?"
"I've got a mission."
"Day after that?"
"Umm...it's a two day mission."
"After tha..."
"I died on the mission." She said before Kazuya could finish.
"Oh, well what about the day after that?" Kazuya paused for a moment. Then it hit him. "Hold on. Wait. What? You'll be de..."
"Eh-hem." Coughed the onlooker who was watching the two. "Did you guys miss me standing here?"
"Oh! Sorry Chotake. I completely forgot you were here." Shiari said relieved that she was out of that conversation with Kazuya. To her, it seemed more like a death sentence.
"Sup Cho." Said Kazuya greeting Chotake with a grin. "Ran any restaurants out of business lately?"
Chotake simply smirked at Kazuya's greeting. "Nah, I've been to busy hanging with Shiari all the time. Day in and day out, that girl never leaves me alone. I think I'll have to start beating her off with a stick soon."
Chotake's smirk quickly became a grin as he saw Kazuya wince at that statement. "But hey, how've you been buddy? Defaced any statues or buildings this week?"
"Nah...I've been training a lot lately. Gotta stay in shape. Don't want to end up with a body like yours." Kazu said with a smirk.
"Oh, well, Shiari doesn't mind my body at all. Actually, I think she digs big guys, especially after what happened last night." Chotake said, his smirk now seemed to be looking a little evil.
By the shock expression now displayed on Kazu's face, he knew he'd one this round.
Kazuya quickly changed his shocked expression to a smirk.
He placed his hand out in front of him, as both a greeting and a peace offering to Chotake.
Chotake happily accepted it.
"Fat-ass"
"What was that Kazu? I didn't quite catch that."
"Oh nothing, nothing at all." Kazuya said releasing Chotake's hand. "So where are you guys off to anyway?"
"Shiari and I was on our way to training field 8. She's helping me with my shuriken throwing." Chotake said that last line while pointing next to him. But two both of the genin surprise, Shiari was no longer there.
"Hey where'd Shiari go!?" Shouted Kazuya, "She was just here a minute ago."
Shes gatta join the ANBU at this rate, if not even Kazu, who's always aware of her presence didn't notice her disappearing act, Chotake thought to himself.
He turned around looking in the direction they were previously going before spotting Kazuya talking with Aomi, and noticed a figure tip-toeing away from them.
"Freeze Missy"
"Damn it." Shiari muttered under her breath. She turn around slowly trying to hide her guilt from trying to sneek off then slowly walked back up to the boys.
"Almost got away twice today." Said Chotake amused at her second atempt.
"Got away? Don't be silly. I walked over there to get a kunai I had dropped is all." She lied.
"Oh, I see. But I thought all of our kunais were at the training field." Chotake chuckled out.
Shiari instantly shot daggers with her eyes towards Chotake.
"Umm yeah, like I was saying Kazu, we're on our way to train and we really must be going, we only have the field for another hour." Chotake blurted out scared that today might be his last.
"Oh, well can I come along?" Asked Kazuya.
Now Chotake knew for sure this was his last day on earth, because the mental daggers being thrown at him somehow seemed to become giant boulders.
"Don't be silly Kazu. Why would you want to come to the training field furthest away from the village." Chotake said in a fake chuckle while putting a lot of emphasis on the word furthest."
"Don't worry about it. I was on my way in that direction anyway. Mom wants me to get my dad, he's training out that way, or more than likely relaxing by the waterfall."
"Well then sure you can come along Kazuya," said Shiari smiling, more like faking, while starting towards the village's giant gates. "It'll be nice to have some witnesses." She said, then glanced back at Chotake.
"Kazu. Whatever happens out there, tell my parents, I love'em both." Said a now shaking Chotake walking with his head down, a few steps behind Shiari.
"Huh? What're you guys talking about?" Shouted Kazuya, trying to catch up to the two.
What the three ninjas were unaware of, is the trouble awaiting them outside of the village.
While walking along the dirt path that would take them towards the training field, Shiari was a little suspicious knowing something didn't feel right about her current surroundings, but she decided to brush it off for now. She could only think about how close they were getting to the training field. She knew that once they got there, she wouldn't have to listen to the two boys bickering anymore. But no matter how much she told herself that, she could hardly resist the urge to put them both six feet under.
"Yeah right Kazu. You can't summon Gamabunta."
"Yes I can Cho. Why is that so hard to believe?"
"First off, you're too young to produce the amount of chakara required to summon him, I don't care what people call you. And secondly, if you could do it, why have I never seen or heard of it? I mean, with all the training you do, and the missions you go on, I'm sure you would have done it by now, at least once, Kazu."
"I've never summoned him on a mission because I've never needed him, and you're not around when I'm training." Kazuya argued back.
"There's still the fact you're too young Kazu. You can't possibly produce that much chakara!"
"Well, I let you in on a little secret Cho. Baa-chan told me that my dad was able to summon Gamabunta at the age of twelve."
"Don't insult Lady Hokage." Yelled a very annoyed Shiari.
Kazuya smiled, giving her an apologetic look. Then slowed down his pace as he took notice of Chotake's absence from beside him. He looked back to see that the heavily-built boy had dropped back a few yards behind them.
"What's the matter Cho? The walk too much for ya." Joked Kazuya.
Shiari watched as her best friend just stood there, a puzzled look on his face.
"Hey Chotake, let's go. We don't got all day, remember, one hour." She stated.
"Chotake!" Both Kazuya and Shiari yelled in unison.
"Wow. Twelve huh? Who would have thought?" asked Chotake to no one in particular while coming out of his trance. "I see why he's the Fire of Konoha."
Shiari faceplanted and Kazuya broke into a huge laughing fit while Chotake ran to catch up with them.
"Baka." Said Shiari, soft enough for only her to hear.
Kazuya stepped up to Chotake as he caught up to them, and placed an arm over his shoulder. "I know Cho, I know. I have a godly, phenomenal, destroy everything with one finger type of family." He said with a triumphant grin, and then began to laugh once again.
"They're both Baka."
"More like astronomically, colossal, doesn't think before they act ego type of a family." Said Chotake tossing Kazuya's arm off of him, and causing Kazuya's laughter to come to a stop.
Kazuya and Chotake were now both standing their ground, staring down one another, waiting for the other to make the first move.
Then instantly, both boys broke off their gazes and began laughing hysterically.
"They're both SUPER BAKA!"
"THWACK. THWACK."
"Now that you're both done laughing, we can continue on to our destination." Shiari said cracking her knuckles, prepared to swing again if there were any refusals.
Its obvious she got her temper from her mother and not her lazy-ass father, Kazuya thought.
"Yeah, we're ready. Let's go Kazu." Said Chotake while holding the back of his head.
"Right behind ya." Kazuya said groaning a little, he too was holding the back of his head.
The two male genin began to walk behind Shiari. Chotake first, followed by Kazuya.
Kazuya suddenly came to a stop and turned around. He then looked towards the trees with squinted eyes as if looking for something, or perhaps someone.
"Hey Kazu. You coming?"
"Yeah." Said Kazuya turning around and noticing how far off Shiari and Chotake had already walked.
"Hey, wait up you guys!"
Running up to catch them, Kazuya knew something big was about to go down.
Arriving at training field 8, Shiari quickly ran towards her weapons pouch, which had been left there hours earlier lying against a training post. She immediately attached it to the back of her family colored belt, now fully prepared for what was to come.
"Why the rush Shiari? Are you that eager to throw shuriken at a bunch of trees?" Joked Chotake.
"Umm...Cho...we're not...umm we're not gonna be able to train today." Shiari said giving Chotake an apologetic look.
Shocked and confused at his best friend's statement, Chotake was about to ask why, but before he could, Shiari stepped up to him placing her lips near his ear.
Kazuya stood watching as Shiari walked over to Chotake and began whispering. He winced a little at the thought of them being so close and remember what Chotake said earlier, but quickly brushed it off because he knew much bigger things were about to go down. He was grateful that Shiari didn't need informing and was already aware of the situation that was about to unfold.
When Shiari finished with her whispered words to Chotake, he looked directly at Kazuya with wide eyes.
Kazuya looked back at him with a serious expression on his face, then gave Chotake a nod. Chotake expression now changed to one of seriousness, then gave Kazu a nod in return.
Chotake looked back towards Shiari, placing a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "Be careful." he then glanced over at Kazuya. "Both of you." And with those last words, Chotake was off, jumping through the trees, heading back towards the village as fast as he possibly could.
Kazuya stared at Shiari, a small grin playing across his face.
"Why didn't you tell me you knew?" He asked.
"I guess for the same reason you didn't tell me you knew." Shiari replied, trying to resist the smile coming to her face, "we both..."
Shiari was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a kunai cutting through the air that was directed towards the back of her skull.
She quickly swung around while placing a hand behind her back and into her pouch, then withdrawing it back out now occupied with a kunai of her own.
She used her kunai to quickly block the oncoming one now aimed at her face, and dropped into a fighting stance.
She quickly came to realize that they were now surrounded by eleven, what appeared to be, rogue ninjas.
"Fire of Konoha." Said one of the rogues, "Surrender now and we'll let your little bitch go free."
"Oh, so you're looking for the Fire of Konoha huh?" said Kazuya with a smirk and mentally taking note to give that guy an extra ass kicking for the insult to Shiari. "Well, I'm not him."
"Not yet you aren't." Said a second rogue. "But soon enough you will be.
"Our employer has paid a hefty sum for your head, boy!" Said another of the rogues.
Seeing that there was no easy way out of this, Kazuya turned towards Shiari, whose back was towards him, and began to speak.
"The first chance you see, get out of here, Shiari. They only want me so don't worry about being followed."
Shiari turned her head slightly to look back at Kazuya, so he could only see half of her face.
She smirked. "Prodigy child or not, I'm the oldest one here so I call the shots on who does what. Right now I say we fight together. Chotake shouldn't take too long to come back with help, and besides, they can't be too strong seeing how we both knew we were being followed, and you knew without even using that bloodline trait of yours."
Kazuya sighed, then began to smile. "Well sense you're staying, I'd rather you lead anyway. I enjoy taking orders from a pretty lady. Feels like I'm being dominated."
Shiari, turning so she was now facing him fully, had an annoyed expression on her face. "Perverted Baka!" She said, while trying to keep the blush from emerging in her cheeks.
Facing back to the enemy that stood before him, Kazuya notice their headbands and realized that the rogue ninja were all from the Village Hidden under the Stars, and judging by their jackets, they were all former chonin ranked.
Bringing his hand up to eye level and forming the tora (tiger) seal, Kazuya knew he had to go all out for this one. So with one final word, he was prepared for battle.
"Byakugan!"
A/N: My first story so R&R please. Constructive Criticism is always appreciated.
