Sweat gathered on her brow as the sun beat down on the road she was travelling. Even with her sparse clothing, her body was on fire underneath her skin. She knew that to most people, the weather would be favorable, but she had never been fond of warm temperatures.
Kouri cringed as she heard a rustling sound in a patch of nearby bushes, suddenly regretting her decision to travel alone. Without a doubt, she knew that she wasn't the greatest of fighters. If she was attacked, she would have little to no chance of survival. She carried no weapons, only a bag on her back holding a few changes of clothes and some money.
And she was so close to her destination. According to her map, she was just a few miles away from the gates of Konoha. Nearly tripping over her feet, she picked up her pace, hoping to make it before whoever or whatever was following her decided to strike.
Movement beside her caught her attention. She froze, her breath catching in her throat, and slowly, apprehensively, turned.
She came face to face with the sharp edge of a sword. Gripping the hilt of the blade was a large, rough hand with bandaged fingers. The face she looked up into wore a fierce snarl.
Her feet stumbled over raised tree roots as she scrambled backward, and she fell onto her back. The blow was cushioned by her pack, but it still knocked the wind out of her. The man stalked closer and held the very tip of the sword on her throat, pressing hard enough to puncture the delicate skin.
"Careful, Iwao. We don't want to damage the goods," a smooth voice warned. The big man, Iwao, scowled, but a few seconds later he stepped back. A younger man with a smooth face came to stand beside him. "She's a pretty one. Someone will pay a good price for her."
"Mikio, she's not wearing a headband, which means she's not a kunoichi. Our clients don't want her," Iwao rumbled.
"Not a kunoichi?" Mikio raised an eyebrow. "But I can feel chakra in the air around her, radiating from her every pore. Whether she knows it or not, she's a strong kunoichi. Our clients would enjoy the thrill of her untrained power. And," he added, " seeing as she has no control over her chakra, it would only make sense that she would be injured in our struggle to attain her."
Iwao's eyes lit up with bloodlust, and he raised his gleaming blade again. Also drawing a weapon, Mikio advanced.
Kouri crawled backward until her back hit the thick trunk of a tree. Her wide eyes followed the movement of the sword's blade as it swung down in an arc toward her. Once she could see her own reflection in the metal, she closed her eyes and accepted her fate. She wasn't meant to reach the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
"Leaf Hurricane!"
She opened her eyes as she felt a gust of wind in front of her blow her hair away from her face. She opened her eyes, and her vision was immediately assaulted by a wall of green. After a few moments, she realized that she was staring at someone's back. The person was wearing a forest green jumpsuit and was standing in front of her in a protective stance.
"You will not harm her!" he said, his voice strong.
"Are you planning to stop us?" Iwao scoffed. "A lone leaf genin like you doesn't have a chance of taking us on."
"I assure you, I do have the skills to defend her myself, but I don't have to. A genin of the Leaf never travels without a team," the man replied.
"Lee!" an exasperated female called out from the forest behind them, interrupting whatever Iwao was going to say in reply. "You can't just go running off like that! You may have endless amounts of energy, but the rest of us are tired." A young woman with her hair pulled up into two buns landed in a crouch beside Lee, quickly followed by two other men.
One of the men was nearly identical to Lee. The jumpsuit was exactly the same color, and his black hair was styled into a very similar bowl cut. He was obviously older than the rest of them. "Oh, leave him alone, Tenten. The flames of youth burn strong within him, and when there's someone in danger, he can't resist the urge to help!" The older man flashed a thumbs-up and a bright smile.
"Gai-sensei, his instinct is remarkable, but if he continues rushing into battle without assistance from his team, he will end up getting hurt, and none of us want that. We are a team, and we are supposed to fight together," the third male said.
The first thing Kouri noticed about him was his hair. It was dark brown and long, and he had it tied into a very loose ponytail. He had his headband tied around his forehead. His eyes were pale lavender in color, and they had no pupils. The veins on either side of them were sticking out harshly, and it seemed to Kouri that it should have been painful, but it didn't seem to bother him.
Iwao tried to take advantage of the team's distraction. He quietly snuck up behind Lee and raised his sword. She opened her mouth to warn the man, but there was no need.
With movements faster than her eyes could track, he turned around and gripped the wrist holding the blade. "It is very rude to attack someone when their back is turned!" Lee exclaimed. He twisted until Iwao was forced to drop his weapon and then lashed out with one leg, kicking him right in the stomach. Iwao flew backwards and collided harshly with a thick tree trunk. His head snapped back against the hard bark, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Lee turned back to his teammates and continued their argument, claiming something about youthful passion.
Mikio snarled at Lee and charged forward with his kunai raised. Before he could reach him, the long-haired male stepped between them and assumed an odd stance that Kouri had never seen before. Using only his fingers, he attacked his opponent. The hits didn't seem to cause damage, but after a few strikes, Mikio collapsed.
Kouri watched the scene unfold with wonder. After their opponents were taken down, the team continued arguing as if nothing had happened. The young woman eventually intimidated both of the men wearing green into compliance, and Lee agreed to be more cautious. She sighed as though she didn't really believe him, but dropped the topic.
Lee turned to Kouri. "Are you alright?" he inquired earnestly. When he faced her, she could see that his eyebrows were thick over his impossibly-round eyes. His face would have appeared stern if it hadn't been for the eager twinkle in his gaze.
"I'm fine," she muttered, standing up and brushing the dirt off of her pants. "Thanks for stepping in."
"It is not a problem, my friend!" She flinched back in the face of his overwhelming enthusiasm.
"Yeah, it's kind of our job," Tenten cut in. "But what were you doing walking these roads by yourself? It's dangerous for anyone who's not a ninja, and even then, it's not advisable."
"I was on my way to Konoha."
"We are on our way back there ourselves! Please, allow us to escort you the rest of the way!" Without waiting for a reply, he turned to wander back the way he'd come.
"What a wonderful idea, my youthful pupil!" Gai, the team's sensei, cried. He followed after Lee, leaving the two calmer members of the team with Kouri.
"It's nice that they offer to take you back to the village and then abandon you," Tenten commented. "Come on, we'll make sure you get there safely."
Tenten and the long-haired brunette had conversed quietly on the way back to the village, but Kouri hadn't spoken a word. She remained a few steps behind them, fiddling with the straps of her bag. She had no idea what she was going to do when she reached the village. She knew that she had to speak to the Hokage and see if she could help her with her untrained chakra, but she didn't have anywhere to go after that was done. She had a bit of money, so she might be able to find a place to stay for a few nights, but she would run out soon.
She hadn't planned far enough ahead.
"Do you have family in the village?" Tenten asked, and it took Kouri a few moments to register that the question was addressed to her.
"No," she replied shortly.
"Do you have somewhere to go when you get there?"
"I have enough money to find a place to stay."
She fell back into silence, and Tenten left her in peace. Soon, she was able to see the gates of Konoha in the distance.
There were so many buildings. The village was even larger than Kouri had imagined. People were wandering the streets, some of them wearing shinobi gear and some of them in civilian clothes. There were multiple food stands set up along the border of the streets, and children played with a ball in the street.
She knew that she had to go see the Hokage, but she had no idea where to go to find her.
"Where is the Hokage's office?" she asked.
To her surprise, it was the brunette who spoke. "It's the large red building over there," he said, pointing. "I have to go there to give a report on our latest mission, so you can follow me if you'd like." They were the first words that he had spoken directly to her.
"I'll go find those two idiots," Tenten told him. "We'll meet up at Ichiraku's?"
He nodded in affirmation, and she leapt onto a nearby rooftop. With a slight gesture, the man gestured for Kouri to follow him as he began to make his way through the streets. She trailed behind him, dodging the crowds of people.
The Hokage's building was enormous. She had been able to see it from across town, so she'd known it was big, but it was even larger than she'd expected it to be. The man led her through the large doors and up three flights of stairs.
"This is the Hokage's office," he explained, knocking on a large door.
"Come in!" a female voice full of authority commanded. "Ah, Neji. I assume the mission was a success?" Kouri's eyes took in the long, blonde ponytails, the striking hazel eyes, and the stern countenance of the woman sitting behind the cluttered desk.
"Yes, Hokage-sama. Our allies have been appeased, and they are currently trying to repair the trade routes." Neji gestured to Kouri. "On our way back, we found someone who was heading this way. She was being attacked, but thanks to Lee's quick actions, she's perfectly alright. She has something to discuss with you."
Kouri stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "Good afternoon, Hokage-sama. I come from the Village Hidden in the Snow."
"Yukigakure? That's quite a long way from here. What brings you to our village?"
"I heard rumors that this village is one of the best for shinobi."
The hazel eyes looked her up and down. "You don't much strike me as the fighting type."
"Well, technically, I'm not a shinobi, but apparently some of my ancestors were. Back in my home village, there was an incident, and I realized that I needed to learn how to control my chakra. My village leader fears that I may have some sort of unrealized kekkei genkai and he said this was the best place to learn about it."
"The rumors are true. Neji, can you see her chakra network?"
The veins around Neji's eyes reappeared, and he looked at Kouri. "It's true that she has an unusually high amount of chakra activity for a civilian. It's untrained and wild, but it's definitely there. It radiates all over her body."
The Hokage pursed her lips in thought. "In that case, I suppose we could find someone to help you figure out exactly what kind of power you have. But, if it is in fact a kekkei genkai, then it could be dangerous to have you walking around untrained. You said that there was an incident in your old village, and I can only assume that someone got hurt. I won't put the people of my village in harm's way." Kouri closed her eyes, preparing to hear that the Hokage wanted to lock her away, or worse, turn her away. "I know someone who could keep an eye on you. He's a jounin, and he's perfectly capable of dealing with anything that you might throw his way. I will have him summoned." She gestured to a large couch in the corner of the room. "Until he arrives, feel free to have a seat. I'm sure you're tired from your travels."
The blonde woman turned her attention back to Neji. "I expect a full report of the mission by tomorrow. You're dismissed."
Kouri took a seat on the couch nervously as Neji left the room, leaving her alone with the Hokage. She could feel the power emanating from the woman, and it was intimidating. She curled up against one of the couch's arms and tried to remain as still as possible, hoping that the woman would forget that she was there.
Apparently, her luck for the day had run out.
"So, Kouri. What clan do you hail from?"
"The Kunshu clan, Hokage-sama."
"The Kunshu clan? I've heard about them. Didn't they used to be some kind of royalty?"
"Yes, they did. That was a long time ago, though. They fell from their position when a generation was born with the kekkei genkai. Those children chose to become shinobi instead of accepting their rightful titles. The throne was passed on to another family, and they have kept their position of power since then."
"The stories don't mention what kind of kekkei genkai it was?"
"No, at least not that I've heard, and I've read all of the records of my family during that time period."
The Hokage hummed under her breath and fell into silence. Kouri made herself comfortable once again, finding herself relaxing despite her company. The Hokage's office was cool enough to soothe the fire crawling beneath her skin. As she laid there, the long days of travel finally caught up with her, and her eyes drifted shut.
She was yanked out of her light doze by a sharp knock on the door. The Hokage gave the person permission to enter. Kouri didn't open her eyes, but she listened closely, making sure to keep her breathing even.
"You summoned me, Tsunade-sama?"
"Yes, Kakashi. I have a mission for you. Do you see the girl on the couch? Her name is Kouri Kunshu. She has uncontrolled chakra and an unknown kekkei genkai. She wants our help learning about it, but until then, I want you to keep an eye on her. It's possible that she could be dangerous."
"And how exactly do you want me to do that? Spy on her? I don't think she'd appreciate that very much, especially since she's listening to every word we're saying and she would know she was being watched."
Kouri froze before hesitantly opening her eyes. She finally let her gaze land on Kakashi. His silver hair stuck straight up, defying all laws of gravity. Half of his face was concealed by a black mask, and his crooked headband hid one of his eyes, but the one eye that remained uncovered was locked on her. It held no disgust or disdain, just a slight hint of curiosity.
Tsunade sighed. "Yes, I suppose that won't work." She pondered the issue for a moment, and her hazel eyes lit up. "Do you still have that spare room in your apartment?"
"Yes," Kakashi replied.
Kouri's mind caught up with what Tsunade was thinking. "Oh, no," she protested, catching their attention. "I couldn't. That's his home. I don't want to impose."
"I promise you, it's no problem," Tsunade said, glaring at Kakashi when he moved to argue. "Especially since that means he won't have any missions outside the village for a while.
"As for your training," she continued. "You will be working with a team as well as coming to meet with me after the sun goes down. Physical activity may be able to help your chakra levels stay balanced, and when your body's in shape, it's easier to control. I think it'd be best for you to work with Team Gai, considering Gai is a taijutsu expert and is most qualified to help in your physical training. Kakashi can show you where they meet tomorrow."
She crossed her hands and fingers in front of her and rested her chin on them. "I think that's all we need to discuss right now. Tomorrow, your training will begin. You better make sure you get some rest. Dismissed!"
With a sigh, Kakashi motioned for Kouri to follow him as he left the building. As soon as they stepped outside, a wave of heat hit her, and perspiration gathered on her brow. She wiped it away, hoping that the silver-haired jounin didn't notice the motion, especially since he appeared to be perfectly fine. If he saw it, he didn't comment on it.
They travelled through the town in silence. Occasionally, Kouri would sneak glances at the man beside her. He walked with a book held in front of his face. Her eyes landed on the words "Icha Icha" that decorated the cover.
"You read pornography while out in public?" she blurted out, unable to contain her bewilderment.
"It's not pornography," he responded easily, as though it was something he had to explain often. "It's romantic literature."
"I've seen one of those books before, and I don't think I'd classify it as literature," she scoffed.
He raised his visible eyebrow at her. "I'm pretty sure underage people aren't allowed to purchase these. Where did you see it?"
Kouri laughed, glad that the man was the type to participate in conversation. Many of the shinobi she'd met had been stern and silent. "I had a neighbor break his leg back in my village. He asked me to go out and get the newest issue for him while he was unable to leave his bookkeeper know of my family and didn't bother questioning it, and curiosity got the best of me when I was heading back to his house." She shuddered. "I'm pretty sure it scarred me for life."
He laughed quietly. "You just don't know how to appreciate art."
They fell back into silence, but this time it was comfortable. There was no tension between them.
Finally, he turned to go up a staircase. Kouri looked up, and her eyes landed on a standard apartment complex. All of the doors looked the same, and she made sure to look at the number on the one that Kakashi stopped in front of so that she didn't accidentally walk into the wrong one.
"Welcome to your new home," Kakashi announced as he pushed the door open.
Kouri stepped inside.