Just What I Want
Disclaimer: I no own Naruto. I only borrow characters.
Warning: None.
Summary: Poor Kotetsu, his 14-year-old niece is in town and he has to watch her while her mother's out on a mission. At first he was, "Sure, no problem." Then as he found out what she does for a laugh… let's just say it's too late to say no.
A/N: Okay, so I know the idea seems weird but I wanted to put a twist on things. In most cases Kotetsu is purposed as not liking kids, so I decided to torture him. MuhHaHa! Anyway, please don't flame me for the idea, I'm just testing it out! *Hides behind Hayate* Well, review and tell meh what you think of the proposal! *Hayate moves away* No, don't let them kill me!!!
Inner self/ Conscience
thoughts/ dream
'thought speech'
"Speech"
'narrated thought'
Chapter 1
I put my navy blue iPod on and crank the volume up to 7 as to drown out what my mother was saying. When she finishes I turn it off to catch the last bit of what she was saying.
"…So, Raven, go pack your things now so you don't regret it later." Her silky, raven, black hair fell to the end of her lower back and her face looked stern with worry. She's not even my real mother, I know because my mother had dirty blonde hair that fell right below her shoulders and a careless expression on her face. So my Step-mother was talking to me and I honestly didn't care about her.
"Eh, pack for what, I don't have a mission tomorrow, Ginny." I said merely shrugging my shoulders.
"I really wish you'd stop calling me that sweetie, why can't you just call me mom?" I looked at her with disbelief and try my best to suppress my laughter; her, my mother, this imposter posing as my mother? Please, like that'll ever happen, I mean it's like asking a mule to please sit down; impossible! I finally manage to keep my laughter under control and go to my original question.
"Okay, mom, what do I have to pack for? I mean, it's not like I have a mission tomorrow or anything." I said and only received a defeated sigh and a hint of frustration.
"Were you listening to anything I was saying? I said you're going to your uncle's tonight because I have a mission and your father won't be home until next week. I suggest you pack for a week so you'll be prepared and an extra change of clothing 'cause I'm not sure when I'll be back." I blink twice then double over and cough a few times before I found my balance again. My uncle, the famous Psychology ninja, surly she doesn't mean that, maybe she meant to say something else?
"Er… did you say my uncle, Kotetsu? Are you sure, because I think I heard you wrong." Again, she looked me up and down and sighed.
"Yes, your uncle, Kotetsu, will be watching you while I'm on my mission and until I come back. Now, go pack your things so I won't be late for my mission tonight." Once she left, I shrugged my shoulders and turned my iPod back on and went upstairs to throw stuff in a book bag at random. A few articles of clothing, some underwear, some hygienic stuff, a few pencils and pens, a notebook with my stories in it and my book, "Impulse, by Ellen Hopkins," and that concluded my over-stuffed book bag.
After a few hours she finally comes to the door and walks me out then tells me where to go. I ask her if the address is correct, but she's already gone; so much for a mother, eh? On my way there I stopped to pick up a few things and stuff them in my already over-stuffed book bag. I'm really going to need a duffle sometime in the future.
By the time I reach my destination, it's nearly dark and the wind picks up. 'So, he lives in an apartment complex, not a bad place. I wish I could get an apartment to get away from that imposter.' I thought to myself and went to knock a few times on the door. Sure enough, it opens and I see the person with black, wild hair that fell all over the place and a small smile on his face. I tilt my head in curiosity and wait for him to say something.
"Why, if isn't my niece, Raven! How you've been, I haven't seen you in while. How's you mom keeping?" I really wasn't sure if this was my uncle, but I guess he was. He sounds like my uncle and looks like my uncle, so he must be.
"She's dead. Yeah, she died on her last mission into Oto." I said with no emotion in my voice. Eventhough I say this offhandedly, I feel entirely torn up inside. She was my mother after all; I'm not that cold.
"Oh, sorry to hear that, would like to come inside?" I merely nodded and he stepped away from the door to let me in. I come to find out I wasn't the only here. There was a guy with a senbon in his mouth, another that looked sick and one with hair that fell over his right eye. As if I wasn't already nervous, they were all looking at me.
"Oi, 'tsu, was this the niece you were going on 'bout?" The one with hair over his eye asked from the kitchen.
"Yeah, Raven this is Izumo, Hayate, Genma and this is my niece." They all smiled warmly and waved. I manage a small smile that doesn't reach my eyes and turn back to my uncle.
"…Are you really my uncle?" My hand went directly over my mouth. I didn't mean to let that slip! Great, not even five minutes and I'm already spilling random things out.
"Er…ano…I meant…uh…hi?" I said quickly hoping he didn't hear that.
"So, are you hungry, Rav'? You look like you haven't eaten." Kotetsu said. Okay, so either he didn't hear what I said or he's choosing to ignore it. If it's the second one, then I'll remember not to bring it up again.
"Well, er, not really… I haven't been terribly hungry recently." I lied just so I could avoid the question. However, it did have some truth to it.
"Oh, okay, well uh… sure. I'll show you to your bedroom then." He said and places his arm around my shoulders and led me away from the living room to a fairly simple bedroom.
"So, here's your bedroom and mine is down the hall to the right… the bathroom is to the left…and… you can go ahead and unpack." I nod once and go to reach my bag and start organizing my clothes into the bare dresser on the far left of the room. Then I go towards the desk and place my pens, pencils, and notebook in the desk along with my book and shove my iPod into my jeans pocket.
When I make my way back towards the living room, I slip into the kitchen as quickly as I could and stole a skewer and semi-sharp knife and shoved them in my pocket. I make my way back towards the living room only to run into someone.
"Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't see where I was going, so, sorry to run in to you like that!" I said quickly pushing myself back off the floor and brushing the dirt off me.
"Oh, no, I'm sorry for running into you like that. Are you alright, you looked as though you hit your head or something." It took me while before recognizing who I ran into. Once I finally figured it out, I almost double tacked.
"Sorry… Genma-san, I'm fine," He recoiled at the name, "I'm kinda tired so… I'll just head on to bed." I said smiling and walking off only to have the collar on my shirt pulled and tumbled into Genma.
"Don't worry about it, where were you going in such a hurry?" Thinking of a quick lie, I try to buy some time.
"Well, I…" Then it suddenly hit me, man I'm such an idiot, "I'm really tired and all and I don't want to fall asleep on the floor." At first it seemed as though he wasn't going to buy it, so I yawned to look very exhausted. After he released my collar I quickly, without trying to look suspicious, go to my bedroom and scan the place over a few times.
The room was how I left it; clean and organized so not like my thoughts. My mind drifted from one thought to the other in a random order with no sense of reason. Several thoughts run through my head and some of them spill out proven in the incident earlier.
Scanning my room again, my eyes drift to the bed and my mind screams to lay on it. However, no matter how tired I was, I decided to open the window and allow the cooling air to fill my senses. Autumn was definitely well on her way and soon the tress will be splashed in red, oranges, yellows and pinks.
That was another thing that took me by surprise, why did they have cherry blossom trees in this village? I can understand oaks, willows, dog woods, whatever, but what's drawing me to focus so much on the cherry blossoms? I'll never understand my mind.
Just as I was about to open my bedroom door, the knob turns and I crash into someone; again.
"Um…hi and… excuse me?" I said awkwardly. This whole day has been so awkward I don't even know how explain it.
"Hey, I know you have to be hungry especially after that long trip here. Wanna join us for dinner? I make the best food around here." Hm…I'm assuming this was Izumo, right? I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could, my stomach answered for me by letting a low growl.
I felt the heat come to cheeks almost immediately as I look toward the floor not wanting to meet his eyes. My mind quickly went through the possible ideas. I'd love to join them for dinner, but I'm not much of people person. On the other hand, I'm hungry and I would love to eat. If I join them for dinner, I'll probably get involved in conversation and be thrown into another awkward position. If I decide not to, I can easily avoid the uncomfortable conversation and enjoy my thoughts…
"Um… not to pressure you or anything, but uh… do you or do you not?" I broke from my musings and meet his eyes. He had soft, caring eyes and I was lost for a while in the chocolate brown color before I managed something that made no sense.
"I'm not really a people person, but I guess there's no harm in joining. On the other hand, I don't want this day to be anymore awkward then it already is." I said somewhat distantly. Great, just great, I decide to join him for dinner and now I'm back to that awkward position once more. Smooth moves, baka, smooth moves.
"You don't have to be a 'people person' to eat, ya know." He said and I caught the hint of joke in his voice. For some reason my mind took this differently and said, "You do have to be a people person because you have join in conversations. It's only polite you know. He is kinda cute in a way, why not except his offer, kid?"
"Did I ever want to join in the first place? I don't want to be in anymore awkward positions."
"It's only awkward because you never do talk to anyone. Maybe you should at least give him a chance. I mean what's harm in doing so?"
"I do talk to people thank you, it's just… it's just I can't face anyone anymore… not after my mother died anyway."
"Are you still going on about that? That was in the pass, you should be over it by now! Seriously, you shouldn't even have to worry about that. Stop dwelling in the past already and answer him!"
"Okay, okay, jeez, don't scold about it. You're worse than my 'mother'!"
"I guess, not like I have anything better to do." He looked at me with at first worry and then disbelief. Despite this, I force a small smile on my features; it may not be a real smile, but it was better then none.
"Took ya long enough, I thought you were spacing out on me, kiddo." He led me down the hall and towards the table. As soon as I found a seat, I merely stared at the food like it foreign or something. Someone taps me on my shoulder and I quickly start and turn to face him.
"Didn't mean to scare you, but the food isn't poisoned, Raven, if that's the reason why you're starting at it." Wasn't this one Hayate, he seems kind. If I keep my mouth shut maybe I could avoid any conversation.
"I know it's just… I was staring off into space," So much trying to avoid a conversation, baka. "The food looks great, thanks Izumo-san." I said distantly and start eating. I try to ignore the few glances over in my direction while I'm eating. Suddenly, my uncle starts a conversation and I try to ignore this as well.
"So, Raven, how you've been? You should really come by more often; I do worry about you from time to time." I look in his direction and simply tilt my head slightly to the left not saying anything. "What's that look for, no one ever worried for you before or are you just trying to avoid talking because you're shy?" I knew he was only teasing me and yet I still refused to speak.
"What's wrong with her, she seems so… distant, like she never talked to anyone before, Kotetsu." Distant, I'm not that distant am I?
"I'm not sure; she's not normally like this. Are you alright Rav-chan?" I look over in his direction and give a surprised look. No one ever called me that except for my birth mother.
"Yeah, wonderful, I'm just a tad tired is all." I shake my hand dismissively and go back to eating the delicious food; never tasted anything this good in a long time.
"Well, okay then, anyway has your aim improved?" Okay, relax; you can talk so use your voice for once, baka.
"Yeah, my aim has aim has improved greatly, as well as my Genjutsu and a bit of my Ninjutsu improved, but not that much. Taijutsu, let's just say nobody's perfect and as for the sword, I suck." Hayate visibly perked up after I mentioned the sword and Izumo only looked at me puzzled, my uncle laughed his head off and Genma snickered about the Taijutsu thing.
"Huh, guess you have a talent for Genjutsu then just like me. I never was good at Ninjutsu and Taijutsu really isn't my thing. I can't help you about the sword though, but I do know someone who can." He said and I only sink into my chair.
"Great, the Chuunin Exams are just around the corner. How am I supposed to work on all that before then?"
"What about your sensei… Tsume, was it?" I simply shrug my shoulders and start poking around at my peas and mashed potatoes.
"Well, all's not lost, Raven. I think I know a few people who would be willing to help you out." I snort in disbelief and continue poking my food. I think if you could murder food, then I would have murder it ten times by now.
"No really, Hayate looks interested in your sword issue, Izumo's great at Ninjutsu, and Genma well… he's fairly well at Taijutsu."
"What's that supposed to mean, Ko?"
"I'm only saying it like is, Gen, don't get your head all jumbled… that is, if it isn't already jumbled." I chuckle a little at Genma's pouting. Suddenly, I felt the awkwardness go away and I actually felt more comfortable.
After dinner, I pull my pajamas out and head to the bathroom to take a hot shower and relax a while. I couldn't remember a time when I felt this happy and relaxed. Getting into the shower I could actually feel how tired I was and started to fall asleep in the shower. Suddenly, darkness over came me and I fell into a deep sleep not knowing I was practically drowning.
A few minutes later I wake up and start at seeing where I was. How did I get from the bathroom to the living room and why did my head hurt?
"Glad you're awake, I thought you died."
"Huh?"
"You fell asleep in the shower and were drowning."
"I… fell asleep… in the shower?"
"Pretty much, I was wondering what took you so long and went to check on you and not receiving an answer I burst in the bathroom to find a drowned rat in the shower."
"But then… how… why does my head hurt; nothing makes any sense."
"Don't worry about it, just get some rest."
"It's kinda hard to do that when people are around you, you know."
"Right, sorry, here grab a hold around my neck and I'll tuck you in I guess." I do exactly that and once placed under the covers I fell asleep almost instantly.
"Where am I? What's going on?" Raven asks in her sleep. All around her trees are burning down and there's thick, choarcoal-black smoke everywhere. Amidst the smoke, she sees a short boy about the age of five standing there through the smoke.
"Who are you? Are you lost? What's your name?" The boy remains silent and beckons her to him. She follows him without question and they stop upon a hill looking over a vast graveyard. "Where are we? Why are we here?" The boy remains silent and starts walking off to the graveyard and Raven follows him.
When they stop, Raven sees this old burnt mansion. 'Well, this is odd.' She thinks and the boy beckons her to the mansion.
Once inside she looks at everything, in what she assumes is the living room, and takes in all the burnt artifacts minus a sleek, steel sword at the far end of a corridor that snakes off from the living room. The boy walks down it and his eyes, Raven notes, are glazed over like he was in a dream.
Suddenly they stop and the boy points down at the stand of the sword. Raven looks where he's pointing and sees a horrific site. There, at the foot of the sword's stand, lay three dead bodies chopped up into small bits. Before Raven has time to dwell on them, the boy then points a shakey finger at the sword on the stand. She notices the blood dripping from the tip and the boy, at last, speaks saying, "Save me, help me; He's going to get me."
"Who's going to get you? What's your name? Why are you only one who survived?" She asks and the five year old boy vanishes and she sees the boy hiding in a closet and goes to walk towards him and realizes that she can't move.
Then, towering over her, is a massive shadowy figure that looks to be six foot three inches and she sees an errie smile creep onto its face. She hears bone-chilling screams and then the figure places the, now blood drenched, sword back on it's stand and leaves without a trace of him ever being there.
Before she can even say anything the same boy that brought her here jumps out from the closet and kneels beside his family, she assumes, and cries asking them for forgivness for his cowardice over and over again. Then, after what felt like an internity, the boy looks up at her through his suit-filled bangs and says, "Why didn't you save them? Why didn't you protect them? Why!?" At this Raven goes to say something and realizes her voice is gone as well.
Raven doesn't even have the time to scream before the boy brings down the crimson liquid covered sword on top of her; laughing evily saying, "Vengence is mine."
Raven wakes up and screams as loud as can before she hears hurried footsteps coming to her bedroom. The door slams open and her uncle, and his friend, Izumo come bounding in with kunai at the ready.
"What's wrong, what happened?" Kotetsu nearly shouts and looks around to find his niece huddled in a corner, shaking, with her head against her knees and hugging her knees close to her. Both of them put their kunai away and walk over to her. Kotetsu kneels down to her height and lifts her head up gently; talking note of the salt-stained cheeks.
"Raven, what happened? Why are you in the floor?" Without an answer from her, she jumps up and clings tightly to his Chuunin vest and starts to cry; drencing his vest.
It takes a few long minutes before she calms down enough to tell them, "It was awful... there was all this smoke and a boy... then.... a huge burnt down mansion and we went inside. He led me down this corridor and pointed up at a sword that was covered in blood.
"Then he pointed down and I saw... saw... his family, I guess, chopped up into small pieces. After that he vanishes and this huge shadow towers over me... and it murders his parents. Through this whole thing, I couldn't move or even scream and then... the boy comes out from the closet
"and.... brings the sword down on me screaming, 'Vengence is mine.' That's all I remember... it was awful! Who would kill his family!?" For a while Kotetsu and Izumo don't say anything playing the nightmare over in their heads. Raven is still holding tight on her uncle's vest and, although she stops crying, her shaking continues and her uncle pulls her into a strong embrace.
"It's alright Raven, it was just a nighmare. Are you going to be alright?" She wanted to say 'yes' but a soild 'no' comes out of her mouth. When Kotetsu starts to stands up she follows suit and lets hime place her down on her bed that had the sheets in a bundled mess. "Get some rest, Rav-chan, and we'll talk more in the morning." He says and him and Izumo walk out of the room with Izumo turning off the light.
She then thinks, "That's the fifth time this month. What is with that boy and nightmare? Was it even real? Oh, Kami, why do you torture me so?" She asks and then falls into a fitful sleep.
Author's note: Well, there you go people, the first chapter to this story. Yes, I know on my previous account, KamizukiRaven, that I already have this story posted, but I did a complete 360 on it; for the most part. Hope you like the new "Just What I Want"
With pleasure,
ferret assassin nin
