Chapter Two
Disclaimer
I don't own Naruto nor any character connected. Someone else does.
A/N
I hope everyone bore thru the last chapter ok. It was merely a set-up chapter for the story to come. I had chosen to begin this story with the birth of Kimiko/Naruto on purpose. For those that know the story of Naruto birth know that the events in this story diverted there. This story is about the early years of Kimiko Namikaze. Think of this as an AU story.
It has taken Konoha years to get over the events of that October 10th. To think that one of their own had attacked the Hokage was unthinkable. What made it even worse is the perpetrator was an Uchiha one of the founding clans who was revered highly. It almost caused an uprising.
The Uchiha clan was already into an uproar over being forced to segregate themselves from the rest of the village. The Hyuga clan chose to live in one area to better protect the Byakugan the Hyuga clan's kekkei genkai. That was not the case for the Uchiha clan. A compound was built and they were forced to live within the compound.
In time a small rift formed between the Uchiha clan and the rest of Konoha. The rift was amplified when Obito's crime on October 10th was made public knowledge. People feared and respected the power of the sharingan.
Minato and Kushina tried to heal the rift by spending time with them. Kushina and Mikoto Uchiha became best of friends. One day shortly after their children turn five years old they decided to introduce them so Minato, Kushina, and Kimiko went to the Uchiha compound one day to pay them a visit.
Kimiko had learned that her fox ears and tail was not common among other children. She felt nervous around other children because of it and always opted to hide them with a long cloak that had a hood. That is what she opted to wear to the Uchiha estate within the Uchiha compound. Kushina tired to get her daughter to change or take off the cloak but Kimiko was just as stubborn as her mother.
"I said take that cloak off."
Even though she was three Kimiko was able to dress herself and talk plainly. "No! I am going like this or I won't go."
"If it's about your ears and tail, I already told you that you should be proud of them instead of hiding them."
Kimiko did not even consider her mother's words. "I am wearing the cloak and that's final."
A part of Kushina was actually proud how stubborn Kimiko was being right now. However she knew her daughter's stubborn was doing her wrong right know. Defeated, Kushina turned to Minato who overheard everything, "Honey?"
Minato understood Kushina was asking for some support. He had some dealing with the stubborn streak the Uzumakis was famous for. Even though Kimiko was named in the Namikaze clan, she could have been given the name Uzumaki as well. Kimiko had the stubborn streak of a typical Uzumaki maybe more. Minato sighed, "Fine then. She can wear the blasted cloak. However, Kimiko after this you are grounded for two weeks for talking back to your mother. That means you be spending your time up in room for the next two weeks."
"Yes Sir!" Kimiko wanted to argue but she sensed it was useless.
One the way to the Uchiha estate that late afternoon, Kimiko was acutely aware of all the stares she was getting. She could not understand why they were so curious. Kushina noticed her daughter was getting flustered by the attention. "Kimiko," she whispered. Kimiko looked up at her mother. "Your father is a very important person to them. They are just curious about you because of it. Don't let it bother you and be proud of your father."
Kimiko was proud of her father. Even at that early age she knew how special he was. She even knew of his teleportation skills which she found it enjoyable. One day she hopes to learn how to do that.
Once at the Uchiha estate, Mikoto answered the door, "Minato … Kushina … please come in." She then saw the cloaked child. "Kushina is that Kimiko-chan."
Kushina sighed, "Yes. I tried to get her lose the cloak but I am afraid she inherited my stubbornness. She is shy about how special she is. I hope this is not a problem."
Mikoto giggled, "Not your stubbornness. Oh dear! I hope she inherited her Father's patience and not your temperament. In any case Sasuke is in the garden over there. Why don't you go introduce yourself to him Kimiko?"
Kimiko looked toward her mother. "Go on Kimiko. Go introduce yourself to Sasuke."
Kimiko made her way out to the garden. Once there she saw a boy about her age doing some strange movements dressed in white pants and a blue shirt. The shirt had a strange emblem on it that she correctly guessed was the symbol of the Uchiha clan.
Sasuke Uchiha was smart for his age. True Itachi was a genius however Sasuke was no slouch either. He already knew of the Hokage and the importance he had. Sasuke even knew the Hokage and his family was visiting his house today. The one thing Sasuke could not stand was people hiding themselves from his sight. So when a cloaked hooded figure came over to him he asked rudely, "Who the hell are you and why are wearing that hideous cloak?"
'Is that any way for him to introduce himself, The Nerve!' thought Kimiko. Kimiko had indeed inherited her father's patience but unfortunately she also inherited her mother's temperament as well which will prove to a dangerous combination in her later years. "My NAME is Namikaze Kimiki. As for the cloak, you have not earned the privilege to see me yet," she stated defiantly.
Sasuke got so angry he saw red, "Why you!" He grabbed the collar of the cloak. "I am Sasuke Uchiha, the son of the lord of this manner. Take that cloak off," he barked the order out.
"No you jerk," said a rather angry Kimiko.
She looked right into Sasuke's eyes and froze. They were red with anger. She has never seen eyes like those before not even from her own mother who is widely known for her great anger.
"When I tell you to take off that cloak then you better do it." Sasuke then ripped the cloak off her. Sasuke eyes then went wide in shock for he saw the fox tail, fox ears, and the whiskers Kimiko had been trying to keep hidden. "You're a fox girl."
That was the wrong thing he could possibly say then. Kimiko glared at him with an expression full of anguish while tears dripped freely from her eyes. "SASUKE YOU JERK!"
-SLAP-
That slap Kimiko gave Sasuke was so hard that the sound echoed throughout the area. Everyone heard it and turned to see Sasuke head tilted down in shame as Kimiko the fox girl ran crying thru the house past her mother and out the front door. Her tears never dried.
Mikoto looked at her own son with shame and back to Kushina. "I sorry Kushina," she whispered.
"I am too," she said as she took off after her daughter. And she was sorry indeed. Kushina was sorry she forced her daughter to come here when she knew Kimiko had not made peace with the way she looked like first. That is the reason she wore that cloak today. She was too embarrassed to show what she truly looked like. True Kushina could have used a henge on her own daughter but did not for Kimiko had to come to terms with her appearance by herself sooner or later. Kushina had hoped to force the issue today but it backfired miserably.
Kimiko hearing is superb. She could hear her mother running after her. Right now she did not want to face her. But at the rate they were running she would catch up to Kimiko in no time. Kimiko panicked and began doing hand signs she saw a million times before.
Kimiko teleported away.
"What the … ?" said a bewildered Kushina. Kimiko was only five years old. There was no way she should have been able to use any jitsu never mind one as advanced as Minato's Flash Jitsu. Defeated, Kushina slumped to the ground crying for not being able to comfort her daughter. The teleportation could have landed her anywhere.
Minato teleported right on top of her. "Kushina! Are you all right? Where is Kimiko?"
Kushina hugged her husband while crying. "She used your Flash Jitsu to teleport away. I don't know where she is. I am a terrible mother."
Minato tightened the hug. "No Kushina. You are a great mother. You have tried frantically to get Kimiko to accept who she really is. She is the one who fought your efforts till this happened. Do you want to know the reason I let her wear the cloak today? I did it suspecting something like this would happen. I know its tough love but I know from experience how to get through that kind of stubbornness. We have to be there for Kimiko when she finally sees reason."
-Elsewhere in Konoha-
When Kimiko reappeared from the teleportation she was scared to death. Even though he father had teleported them both a thousand times before and she enjoyed each time this was different. With her Dad she always knew they were not lost for her father knew where they were at all times not to mention he knew how to get them home as well. Kimiko did not know where she ended up at nor did she know HOW she managed to perform the Flash jitsu too. So in essence she was totally lost.
Now Kimiko wished she had let her mother Kushina catch up to her because now she wanted her mother more than anything. She was deep in the forest in a section she never been in before. A river bank was close by so Kimiko went to it. As she peered into the water she saw her own reflection. This revolted Kimiko for she saw the attributes that she grew to hate for it brought her nothing but grief. She started to swat the water in frustration. Tiring herself out, Kimiko curled herself in a ball on the ground and cried.
Nearby, another five year old boy picked up on the sounds of her crying. This boy had red triangles on his cheeks and was with a dog. The dog was not his but one of his sister's three partners. He moved to investigate the noises. When he neared the river all he noticed is what appeared to be a blonde fox who was crying. Wait foxes don't cry like humans do. "Excuse me. Are you all right?"
Kimiko was startled for the first time in her life. Evidently she was crying so hard that it overpowered her other senses which was keener than most people. She was so startled that her tears dried up. But then she decided to run from the intruder.
The boy for the most part was shocked by what he saw. Here was a pretty girl with long blonde hair down to her waist with fox ears on top of her head. She had whisker marks on her cheeks and a gorgeous blond fox tail with a red tip. He had never seen anything like her before. But he also knew she was lost and now she was going to get herself more lost as she ran from him.
"Ah miss you are lost aren't you?" asked the boy.
That stopped her cold. She was lost and running from the only person around was not going to help her situation any. She looked back at the boy and saw him smiling. This eased her fear a little. "Who are you?" she asked.
"I am Inuzuka Kiba. You can call me Kiba. Who might you be?"
Kimiko instantly recognized the Inuzuka name and felt relieved knowing the Inuzuka lands borders the Namikaze lands. She smiled at the boy and said, "My name is Namikaze Kimiko. Please call me Kimiko."
Kiba recognized the Namikaze name as being the same name of the current Hokage. "Would you be any relation to Minato Namikaze?"
"He is my Father." Then Kimiko got a sad look on her face. "I bet they are worried sick about me now. I wish I can send word to them."
"Um, could you give me a second?" Kiba took a scroll out and wrote a note out explaining about Kimiko to his sister Hana. Then he whistled for the dog that was nearby. "Give this scroll to Hana please." The dog took off knowing this was important. Kiba turned back to Kimiko. "You can relax. I sent word back to my sister Hana. She will send word to your parents then come here to escort you home."
Kimiko sighed with relief knowing she will be home soon. "I noticed you crying earlier. Those tears were not just from being lost. I can tell. Would you mind telling me why you were crying?" Kimiko stiffened. Kiba noticed, "Look I will understand if you don't want to talk about it. I just thought you might feel better if you get it off your chest."
Kimiko relaxed thinking that he seems nice. Maybe she will feel better telling someone who wants to hear about it. "Ok I'll tell you." She then started recount the events of the afternoon. Afterward she started rambling about how she always hated the fox part of herself ever since she understood she was different.
Meanwhile the dog had reached Hana. She was flabbergasted that Kiba had found the daughter of the Hokage in the forest on their land. Immediately she dispatched another dog to Minato and Kushina with a note telling them their daughter was with her little brother and she will personally escort her home soon. Hana then set out with her partners to where her brother Kiba and Kimiko was.
When she neared them something her brother said made her stop and just listen for now. "So let me get this straight. Sasuke ripped a cloak off you then you slapped the shit out of him. Hehe serves that jerk right. But what is really bothering you is that you hate your special fox attributes," inquired Kiba.
Kimiko nodded.
Kiba looked up at the stars. "Kimiko, I don't think you fully realize how special you really are and how not out of the ordinary you are too."
Kimiko looked puzzled and Hana could not be more proud of her little brother.
"The ninja world is so full of weirdoes you look positively normal. Heck in this village alone houses some pretty bizarre ninja clans. One clan specializes in expanding their bodies and using it as a weapon. Everyone in that clan is super fat. Another clan manipulates shadows to their will. Heck my own clan uses dogs in some strange fighting jitsus. One is called 'Beast Mimicre' and 'Fang wolf fang'. Then there is all-fours taijitsu we use. The point is you are cute and special the way you are," stated Kiba calmly.
Kimiko was happy for the first time in her life with the way she was. "Thanks Kiba," replied Kimiko as she gave Kiba a big hug of thanks.
Hana felt she should make her presence known now. "My little brother is right, Kimiko. You are special and you should never hide who you are from anyone. Now I think it's time for all of us to go home."
"How long have you been up there sis?"
"She got there right after I finished explaining about my afternoon at the Uchiha's compound," answered Kimiko.
"I am impressed. Not too many children can tell I am there from that distance and certainly not when I have the home field advantage. My name is Inuzuka Hana and as Kiba said I am his older sister. Kiba will follow my partners home while I'll escort you home, Kimiko."
"Bye Kiba and thanks," said Kimiko
About a half hour later, Hana and Kimiko were at the front door of the Namikaze mansion. Hana knock on the door. Kushina answered. Hana was about to say something when Kimiko leaped towards her mother crying out, "Mom, I am so sorry."
Kushina caught her into a hug. "It's okay little one you are safe now. We will talk about this in the morning."
Kimiko pushed away while still in her mother's arms to look at her, "Mom, can you help me with something tomorrow afterwards?"
"With what," asked Kushina?
"Will you help me get rid of my cloaks? I don't need them anymore," Kimiko declared with a smile.
A/N
Ah my heart is all warm and fuzzy. Seriously though there are a few things I hope yall noted about this chapter. The introduction of the two boys for one and the second is Kimiko's miraculous use of Minato's Flash Jitsu. I am sorry if Kiba is a little OOC but I think I nailed Sasuke down pact.
Hey please don't be shy everyone. Send me a comment or a review. I love hearing from my fans.
