Disclaimer: Nah, no Naruto. Just Reiko and Tora...
So, I got feedback asking for me to continue this, here you go! Enjoy. Oh, and just to clear this up, Team Seven and so forth are 12, so is Reiko. Tora is 15. Itachi is 17 and Shisui is 23. Good? Okay! lol... Thanks to AnimeRulz55, otonashi1262, Mistress Persepone, InnocentBlossom, Chichi4mangaHero and neko-cookie-yuki for favoriting/reveiwing on the first chapter! I lurv you for that! lol
Early the next morning I went to the orphange. Reiko was still asleep when I left, there was no way I was telling him my plan. My knocking was answered by a kindly old lady, that is kind until she caught sight of my scars, "What do you want?" She snapped. I refrained from rolling my eyes, once again glad I didn't let them take me when my father died. "I want to talk about Reiko." The old woman slipped outside and shut the door, this time I did roll my eyes. Everyone was afraid I would corrupt children. The woman glared, "What about him?" I hesintated, if she actually did what I asked for once I would lose my brother. I would lose the only family I cared about.
The cranky old woman placed her hands on her hips, "Well?" I straightened, "I want him to be entered in the Academy." I stated and the woman stared at me for a moment before getting ahold of herself. She huffed, "It's too late for that. He's old enough to be out on his own. If you wanted him to be in the Academy maybe you shouldn't have stolen him right before he went." She turned and was about to walk back in the building when I grabbed her shoulder. She screeched and shook me off, I glared, "I'm trying to fix that mistake, why don't you stop trying to shun me and take the boy? Stop punishing him for my mistake." Even though Reiko agreed to go with me willingly, I was going to shoulder all the blame like I had for my whole life. The woman hesintated this time. She glanced down the road to see if anyone was watching her talk with the Tiger Demon. She glared back at me, "I'm sorry, if you want that poor boy in the Academy you are too late. He's too old." I sighed, "Then how do I get him to be a shinobi?" The woman shrugged, "How should I know? I'm in charge of orphans not shinobi." She snapped.
I walked away calling over my shoulder, "You're not in charge of all of them." I could hear her fustrated scream as I turned down a back alley. No one was in charge of me, something I liked to remind people constantly even if they didn't listen. Walking to the Academy I stuffed my hands deep in my pockets and yawned. I should still be in bed, but I needed to get this mistake untangled before my brother found out and could stop me. Though it was early in the morning classes were just starting at the Academy. Fearful ten year olds stared at me as I walked through the halls, probably scared that I would eat them for breakfast. I rolled my eyes, I was just as normal as the next fifteen year old, with the exception of scars. Iruka, a chunnin who treated me well, frowned when I walked in. His class stared wide eyed at me, most afraid only three or four mesmerized by my scars.
"Can I help you?" Iruka asked, slightly irritated that I inturrupted his class. I jerked my head towards the door and left silently, expecting him to follow. When he did, after a few minutes just to show me my place, I spoke before he could scold, "I want Reiko enrolled in the Academy." Iruka looked taken back, then he frowned again, making his nose scar bunch. I don't know how he got it, only that it was probably the only reason why he even tolerated me. "He's too old. He should be a genin by now." I nodded my head, "I know, but can you blame me? I have no one else." Iruka sighed, "Why the sudden change of heart?" I could talk to Iruka, better than I could to Reiko. To me Reiko was a kid and so he should be spared from my problems, Iruka however... he was an adult who treated me decent and who understood some of my problems. I leaned my head back againt the wall, "I realized that he wasn't cut out for the life I have. He needs people."
Iruka raised an eyebrow at that, "We all need people, some more than others. I'm sorry Tora, but there is nothing I can do." I sighed, defeated, "Who can I talk to?" The chunnin shugged, "I don't know. The Hokage, if you could get that far. Maybe a sensei, to see if they would be willing to privatly train him." I nodded once and left without a good-bye. If I was going to get my brother into the Academy, or get him to be a shinobi, I would have to fight for it. And what better what to kill a problem, then go right to the head?
~No One's POV~
Commotion outside the Hokage's office brought the Yondaime Hokage's head up. (A.N. Yes, Minato is still alive. No Kyuubi attack, no death of Naruto's father) The genin team he was speaking with turned towards the door as he stood, probably ready to deal with any threat that came through. The door was pushed open by two ANBU dragging a girl in. Minato raised his eyebrows in a silent question and the ANBU on the right spoke, "We caught her trying to scale the wall to the Hokage's Tower." The girl huffed, but her black hair veiled her expression, "If I really was trying I wouldn't have been caught." Minato surpressed a smile and leaned against his desk, "Why were you trying to get caught then?" He asked, greatly amused by this girl's so-called master plan.
She cleared her throat, "I want to enroll my little brother in the Academy, or find a jounin who would train him privatly." Everyone was surprised at that, who in the world would get caught just so she could talk to the Hokage about her younger brother? The girl seemed to read the unspoken question correctly, "Who would let the Tiger Demon in the Hokage's Tower? For all you villagers know, I might try and kill you." Even though her voice was flat, Minato detected contempt in her words. The girl lifted her head so that her hair fell away from her face revealing her famous scars and orange eyes, which were blank and expressionless. Minato glanced at the genin team, Team Eight, to judge their reaction. All three kids were frightened like they were raised to be, but Kurenai was carefully hiding her thoughts. Minato sighed, shaking his blonde head, he had tried to stop the villagers from spreading rumors, to make them understand that Tora wasn't a demon. Just a girl with a hard life. Only a few listened to him, but even they found it hard to accept her.
Minato shooed everyone out of his office and closed the door, leaving him and Tora alone. She stiffened, her distrust rolling off her in waves. The Yondaime Hokage sat back down at his desk, and motioned for her to take a seat. She did, perching on the edge of the seat, ready to flee at any moment, "Tora, why couldn't you speak with the Academy or even the orphange?" He asked. The girl looked mildly surprised that he knew her name, but she still answered, "I already tried, both turned me away saying Reiko was too old. Iruka suggested either the Hokage or a jounin." Minato nodded absently, leaning back against his chair, "Why? You know he'll be picked on for living with you." Most girls would have bristled at the statement, but Tora just shrugged, "He's lived with that for six years, what's the rest of his life going to matter?" Minato gave a fustrated sigh then, if this girl was so uncaring he might be able to do something. "I'll tell you what, I can give your brother to a genin team, if he does well he can become a part of that team." Tora narrowed her orange eyes, "And if he doesn't...?" She asked cautiously. Minato shrugged and stood, "There are many other lines of work in which he can succeed in." Tora glared, her eyes hard with anger and... something else. "I don't think you understand my predicament. The shinobi are the only people who treat me realitivly well, Reiko's only hope out of the life I got him in is to either leave Konohagakure or become a leaf nin. Would you rather have a boy with contempt for this village running around, or have a loyal shinobi?"
Minato couldn't help but laugh, which made Tora finally offended, "You are wasted in the streets, Tora. I'll see what I can do to reassure that Reiko has every chance possible, don't worry. Now, is there anyway I can convince you to leave the streets?" Tora looked taken back at the question, then she slid her impassive mask back on, "If my brother is successful, then maybe." She stood and managed a vague bow before walking back out. Minato shook his head, and called Team Eight back in. Kurenai watched as the fifteen year old disappeared, "What did she want?" The Hokage glanced up at the woman, but nothing but worry and concern touched her face. "She wanted her brother to be a genin. Can you inform Asuma that I want to talk to him?" Kurenai bowed but didn't ask for details, even though she would find out soon enough.
~Tora's POV~
I didn't return to our home just yet, most likely if I did Reiko would kill me for multiple reasons; starting with the fact that I didn't tell him where I was going. Instead I walked the streets, head bowed and shoulders hunched to make myself a small target. Even though I showed no intentions of harm, I still recieved digusted looks, avoidance, even the rare smacks from those barve enough to touch my revolting skin. Nothing touches me heart though, as it hasn't for ten years. I don't know why they even bother, they know they can't get to me. My suppliers that I can see ignore me and I them. Some of the shinobi watched me with distrust, others looked pitied. I didn't need their pity, I didn't need their sorrow, concern, distrust, anything. All I needed from them was a way to get my brother to become one of them, and for them to leave me alone.
I passed in front of the Hyuuga compound. The dark haired and paled eyed members of the clan glared at me, their Byakugan activated, watching my every move. I just watched them out of the corner of my eyes, cautious. Too many times I have run into the Hyuuga and too many times I have come away perplexed. They were arrogant and didn't seem to understand any one's problems, not even the normal people. I could only hope that Reiko didn't end up with one of the two genin Hyuuga kids. I was about to turn away when I saw a little girl, probably no younger than three, smile at me and waved at me from behind who I guessed was her father. I stop and stare at her, doesn't she know who I am? Her smile falters a little and she sinks farther behind the man. I blinked several times and walked away without a second glance. All my life no one but Reiko ever showed my any positive emotion, and even with Reiko it took years. So why would a little girl, someone who didn't know me except for the rumors, smile as if we were friends? Humans confused me sometimes.
I continued down my path, glad that the population was starting to thin out the farth away I got from the Hokage Tower. Bored I did a few front flips a few times, then began to walk on my hands to practice my next proformance. The outside world disappeared, nothing mattered anymore. I couldn't hear what the villagers said, I couldn't feel what they did to me. I was in my moment where the only thing that mattered was my acrobats. This was my zone, where I mattered.
Something hit me hard and, before I could fall and break my neck, I flipped up to my feet, glaring at the intruder. The man that I had ran into was laughing, bent over clutching his stomach. His hair was short and unkempt. He had a pale skin tone and upturned markings at the edges of his dark eyes. Beside him was a younger boy, about my age or a little older, with long hair tied back at the nape of his neck and the same onyx eyes as the first. What looked like tear lines marked from his eyes down to his cheeks. He wasn't laughing, just watching. The older boy, if he could be called that, wiped streaming tears away and held out his hand, "I'm sorry, I should have moved. Uchiha Shisui." I blinked, for the third time that day I was caught off guard. Uchiha was another powerful clan, probably the most powerful. Why would one of them hold his hand out to the Tiger Demon? They had full view of my face and scars, surely they knew who I was. Uchiha Shisui raised an eyebrow and dropped his hand, "Cat got you're tongue?" He joked and I frowned, was he... teasing me? I turned to walk away, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me and spun me back to face them. The Uchiha didn't look happy any more.
"What, are you mute?" He asked, the mirth gone from his face. I shook my head, "I can speak." Both Uchihas exchanged glances, something unreadable passed between them. The older looked back at me, "What's your name?" I narrowed my orange eyes, "Don't get out much?" I snapped and he laughed, "Oh ho! Kitty has bite. Now are you going to tell me, or do I have to keep calling you 'Kitty'?" I was tempted to hiss and run, but it was obvious these two were ninja and could catch me in an instant. "...Tora." I said after a while. Uchiha Shisui and the younger Uchiha exchanged glances again, "The acrobat?" Shisui asked. I huffed, "I was walking on my hands when I ran into you, isn't that answer enough? Or do you need more proof than my scars?" The younger Uchiha narrowed his eyes, but didn't say anything. Shisui, however shurgged, "We know about you, but we don't know you. Come on, Itachi." The Uchihas turned and left, leaving me to ponder over his words.
I shook my head and walked back towards my home, it was now or never. I couldn't keep putting my encounter with Reiko off. It was time that he knew what I was planning and I knew he wouldn't like one bit of it.
^o^
Ugh, I have a major headache so this chapter is a little bad, sorry.
