Re-Re-published: 27/01/16

Chapter 2

My eyes opened before closing again to block out the light coming in from the window. I squinted and rolled over, turning to face the small alarm clock that was next to the bed. Konoha sure was easy to get in to, they also gave me a completely furnished apartment- little excessive for a show of stability but I wasn't complaining. The small clock said that it was 9:00 am so I sat up, my plan had been simple but apparently it was effective. I could sense the ANBU or Jounin sitting near the apartment, on the roof of another building. I got out of the bed, ready to enter phase two. I felt just a little bad for doing this but, my years of training made me quickly push those thoughts aside. I walked to the bathroom and turned on the water in the shower. Water fell from the faucet, hot water. It was strange to think they'd gone to all that trouble for a child- a high up one, but a child none the less.

I hopped out of the loose shirt I had found on the bed- creepy to know that they'd put it there- and placed it on the counter. I got into the shower and winced as the water ran over my back. When I was finished I jumped out and dried myself off. I got back into my kimono, and wrapped the obi (Sash) back around. I grabbed my red Hitai-ate and put it on, I'd be able to at least get some respect in the village- being treated as a child didn't have any appeal to it.

I pulled my shoulder length hair into a low pony tail, my bangs still uncooperative as ever, as I headed into the kitchen area- I doubted they'd have put food in the fridge- since it wasn't certain if I'd be staying in the village yet. If all went to plan I'd hopefully get this apartment. I opened the fridge and as I had expected it was empty so I grabbed my ninja pouch and hid it beneath my obi- as I always did- and headed out. Before I left I did my hygiene, and then grabbed my shoes and put them on - they were a little dirty but wearable. I stood up and looked back at the clock it was 9:30am. I had time to spare before the ANBU came to get me, even though one was just outside. Walking forwards I looked over – actually I couldn't reach the top, so I looked through the railing. People were walking around along dusty roads occasionally entering a shop or building, a few families were carrying bags as they walked.

My first impression of Konoha from the outside is weak, but from the inside it was obvious that even the civilians - that the Nakahara didn't have- were well adjusted and ready for an emergency- while they wouldn't be able to fight back, they'd know how to get out of the way. The civilian populous seemed completely at ease with the ninja leaping over head from building to building – they were okay with living among killers. I still don't like living with civilians, though, they pose a threat to the strength and intelligence within the village.

I placed my hands on top of the railing and pushed off, using the momentum from the swing to spin mid-air. I landed in in front of the apartment building before I turned and walk down the road. I had a good amount of down time, so I decided to go and scope of the area- find the fastest escape route, the busiest areas and what not. When I finished up I began walking again.

As I walked, I passed the river and saw a boy coming up from the pier. He had bluey-black hair and big black eyes. His skin was pale and his clothes had a symbol of a red and white fan on the back. He walked up and turned towards me before he spotted me and made a B line straight for me. Stopping in front of me he looked me up and down "You're the girl that ran into me last night." He concluded. "Yeah… sorry about. I was in a bit of a hurry." I said. His eyes stopped on my head band "You're a Shinobi."

"I am."

"What rank?"

"Chunnin… well I was a Chunnin."

"was?"

"I was a Chunnin of the Nakahara clan, although that clan was wiped out recently." I said, the boy looked at me with wide eyes. "You're family?"

"Yeah… although I'm not really that upset."

"How can you not be upset?!" He let out a small outburst of anger, gaining startled looks from some of the crowd before calming himself with a deep breath. I watched expectantly and he motioned for me to continue.

"My family….. Were not kind people." I decided on, not good to give away too much information. "Anyway I have to get going. So maybe I'll see you around. Sorry again… uh"

"Sasuke… Uchiha Sasuke."

"Nakahara Yumi." I replied before I walked past him back towards the apartment.


Third Person

As Yumi made her way back she spotted Naruto walking. She smiled "Naruto-kun" She said, raising her hand in a wave- gaining his attention and the attention of several adults. Naruto looked over at her with slightly wide eyes before he broke into a face splitting smile. Yumi stopped next to him and grinned. "Hey" He answered a little more reserved than usual. Yumi smiled before the two started walking. After just walking and listening to the chatter on the streets Naruto spoke up. "Hey Yumi-chan, when did you dye your hair like that?"

"Well my hair's been like this since I was little, I've never dyed it before." She said grabbing a piece of her hair "Its just always been like this I guess. I never really thought about why it's like this. How about your little whiskers? They're pretty cute" Yumi said as she poked Naruto's cheek, he blushed "T-they're not cute" he turned and pouted

"You're right, they aren't cute" her tone was much more serious as she hits her fist on her flat palm, Naruto flinched 'I knew it, she's just like everyone else. She hates me now, so I may as well just let her go…' Naruto sighed and was about to turn around when Yumi grabbed his cheeks "They're adorable!" She exclaimed, causing a few people to stop and glare at her, the whispers started again.

Naruto flinched as he heard their harsh words. 'Look at the little monster, hopefully that ninja's going to get rid of him- they should've called the Nakahara clan ages ago.'

'I heard that that's the girl that killed the Nakahara clan'

'really?'

'Yes, apparently she's like a demon and killed everyone- including her own mother and father!'

'That's horrible! Does the Hokage know that there're two demons running around now?'

'He should just di-' Naruto stopped listening, he had to get Yumi out of here, she couldn't be seen with him or she'd be hurt! Naruto nodded to himself, he'd protect her from the mean villagers! He wouldn't let her get hurt because of him. With that thought in mind he grabbed her wrist and began to tug her away from the gossiping crowd around them. Yumi swapped the hold he had on her wrist and took the lead, jumping up onto the roof with a boost of chakra she turned and smiled at him. "Sorry about that, I probably should've given you more warning" She said with a sheepish smile. Naruto found himself staring, Yumi looked down at him "What? Is there something on my face?"

"N-no, I just didn't expect that." Naruto said, dusting off his pants as he stood. "I'll get us back to the apartment then I have to go to the Hokage's office." Yumi said as she headed for the edge of the roof. She turned and gave Naruto a smile before jumping across, she turned and looked at him expectantly.

"You coming?" she questioned as she played with her fingers behind her back. Naruto shuffled over to the edge and looked down. He swallowed before answering "I… I don't think I can make that Yumi-chan…" he said as he looked back up at her. "Sure you can, you showed me yesterday at my apartment that you could jump pretty far."

"Yeah, but that was from one couch to another." He muttered. "If you're scared of falling, I promise I won't let you fall. I'll catch you." Yumi said, with a smile. Naruto hesitated but nodded before taking a few shaky steps back. Taking a deep breath he ran forwards and pushed off his feet, adrenaline coursed through his small frame and he found himself smiling, unconsciously pushing chakra through his system. His feet connected with the other roof and he stood in shock for a second before throwing his hands up in the air and shouting in happiness "I did it!" He exclaimed. Yumi smiled and raised her hands for a high five. Naruto looked at her hand and flinched, preparing to be hit for his outburst. Yumi raised an eye brow at his reaction.

"You going to leave me hanging?" She questioned. "But you're standing up straight Yumi." Naruto said. Yumi blinked "It's a high five. Raise your hand" Yumi said, Naruto did. "Now on the count of three we hit each other's hands, like this" Yumi said as she demonstrated with her own hands. Naruto nodded. "One, two, three." Yumi said and their hands met, the clap resounding across the roof. Naruto grinned at Yumi and she smiled back.

The two began making their way back to their apartment jumping from roof to roof. When they reached the apartment block, Yumi and Naruto said their goodbyes as Naruto went in to his apartment. Yumi turned around and jumped as the same ANBU - hound- stood there silently. "Let's go." He said as he placed a hand on her shoulder and the two 'shunshin'ed away.


At the Hokage's office

The Hokage was looking at the stack of paper work next to his desk. 'Why can't someone else do it? I'm too old for this…' The Hokage sighed, when a knock on his door was heard he mumbled a slightly depressed "Come in" and the door opened. Revealing Yumi and Kakashi, the two walked in and stood in front of his desk. "Hello Yumi, Hound." Hiruzen said as he leaned back in his chair. "Lord Hokage." Hound said with a bow. Yumi inclining her head, giving the Hokage a glimpse of her Nakahara headband from behind her fringe. "Alright, we have attempted to make contact with the Nakahara village. But unfortunately nothing has come back. The two of you will be joining an ANBU squad of 4 to go to the Nakahara village and find out what happened. You'll leave immediately, Yumi you'll be leading the way, since the Nakahara village has their code of entry it'd be best if you show them the way." Hiruzen said. Yumi nodded "I believe there are no security measures in place anymore, sir." Yumi said.

"And why is that?"

"I didn't come across any survivors on my way out." Yumi responded. "I see. Well, just in case, you will show them the way in." The Hokage ordered, he fought the urge to narrow his eyes. This girl was hiding something, whether she wanted to or not, she would spill.

"Right, the team is waiting at the gate. Try to be back before tomorrow." Hiruzen said before he leaned back into his seat. "Hai, Lord Hokage." Kakashi responded with a quick bow, Yumi following suit in the perfect form of the Nakahara. With that the two disappeared from his office.

Yumi and Kakashi stood at the gates, Kakashi's eyes trained on the supposed 'clan heir' of the Nakahara clan. Kakashi had gone back to the Hokage's office to speak about said heir, the two had agreed that she was hiding something—what, they had yet to find out. But they could sense it was something the clan wouldn't want Konoha knowing, if they were still around of course.

The two had contemplated that it might be a trap to lure in some of their strongest fighters, or the girl was an imposter that had incredible skill in hiding his or her chakra. But whatever it was they were weary. Konoha had just recovered from the attack- in fact some were still trying to rebuild their lives they couldn't afford to lose the support of the Nakahara village, it'd jeopardise the whole village's reputation. Plus the whole issue with the Uchiha clan had already left the village with their treaties pulled taunt, they couldn't afford another issue. Kakashi's musings were cut short as Yumi turned and looked at him.

"You've been looking at me from the top of that book for 3 minutes now." She said turning to face the front again she added "that book is a god send, you shouldn't use it for cover." She muttered. Kakashi blinked, 'she' shouldn't have read the book, she was 8. Whoever this ninja is they're not going to get back into Konoha. Kakashi closed the book with an audible clap and tucked it away. He performed the summoning Jutsu. Pakkun appeared with an audible 'poof' of smoke as Kakashi leant down "Pakkun please go and round up the squad, it seems they thought I'd be late." Kakashi said, but the physic link between the two said otherwise. With a nod of conformation Pakkun shunshined away.

Yumi shifted the pack she was given on her back. She watched as Pakkun leapt away, thinking about the message that Kakashi had relayed to his summon. 'Keep them away, they're not who they say they are and I'm going to take them down.' Yumi felt like sighing, this wasn't part of the plan- she was meant to get into the village, be brought the resources from the clan village and be done with it, hopefully welcomed into Konoha. But of course that would've been too easy…

Kakashi headed towards the gate "Pakkun just got back to me, we're going to go on ahead and the other three with catch up." He said, shifting his backpack to a more comfortable position. Yumi nodded and followed after him. The two walking in a tense silence, Yumi leading the way, taking quick shortcuts and unknown twists and turns, she hoped that no one was alive, they'd give her whole plan away. But she was sure no one that saw it was there to see her do it… she'd be killed faster than she could blink, but first she had to get this ANBU on her side.

Kakashi and Yumi landed in silence, Yumi knew that the rest of the ANBU were following them; the twists and turns she took hadn't thrown them off. She looked up and cringed as the blood of her family was smeared on the walls, the stench of death all too familiar to them. She stepped forwards only to leap forwards as a barrage of kunai were sent her way. Kakashi was instantly suspicious, the fact that "Yumi" didn't even know the trap at the gates only cementing the suspicion for Kakashi.

Yumi sat on the cobblestone floor in a small amount of shock, her eyes followed the trajectory of the kunai and saw dirt hands pulled taunt, with ninja wire wrapped between the fingers on the opposite side. There were kunai that had also flung outwards, in a wide arc as kunai had collided in the middle. The trap system was eerily familiar to Yumi and she pulled in a breath and jumped up before sprinting toward the tree line. She heard Kakashi instantly follow her and she gasped as an elbow connected with her spinal cord.

Kakashi watched as "Yumi's" body flew forwards and impacted with one of the trees that surrounded the village. He caught up to the 'girl' but stopped as a young injured women sat against the base of the tree, blood pouring from multiple kunai wounds littered across her body. The women's black hair fell flat against her sweaty face and kunais were set in an intricate trap around her, a last attempt at protection. Blue eyes glared at him as a hand rested on "Yumi's" own.

Yumi was on her knees facing the women, her eyes wide as she looked her over she swallowed. "Mutsumi, who did this to you?" Yumi asked. Kakashi looked down at the two, the woman- now known as Mutsumi- didn't take her eyes off him as she responded in a strained voice "T-the village was attacked. I got here too late… H-he-" she started coughing, fresh blood covering her chin.

"Shhh. Save your energy. I know what happened…. Who did this to you?" Yumi pressed, gently squeezing the woman's hand. "It was the one with" She paused, closing her eyes and drawing in a breath. "yellow eyes… there was a- a thing… with red eyes. It got me from behind… Yumi. I. I saw what you did" The woman said, finally looking at Yumi. Kakashi looked to Yumi as her eyes widened "You did well… I wish I could've trained you as you got older." She placed her hand on top of Yumi's head. "I'm… everyone- we're proud of you." She pulled Yumi in and placed her chin on the child's forehead.


Picture of The Nakahara Clan symbol can be seen in profile