Mirai Chapter 2: Introducing Leaf: First Meeting, a naruto fanfic

Hi there and welcome to Mirai! I understand that the prologue may have been moving too fast so Chapter 1 might feel a little too slow, but I do hope you'll enjoy reading this chapter!

Thank you for taking the time to click on this story! Special thanks to the amazing people who favorited and followed this story. You guys are basically like the petrol/gas to my motivational car tank (Bad analogy, I know...)!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Naruto or this story except for Chieko.

I'll keep a handful of courage in my heart
To use to live through tomorrow
And I'll never take it for granted

Let's go

- Closer by Joe Inoue (Naruto Shippuuden Opening 4)

Chapter 1: Introducing Leaf: First Meeting to a Forever Friendship

The first thing I noticed was the smell of the village. It was different. It smelled of cooked food and fresh, wet grass. An odd combination but it worked. It was like several people decided to have a campfire feast right in the middle of a forest except, it did not look like a forest at all. Sure, the smell of grass and trees and leaves—the smell of nature—came from the forest surrounding the village.

The Village Hidden in the Leaves.

I had to admit that they picked the right name for the village. I looked at the bustling streets filled with people and children. I noticed several pets making their way across the rugged ground with a certain sway. My new home. It was unlike the other smaller villages I've visited with…with Hideo-sensei. I clenched my left fist and glanced at the man holding my other hand with a laidback attitude. That was the only way I could describe the man I called my uncle. He was my savior too but it didn't quite make him as flustered as calling him uncle.

I forced a smile onto my face. "Where are we going, uncle?" I tried to bounce on my heels and look okay. Hideo-sensei hated when I was sad or upset about something. If he was here, he would have forced me to go out into the cold forest and meditate until every negative emotion disappeared. I wanted to do that but it was too lively here.

A dog ran past as a kid younger than me chased after it while yelling excitedly. I walked closer to Asuma. I knew that his name is Asuma Sarutobi but it was more fun to keep calling him uncle.

"We're going to get something to eat."

"Asuma?" A voice called out from behind. We turned around to see a young woman with long wavy black hair and a Leaf forehead protector shown proudly on her forehead. The most noticeable thing about her was her kind bright red eyes. "You've returned?"

"Ah, Kurenai. Just temporarily. I'll be heading out soon." The tanned skin ninja scratched the back of his head.

The woman laughed. She squatted down to get a good look at me. "And you came back with a pretty young lady."

I beamed. "Thank you! You're really pretty too, Kurenai-san!"

Asuma frowned. "That's mean, Chieko. You call her by her name but you call me 'uncle'?"

I nodded, giving him my most innocent smile. It used to work on Hideo-sensei when I didn't want to study ninja history. Asuma-san sighed but reached down and patted my head with a gentle smile. Asuma invited Kurenai to join us for dinner and the three of us headed to a place called Yakiniku-Q. It was a barbecue place. I listened in on Kurenai and Asuma's conversation as we ate delicious barbecued meat.

"How's everything in the village?" Asuma grabbed several pieces of cooked meat and piled it high on my plate. I nodded my head in thanks but paid close attention to Kurenai's response.

Kurenai giggled. "You never change, Asuma. Worried things wouldn't run without you?"

"More like hoping it would run better without me." Lazy, I thought to myself. How did he become a shinobi? But, I knew that he is super strong. He saved me from those evil Cloud ninjas. But Hideo-sensei must have been stronger.

"Well, we do what we can. Although, I'm worried about Kakashi." Kurenai placed her chopsticks down and brought her cup of tea to her lips. She looked thoughtful or maybe she was lost in thought about the past. I had no idea.

Asuma continued to pile food onto my plate with a strangely serious expression. I kept eating and hoped he hadn't noticed how much food I had consumed. Did he have enough money to pay for all the food? Did I? I dug through my bag. My eyes started watering. I had no money. No. Money. What was Hideo-sensei thinking when he packed this?!

I felt a firm hand on my shoulder. I looked up, blinking through my clouded vision. Kurenai gave me a worried look. "Are you okay, Chieko-chan?" She shot Asuma a look but he responded with a shrug.

"I-I…" I sniffled. I knew I had money before I left. Unless… "Cloud stole my money!"

Kurenai and Asuma looked taken aback. They didn't understand! I had been saving my money since I was three. All those ice cream I did not buy. All those dango… How dare those Cloud ninjas steal my money?! I stood up and slammed my hands on the table, drawing the attention of the other customers. Asuma held up his hands at the other people with a sheepish smile. Oops. I hadn't meant to do that. I bowed my head low like Hideo-sensei taught me and apologized.

Kurenai patted my head. "It's okay, Chieko-chan. I'm sure Asuma will be able to pay for the meal."

I turned to look at Asuma. "Will you?" I tugged his shirt sleeve. "I promise I'll pay you back!"

Asuma sighed. "Don't worry about it." He ruffled my already messy hair. I puffed out my cheeks and twirled my hair with my index finger. "C'mon, I better get you to the Third's office."

I put on my hoodie before following Asuma out of the restaurant. It was colder at night with the breeze. Kurenai decided to follow us to the Hokage's office and spent the time explaining to me about the Leaf Village. "Yes, if you join the Academy, you can learn amazing jutsu like Clone jutsu and Substitution jutsu to prepare you for shinobi life. And when you graduate the Academy, you'll be a genin."

I tilted my head. I didn't think it was a good idea to say that I've already learned those jutsu. "Um…when can I join the Academy?"

"Whenever you think you are ready." Kurenai-san smiled.

I nodded. If they had to learn what I've learned from Hideo-sensei, then I knew for a fact that I was ready. I took a deep breath. I needed to be a shinobi. It would have made Hideo-sensei happy. I turned to look at the huge faces on the rocky mountain. I wondered what those faces meant. There were four faces on the rocks and they looked like four men. They must have been pretty important men for their faces to be there.

Kurenai stopped walking and stared at the mountain with faces. "That is the Hokage Monument."

"The Hokage Monument?"

"Yes, those are the faces of the past and current Hokage. First Hokage," she pointed at the first face on the left. "Hashirama Senju," she did the same for the rest of the Hokage faces, "Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. And Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze."

Sarutobi? Wasn't that…? I glanced at Asuma but he didn't react to the name at all. Hiruzen Sarutobi is the Third Hokage then. But that meant, I looked at the fourth face on the mountain, and shook my head. He must have been young.

We made it to the Hokage office and went in to see a man as old as Hideo-sensei. However, he had a huge semi-red hat on top of his head that had the word fire. This was the man known as the strongest shinobi in Leaf and yet, he looked like a kind grandfather. I clenched my fists and tried not to think about Hideo-sensei. I scanned the room and saw the countless paperwork cluttering the room. My hand itched and my mouth twitched into a smile.

"Asuma, you've returned." The raspy voice of the Hokage caught me by surprise. He had a stern look on his face like he knew someone did something terribly wrong. Maybe he knew about the Cloud shinobi stealing my money? He smiled at me. "And who are you, little one?"

My cheeks heated up. "O-oh…" How was a person supposed to greet the leader of the village? "I'm Chieko."

Third-sama stood up and took a slow walk over to me. Beside me, Kurenai-san stood up straighter whereas Asuma-san yawned with a lit cigarette in his mouth. I had no idea when he lit the cigarette but he seemed to be enjoying it. Third-sama placed his hand on my head and squatted down to look at me.

"How are you finding the village, Chieko-chan?"

I fiddled with the sleeves of my hoodie. "It's really loud."

The Hokage laughed. "Yes, we have a lively village. So, what brings you to the office, Chieko-chan?"

"I…" I took the time to explain about everything that happened. "And I think the Cloud ninjas stole my money without me noticing!" Kurenai chuckled while Asuma hit his forehead with his palm. I shrugged. It was the truth. Third-sama stood up and nodded his head. He walked back to his desk and sat down before joining his hands together.

"I see." He nodded. "That is rather unfortunate. I have just the right place for you to stay then after everything you've went through." He scribbled an address on a piece of paper and gestured at me to walk closer. He handed the paper to me and smiled. "Asuma and Kurenai will help you get settled in for tonight."

I returned the smile with a grin of my own. At least I had a place to stay at now. "Thank you! I promise I'll pay you back!"

He waved his hand. "There's no need for any of that. Take care now, Chieko-chan."

I noticed him sharing a look with Kurenai and Asuma but it was not my place to ask about it. I reached over the desk and gave the Third Hokage a peck on the cheek before disappearing out the door. Kurenai giggled while Asuma sighed and called me troublesome. At least I wasn't lazy.

We stood in front of the apartment building with several plastic bags in our hands. It looked different. It wasn't a rectangle nor was it a square building. Instead, it curved on one side and it was straight on the other, making it look like an odd-shaped oval. I had no problems with the shape but the building's color left something to be desired. The pale brown and orange made the building look like it was…dying, in a way. But, it was going to be home for now. Hopefully, the inside would look much better.

We made our way up the stairs and reached the third floor. Now, I believed it was room 301 that Third-sama wrote on the address. I pulled the paper out from my hoodie's pocket and tried to read the scribbles. I realized that I didn't have the key to open the door as I stood in front of room 301. Kurenai gently pushed me to the side and stuck a key into the keyhole, twisting it open for all of us.

I laughed. "I guess I should have waited for the key before running out of the office…"

Kurenai smiled. "Don't worry about it, Chieko-chan. Let's go put everything down while you explore your new home."

And I did what she said. I stepped into the apartment and discarded my shoes at the entrance. I smiled. The inside of the apartment looked simple and clean. There wasn't an ounce of dust as I ran my fingers through the white walls.

As I walked in, there was a small living room connected to the kitchen. A short coffee table in the living room greeted me as soon as I entered. Nearby, there was a taller dining table with four chairs. I turned left to find a narrow hallway leading to the bathroom and the bedroom. The bathroom had a shower, a sink, and a toilet. I needed to get a trashcan soon. I ignored the urge to get one right now as I walked over to the bedroom.

There was a small bed in the corner of the room. Next to it and by the window stood a simple desk with a chair in front of it. My favorite object had to be the bookshelf in the other corner of the room. My eyes watered. It was perfect. I touched and poked the soft bed and fluffed up the tiny pillow. I had no idea what it was like to sleep on something this soft. I smiled. It would be fun.

I walked out and made my way to the living room as Kurenai and Asuma were emptying the contents of several plastic bags. I dumped my bag onto the ground and helped them. I stuffed the fruits and vegetables into the fridge. I balanced the eggs and milk soon after while holding the fridge door open with my leg and slipped it into the fridge's side slot. Then, holding onto the chicken and pork meat, I divided them in half before placing some in the freezer and the rest in the fridge. I grabbed one of the dining room chairs and stood up on it to drop flour, rice, oil, and ramen into the kitchen cabinets. I grabbed the toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, soap, and the set of four toilet paper rolls and arranged them in the bathroom.

Was there anything else I was missing? There probably was but I had tomorrow to deal with it. I turned to look at Kurenai and Asuma. I bowed low and smiled.

"Thank you for everything, uncle, Kurenai-san."

Asuma rubbed the back of his head. "You're too much, Chieko."

"You're very welcome, Chieko-chan. Is there anything else you'll need for tonight?" The red eyed beauty started to fold the plastic bags into manageable sizes. I shook my head. "Well, then I should get going. I've got a mission tomorrow morning and I'll be gone for some time but I'll see you soon, Chieko-chan."

I grinned. I was not alone. I had someone again. Hideo-sensei, I had someone. I ran forward and gave Kurenai a hug. "Please be careful."

She laughed. "I will. You take care of yourself too."

I nodded and turned to look at Asuma. "You'll be leaving soon, uncle?"

Asuma nodded. "That's the plan." He placed his big hand on my head. "Good luck, kid." I grinned and leaned over to give him a peck on the cheek. Asuma sighed again but with a small smile on his face.

"Thank you!" I walked out to the entrance with the two adults. "I'll make dinner next time!" They waved and left in true ninja fashion, by jumping on rooftops. I closed the front door and plopped onto the ground. A sigh escaped my throat. I unzipped my hoodie and threw it to the side. My eyes went to the seal Hideo-sensei created on my arm. It had a round shape with several scribbles surrounding it. I squinted my eyes and tried to read the scribbles but it was impossible. The only thing I could have read was the word hidden at the center. I ran my fingers over the seal.

No. I didn't want to know what those books and scrolls meant yet. Hideo-sensei died for these stupid secrets; no, he died for me.

I stood up and grabbed my towel with me. I needed to rest and forget everything. Sleep came easily that night.

My body shot up at six in the morning. Hideo-sensei said that morning meditation is the most important thing to do before breakfast. I did just that. I allowed my thoughts to come and go. Why did Hideo-sensei not let me fight beside him? He didn't believe in my abilities. Why didn't I stay behind? I was scared. I didn't want to die yet. Why didn't I fight the Cloud ninjas and get revenge? I was still scared. Why was I so weak after all my training? I didn't train hard enough. Was I weak? Yes.

But, I remembered the kindness of Asuma, Chiriku, Kurenai and Third-sama. They saved me and gave me shelter. I opened my eyes and looked around the room.

It was home now. I had to make it my home now. I stood up and made an easy breakfast. I scrambled two eggs and had a glass of milk. After finishing my meal, I grabbed an apple from the fridge and bit into it. I showered soon after and emptied my bag of its content. I blinked once as another object came flying out with the rest of my clothes and items.

"Money!" I rushed forward and grabbed my wallet. I opened it and started counting how much I had on me. I needed you, money. I split it into three different piles: one pile was hidden under my bed, the second pile was hidden in one of my several pants, and the last pile I kept in my wallet.

Good. Time to make this place my home.

I locked the door behind me and walked down the stairs. It was time to explore. The sun shone bright but it didn't faze the other villagers as people were getting their shops and restaurants ready for business. I moved about and noticed the happy villagers with their peaceful daily life. I watched as several ninjas made their way to the Hokage Office by jumping from roof to roof. The familiar Hokage Monument seemed so much more hopeful and awe-inspiring than it was last night.

I passed by a flower shop and decided that I would head in there after I've done everything else. I needed more weapons and I needed to find a quiet place to train. I walked down the street and jumped to the side to avoid children around my age running past me. I laughed. It felt like the village had an energy of its own. The best description for the village had to be: it is like a spirit that burns bright.

I avoided another running child as I slipped into a weapons shop. The owner looked down at me with a big smile.

"Hey there, little lady. What'cha looking for?" He had dark grey hair and really tanned skin. His muscles looked taut. He had to know how to use every weapon in his shop.

I returned his smile. "I need some new shuriken and kunai, uncle!"

"Coming right up, miss!" He replied. I laughed. Was he bringing weapons to me or serving me food? He dropped a pouch of kunai and a pouch of shuriken in front of me. "That'll be 300 ryo!"

Huh. It was cheaper here than it was when I bought it from a smaller village. It must have something to do with how easy it is for a big ninja village to get supplies of weapons. I pulled out my wallet and took out a 100 ryo coin and a 200 ryo coin. I placed them on the counter and hooked the pouches on my belt.

"Pleasure doing business with you, little miss!"

"Thanks, uncle!"

Now I had four new shuriken and four new kunai. Time to look for a new training location. It had to be located away from the shops and restaurants. I walked further and further away until I stumbled upon an area with several trees with empty patches of grass. A river ran in the background. It was missing the sound of birds tweeting, though.

I spotted a nice slab of rock and walked over to it. Sitting cross-legged, I allowed my mind to quiet down and felt the swirl of chakra within me and around me shift. I released the chakra into the air and a strong gust of wind washed over me, bringing in the scent of freshly-cut grass. The hair tie that held my hair in place came loose and flew away in the wind. I ignored it and turned my attention to focusing the chakra within to specific areas of my body.

First, I controlled the chakra to flow to my feet. With my eyes closed, I shot off into a run towards the river and allowed my chakra to keep me balanced above the calm water. I kicked myself off into the air with an additional chakra boost and landed on my hands. I took slow hand-steps towards solid ground and opened my eyes.

I panted. That felt good. A small patch of flowers was hidden in the shade. I walked over to it. I loved the red and purple flowers the most. I squatted down and ran my fingers over the flower petals. My hands began to collect several flowers to turn it into a wreath.

"Why, thank you, Chieko-chan. I can look pretty now."

Hideo-sensei. Why did you have to leave me now? You said…and you promised. Tears pricked at my eyes and I rubbed them away. I sniffled. I didn't understand. Hideo-sensei knew we would be attacked and he didn't say anything about it. He didn't even try to escape. But no, how did he know about the attack? I bit my bottom lip until I could taste blood on my tongue. I pulled my knees closer to my chest. The tears refused to stop. I knew that the pain wouldn't fade away so soon but I had trouble breathing just thinking about what has happened in the past twenty-four hours. My heart rate increased. I forced myself to take slow, deep breaths. It didn't work. It didn't matter that I had a chance to start a new life. I wanted time to grieve; to properly acknowledge Hideo-sensei's death. My heart tightened and my tears continued to flow.

I didn't even jump as a young blond boy peered at me curiously. I hated being weak. Hideo-sensei didn't raise a weakling. He taught me to be better than that. He believed in me. The blond boy squatted down next to me.

"Um, are you okay?" He looked ready to run from me at any second.

"I-I'm fine..."

"No, you're not!" I startled back. He mustered the best glare he could. "I hate liars."

Liars. I was lying and he knew. Well, genius, I was crying. It was no wonder he knew. I forced a smile on my face. "Liar...huh?"

The blond started to laugh nervously. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

I raised my hand up and placed my completed flower wreath on his head. "There, now you look pretty."

He puffed out his chest. "I'm not pretty!"

I laughed. "You are to me. Anyway," I rubbed the tears from my eyes. "I'm Chieko."

His cheeks turned pink and he crossed his arms around his chest. "The name's Naruto Uzumaki, remember it!"

I looked down to see a pouch of weapons in his right hand. "Were you training, Naruto-kun?"

"Mm-hm! I'm going to be the next Hokage!" Then, his stomach growled. He scratched his whiskered cheek, looking sheepish. "Er, maybe after lunch."

My own stomach betrayed me too and I grinned at Naruto. "I could go for something nice and warm. Wanna have lunch together, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto beamed, hopping from one foot to the next with uncontained excitement. "Really? Are you sure?" I nodded my head. "Yeah!" He grabbed my hand and started to lead me somewhere. "I know the best place! You'll love it!"

I smiled. He reminded me of the sun—bright and full of hope. Hope. I needed hope. I needed to remember hope. Hideo-sensei once said that hope is the foundation of human determination and passion. He believed in me. I will never let him down ever again. I squeezed Naruto's hand and he looked back at me. "Thank you."

He turned pink but hid it by running faster to our destination. I kept up with his eagerness, laughter bubbling in my throat. We turned a couple of corners before standing right in front of a shop called Ichiraku Ramen. It looked like a simple stand with several stools for customers. An elderly man wearing a completely white chef's outfit and a younger brunette woman stood behind the countertop. Smiles lit up on their faces as they noticed Naruto. They gestured at him to enter the store.

"Naruto!" The kind man greeted. "And who's your new friend?" He smiled at me, his eyes crinkling with joy. I glanced at Naruto to see him twiddling with his fingers and looking shy. I grinned and linked my arm with Naruto's. His smile grew wider.

I bowed. "I'm Chieko. Pleased to meet you, uncle, older sis!"

He nodded. "Thanks for coming, Chieko-chan! My name's Teuchi and this is my daughter, Ayame."

The brunette waved with a bright smile. "Hey!"

Naruto climbed onto a stool and grinned. "Uncle, miso ramen with extra pork!"

"I'll have the same, Teuchi-san." As I struggled to climb up onto the stool, Ayame went behind me and pulled me up. My cheeks heated up but I mumbled a thank you. "So, what are you training for, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto pumped his fist up into the air. "I'm going to join the Academy!" Kurenai said something about joining the Academy to become a Leaf shinobi. If Naruto is joining the Academy, then it would mean that I won't be alone. I had to give it some thought before deciding.

"Sounds like fun! Hey, do you think I can join it too?"

Naruto quickly nodded. "Yes, believe it!"

I giggled as two hot bowls of miso ramen were placed in front of us. It was magical. The smooth texture of the pork combined with the aromatic soup made my mouth water. The best part had to be the noodles. I had not seen such balanced noodles before. It didn't look mushy nor did it look under-cooked. I grabbed a pair of chopsticks and Naruto did the same. We exchanged another look before digging in.

It was truly amazing. It tasted better than its already mouth-watering appearance. Naruto was looking at me from the corner of his eye. I gave him a thumbs-up and he pumped his fist into the air again with noodles still hanging from his mouth. I laughed, snorting at the unusual sight. Then, Teuchi-san dropped a couple of naruto into our bowls.

"Thanks, Teuchi-san!" I wished him with my own mouth full of ramen. He shook his head while laughing.

After lunch, we paid and started to walk without a destination in mind. I didn't bother reminding Naruto that he planned on training as he continued patting his stomach in satisfaction. We continued walking, enjoying the rare quiet of the village. It was after a couple of minutes before I realized why they were quiet. I watched as they stared at Naruto with…it had to be fear and anger. I moved closer to Naruto and hoped he hadn't noticed.

"So, what will we learn at the Academy?"

Naruto grinned, although it looked a little forced. "R-right. We learn cool jutsu!"

I laughed. "Like what?"

He scratched the back of his head with a nervous chuckle. "Like… um… like clone jutsu!"

"Then there'll be two of me and two of you?"

He nodded, the grin grew wider. "Yup!"

We stopped walking once we stood in front of my apartment building. I turned, looking at my blond friend. I blinked. How am I supposed to say bye to someone? Hideo-sensei had always done it first. Naruto looked just as lost as me.

"Well-"

"Chieko-chan-"

I giggled and he laughed. I placed my hand on his arm. "This is my apartment building so…"

"Really?! I stay here too, believe it!" He pointed to the third floor of the building. "I'm in 300."

"Huh. I'm in 301." I blinked. "Well…race you up there!" I took off running with Naruto yelling at me for cheating but I just laughed. "Hurry up, slowpoke!"

The two of us ran up the stairs, laughing all the way. By the time we got up to the third floor, the both of us made it at the same time. I looked at him and ran my fingers through my hair.

"I think you win this round, Naruto-kun." I winked at him.

"No way! You won because you cheated!" He puffed out his chest, pink tinting his whiskered cheeks. "But…you can treat me to ramen next time."

I held out my hand. "That's a deal!" He grabbed my hand and we shook.

I froze as images flittered in my mind. I saw several shinobi on the battlefield. The battlefield looked devastated with bodies littered across the ground. There was this great big monster-like creature supported by its own deformed soldiers. I turned around and noticed three gigantic creatures: a toad, a slug, and a snake. It was the person who stood on top of the toad that made my heart clenched. It was Naruto but he looked older. A voice in my head announced that Naruto was the boy of the prophecy.

Then, a hand was right in front of my face. I looked at the concerned face of a familiar Naruto. "Chieko-chan, are you okay?"

I forced myself to smile. I nodded, pushing the strange images away from my thoughts. "Y-yeah. I think I forgot to buy something but it's no big deal." I twisted my key and opened the door. Before I went in, I leaned into Naruto and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Naruto-kun, for everything."

I disappeared into my apartment before he had any time to react and shut the door. What were those images? I dropped my weapons pouch onto the floor with a soft clunk. It didn't make sense and there was nothing I could do. I shook my head. It was better to just forget about it. Yeah, it wasn't something I had to worry about yet. Instead, I thought back to the look on Naruto's face right before I closed the door. The sight of Naruto's frozen expression made me giggle. Poor Naruto. He must be so confused.

But, I wondered about the looks the villagers gave him. He couldn't have done anything bad to them. I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head. It didn't matter. Another mystery that I wouldn't be able to solve by the end of the day.

Three new mysteries but one new friend. I ran my fingers over the seal. I made a new friend, Hideo-sensei. Please be proud of me.

First off, thank you for taking the time to read this till the end. I know there's a lot of other Naruto fanfics that you could be spending your time on so I'm really happy you decided to choose this blossoming fic.

Oh, I understand that Chieko seems to be pretty knowledgeable about being a ninja and training, but that's cause she's learned it from a really young age. I do wonder how you guys feel about her being a financially conscious (money-minded like Kakuzu) person. Let me know what you think about the little facts I've sprinkled in this chapter. Also, I would really appreciate it if you could review and let me know what you think about it so far!

Sneak Peek for Chapter 2:

"Welcome!" A blonde girl around my age greeted. "Eh? You're young."

She grinned and grabbed my hand to pull me deeper into the shop. "I know just the flowers for you!"

I beamed at her, taking both of her hands into mine. "I love these! You're really amazing…um, who are you?"

"Ino! I'm Ino Yamanaka. And you are?"

He placed his hand on top of Ino's head and looked at me. "Kushina?" I heard him whisper. "Oh! Sorry, you reminded me of someone." Ino and I exchanged a look.