A Forgiven Father
Chapter 2
NSW
Sakimo kicked at a rock. She hated this place! It was sand and dirt! Heat and wind, everyone here was the same! They never strayed from each other, they always stayed together! Bracing themselves against the elements by standing together. She hated it, if you can't face it alone you weren't meant to live there, who the hell makes a village in the middle of fucking desert? A complete moron that's what!
She kicked at another rock, she was not meant for this place, no, she was not. Her skin burned so easily, she had to hide in-doors, hide from the sun. At night was when she could go out. Night was her friend, she blended and ghosted into the darkness, her skin and hair;so different from the others. She took a deep breath, she relaxed. She looked up to the moon, she couldn't help feeling a sense of companionship with that lone bright rock in the sky.
She sat down and ran the fine grained sand through her fingers. She was not meant for earth. Earth was her enemy, she felt choked off, cut off from something. Everyday of her life she had always felt as though, she was being suffocated by something, cut off from something else. She sighed. She hated this place so much, but every time she found a new freedom, Naruto would take it away or forbid her from it.
Her academy teacher had tested her, told her that her natural element was fire. She had never told Naruto, instead she had just trained her butt off trying to learn a wind jutsu then at night she would go and practice a fire jutsu from a scroll she got from the restricted section in the library. She sighed, why was she so different? Why was she fire when Naruto was wind and water?
She shook her head it didn't make sense half the time. She groaned and got back up. Naruto's friends did no help, they always spoke of Konoha, how Naruto used to live there, yet he moved and came here and had kids instead. She had asked about a mother, but Naruto just told them that they were special, and didn't have one, that they came from Naruto because Naruto was special as well.
Sakimo at times felt like she was slamming shards of glass into her face listening to Naruto's excuses. She grew angry. She leaped up into the air and let out all her frustration. Emitting a large stream of fire from her mouth. She landed. She still did not feel tired. She went through various attack positions and stances, going through the memory of them all from academy, going through the ones she memorized from books.
She was good at that, remembering things she saw. She didn't remember things word for word, and she had to study it awhile, but once she figured something out or learned it, it stayed with her. It was her gift, something she used often in the library, she hoped that one day she would prove to this village that she was talented, and skilled and that they would finally let her go out, let her leave to other lands!
But she had the suspicion that Gaara the Kazekage was behind this entrapment of her. That Naruto and Gaara were both keeping her here. It was not fair, the others could leave. Why couldn't she? Sakimo punched the air several more times. Still not tired. Curse her stamina! She glowered as she walked through the village.
She came across a poster advertising the chunin exams. She studied it, she saw how proud and happy the people in the poster were, as they stood bearing a chunin vest. Gritting her teeth she glanced down 'Registration still open.' Sakimo looked up to the moon, she had the feeling that it was nodding, begging her to do what that mind of hers was thinking.
She turned heel and ran to the library, she had broken into it plenty enough times. She went to the section she needed. Maps. She scoured through and found one. She grabbed it then headed towards the jutsu collection's. Grabbing several fire scrolls. She was done following Naruto, she was done living life like a caged bird. She was going to be free, she was going to fight and show Naruto just what she could do.
Naruto awoke the next morning. Stretching he casually got dressed then walked downstairs. Hinata and Ino were already up and making breakfast He grinned and began to help them. They spoke casually with each other. All of them had stayed in the guest bedrooms instead of getting a hotel. Naruto whistled when the breakfast was done. Quickly the sounds of boys yelling and fighting with each other to be the first downstairs was heard.
The sounds of two girls yelling at another to get out of the bathroom could also be heard. Naruto set the table and everyone was soon sitting around it. Absentmindedly he dolled out the food on the plates. "Namune" he said, "Kushie, Kura, Kure, Itsuka, Sora...Sakimo" He looked up no Sakimo. "Sakimo?" he said looked about she was not anywhere in the crowded kitchen.
He spoke "anyone see Sakimo?" Namune and them sighed "dad we are eating, we are not going on Sakimo alert!" Naruto nodded "I know, I know! I was wondering if you had saw her come back last night?" Namune shook his head. All of them did. Naruto got up and walked upstairs to her room. It was clean and pristine, scrolls and books carefully organized and set up.
She had no other decor, she liked things simple, and yet in her simpleness she had a certian aura of elgagence and nobility. Naruto sighed as he glanced in her closet, he looked behind her secret door. Nothing either. Although he saw the edge of a scroll. He picked it up absently. On the front it said "Fire dragon no jutsu" He gripped it tightly. "No way" he said.
He ran downstairs. Shoving his arms in his jacket. Long just like his father wore. But it was a tan color, perfect for blending in with the desert sand. It was also light, but durable. He grabbed his headband and forcefully tied it upon his head as well. Jamming his feet into his shoes he hopped about and gathered his things.
Shikamaru came out. "What is it?" Naruto growled "She's gone! she has never stayed out this long before!" Naruto stood. He was angry he threw the scroll at Shikamaru "this was in her room" Shikamaru galnced at it. "It's a jutsu scroll so what?" Naruto studied him "look at the element" Shikamaru read it, he remained silent.
Naruto in anger punched the wall. It gave way and a large impression of his fist was made, he didn't care. The kyuubi easily healed his bloody knuckles. "What is she doing! Why would she learn something like that! Why would she want to learn...how does she know about these kind of things?" Shikamaru shrugged "she's learned Naruto, she's smart, there is nothing wrong with being smart."
Naruto sighed anger disappearing. "She is not just smart, she is taleted, and strong willed, those three things don't always mix together well...she...she's becoming more like him everyday." Shikamaru sighed "Naruto, relax, she won't end up like him, you have raised her, she knows better."
Naruto shook his head "I don't raise her, I argue with her, I control her, I do all these things to protect her...I am all but shoving her awya from me, but I can't help it, I just...I just want to keep safe, keep her from being seen, any person can see how much she looks like him, she is almost the splitting image."
Shikamaru nodded "yeah, well what are you going to do? Like it or not, he is their father" Naruto put his hand over his eyes. Curse tears at this moment, he was not going to let his heart control him this time. "I need to go find her" he said shoving past Shikamaru. Shikamaru watched Naruto leave, he then went back into the kitchen "Naruto has gone to look for Sakimo, I'm going to change and help."
The others nodded and Shikamaru turned to go to his room to change. While he did so, he couldn't help thinking 'where the hell would she have gone?'
Sakimo passed over another sand dune. She could see the green of the forest from miles away, she could almost smell the soft green leaves and scents of the forest, things she only ever read about in books. It was so bright and colorful different from the dullness of the desert. She pulled her hood back over her head, hiding her face from the harsh glare of the sun.
She turned and looked back over her shoulder. She was well past the point of seeing Suna, and even though she hated it, she couldnt help feeling a small sense of sadness, of walking awya from the only place she ever known. But she turned and squared her shoulders. She was past the point of return, she would accomplish this.
She looked up randomly, a lone desert hawk graced the sky with it's wings. It glided easily over the warm updrafts of the desert. Sakimo couldn't help but feel like an ant to that hawk, that was probably what she looked like to it anyway, a lowly speck that would never touch it. But she knew in her heart that there was something more to her then what met the eye.
Well hopefully, someone is reading this, this will probably be a slow going story but once it starts, you might find it hard to pull away from it.
NSW