Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and any other canon characters

Chapter two: Rikuo

"I didn't need your help, now look what you did, Kero-kun is now gone!" said the Jiraiya-look-alike.

Nope, I still refuse to belief he's Jiraiya. Heck he looks about 5-6 years old which is about the age of when he's about to graduate from the academy. Na ah, I refuse to belief me being born just cause a butterfly effect of him not being born in Konoha because that just mess up the plot.

Mind you, I honestly don't give a shit about the plot. As much as the whole shinobi world is counting on the little ball of sunshine, I don't plan to be on the sideways just because of some story written in my past life. Because this is my life, and whether I became part of the plot or not is something I'll decide in the long run.

Off course I'd be lying if I didn't want to be part of Naruto or Kakashi or Itachi's life, who wouldn't?

"Oi…..wait….did I push you too hard? Oh man please don't break I didn't mean to harm you." The look alike seemed to be flustered and was hesitant to touch me, probably scared if he harm me again. I blinked a few times at him and then blurted "My name is Hiyori!"

The boy looked stunned at the sudden introduction so to get his attention I asked, "What's your name Frogboy?"

That nickname seemed to tick him off if the red shade of his face wasn't very evident. "Don't call me that, just because I like frogs doesn't mean I like the name!"

"Well I don't know your name, and since they called you Frogboy, I didn't know what else to call you" I said flatly as I shrug.

The boy wanted to protest more but couldn't after seeing my point, he sheepishly ruffle his hair and softly told me his name. "Rikuo Kurogane."

Oh thank Kami-Janshin-Budha-Pein or whatever god is there, I'm so glad he's not Jiraiya.

….

Wait…..if he's not Jiraiya and he looks freakishy close to him with the hair and mark.

Wouldn't that mean…"Rikuo-kun, how old are you?"

Rikuo crossed his arm defensively, "I'm six, why?"

"Oh just curious, and can I ask why you like frogs?"

Rikuo looked away, looking like he didn't want to say but for some reason but he answered me, "My mother….she told me once that toad remind her of dad so I tried searching for one to give her as a pet but find a frog instead, I name it Kero-kun"

Ooooh, now I feel bad letting it run wild.

So toad reminds his mother of his dad huh.

It's official, I've met the one and only son of the Toad Sage of the Legendary Sannin.

Hahahahahaha, universe you have a fun way to make fun of me.

Since canon never showed him in the story either he's not important to the plot or he died young without Jiraiya ever knowing him.

That's….just sad.

There was silence between us as if he expects me to feel guilty and apologize to him. Well it worked but that doesn't mean I'm doing it his way. I slap my cheeks hard that surprises Rikuo and then I made my way toward the pond. Rikuo looked like he wanted to ask what I was doing but gasped when he saw me jumped toward the pond without caring the wet and muddy yukata on me.

"Wha….what are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm searching for your frog, isn't Kero-kun important to you?"

My actions seems to keep surprising Rikuo with him moving his jaw up and down like a fish on dry land. There was silence once more between us but I didn't care much as I tried looking for his frog. I only looked up when I felt a person's warmth while searching the pond along side with me. I smiled and we kept searching without a word, and for some odd reason, it felt like words wasn't needed when we knew we're just by each other side.

They said our actions speaks louder than words, and the occasional glance between us, the searched of parts we haven't covered, the small exchange of smile of encouragement, it was weird when we've only just met.

"I found him!"

I look up and in Rikuo's hand was a red frog wearing an extremely bored face and wide yellow eyes that remind of his own. We both looked at each other in glee and jumped to celebrate only to find us dirtier than before with us covered in mud from head to toe. After one looked at each other, we started laughing once more.

Dusk was just upon us and I went toward the orphanage while Rikuo was going to the opposite direction to his house. "Hey, do you want to meet up again tomorrow?" he asked while hiding his blushed with his frog. Aaaawww, how cute.

"Sure, see you Rikuo-kun!" I waved him goodbye and we both went our separate way.

Even after I was scolded for coming back all muddy, I couldn't hide the smile that I may have start a beautiful friendship with him.

On second thought, I take back that beautiful part.

"What the hell were you two thinking?" Kagami scolded us two.

It has been a two weeks since I first met Rikuo-kun. It had only been us talking about each other and sharing jokes and playing with Kero-Kun. For one thing I'm glad was the fact the bullies had stopped targeting him because of what I suspected of guilty conscious. Kids are very easily influence so when you gave them a reason to feel bad, they will feel bad.

Okay I'm sure you're curious what happened after two weeks of getting to know each other. Well for one, Rikuo had decided it'd be great to bring me to his house. I had a hundred ideas of the kind of household he had, but living in a blacksmith workshop was the last thing on her mind. He led her toward the alleyway which was a shortcut to the back of his house and his grandfather's workshop. His grandfather is cool though, he had a build that could rival those weight lifting muscle head in the Olympics yet had the face of a Chinese monk, complete with white goatee beard, slit eyes, and a shiny bald head. Ignoring his build, he was a very sweet old man who welcome her with open arms and finding out he had a weak spot for his grandson and saw he loved him very much that I thought it was sweet seeing them joke and bicker with each other.

Though don't let him open his eyes though, that's when you know shit is going to happened.

It was after the few first visits and finally notice the brown urn at the corner of the living room that I knew Rikuo's mother had died.

It turns out, the Kurogane Clan had been an old clan that treat smithing sacred and had created various weapon from C-Rank weapon to S-Class weapon though those weapons are something you could count by one hand.

Funfact: Turns out Tobirama Senju's Sword of the Thunder God was created by none other than the Kurogane Clan, which was an A-Rank weapon.

Dude! They made a lightning saber for ninjas! How cool is that?!

Anyway, ever since then, Rikuo had kept telling me that he wanted to be the best weapon user over the whole continent so he could use every weapon his clan had made. He held great pride and respect and wanted to honor his ancestor by being able to use all their weapon. Then I started asking if he ever wanted to make his own weapon. Rikuo had thought about it but other than typical swords, he doesn't have any clue the kind of weapon he wanted to make.

Now just so you know, I'm not only an anime freak, I'm a gamer freak too. To top that I had watch and play characters with awesome weapons of various kinds, you could bet your ass I made design for crazy weapons. You should have seen the wicked grin me and Rikuo had. We tried making prototypes by using seals and failed merchandise to test for it (Turns out Rikuo knew a few basic of seals since his mother wanted him to learn it, saying it's useful).

The result?

We kind of burned down half the park.

Yes, I know….it was bad.

Don't ask how.

Kagami who had been one of the guards that came to fix the situation had been scolding us for two hours straight ad his voice doesn't sound the least tired. I guess we should postpone testing weapons after fully learning seals and chakra.

"Do you have anything else to say about yourself?" Kagami asked.

"Yes, can you teach me Sabre Technique?" I bluntly ask.

Kagami was obviously caught off guard from that he almost choke from his own air and Rikuo at my side while sitting seiza just sigh. It seemed he had gotten used to my blunt and impulsive action. Kagami began to rub the bridge of his nose asking why I would ever want to learn such technique. Oh and for those of you who don't know, the Sabre Technique are the techniques the samurai uses that employs chakra flow on their weapon only it could evolve with the help of Shape Transformation, creating any chakra base weapon.

"Because I don't want to die." Again this caught not only Kagami but even Rikuo off guard. "My parents died because I was weak, they gave me a chance to live and I don't want to live life without being able to fight for it."

Kagami stared at me with shock then his eye changed to one in seriousness. "Hiyori-chan, remind me how old are you?"

"Age doesn't really matter right Kagami-san? Not when you need to survive in this cruel world."

Kagami was silent before he breathe out a sigh, "You're still too young for that kind of technique but I guess I could at least give you a scroll on various kenjutsu and bukijutstu so you could learn it theoretically, but you have to promise me never to use it without any samurai's supervision, do that and I'll make sure you couldn't use that technique for the rest of your life, is that clear?"

"I couldn't help it, I smiled brightly and offer a salute, "Sir yes sir"

After Kagami left us, we thought that we were finally cleared for the day until an ear piercing name came and straighten our back.

"RIKUOOOOOOOOOOO, HIYORIIIIIIIII!"

"Oh shit, Jiji is here!"

"Which is better? Get scolded or run then get scolded?"

"Does it matter if we get scolded in the end?"

We both exchange a look in our eyes and somehow got the same conclusion as we nodded.

"Last one to the pond is a toad kisser!" I said a break out running with a head start with Rikuo followed behind as he protest from me head start.

As promised, Kagami had came to teach her the way of the samurai. It was only after 10 days since the incident did he agreed to teach her since she and her little friend, Rikuo had to help clean up their mess in the park. How they could have almost burned down a park was a mystery to all. Kagami had sworn those two would make a trouble combo in the future. Though while waiting for his would-be student, he had a lot in mind about how to judge her.

It had been around a month since she first appeared, trying to sneak in to the city. She was small and helpless and Kagami had done what he thought was best at the moment. He was inwardly happy that every time he met a caretaker from the orphanage, they would say Hiyori had kept asking to meet him once more.

He was curious of her well being since it was him who brought her here and he felt a little responsible, but his work wouldn't let him free even if most of it was guard duty by the gate. Though the second time he got to see her was when she decided to find him herself and found it funny to prank him and his watching-duty-partner and twin by releasing a bunch of chicken and used their panic to make them go after it.

Her manipulative ability was so good, Kagami could bet she could make a Yamanaka run for their money.

Yet as childish as she could be, there were scary moments that she looked like so much older in her eyes than she should, as if she had understanding in the world she shouldn't know for a three year old. It made him shudder but it was also why he wanted to keep an eye on her.

He then felt a presence approaching him three blocks away, he was waiting for at a large field that further away from the orphanage and the opposite direction from the park. It was once similar to a park but mostly used as training grounds by samurai-in-training that there was nothing left for it to become a park. Though Samurai had been declining in this country, the field stay for future generation to train to become an asset for this country.

"I didn't think your friend would be coming along" he said as he eyed the one eyed girl and the white haired boy standing next to each other.

"Hey, I'm aiming to become the best weapon user in the whole continent, there's no way I'd miss this!"

Hmph, kids and their dreams. Let's see how long he'll last for that. Kagami deeply thought. "Now listen, Like I said before, other than giving you two basic physical exercise and katas for you to practice, I'd be drilling you everything there is to know about Chakra and the Sabre Technique, are we clear?"

""Yes""

Kagami nodded in satisfaction at their eager response. For them to learn samurai techniques would be hard when they live at edge of the border while the Samurai Academy is only placed at the capital. This country might not have bred the best samurai compared to those from the Land of Iron, but it's enough for them to fight and protect their precious land. So given a chance to breed two warriors that could protect this country was fine by him.

Sadly, none of them know he could never fully able to teach them.

So from what I learned by Kagami-sensei about the Sabre Technique, is that a deviate form of Chakra Flow. When asked the different between the two was that while chakra flow could reinforced weapon with elemental chakra, it is said that the best element for that was the lightning element which is good for piercing and the wind element that's good at cutting. On the other hand, Sabre Technique uses plain chakra that gives weapon more lengths and sharper edge. What makes this technique more unique than others is that to achieve perfect chakra control, there are steps to be taken for that different with shinobi's Tree and Water walking.

"First step of training after getting past water walking is Nature Release. To fully control chakra you must be aware and in control of the physical and spiritual energy enough to do Yin and Yang Release. Second step would be gathering a ball of water with your chakra, maintaining and then releasing it. Your third form of training would be making a chakra string and manipulate it to your will, you don't need to be as good as a puppet master though, Lastly and most important part of your training is blindfold training as you try imagine your weapon and use it on your opponent, it helps practice solid your imagination on an imaginary weapon made by your chakra. It also help sharpen your senses as well. "

When hearing his explanation, my jaw drop on how difficult in almost each and every part of that training was hard as hell. No wonder Samurai was declining. "Sensei, then don't you think using chakra flow is enough? Why is the technique better than that just normal chakra flow?"

"For the second question, it only benefits for people with lightning and wind type chakra when it comes to sword technique. For the first question, Nature Transformation and Shape Transformation are two completely different form of chakra control which what deviates the two technique. What makes this training harder is because the amount of manipulation you need depending on the shape of weapon you imagined and concentrating to move your chakra while in battle will not be easy without perfect chakra control. Honestly though not many samurai actually goes though all those training, they could use it but not good enough that they could match with a ninja's ninjutsu. However, you said you don't want to die right?"

I gulped and nodded grimly.

"Then you better go through all that, though you don't need to rush, the completion of that training is six years and that's a record."

SIX-FUCKING-WHAT?!

I turned to see Rikuo's expression to find he was in deep thought but not surprised, I tried to look closer when I saw he was shaking and found an excited grin plastered on his face. Seeing his expression, I couldn't help but felt strength ran past inside me, that I—we could do this. I look up toward Kagami sensei and held up my finger at him, he looked confused but then I clarify to him, "One year that will be the new record!"

Kagami had a poker face for a while before he ducked his head as he held back the tremor building in his stomach and started burst out laughing. "Fine then my little student, let's see if you could back up your word shall we?"Both me and Rikuo grinned because for us, it's our first step toward our goal.

Kagami is a Spartan!

It had never occurred to me that such a passive guy could show enjoyment in his physical regiment for the past two months. Light exercise my ass!

I started blinking when sunlight started to hit my closed eyes and made me groan that I didn't put up my curtains when the sunlight started mocking me. I blinked a few times and was confused that I saw a wooden ceiling instead of my regular white cement one. I turned to the side to block out the sun only to saw face first, Rikuo's sleeping face. I blinked a few times in surprised then tried recalling what happened after that sadist training of dodging sword and shuriken (did you know Samurai could use it too? I sure didn't)

I vaguely remembered being so exhausted they got home together and flop exhaustedly together by Rikuo's bed without so much a complaint. It's been a habit of mine to drop by Rikuo's house every so often and ever since we started training, I barely go back to the orphanage and practically started living here. I know I'm taking advantage of Rikuo and his grandpa's hospitality, but since they aren't kicking me out then it's a good enough reason to stay. After sorting my thought out, I heard my tummy rumbling and decided to got up softly as to not wake Rikuo up.

I tried recalling his drooling face then snicker that at closer look, Rikuo might took after his mother more as he looked more handsome than his farther ever was. At least to her opinion though. When I went down the stairs, I was greeted by the smell of breakfast and the soft smile of Rikuo's grandfarther. "Good Morning Mino-ojisan, are we having omelet for breakfast?"

"Right you are, come now you don't need to wait for that idiot grandson of mine."

I chuckled, I slowly crept up to the seat next to him and he offered me breakfast. There were two empty seats facing me, one was Rikuo's and the other had a photo placed on the table facing it. I never got tired seeing the picture of Rikuo's mother. She wasn't just pretty, she was gorgeous! Her gold eyes that seemed to twinkle even at the dark, her bright smile that might rival even Naruto's, and her long black hair that looked soft like it could rival the hair of a hyuuga, and dare I say being born from one I never had any bed head or any hair problem in the past month I've live here and I had bad habit of not taking care of one.

Thank you mother for your genetics.

"She was a bright woman, my daughter that is." He said and snap me from my thought. I might have stared at the picture too long for him to say that. "Her name is Shuna, she has a heart as deep as the ocean and as patient as the mountain. I know it's an exaggerated way to describe her but if you had known her you would definitely agree."

I blinked a few time, it was the first time Mino-Ojii said anything about his daughter to me so I wasn't sure how to take it. He drank his cup of tea and turned and eyed smile at me, and I thought only Kakashi could do that. It's probably my building curiosity or the fact he opened the subject of Rikuo's mom, I ended up asking him.

"What was Rikuo's father is like?"

Mino-Ojii got angry, he didn't show it off course. His lips was straight and his face stayed in place without a scowl nor did his body jerked, but he did open his eyes so from that I knew. He stayed silent for a moment and that me nervous, I wasn't even sure he said anything to Rikuo yet so I doubt he would say anything then to his best friend.

Yes, I'm his self-proclaimed best friend, deal with it.

Mino-Ojii sighed after his long silence and gave me an awkward smile. "His father is….how should I put it. An interesting person if I do say so myself. He was a writer and said that he travelled across the country to search for his inspiration. He is a lechearou-I mean likes to pry in private business" cue the snicker since I know what he meant by 'private business'. "My daughter was involved in that business and gave him a good whack on the head, she's strong mind you, you could expect from a blacksmith's daughter. He fell unconscious then and my daughter feel bad soon even though he was at fault and insist her friends to help him brought to our house. It was also how I first met him." Wow, now I can tell why he said she has a big heart.

"Oh his father was surprised though, to find the woman who knocked him out to be the one tending him. Few things happened and for whatever reason, she began watching over him whenever he started his 'hobbies' again. Even though he had business at the capital, he often use whatever time he had to visit her and they were fond with each other." His brow began to crease, probably felt sad remembering the smile she had with the man she had loved and made her gave birth. I don't know how Jiraiya felt for her, but I knew there was a special place for her in his heart.

"He never knew he had a son did he?" I asked him.

He raised an eyebrow at him then sigh as he nodded, "Last night we had together, he brought a sake and thank us for our hospitality through the months he stayed here. I would have run after him and gave him a taste of my work or two if I had known he impregnated her." His voice was calm and cold yet anyone would flinched if they saw his tea cup cracked from his grip.

"How did Shuna-san take it?"

"Oh she was thrilled, she always wanted to have kids, though she was sad she couldn't introduce him to his father, she promised herself to give him as much as love as one with two parents would." Mino-ojii then looked at his cup and the sad expression curled up on his face again, "instead she died so soon, poor Rikuo was only three at the time. I tried taking care of him but sometimes I kept wondering if I was good enough for him."

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" I turned my head to the side and he followed my gaze to see Rikuo standing silently by the door. He kept his silent until he walked over the table and sat on his seat.

"I miss mom" he started saying, "I really do, but that doesn't mean you're not enough Jiji, you're more than enough, more than I could have hope for."

Rikuo then took his plate, ignoring the fact his food had gotten gold and kept eating silently while his grandpa tried to hold back his tears that formed at the corner of his eyes.

Smooth Rikuo….smooth.