Don't Fear The Reaper
~Chapter 1~
Year Seven
Disclaimer: Lala no own Naruto or characters… * T-T *
Dear Journal,
It is the New Year today…I've been in this dimension for a total of 7 years. My body is 12 years old as of today. I have spent seven years in dimension seven…I've never been to this dimension before. I just randomly selected it. But I find this place quite interesting. In fact one might even say I LIKE it here. It has been a long time since I've liked anything…but I know it won't last long. My happiness never does.
Until next year,
Kumiko Stiller
Kumiko closed up the plain black journal and activated the seal on the cover using her chakra. As soon as the seal was set the white markings began to fade, making it appear to be unprotected. She put the journal in her plain tan backpack and pulled it over her shoulder.
She gave the campsite she, her sensei and her teammates had spent the night in last night. It was in the middle of a bamboo forest, she and her team had created a small clearing. There were dark patches of earth where their tents had been se up and their makeshift fire pit sat in the center. Around it they had rolled a few logs so they could sit on them to eat their meals.
She stretched her arms over her head; made sure her battle scythe was fastened onto her back properly and then quickly dashed out of the campsite and through the millions of bamboo shoots. As she was running she lifted her hand to trace the symbol on her forehead protector, which was now tied lazily around her neck. It was 4 diagonal lines.
As it so happens, Kumiko had been reborn in Kirigakure, the Village Hidden In The Mist. She had landed herself in an orphanage and was quickly adopted, much to her surprise. She had gone to the academy and learned to use energy known as chakra. She graduated quickly and easily because she was basically a woman in a little girl's body, meaning her brain could process hard things more easily. She was then made a genin and placed in a "3 man cell".
Right now, she and her teammates were headed to something known as the "chuunin exams" and if they pass, they're made chuunin. Personally, not being from this world she didn't get why these people wanted such complicated lives. Why not just be a "civilian" as they called normal people? She shrugged of the thoughts and focused on where she was going.
Once she made it to the outskirts of the bamboo forest she glanced around and smiled when she found what she was looking for.
There were her traveling companions.
"KUMI!" Shouted a voice and she felt her best friend Mitsu, latch onto her.
Mitsu was taller then her by 5 inches and also a year older, making her 13. Mitsu had but length fire orange hair that was tied back in a low ponytail and chocolate brown eyes. She was a very optimistic person; she could be out numbered 10 to 1 and still be smiling. She wore light tan baggy pedal pushers and a light blue tank top. She wore the normal black ninja sandals and her kunai pouch on her left thigh. Her forehead protector, that bore the symbol of the Mist village, was tied on her forehead. Her nails and lips were painted a very light purple color and she had a tiger's tooth necklace hanging from her neck.
"Hey Mits…you're choking me…" Kumiko breathed out. "Oh sorry!" She felt the pressure lift from her lunges and she let out a sigh of relief, a sweat drop appearing on her forehead.
"Oi! You two love birds done snuggling?" A tic mark appeared on her forehead and she turned to glare at her second teammate. "Shut up, Takeo!" She said whacking him on the head. He just continued to smirk.
Takeo was average height for a 13 year old (yes he was also older then Kumi), had steel blue eyes and wild silver hair. His hair stuck up and went in every direction. He wore a black, high collar spandex t-shirt, baggy gray cargo pants and black ninja sandals. His arms were wrapped up in bandages and on the back of his shirt, in between his shoulder blades, was his clan's symbol, a snake curled up in a spiral form. His forehead protector was tied around his right arm and his kunai pouch was fastened on his left hip.
Suddenly, Mitsu threw a rock at Takeo's head causing him to tackle her. Kumiko rolled her eyes and watched as their sensei approached to break up the fight.
Kojuro-sensei stood at an intimidating 6.4. He was lean and wore a plain black t-shirt and ninja pants. He wore a gray Anbu vest, grey ninja sandals and his kunai pouch on his left hip. His forehead protector was tied tightly around his right arm. He had shaggy dark brown hair and onyx eyes. Over all he looked pretty plain. But if you looked a little closer you could see the numerous scars and tattoos scattered along his arms and most likely the rest of his body. He had several silver chains hanging from his waist, which he used in his jutsus and a normal looking katana on his back.
"Enough." Kojuro-sensei's husky voice barked and immediately the two that were fighting stopped. Then he turned to Kumiko. "Kumiko, what took you so long?" She bit her lip slightly; she couldn't let them know about her journal. Knowing Takeo and Mitsu, they'd try to steal it. She looked up at her sensei and replied in an even tone.
"I stopped to make sure we didn't leave anything behind. Sorry if I worried you." That answer seemed to satisfy her sensei and he turned around grumbling something along the lines of 'don't let it happen again'.
But her mind was elsewhere.
She had just caught sight of herself in a puddle at her feet. She looked a little different than she did in her home dimension. She still has the same chocolaty-caramel, straight hair except now it's longer and she has side bangs that cover a little bit of her right eye. Her eyes were no longer forest green, but neon green and her pupils resembled those of a cat. She had a feeling she was going to grow a little taller than she did in her home dimension too. She wore a bubble gum pink shirt.
Its sleeves only went to her elbows and fanned out. Her right arm was completely covered with black fishnets, where as only her hand was covered with fishnet on her left. She wore black cargo shorts and underneath those her legs were covered with black fishnet panty hose and wore heavy, black boots that went mid calf.
Slung over her back was her battle scythe. It had a short handle that extended when she pumped chakra into it and the blade was shiny platinum silver that turned black when it came into contact with blood. Her nails and lips were painted a hot pink and her she had black eyeliner surrounding her cat eyes. Around her neck, hidden behind her forehead protector, there was a black choker that had the silver kanji for fate on it.
"Oi, Kumiko! Are ya comin or what?" She heard Takeo's voice call and she looked up to see the rest of her group waiting for her quite far away. Without saying anything she ran towards them and they all continued on their way to the leaf village.
XX—XX—XX—XX
Ugh! I'm lost! Mitsu groaned inwardly at how stupid she was. She should have just eaten at the ramen shop with Takeo and Kumiko. But no! She wanted barbeque! Now she was lost… in a strange village full of strange people.
Even so, she kept walking in the same direction she was headed, hoping that she would run across a landmark or something. What she didn't expect was to walk right into a fight. She leaned up against the tall wooden wall that these crazy leaf people called a fence and watched the fight with interest.
There were what appeared to be 2 leaf genin, 3 academy students and 2 sand genin. She watched, not bothering to listen, as the kid with the orange yelled something at a guy who was dressed like a kitty-cat and had kabuki face paint, who was currently holding one of the academy students like he was going to punch him.
Just before kitty could bring his fist down on the innocent kids face a rock came out of nowhere and hit him in the hand drawing blood. Every one looked over at a tree and Mitsu followed their gaze to see a boy standing there.
She felt her cheeks heat up a bit. Wow. He's hot…and skilled too.She thought, only deepening the blush. She shook her head getting rid of the burning sensation and then she did the only Mitsu thing to do.
She clapped.
All eyes snapped to her, including those of the redhead that only she had noticed so far. "Bravo." She said stepping out of the shade of the fence. Several eyes widened and she rolled hers, how could they NOT notice her.
"Who the hell are you!" The blonde shouted pointing at her. She disappeared and reappeared behind him pressing a kunai to his throat. "I'm me." She whispered creepily in his ear and then she disappeared again, than reappeared in front of him.
"Hey blondie, you know where the Steamy Shore Hot Springs are? You see I sorta got lost." The blonde kid looked like he was thinking but she knew that all there was inside his head was a monkey playing a tambourine. It was the girl with pink hair that answered. "It's just down that way, then you take a left, go straight, take another left and it's the first hotel on the block." The whole time she eyed Mitsu suspiciously.
"Thanks I-" She was cut of by someone running towards her. She turned around to see Takeo. "Hey, there Taky!" She screamed in his ear. He replied with. "Finally I found you! Sensei says we're going to do some last minute training, he managed to book a training ground for us." She peered around him to see Kumiko walking sullenly towards them.
Kumiko glanced at the group, including kitty who still had the academy kid by the neck. She walked up to him leaned into his face and said. "If I were you I'd put that kid down. Judging by the aura radiating off of you're friend there, he's not to impressed with you right now." She gestured towards the tree and everyone must have thought she met the hot emo guy because kitty said "Pft! He's not my friend. I don't even know him!"
It was at that moment that the redhead decided to make his appearance. Kitty dropped the kid instantly. "I meant that guy." Kumiko stated then she abruptly turned around and yelled "Come on you two morons, time's a wastin'." Takeo huffed at being called a moron but followed anyway.
"Uh, thanks for the directions, but I guess I won't be needing them…" Mitsu said rubbing the back of her head. She ran after her friends only to be stopped by a voice. "Wait! Tell me your names!" It belonged to emo boy. All three of the mist genin stopped, and turned around to face the other group. Takeo smiled knowing asking for a name was a challenge.
"Tell us your name first and we'd be happy to tell you ours." He told the emo boy. Emo boy smirked. "Uchiha Sasuke." Takeo was happy to reply.
"Yagura Takeo."
"Kinsaki Mitsu."
Kumiko was silent for awhile. "Before I give you my name, Uchiha Sasuke, I would like to know the names of everyone else here." Her voice was like velvet but sounded commanding.
" Subaku no Gaara." Said the redhead surprising kitty and the blonde girl beside him.
"H-Haruno Sakura." Said pinkie sounding a little stunned that someone had asked her name.
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Believe it!" The blonde shouted.
Mitsu giggled.
"Hey what's so funny!" Naruto asked pointing at her. "You're kinda cute." Mitsu grinned like a cat when Naruto turned beat red and fell over.
" Kankuro." Stated Kitty.
"Temari." The blonde who hadn't said anything in a long time said. Kumiko was silent for a few more moments taking in all of the names.
"Hanadeka Kumiko. Bye." Kumiko said and turned and walked away.
Mitsu waved cutely, blew a kiss at Naruto and then ran off to walk beside Kumiko. Takeo sent one last glare Sasuke's way before turning and stalking out after the girls.
XX—XX—XX—XX
"Kumiko! Concentrate!" She heard her Kojuro-sensei shout at her just as he hit her in the head sending her flying back. She hit a tree and slid to the ground.
"Kumiko…" She looked up as her sensei approached his look half disapproving and half worried. "What's wrong? You seem distracted…" Kumiko got up, ignoring her sensei for the time being.
"I know what's wrong with her…" Takeo stated, stopping mid spar with Mitsu and making his way over to his sensei and teammate. "Kumiko's just afraid of a little competition is all." Kojuro-sensei raised an eyebrow. "We ran into some pretty strong sand genin today in town. I bet Kumiko here is afraid." Takeo taunted.
"No I am NOT! I'm just worried. That guy…Subaku no Gaara…there's something off about him…something demonic." Kojuro-sensei tensed at the name Gaara.
"Kumiko's right." He turned so he was facing all three of his students. "Be wary of this Subaku no Gaara. No good will come of you challenging him." Mitsu looked like 'you don't need to tell me twice', Takeo looked a little defiant and Kumiko eyed her sensei carefully.
He knew something.
He knew something important and he was hiding it from them.
But what could it be?
