Kokonotsu
Chapter 3: Family Reunion! The Game Is On!
(Hokage Building, Hokage Office) A puff of smoke suddenly appeared in the room and a blonde and blue blur raced to a shadowed corner tackling the person there. It was Itachi getting tackled of course and the clone of Kokonotsu that was standing in the middle of the room giving a report to Tsunade disappeared.
A bewildered Tsunade tried to collect herself and was failing miserably, "What the hell is going on here?"
"Hokage-sama can't you tell ha, ha, ha, ha this is my sister greeting her brother after he has been away for a long time," Itachi explains mirthfully and laughs more causing Kokonotsu to laugh as well though it seemed hollow.
"Brother? But I thought- I thought she was-," she started to stammer not entirely grasping the situation.
"She is, but-," Itachi started to explain.
"We made a pact a long time ago to act as brother and sister in exchange for information that cannot be used against the other and some things that cannot be discussed with outsiders," Kokonotsu revealed calmly and coolly as though she were stating weather before getting off of Itachi, "It's been a while Niisan. I have some news that you should be happy to hear."
"Hmm, what is it?" Itachi asked curiously ignoring her usual icy demeanor that was even worse than his own.
"Grandma Tsunade finally gave me permission to tell everyone," she told him as if it wasn't anything special even though this had been something that she had been desperately wanting for a long time even if she never expressed it.
"Really so what are the rules?" Itachi inquired knowing that Tsunade wouldn't make it that easy.
"I have to tell all of rookie nine by dawn of next year today and I can't flat out tell them they have to figure it out for themselves and they in turn can't tell anyone either. If I can do that I will be allowed to tell the entire village and I will no longer be forced to live a lie," she stated like she would for a mission report when her expressionless face quickly turned into a frown.
"What, what happened?" Itachi asked bewildered at her change in expression.
"Sasuke said that he would show Naruto a jutsu, but he just produced 3 clones and is now running straight here!" Kokonotsu answered angrily as she crossed her arms and frowned further as she started to growl very displeased at the turn of events, "He promised, that damned fucking bastard promised!"
Tsunade and Itachi both exchanged knowing glances of what Sasuke had promised Kokonotsu and wondered at how the boy could cause her to express any kind of emotion. "Why don't you just use that new genjutsu that I sent you for your birthday?" Itachi gently suggested, not wanting the girl to become even more upset than she already was.
"I haven't mastered it yet, Sasuke will see us," the girl growled starting to get more agitated.
"We'll just stay in the shadows and be very still then, activate the jutsu now," Itachi ordered.
Kokonotsu nodded and obediently she started to form the seals 'Tiger, Crane, Dragon, Chameleon' "Invisibility no Jutsu!"
At the second Sasuke burst in the duo became a slight shimmer in space. "Sasuke what the hell do you think you're doing?" Tsunade yelled not liking how so many people thought that they could just burst into her office unannounced.
"Where's Kokonotsu?" Sasuke demanded ignoring Tsunade's own question.
"What makes you think she's here?" Tsunade blurted out, forgetting that no one was supposed to know that Kokonotsu was even a ninja.
"She's here I can feel it. Kokonotsu get your ass out here!" Sasuke shouted immediately turning to the where Itachi and Kokonotsu were hiding and spotted the shimmer, "Come out now."
With a nod to each other Itachi teleported out and Kokonotsu dropped her jutsu. The sight that greeted Sasuke was not one he had expected, waves of anger rolled off of her as she sent him a death glare that actually had the possibility of killing someone as she growled dangerously at him, "What the fuck do you think you're doing here Teme?"
"You should have told me that-," Sasuke started to protest.
"What? That I go on secret missions? Sasuke I don't have to tell you a damn thing or anyone anything for that matter. Grandma Tsunade I'd like the scroll containing my next mission now," she demanded still seething in anger.
"Baka," Sasuke taunted feeling his angry building.
"Teme-," she started feeling her muscles tighten as she restrained herself from attacking.
"Kokonotsu, enough!" Tsunade ordered causing both of them to look up at her before she continued in a much softer tone, "Thank-you for the report and don't be late next time, I can't have the rest of my ANBU thinking they can be late or lazy. You're my best ninja and even though you are so much younger you need to set the example for the rest of them to follow. Now, go to practice arena 44 to cool off then go home and get some rest, I'll give you your mission scroll tomorrow."
"Understood Hokage-sama. Good-night Hokage-sama, Uchiha-san," Kokonotsu growled then with a curt bow she disappeared.
"Sasuke, just what the hell were you thinking bursting into my office like that!" Tsunade demanded on the verge of bashing the Uchiha's brains in.
"Tsunade that was really Naruto wasn't it?" Sasuke asked in a dazed tone.
Taken off guard by his behavior she dumbly answered him, "No Kokonotsu is simply the best, and as such she is a highly classified ninja and often goes on highly dangerous and classified missions."
"Why does she have to go through that?" Sasuke pondered.
"This path was chosen for her a long time ago, although she can leave it at any time, she chooses to stay on it for some reason. I was never given all the details binding her to this. Sasuke, what made you think Kokonotsu was Naruto?" Tsunade asked curiously.
"When we were arguing I felt like it was Naruto and then everything just seemed to fit, how she got into my house, how she always knew he was a clone, how I couldn't sense her, their chakra signatures had to be the same, and all of her insults are the same as Naruto's," Sasuke told her crinkling his forehead in confusion.
"What would you do if Naruto was Kokonotsu?" the Hokage asked smirking at him.
"I would ask the dobe what the hell he was thinking or if he'd finally lost his mind," Sasuke grunted.
"What if he had a secret and creating an alternate persona was the only way that he could cope, what then?" she asked her eyes narrowing watching the Uchiha carefully.
"Why would he do that?" he asked confusion setting in at her words.
"Ask him," she suggested.
"I came here looking for answers only to end up with more questions," Sasuke sulked.
"That's often the way that things are. Why don't you just go home?" she dismissed him.
"Fine," and with that said he left.
"Itachi they're gone, why don't you give your report?" Tsunade called to the seemingly empty office.
"Everything is going as planned," Itachi mussed when he appeared right in front of her.
"Who's plan?" she asked as she took out a bottle of sake.
"Kokonotsu's if she can catch Sasuke's interest to the point of asking questions, everyone else will be a trivial matter. It's just a matter of having them ask the right question," Itachi smirked as he took a seat.
"Do you think he'll figure it out in time?" she inquired as she poured them both a cup.
"Maybe, he can be pretty dense if he doesn't like the truth," he answered taking his drink as he politely nodded his thanks.
"So, there's still the possibility that she may end up alone," she stated downing her own cup.
"It's a possibility or she may end up leaving," he informed following her example.
"For her sake I hope he does figure it out," Tsunade said refilling their cups.
"She knows what it means if she fails and is fully prepared to accept the consequences, but she still hopes to succeed. Even if she doesn't show it she is very anxious about all of this, it will show a great deal of skill if she manages to pull this off," Itachi stated with a hint of pride as he downed his second drink.
"Then good luck to her, she's sure as hell going to need it," Tsunade muttered downing her own drink before putting the alcohol away and listening to Itachi's report.
