Here's an update! I know, it's been awhile and I apologize.
But here's one now... at least!
The warnings I have for you this chapter are: Violence and talks of broken bone.
Enjoy!
Chapter 3
_
Five months in Konohagakure went by rather quickly. I spent most of my time with my nose stuck in books from the academy and prepping myself for tests. On occasions, Minato would teach me taijutsu basics and his team would explain to me certain aspects of ninja life I was not sure about.
And in those months, I managed to become much closer to Rin and Obito as well as Kakashi, surprisingly. He went from only speaking to me every so often in the first few weeks to having awkward and short conversations.
And, in that time, my house suddenly became a meeting place for the whole team, Minato included.
I drummed my fingers against my cheek as I rested my chin in my hand, elbow propped up on the small table in my kitchen. My other hand held onto half of a book on the history of Konoha.
"How is your studying coming along?" The sound of Rin's voice was surprising and I, unfortunately, jumped, earning an annoyed growl from Kuro, who was stretched out across my lap.
"Fine," I muttered, dragging my eyes away from the book to look at her, spotting the three fourths of Team Minato standing in the kitchen doorway. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Sensei thinks it would be a good idea for you to come and watch us train." Obito spoke up with a grin far too wide. "You might learn something if you see how shinobi work in action."
"If how you guys work is anything compared to how you try to explain things to me, I think I'm better off sticking to my books." I muttered, returning my attention to said object. Obito and Kakashi tended to fight over the smallest things.
For example, better ways to explain things to me. Kakashi insisted on explaining things in in-depth technical terms while Obito preferred short and simple explanations followed by demonstrations. And they are quiet vocal about their differing opinions.
"Obito won't pick any fights," Rin turned to look at the two, smiling sweetly. "Isn't that right?"
"I don't pick fights!" Obito crossed his arms over his chest and stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. "If Kakashi would get off his high horse." He cast a sharp glare at said silver haired boy.
Kakashi shrugged, lifting his hands slightly as he did. "I can't help the fact that you lack talent and skill."
"Right," I rolled my eyes as I turned the page of my book. "You two are like oil and water. You probably can't even go thirty minutes without fighting."
Obito seemed to perk up at the prospect of a challenge. "I can go all day without talking to Kakashi!" He boasted, once again grinning widely. He held himself with a confident air with his hands on his hips.
"Sure, you can." Kakashi rolled his eyes and looking away from Obito, looking towards the wall. "You can't even keep from making something a competition."
"Maybe that's a good idea." I closed my book, pushed it away from me and gently picked up Kuro as I stood. "Why don't you two compete to see who can keep from picking on the other the longest?"
"That's a good idea." Rin stepped over to me, her smile turning into a wide grin. "Why haven't I thought of that before?"
I shrugged as I sat Kuro down on the floor, who mewled as he sauntered away from the group. "Well, shall we go?"
"I'll definitely win this." Obito folded his arms behind his head as they walked with me outside. "There's no way I'll let you win, Kakashi."
Kakashi did not entertain him with a reply and stuck his hands in his pockets. He did not agree to the little game, nor did he protest. Perhaps he thought this might quiet the excitable Uchiha.
We fell into awkward silence as we made our way outside the village to the training grounds. All the while, Obito glowered at Kakashi for brushing off his attempts to taunt him.
"Sorry we're late, Minato-sensei." Rin clapped her hands together in front of her face and half bowed as we made our way to where he stood in the middle of the training ground.
"That's alright." Minato nodded and regarded us with a warm smile. "Thank you for bringing Aiko along."
I stepped up to Minato and looked up at him with my head cocked slightly. "You wanted me to watch today, sensei?"
"Yes, that's right." He looked down at me and mirrored my head tilt. "I think learning from examples would be beneficial for you."
"What will we show Aiko today, sensei?" Obito seemed a bit too excited, presumably over the idea of being able to show off his abilities to someone who had not seen them in full before. "Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, something else really cool?"
I could not help but smile at his enthusiasm and a heat suddenly rose to my cheeks as Obito flashed his teeth in an impossibly large grin. Impulsively, I looked away from him as my heart fluttered awkwardly in my chest. What was that feeling? Was I starting to feel sick suddenly?
"We'll be showing Aiko sparring today. She's only just begun her studies, but it is something she should be learning soon." Minato slowly nodded towards the three as he placed a hand on his hip. "What ninjutsu and taijutsu techniques you use are entirely up to you."
He looked to Obito and Kakashi, motioning for them to move in front of us. "Take position and make the Seal of Confrontation."
They both stood in front of us and faced each other. Obito raised his right hand up to face level, Kakashi raised his left, with their index finger and middle finger held out while their ring finger and pinky were folded against their palms.
The two were silent as they stared each other down; I had to hand it to Obito, it was amazing how quickly he could change from giddy to serious.
Minato raised his hand in front of himself. "All right, Shinobi hand-to-hand combat!" In a swift movement, he brought his hand down as he shouted; "Begin!"
The two immediately rushed at each other, locking immediately in combat. They threw punches at each other, both managing the block the others' fists before it landed a blow.
Kakashi kicked towards Obito who was quick to block his leg with his arm. In retaliation to the block, Kakashi dropped to one knee and used his other leg to sweep towards Obito.
Obito jumped over Kakashi who immediately jumped back up and pursued the Uchiha. Obito pushed away Kakashi's arm as he took a swing at his head, but Kakashi quickly jumped back as Obito brought up a leg to kick him in the gut. Kakashi used the palm of his hand to strike Obito in the face, sending him reeling backwards.
Their movements were so fast compared to any taijutsu I had dared to attempt in the past. But my eyes did not fail to pick up their motions, stances, and defense and offense techniques. They seemed almost equally paired in taijutsu. Almost.
Kakashi managed to dodge one of Obito's attacks by quickly flipping over him. Obito immediately swept a leg towards Kakashi's legs as he landed on the ground. However, Kakashi was quick to jump back up before their legs connected.
Using his momentum, Kakashi kicked at Obito's arm, which he had brought up to guard and pushed off his arm.
Kakashi pulled out a kunai and Obito was quick to do the same.
I looked up at Minato in surprise, but he seemed fine with them bringing weapons into combat. I return my attention back to the fight as they parried blows.
They dodged and dove around each other until Obito finally could break away from Kakashi, jumping back and immediately waving signs quickly.
Mid jump, he released a fireball from his mouth and Kakashi quickly dropped to his knees, waved quick signs as well and slam his hands down on the ground, summoning a dirt wall that blocked Obito's fireball.
The sight of pieces of dirt flying and smoke bellowing from the small explosion from the fireball strike was spectacular. The jutsu might have been simple, but it amazed me and I could not help but stare in wonder as Obito rounded Kakashi's crumbling dirt wall.
Kakashi was ready for him, however, and kicked a foot into his jaw, sending him flying backward. He was quick to follow Obito, immediately pointing a kunai in his face as he sat up.
"Hand-to-hand combat is over. Kakashi wins." Minato spoke up, a small smile on his face. "Now, perform the Unison Sign."
Kakashi lowered his Kunai as Obito reached a hand toward him. The two linked together their index fingers and ring fingers, Obito with a grin on his face and Kakashi with his passive expression.
I looked up at Minato and cocked my head slightly. I had read in my books about shinobi being able to use several types of ninjutsu from different kinds of elements, but I had never seen it in action before. I found myself wanting to know more. The two walked over to us, Obito still grinning from ear to ear.
"Did you see, Aiko?" The Uchiha was far too excited for someone that not only just fought but also lost said fight. "Was that cool or what?"
I stared at him for a moment then slowly looked away as my cheeks felt hot once more. "C-Cool." I stiffened as a hand was placed on my head and I looked up to see a smiling Minato.
"Sparring is a good teaching tool you'll learn about in the academy." He ruffled my hair gently and I found my face feeling even hotter. "You can gauge your allies' strengths as well as test out your own."
"They're only Genin and they can already use Jutsu like that?" I slowly blinked and looked to Kakashi and Obito, who were silently glaring at one another.
"Well, as an Uchiha, Obito can use the Fireball Jutsu while Kakashi is…" Minato paused for a moment, looking to said boy whose attention was now drawn to us from the mention of his name. "What one would call a prodigy. He actually graduated earlier than the rest of his classmates."
My eyes met with Kakashi's grey and he was quick to look away. I supposed it made sense that he was a prodigy. He always seemed to not only act like he knew a lot, but also had the knowledge to back up his boasts.
"Kakashi is very skilled already." Rin took me by surprise when she spoke up, she had been so quiet watching the two spar. "He was on more advance missions before being teamed up with us."
I noted how her eyes seem to brighten as she spoke about him and her cheeks tinted a light pink. I was curious about her reaction, but presumed it was wiser to question it another time.
"So, do we have any missions for today, Sensei?" Obito was grinning once again and seemed rather bouncy with anticipation.
"No, no missions today." Minato's smile turned sheepish as Obito's grin fell. "You guys have a break."
Obito seemed wildly dissatisfied with that answered, but begrudgingly accepted. "So, a day of training it is!"
"Actually." Minato crossed his arms, his smile still sheepish. "I was wondering if you three could possibly include Aiko in on your training today."
I furrowed my brows and looked up at Minato. Surely, he was joking. There was no way these three would accept an academy student to join the training.
But I was pleasantly surprised.
"I think that could be fun!" Rin lifted her hands below her chin and pressed her finger tips together. "We can make a game out of it!"
"A game out of training?" Kakashi turn his nose up at the idea, literally. "Training is something serious."
"Usually, but maybe just this once." Rin blinked slowly and blushed, looking away from Kakashi.
"I think it's a good idea." Obito was grinning once again, bouncing physically with joy. "What kind of game can we make out of it?"
"I'll leave that decision to you." Minato slowly nodded and looked away from us. "I've got some business to take care of."
"Again?" I pouted as I looked up at him, furrowing my brows.
Minato had a tendency to cut training sessions short some days. I couldn't help but to feel a bit sad every time.
"So sorry to take your sensei's attention." The new voice was a surprise and as we all turned to see the new comer, I smiled. Kushina Uzumaki, a woman with a fierce temper and a heart just as fiercely kind and the dear love of Minato. The green dress with white undershirt she wore was an interesting mix with her long fiery red hair.
"But I'm afraid that I must borrow him for a while, ya know." She nodded at us and regarded Minato with a smile.
"Kushina-sama." Rin grinned and immediately stepped over to her. "We don't mind at all! Isn't that right?" She turned her head towards the two boys, one of which was ignoring her and the other was agreeing fervently with her.
I pouted once again, looking from Kushina to Minato. My first week in Konoha, I met Kushina and she took an immediate liking to me, so much that she invited me to dinner many times. However, Kushina disliked my tendency to mope.
So, as soon as she spotted my stuck-out bottom lip, she immediately stepped over to me. I jumped as a fist was brought down on my head, not hard enough to cause pain but just hard enough to be felt.
"Don't make such a face!" She scolded with her eyes narrowed slightly.
I winced and looked up at her with wide eyes. My pout faded to a sheepish smile.
Kushina slowly blinked then grabbed me by my shoulders, pulling me into a tight hug. She cooed over how cute I was and how pretty my eyes were.
I stood there, stiff as a board and arms pinned to my sides as I stared at her. My face burned as she rubbed her cheek against mine.
She let me go, but not before ruffling my hair. "I expect you for dinner tonight, Aiko-chan."
I blinked and nodded, watching her as she walked over to Minato.
They smiled at each other in a way I had never seen before. Happiness mixed with something else.
When the two made their exit, I walked over to Rin and cocked my head slightly. "So… what now?"
"We play that game I mentioned." She gave me a grin to match the one she gave Kushina, wide and excited. "We can all spar together but make it fun. Like a game of tag."
"Tag?" I slowly blinked and furrowed my brows. "How do we play that?"
Rin stared at me in disbelieve for a moment before slowly shaking her head. "You don't know how to play tag?"
I suddenly felt very small under her gaze and looked away, my face hot with a blush. "Well… I didn't play with other's my age so…"
Rin's eyebrows furrowed and she frowned. "Really? But why- "
I waved my hands frantically and returned my attention to her. "Anyway, anyway!" I spoke hurriedly in a desperate attempt to change the subject. "How do we play? It sounds like fun."
Rin smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Okay, well, we make someone 'it' and those who aren't run from them. And if the person that's 'it' catches you, you become 'it'."
"How can we add sparring to that?" Obito interjected, crossing his arms as he walked over to us.
"Dodging, of course." Rin nodded. "Get away from the one that's 'it' by any means necessary."
"That actually sounds like a good idea." I grinned widely and nodded. "Who should be it first?"
Obito excitedly raised a hand, nearly jumping in his excitement. "I will!"
Kakashi looked as if he was prepared to give some rude comment, but instead just simply looked away from us. "While you entertain this childish game, I'll be doing some real training."
I puffed out my cheeks in a pout and turned my back to Kakashi. With arms crossed over my chest, I walked over to Rin and Obito. "Well, it can just be us three then." I took in a short breath and prepared myself for any back lash for my next statement.
"Too bad Kakashi is too chicken to go along with us." I could feel his eyes burrowing into my back and he was quickly beside me, suddenly prepared to take part in the game.
Obito looked from Kakashi to me and then flashed a wide grin towards me. Usually he would be the one to taunt the silver haired boy. "Alright!" He called loudly. "I'll be it first!"
"Why are you first?" Kakashi's eyes narrowed at the literally bouncing Uchiha.
"He called it first." I grinned at him before standing next to Rin. I tapped her on the shoulder and we exchanged a grin before both taking off away from Obito.
Behind us, we could hear Obito's flustered babbling at our sudden flight and we laughed. We ran through the lining of trees around the training area and jumped onto tree limbs.
We took a moment to pause and check for pursuit, only to find Obito was not there. We looked at each other again and grinned.
"Obito probably didn't see that coming." I leaned up against the trunk of the tree.
Rin agreed, slowly nodding her head. "The way you got Kakashi to play along! It's hard to believe you used to be shy!"
I blinked and giggled, looking away to where Obito would surely come barreling through. "I would say we should keep moving, but Obito is likely hunting down Kakashi."
"I wouldn't doubt it." She took a seat on the tree limb, swinging her legs. "They have quite the rivalry."
I quietly scoffed and wrinkled my nose. "That they do."
We didn't have to wait long for the appearance of Obito. He hopped onto a tree limb and immediately spotted us, shouting out our names as we immediately turned tail and took off away from him.
We looked at each other and I nodded at her. "We should split up. One can be a decoy while the other gets away."
"Are you sure?" She blinked at me and cocked her head slightly. "We don't know who he'll go after. He might follow you."
"I'm counting on that." I grinned widely and pushed myself away from her, jumping to tree branches diverging to the right while she took the tree branches to the left.
Unfortunately, he did not do as I hoped and continued his pursuit of Rin. I found myself watching him follow her, even as I continued forward.
Interesting how he decided to follow Rin, a medic-nin surely trained well in avoidance. I thought for sure he would follow me since I was the potentially smaller and weaker target. I supposed he was possibly smarter than he let on for not underestimating me.
Or it could be something else.
Something appeared to be moving towards me from the right. Unfortunately, being too caught up in my own thoughts, I did not notice it until I slammed into it.
I cried out as I plummeted from the trees and onto the hard ground below, just barely missing large roots sticking up from the ground.
I looked at my feet as the being I crashed into grunted and pushed himself up from his face down position on the ground to look at me. My face fell as I immediately recognized the individual.
"Clumsy." Kakashi spoke through clenched teeth as he glared at me. "You need to pay more attention."
My face burned as I quickly sat up, lowering my head slightly. "I-Uh-Sorry. But… were you also not paying attention… since we ran into each other?"
For a split second, he looked taken aback by that, but his eyes hardened and he brushed himself off as he stood. "I was searching for that idiot, Obito. I wasn't concerned with you."
That somehow hurt. I ignored it. "Well, Obito followed Rin that way." I looked away from him and pointed to the left. "Why are you going after him? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"
"I see no reason to avoid him, since I doubt he'd be able to catch me." He looked to where I indicated.
"So, you're going to taunt him?" I followed him as he took to the trees, landing on each branch after he launched himself off.
"I don't have to answer to you." He cast a glance back at me, but he did not seem to protest to me following him.
I pouted and looked away. He was quite prickly, but at least he wasn't speaking to me as he usually did with Obito.
It wasn't long before we found Obito, attempting desperately to catch Rin as she rounded the base of the trees and jumped over exposed roots.
I slowly blinked and looked to Kakashi, who was watching Obito and Rin. I followed him quietly as he made his way to the Uchiha, whom was concentrating far too hard on catching Rin to even notice us.
Rin looked back at Obito as she ran and immediately spotted us. Her eyes were drawn to Kakashi. This was a perfect opportunity for Obito to tag her, and he did. She returned her attention to him as he touched her arm.
She smiled and congratulated him for catching her and looked at us again, particularly at Kakashi.
Obito followed her gaze and his expression changed from a smile to a frown. The fact Kakashi was the one to pull her attention away from him seemed discouraging.
I found this exchange to be odd, but I did not have time to voice any questions. Rin was now it, and her attention was drawn to us. I looked over to Kakashi, who seemed rather indifferent, and furrowed my brows.
I took a step back as Rin began advancing toward us, but Kakashi did not make a move. I did not have time to question his motives as Rin ran up to us.
She regarded me with a smile and looked to Kakashi. She seemed to regard her opinions of whom to go for first, then turned to me.
Of course she would choose me, I thought with a tad bit of bitterness. She was aware of what Kakashi was capable of, but me on the other hand.
Knowing I was being underestimated left my chest feeling heavy.
I took a step back as she took a step forward. I looked around the trees for a quick escape, but with Kakashi to my right and Rin in front of me, I had nowhere else to flee but backwards.
Her smile was a bit unnerving as she got closer to me, a hand reached towards me, prepared to tag me.
I launched myself backwards and jumped into a tree branch. As I jumped through the trees, I did not spot Rin following me. In fact, I saw no one in pursuit.
I took a moment to take in a breath and leaned my back against a tree trunk. I contemplated the situation, it was as good a time as any.
The fact that I was being underestimated was annoying, but it made sense. I had not given them a reason to do otherwise, since I had not shown them what I was truly capable of. However, that knowledge did not stop the heavy feeling in my chest.
Furthermore, the trio's reactions to one another seemed odd. I know they have known each other longer than I had been around, but it was interesting to see their reactions, or over reactions in one case, and even under reactions for another.
How Obito always seemed so flustered when it came to Rin, and how he seemed to loathe Kakashi in such an unnecessary manner. Rin and her blushing at the mere mention of Kakashi's name and how she seemed to play the peace maker for the two. Kakashi seemed indifferent to everything, besides his pestering of Obito.
I pressed my lips into a thin line and crossed my arms over my chest. Kakashi and Obito seemed to have the natural chemistry of oil and water and Rin was a different entity by herself, keeping the two together.
I wondered where I fit in that equation, if I did at all. Where did I stand with the team?
A rustling in the leaves brought my attention away from my thoughts. I looked to the trees the sound originated from and prepared myself to flee.
A figure emerged from a tree and I was shocked to find it was not Rin, Kakashi or Obito. It was someone I had never seen before. The figure was a tall man with dark brown hair and dark eyes. He did not wear a Konoha headband or a green flak jacket like Minato, instead he wore browns and dark blues.
The man looked at me and did not say anything for a moment, then a look of recognition flashed in his eyes. "Hey, I know you."
"Y-You do?" I stuttered, the shock from the appearance of the new comer had me frozen in place. "You must… be mistaking."
"No," The man muttered, moving closer to my position. "There's no mistaking those blue eyes. You're Akihiro's daughter."
A fear that I had only ever felt once before gripped me and my knees began to shake. Why here? Why now? So long had I gone without hearing or seeing anything from that time.
"But... he told us you were dead." He looked me over with a piercing gaze as he got even closer. "And called you and those with you traitors to our clan."
I started to visibly shake as the man stood just an arms length in front of me. 'Come on, move!' I attempted to make myself move, but I managed to take one shaky step back.
The man was quick to grab my right wrist in a grip that was far too strong for our size difference. My bones felt like they were going to be crushed under the pressure.
I winced and gave a sharp cry of pain as he dragged me closer to him, my wrist hot with pain.
"It was fortuitous for Akihiro-sama to send me to scout Konoha patrols." His grip on me needlessly tightened and I cried out once again.
I began push his hand away and pull my arm back in a futile attempt to free myself.
"He will be pleased to know you still live and will reward me greatly for returning you back into the fold." He smiled, it was terribly creepy and sent a shiver racing down my spine.
There was no way I was going back there.
In a desperate move, I leaned towards him and bit his hand that held onto me as hard as I could. The man recoiled and yelled in both surprise and pain.
In his surprise, he let my wrist loose and I did not hesitate to jump away from him. I started running back the way I came, desperately hoping that one of the others were still there. Hot tears rolled down my cheeks as I pushed myself forward as fast as I could.
Unfortunately, my escape was cut short as the man landed heavily in front of me, his fist immediately slamming into my stomach.
My body folded momentarily over his fist and what ever happened to be contained in my stomach was quickly expelled.
Everything was blurry. I felt the back of my shirt being grabbed and I was lifted into the air like some pup.
The man slung me over his shoulder without another word.
I drifted in and out of consciousness as the man made his way towards, presumably, the clan's lands.
At one time, I could hear the distinct sound of something sharp hitting tree bark. Shuriken? Kunai, perhaps? But then I drifted back into unconsciousness.
Again, I could hear things, someone talking and moving me? This time, I did my damnedest to open my eyes
It took a moment of mental coxing, but when I was finally able to crack open my eyes, I was greeted by gray eyes and a masked covered face.
"K-Kakashi?" My voice was hoarse, and my stomach burned with pain to go along with my sore wrist.
He pointed off to my right, I slowly turned my head and there, at the base of a tree, was the man that had grabbed me, unconscious.
"Why?" I looked back at him, my brows furrowed. I didn't take him to be the kind to willingly help someone.
"I heard shouting from this way, so I came to look." He did not look at me, he just continued to look at the man. "I knew I would never hear the end of it from the others if I just let him take you."
It seems he did have a motive, but I didn't care why he did it, really. I was just overwhelming grateful.
Tears filled my eyes and I flung my arms around his neck, the movement sending pain through my abdomen and cried quietly. "T-Thank you!"
His ears and the exposed parts of his cheek bones turned a bright shade of red. "I-Well-Uh-"
There was a rustling in the trees behind us and Kakashi's attention was diverted from me to the new comers.
"Aiko! Are you okay?" I heard Obito's voice and Rin echo my name.
Kakashi grabbed me by my shoulders, surprisingly gently and pulled me away from him.
I pitifully used Kakashi's hold to keep myself up, my abdomen burned with white hot pain, so I hunched over slightly. Surely, I looked a sight.
Rin was at my side quickly, her hands hovered over me and glowed a faint green. Her brows furrowed as she concentrated.
Obito stood behind her and pointed the man at the tree. "Who is that?"
Kakashi looked up at him then looked to the man. "Someone that was trying to take Aiko."
Obito blinked then stared pointedly at Kakashi, who returned his attention to him. "And you saved her?"
"Only because I knew you all would never leave me alone about it if I didn't." He looked away from Obito quickly and his shoulders raised in a tense manner.
Rin completely ignored the two and smiled at me. Though her face was blurred by tears, I found comfort in the smile. "You have a few broken ribs and your wrist has a slight fracture, but other then that, you're fine. However," She glanced at Kakashi. "What I can do is not enough to treat the broken bones. We'll have to take her back to the village, to the hospital."
"Alright, I'll take her back." Obito nodded and kneeled beside me.
"With how clumsy you are?" Kakashi glared at the Uchiha. "You'll just end up tripping and causing an even bigger problem."
Obito returned his glare with one of his own and balled his hands into fists. "No! I won't!"
Rin raised her hands and waved them desperately in front of the two. "Now's not the time to fight! Someone has to stay here and watch that man while the others take Aiko back to the village and get help."
Obito and Kakashi stared each other down for a moment longer before Kakashi looked away.
"I'll watch over the man. You both go back to the village."
It was surprising that he gave in so quickly, but I supposed even he couldn't argue with that logic.
"What? What's with the sudden change!" Obito barked, pointing a finger at him.
"A novice like you can't be trusted to guard someone this important." Kakashi cast a glare at Obito from the corner of his eye.
"What did you say?" Obito snapped, jumping up and preparing to grab Kakashi.
Rin was quick to jump up and wave her hands once again between the two. "Not the time, not the time!"
I doubled over and wrapped my arms around my abdomen. I barely heard the whimper that escaped me, but apparently, they did as all three turned to look at me.
Obito went quiet and faced away from us. He then kneeled and looked back at me.
Rin helped me up and I unceremoniously draped myself over his back.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and he grabbed my legs, using them to keep ahold of me.
Rin took off a pack from around her waist and placed it in between my abdomen and Obito's back, presumably to guard me from bumping into him. "I keep first aid supplies in this." Rin looked at me and smiled. "So, it should be softer then anything else I have now."
I slowly nodded and Obito stood.
"Alright, Rin. Let's go." He nodded as well, giving Rin a smile.
"Be careful with her." Rin muttered, following after Obito as he took off through the trees.
Bumping into the pack was awkward and hurt, but surely it was better than hitting his back.
I buried my nose into his shoulder and closed my eyes tightly, silently attempting to ignore the pain. However, any rough jump Obito made or sharp turn seemed to increase the pain two-fold.
Obito looked back at me with ever small whimper I made and frowned while Rin did her best to reassure me that we were close to the village.
I could feel consciousness start to fade as I held onto him tightly. The emotional exhaustion and pain were finally beginning to catch up to me and I had passed out rather quickly.
When I came to again, however, I was not in the forest outside the village. I was in a room with familiar white walls and large windows to the right side of the comfortable bed I laid in.
"You're awake."
I looked slowly to my left to see Minato and Kushina at the side of the bed, giving me relieved smiles. I raised my hands to rub my eyes, only to find my right wrapped up in hard bandaging.
"They put a cast on, so your cracked bone will heal better. You won't be using it for a while." Minato frowned. "They also wrapped your abdomen for your broken ribs, so they'll heal properly, but you won't be able to do much in till they give the go ahead."
I stared at the cast and furrowed my brows. "Obito got here fine? Did anyone go to Kakashi?"
"Yes, and yes." Kushina gently placed a hand on mine, drawing my attention to her. "They were both very brave. Be sure to thank them, ya know."
I slowly nodded then looked past her at a noticeably head of shiny silver hair.
Kakashi noticed me stare at him in the door way, along with Rin and Obito and was the first to step in followed by the others.
"Thank you." I nodded again towards them.
"Well, what are friends for?" Obito grinned widely, giving me a thumb up.
"I have to ask, Aiko." Minato muttered, looking away from me. "We have the man that attacked you with the interrogation unite, but could you tell us who that man was?"
I stared at him for a moment. I was surprised I was even being asked. Surely Hokage-sama knew where the man could be from. I looked away from him and looked out the window. The sky was a bright blue with only a few scattered fluffy clouds.
Kushina very carefully sat on the bed next to me after a moment of silence. She picked up my hand and placed her other on top of it. "Aiko, do you know who he was?"
"Not specifically." I muttered and began to tear up.
"What do you mean?" Minato spoke up, cocking his head slightly.
"I mean," I muttered and looked at him. "That… man was from my clan." I looked back out the window with a frown.
There was an awkward silence and Kushina gently squeezed my hand. After a moment, Minato stood.
"We have to talk to the Hokage." I watched from the corner of my eye as Kushina stood as well. Minato looked at me for a moment before placing a hand on my head.
I blinked and looked up at him. His smile was bittersweet and gave me a slow nod. I watched quietly as they walked out and then watched Obito, Rin and Kakashi take their places.
Kakashi sat in a chair next to the bed, Rin sat on the side of the bed next to me and Obito stood next to her. Three pairs of eyes were pinned on me and a feeling of unease settled in my stomach.
Obito opened his mouth to say something, but Rin cut him off quickly.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
I slowly shook my head and looked down at my right hand. I attempted to flex my fingers, hoping desperately I could still use at least some of my hand, but the cast restricted any movement.
"I think you'll probably have to take a break from your studies for a little while." Rin reached over and gently grabbed my elbow, moving my arm closer to her and placed her hand on top of mine. "It'll be kind of hard to hold a book with both hands, huh?"
I stared at her for a moment before looking back out the window. It was an incorrect assumption to think I would stop studying. I had so much to learn before becoming a shinobi, and I won't let anything come between me and that dream.
"We can help, though!" Obito's voice seemed to echo in my head for a moment. His loud voice was a sharp contrast to the quiet room. "I mean, that's what friends are for!"
Thank you was the only reply I gave. I shifted in the bed and furrowed my brows as I watched the sky.
The awkward silence that spread throughout the room was broken moments later as a smiling nurse stepped through the door.
"Hida Aiko?" I gave the woman a nod of conformation and she continued. "Minato-san told you about the extent of your injuries?" Another nod and she nodded in return. "Well, with these injuries you don't need a hospital stay. You're free to head home and heal there. But-"
The nurse stepped over to the side of the bed, her index finger raised. "The doctor insists you take it easy. I know that's a difficult task for Genin, but it's important for the healing process."
"We'll make sure she does." Rin smiled, gently patting my hand.
"Well, that's good to hear." The nurse's smile was unnecessarily annoying to me. Why did she have to look so happy?
The nurse left the room and returned with a wheel chair. I stared at it in disbelief, then transferred that same disbelief expression towards the nurse.
"I figured it would be a good idea to wheel you out. From there, you can walk if you wish to." The nurse's smile turned sheepish as she pushed the chair closer to me.
I reluctantly accepted, though I didn't have any say in the matter. She was by my side quickly, gently taking a hold of my good arm and carefully started to pull me forward in the bed.
Sharp pain shot through my abdomen and I grabbed her arm tightly. I grit my teeth and did my best to bare it, but I could not help the groans of pain.
She placed a hand on my back and moved me from the bed to the chair where I slumped and wrapped my arms around my stomach.
The nurse profusely apologized, but I ignored her. My mind was too concerned with the pain.
I stayed slumped in the wheelchair as I was pushed out of the room and through the halls of the hospital. I stared down at my arms as we moved. The pain subsiding to an ache.
Once outside, I winced at the bright light.
"We can handle things from here." Rin smiled at the nurse, who nodded.
Obito stood in front of me and gently wrapped an arm around my waist. My face burn with a blush, despite the pain that erupted through my midsection as he pulled me slowly out of the chair.
The nurse once again smiled sheepishly and said a quick goodbye before pushing the wheelchair back into the hospital.
I wrapped my good arm around his waist and held onto him as tightly as I could. I dared not lift my arm high or hold too tight for fear of causing myself anymore pain. What I felt from just the simple act of standing was more than enough.
I bent as I stood, my bandaged hand over my stomach, desperately hoping that the bad posture was enough to at least some of the pain.
With reluctance, I took a step forward and the pain that shot through me was enough to make me cry out.
Obito stopped me from moving forwards and frowned. "Maybe it would be best for me to carry you."
Rin nodded in agreement, stepping into my line of sight. "He's right."
"It will take you all day to get back home at this rate." Kakashi broke his long silence.
I looked at him in surprise, it was odd that he was still hanging around. I looked away from them and furrowed my brows. Sure, it hurt pretty badly, but I still had a sense of pride. I had already been shown up by that man in the woods and made to look like a defenseless child. I did not want to seem like I could not even take care of myself as well.
Obito's arm's adjusted around me and I quickly looked at him as he placed a hand on my back. The smile he had was so warm and reassuring that any sense of pride that remained seemed to melt away.
"Fine," I finally muttered, my face red and hot. "If it will get me home faster."
As before, Obito crouched and I climbed onto his back. I carefully wrapped my good arm around his neck and left my bandaged one to hang uselessly off his shoulder.
"This is much better." Obito beamed as he walked, Kakashi and Rin following behind.
I had to admit, it was. This position did not hurt nearly as bad as if I were to walk. And something about being this close to him in a non emergency situation made my heart beat hard and quick in my chest. The feeling was uncomfortable and I contemplated asking them to return me to the hospital, but I clinched my teeth and buried my nose in his shoulder.
"So, why would someone from your own clan want to hurt you?" Obito asked rather bluntly, breaking the momentary silence that had settled as they walked.
"Wha-" I slowly blinked and stared at him.
"Obito, don't pry." Rin reprimanded, crossing her arms behind us.
"Well, don't you think we should know why someone would hurt our friend?" Obito pouted, turning up his nose slightly.
"Well, she'll tell us when she wants to tell us."
"My father wanted to use me to harm Konoha." I spoke quietly, staring at the blue fabric of Obito's jacket. "So… those that took care of me took me in the night and we fled my village. It's likely in their eyes, since I've fled to Konoha, that I'm traitor."
"A traitor? Harm Konoha?" Obito's eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed. "But why?"
"Apparently..." I turned my head and rested my cheek on his shoulder. "When the clan was still apart of the village, a lot of them were wiped out on a mission given by the second Hokage. So, there's ill feelings for Konoha."
"But why you?" Rin spoke up, stepping closer to us.
"In the clan, we are able to conjure weapons out of chakra. Well, some are, which I've since learned is chakra control and manipulation. But most can't hold out the weapons they've created for long for lack of chakra supply." I looked back at her as I spoke. I was certain this would be lost on Obito. "Apparently, I was born with a pretty big chakra pool in comparison to theirs, since I can hold mine for a longer time than others."
Obito hummed loudly, signally that my assumption was correct. He was lost in the conversation.
"So he wanted to use that against us?" Rin frowned and looked away from me. "That's awful."
"Now that I explain it out loud, it doesn't sound so spectacular, huh? Just to be able to make things with chakra." I muttered, turning my cheek to Obito's shoulder.
"Actually, that sounds like it would be a good ability for shinobi." Kakashi spoke up, surprising me once again. "To be able to create the weapon you desire in the palm of your hand. It's the perfect thing for assassinations."
Was that a compliment from Hatake Kakashi? My face was hot and red again and I suddenly felt light headed.
Thankfully, my home was just in sight. As we ascended stairs to the walk way, Rin was quick to dash ahead and open the door for Obito, who walked in, went to my room and immediately sat me on the bed.
I sat rather awkwardly, finding a position that did not make my ribs scream with pain and smiled just as awkwardly. "Thank you guys."
"That's what friends are for." Obito repeated his statement from earlier, beaming from ear to ear.
"I'll be here by tomorrow to check on you." Rin gave me a smile and a gently hug around the shoulders. "Don't try to push yourself or do anything stupid, okay?"
"Alright." I muttered and slowly leaned away from her. As the three turned to leave, I raised my bandaged hand. "A-Ah, Kakashi, before you go, can I ask you something?"
They stopped to look at me, then Obito and Rin exchanged a glance, Rin specifically giving Obito a look before he could even open his mouth to say anything, and they continued walking. Rin, however, gave one last look towards Kakashi before exiting.
"What?" He asked plainly, crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame.
"Why did you help me… really?" I furrowed my brows as a heat again rose to my face.
"Really? To save myself from having to hear it from the others. That's it." His eyes narrowed for a moment, then returned to their normal passive look.
"Well, even if you did do it for yourself..." I looked away from him, smiling slightly. "T-Thank you."
He stared at me and then turned to face the door. "Is that it?"
"That's it." I slowly nodded and he made his exit, closing the door behind him.
I slowly exhaled and carefully laid down on the bed. I curled up, though the movement pained me, and found myself a comfortable position.
Today was horrible and all I wanted was to forget it. But the painful reminders would make sure I wouldn't.
There was a heavy thud in the kitchen and I jumped, sending pain through my body and I cried out.
Kuro came sauntering through the doorway, his thick black tail slowly swaying as he walked and jumped up on the bed.
"Kuro!" I breathed, placing a hand on the cat's back. "You scared me!"
He meowed loudly and rubbed his back against my hand. He purred just as loud and rubbed his face against my thigh.
"I forgive you." I smiled and gave him a scratch on the head. I returned to my comfortable position and exhaled carefully again. "Today was awful, Kuro."
Kuro meowed loudly and took a seat on the bed next to me, ready and waiting to hear my explaining.
And he got to hear it all.