Watashi wa Masako dearu.
Chapter Summary: This time Iruka is the one waiting at the candy store; he seems uneasy, but Konoha is a safe place, right? There are surprises in store for more people than Iruka and Kimi... were the chakra test papers worth it?
Chapter Rating: T for
Author's Notes: Eck, I'm beginning to wonder what's wrong with me. I never write this much... oh well. Let's see this plot go! Just kidding, it'll take a while to get to the real plot, but at least it's -starting- to get interesting (God, I'm such a failure; ha!). In any case, I just realized that I forgot a disclaimer in the last chapter (I think I did, anyways... ugh, I hate my stupidity) so yeah... insert disclaimer for last chapter here. And now... this chapter's:
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I do own Kimi, Nobuyuki, Umeko, Yuuki, Obouru, and Tsuneo, though.
A True Shinobi
Chapter 4
The next evening Iruka was the one waiting at the candy shop, clutching a bag of licorice. Kimi smiled and waved as she neared. Iruka shoved the bag in her hands somewhat irately. Kimi gave him a confused look.
"It's a new flavor," he explained, leading her towards the park. Kimi gasped and attacked the candy eagerly, chewing on it thoughtfully. "Raspberry, I think."
She nodded. "Yup! Yum... do you want any, Iruka-san?"
"Iei-desu," Iruka declined, shaking his head, "I already had a piece. I don't like it- funny aftertaste." Kimi seemed to consider this. After a moment's though she made a face and nodded. She glared sullenly at the bag of candy, eventually shrugging and sucking on another strip of licorice.
"It's worth it. I'll tell Tsuneo-san about the aftertaste, though," she determined, sure that Tsuneo would be happy to know of a way to improve his candy. Iruka chuckled lightly, but somehow it sounded heavy to Kimi. She scrutinized her older companion. He began to appear uncomfortable, glancing around constantly with unnecessary caution; Konoha was a very safe place. "Iruka-san, what's your problem?" she asked innocently. Iruka surveyed the street again, shrugging. Kimi frowned, but Iruka didn't say anything until they reached their hill in the park. He was beginning to make Kimi feel uncomfortable. "Iruka-san?"
Iruka gave their surroundings one final examination before deciding they were alone and unwatched. Carefully, he produced a sheet of chakra paper and showed it to Kimi. She admired it appreciatively.
"What's that?" she asked. Iruka glanced around again, unfolding it.
"This is chakra paper. It's made from the bark of a special tree. It draws a person's chakra then reacts to it. There are five types of chakra and it reacts differently to each type. If it reacts when you touch it Kimi-chan then it means you have chakra," Iruka explained. Kimi nodded dumbly. "If you have chakra, then that means you have the potential to become a ninja."
"Can we try it now?" Kimi queried, eager to prove that she could, in fact, be a shinobi. Iruka frowned but nodded, checking again for people. He hesitantly handed the paper to Kimi. She held it tightly, pouting in concentration. Nothing. Iruka heaved a sigh, having known this would happen.
"It's supposed to be instantaneous-" Suddenly, the paper simultaneously crumpled and split in half. Iruka gave a shout of surprise and Kimi stood stock still, petrified. She took one look at the ghastly expression akin to horror on Iruka's face and shrieked- high, long, and loud. The shriek developed into wails and sobs, but Iruka didn't budge, the blank, bewildered expression on his face frozen there.
"Iruka-kun?" The boy turned slowly, expression unchanging. The Hokage frowned, coming into view. "Where is the chakra paper you stole?"
Iruka seemed to attempt an answer, but nothing came out. The Hokage turned his attention to the wailing child, holding a crumpled, ripped paper that was beginning to singe at the corners. A look of shock passed over his face, sending Kimi ever further into hysterics. Shakily, the Hokage removed the pipe from his mouth, sighing heavily and thrusting it into Iruka's chest as he approached the child. Shushing quietly, he gathered Kimi into his arms, rocking her and assuring her it was okay, everything was alright now. Slowly, Kimi calmed down, shrieks and sobs diminishing to soft hiccups. Iruka's shock melted into disbelief and confusion. The Hokage shot him a look.
"Iruka-kun, was that...?"
"Hai-desu," Iruka confirmed. The Hokage sighed, stroking Kimi's loose hair. She sniffed. Iruka frowned. "Hokage-sama..."
"I saw," the Hokage warned him, still cradling the girl. "Impressive, was it not? For a child her age to control two types of chakra..." Iruka could only nod dumbly.
"Impressive," the Hokage murmured, a shadow passing over his eyes. "I assume she is the reason you stole chakra papers?'
"I left money!" Iruka defended himself. Sandaime scoffed.
"Chakra paper is expensive, Iruka-kun. It is worth much more than the two coins you left in the box," he explained. Iruka hung his head in shame. Sarutobi sighed and shook his head at the ignorance of young ninja in his village. He shifted his attention to the child, nearly asleep in his arms.
"What is your name, little one?" he asked softly. She sniffed and wiped her eyes.
"Kamigawa Kimi," she told him. He nodded, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. He tapped the navy cloth tied around her forehead. She blushed shyly, twiddling her thumbs. Sandaime smiled.
"What's this, Kimi-chan?" he asked. She grinned.
"I'm gunna be a great shinobi when I grow up! Just like Iruka-san," she explained happily. The Hokage and Iruka couldn't suppress smiles.
"Go to sleep, Kimi-chan," the Hokage instructed kindly. She nodded, yawning widely. Sandaime looked at Iruka who was shuffling his feet nervously. He spared the jittery boy a smile. "You may have done good, Iruka-kun-" Iruka heaved a sigh of relief, "- that does not mean you are exempted from punishment, however."
Iruka's shoulders slumped. He reached up to untie his hitai-ate.
"Don't," Sarutobi ordered. "Your punishment will be civil service. As soon as possible, I want you to research the Kamigawa family lineage and report to me once you are through. Use the official library- show the guards my pipe and they'll let you in. Now, run along; I'll take Kimi-chan home. It's getting late." He gave Iruka a curt nod and they went their ways.
oOoOoOo
Iruka was restless. He tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Kimi had two types of chakra at her disposal; most ninja possessed only one until they reached jounin level. The only explanation was a bloodline limit, but Kimi came from a family with no shinobi history at all. Besides, Iruka couldn't think of any bloodline limits that mixed wind chakra and lightning chakra. Though, try as he might, he could not think of a satisfactory alternative explanation. Somewhere in that child's lineage there must have been shinobi blood, and it must have trickled down to her. It was the only way.
Yet it still didn't make sense.
Frustrated, Iruka rolled out of bed and got dressed again, after having lain down for only twenty minutes. Better to get started on his civil service sooner rather than later. He shrugged on a heavy jacket to fend off the chilly September nights in Konoha.
The trip to the Hokage's building was relatively quick, but the temperature inside was even colder than outside. Iruka presented the guards with Sarutobi's pipe. If they were confused, they didn't show it and led him to the Hokage's private library without a word. Both masked nin left Iruka alone in the library to gape at the towering cases of books in awe. The gennin had never seen anything like it before; so many books in one room!
After the initial shock wore off, Iruka set to finding all the books he would need- a dubious task, considering the hundreds of shelves which filled the room.
It didn't look so big from the outside! Iruka thought as he began to systematically search, trying to narrow down the places to look based on what he needed. If luck was with him, he would find enough material by morning to begin his research.
If luck wasn't with him... well, he didn't want to think about that just yet.
oOoOoOo
"Who could that be?" Yuuki mumbled sleepily. Said person rapped on the front door again. Yuuki elbowed her husband in the ribs. "Obouru-san, someone is knocking at the door," she informed him. He groaned and rolled over, resuming his obnoxious snoring. Yuuki moaned softly, elbowing him again, harder. "Obouru-san, get up! Someone is knocking at the door: go answer it!"
Obouru grumbled but got up, muttering darkly about stupid neighbors and ungodly hours. Yuuki sighed and lethargically sat, ready to follow her husband should it be important. Obouru stifled a yawn as he shrugged into his robe haphazardly and stumbled down the stairs.
"Yes? What do you want-" he blinked at their visitor. Rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Blinked again. "H-Hokage-sama!"
Sandaime smiled warmly, offering Kimi to her father. "I was just taking a walk in the park when I happened across her. I thought I might as well return her to her parents."
"I- uh, a-arigato," Obouru stuttered, taking his daughter. He adjusted the sleeping girl in his arms. She snuggled closer, recognizing the scent of her Tou-san even while asleep. The Hokage gave a tip of his hat and left. Yuuki was just trudging down the steps, tying her robe shut when the Hokage's back disappeared from view. She squinted down the street.
"Who was it, Obouru-san?" she inquired. Obouru blinked a few times, as though he had forgotten to in the past minutes. He handed Kimi to a befuddled Yuuki.
"The Hokage," he explained. "He said he found Kimi in the park so he brought her home." Yuuki gasped and peered down the street again.
"Konoha is truly blessed to have such a good and caring Hokage," she murmured gratefully. Obouru nodded in full agreement. They returned upstairs to get some much-needed rest, glad to have their daughter at home- though they'd never admit they hadn't known their daughter had snuck out of the house and wasn't in bed asleep.
"I wonder what in the world she does every day at the park," Yuuki commented once back in bed. She snuggled closer to Kimi who was tucked snugly between both adults. Obouru yawned obscenely, shrugging. Yuuki frowned, "Obouru-san..."
"Relax, Yuuki-chan," he mumbled, stretching, "Kimi's probably mad herself some friends now."
"That's what worries me. I don't know them- Obouru-san, what if they're bad kids? Just look! They left her sleeping in the park! She's always leaving at the crack of dawn and doesn't come home until the sun has set," Yuuki worried, "She's always worn out and her clothes are dusty."
"Shhh, don't worry, Yuuki-chan," Obouru consoled her, turning onto his side to face her, "She's probably just playing sports with the boys or making sandcastles with the girls. Konoha is a safe place, she'll be fine."
"She's only three," Yuuki reminded him.
"She's very smart," Obouru countered, doting on his daughter even in her sleep.
"Being smart and being able to protect herself are two different things, completely!" Yuuki chided, "The way things are, I can't even be sure she's eating right or making good choices or playing in the wrong parts of town or associating with the bakemono or-"
"Shhh, Yuuki-chan, Yuuki-chan," Obouru hushed his wife with a finger to her lips. "Let's discuss this later. Right now all you need to worry about is sleeping."
Yuuki held her breath, holding in all the arguments swirling around within her, everything she was worrying about, important and not. Obouru stroked her cheek delicately and she exhaled all her troubles, for the night, at least. Slowly, both she and her husband drifted into sleep.
Meanings:
Tsuneo means "common man"
-sama is an honorific, it's very formal/polite and can be translated as "lord" or "master"
not much to explain today, huh?
