"You can't just stop and do whatever you like when you know we have to make it to an important meeting," Rikuro gripes, letting go of my wrist since there's no need to be dragging me off anymore.
I sigh, rolling my eyes. "Both you and Oji-san are so time sensitive, we're gonna be fine."
Rikuro mutters something under his breath but I let it slide. Lately he's been getting pretty worked up and I don't understand why. Is his dad increasing the pressure on his missions? That's probably it. Hiroshi Ryouta is a strict, responsible, well groomed man. At least, that's how Papa always describes his brother.
I fall into step behind Rikuro again and we hurry up to the central building of Konoha where the Hokage's office is. I can't help but feel another wave of anxiousness swell within me, this one different from when Obito had asked me that question. When he had asked me how I knew him and the others would become a team, I could feel the beginnings of drowning once again. But this? This anxiousness is normal, practically a relief. Something that everyone would get if they were going to a meeting with the Hokage because they were registering into Konoha's system as a spy-nin.
That's been Papa's agreement with Konoha. We can be their spies, but our leash is registering ourselves into their database for precaution. Rikuro says that they will ask me some questions too. More than just standard ones confirming who I am. He says that the way they phrase those questions is pretty intimidating. Like if I answer wrong I'm going to be marked as a potential target and shot if they even think I'm stepping a toe out of line. It's frightening, but that's what it means to be a spy-nin. No one will trust you without a backup plan to get rid of you.
But Papa's been reassuring me that the Sandaime is a fair old man. He said to think of the Hokage as a grandfather almost; someone to respect because of their wisened age, but also to love because they treat you well. When Papa puts it like that it's not hard to find peace in myself so I don't feel anxious.
The big building's shadow encompasses me and I look up to see it tower above me and Rikuro. Rikuro clicks his tongue and keeps walking. I have to sprint to catch up with him, clutching Akuma closer to my side so I don't drop it. It doesn't fail to escape my cousin's notice.
"Why don't you just strap it to your back? You'll be able to maneuver more accurately."
"Because it's a staff and you're supposed to carry them. Besides, Akuma's too long to fit on my back without dragging on the ground and knocking against my ankles," I reach Rikuro again with a huff and he snickers.
"Shorty."
"Jerk!"
"Pint size."
"Richi-chan!"
"Brat!"
Rikuro bumps into me playfully and I return the gesture with more force. His arm snakes around my neck and puts me into a headlock. We wrestle, me to get out of the headlock before he noogies me and Rikuro to, well, noogie me! It's quickly stopped though when we hear the sharp thud of a set of footsteps coming towards us.
"Rikuro, Ame, stop fooling around. You're going to be late," The headlock is broken. Rikuro and I pull away from each other in embarrassment. Ryouta stands in front of us with a displeased frown curling on his pale face.
"Sorry Father."
"Sorry Oji-san."
Ryouta mutters something and it becomes much more clear as to where Rikuro picks it up from. He turns his back, garbed in standard ninja clothing instead of something more personal for him. We follow after him, trying to keep pace with his long stride. Rikuro has an easier time just because he's got legs that've grown like a weed. As much as I hate being called short I can't deny that that's what I am.
Ryouta leads us up a few flight of stairs until we stand in front of two large, closed oaken doors. He knocks and there's a gruff as well as strong voice telling us to come in. He opens one door and stands aside to let Rikuro and I in first. The room is spacious and brightly lit, with a large desk positioned near the windows. Seated in the chair just behind the desk is an old man wearing robes and the red hat of the Hokage. There aren't many wrinkle lines on his face, most of them around his eyes. I can tell that he actually smiles a lot, despite his calm and serious appearance.
"Hiroshi Ame," I straighten out and step past Rikuro. I stand in a swatch of light from the window. The sunshine feel good and it warms me, keeping me relaxed even as I stand at attention. Akuma rests lightly in my loose grip, planted firmly at my side.
The Hokage nods in approval, soul filled eyes studying me intently as if they can pry away all of my secrets from me. "I trust that you understand why you are here, and that you know what all will be done?"
I nod slowly. I wonder what kind of questions he will ask. Or was that just something Rikuro had said to scare me? I don't sense any frightening or imposing will coming from the Hokage. Normally when people intend to grill me for an answer they send out this aura of will that makes them seem bigger than me. But the Hokage's vibes are much like Papa had said, he's just like a grandpa.
The Hokage pulls a paper out from under his desk along with a pen and slides the items forward with a gesture for me to come look. I do so and see that it's a contract. The details entailed are about the services I'm required to provide to the Hidden Leaf, the services I may and may not provide, and the consequences of betrayal. At the bottom is a place to sign my name as well as a blood print. I've never really understood the reasoning behind a blood print. What good does it do to promise on blood? It's just silly to me, honestly. But in that aspect I must only be just a kid, since it's something that adults came up with.
I take the pen in my right hand and sign my name, pricking my thumb and pressing it to the page. The Hokage slides the paper back and onto a stack. For a moment he stares at me. Then, slowly, a smile creeps upwards into what I can already tell is a familiar look for him. I find it hard to resist returning the smile, caving in and letting it lift my cheeks happily.
"Welcome among the ranks of Konohagakure's shinobi, Ame," He blinks, and I know I'm dismissed. With a slight bow I back away and turn to go. Rikuro follows after me, but Ryouta stays behind with a short, but polite command from the Sandaime.
Once we are outside of the office, Rikuro says immediately, "You were lucky. When I had been brought in Danzo and the other elders were there, and they aren't as nice as the Hokage."
I can only stare at him mutely as I wonder about the scrap of luck I seemed to have been blessed with. Rikuro begins to walk away, still talking animatedly about his experience. I follow after him, the tail of my coat swishing along behind me.
"A-a-achoo!" I sneeze and deeply regret it. I've finally moved on from just producing the cat ears and tail, now to fully transforming into a cat. It's cumbersome not having this mastered so it doesn't happen whenever I sneeze. But as Papa said (countless times), finding equilibrium doesn't happen in a day, let alone a year. Currently I just have to deal with dragging Akuma around in my cat (*read: kitten) form.
Luckily I've managed to do this along the road to Konoha, instead of the actual village itself. A lot of people would freak out if they saw a girl just turn into a cat. A lot of people would probably start a hunt too. Kekkei Genkai's aren't a widely accepted gift, and are mostly hated. Combine that with being a spy-nin and, well…. I think I might just go wait this out in the forest for a little bit. I'm supposed to go see if there are any jobs I can take, or at least someone who will train with me for a bit, since Papa said that I need to learn about as many different fighting styles as possible. Looks like that's gonna be delayed.
Taking Akuma in my already too small mouth, I start to drag it off the road and into the forest. The journey immediately becomes problematic as I struggle in my tiny body to drag the long staff over roots and around rocks. Oh how I loathe being small. While yes it does have its perks in battle, according to literally everyone in my family, I just can't stand it. Rikuro makes fun of me for it, and I'm too little to do a lot of things, and then there's this. This is just plain ridiculous!
Akuma catches on a root.
I tug at the staff furiously, little growls and mewls escaping past my clenched jaw and wood. The only thing I succeed in is lodging the part with the lacrima even further into the roots. Giving up I let go of my end of the staff and start to circle it, angrily batting at it like it'll do something. When that gets out of my system I sit and stare at it, willing it to move. Of course that's just wishful thinking on my part.
With a deep huff I stalk away from Akuma and keep going in the direction I had been planning on in the first place. It's not a good idea to just leave my weapon lying around like that, but until I get back my bigger body and opposable thumbs then I'm not gonna be much help to the staff either way. And I know that's not gonna happen until after I settle down.
Grumbling, I mosey my way through the forest and try to calm myself. It's actually a rather easy feat, considering that in my cat state I'm naturally attracted to different things. Soon I find that my senses overtake most of my thoughts, and I find myself being pulled along by nature in a fit of distraction. Quietly, softly, my little paws pad along the the soil and moss, feeling the elements slip gingerly between my toes. Around me the birds chirp in song. In these forests near Konoha many of the birds are small, as such you can find many Koels and Cuckoos. The larger, hunter type birds are the Kites but aren't often seen so deep into the forest. Earthy scents cloy my nose, teasing me with traces and trails of small mammals. And the clarity in which I perceive everything around me, so much sharper than that of even a well trained human eye.
With a slight flutter my ear twitches to the right. The sounds are faint, but unmistakable. The irritating screeching of metal clashing against metal; some people must be out training, therefore there must be a training field nearby. I part my jaw slightly and taste the air. A flood of mixed scents wash through me, but I pick out the scent of human and begin to follow it. Though my hearing is excellent, I must take advantage of all my senses and train them.
My pace picks up as the sounds grow louder, more defined. I hear kids, mostly boys. There's a cry of surprise and a loud rumbling that makes the earth tremor slightly and my back arch in minimal panic. Everything's so amplified in my small body! I glimpse the light filtering in from the edge of what must lead out to a clearing and catch snippets of a mock battle. I'm curious. What kind of fighting styles do shinobi of the Leaf have that differs from that of the Hiroshi?
I wanna see what's going on, but just to be safe I think I'll stick to some high ground and not venture out into the clearing. I am just a small kitten, and my going out there will probably disrupt a lot more than I care to clean up. I turn and launch up the nearest tree, scrabbling to get a good hold on the trunk and slowly inch my way up to the lowest branch. My entire body quivers because of the effort it takes.
But the reward is indeed a generous one.
Settling on my haunches I watch the exchange with fascination, my excitement peaking as I recognize the kids. They're training with a golden haired man, he must be their sensei. Together everyone's dynamics, though very sloppily, melds together. The girl, Rin if I remember correctly, appears to be more of a mediating fighter. She bounces between helping the raven haired Obito and the silver Kakashi, though it's obvious that her help is a bit more generalized towards one boy over the other. Her movements are choppy and sluggish, she reacts a second too long after a blow is deployed. But overall she seems to have taken a firm stance as kind the backbone to her teammates.
My focus temporarily shifts to the teacher. His motions are lighter, more swift, compared to his students. I mean, it's expected of course, but I know that he's not just some teacher. He's a thinker, clever. Even from here I can see that he watches the movements of his students intently and plots different strategies to counteract them. His expression, though shinobi are trained to never show any, gives way that he's rather calm and collected in this bizarre moment- which also shows that he's only training novices.
Again my eyes wander over these said novices. Obito's actions speak the loudest to me (as well as sound but that's a whole other matter). His intent seems to aim more for big and flashy, thinking that the more apparent his tenacity is known the more likely it will get him somewhere. He puts too much force into his punches, too much into his dodges which send him further away each time, too much or sometimes even too little into his jutsus. Obito is also not very graceful. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've seen him trip, whether it was over himself or something on the ground. He's not the best fighter, kind of like me (and definitely when I started out).
This brings me to the final player in this mock battle, Kakashi. I've heard a few things from Papa, and even Mama, about Kakashi. He's what's known as a prodigy here in the Leaf. He's had some good training beforehand from his own papa I think, and he's smart enough that he can catch onto things quickly. Seeing this before my own eyes I can kind of understand by what they mean when they say he's gifted. Though it's apparent he's not a team player. From the way I see it, he treats Rin and Obito as two things, each varying between the two of them. To him they're either a hinderance, or merely a tool. It's his own form of arrogance almost. I've got this notion, strangely, that it's his gakai, fatal flaw.
The battle ends quickly after I conclude my assessment of each team member. The leader deals a hard blow to each of them with what appears to be a simple wind-style jutsu. The kids are knocked back and left sprawled in the still fluttering grass. The leader calls for a break, praising and admonishing each of them on the different things they need to work on. Obito mostly got admonishment, but still there's a little praise for his spirit in the fight. The leader tells them that in a few moments they are going to work on more chakra control techniques, and they'd be practising climbing trees.
While I have been taught about chakra control techniques I wonder how it is they go about doing it. I'm actually not very good at it to be honest. Most of the time I end up having to meditate (*see: dancing) to work on equilibrium. I find that the rougher half of my chakra tends to expel too much and it sends me flying more often than not, and the gentler side is hardly enough to let me stick. I've only managed to get myself to the lowest branch of, rather unfortunately, the smallest tree near our estate.
The chatter of everyone becomes louder and I realize that the trees they are coming for are the little copse where my own stand.
"I'm gonna make it to the top today!" Obito yells with enthusiastic determination. Kakashi, with his arms folded tightly over his chest, mutters something incoherent that makes Obito angry. Rin immediately when into mediation mode (obviously it's not just something reserved for battles). Something tells me she's been doing this for a long time.
They each took a tree and, miraculously avoiding mine, and began to gather the indefinite particles of life we call chakra at the bottoms of their feet. Obito waists no time in prepping and launches himself at his tree. His haste causes him to trip over his own feet. Seconds later Kakashi follows through and makes it up about a third of his tree, nearly reaching the lowest branch. Rin takes a little bit longer before she runs to the tree and pushes up with momentum. But the moment she's on the tree she takes her time going up. She's building her strength and figuring out her limitations. It's an adept move and I'm gonna make a mental note to try that out later when I practice at home.
"That was awesome Rin, you're so smart!" Obito crows after the young kunoichi marks her height on the tree and leaps back. He gets up and tries again, showing small signs of mimicking the girl's actions. With a powerful kickstart to his run he pushes against the tree and runs up it. He just barely misses, through sheer force of will over chakra control, reaching the bottom branch. As he falls, he head turns and I know he catches sight of me. Obito lands rather painfully on his rear end, but he just scratches the back of his head and stands up, still staring at me.
I'm at a loss as for what it is I should do. One one hand I feel this innate desire to panic, this definitely being something that I've come to find goes with being caught while doing my job (which means I haven't been doing my job well enough and I have therefore failed) as a spy-nin. This panic makes me feel the intense need to run away back into the forest. But on the other hand there's no need to panic. It's not like he's going to recognize me as I am. Just so long as he stays away then-
Why do I have to speak so soon?
Obito skirts around his teammates and positions himself under my tree, angling his head to get a better look at me, searching out a possible route to take so he can get up here.
"Changing trees isn't going to improve your lack of skill, idiot," Kakashi throws the jibe out lazily and I see the muscles twitch in Obito's jaw as he clenches it tightly. He says nothing in response though, backing away and gathering chakra in his feet. I sense the shift almost immediately and know that he's not trying to purposefully show off, being completely serious.
Obito opens his eyes and starts to run at the tree, quickly turning into running up the tree. Again he loses his chakra and it turns into a rather mad struggle where he grips his arms tightly around the trunk and shimmies up to my branch.
"Hey that's cheating!" Kakashi says with an actual bit of feeling in his voice, as if he truly felt this was an outrage which warrants indignation. Again, Obito ignores him, heaving himself up the branch and panting heavily as soon as he is in a stable position. After a minute he grins at me and holds out his hand.
In a soft voice he coos, "Here kitty, kitty, kitty."
An embarrassing heat creeps just under my skin and my fur fluffs out just a little as I stand up. I shouldn't be feeling insulted, he's unaware that I'm actually a human being that he is somewhat acquainted with. Yet I can't help it. It's like when Rikuro talks to me with a baby voice. I hate that.
Noticing that it's not gonna have the desired effect he stops talking and just leans forward a little, keeping his palm open and fingers splayed out. After about a minute of holding this pose his sighs and retracts his hand so he can scratch his head. Then it seems an idea strikes him, as he runs his hand just under the straps of his goggles. He takes the orange tinted things off of his head and offers them to me instead. His scent comes off more strongly from them, just like where the pheromones on cat are mostly located. Unable to resist my animal nature I stretch and take a tentative sniff.
For the most part the goggles and smell like sweat and dirt, which is understandable. But underneath it I can smell a smoky tang. It reminds me of cooking meat just a little, the wood in the fire sending out pleasurable aromas. It's comforting and I may or may not have decided to step inside of the goggles, which are actually the perfect size for me, to get a better smell of them. Obito takes this as some sort of cue of trust and he lifts the goggles up and brings me closer, mewling in a semi-panic at the motion, to him. Holding me close he drops down from the tree, the landing rattling me more than him so much that I claw my way up so I'm on his shoulder.
He laughs, such a gentle sound that differs from his raucous boasting one. His left hand reaches up and pets me.
"Obito what were you doing?" The leader of the squad appears in front of us with a reprimanding
gaze, his blue eyes giving me an electric shock as they catch sight of me.
"Sorry Minato-sensei," Obito apologizes a little bashfully. "I just saw this kitten in the tree and she looked stuck, so I had to help her."
Stuck? I could have come down anytime I wanted to.
The leader, known as Minato, bends down just a little and stares me in the eyes. His clear gaze melts into strange fondness and he reaches out with a large hand to give me a gentle rub. Very much against my will I start to purr. Obito and Minato laugh, which causes the other two students to join us.
"A cat? You put on that ridiculous display for a cat?" Kakashi scoffs.
"Oh how cute!" Rin says at the same time. She reaches to pet me, Minato moving out of the way, and gently her hand runs through my semi-long coat. My purring becomes louder and I start to lean into her hand, practically begging for her to keep petting.
Wait no! Stop that! Stop that right now!
I turn and try to nip her hand but she must have sensed it coming because she pulls away.
"Hey, no biting," Obito scolds, bopping my head. In return I bat his hand away, leaping off his shoulder and into grass that comes halfway up my tiny body. Shaking myself, I try to pad away. This isn't good, I can't cave into my animal desires! If I do then I'm not gonna change back anytime soon and that just means Akuma's gonna have to sit in the forest a whole lot longer!
Of course Obito has to counteract my escape attempt by sitting down and pulling me into his lap. He starts to scratch behind my ears and I desperately flick my head and try to run away. The longer this goes on the more I can't keep it up because oh my goodness that feels so good. I start to rub into him and his petting turns into light scratching.
Oh, oh, oh! Over, over, down...ah right there!
A squeaky meow escapes my furry lips and everyone, with the exception of a certain silver haired child, laughs. Once again I snap to my senses, though slightly sluggish from that rush of euphoria, and actually escape this time. Obito whines just a little and tries to get me to come back, but this cat's gotta run.
I scamper away back into the forest, stumbling over roots and stones. I hear Obito calling for me to come back and his sensei telling him to stay there. Soon the calls fade out and all that's left for me to hear is the chatter of obnoxious birds. With a little faulty memory making the path confusing, I lose myself a couple times before I finally make it back to Akuma. I could feel that the staff was unhappy at being left, but at the moment it doesn't matter. A tremor runs through my body and with it a tingling sensation. With a pop I transform into a real girl again. Blushing furiously I grasp at Akuma and pull it from the roots before falling on my bum gasping.
That was so embarrassing! Absolutely, totally, infuriating ridiculous! I'm going to have to work on repressing the animal desires and instincts so that IF that ever happens again I will be prepared. Nothing so horribly distressing like this has happened to me since sixth grade when that rude boy made fun of me for the way I had raised my hand.
I blink, chest twitching in a manner that threatens to tighten.
There it is again. A memory that doesn't fit like the odd puzzle piece out. I can hardly stand these things anymore. They don't come around so often, perhaps because I've been training my mind to focus on my normal and everyday life instead of trying to reflect on the past, but when they do it's very inconvenient and random. And it's odd; when I try to see myself in these memories, I'm a blur. Everything else around me is crystal clear except for myself.
What does it mean? Why is it happening to me? What can I do to make it stop?
Mama said that Konoha has a great library, maybe I can find something out there. It'll be a good place to start, and if I can balance my time between training and missions as well as family time then I should be able to find the time to study.
But what does one study when they don't know what it is they're looking for?
