Chapter 4: Part of the Truth
She looked at the puddle, knowing something was going to come up. Yes, she could pick up the chakra signal and saw Kakashi glance at the puddle from his book. She knew that he knew something was up. She would be on high alert. Any sign of a slip and she would quickly do whatever was needed to stop the threat.
She heard chains and the slice. Sakura turned and screamed as the others moved closer to the bridge builder. She didn't worry, sensing the shift in chakra. A substitution jutsu. She was able to recognize it from anywhere, though she knew he made it so that it wouldn't turn into a log right away. He had this planned out and she would make sure no one was harmed too terribly.
The fight was quick and in no time Sasuke had the chain pinned. They released the chain and went to attack Naruto but in a flash Kakashi caught both of them in head locks. He had both tied to a tree. They quickly figured out the whole truth to the bridge builder and Naruto dramatically extracted the poison from his hand. A few discoveries surrounding Naruto was revealed to Kakashi, and unknowingly Kagome.
They had made it to the village after a run in with a man named Zabuza. Kagome had stayed back with Sakura to defend the bridge builder while Naruto and Sasuke planned a way to save Kakashi. It was Naruto's thinking that saved Kakashi, a tracker nin was what took him down but she knew it was just a ploy. Zabuza was still alive but they needed to recover their strength before they fought again.
"Zabuza isn't dead," Kagome said and they all looked at her.
"What are you talking about? Kakashi sensei verified that he was dead," Sakura said.
"Senbons are really hard to kill with, and the known area that was the target was a pressure point. Both combined and one can seem dead and their pulse would stop for a few. Tracker nins are supposed to burn the bodies right were they are killed instead of moving the body, isn't that right, Kakashi-sensei?"
"Kagome is right." He was on crutches.
"He needs to recover from the fight with Kakashi-sensei and more so with that fake death. He'll be back and we need to be prepared." Kagome looked serious. There was no way they could defeat Zabuza or that tracker nin. Tracker nin were said to be extremely strong and skilled, almost similar to Konoha's ANBU. "I'm going to go train." She walked away from them and into the surrounding forest. She knew that they would leave her alone. Sasuke couldn't stand her, Sakura hated her, and Naruto would only bug her if there was a fight. The only one she could see actually following her was Kakashi but he was injured and would need to rest.
"Come, you can all stay at my house," the bridge builder said. "one of you will have to go get her when it's dinner time." He opened the door and they walked in. There was a woman and a small boy in the house. They had made introductions and when the woman shooed them to get ready for dinner did and argument spring up.
"You go get her, Naruto," Sakura said.
"Why do I have to get her? Why can't Sasuke or you get her?"
"Because I said so," Sakura snapped back. "What are you so afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid," he said. "I think you and Sasuke are the ones that are afraid," he retorted. He was starting to wonder why he liked her. She was always so mean to him.
Kakashi sighed. "I'll go get her." He started to limp slowly out, his students looking at him. They figured he was tired of Sakura and Naruto's arguing.
Kakashi found her in a clearing. She was using the body flicker technique and the combination of a lightning elemental attack. Lightning was hard to control but she seemed to have it under control. In fact she would vanish and a flash of lightning would appear where ever she vanished from. A tree would fall and she would appear and disappear again. Yes, he was still wondering why she wasn't an ANBU with the skills she displayed, though her chakra was already extremely low.
"Kakashi-sensei." She appeared in front of him, her breathing a little rapid but she tried to hide it.
"It's dinner time. The others were arguing over who should get you."
"And you grew tired of listening to them arguing and did it yourself. I figured they wouldn't come after me, after all, Sasuke can't stand that there is someone more skilled than him on the team, Sakura hates me because I make her look stupid, and Naruto wouldn't so much as approach me unless it was to plan a fight strategy. Not much of a team, if you ask me." She tucked her kunai away. "Well then, let's get going." He nodded and she walked back with him.
"What was that attack you were using?" He asked, a bit curious.
"That was the Raiton ha. I have it pretty much perfected," she said as if she was speaking about the weather.
"It seems useful when used in junction with the body flicker technique." He looked at her with his uncovered eye.
"My parents wouldn't think so," she said quietly. Yes, her parents were all for out muscling opponents. Kagome was more for strategy and outwitting opponents.
"Oh." At that moment they entered the house.
"I'm going to go wash up real quick," Kagome said before running off. She easily found the bathroom and quickly washed her hands and face. She would shower after dinner and before bed.
Kakashi thought about what he saw when he went to get her. Yes, she had low stores of chakra but she seemed to know how to regulate her chakra and the amount needed to make things work. He would see if he was correct in the morning when he taught them chakra control. He took his seat and the others, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, made it so they didn't have to sit next to her. Kakashi was sitting next to the bridge builder, and empty seat next to him and across from Sakura. Next to the empty seat was the young boy and the woman sat at the end of the table. Kagome came down and took the remaining seat, feeling slightly better after a quick wash up. She would feel a lot better after a shower and she knew more than likely Sakura would complain about sharing a room with her.
She ate and the boy ran off, what seemed to be almost tears in his eyes. Naruto was talking about being a hero and that had set the boy off and after a spew he ran off. She noticed that nobody made to follow him so stood quietly, silently excusing herself before she found the crying boy in his room.
"Inari," she called quietly, never knowing that her sensei had followed her. "Dry your tears and tell me what's wrong."
"Why do you care?" He scoffed. "I'm not anything to you."
"Someone has to care, Inari," she said. "I know what you had said has hurt and embarrassed your mother and jii-san." She sat next to him.
"Why do you guys want to be heroes? Heroes just die," he commented.
"I never wanted to become a ninja, Inari. I wasn't given much choice, but I know when I get older and find something or someone that I am truly willing to protect with my own life, that I will be glad I became a ninja. That is what I think a hero is, Inari. Someone willing to do everything in their power to protect those they care the most about. You must have lost your hero."
"Why did he have to die?" He cried and cried into her lap.
"He died to protect you and your mother and the dream he had, Inari. And I know when you get older and find that special someone and have children, you'll become a hero. You'll fight to protect them with everything you have. And I know he wouldn't want you crying over this. He'd want you to stay strong and to fight for what you believe in and those you care about." He looked up at her, tears still running down his face but his cries silenced.
"I would do anything to have parents like the ones you have. Never criticizing, just there to love and support you and cheer you up. My parents aren't like that at all. They are always condescending, judgmental and will believe everyone else over their own daughter." She looked him in the eye. "Promise me something, Inari."
"What is it, Kagome-sama?"
"No matter what, always love and trust your children."
"Hai, Kagome-sama." He yawned.
"To bed now, it's getting late." He nodded. She pulled back the blankets and he climbed into bed. She tucked him in and ruffled his hair before turning and leaving. She headed down stairs and sighed. She took the offered tea and sat down. "Inari is asleep," she said.
"He didn't give you too much trouble, did he?"
"No. He was just confused." She noticed everyone was gone.
"The boys went to sleep, Kakashi vanished shortly after you got up and Sakura went to take a shower." Kagome nodded before finishing her tea.
"I'm going to shower then head to bed. Thank you for everything." She bowed politely before walking up the stairs. She grabbed a set of pajamas and underwear and went to the bathroom as Sakura walked out. She closed the door and took a refreshing warm shower. She entered the room she was to share with Sakura to see her sprawled across both futons. She sighed and dropped off her stuff and climbed out the window and onto the roof. She saw Kakashi there and laid out on the roof.
"You heard, didn't you?" She never looked at him.
"And if I did?" He looked up at the night sky, looking at the stars in the sky.
"It wouldn't matter anyway," she said. "You were bound to find out sooner or later anyway. I'm pretty sure you know I will be gone in months anyways." She closed her eyes. The cool night air felt good against her skin. She smiled softly. "I'm glad to be away from the village and my family, even if it is just for a little while." She closed her eyes, the cool air lulling her to sleep on the roof top.
"Sleep, Kagome." He watched the stars for a few more before picking up Kagome. He teleported to the girls' room to see Sakura spread eagle across both futons. He sighed and realized why Kagome was on the roof. He teleported to his room and placed her in his futon. She was already asleep. He tucked her in and propped himself up against a wall. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes and fell into a sleep.
He woke up to find a blanket draped over him, the futon nice and folded and the blankets and pillows on top of it, the blanket folded neatly. His clothes were set nice and neat in front of him. He stood and the blanket fell. He pulled off his clothes and dressed before heading downstairs. The smell of breakfast was in the air made his stomach grumble. He came downstairs to see Kagome over the stove. There was an apron tied around her waist and a spatula in hand. The table was set and there seemed to be a pitcher of juice on the table.
"Go ahead and sit down sensei, breakfast will be done soon." She brought over a few plates of food and turned off the stove, placing the dirty cook ware in the sink to be washed. Inari and his mother showed up, the bridge builder trailing close behind. They looked at the food and sat down.
"I thought it was the least I could do, since you are letting us stay with you." She took a seat at the table next to Kakashi as Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto came down. She helped herself as the others tiredly wiped the sleep from their eyes.
"The food is great, Tsunami," Sakura commented.
"Thanks, but I didn't cook breakfast, Kagome did." She smiled as she looked at Kagome. She was eating politely but slightly fast, like she was in a hurry.
"Right," Sakura said. She looked to Kagome. "You didn't come to bed last night."
"You took up both futons, Sakura." She stood and placed her plate in the sink. "I'm going to go train." She headed out the door.
"We should get to training as well, Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, hurry up." Kakashi followed her out and the three hurriedly ate, placed their plates in the sink and excused themselves, running to catch up with Kakashi.
"So what training are we doing today, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.
"Chakra control," he said. He looked to see that Kagome was reading a book on jutsu, but still paying attention to him.
"How are we supposed to do that?" Naruto asked.
"Climbing trees only you aren't going to be using your hands. I want you to channel chakra into your feet, like so." He started to walk up the tree, crutches and all. When he got to he looked down. "Now you try. Use a kunai to mark how high up you get."
"Simple," Kagome murmured. She walked up the tree, nose still in her book. Before they new it, she was higher up then Kakashi.
"Show off," Sakura said under her breath.
"Good. I should have known this would have been simple for you." He seemed to smile. "What about you three?"
"If Kagome can do it then I can too," Sakura said. She managed to climb a tree but the tree wasn't nearly as tall as Kagome's.
Naruto tried but slipped and fell and Sasuke tried, only for the bark to crack.
"You two continue with this, the three of us are going to help the bridge builder. The sooner this gets done, the better." He walked away from them, Sakura following him.
"I'm going to go train by myself, Kakashi-sensei," Kagome said and walking farther into the forest.
Author's Note: Here is the next chapter. No pairing decided and mild Kakashi and Kagome fluff. Itachi should be introduced soon, hopefully. I don't know if I will be doing any polls for pairings yet, but I want to see where I go for the next few chapters before deciding on a pairing. Hang in there.
