THANKIES TOO!: GeneralWildfire, Yuti-chan..And a few story alerters(not a word)
Disclaimer: I Don't own naruto, or the song from the english adaption of Kino's Journey.
Author:Author
I'm having a few issues with the next chapter...
Inner: Define a few.
...OKAY I'M TOTALLY STUCK! Right up to the first time skip is all I got :/ and the stupid rain that keeps knocking out the lights isn't helping. so expect the next chapter next Thursday at the latest :)
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~Home Alone~
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-3 and a half weeks later-
Two lights shimmered. In this world where cold winds blow and dark clouds cover the sky, they shimmered brightly and warmly for just an instant. Illuminating the darkness looming outside of the window.
"Something is starting to change," One of them lit up brightly before darkening once again.
"As winter quickly approaches," The other said.
"She's sleeping more and more now,"
"The clouds that rolled in long ago are beginning to spread out across the world..Soon snow will cover the ground,"
"It'll be too late if she does not hurry,"
"The time to decide is now,"
"To save the clan.."
"Or sleep forever,"
Kimiko yawned and stretched out her body like a cat as the bright rays of the sun shone through the livingroom window awakening her from her slumber.
The blue t-shirt she wore was pulled down as she sat up.
She had lived with the Copy-ninja for nearly a month now and much to her dismay the two hadn't become any closer. Even after she took to tagging along with him every time he went out, which was every single day. Kakashi couldn't care less about the weather, if it was raining or freezing, Hell the world could be on fire and he would still go to the training grounds to meet those people he always talked about.
Rin, Obito and..what was the other one...Oh yes Minato.
She never got to see them though, because everytime they reached the training grounds sombody would show up and sweep her away into the untamed urban wilderness of the village and it'd take her hours just to find her way back out (she'd get lost), not to mention the time it took to make her way back to Kakashi who would always find her long before she found him.
It voted well in her favor though, since she mentioned to him that she wanted to make some more friends. Turns out this village is full of people that want to hang out with an eleven year-old girl trapped in the petite body of a seven year-old.
And Naturally with her short stature came problems.
Kimiko wasn't fast, so she couldn't keep up with the older teenagers or even other children, she wasn't a good jumper, and she had a terrible sense of direction. Not only was it hard to keep up with people but it nearly impossible to do normal things a girl her age would do.
Unless someone was with her.
She hoped that one day she could go out and find somebody her own age to play games with that wouldn't tower over her.
But it seemed today wasn't going to be that day, Pakkun was keeping guard of her again. This was the fourth time this week.
"So tell me why you're doing this again?," she asked him in a tired tone as she rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms up over her head.
"Kakashi told me to keep guard of you while he goes out to get more..Ehem, reading material,"
Reading material, could be believable, she had seen him ear deep in a book a few days before hand when they had gone to the book store.
Too bad for Pakkun, he had used that excuse the day before yesturday. he didn't like being treated like a normal dog, but when faced with the facts, that was exactly what he was, Except he could talk.
"Yeah, uh huh,"
"It's true,"
"whatever you say,"
Swinging her legs over the edge of the futon she stood up and cracked her back. Kicking out her feet to unwrap the ends of her white and blue dotted pants tucked under her heel.
"Kakashi said you couldn't go out today,"
"Who said I was going out,"
It was a rule that she couldn't leave the apartment unless Kakashi was home, and of course that leads to bordom, and what does bordom lead to when you're in a house and there is one room that you where told to never enter, ever? That's right folks, snooping.
"Where are you going then?," Pakkun was scared to ask, he'd seen that evil glint that twinkled briefly in her eye before, last year in fact when Tsunade got drunk one night and went on a rampage.
Oh there was glass, sake bottles and chairs spead out all over the village.
"Come with me and see, I need somebody to play look out," Kimiko picked him up by the collar of his vest, his paws tucked in and his eye lids drooped.
This was not going to turn out well for him he could feel it in the pit of his stomach.
Kimiko tip-toed past the other sleeping Ninken to Kakashi's door, using her foot she nudged it open, she held him up and said, "Look, we're going in here today," Pakkun gave her a look, "Yes you too, that's why I said 'we',"
"Oh boy," This girl was turning out to be a real demon, what happened to the sweet little girl who played with his paws? he missed her oh so much.
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"What?," Tsuande asked disbelievingly.
"Yes ma'am, saw him with our own eyes," Izumo stated, speaking for both himself and his long time friend.
"Well, this is certainly unexpected," Who would've thought that a week shy of a month has already passed, not only where they entering October, but this also signaled the deadline for Naruto's mission.
He was spotted entering the village covered in scratches ,bruises and a swollen cheek with Sakura and Yamato acting as human crutches.
Sai was quietly walking behind them, his face in a book.
It looked like Kakashi's little vacation was over, he'd have to get his butt back in gear to help the blond gennin.
Her mind quickly wandered to Kimiko, eh Kakashi would think of something to do with her, she was sure it wouldn't hinder his ability to teach, unless he got really angry or something.
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Kimiko set Pakkun down on her care-takers bed and proceeded to look around the mostly empty room. For a guys bedroom it was pretty spotless, she guessed it came with the territory of being a ninja.
A tidy ninja is a happy ninja. (Too much daytime television)
"Kimi we really shouldn't be in here, Kakashi will get really angry," Kimiko rolled her eyes at Pakkun's statement.
What was so great about this place? Was he hiding some kind of secret stash of something? Maybe a sacred scroll! Or Jutsu's! Or Seals! or maybe even an Alien! Okay she really needed to stop watching so much TV.
"It's not like he'll find out, now just chill out,"
After a few minutes of looking around, Kimiko found almost nothing of interest, No secret scroll, no jutsu's, no seals, and much to her great dissapointment, no aliens either.
She did, however, find two pictures on the beds head board, one had Kakashi, a blond haired boy wearing an orange and blue jumpsuit glaring at a black haired boy wearing blue and in the center was a pink haired girl smiling excitedly at the camera.
A sensei and his students.
The other was almost an exact copy only there where different people in it, A tall man with spiky blond hair, a boy with silver hair wearing a mask looking away from a boy with spiky black hair and goggles -who was doing the same- and lastly a brown haired girl with matching brown eyes and a simple smile.
"Is this Kakashi?," It certainly looked like him, unless it was his son, she hadn't seen anything that suggested he was married though, ever. But then again she didn't know much about the jounin did she? hell he could be running a brothel and she probably wouldn't know.
"It is," Yes so she did know something!
"who's that girl?," Her eyes were drawn to her because of how she looked, the hair and the eyes were almost completely similar to hers, even the hair style was similar except Kimiko's bangs where long compaired to the rest of her hair.
"Her name is Rin," Pakkun put his front paws on the thick headboard.
"You just reminded me of someone from a long time ago,"
"Oh who is that?,"
"It doesn't matter...They're long gone,"
"That was the person..." So this was the girl she reminded Kakashi of. But what could 'long gone' mean?
It suddenly clicked and suprise spread across her face, This person was -
"I'm Home," Kakashi's voice rang the sound of the front door shutting followed, "Pakkun, Kimiko,"
With clenched hands and tears welling up in her eyes, The brunette stalked out of the room and shut the door behind her with her hands -a crucial over sight that would surely get her later- Pakkun followed her down the hall to the front room where Kakashi was taking off his shoes, two plastic bags on the ground.
"Hey Kim-," The leaf nin stopped when he saw a tear stream down the girls face,"What's wrong?," his face softened.
"Nothing..I fell of my futon again.." Kimiko looked at him and gave a small laugh, "The floors hard,"
"Gotta be more careful.." A joke scolding, "I brought us some dinner," Kakashi held up the bags.
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Sushi, he had gotten sushi, Kimiko poked a raw piece of fish with her chopsticks. She liked sushi, normally, but today she just didn't have an appetite. Still she didn't want Kakashi to get suspicious so she pulled the slice of fish off the rice and put it to the side.
"I just got back from talking with Iruka-sensei," The copy-nin said watching her eat.
"What about?," 'Don't ask that,'
"You're going to be starting the academy tomorrow," Kimiko stiffened at his words, her chop-sticks dropped to the table with a clak, one rolled off the table and fell to the floor.
"W-what?," She sputtered.
"If you want to become a ninja then you'll have to go..And even if you don't you need to learn," Kakashi quirked an eyebrow at her reaction.
Kimiko started to word a lengthy retort but since she still kept hold of her belief that he just wants to get rid of her (again), she bit it back. if that was what he wanted then so be it, she'd be a good little girl and do as told. Why make a fuss.
"'kay,"
"I'm sure you'll make alot of new friends when you're there,"
"I doubt it," She never made friends with children her own age, they had no manners and where invulnerable to her cuteness, making hating her a heck of alot easier. (Poor grammer)
"Why do you say that?,"
"No reason really," She shrugged her shoulders and continued eating.
00-The Next Day-00
The next day came too fast for Kimiko who was rather nervous about going to a place full of children that would probably mock her and call her names.
She knew that people are all different, but if one person believes something, there's always another that will eventually believe it too, and another person would believe after that and another person after that, and so on and so forth until everyone hated her.
Or maybe she was just being a paranoid little scaredy-cat.
Kimiko grasped Kakashi's hand tightly as he walked her to the academy's enterance. Where the two where met by a ninja with spiky black hair ,a bandage across his nose and a goatee.
"Kotetsu," Kakashi nodded to the man.
"Kakashi," Kotetsu nodded back.
Grown ups where weird, why couldn't they just hug each other and say hello? The complicated questions flying around in Kimiko's head made her wince as it began to throb.
First she was nervous now she has a headache. This day was going just swimmingly.
Once they reached room 3-B Kakashi stopped and knelt down to Kimiko's level to look her square in the eye.
When he was with Iruka talking over her schooling the teacher let it slip the lip.
And he'll have you know that as far as slippery lips goes Iruka is the one to go too, if want info about anyone, just corner him. He's like an old gossip centered woman that lives alone in her house with a bunch of cats. It be dogs in iruka's case but the over all thing stays the same.
Anyway..(that took a strange turn)
There where rumors that the copy-ninja didn't have a sensitive side, which was completely untrue, he's taken a trip to that side of himself and honestly it sucks, do you have any idea about what kind of sweaters it makes you wear? They would make Freddy Kruger laugh his back-side off. (Movie time madness!)
So today he was determined to squish that rumor down like a nail under a hammer. In front of everyone in the hall way, Kakashi patted Kimiko's head, squishing down the little bit of poking up hair at the very top.
Kimiko tried not to squirm under the weight he was putting down, had he ever done this before? when he removed his hand and her hair sprung up from the static created by his gloves she determined no, This defenantly wasn't a usual phenomena(?)
"Have a good day Kimi,"
"You too," Kimiko continued to wave until Kakashi was completely out of her sight. She then turned her attention to the large hunk of wood standing between herself and the people on the other side.
She didn't want to go in, the door was massive and she was even shorter than the children she could see through the small glass window near the bottom of the door. These kids had to be what, six or seven, nine at the most.
But even so most of them where still bigger than her.
She quickly wondered if she could make a run for it, surely no one would notice a little kid running away from school, right?
RIGHT?
No, she was a Sukima! Sukima's where well known for their bravery, her shoulders slumped, no they weren't that was the Uchiha clan damn her luck. After giving a gulp and summoning all of her courage she reached up and pulled open the door, she was then greeted by many stares and Iruka.
"Ah Kimiko, great timing, come in," he said with a warm smile from behind his desk.
Whispers followed her into the room along with a few giggles. Kimiko stopped walking and turned to the classroom, giving a nervous smile she bowed politely, hoping to make a good first impression.
One of the boys raised his hand high in the air, "What's wrong with her neck?," he asked, a loud laugh erupted from the other children.
"And her arms?," Another kid spoke up, noticing the marks poking out from underneath her light blue short sleeved top.
"And her forehead?," At the last comment Kimiko's eye twitched, her skin scarred easily, it wasn't her fault.
"She was injured, they're scars,"
"How did she get hurt?," A little blue haired girl sitting at the very front cocked her head to the side.
"That is none of your business Fenn," Iruka would have to get used to doing that, "Go on Kimi pick a seat we'll be starting shortly,"
Kimiko remained quiet as she went up the steps stopping half way up to look around, the children looked at her and whispered to each other.
Spotting a row of empty desks she took her place in the middle, the kids sitting in the row of two in front her shot her sharp looks then got up and went over to the other side of the room, trying to create as big a gap as they could between themselves and this new girl
Kimiko put her hands in her lap and listened intently as Iruka started, 'Just ignore them..They'll leave you alone,' She silently began to thank 'Kakashi the Jinx'
00-Skip boring class time-00
Kimiko plopped down on the swing beneath the shadow of the giant tree in front of the bright Academy building, eager to get some food, she laughed lightly when her stomach gave a growl, "I'm coming, I'm coming," she muttered quietly.
Iruka had given her a lunch box when the class took a break -she didn't even know they did that, but she was happy they did- and told her to find a place to eat, she picked outside because it'd get her away from those little punks, or so she thought.
"Hey freak," Startled her head snapped up to see the face of the spiky purple haired boy that started teasing her in the classroom, "This is my swing," he said.
"I don't see your name on it anywhere," Kimiko muttered darkly, her eyes flashing.
If she got in a fight out here, how long would it take for Iruka to break it up? better question, how long would it take for anyone to notice?
"Yeah well it is, So get OFF!," the boy barked in her face. (Smack him Kimi!)
Without so much as an argument Kimiko pulled herself up got off of the swing and walked off, following the large wooden fence into the village.
The purple haired boy smirked and put his hands in his pockets, he just wanted to get her into trouble and the man cloaked in black watching from the Academy roof knew that.
With a huff Kimiko shifted into an akward crouch behind a crate and broke her chopsticks, trying not to lose her balance and get her layed dark blue skirt dirty.
She stabbed a little hot dog with the sticks and shoved it in her mouth, she wasn't going to tell on him, she should, but she wouldn't.
When she was growing up she was taught to always swim against the current, no matter how strong it was, never back down. But maybe, going with the flow isn't so bad. As long you're moving forward, does it really matter if there are stubborn rocks trying to shove you back?
0-With Kakashi-0
The copy-nin flipped through the pages of one of his older books as he made his way to the training grounds. Questions buzzed around his subconscious, should he have left Kimiko there alone? Iruka was there sure but he couldn't protect her all the time. despite this small distraction he still managed to actually read his book. (Wish I could do that)
"You're getting attached to her," The voice of Obito sang in his head.
'No I'm not,' Kakashi thought back, thumbing over a couple of boring pages. One major perk of re-reading something, you know how to avoid the crappy pages.
"Yes you are,"
"He's right Kakashi," Minato joined in.
"You can't deny that you're getting a little attached," Rin's voice chimed.
'She's only part of a mission, nothing more,'
"Yeah right, if that's all she is then why did you insist on patting her head?," The long dead Uchiha's voice insisted that he wasn't just teasing his friend.
'I wanted to despell the rumor that iruka told me about,'
"Bull,"
"And what about enrolling her into the academy?," The fourth knew the answer he just wanted to hear what his pupil's excuse would be.
Kakashi bagan to retort.
"Don't you dare say it was because Tsunade told you too,"
"Come'on Kashi, tell us!," Obito taunted.
"Yeah spill it already,"
"They won't leave you alone until you do you know,"
'I don't know why I did it alright!,' The Jounin snapped.
"Alright geez man no need to get all pissy,"
He wasn't getting attached, he wasn't, he couldn't. "I don't care," he said loudly, perhaps a bit too loudly.
"Momma! Momma! Look at that crazy man over there!," A girl with dirty brown hair pointed and tugged her mothers hand.
"Yes, yes very crazy now Walk faster,"
Kakashi heard Obito laugh, 'Thank you for that Obito,' he sweated watching the woman tug her child along frantically.
"You're welcome,"
0-At the Village gate-0
A man with short spiky black hair and a pale smooth looking face, led a large white horse that was pulling a cart through the large green doors, A small blond child wearing a blue shirt and grey shorts and a black haired woman wearing a black Yukata decorated with red and white flowers walked along side him.
"You'll have to leave your cart here, we'll take the horse to our stables," Izumo said taking hold of the horses reigns.
The apperance of these people was a bit concerning, The man had said they where a family of merchants and that he, his wife and their son had come here to find a place to settle down. But the child didn't look a thing like either of his ''parents'' in fact the wife and the husband looked like they could be siblings, both had dark brown eyes, black hair and pale skin. While the kid had bright blue eyes, long blond hair and tan skin.
But there wasn't really anything he could say, they had passports and the proper documents to back up that they where in fact wandering merchants.
"Go ahead then," The pale man shrugged, wrapping an arm around his ''wifes'' shoulder.
The other gate guards appeared to help unhook the luggage cart from the animals harness.
"Why do I have to be the woman?," the woman grumbled in a deep velvety voice, shifting out from under the mans arm when the gate guards were no longer in sight.
"Because, you're the most feminen, 'tachi," The black haired man taunted, Itachi's mask of indifference began to shatter into one of great annoyance.
"And what about me? yeah," The small blond child glared daggers at the tall man. At least it would make sense if he was one of the parents and Itachi was the kid, they could just say he takes after only one of them, But no, Pain had to be a bitch.
"Dei-sempai is just too cute as a child!," Tobi clapped his hands together, giving him a smile.
Deidara let out a growl as he realed back his fist and hit the unmasked man. (The height of a six year old compaired to that of a 5 foot - something- man, I'm sure you can figure out where he punched him)
Tobi learned an important lesson that day, never underestimate Deidara even in child form.
0-Back at the Academy-0
Iruka sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he stopped his searching for a certain little girl that hadn't come back in after lunch.
Scouting the rest of the wooded area where the other students, some of them gave it their all since their teacher had told them it was like a tracking mission, while the others just kicked over rocks and asked if she was there.
'Maybe she went back inside?,' Iruka thought turning towards the large building.
"Deep in your smile I see the world seeing me
I'm free to be free to be what I be"
His ears tuned in on the airy voice, "Kimiko?," it sounded like her, that soft airy, cracky voice that makes her sound like she has a sore throat most of the time.
"When my hearts shaking and is shallow on love"
"Hey sensei!," Fenn called out loudly, the singing reaching her own ears.
iruka shushed the girl and began to follow the distant singing.
"I gaze to the doves and I find it above"
They entered the main part of the village and eventually ended up at a large abandoned building five story's high, the front door was welded shut and tapped off, Iruka sent in a student through a cracked window to open it wider so he could get in too. They traveled up the flight of stairs leading to the roof.
The wooden steps creaked in destress at their weight only making the singer stop her song for a moment.
"My Desires fly alone on a wind
Alone with my dreams,
Alone so it seems
Thoughts from the heart
On a pure spring day,"
The singing became louder and louder until finally the small group of students and their teacher saw the girl they were searching for sitting on the steal railing of the balcony, dreamily looking over the village.
"My mind floats away,
On a dream so they say."
"Kimiko.." The small group blinked.
The girl looked at them over her shoulder and made a noise of suprise before giving a smile.
00000
Kimiko stood leaned up against the wall next to Iruka's classroom, inside he and Kakashi where talking about what happened only an hour earlier. She didn't get in trouble since it was only her first day and the teacher thought that she did do something Ninja-ey, he assumed she got the basic point of chakra control.
Even though she simply climbed the balconies like she had seen Pakkun do -and like he said it was really easy- there was none of that walking verdically up the building without using your hands.
No one of the Sukima clan had good chakra control and she was no exception, Iruka would see that soon enough.
Crossing her arms and closing her eyes the short brunette began to think.
"Alright class! Settle down," A woman wearing a long black gown clapped her hands.
The group of small children that had been running around chasing each other quickly plopped down on the dirt of the forest floor.
Except for one little brown haired girl who had been sitting obediantly in her rightful place the entire time.
"Today you will be split up into teams of two!,"
A little boy with fiery red hair and matching eyes eagerly bounced in place and rose his hand, "What are we going to be doing?,"
"I was just about to get to that Sitka,"
The other children laughed and knudged the boy playfully.
"You and your team mate will go by yourselves to the Main estate on the other side of the forest, it's part of your introductory training and if your team does well you will move onto the main training phase," The teacher ducked into a crouch before leaping off into the trees, "And remember the lives of your team mates comes first!,"
'Always first,'
Kimiko opened her eyes when the silver haired jounin finally came out of the room , after muttering a 'Let's Go' the two where off.
On the way back to the apartment Kimiko stayed a fair distance away from Kakashi, the scars on her arms ached as she swung her arms lazily.
"Three months," she suddenly said, her eyes half lidded.
"Huh?,"
"..." the sound of the cicada's chirping away and her heavy footsteps was his only answer.
'That was odd,' with a shrug Kakashi swipped it off, "What do you want for supper tonight?,"
"Dun care,"
"Then I get to choose, Hmm, how about...MIX RICE!,"
"NOOO!,"
TBC:TBC:TBC:TBC
Itachi was in Sexy Jutsu form, yeah he probably doesn't even know that jutsu, I just thought it'd be kind of creepy if he was just dressed like a woman and had grapefruits for breasts O_O.
Yeah I decided to make Kimiko a good singer she has to be good at something other than being cute. The songs she sings are from Kino's Journey, I don't remember what they're called 'cause it's been a while.
Thankies for reading! PLEASE REVIEW! JA NE~!