Author's Note: Here we go for the hundredth time! Okay, I know, it's only been six, but hey, the future's still open! So yeah. Things are looking up at the moment, and I've got time to write, so why not use it?
I'd like to take this time to invite my readers to discuss this fic on its OFFICIAL FORUM! The link is http(:)(//)www(.)fanfiction(.)net(/)f(/)868452 [just delete the parentheses I would definitely love some reader input!
P.S. I have no plans for pairings whatsoever at the moment, simply because many people still have yet to meet, and because I refuse to commit to something unless I'm positive on how I want it to turn out. Besides, they're all between the ages of eight and ten! Bunch of pedophiles…
P.P.S. Since this fic begins at the end of August, I'm adjusting the ages for this fic, because… I don't need to explain my actions! I'm simply using Creative License:
Tenten, Gohan, Neji: 10
Naruto, Lee, Hinata: 9.5 (Birthdays coming up)
Shino, Sakura, Chouji, Kiba, Sasuke: 9
Shikamaru, Ino: 8.5 (Birthdays coming up)
One last note: one of the above characters will not have a major role in this story…Guess which it shall be? Take a stab at it, why don't ya? And now, ON WITH THE SHOW!
Chapter 5: Long Time No See! Family Reunions
Previously…
'Ow, my head,' was Gohan's first thought as he awakened. He sat up and took in his surroundings. 'The guestroom? How did I…' His thoughts were cut off when the door opened to reveal Ino.
"Ino-san?" Gohan asked.
Ino stared at Gohan for a good thirty-eight seconds, and Gohan stared back, although visibly confused.
Ino choked back a sob, and without warning, flung herself at him. He reflexively caught her and glanced at the others who were standing at the door, all of whom shrugged their shoulders. Gohan sighed, and awkwardly patted her back.
"Shhh, Ino-san, I'm fine. Everything's alright."
"I-we were so worried! She sobbed. We thought…" Suddenly, her fury returned, and she punched the top of his head.
"OWWW!" He yelped. "What was that for?!?"
"For making all of us worry! What were you thinking when you went off by yourself!" She shouted.
"Hang on a minute! You're the one who chased me and Naruto around the village!" Gohan shot back.
As Gohan and Ino bickered, the others sighed, and turned to leave. Inoichi faltered, glancing back at the two, and smiled.
'Hanako and I have a lot to discuss' He said silently.
"Ino-chan, Gohan-kun, why don't you go out and play with your friends for a while? Here," Inoichi reached into his wallet, and handed Ino 650 ryou. "You and your friends go get some ice-cream, okay?"
"Arigatou, 'Tou-san!" Ino squealed, running out to tell her friends the good news.
"Arigatou, Inoichi-san!" Gohan echoed as he walked out.
"Gohan," Inoichi called, stopping Gohan.
"Hm?" Gohan answered.
"I'm going to help you get your memory back, alright?" Inoichi said solemnly. "Consider it a promise among men."
Gohan looked into Inoichi's eyes, and saw the burning conviction in them. He smiled, and nodded his head sharply.
"In return, though, I want you to go to the ninja academy." Upon seeing Gohan's confusion, he elaborated. "I want you to keep an eye out for my Ino, alright? The Shinobi world can be a dangerous place, especially for a pretty girl like her. Watch out for my little girl, and get stronger to protect those you care about at the same time. Sounds like a good deal, right?"
Gohan thought it over, before smirking. "Consider it a promise among men!" The two grinned at one another, and shook hands, sealing the deal.
"Gohan! C'mon!" Ino's voice floated up from below them.
"Alright!" Gohan called back.
"Get Hanako a cup of strawberry, and me a cup of chocolate, alright?" Inoichi asked.
"You got it!" Gohan answered, rushing down the stairs to meet his friends.
'Very much to discuss, indeed…' Inoichi thought.
- Prophecy -
Two relatively uneventful weeks had passed, at least when compared to the overall chaos that Gohan's day out had wrought. The villagers had caught wind of Uchiha Sasuke's hospitalization, and rumors were running rampant. Everything had been heard, from Uchiha Itachi, infamous S-rank rogue-ninja and famed kinslayer, had come back to finish the job, to aliens abducting him and performing experiments, to even Sasuke tripping on a rock, and breaking his nose. Inoichi had to fight with everything he had to not burst into laughter when he overheard the alien theory when two women were discussing it in the flower shop.
Years later, the irony wouldn't be lost.
Speaking of Gohan he was currently down the street trying out his new look, if it could be called that. His current outfit consisted of a navy-blue baggy V-necked sleeveless shirt over a gold steel-mesh shirt with sleeves reaching the middle of his biceps. The matching pants were baggy as well, but not baggy enough to hamper his range of motion, and dropped to six inches above his ankles. The special Konoha insignia on the back of the outer shirt, the bandages that covered his lower legs starting from the bottom of his pants, and his wristbands were treated with color-seals so that they would match the color of whatever undershirt Gohan wore, meaning that at the moment, they were all gold. The front of the outer shirt had a similar circle over the left breast that had the kanji for 'fire' emblazoned within it. (A/N: There is a picture URL in my profile if you're confused.)
"So what do ya think?" The shopkeeper asked as Gohan inspected himself in the mirror.
Gohan gave himself another once-over before nodding. "It's perfect." He responded with a smile. "Better than I expected, to be honest."
"I aim to please!" The older man replied. "All the others are identical to that one, just in different colors, like you specified. Plus, thanks to those color-seals I added, everything there is mix-and-match."
"Fantastic!" Gohan said. "Thanks again, Fenton-san." He finished, grabbing the bags his clothes were in and heading to the door. "Tell Jazu-san and Danieru-san I said hi!" He added.
"Will do, Gohan-san!" Fenton Jakku called back, waving happily. "Now, where did Madi-chan hide my fudge?" The large man asked himself while scratching his head.
- Prophecy -
The bell rang in the Yamanaka flower shop. Hanako's attention, which had been on a magazine, instinctively shifted to the potential customer. Upon seeing it was her male charge, carrying two armloads of bags, she glanced back at her periodical. After a moment, however, she stared at the boy in front of her and lunged at him with a squeal of 'Kawaii', ensnaring him in a bone-shattering hug.
"That's a good look for you, Gohan-kun!" She gushed, letting her inner fangirl out for a moment.
"Hanako-san!" Gohan, whose face was rapidly beginning to match his outfit in hue, gasped out. "Need…air!"
"Goodness!" She gasped lightly, relinquishing her hold on the raven-haired youth, who, collapsing to his knees, dropped his bags and began sucking in as much air as he possibly could. "Sorry," she said, sheepishly. "But that outfit is amazing, Gohan-kun!" She added, giving his attire an appraising look.
"Thanks." He replied. "I designed it myself based on what I was wearing when I got to the village…I think."
"You think?"
"Memory recollection."
"Right. Speaking of that, Gohan-kun, Inoichi and I need to talk to you. Drop that stuff off, then meet us in the kitchen."
"Okay." Gohan replied, suddenly feeling a great deal of nervousness, and proceeded to do as instructed. When he arrived in the kitchen, Inoichi and Hanako both sat at the table with grave expressions on their faces, only reinforcing Gohan's feeling that something was not right.
"Gohan," Inoichi started, his hands intertwined in front of his mouth (a la Sasuke). "As much of a pleasure you've been over the past few days, we took you in on the premise that it was to be strictly temporary."
Gohan's brows knitted together in nervousness.
"Your assault of Uchiha Sasuke has only exasperated the situation." Hanako added.
The boy's eyes widened.
"Given the circumstances, we have no choice in the matter…" Inoichi continued.
"N-no choice in what matter?" Gohan asked quietly.
"We have to…" Hanako murmured.
"Have to what?" Gohan asked, louder than last time.
"It's for the best…"Inoichi muttered.
"WHAT"S FOR THE BEST?!" Gohan demanded.
"We've decided to…" Hanako whispered.
"Adopt you into the Yamanaka clan" Inoichi finished.
"WHAT DO YOU…mean…adopt…me…" Gohan's brain shut down with this new bit of information.
Inoichi and Hanako stared at each other for a moment, and then burst into peals of laughter.
"Inoichi-kun, that was so mean!" Hanako admonished, between giggles.
"I know, but it was totally worth it!" He shot back between guffaws. "The look on his face!"
"Priceless!" She added, taking a deep breath to calm down. Looking at Gohan, who hadn't moved in about four minutes, she noticed, which sobered her up somewhat. "Gohan-kun?" She asked, venturing over to him. "Gohan-kun?" She called again, waving her hand in front of his face, eliciting still no response. "Inoichi-kun, I think we broke him."
"What does Ino-san think about this situation?" Gohan murmured suddenly, still in a daze.
"She was ecstatic." Hanako replied. "She ran over to Sakura's house, chanting 'I have a brother! A big brother!'"
"But I didn't even agree to it," Gohan argued. "How does she know I even want to be her brother?"
"…She didn't." Inoichi answered. "But if you turned it down now, poor Ino-chan would cry for a month."
"Oh no you don't!" Gohan exclaimed. "I won't fall prey to your reverse psychology psychobabble!"
"Oh, how she would sob," Inoichi continued, pointedly ignoring Gohan's declaration. "She would cry, 'I hate him, 'Tou-san. I'll never forgive that jerk!'"
By this point, Gohan had slapped his hands over his ears, and was loudly shouting, "La, la, la! I can't hear you!" Hanako stood off to the side, giggling at her husband and potential foster-son's antics.
"We'll have to buy rowboats to get from room to room, because she'll flood the house with her sorrow-filled tears." Inoichi wailed. "The worst part of the whole thing, is the glares she'll give you." Inoichi added. "The soul-obliterating, mind-crushing, physically debilitating hurtful glare." Inoichi finished, sniffling a little at the end.
Gohan dropped his head, and was silently cursing his newfound ability to read lips. "It's a good thing I was gonna accept anyway." He grumbled, missing the victory sign Inoichi and Hanako flashed each other.
"Well now," A new voice entered the conversation. "I come to visit my adorable baby sister, and get a new nephew in the process!" The three turned to the voice, belonging to a pale-blonde-haired man wearing an olive green gi with matching pants under a black Haori with white diamonds decorating the lower fifth of it, black-strapped Geta, and carrying a cane. His gray-green eyes, shadowed by the olive green-and-white striped hat, showed the obvious mirth in his words.
'Who…' Gohan thought in shock.
- Prophecy -
Meanwhile, at the Hokage Tower, Sarutobi was enjoying a rare break in the war on paperwork. He decided to celebrate it with a bit of his favorite loyal male student's literature.
'Oh Jiraiya, what would I do without you?' The aged leader thought happily with a lecherous grin on his face. A sharp knock on his office's door knocked him out of his perverted euphoria. He cleared his throat and called, "Enter."
The door opened, and a rather short woman entered. Sarutobi frowned, lost in thought, attempting to place where he had seen the mysterious elderly woman.
The woman was wearing a cherry red battle dress with green trim and a purple stripe going from her left shoulder to her right hip, where it disappeared into her obi. Her once vibrant pink hair had faded to a subdued lavender, and her steel gray eyes were schooled into a disaffected scowl.
"You've got a hell of a lot of nerve calling an old lady all the way here from Karakura, and then not even recognizing her, Saru no usurabaka.
It hit him in a flash. "Forgive me old friend, but it's been at least twenty-five years since I saw you last. Not since-"
"I didn't come here to reminisce about the good old days, Saru." She cut in bitterly. "What do you want, and why couldn't you have told me in your letter?"
"To the point as always, eh?" He said with a small chuckle. The woman's eyes narrowed. "I called for you, because I have a problem and someone of your considerable skill is necessary."
"I'm retired, Saru." She replied. "Have one of your Jounin or the ANBU Black Ops handle it."
"It's not that kind of problem." He retorted, tossing her a manila folder, which she deftly caught and opened.
"I've never seen a black-haired Yamanaka before, Saru." She said, finally sitting down.
"He was adopted, just this morning, in fact."
"What does this have to do with me?" The woman demanded.
"He's an amnesiac, and he's shown some…unusual characteristics, to say the least. He subdued and hospitalized an Uchiha with three blows, without the use of Chakra."
"So you think he's like me?" She said, connecting the dots.
"Yes. So can you help?" He asked.
"I've already had apprentices, and the last one was more of a dimwit than you, Sarutobi. Good kid, even if he's a disrespectful little delinquent." She said, muttering the last part. "What the hell, I'll take a look. If your guess is right, I'll take him on." She sighed.
"Very well then." Sarutobi said with a smile.
"Is my slacker grandson still around?" She drawled.
"He is, although you'll find he's not nearly as bad as he used to be." Sarutobi said with a small chuckle.
"I guess I'll visit with him and his family for a while." She said, standing up and stretching her back.
"Indeed. You have a great-granddaughter, now though, about nine years old now." He said, standing to see her out.
"Do I? Well, hopefully she's a looker like her grandma." She said, leaving with a small smile and a wink.
As she left the tower, Sarutobi mused to himself, "Welcome back to Konohagakure, Genkai-chan."
- Prophecy -
"Aniki!" Hanako squealed, and glomped the man. The oddly-dressed man returned the hug, before moving to Inoichi and shaking his hand. By this point, Gohan was, in every sense of the word, confused.
"Hisashiburi dane, Imouto-chan, Inoichi-kun." The stranger said merrily.
"So no one else is freaked out that this…guy got into the house completely undetected?" Gohan exploded, pointing at the man.
"Gohan-kun," Hanako said in a mildly disapproving tone. "This is my Aniki, Urahara Kisuke. Aniki, this is Gohan, the newly dubbed Yamanaka Gohan." She finished, stressing the 'newly dubbed' part.
"Hajimemashite, new nephew." Kisuke said jollily, extending a hand. "Welcome to the family."
"Hajimemashite, new uncle." Gohan answered, accepting the offered hand with a slightly forced smile. 'Why can't I feel him?' Gohan inwardly wondered. 'It's like there's a…absence of an aura in him, yet my instincts tell me he should be seriously powerful.'
FLASH!
Gohan was once again four-years old, and training on a mountaintop with Piccolo. He wasn't faring too well.
"Focus Gohan!" Piccolo roared, throwing a haymaker at the small boy.
"I'm trying, Piccolo-san!" Gohan cried, barely dodging the Green-skinned man's blow.
"You have to feel the aura around me, feel the aura around yourself!"
Gohan paused, closing his eyes. 'Focus…' He suddenly reached up, blocking a kick from Piccolo with his forearm.
"Good, Gohan." Piccolo praised. "However, senses are easy to trick, especially to someone new to this, as you are." Suddenly, Piccolo's energy signature vanished. Gohan's eyes shot open, only to see Piccolo standing directly in front of him. "Describe what just happened, Gohan."
"Your energy was there, and then it suddenly vanished!" Gohan reported, in awe of his sensei.
"That, Gohan, is your next lesson, Aura Suppression. A defensive ability of stealth that only the most skilled warriors can possess, and that makes them the most dangerous type of enemy of all."
Gohan nodded, and sat down to meditate alongside Piccolo.
FLASH!
Gohan suddenly dropped to his knees, shaking off the minor headache that accompanied his memory recollections. Kisuke's eyes widened in recognition for a split second, and he shared a look with his sister. Inoichi, seeing the look, but mistaking it for a baffled expression, explained.
"Gohan is an amnesiac, and from time to time, fragments of his memory return quite suddenly."
Kisuke nodded in understanding. "Interesting. So where's my darling little niece, Imouto-chan?"
"She's over at the Haruno Tea shop." Hanako answered.
"Isn't that a coincidence," Kisuke mused, turning back to Inoichi and Hanako. "My traveling companion hailed from the Haruno clan, if memory serves."
"A Haruno in Karakura?" Inoichi asked. "That seems…unusual, to say the least."
"How so?" Kisuke asked.
"It's a long way from Konoha to Karakura." Inoichi answered. "A Haruno in those parts would be seriously rare."
"Well, let's say that this Haruno will…answer your prayers." Kisuke retorted cryptically.
A startled "Huh?" was Inoichi's dignified response. "You mean-"
"I do." Kisuke replied with a crooked half-smile.
"What are you boys talking about?" Hanako asked, looking between the men.
"He means that the person he traveled with was the one Sandaime-sama requested to help deal with Gohan."
"'Deal' with me?" Gohan asked, who had been staring at Kisuke's back since he recovered. "Why don't I like the sound of that?" He muttered.
"The woman who was my dad's sensei, and my grandfather's Genin teammate; the one who helped him create the Mind-Transfer Jutsu.
Hanako gasped. "No way…"
Inoichi nodded. "The Legendary Psychic and energy manipulation expert…"
Gohan's brows furrowed.
"Haruno Genkai" Inoichi finished, closing his eyes.
- Prophecy -
Author's Notes: Chapter 5 is FINALLY in the books. Gohan is now officially a member of the Yamanaka! What did Sarutobi mean that Gohan was like Genkai? Can she help? Find out in the next chapter of Prophecy!
The Fenton clan is from Butch Hartman's Danny Phantom. Genkai is from Togashi Yoshihiro's Yuyu Hakusho. Urahara Kisuke is from Kubo Tite's Bleach. I own none of them.
I wanted to make this longer, but this seemed to be the perfect place to stop it.
Kawaii – Cute.
Haori – Japanese formal coat.
Geta – Japanese wooden clogs.
Saru no Usurabaka – Dimwit Monkey. (Saru, Monkey is a nickname for the Sandaime, short for Sarutobi, which means Jumping Monkey)
Hisashiburi Dane – It's been a long time.
Imouto-chan – Little sister
Aniki – Older Brother
Hajimemashite – Nice to meet you.