[[Some of you might be curious about the whole Lee thing. I was thinking about who Kagami would get along with other then the obvious choices.
The two to pop into my mind were Lee and TenTen. TenTen, because she's tomboy like and likes weapons. She seems the calmest and most confident out of the Rookie girls. Lee because of his dedication. Kagami appreciates hard work and strength of will. She never got the chance to know him in the future. And since TenTen might be Kagami's other student… And Lee never gets much recognition. I thought he would be a good first friend for Kagami. Though eccentric and loud he is honest and kind. Hinata is more like what Kagami could have become had she not killed her father. Naruto is her brother and the one that helped her find her way when she had realized Madara's true goal. And Aiko is her servant and bodyguard, someone who watches out for her and protects her. Lee seemed like a good first friend, other than Deidara. Not to mention Sai and Gaara later on. Shikamaru [both are naturally lazy, and Kagami is very lazy when she can be. Not to mention that in the future Shikamaru was one of those close to her.], Hinata, Naruto, Anko [Both are crazy and bloodthirsty most the time, mainly when Kagami's angry], Temari [She just seems to be the one to get along with her the best out of the girls], Haku [both had to kill their father's in self defense and found someone that found them useful], and Neji [to some extent. Although two seconds together would have her reaching for his neck…].
That is why Lee and Kagami met in the last chapter. Thanks you for your time.]]
Earth Country, Near IWA; Remains of Shiomi Village.
Shiomi Kira as she was known to those of Shiomi Village, Iwa Village, and Earth Country. Stood among the ruins that had once been her home. Her gaze blank and empty for such a young child. Her mind filled with thoughts, questions, answers, and memories. She knew things could be changed. However, she also knew some things had to happen. Aiko was the one that would need to be reminded of the balance. However, she had a feeling that Aiko wouldn't mess anything up, at least not badly enough to destroy things.
It would only be a number of years until they met.
Although this time things would change for herself, she would not allow herself to be so weak again. She would not allow Madara's sweet words to fool her again. He had misused her abilities. He had caused her to punish those that hadn't needed judging. She would not allow that to happen once more.
She bent down grabbing the headband by her feet. Brushing it off she made sure it wasn't damaged. Holding it tightly in her hand she glanced up at the sky that was slowly clearing. She could hear the Shinobi arriving to check everything out. Now that her powers had been awakened once more… she could finally get that promotion.
She had never got along with children. And the fact that her 'teammates' acted like toddlers despite their age had always pissed her off. She was just lucky she had graduated before the age restrictions had been passed. Earth Country had refused for longer than the others and she was the last 'infant' Shinobi.
However, there was one thing that she had to redo. One of the things she could not allow to be change.
She took a deep breath and sighed. Reaching up she tied the headband around reflective eyes hiding them away. A smile crossed her face. 'And besides now I can annoy Deidara more, since I know where his life will take him…' She thought with a chuckle.
'And…I won't let that brat Sasuke become such a problem.' She thought clenching her fists. 'It's because of that brat that Madara came so close. Because of him that Aiko's so twitchy every time she sees dark hair and eyes. Perhaps Kimimaro will be good for her… There is no one I detest more than that brat, besides Haruno of course. Trying to trick my Naru like that. She tried to make my little brother give up just because she said she loved him. I'll make sure she'll pay as well. The only reason I'm not planning the brat's demise is because of Itachi. I was never close to him, aside from seeing him in Akatsuki and allowing my eyes to adjust to him… I felt his judgment. He is one that was never supposed to perish…' She thought glaring into the darkness of night.
'This time around my eyes won't affect him, if Naru does the seal correctly. This is a second chance…for all of us.'
"Are we children?"
Naruto and Itachi both looked up to see Kagami staring at the food in her bowl with a slight frown. They had all decided to sit around the sitting room table for dinner. The dining room just seemed so empty with only three of them. And it brought back memories of the past to them, although the group was much smaller than it had been.
"What do you mean?" Naruto asks his head tilted slightly.
"I mean. We are kids aren't we? Despite our memories, at the moment we are children. Only our mentality is that of an adult. And our spiritual forms are our older selves… I suppose our true selves are our older forms, but at the moment we are trapped within our younger bodies… Does that mean we can act like children, the children we look to be?" She asked trailing off as she thought. Her graze drifted back to both of them and she pointed to them with her chopsticks.
"I mean none of us ever got a real childhood. We were weapons from the get go. You were trying to survive and take care of yourself, Aiko was trying to live through Orochimaru experimentations, Itachi was always the perfect Shinobi though he could relax around that brat in the past, and I was already a mercenary who sometimes had to do missions that would make an 'experienced' Geisha blush." She said pointing to each in turn. She paused again tilting her head.
"Nothing has really changed, except the ways we got to 'now'. I've still had to do those missions, Aiko was still an experiment, you still lived on your own, and Itachi still had to be perfect. However, at the moment… we don't have any expectations. We are just children… So this time around…I…I don't understand many things. Emotions are a foreign concept to me. And I don't really understand the prospect of having a childhood or being a child…I never got the chance to. But this time…" She paused for a moment the words caught in her throat.
"Are we allowed to be children?" Itachi finished for her.
Kagami looked up and nodded to him. "I've been wondering this ever since I met Lee-San. We are going to be Shinobi in a year, Naruto, Hinata, and I… No matter what. So can we be children for this? I'm not saying skipping training or anything just-"
"Just to be able to feel like we're getting a childhood this time?" Naruto said cutting her off. He frowned. "I've been so busy with fixing things I had forgotten all about that. Things are different than before, better. All this time I could be having the childhood I wanted, but I was too obsessed with making sure everything went right." He said staring down in the red/brown broth.
Itachi leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful expression. "Ever since I gained my memories I have thought of myself as an adult. I had forgotten that I was only 13 at the time. I think we all have. I know Kagami acted like a child around Deidara. And you Naruto act like a child still around the Council, minus Danzo, and Iruka. And even though I knew what he would become I spend my last few day before the Massacre with Sasuke. However, you're right…This is our chance to be children…at least for a year. I might be 18, but there is that saying, you're only as young as you feel. And despite being a Shinobi, most people think of 21 as being a legal adult. So I have a few more years myself…" He said with a small smile.
Naruto looked up with a grin. "Yea, because once we are Shinobi again we won't have any time. Everything happens right after that. The Chuunin Exams will be the beginning of it all. And the innocence, the childhood we could be having will vanish then. I think we should take this time to have some fun. All Itachi has to do is place a Henge over his ANBU uniform. That way if anyone sees through it, they'll just think you're our guard or something." He said his grin growing at all the mischief he could cause with Itachi helping him.
Itachi shrugged with a small smile. "Sounds interesting. True I did relax with Sasuke, but after finding out what he would become there were times I wanted to hurt him. In the future I did it to make him stronger. Now I just want him to suffer for what he will cause…" He muttered stirring his stew.
Kagami looked up tilting her head. "You don't like violence either. You and I are alike in that way. I shall kill if needed and I will fight when needed. But after merging with so people and seeing their souls...I just can't seem to like violence or fighting anymore. And hatred seems to be beyond my grasp, such as love." She said blowing on the stew and taking a bite. "I suppose we should just be grateful that our logic can override our feelings and heart." She finished.
Itachi nodded. "True…" He said slowly. "Otherwise we would be in deep trouble with our profession." He said with a small wince.
Kagami's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Naru, used to have trouble with it as well. But after how many times I've entered his soul, he has practically merged with me…my memories. My insanity has overridden his guilt and regret over killing. And his relationship with Kyuubi hadn't helped. But that's to be expected. Naru would have never become the God of War had he not?" She said.
Naruto grinned back showing sharpened canines. "True. I haven't really seen Kyuubi as of yet. He's still going through the memories of both my and his future self. He is very impressed that we managed to do something even demons had been stumped on." He said with a slight chuckle.
"So it's decided." Kagami said as she raised her tea glass. "For the year we have, we shall try our best to have the childhoods we never had. Agreed?" She asked.
Itachi and Naruto nodded coping her actions. "Agreed." They both stated, and the three knocked their glasses together.
They all turned back to their meals.
Once dinner was over, Itachi and Naruto went to wash the dishes. Kagami's dislike of water was bordering on fear, so they had agreed to take care of the dishes as long as she cooked.
Kagami was sitting on the table in thought. She frowned and spoke a moment later. "We will need some extra help eventually. I think we need a few more people to gain their memories…" She muttered crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. "Not right away… But around the Chuunin exam would be good." She said.
Naruto glanced over his shoulder as he handed Itachi the next dish. "Who do you have in mind?" He asked tilting his head.
"I'm thinking one of each of the Rookie nine. One from each team, maybe even one from Gai's. Hinata will be my student soon. She'll be the one from Kurenai's team. Shikamaru would be the best form Asume's team. From Gai's team… I would think either TenTen or Neji. Though I have already made contact with Lee, he gaining his memories wouldn't help much. I'm also thinking Kakashi would be a good idea." She said trailing off.
Itachi and Naruto glanced at each other. They knew she had been the one to watch Kakashi die the first time around. She was also the one that had burned his remains. And although she never said anything they knew that she had come to some kind of conclusion with him. The fact that she started thinking about a jutsu to go to the past after his death had also raised questions. Kakashi and Kagami had never really gotten along. She had never forgiven him for how he trained and treated Naruto before Sasuke's defection.
"You mean for his Sharningan?" Itachi asked slowly.
Kagami nodded. "Yes. It would help if he gained his version sooner…" She muttered.
"OH DAMN IT!" Naruto suddenly shouted slamming his hands down on the sink. He turned and glared at the other two. "You mean I have to deal with him belittling, ignoring, and abandoning me again!" He hissed in anger glaring angrily out the window. Red chakra started to swirl around him slowly. "He didn't even help me last time, until I was the only one he could teach on the team." He snarled the chakra flaring.
Itachi couldn't help but sweat drop and step away. He hadn't been around and so didn't know much about Hatake's training. However, he wasn't liking what he was hearing…
Kagami snickered quietly. "A reason to get his memories back don't you think?" She asked quietly sipping her tea.
The Next Day
"This way please Ibiki-Sama." Kagami said as she lead him through her house to the backyard. "To be truthful you're the only one I trust with this. But since you might need this is your job, and you are my 'teacher' I'm going to show you everything." She said.
Once they entered the green house, Ibiki stared around with wide eyes for a moment. "My, my. This could be useful indeed." He muttered his eyes stopping on one plant in particular.
Kagami nodded. "I gathered all of them from around the world on my journeys. Some of the poison's here are said to be as powerful as Kusanagi. I'm not too sure about Kohona, but Iwa's Torture and Interrogation Department used poisons to torture their victims." She said as she watched him walk around examining the plants. "You could also find a cure for most likely anything here." She said crossed her arms. It was time like this she wished her new clothing had sleeves.
Ibiki paused and glanced at her. "I have heard you have told the students and teachers that it was Kiri you came from?" He asked quietly.
Kagami nodded. "If I were to say I came from Iwa, I would be suspected. Not that the bloody Mist is any better… but the civilians don't know about Kiri's past and won't bother me. I still have trouble with a few for being Naruto's sister. And though the last place I traveled was Kumo that would have been even worse. The fact that I was coming from Kumo and joined a class with a Hyuuga…" She muttered trailing off.
Ibiki nodded. "I see."
"And I know for a fact both places also use poison. So I can back up my story. Having the medical herbs, and poisons form Kiri helps with that." She said.
"Very well." Ibiki said as he straightened up. "As of now, I'm placing you as the poison specialist in my division. When you'd off probation you'll become the head. I'll leave Anko as your partner, I'm sure the both of you will get along well." He said.
Kagami nodded. "Of course." She said.
Night
Kagami sighed as she shut the door behind her. She looked up and paused as she blinked in confusion. Naruto and Itachi had covered the living room with junk food, pocky, and ramen. They were both laying on made up futons with the T.V on and one of Princess Yuki's movies playing. She tilted her head at seeing her spare futon was out as well and couldn't help but shake her head. 'Maybe they are taking this childhood thing a bit too far…' She thought with a sweat drop. "What are you doing?" She asked.
Itachi looked up at her with a piece of pocky hanging from his mouth. "It's called a sleep over I think. You sleep together in a family room/living room and try to stay up all night." He said as the pocky vanished inch by inch as he spoke.
Naruto nodded as he finished slurping up the ramen he had paused when she spoke. "Yea. I remember Sai asking me if I had ever had one when I was little. I thought it was for girls and took it as an insult. Later on it made me feel sad because I didn't have friends growing up. Now I can actually have one, and decided to have it with you and Itachi. Itachi's really enjoying this be a child thing." He said with a grin.
Itachi nodded grabbing two more sticks. "It's amusing. Where were you that you got all dressed up for?" He asked.
Kagami blinked and looked down at her kimono. While not expensive looking or decorative, it was feminine and formal looking. Two things she never did on her own. "I had a dinner engagement with Hyuuga Hisashi. I'll be starting Hinata's training soon. Seeing as when we become Genin, she'll have a team of her own as will I. This is the best time. I had thought about starting TenTen early as well; however she has already joined a team. So I'll be working with her once I graduate the academy." She said shrugging.
Walking over she flopped down on her futon gracelessly, ruining the silk kimono she had been wearing. "Pass the Honey cakes." She said pointing to the cakes imported form Honey Village.
"So you're really planning on teaching TenTen?" Naruto asks.
Kagami shrugs happy to take the cloth form her eyes. "I'm not sure. It really all depends. If Haku lives this time around, I might teach him instead. I was thinking of taking Shikamaru because of my Shadow bending…but if he's going to gain his memories he won't need me. And TenTen is the only other one that would even take to the training. Ino would, but I try to avoid her Clan. I guess we'll have to see." She muttered.
Itachi watched them and took a break from his Pocky. "There are things we can't change. Some of our plans can't be made until we find out what sacrifices can be made… If Hatake gains his memories, I think it should be after your mission to Wave. That would be the best time, and it would be the ideal place. You told me he passes out form chakra exhaustion. That could be the time to activate your eyes on him, Kagami. That way while he's out Naruto can activate the seal while caring him to the house." He said opening a new pack.
Naruto looked at Itachi with wide eyes, he suddenly beamed at him. "Wow. You think of everything don't'ca?" He asked and returned to slurping his ramen.
Itachi shrugged in an embarrassed way and turned his eyes to the floor.
Kagami blinked watching the two. She hummed thoughtfully turning back to her honey filled desert.
Should he just be in a Harem? [4 max?] Y? N? Vote! Ita/Naru 7 [Go Weasel boy! Still in the lead!] Kaka/Naru 2½ [I knew they would be requested. I'm rather fond of it myself] [male]Kyuu/Naru 6 [Wow. It seems people want demon loving.] Pein/Naru 3 [Come on Nagato you're falling behind…] Threesome? Pein/Naru/Ita [Sounds interesting.] Pein/Naruto = Brothers. [If he's not in the pairing then of course! ^^] Kimi/Aiko 3 [They seem cute together. And you all agree!] Kagami/Lee 2 [I hadn't really planned on this. -_-' But okay. And it has been requested anyway! ^^] [Memo, if you want a pairing ask. It doesn't have to be with just Naru, Aiko, and Kaga]
