Draguna Doragon here.
DD: whoa…what the hell's happened to me?! update 3 within a few days?!?!? ALRIGHT! WHO'S DRUGGED MY COFFEE!?!?!
Naruto, Kakashi, Koneko, Yoko, Sakura, Sasuke, Mamushi (they brought her too) and Gaara all hide their own drug pouches.
DD: O.o; You mean…you…ALL…drugged me to make sure I reviewed ridiculously quickly?
everyone other than Gaara gives a unified nod
Gaara: no.
DD: you mean you didn't drug me? .
Gaara:…no…I just didn't drug you for that reason.
DD: falls over jumps back up NANI?!?! Then why the hell did you drug me?
Gaara: evil smirk
Sasuke: because it seemed like fun?
Gaara: no.
Sasuke: holds chin in thought because you had nothing better to do, and happened to have some drugs handy while she looked away from her coffee cup?
Gaara: ¬.¬ no.
Sasuke: 66 hmmm…then…because you were ordered to?
Gaara: ¬.¬ ?
Sasuke: oh yeah…you do what ever the fuck you like, when you like.
Gaara: THAT'S the reason. That's why I drugged her.
DD: scratches head and doesn't understand
Sasuke and co are all in the same boat.
Gaara: sighs I drugged Draguna Doragon's coffee because I like to do whatever the fuck I like, when I like.
DD:…?
Gaara: getting miffed at everyone's stupidity I like to DO whatever the FUCK I like, when I like.
DD: … … … …?
Gaara: pissed off now, sand a blazing You know full well what we do after you finish an update!
DD: what are you…penny drops…holy fuck. You didn't just drug me…you DATE RAPE ME!!! AAAAAA!!! Gaara is a Hentai!
Gaara: no I'm not. That would mean you were unconscious. evil smirk you are always awake.
DD:…off my head…but…AND I THOUGHT THOSE WERE CRAZY DREAMS I HAD! Oh God, that means I really did-
Gaara: yep. smug
DD: and I used the-
Gaara: a huh.
DD: whilst riding the-
Gaara: all the way.
DD: fainted
Kakashi: now I should really step in here and act like a responsible adult. looks back to Itcha Itcha antics while he thinks just what that means
Gaara: Can I please take her into a back room that is poorly lit and lock the door for hours, taking a scarf, a gourd, and a tub of cookie dough flavoured ice cream with us?
Kakashi: …sure. Knock yourself out.
Gaara: I'll knock something out. walks off with big evil grin and DD flung over shoulder
Naruto and everyone else look at Kakashi scandalised
Kakashi:…what?
Chapter-Change.
Who are you Yoko Akane?
Kakashi sighed again, laid on his back, fully dressed in his Junin uniform, one hand behind his head on the pillow of his bed, the other raised up and twirling a kunai like a propeller. Koneko had come and gone this morning, and they had a heartfelt exchange, much like when Kakashi left Mamushi behind the week before. It was brief, but painful to see her go.
At least that idiot Naruto was with her. And Mamushi too.
Yoko Akane was no where in sight.
Who are you to my Koneko. He saw his daughter's face then, when she first beamed up at him when he arrived home yesterday. Her new clothes, black training, skin tight black tights, slender green hanging skirt to her ankles, bare tummy, back, and cleavage, green bust jacket and matching fingerless gloves.
As soon as he saw her, learned of her 'seduction lessons', and her demonstration with Naruto…
"Did she get his attention?"
"Yes."
"Then she succeeded and I'm very proud of her."
"Is it or is it not the original purpose of a Kunoichi to use her Kami given gifts to attract their target with the aims of gaining power, information, or possessions for their kage? And are you trying to tell me, that girls her age, don't flirt? Just look at Sakura! She's all over Sasuke Uchiha like he was her life-support machine! She's on your team, and isn't even effective at that! If anything, you're the failure of a sensei, not me!"
"…I never said you were a failure, Yoko."
"You didn't have to."
Kakashi sighed, and tucked his mask up his nose slightly.
I leave for the water county for one week, just one, and my little baby learns how to flirt with boys. She didn't even know flirting existent before I left. Now…
Now I will have to keep a close eye on that knuckle head…
He rethought that.
At least he seems to be obsessed with Sakura. He then turned over onto his stomach, and rested the left side of his face against the pillow.
How could his daughter have changed so much in just one week?
My pretty kitty. Koneko…
He remembered back to when she greeted him by clinging to his ankle, not being able to jump higher than his knee, and wouldn't let got for hours, with constant reassurance that he wouldn't disappear if she didn't hold him.
And that was when he was only gone for a few minutes to get the weekly shopping.
But this time, although she still clung to him (which was reassuring that she still felt so attached to him), she also flirted and dressed like a…a…
A Kunoichi.
With the night alone to think to himself, he had rethought his reaction the day before.
If she had been under the teachings of a backer, she would have had to wear a piny and a hair net. Or a kimono if she was learning to be a geisha.
And she was training to be a Kunoichi…
…and he had had his fair share of Kunoichi to know how they tended to dress.
And actually, Yoko had been very tasteful, compared to other Kunoichi from other villages.
And yes, he had heard a lot about the Akane clan. They were the number one Kunoichi in all of Konoha, and revered throughout all of the fire country.
The Red Minxes of Konoha, the leaf kittens, the scarlet tigers.
She certainly was a Minx, that Yoko Akane.
She wasn't soft enough to be a kitten, like his Koneko.
But she wasn't as ruthless as a tiger.
But then again…she looked pretty ruthless when she threatened to kill me if I ever came near her and her students when they were training ever again. Kakashi chuckled to himself again, and sat up on his bed.
And yet she can take Naruto, my, student, on a mission with her. It can't be helped that they had their away mission assigned to them for the day after we got back, I suppose. But I would have liked to have spent more time with Koneko before she had to leave…
…but it was my own fault, I suppose. It's obvious that Koneko has really bonded with her team while I've been gone, and couldn't chose between coming with me, or going back with Yoko. At least she stayed with a friend.
He got to his feet, and walked out his room and made his way to the kitchen. Mamushi-chan. She seems in the same boat as my pretty kitty, dressed and in training to become a Kunoichi. But she seems…odd. And looks suspiciously like…never mind. He shrugged it off, pouring himself a black coffee and buttering a bagel. He smiled to himself beneath the mask. She's the first friend Koneko's really had. Other than me. He took his coffee and breakfast to the table, and looked up. Was I really angry for the right reasons yesterday? Image and appearance is all part of being a Kunoichi, and yeah, girls her age do flirt with boys and want boyfriends. But… he groaned and ran his hands back through his silver hair.
"But it's all happening too fast." She was still just his baby girl I his eyes, his pretty kitty. To see her change and grow up, was disturbing.
No parent ever wants their children to grow up.
But Koneko is. She's growing up into a beautiful young lady, who can sleep at her friend's house, thinks about boys, doesn't solely rely on her dad anymore… he then slouched back in his chair, and craned his head back to look at the ceiling. I'll never get those days back, will I? When I was your entire world, and you smiled only for me. Where you were just as devoted to me, as I am you. I will always be devoted to you, for as long as I live.
Kakashi sighed, his eyes closed and just letting the rich smell of coffee fragrance the room a little. I guess this is my next mission in life. To watch and protect you as you grow up, Koneko. My pretty kitten…is now a beautiful cat. I just hope you have nine lives, Koneko. And I hope you don't even have to lose one of them. I can't follow you everywhere Koneko. If anything happens while you're on your mission… Kakashi slammed his fist on the table, making his coffee mug jump on the table slightly. Come back safely Koneko. And…don't change too much, pretty kitty.
Kakashi stared out of his window, high up in his apartment, and closed his eye. He prayed for his daughter's safety, and wondering if she was smiling right now, or crying out for him.
"My baby…be safe. Come home to me soon…"
oo0oo
"Koneko-chan?" Naruto blinked at her, holding the straps of his brown backpack and waiting outside the gates. Yoko Akane was a few feet ahead with Mamushi, their bags already packed on Mei's back (yeah…she was 'delighted' to have been reduced to the role of packhorse…sure…), talking about something or other. Koneko had just frozen and couldn't stop looking back at the village. Her sapphire eye was half closed sadly, and it watered with tears. She was gripping at her backpack straps a little too hard to be ok, and didn't seem to be breathing either, she was that still.
Naruto walked back up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"This is the furthest I've been from the village. And…Papa. Before was different, I was still home, with distractions like my new team and friends…but this time…I'm leaving him." She opened up to Naruto for some reason, and turned to look at him with one sad eye.
But Naruto was grinning with bright baby blue eyes.
"Then make him proud, and give your mission your all. don't hold back once, and complete it to the best of your ability." She blinked at him, amazed. "That way, you'll come back quicker and get to tell Kakashi-sensei all about it. Ne?" He beamed at her, and blushed when Koneko hugged him tightly.
"Arigato, Naruto-kun. When you put it that way, it doesn't seem so bad. I needed that…arigato." She chuckled, grabbed his hand, and ran with him in tow up to Yoko and Mamushi. He laughed like an idiot, grinning all the way up to Yoko.
Then he chuckled nervously at the raised brow the professional Kunoichi gave him. He quickly took his hand back from Koneko when Yoko gave their hands a questioning look. "So, what's our mission exactly, Yoko-sensei?"
"We're headed for the outskirts of the grass country. We're escorting an important scroll to an official of the feudal lord, who will be waiting for us there to receive it." Yoko hoisted herself up onto Mei's back (like she didn't have enough to carry), and looked to them all with a smile. "This can be a training session. Summon something to carry you to the drop site. I distinctly remember you both saying you already had a type of summoning Jutsu, when I intended to teach it to you." She then looked to Naruto with a smirk. "And I suppose you need to rely on whatever that man taught you." She then yawned behind her hand delicately, and looked forward.
Oh boy, major panic time for both Mamushi and Koneko.
"Erm…my summoning is a little…specific. It won't work for this, sensei." Koneko chuckled nervously, scratching the back of her head with a sweat drop.
"Then you'll have to walk." Yoko rolled her eyes. "And you fail this task. The only thing that can save you, is if at least Mamushi completes the task." At that, Mamushi gulped, and looked away.
"…will there be a penalty for Koneko-chan if I can't?" Mamushi mumbled softly, and looked up with golden eyes.
Yoko held her chin as she rode Mei side saddle.
"The punishment, will be the route we take. If at least one of you two perform a summoning, then we will take the fastest route to the drop site. If you both fail to summon, then we will take the longest route to the drop site. The fastest would take us a few days, and the longest would take us a few…weeks."
"WHAT?!?!" Koneko's eye was wide, and she sent Mamushi a pleading look.
Say no. say no.
"Ok." Mamushi went against the little voice in her head, and took a deep breath. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
Poof
"Misssstressss Mamusshhi." The long, slender Japanese pit viper coiled around one wrist, all the way round her shoulders and neck once, and all the way to her other wrist, where she raised her hand.
"Akeyra. I have a favour to ask." Mamushi gulped, and leaned closer to her scaly friend's head. She whispered, so no one else could hear her. "Can you ask your youngest brother to come out to carry us on his back to the grass country, please? If Akisada can't, I'll fail my task."
"Akissssada is already doing a tasssk for the basssstard."
"Oh no…"
"But…Hissasshi issssn't."
"Hisashi!?! I can't summon him!" Mamushi gulped, and glanced over at Koneko, who was frowning off to the side.
"Why not, missstresss? He would willingly sssserve you missstresss."
Koneko…you shouldn't have to be so far from your father. Because I never will be close to mine…I will get you back to yours, Koneko-chan.
"Hai. Get ready, Akeyra."
"Hai, missstresss!" Akeyra hissed happily, ecstatic that at last, her mistress was going to delve deeper into 'the family'. She slid to loop loosely around Mamushi's neck twice, and her tail wrapped around her middle. She then hissed loudly, waiting. Mamushi bit her ivory lips, and gathered her Chakra into her left hand. She lifted it, and bit down on her lip hard.
Akeyra lashed out, and sank her fangs deep into Mamushi's palm. Blood quickly pooled out of the wound, tricking down her arm, and Koneko sprang forward with a kunai up to Akeyra's neck. But she got no closer.
Akeyra released her hand, and Mamushi slammed it down on the floor.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
Poof.
Koneko was knocked back into Naruto, both sent hurtling over until they collided with Mei's firm fury leg, and smoke was thick in the air.
A heavy, deep hissing echoed through the woodland, and Koneko scrambled to her feet. Yoko had already dismounted Mei, waiting cautiously by her subordinates.
"Mamushi? Are you alright?" Yoko called out, and stayed calm.
Unlike Koneko, she had drawn the connections between summoning a smaller snake first, and then assisted blood drawing. Mamushi must have summoned something too big to summon on her own, and so she needed a direct flow of blood to be sacrificed into the summoning.
Large golden eyes glowed through the smoke, and the deep hissing got louder.
"MAMUSHI!?!? Are you ok?!?! MAMUSHI!!" Koneko tried to run out into the smoke to find her, but Naruto grabbed her arm and yanked her back. "Mamushi!"
"It ssssseemssss you have made a friend sssssince we lasssst ssssspoke, misssstressss."
"Hai…I have, haven't I?" Mamushi smiled softly to herself, and then to Akeyra.
"Missstresss…if only father could ssssee you ssssmiling. You ssstill haven't ssspoken with him yet. And you promisssed you would."
"I will, soon." Mamushi chuckled nervously, and looked out to the smoke around them, which started to dissipate. "Don't be alarmed! Everything is alright!" She called out, and nodded to Akeyra. "You can leave now, if you wish." Her life long friend bowed her head, and slithered into the remaining smoke, vanishing with the last of it.
"AAAA!" Naruto yelled and forced Koneko behind him. both Genin watched as their team leader, Yoko, stood fearlessly, face to face…
…with the biggest SNAKE they had ever seen!
It was as long as a house, as thick as a massive oak, a deep purple colour, with gleaming golden eyes and black triangular markings under those hypnotic orbs, and larger ones travelling from above its eyes and onto the back of a large, king cobra neck, fully expanded.
Yoko blinked, boredly, and cocked her head to one side.
"Well, you certainly have style, Mamushi. He's certainly…big." She chuckled, and blinked when Mamushi just smiled at her.
"You mean…I'm not in trouble?"
"Missstressss? Allow me to pledge my eternal loyalty to you, and hope to be of sssservicccceee to you for many yearssss to come. I am honoured to be ssssummoned by the great vessssel." Mamushi laughed very abruptly, and nervously smiled to the rest of them.
"Yeah, that's snake talk for master, heh heh. So…sensei." Mamushi was sat on the upper neck of the great beast, her legs and arms clinging to him. "This is Hisashi, Akeyra's youngest of her older brothers." Mamushi looked away shyly. "He's agreed to carry Koneko-chan and Naruto-kun on his back too, so erm…if that's ok…can we go the…quickest way to the drop site…" when she looked up, Yoko was beaming at her and clapping her hands, Naruto was blushing madly, as Koneko jumped him with a big hug and happily curved eye.
"You're the greatest Mamushi-chan!" Koneko punched the air, and Naruto (still blushing) gave her a thumbs up.
"Dattebayo!"
"Misstress?" Mamushi lowered flat onto his neck and whispered for just him to hear.
"Please Hisashi. I will give you a reward of you do. Just name it. This…means a lot to me."
"The sssstandard sssacrificcce isss a sssoul." Mamushi gasped, and her grip on him tightened. "But you can owe me, misstressss."
"…h…hai…Arigato." She gulped, and nervously looked over to the others.
"Sure, way to pass Mamushi!" Yoko clambered back up onto Mei, satisfied that everything was alright, and watched as Naruto and Koneko struggled to sit on the giant snake's back.
At one point, it looked like Naruto was going to refuse to get on it and walk all the way instead, but Koneko yanked him onto it behind her by the back of his collar.
Koneko did not take no for an answer.
"Arigato." She whispered, wondering why she suddenly felt all warm and fuzzy again, and stroked the side of Hisashi's head. "And arigato, Hisashi-sama."
"It issss an honour to ssserve you, misstressss." And with one mighty raise of his head, they were off.
Like a shot of winding, twisting, speeding scaly lighting along the ground.
Naruto wrapped his arms around Koneko's waist as soon as his bum landed uneasily on the warm mass of snake.
Not where Naruto wanted to be today.
On the back of an enormous snake going full pelt, swaying him jerkily from side to side as it slithered swiftly onward.
So, there is such a thing as being snake sick.
"OOooohhhh." He sweatdropped, and covered his mouth with one hand, the other slipping down her middle to hold her bare lower torso. At this, he bristled, and gulped when Koneko looked over her shoulder at him.
"Yo. You ok back there?"
"Hai!" he chuckled nervously, placing his other hand over the one on her tummy. "I'm great."
They both blushed, but Naruto snuggled closer to her.
Wham.
It was like someone had hooked a white hot lead to a collar around his neck, and given her the other end. But she felt like she was the one under his control, with a collar around her neck. As much as she wanted to look away, she just couldn't. Those baby blue eyes were just so warm and inviting, and her own sapphire eye wouldn't even blink at him. "Koneko-chan…" He hugged her to him, with blushing cheeks.
It was then Koneko gasped.
"Y…your cheeks…" she reached back and brushed her fingertips over the thin whisker like scars on one cheek.
"Nani?" Naruto looked at her fingers, and his cheeks burnt at the contact. But as soon as he saw what she was looking at… "Oh…I've had them since I was a baby." He pouted and looked away. But Koneko just shuffled round to sit on the winding snake back side saddle, and cupped her face, until he looked back to her.
"Do you like them?" She let him hug her closer and they both smiled.
"Do you?" She thought for a moment, and chuckled.
"They suit you." She then yawned loudly. "Excuse me if I use you as a pillow rest."
"Nani?" Koneko rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eye. When her breathing slowed, Naruto smiled to himself. She'd actually fallen asleep on him. and she looked so cute…
Mamushi looked over her shoulder down at them, and smiled.
"They look so happy." She whispered, and looked forward again. Yoko was riding Mei, bounding forward and leading them to the drop site. "A few days she said…" Mamushi still couldn't believe that she had spoken out like that, acted out like that, without having been ordered to. She could still remember the days where she would have preferred to remain unnoticed, and not gone out of her way to do something for anyone that involved attention. That involved other people.
I guess…I might have…changed. Thanks to Koneko…I've…changed…
oo0oo
It had taken all day to travel just outside the drop site. They were about an hour and a half from the allocated delivery zone, but they weren't due to hand the scroll over until tomorrow. So tonight, they would have to pitch up camp outside, in the wilderness.
Once they stopped somewhere Yoko deemed fit to set up camp, Naruto jumped off Hisashi's back as quickly as physically possible and kissed the ground. he then blushed when Koneko laughed at him. she then jumped Mamushi as soon as Hisashi left, (who she also had to promise to see 'father' soon) and hugged her tightly. Mamushi smiled softly, and the gang soon got two tents up.
"I'm in this tent. Mei, outside!" Yoko yelped as the mighty tiger decided to plonk herself dead centre inside it. Koneko hid her face behind a pink Itcha antics book and chuckled to herself as Naruto took a step in her direction.
Then another step.
Then another.
Until he finally stood next to her.
It was comical, really. He kept making sure to be looking the other way, but his eyes glanced over at her every few seconds.
"Naruto, you want something?" She didn't even look up from her book.
"That book looks familiar."
Koneko immediately pocketed it in her back pocket. She just remembered that her father was Naruto's sensei. Obviously he would recognise the Itcha series Kakashi always carried with him.
And now she knew why. .
"Why did you volunteer for this mission?" Naruto blinked at her, scratched the back of his head and chuckled with that goofy grin that made her smile.
"You needed another Shinobi to complete the mission. I wanted you to succeed, so I volunteered to help out. I wanted to help you."
"Why?" Koneko turned her body to face him, both leaned against the same tree bark now.
Mamushi was peering inside the same tent as Yoko, trying to goad the large tiger to please come out.
It wasn't going well…
But back with Naruto and Koneko.
"Because…I like you I guess." Koneko blushed beneath her mask, and struggled not to look effected by what he said. "You don't…don't look at me like an idiot. And you're fun. I'd feel bad if you couldn't do your mission, when I couldn't have helped. And besides!" Naruto grinned madly. "I need to get in as much training as possible. That way, I can become stronger, faster, and become the greatest Hokage Konoha has ever seen!"
"And I believe you will do it, Naruto-kun." Koneko curved her eye to show him she was smiling under her mask, and put her hand on his shoulder. "If you care about everyone like that, you'll surely be the best Hokage you can be."
"What do you want out of life, Koneko?" She blinked at him, surprised. Naruto seemed quite serious.
"To make my father proud."
"By doing what?"
Koneko actually had to think about that.
"By being the best Kunoichi I can be. The best in my field. That way, I'll be like my Papa. He's already the best Ninja in Konoha, so if I become the best Kunoichi, the Hatake name will always be remembered. We are the only ones in our family. And I've noticed everyone has at least grandparents or siblings. Or someone."
"You think so?" she couldn't read the expression on Naruto's face, and it scared her. He seemed…angry. "You think everyone has someone?"
"Yeah. I do." Koneko looked over to the tent, where Yoko made Mamushi hold out a large fish, and call 'here puss puss' at the highly insulted tigress. "Everyone has at least one person."
"What about her?" Naruto asked in a monotone, looking to Mamushi. "Does she have grandparents?"
"No."
"Parents? Siblings?"
"No."
"Then who does she have?"
"Us." Koneko turned to Naruto with determination. "Mamushi-chan has Yoko-sensei, and me. And we have her. Yoko-sensei says that a team is a family, that you'd do anything for. Just to make sure I could get back to my papa quicker, Mamushi had a snake bite her. She used up a lot of Chakra to summon that huge cobra snake dude, and she didn't have to. She went through pain, and she didn't have to. No one would have forced her, or even asked her to put herself out to do what I couldn't. But she did. Because we are her family. And if our places were changed, I would have done the same for her."
"You're wrong. Not everyone has someone." Naruto closed his eyes, and pulled away from the tree.
"Yes they do." Koneko smiled, and cupped his cheek. "They just have to open their eyes." Naruto snapped his eyes open in shock, touched.
Koneko chuckled, and tapped his nose. "I'm tired, and need to go make sure I thank Mamushi again. I'll see you tomorrow Naruto."
"But, but-"
"Goodnight, Naruto-kun." She winked at him, like her dad did her, and ruffled his hair. Just like her dad did. "Oh, and one more thing." Koneko turned her back, and started walking to the spare tent. "You're not alone. Just open your eyes and see."
Naruto watched her enter the tent, and couldn't speak. He clenched his fists and closed his eyes, nearly 13 years of hatred and isolation oppressed upon him.
So alone, no one to smile at him and tell him it's alright, he can stop crying now. No one. He had no one.
Koneko…
"You're not alone."
I'm…
"You're not alone."
Not…
"You're not alone."
Not…
"Just open your eyes and see."
Not…alone. I'm not alone.
He opened his eyes, and gasped as he saw Koneko looking at him in the doorway of the tent. I…opened my eyes…and…and I saw you. Koneko slipped back into the tent, and he closed his eyes again.
But this time was smiling.
Well in that case, I better make sure to protect you on this mission and from now on Koneko. Because if the one person I have is you…then I need to definitely make sure I get stronger, to keep you safe, to keep you smiling.
Naruto looked up at the dark night sky and made a promise on the full moon. A promise of protection, of friendship. Of keeping his eyes open, no matter what he believes is true.
Because that way, he might just see something he couldn't see before. Something surprising, something nice.
Like her smile…
DD: runs back into room with a scarf hanging of her neck, sand in her hair, and smelling strangely of cookie dough flavoured ice cream… ok, sorry if anything was rushed, but I really am looking forward to the next few chapters, so forgive me! sees Gaara smirking and heading right for her and save me! my back is still killing from all the thr-
Gaara: gags her, and looks stoically at the readers She will be busy updating as quickly as possible, and will only update in future with more reviews, and more coffee. I will supply…the stimulation. Now, review. Do it. Or I'll kill your ass.
From, Draguna Doragon and many Naruto characters who I do not own, but seem to own me. until next time, please review, bye!