Yay! Another song title!
Stop And Stare by OneRepublic
Kakashi would never admit it to anyone, but at that moment, he was nervous. His normally cool yet alert exterior was there, but on the inside, he couldn't have been more anxious.
It was the day after he had retired from ANBU to rejoin the jounin rankings. He enjoyed the comfort of his old green Leaf vest; it brought back a few sentimental feelings.
The ex-ANBU member was inside the Interrogation Office, the Third Hokage standing beside him. A few feet ahead of the pair, Ibiki Morino, the Head of Interrogation, was standing in the center of the room. His frightening appearance and cold attitude sent off waves of intimidation, both scaring the living daylights out of the others in the room as well as earning complete respect from his underlings and superior.
Strapped to three separate chairs were the three men who had attacked Naruto and Suki. They were wide awake, but the death glares that Ibiki was sending them had them cowering in their seats. Kakashi mentally thanked Ibiki for being the one to scare the three thugs. If the silver-haired ninja had been standing any closer to the men who tried to harm his daughter, he would probably have killed them by now. He was disgusted with the fact that they wanted to harm a little seven-year-old, yet they couldn't face their punishment with the terrifying interrogator.
The sound of a metal door opening awoke Kakashi from his thoughts. Everyone in the room turned around to see Inoichi Yamanaka walking inside the room. He strolled right into the room, bowing to the other ninja in respect.
"Good, you are here, Inoichi," Hiruzen said. He gestured towards the three chained men in the chairs, but his eyes stayed locked on the blonde man's. "I wish for you to probe the minds of these men."
Inoichi nodded. "What precisely am I looking for, Lord Hokage?"
Sarutobi hesitated, not wanting to give away Suki's secret. It wasn't his place. The old man glanced up at the masked jounin beside him. Kakashi seemed deep in thought. In his mind, the silver-haired man was contemplating how to exactly say that Suki was the Guardian. It was a huge secret that he wasn't sure he wanted to be released.
But as Kakashi glanced around the room, the only other people who would know of this secret were Ibiki and Inoichi, and they were trustworthy shinobi. Besides the three horrible men that Kakashi wanted thrown in a jail cell, there were only fellow shinobi. The ex-ANBU member decided to take his chances and tell the secret. It was for Suki's benefit that the interrogator and the mind reader know of Suki's identity in order to fully punish the three goons.
"I want you to find out how they uncovered Suki Kurohoshi's identity as the new Guardian," Kakashi said aloud, his onyx eye staring straight at the Yamanaka.
Despite his professional and calm attitude, Inoichi couldn't help the shock that appeared on his face. His eyebrows, even though only slightly, rose in surprise, and his mouth fell open just a tad. Even though Inoichi tried to hide these small displays of bewilderment, Kakashi and the Hokage could still see the astonishment in his features.
"Kakashi's daughter is the Guardian?" Inoichi thought, confusion still evident on his face.
The Yamanaka had seen the girl at the Academy on a few occasions, when he had dropped off and picked up his own daughter, Ino. Suki seemed nothing like her former incarnation. She was a good little kid with a kind heart; that much was noticeable.
Inoichi shook his head of these thoughts piling into his head. He hadn't known Suki was the Guardian before, and he had already deemed her a nice girl. He wouldn't let this new thought change his judgment now.
While the blonde ninja was having an internal battle, Ibiki remained his normal stiff self. Yes, he was shocked at this new bit of information, but he lived up to his fierce name as a frightening interrogator, and he would not let some bit of gossip ruin his emotionless mask.
"Well then, let's get started with this," Ibiki interrupted.
Awakened from his thoughts, Inoichi nodded his head. "Right."
The mind-reading ninja walked over to stand behind the three chairs, all placed in a line side by side. The large man, the leader, was placed in the middle; the man with the dark blue hair sat on his right while the weasel man sat on his left.
Inoichi summoned his chakra into his brain, and then he allowed the energy to flow down into his right hand. This stream of energy and chakra would help the connection between minds flow better. He let his hand fall on crown of the gang leader's head, and the thug instantly fell unconscious. The blue-haired man and the scrawny man stared at their leader in shock, both surprised and scared to see their leader fall under consciousness so easily.
"Hidden Technique: Mind Reader Jutsu!"
Instantaneously, a montage of memories flooded from the goon's mind, gushing right into the Yamanaka's own mind. Inoichi quickly sorted through the plethora of visions, trying to locate the one he needed. The memories went in reverse, flashing backwards from the present to the past.
He saw the leader and his partners sitting in a jail cell.
He saw Kakashi quickly and effortlessly take out the gang.
He saw the wild hunt for Naruto and Suki.
Then he saw a red-haired woman with shining green eyes lean over to kiss the leader on the lips. Inoichi stopped in his quick search through visions. By delving into the man's mind, the blond ninja could feel that the redheaded woman had something to do with the discovery of Suki's identity. The Yamanaka instantly made a detour in the criminal's mind, searching for information on the girl.
After what felt like hours but was truly only a few moments, Inoichi finally found what he was looking for. He slowly opened his eyes and removed his hand from the prisoner's head, his form returning back to the interrogation room, the three members of the gang seated before him and his fellow shinobi awaiting his conclusion from across the room.
"So, Inoichi? What have you discovered?" Sarutobi asked, removing the pipe from his mouth to speak clearly.
Inoichi's light blue eyes glanced over at Kakashi. "Are you familiar with a red-haired woman who works as a nurse at the Konoha Hospital?"
Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed slightly, not quite understanding the meaning of the question. Then, his memory suddenly kicked in, and he remembered first returning to Konoha with Suki just a year ago. They had gone straight to the hospital, and it had been a red-haired nurse who had helped to treat Suki back to health.
The silver-haired shinobi sighed out of slight frustration. He had heard the woman talking about Suki being just like Gekido, and he had done nothing to halt her opinions. At the time, Kakashi had just thought it useless to try and convince a stranger that Suki was as innocent as any other six-year-old; humans were creatures of habit who rarely ever bothered to accept something or someone who was deemed an outcast.
Suki had been deemed an outcast the moment she was born.
Now, at this moment, Kakashi wished had done something at the time. He didn't think it would get out of hand like it had. The woman had sent this gang to kill his daughter; he should have done something the moment he heard the nurse mention the name 'Gekido'.
"She had these three go after Suki, didn't she?" Kakashi asked. It was said as a question, but his tone showed that he already knew the answer.
"Yes. The leader is actually the lover of the nurse," Inoichi commented.
Kakashi slightly flinched, although he knew he probably should have put two and two together. It figured that a heartless nurse and a merciless goon who tried to harm a little seven-year-old would be together.
"Inoichi, why did the nurse wait so long to send her boyfriend and his gang after Suki?" Ibiki asked. "If I'm correct, Suki has lived in this village for at least a year now…" he glanced at Kakashi in confirmation. The masked ninja nodded his head in verification.
"He and the nurse did not start seeing each other until around six months after Suki arrived," Inoichi said. "If you wanted my opinion, I wouldn't be surprised if she was using him just to get rid of Kakashi's daughter."
"We could always just probe the lackeys for more information," Ibiki said. His cold beady eyes suddenly turned towards the two remaining members of the small gang, and his icy stare made them shiver in their seats.
"That is true. However, we found what we wanted," the Hokage said, closing his eyes.
He was very disappointed in the citizens of his village, as he greatly disagreed with the intentional harm of a child for something they had no control over. It was one of the reasons why he had Naruto in an apartment close to the Hokage Tower, so he could keep an eye on him.
"Lord Hokage…" Kakashi said, turning to look at his village leader. He bowed in respect as he attempted to put his thoughts into words. "May I have permission to…"
"Yes," the Hokage said, granting permission to the unfinished question. "It is important that we find that nurse before she attempts another attack or reveals Suki's secret to the entire village. Kakashi, I want you to find her, and bring her to my office."
The silver-haired man nodded, and in a poof of smoke, he was gone.
The elderly man sighed. He removed his large red and white hat with his right hand, rubbing his temples with the other hand. The smoke of his pipe slowly floated up towards the ceiling of the room with his breath he took, evaporating into the air just before it touched the stone wall above.
"Now we have another serious matter to deal with…" Sarutobi said, placing his headdress back atop his head.
Inoichi and Ibiki nodded. With the help of a few chuunin who entered the room, the interrogator proceeded to remove the three thugs out of the room and back into the prison cells. The Third Hokage motioned for one chuunin to come over to receive a different assignment.
"Yes, Lord Hokage?" the chuunin asked.
"I need you to bring Sasuke Uchiha to my office. You will probably find him at the Ninja Academy," the Hokage said.
"Yes, my Lord," the younger ninja nodded. He quickly left the room and headed toward the ninja school.
"Inoichi, I think it might also be a good idea to have you there as well," the Third said, glancing at the blonde ninja from the corner of his eye.
"You really think it would be necessary for me to probe his mind?" the Yamanaka asked, slightly tilting his head in bewilderment.
"Well, I highly doubt it will be easy for the young Uchiha to explain what exactly happened last night. I predict he will most likely be too quiet to say anything about his clan's massacre," the Hokage said.
The elderly man turned towards the door to head back to his office, Inoichi following close behind.
"WHOO! IT'S LUNCHTIME, FINALLY!" a loud shout of joy echoed through the room as a blonde blur raced out of the classroom and out into the courtyard.
"Yeesh, I don't think I've ever seen someone run so fast," Kiba said as he removed his hands from his ears. He, like almost everyone else in the class, had covered his ears to block out the sudden outburst that Naruto had let out when Iruka announced it was time for lunch. Poor Akamaru had his paws on top of his head as he sat on Kiba's lap.
"Well, it's Monday. It's really the only thing that makes him happy on Mondays," Suki laughed.
"W-Well, we s-should probably g-go join h-him," Hinata stuttered as her fingers slowly fidgeted.
"Right! Let's go!" Kiba said, bounding out of his seat, Akamaru close on his heels. The boy grabbed his lunch bag out of the cubby holders and darted towards the yard.
Suki giggled as his form disappeared outside the door. "Well, we should go too. C'mon, Hinata."
The two girls stood up from their own seats and retrieved their lunches. The followed the other students out into the courtyard, where tables and benches were placed here and there for students to relax and eat.
However, Naruto and Kiba had saved spots under the large tree in the center of the yard. Suki and Hinata headed straight over and sat down under the shade of the oak tree. Akamaru plopped himself right on Suki's lap, and Kiba scowled a bit. The other three children laughed at the poor expression on his face.
"What the heck? How come he likes you so much more than me?" Kiba pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Aw, don't worry, Kiba. Akamaru loves you more, trust me," Suki smiled.
"Aw, poor Kiba. Your own puppy likes Suki more than you. Maybe she should be the Inuzuka instead of you," Naruto teased, his grin stretching across his face with taunting.
"Shut up, Naruto," Kiba snarled. He quickly grabbed the remains of Naruto's sandwich and stuffed it back into the blonde's mouth. Naruto's eyes bugged out of his sockets in surprise, making the others laugh.
"What the heck, Kiba? I'll make you pay for that!" the whiskered boy choked out as he tried to swallow his lunch.
"H-Here, N-N-Naruto," Hinata stammered as she handed her water bottle to the suffocating child. "Y-You can h-have my w-water."
The blue-eyed kid quickly snatched the bottle of unopened water and chugged all of its contents, easing the path of food into his stomach. After he was done, he leaned back against the trunk of the tree.
"Ah, thanks a lot, Hinata! You're a lifesaver!" Naruto said, grinning widely.
The Hyuuga blushed madly, and she would have fainted from the sudden heat in her face had it not been for Kiba nudging her in the ribs and Suki patting her on the back. Naruto remained oblivious to it all.
Akamaru yipped suddenly from his perch on Suki's lap, catching the attention of the four kids. "What's wrong, buddy?" Kiba asked.
The small white puppy leaped from of his napping place and turned toward a certain direction. The four children looked up to see Akamaru staring at the gates of the school. A chuunin was entering through the wooden gate. The ninja glanced at all of the kids before making his way over to Iruka-sensei.
"I wonder what that ninja is doing here…" Suki said as she watched the stranger talk with their teacher.
"Beats me…" Naruto shrugged, whipping out a candy bar from his bagged lunch and taking a huge chomp out of it after unwrapping it.
"Dude, you're so unhealthy. What kind of ninja are you going to be?" Kiba said, shaking his head at the sight before him.
Naruto glared at the brown-haired boy, chocolate coating his chin and whiskered cheeks. "We went over this! I'm going to be Hokage! Believe it!"
"Whatever you say…" Kiba replied, shaking his head doubtfully.
"Hey, guys," Suki interrupted. The three kids looked over at her, and she softly pointed in the direction of the chuunin. "Look."
They followed her gaze to see the chuunin leaving the school, Sasuke Uchiha following behind.
"So? Maybe the 'amazing Sasuke Uchiha' is finally getting in trouble for once," Naruto muttered, glaring daggers at the Uchiha's back until he was out of sight.
"Ha! You're just jealous of him because he embarrassed you in front of the class this morning," Kiba snickered.
"Hey! That question was not fair anyway!" Naruto argued, his blue eyes turning to glare at his friend.
"So you seriously don't know the difference between genjutsu and ninjutsu?" Kiba asked, his smile widening as he was slowly becoming the victor in the teasing challenge.
Naruto slightly blushed. "I was under pressure being put on the spot!" he said, trying to put up a defense. "But anyways… why is Uchiha leaving?" he said, changing the subject back to Sasuke and away from himself.
"M-Maybe it h-has s-something to d-do with w-what happened l-last n-night," Hinata said.
"What happened last night?" Naruto asked, his curiosity peaking at the mention of potential gossip on his arch rival. His blue eyes stared into Hinata's pale ones expectantly, and his gaze made her blush once again. Her stutter worsened under his eyes.
"W-W-Well… uh… um… y-y-you s-see…"
"You seriously don't know what happened?" Kiba interrupted, saving Hinata from possibly fainting this time. "Do you live under a rock or something?" he continued, staring incredulously at the blonde.
"Wait, I don't know what happened either…" Suki said.
"The entire Uchiha clan was killed last night," the Inuzuka whispered in a low voice, not wanting to start a whole conversation with the rest of the class about this particular bit of information. This sort of news was sure to arouse a class discussion and a possible scolding from Iruka about minding one's own business.
"What?" Naruto and Suki screamed at the same time.
"SHH!" Kiba shushed, glancing around to see if Iruka had heard them. Luckily, the teacher was busy elsewhere. He turned back to his friends, nodding his head. "Yeah, rumor has it that it was Sasuke's older brother… Itachi, I think my mom called him."
"S-S-Sasuke is the o-only one l-left of the Uchiha, o-other than h-his brother," Hinata said quietly.
Naruto's mouth opened and closed a few times, unable to form words for the first few moments. "Wow… that's… that's…"
"Awful…" Suki finished for him.
The blonde nodded, his blue eyes downcast. "Yeah, that's the word…"
"Alright, kids! Lunch is over! Head on back inside for class!" Iruka's voice shouted out over the courtyard.
All the students picked themselves up and headed back towards the building for more learning. The four kids seated under the oak tree stood up and followed the rest of their class, more depressed than they had been coming out to lunch.
Kakashi walked into the Konoha Hospital, focused on one thing and one thing only. Finding that red-haired nurse.
He entered the building, the smell of sterilized supplies and various medicines reaching his covered nose. His one onyx eye glanced around. There were quite a few people in the waiting room. It didn't look as though there were any fatal emergencies, just appointments. There were a few nurses and doctors walking down a hallway ahead, talking about some type of operation.
Then he saw her.
She was at the reception desk, talking to a man about his appointment. Kakashi walked up to the desk, standing behind the man in line.
After another few moments of talking, the man walked away, and Kakashi turned to look the redheaded woman in the eyes.
"Hello, what can I…" she trailed off as she recognized the shinobi before her. Her green eyes hardened as she looked at him. "What do you want?"
"I'm sure you know why I'm here," Kakashi said, wishing he could glare back. But seeing as the woman was glaring daggers at him, he figured someone had to be the mature party.
"I'm not sure I do," the woman replied curtly.
"Ah, so she's going to play that game…" Kakashi thought to himself. "Well, the Hokage wishes to see you. He wants to talk to you about your boyfriend."
The nurse scowled at him. The jounin inwardly sighed at her. At this moment, he couldn't help but spot the contrast in her expression as she glared at him. A year ago, when he had entered the hospital with Suki that first time, the nurse had practically skipped over to him, enthusiasm beaming off of her. Now, he could see the killing intent in her green eyes. Despite her attempt to take his daughter's life, he was saddened by the fact that this was how the woman had decided to react upon discovering that his daughter was the Guardian.
"You're the reason he's going to be sentenced to life in prison!" she hissed at the ninja.
"If you want to sit here and point fingers, fine by me. But I hope you realize you got yourself into this mess by revealing Suki's secret to others," Kakashi said.
"Oh? It's all about the secret, eh? This village shouldn't be kept in the dark about something like that thing in our village!" the woman shrieked. She had shot up from her seat so she could be somewhat eye level with the man across the desk from her. Her screaming was catching the attention of many of the patients and her coworkers.
"That thing is my daughter, and I prefer you treat her with respect, especially when you're dealing with me," Kakashi growled, his eye squinting dangerously. "I suggest you follow me to the Hokage Tower now, Miss."
"Oh, is the Hokage going to punish me for revealing her little secret?" the woman sneered. Nearly everyone in the waiting room and the nearby doctors and nurses were listening in on the argument at the reception desk. "Well, how about now, huh? Suki Kurohoshi is the new Guardian, and she's here in the Leaf Village!"
Kakashi's eye widened, but he did not move. No matter how much he felt it was necessary, he could not and would not attack a defenseless civilian. He closed his eye sadly as the sound of murmurs and whispers reached his ears. The nurse standing before him was a lunatic with a grudge, and she had just revealed one of the biggest secrets of the village to an entire roomful of gossipy villagers.
"Are you ready now?" Kakashi asked, not bothering to hide the edge in his voice.
The nurse smirked triumphantly at him. "Sure."
The silver-haired jounin turned away and headed for the exit. He ignored the hushed tones of the others in the room. He ignored the stares he received as he walked by. He ignored the growing glowers that were now forming as realization finally hit.
The Guardian was in the Leaf Village.
The sun was beginning to set slowly behind the horizon. School had been let out a few hours ago, and many students had gone to the park for fun. A certain group of four children and a puppy were hanging out on the playground.
"C'mon, Suki! Climb up with us!" Naruto yelled from the top of the jungle gym.
"Yeah, come on! Don't be chicken!" Kiba grinned as he joined the blonde at the very top. Akamaru was seated directly on Kiba's head. Hinata was close behind the two boys as she took a seat on the bars, looking down at her best girl friend.
Suki bit her bottom lip nervously. "I… I can't. I'm afraid of heights…"
"What? Come on, it's not even that high!" Kiba laughed.
"Um…" Suki looked behind her toward the trees, where the sun was slowly disappearing. "Actually, I have to get home. It's getting late."
The other three looked at the sun, and the boys sighed in unison. "Yeah, we should go…" Kiba said.
"W-We can w-walk each o-other home…" Hinata said nervously as she glanced at her friends.
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Suki said, a little too quickly. She covered her mouth softly, embarrassed at her quick reply and display of nervousness.
The three climbed down from the jungle gym and landed beside Suki. Naruto placed his hand reassuringly on her shoulder, and his blue eyes looked into her silver ones. "It's alright, Suki." She looked up at him, and she smiled at his encouragement.
Naruto and Suki had already told Kiba and Hinata about the encounter only two nights before. After that, the kids had made a silent agreement to stick together. The idea of being there for each other in thick situations had helped to strengthen their friendship.
The four kids and the white puppy walked out of the park, walking on a path that stretched beside a lake. The orange sun disappearing behind the water made the blue water glow a beautiful red and orange.
"Hey, Suki? Your dad is Kakashi Hatake, right?" Kiba asked.
"Yes, why?" the girl replied, looking over at the boy.
"He's a legendary ANBU member! Do you think he knew Itachi Uchiha?" the brown-haired boy asked.
"I don't know. My dad was never allowed to talk about that stuff when he was off duty, or at least not with me," Suki replied.
"H-How come y-you both h-have d-different last n-names?" Hinata asked.
"Oh yeah! Duh, I never even noticed that!" Naruto exclaimed, lightly bonking his forehead with his right hand. "He adopted you, how come you didn't change your last name?"
"Well, my dad thought it was important that I keep my normal last name. He said something about how it defines who I am," Suki said.
Unbeknownst to her friends, that topic had been mentioned during the discussion between Kakashi and Suki when talking about her identity as the Guardian. Her father had said that keeping her last name would make Suki her own person. At the time, the six-year-old did not completely understand, but she accepted it.
"G-Guys, look," Hinata said, pointing down the hill, toward the water.
Everyone followed her finger and looked down the hill to see a small pier atop the water. And sitting on the pier was Sasuke Uchiha, his back turned toward the group of kids.
"Gotta feel bad for the guy…" Kiba whispered. The group nodded.
Even though he was a ways down the hill, Sasuke could sense people standing behind him. He turned his head around and glanced at his classmates. They slightly stiffened under his onyx gaze. But Naruto quickly snapped out of it and glared right back, and blue eyes clashed with black orbs.
Sasuke scowled at Naruto, and Naruto glowered at Sasuke. Then, in unison, the two boys quickly looked away from each other. The raven-haired boy turned to look back at the water, and the blonde stomped off, beckoning his friends to come along.
Kiba slightly snickered at the growing rivalry between the two other guys, and Hinata softly smiled at the behavior between the two. Owner and puppy quickly chased after Naruto, and the Hyuuga scurried after them, not too far behind.
Suki, however, continued to stare at Sasuke. Her silver eyes tried to scrutinize Sasuke's thoughts and feelings, and even though he didn't show it, Suki could see his loneliness in the way he held himself. He was hunched over, trying to block the world from view; the raven-haired girl knew that position all too well.
Without thinking, Suki descended down the hill and walked down the pier toward the boy. Before he could even look at her and scold her to go away, she was already seated beside him, her legs dangling off the edge of the dock. Her friends had stopped when they realized that she was not following them, and Naruto nearly had a hissy fit when he saw her sitting beside the Uchiha. It took all of Kiba's strength to keep Naruto from yelling and running down there to start a fight that he would surely lose.
"Hi, I'm Suki Kurohoshi. You're Sasuke Uchiha, right?" she greeted with a bright smile, slightly leaning over to catch a glimpse of his expression.
In his hunched position, Sasuke's onyx orbs quickly shot to the corner of his eyes, glaring at her. "What do you want?"
"Nothing, I just thought you might want to talk," Suki said, concern lacing her voice.
"I don't want to talk, and I certainly don't want to talk to you," Sasuke said, fully turning to face her.
Suki flinched under his harsh gaze and cold words. "It's just… I know you must feel lonely… If you want to talk to someone…"
Sasuke scoffed. "What? Do you think I really need to talk to a fangirl? I don't need your pity, alright?" he scolded.
Suki closed her eyes, turning her head away from him. "I'm sorry to make you angry… But if you want to talk to someone, you can talk to me…"
She stood up and walked back up the pier, glancing back out of the corner of her eye. She sighed sadly as she ascended up the hill towards her friends. When she saw the sympathetic looks in her friends' eyes, she gave them a small smile.
"Y-You t-tried your b-best, Suki," Hinata said, lightly patting her shoulder.
"Yeah, you can't save them all," Kiba said, shaking his head as he stared at Sasuke's solitary figure.
"He's not worth it anyway," Naruto said as he glared at the Uchiha's back, hoping to burn holes into his head for yelling at his best friend.
Suki shrugged sadly. "Let's go. It's getting dark…" The others nodded and headed back down the path towards the village.
Suki walked into her home after separating from her friends. All the lights were on, which meant her father was home as well. She darted through the household in search of Kakashi, and she finally found him in the family room. He was lying on the sofa, his eye staring up at the ceiling. He was still dressed in his ninja gear, meaning he had just gotten home.
The little girl ran up to him and jumped onto his gut, not even noticing that he was almost on his way into dreamland. That ended when her small form suddenly pushed down on his stomach, and he awoke with a start. But as he glanced up, he smiled down at his daughter, and she grinned back.
"Hi, sweetheart. How was your day?" Kakashi asked.
"It was okay…" Suki said, trailing off slightly.
Kakashi quirked an eyebrow. Obviously, something happened, she just didn't want to share. He supposed it was only fair; he had yet to tell his own daughter that a certain visitor was coming today. Speaking of which…
"Suki, how about you go get changed into something more comfortable. I have someone I want you to meet," Kakashi said.
"Okay!" Suki exclaimed excitedly. She quickly dashed out of the room and up the stairs to change her clothes.
Meanwhile, Kakashi stood up from his position on the couch and walked to the backdoor. He slid the glass door open and walked out on the wooden porch and into the green yard. Through the darkening sky, he could see the flash of gold that he had been waiting for.
He held his arm out, and almost instantly, the brown and gold hawk landed on his upper arm. *It's time, Kakashi.*
The silver-haired man sighed. "I know."
The ninja turned and walked back into the house, carrying the bird along with him. Kakashi closed the door behind him, and the gold-feathered bird gently flew off his arm and landed softly on the arm of a chair.
It was at that moment that Suki came bounding into the room dressed in a black T-shirt and white shorts. "I'm back! Who is here to…" Suki started, but at the sight of the hawk standing on one of the chairs, she halted in her tracks.
Recognition struck her as she realized that the bird standing so majestically in her family room was the same bird that had saved her life twice already.
"It's you!" Suki smiled as she skipped over to the bird. She began to pet the hawk's head, mesmerized to be so close to her hero.
"Suki… we need to talk…" Kakashi said nervously.
"About what, Daddy?" Suki asked, not even looking at him as she stared at the bird's beautiful feathery coat. She sat herself down on the same chair as the bird, still petting his golden feathers.
*Suki, my name is Kinmaru. I am your animal guide, since you are the Guardian.*
Suki blanched at the deep voice echoing in her head. She stared at the bird in shock, wondering and hoping that that voice had been a part of her imagination. She glanced at her father, and judging by the look in his eye, he had heard the voice as well. Only he appeared used to it.
Her entire body shivering in fear, Suki stood up from her spot on the chair. Her silver eyes stared fearfully into the hawk's gold and black orbs. Her arm shakily rose, and her finger unsteadily pointed at the bird.
"You just… You just talked… inside my head…" she managed to say. The fear as well as the confusion was evident in her voice. Her breathing suddenly picked up; the sound of her hyperventilating suddenly filled the room.
Kakashi's hand fell down on her shoulder reassuringly, although it caused Suki to jump a few inches into the air. "Suki… Don't be afraid of him. He has helped you before, and he is here to help you again."
"How did you do that?" Suki exclaimed, still backing away from the bird.
"Suki, you should have heard his voice before already," Kakashi said. He knelt down so that he was eye level with his daughter. "There is no need to be afraid."
The little girl halted in her attempts to get away from the hawk staring straight at her. Her father was right. She had heard that deep voice before. Two nights ago, in fact.
And that voice had saved her from those men who had tried to take her life as well as Naruto's.
Suki's silver eyes looked up once more to meet the beautiful black pupils and golden rims. She took a hesitant yet confident step forward. "Thank you… for saving me… twice already."
The bird nodded its brown feathered head. *I have always been around to watch over you, Suki.*
The girl nodded her head in understanding. She let a small smile spread on her face.
"Honey…" Kakashi started nervously as he looked at his adopted daughter uncertainly. "Kinmaru… isn't just here for you to thank him."
Suki cocked her head to the side in innocent misunderstanding as she stared at her father. "What do you mean?" She looked back at the bird, and she tilted her head the other. Then her eyes widened, and she smiled at the thought that entered her head. "Oh! Did you want some food? I can give you some bread!"
"No, Suki, that's not…" Kakashi interrupted anxiously as he rubbed the back of his head in uncertainty. He looked over at Kinmaru for help, but the hawk looked as if he was sighing in sadness, his golden eyes closed.
"Oh! Do you want to live here, is that it?" Suki asked excitedly. Her smile beamed brightly at the thought of having a new pet.
*Suki,* Kinmaru's deep voice said in Suki's mind.
Kakashi sighed sadly, as he had heard the voice too. The shinobi knew what was coming.
*I am here, as your animal guide, to help you reach your chosen destiny as the Guardian,* the hawk said telepathically.
Suki's smile slowly fell, and it pained Kakashi to see the sudden change from happiness to fear in his little girl's face. He placed his hand on her shoulder again. "Suki…"
"No…" she said, stepping away from her father's hand and moving further away from the bird. "I won't… I can't… I don't want to be the Guardian!" she screamed, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.
*Suki… This isn't something you can just deny. It is your destiny to be the next Guardian,* Kinmaru said, his golden eyes watching her every movement.
"No! I won't! It'll ruin everything!" Suki screamed. She quickly turned away and tried to run out of the room, tears streaming down her face.
Kakashi quickly wrapped his arm around her small form, preventing her from leaving. "Suki, wait!"
"No! If I become the Guardian, everyone will hate me!" the little girl screamed as she struggled in his arms.
That's what had happened back in Kagayaku. Everyone in her former village had known about the secret except her. That was why she never understood why everyone had treated her so badly. But now she was in the Leaf Village, and it was such a big village, and hardly anyone knew about her identity.
Those men who had attacked her and Naruto somehow knew, but from what she had heard from her father, they were going to be in jail. That meant, once again, that only she, Kakashi, and the Hokage would know about her deepest secret. And she wanted to keep it that way. If she didn't accept her duty as the Guardian, no one would ever know she had been the sacred protector in the first place.
Suki shook her head viciously at the idea of becoming the Guardian. "No! I won't do it! My friends won't like me anymore!"
"They won't have to know," Kakashi said quietly, trying to ease his daughter's frantic behavior.
After what had happened that day, everyone in the village was sure to have heard the news by now. Once that nurse had announced it to the whole hospital, news and gossip would spread fast through the town. The shinobi was sure that all the adults would know, but most likely, they wouldn't tell their children. Parents might tell their young ones to stay away from Suki, but at least the children wouldn't actually know that she was the Guardian.
Kakashi sighed as he closed his eyes in disappointment. That might also mean that Suki would lose her friendships with Kiba and Hinata. Since Naruto had no parents, he would most likely still be good friends with his daughter. The Inuzuka and Hyuuga clans might not allow such friendships to exist anymore. The four kids had only been friends for two days, and it slightly pained Kakashi to know that those friendships might end so suddenly.
"How do you know?" Suki cried, still struggling. "What if they find out?"
"Then… if they stick by you, then you'll know that they are true friends," Kakashi said. Suki stopped fighting her father instantly at those words. Her eyes slowly lowered in doubt, but she calmed down enough that Kakashi trusted her stay still as he let her go.
"But… everyone will still be mean to me when they find out," Suki said, shaking her head in denial of her duty. "I can't do it. I don't want everyone to know."
Her tears had ceased, but the sad frown was still plastered on her face. She quickly tried to run away again, but Kakashi grasped her wrist before she could even take one step toward the exit. "Suki… everyone already knows…"
She froze in place. She slowly turned to look at her father's masked face. His eye was looking at the floor sadly, wishing with all his might that his statement wasn't true. But it was. By now, her secret was probably being talked about in hushed tones, and the Hokage was certainly receiving complaints by now.
"You… You told?" Suki asked, hurt evident all over her face.
"No… but those men who attacked you… the person who told them, announced it out loud…"
Suki bit her lip, and new tears fell down her cheeks to land on the rug she stood on. Her identity was out, and her secret was revealed. Her peaceful life in this village was over.
"What… What do I do now…?" Suki asked almost inaudibly.
*Suki, as your animal guide, I have helped you conquer your insecurities. That is my duty. I am here to help you grow stronger and reach your destiny,* Kinmaru said, his eyes gazing at the girl's small face.
"What do you mean insecurities?" Suki asked, her tear-filled eyes confusedly looking at the bird.
*You're afraid of heights, aren't you?* Kinmaru asked. Suki nodded hesitantly, not sure where this change of topic was headed. *Do you remember that night two days ago? When you jumped off the building and into the dumpster?*
Suki's eyes widened. The bird had sent her a vision of the dumpster seated at the bottom of the building that she and Naruto had been standing on. And without even bothering to think it over, she had grabbed Naruto's hand and jumped off the building and into the dumpster.
The little girl gasped. Now that she was actually remembering the actual memory, she realized that that moment had been terrifying, and yet she hadn't even noticed it at the time. At any other time, if she had been standing on that roof and looked down into that dumpster, she would have panicked.
"You… You…" Suki said, realization dawning on her as she looked at the hawk.
*Gave you the courage to make the leap to safety,* Kinmaru finished for her. *Not only have I led you to safety through difficult encounters, I have been encouraging you and helping you all this time.*
"And now, Suki… Kinmaru wants to help you become stronger so…" Kakashi began.
"I can become the Guardian…" Suki finished. She closed her eyes to stop the flow of tears, and she lowered her head in sadness.
"Yes…" Kakashi nodded.
"And what if I don't want to be the Guardian," Suki said defiantly.
Kakashi glanced at the bird. If Kinmaru said something like, 'You don't have a choice,' the ninja knew that it would only prove to be more difficult to get Suki to agree. Placing pressure on her like that would only drive her away further.
However, what Kinmaru said surprised both humans. Cocking his head to the side, the hawk said, *I thought you wished to protect those who were close to you.*
Suki's eyes widened. "How… How do you know that?"
*As your animal guide, my soul is, to put it simply, your other half. We are psychically connected.*
Suki tilted her head slightly as she looked at the floor. It was so much to take in. Just a few hours ago, she had been playing with her friends, not a care in the world. Now she was home only to find that there was no way out of being the Guardian. She had hoped that maybe if she denied it long enough, it just wouldn't be true. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
*Suki, I know what you are thinking,* Kinmaru said in her mind. *I cannot force you to be the Guardian. No one can. If you do not accept it willingly, your true Guardian powers will never be unlocked.*
Suki inwardly smiled. So all she had to do was say no one more time, right. She was about to do just that when Kinmaru interrupted her.
*But if you want to accomplish your dream of protecting those who are precious to you… Becoming the Guardian can help you reach your dream.*
Suki frowned, and then she sighed. "But… I don't think I can take care of the world, too. That's too much…"
*That is why I am here. I am here to help you gain strength so you can reach your dream and protect the world. The world needs to realize that the Guardian is a savior, not a savage. And you can do that, Suki,* Kinmaru said.
"So… you're pretty much going to be my teacher?" the raven-haired girl asked skeptically.
*Well…* Kinmaru flapped his wings lightly and gently took wing. He landed across the room, right on Suki's left shoulder. She slightly jumped at the close proximity, but once she realized that he was not that heavy, she gently smiled. *I would also be there for you, as a friend.*
Suki breathed deeply, trying to soak it all in. It was all a little overwhelming. And she had tried so hard to avoid the Guardian topic, and now it was knocking on her front door, practically barging in on her. The main question now was…
Would she let it stay or would she kick it out?
Her first instinct told her to deny her job as the Guardian, that way she could live a normal life. More than anything, she wanted to be accepted and have friends and be happy in her home.
But if what her father said was true, the village knew she was the Guardian now. Her secret was out, and the villagers were probably plotting her destruction at that moment.
That thought suddenly brought painful memories back. Konoha would most likely end up just like Kagayaku, attempting to hurt her, yell at her, and try to kill her.
Kakashi placed his hand on her shoulder, and through his mask, he kissed her on the top of the head. "No matter what happens, Suki… I'll be here to protect you. You are my daughter, and I'll always protect you."
It was almost as if he had read her mind, but Suki didn't care. She leaned in to embrace her dad.
With her father's arms around her and her hero seated on her shoulder, Suki knew she had to come up with an answer.
Kinmaru was right in reminding her of her dream. She wanted to protect those who she loved, to protect them from pain that she had experienced back in Kagayaku. That's what she wanted.
Suki removed herself from her father's hug, and she looked into the gold and black eyes of her animal guide.
"Okay… I'll do it," she said. Her voice was quiet, but her tone was confident.
Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, he felt a sense of fatherly pride flow through him. He was proud of his daughter, not because she had accepted her role as the Guardian, but because she had done it to protect others.
"I see a bit of you in her, Obito…" Kakashi thought, an image of his childhood comrade and friend flittering in his mind. "Thank you for teaching me something so important so can teach Suki and those who are the future of Konoha…"
Kinmaru nodded his head. *Alright then. Your training starts tomorrow.*
Next chapter, expect another timeskip :D We will be fast forwarding to graduation time ;)