I feel kind of bad about not updating this story sooner... _ I looked at the date and was shocked I didn't realize it had been that long greatly sorry to anyone who actually liked this story! but thanks to me not updating it it's SUPER long! ^~^ It just flows to much to break it up, well, there is one spot I could but I didn't feel like doing it because that requires more work from me... Please, leave any kind of comment, even if it bashes my writing until it's a a shredded mass that looks like it could have once resembled something. enjoy!
We sat in the room with The sand ninjas and eventually the girl, began to get really edgy she said,"My name is Tamari these are my brothers, Gaara and Kankurou." She point at the other two in turn.
Deidara grinned and said," You're surprised we got here so fast? Good. We'd like to keep that way too."
Kankurou then smirked and said," You cheat or something? Have the girl flirt with the other group and one of you two snuck in and stole the scroll."
Itachi rolled his eyes and shifted so he could attack them easier if Dei or I got mad enough to do so plus he was still a little mad at me, it'd be a good way to vent his anger. I glared at Konkurou and said," You would like the thought of that wouldn't you?"
He shrugged and grinned and said," Who are you three any way?"
"I'm Deisuke." Deidara said shrugging like it wasn't a big thing to tell them.
"I'm Akaneko, and that's my brother Itsuki." I said pointing at Itachi. He glared at me when I introduced him too.
"So how does Deisuke come in here if that guy's your brother?" Temari asked leaning back, her fan was behind the couch they were sitting on.
Itachi looked her straight in the eyes and said," He's our cousin."
"Huh," Konkurou paused for a shifting himself as their brother's eyes scanned over us, back and forth, back and forth," I would think it would be more likely that Deisuke and you, Itsuki, were brothers and Akaneko the cousin."
Deisuke and I smirked, Itachi just stared. My multitude of colors in my hair were odd, I admit that. And right now with Itachi, and his light brown hair, looked more blonde then I do, my blonde highlights are old and aren't very visible any more, the orange, brown, and red strands are more obvious right now as my blonde ones.
Itachi sighed and said," You three all have different hair color so why can't we have different hair colors?"
Temari and Konkurou looked at each other and then Konkurou bursted out laughing, " You have a good point there."
After that we settled into a silence again and I got bored. I stood up and started doing back flips a spinning in circles on my hands. Temari was watching me amused and then Itachi got up and tried to trip me, or more of make me lose my balance, which was a good way for him to lose his anger. I did, but only because I was laughing. Plus this way I can train with out it being to suspicious.
We were all the way across the room from were we started when I did fall, and Temari seemed to be amazed. Konkurou I couldn't tell what he was thinking because he was looking at Gaara. Who was freaking out, twitching and everything.
Deidara had hid behind the couch we were previously sitting on and his eyes were huge and frightened. Deidara was afraid? That is hard to do. He's not even afraid of Itachi, who can be very frightening person when he wants to be.
"Dei? What's the matter?" I asked worried.
He shook his head and stood up from were he was crouching," Nothing. Not any more anyways."
"Hn," I said just accepting his answer and I walked over to him.
The three of us left the room and messed around for the next three days and then we got called out to the main room to the building. The guy coughed and then said," Hello I will be the examiner for the third round. If any of you want to quite now you can. Your team wont get disqualified if you do."
Itachi and Deidara, who were in front of me, looked at each other and nodded. Itachi looked at me and said," Well, sis it seems I will go tell father that you will make it this far and I'll see you later."
"Yep, later Akaneko. I"m going with him. This stuff is too hard for me. Maybe next year. You were always the strongest of us any way." Deidara said and then they left. As they did so one of the other people did so as well. He had grayish silver hair and glasses.
Some people looked at me suspiciously and surprised. I just walked up to the front and stood. The person to my right had a dog and the person to my left was wearing a gray coat and funny looking sunglasses.
The examiner counted us, coughed and then said," There will be a preliminary round for the third round of the exam. There are too many of you left."
That's when the kid with the sun glasses asked," There's an odd number of us. What will happen to the odd person?"
"The extra person will go against on of the present Jonin. If that said person is able to hit the Jonin they pass." every one nodded and then the examiner continued," If you'll go to the area around the outer edge we'll began this."
I walked up to a spot that was below the area he was talking about and I jumped the twenty feet and landed. I then went and sat down and waited for every one to walk up the stairs. Every one stayed away from me and I noticed one of the Jonin from Konoha was watching me he was near Sasuke, Naruto and the Sakura chick. I guessed he was their sensei and just leaned back and fell asleep.
`^*~*%*~*^`
I woke up to some one tapping my shoulder. I looked up and saw that it was a girl Jonin with red eyes she said," Your the last genin to fight. Go down and the examiner will pick a Jonin to have you fight."
I nodded yawned and stretched. The lady looked at me like she was really surprised that I actually fell asleep and was able to stay asleep during the fighting. I stood up and walked over to the railing. I grabbed the railing and did a flip down and landed lightly on the ground below. I could see the awe in some of the Genin around the room. Except for the one guy with purple eyes and long black hair that reminded me of Itachi's hair he was eying me suspiciously. I glared at him and he looked at the examiner for a second and then looked back at me. I smirked and then I looked at the examiner who was watching me patiently.
I walked over to stand in front of him and then he asked being interrupted by some coughs here and there," Are you ready Akaneko Haruki to fight?"
I nodded and grinned," This should be fun. My sensei always said that fighting a great adversary is a great learning experience for a ninja in training. Well, not in those words exactly but some thing like that. He didn't talk much."
The examiner nodded and said," Smart guy. Now let's start this. Kakashi-sensei you were chosen for the job correct?"
The silver haired ninja that was with Naruto and Sasuke jumped down himself and said," Why I do believe I was. Don't worry Akaneko I wont go too hard on you."
"Psh, it wont be fun that way though." I replied pouting." I've fought with some really strong people before. You'd be surprised just who they were if I told you, but I can't tell you that I'd have people after me then."
"Huh," Kakashi said," Okay then, I wont ask."
The examiner looked back and forth in between the two of us and then said," Begin."
I nodded and then did a cartwheel and went into a ditch from an earlier fight. I then sat down and yawned.
Kakashi looked confused for a second and then he chuckled," Are you waiting for me to make the first move?"
"Hm, let me think about that... why yes, yes I am." I answered and then I shifted my position so I'd be able to move if he tried to attack me.
"So if I never attack you then we'll be here for ever?" he asked.
"No, if I find a good opening I'll attack. It's easier to attack when the enemy is recovering or charging up for an attack. Unless you can do multiple attacks repeatedly really fast like Deisuke. Or have minute openings like Itsuki, Risosa and Mesaki. And if you didn't I'd wonder how you made it to be a Jonin."
"And these people are?" He asked taking out a kunai.
"People I call family, friends, and rivals." I answered grinning.
"Huh," Kakashi said doing some sort of sign then he threw the kunai at me and I jumped into the air and did a flip as the kunai exploded underneath me. I landed behind him and threw a kunai at him right after I landed.
He turned dodging it and threw a kunai as well. I side stepped and dodged it. I took a few steps forward and then took out two more kunai, my last ones. I spun one of them and then looked at the other trying to think of a way to do this with out losing them both. then a sudden thought popped into my head. I pretended to be completely absorbed in what I was trying to think about. Still spinning my kunai I started to pace on the catastrophe that used to be a tiled floor.
Kakashi watched me for a few minutes and then Naruto got impatiant and yelled," Is this really fighting? Or is it a a staring contest?"
I stopped pacing and looked up at him, ceasing the spinning of my kunai, grinning I asked," Who's staring at who Naruto?"
Kakashi used my talking to Naruto and threw a kunai at me. I dodged it easily and ran up to him and started fighting him kunai to kunai. A block here, a dodge there and soon enough we both were trying to figure out how this was going to end. I was getting tired, but he was almost up against the wall. When his heels were grazing the wall he smirked and said," I give up, or does that concept not work here?"
"It works," the examiner said seeming disappointed that I didn't actually hit him or use any justus. He took a breath, coughing, and then continued," That is the end of the preliminary fights of the third round. The third round will start in one month good day to you."
Then he poofed in a puff of grey smoke and every one looked at one another. Then they all went for the door to leave, to train for the next month so they might be able to beat each other, to get some food, or just to get out of the tower in the middle of area 44. I just wanted to talk to Itachi and figure out what exactly made him made about me helping those guys.
Once out side of Area 44 I went to the inn where we had been staying to see Itachi and Deidara were there. Desk boy number 2 was behind the desk again and he look pleasantly surprised to see me there," Your friends, family, what ever they are, are up there already."
"Okay thanks," I said and then I jogged up the stairs and went to the room we had been staying in.
Before I went in I heard Deidara yell," What the hell Itachi? Are you a dumb shit?"
There was a thud, and I knew it was Dei hitting the floor, most likely unconscious. I counted to three calmly and then went in. Sure enough, Deidara was on the floor knocked out, and Itachi was glaring at Deidara still. "Wha-"
"Don't ask," Itachi interrupted me and then I noticed he was boiling in anger, I didn't want to know their whole argument was if Itachi was worked up this much about.
"Okay," I said hesitantly," So what are we going ot do for the next month I have off?"
His anger stopped rolling off of him and he replied, "You're going to be training with this idiot while I have some business to attend to."
He looked like he was going to kick Deidara so I took a step forward and shut the door behind me. Then asked, "What kind of business?"
Itachi's glare snapped to me and his anger started thundering again and I sighed," Okay, I get it calm down other wise someone is going to notice the heavy cloud of anger and come looking for the source."
I smiled weakly and he sighed, seeming to calm down completely. Which was a a little bit more then odd, but he walked out the door and said, "I'll be back in a month." then he shut the door behind him and was gone.
Completely confused I sat on one of the beds and watched Deidara breath on the floor unconscious. Eventually I drifted off to sleep and was wakened to a shout of, "Shit!"
My eyes flashed open and I asked annoyed, "What? Could you of not waited for me to wake up before shouting explicit words?"
"No I couldn't!" Deidara snapped back glaring, "Itachi is doing something he'll regret for the rest of his life."
"So? he's done it before." I replied shrugging, "He really only does things for others, if you haven't noticed."
"Yeah, knocking me out really helps my brain a lot." he replied rolling his blue eyes, "What ever. Did he say anything to you before he left."
"Just that I was supposed to train with you for the month until he gets back and the finals of the chunin exams." I replied shrugging.
Then he looked at me like he suddenly realized that I wasn't reacting to him being mad. That I, obviously, didn't care that Itachi went and did something without telling me what he was doing.
Deidara stared into my silver eyes and then sighed agitated, "Fine be that way. It's not my fault if you don't like the out come of what he's doing."
"I usually not okay with the things he does, but I put up with you don't I? He didn't tell me that he was "Fetching" you, but does it look like I care?"
Deidara sneered and then looked at the wall, "Getting me was different. He's doing what he's doing now with out anybody telling him to do it."
"That's his choice." I replied shrugging like I didn't care, but I had a feeling deep down that I was going to dread this choice, that it was going to make me sad and angered at the same time, "So what kind of training are you going to try to put me through first?"
Deidara looked at me sort of confused and then a grin broke out across his face, "Dodging. I need a good way to vent my anger."
Deidara soon found out that I was used to dodging attacks and realized it was more of a work out for him then for me, so he decided that helping him get better was helping me get better. Other then that and learning that desk boy number 1's name is Moichi, who is snappy, and desk boy number 2's name is Yoichi, who is the most flirtatious guy I've ever met, even though he knew that I was five years younger than him, and I've met some pretty flirtatious guys before.
As Deidara and I walked in the front doors after a surprising training bout where I was on the offense and he was on the defense, Yoichi said, "Hey, Aka-chan your older brother is back he went up after glaring at me. He looked really tired... and pissed off. I think it'd be better if you waited down here for a while."
"How long ago did he get back?" I asked, trying to not to show how happy this surprise was. It was still a week until the final part of the exams and he was a week early, he never underestimates the time he thinks one of these little escapades will take.
"About ten minutes ago. Why should it matter?" Yoichi asked looking confused, rocking back onto on leg of his stool.
I glanced at Deidara and then jogging I tossed over my shoulder, "Dei, just stay here you'll end up making him actually angry."
I heard him let loose a very exasperated sigh and I smiled to myself. I got to our door and knocked very softly and then went in. He was face down half way onto one of the beds and I chuckled lightly. His head twitched slightly at the sound of my laughter and I found out he was still awake. I went over to him and flipped him over and he blinked a few times at the dying light of the sun, "Need some help here, Itachi-sensei?"
He blinked again and his eyes cleared and got the usual blankness back. He sat up and said, "That trip took less time then I thought it would."
"You look like shit though," Deidara said from the door, "What they say."
Obviously contemplating whether or not to get up to hit him he replied, "They were already coming. They might take her."
"Wait what do you mean by that?" I asked after Deidara looked to the window looking oddly thoughtful and sad, and Itachi looked down, looking, well, tired as a sloth, as he gave up the thought of hitting Deidara for saying he looked terrible in his unprecedented way.
After a long pause Itachi said, "Your family might take you back.
"What? You have to be joking right?" I asked looking at him stunned, "You've trained me and now you're making me go back to the life I had before I met you? I don't even remember any of that!"
Itachi looked like his emotionless self, but better then usual because I couldn't even read anything coming from him. I turned to Deidara and asked, "I don't have to go do I?"
Deidara shrugged looking sad, "Do you think I have a say in this matter? I'm just a fake cousin that blows shit up, remember?"
Peeved I left the room and went to one of the conveniently placed training areas to punch through some trees. When I got there though, Naruto was there, so to my extreme disappointment and frustration, no blowing holes through trees today, at least not yet.
He looked over at me probably not realizing he sensed my anger and looking up instinctively. Grinning he asked, "You come here for some training in between the rounds of the exams?
I nodded, hiding my anger, only just, "Yeah, I guess you could say that."
"Want to train with me, like spar or something?" he asked obviously in a good mood.
I looked at him seriously thinking about taking my anger out on him and wondering if he could live through it. When he looked from me to behind me, "Sasuke? What are you doing here?"
Shocked I turned around and there he was. The younger Uchiha looked at his teammate like he was nothing but a sliver in his side and I glared at him. The younger Uchiha looked at me surprised.
I sighed my multicolored hair falling in front of my eyes. I turned back to Naruto and replied to his earlier question, "Sorry, Naruto. I can't train with you I'm afraid I'll let myself take my anger out on you and I don't want to ruin your chances of becoming a chunin next week."
He looked at me confused and slightly mad, probably about to say something when I jumped backwards into the tree that was behind me and I then leaped tree to tree until I arrived at the entrance of the village I had spent the last month in. I looked out of it and sighed deeply. The gate guard looked at me surprised, I was sitting in the tree above him still. I jumped down and looked at him, "I'll be back in a few hours please let me come back in."
I didn't wait for a response, I just walked out the gate looked at the tree next to the gate and than jumped into and away from the gate.
~^~.~^~
After running for about fifteen minutes I found a clearing and decided to make it bigger. Soon I had five trees down, slightly out of breath, I was a lot calmer. I turned to the shadow that had decided to show up right before my fourth tree and asked him, "Do I really have to go back to them?"
Itachi came out and looked at the fallen trees briefly and then at me. "I never said that they would take you."
I scoffed and glared at him, "Oh, and why wouldn't they?"
He blinked once before replying, "Your mother and father are also died. Your uncle took over the family. He probably was the one to kill your parents and tried to kill you. He wanted the money and fame. He wouldn't want a girl, to come back and take over the house he so dirtily took over. Especially one that can obviously protect herself."
I chuckled sarcastically, "So, your hoping that my uncle figures out a way for his people not to recognize me so I can stay with Akatsuki and benefit the group?"
"Is there a problem with him wanting that?" Deidara asked walking into the clearing with a slight limp and a glare shot towards Itachi, "I know I'd rather keep you in the group to help with target practice."
Itachi glanced towards him and then looked back towards me as if accepting Deidara's answer as reasonable.
I sighed and looked up towards the half moon, "I guess I wont be mad any more."
"Good, I'm going back then." Deidara replied grinning and then disappearing into the forest.
I turned back to Itachi and glared, "It doesn't mean that I wont be annoyed as hell though."
Itachi smirked, surprising me actually, "I can deal with that. An annoyed you is a lot quieter than an angry or even happy you."
I scoffed and then threw a random kunai I had with me at him. He dodged and caught it easily, even a person starting in the academy could have dodged it.
I pulled out another and held it ready to block something. He looked at the kunai in his hand and back at me seeming to ponder over something. Then shrugging the little bit that Itachi did occasionally, he threw the kunai back at me and by the time I deflected it I had to dodge a punch from behind.
He smirked again and said without moving, "Good, practicing with Deidara hasn't made your skills go down."
"Well, my dodging skills have always been good." I replied, "Dodging things that blow up, might of actually made me faster, larger radius to escape, you know?"
He backed away a step and nodded once looking into the forest. I looked over slightly confused to see someone standing there. I hid my surprise under a mask of blankness, pretending I was Itachi. The person moved out into the light. She had on clothes covering everything except her eyes, which were a silvery color like my own. After he could see her eyes in better light, Itachi seemed to tense slightly, but it was probably just my imagination. "Akaneko Haruki I presume?"
I glanced at Itachi slightly confused, and then I looked back at the lady and nodded.
She smiled lightly. "Good we found you quickly."
I shift the position I was standing in slightly to a more defensive stance, which was smart, because the next thing I knew there was a guy dress exactly like the lady in front of us attacking me from behind. I manged to duck as he swung his katana where my neck would have been and kicked his feet out from under him. I glanced to see where the girl went to and she was fighting Itachi. I instantly turned my attention back to the guy to see that he already had gotten back up and had his katana in a defensive position. He was obviously surprised I manged to dodge his attack. I realized I had a kunai in my hand still so I stood up as well and took a defensive stance as well, completely ignoring the girl and Itachi. I smiled, or cracked an evil grin which may seem like a better description, "What's your name?"
The guy seemed to have an illusion of a smirk on his face when he replied, "Isamu."
"Well, Isamu, I have the strong feeling that you where sent by my uncle. I'm right?" I asked moving slightly.
He mirrored my movement and seemed to glance at Itachi and the woman behind me, "That would be the truth."
I laughed, "So honest. What do you think I'll do to him when I leave here now?"
"You will not have to worry about that." He replied straight faced and changing the grip on his katana slightly.
I raised an eye brow and practically appeared behind him and asked, "Now why is that, Isamu?"
He swung his katana at me and I jumped back and threw a kunai at him and quickly pulled out another, and like what would seem like an idiot charged him. As I got closer to him he almost got me but I did a back flip and landed behind him. He spun around swinging at me wildly, mostly as a way to get me back to being in front of him again but I spun with him and stayed behind him, and I stabbed him in the side with my kunai, somewhere near the kidney. I took the kunai out as he fell to one knee and asked, "Is it because I won't leave here?"
He glared at me showing the first real emotion and opened his mouth to reply but he coughed up blood instead which made me flinch. The second time around he manged to talk and replied, "That would be correct."
I sighed and rolled my silver eyes, "Well, then Mr. Isamu I am going to have to say good night to you." I then proceeded to kick him in the face and knock him out. I looked over to see what Itachi was doing and he seemed to be making the girl try her hardest, while barely breaking a sweat himself.
I grinned and shouted, "Hey, Sensei you want any help?"
They both looked over and she had a look of complete horror on her face, while Itachi was surprised and didn't go after her as she ran over and knelt next to Isamu.
Itachi walked over and looked at him and back at me, as if asking me how I did it. "I only hit him twice." I replied, "Once in the back with my kunai and I kicked him to knock him out."
He nodded and turned his attention back to the person who was now looking relieved that Isamu wasn't actually dead. She sighed in relief and looked up at me, "Lord Haruki won't be happy that you beat him, but he will most likely be happy to find his son still alive."
"So Isamu is my cousin? That's good to know." I replied then I looked at Itachi, "You know, not having a memory of my real family for some reason seems really strange."
The woman looked confused, "You don't remember...? Are you saying you lost all of your memories before the accident?"
I nodded slowly wondering where this was going. She looked even more shocked, "So you don't even remember the moves that our family pass down generation to generation?"
"No, only what Itachi taught me." I replied laughing lightly, "Is that a bad thing?"
Itachi shook his head, "Obviously not, you beat a person trained in only those styles."
The girl smiled weakly and then asked, "Do you happen to have anything on you to stop the bleeding?"
I shook my head and then looked at Itachi who had his cloak on. He dug into one of his pockets and pulled out some bandages. She took them quickly and wrapped Isamu's side up quickly. "I think he'll be fine now, if not a little delirious from the lack of blood. I'll take him back to Father and tell him what happened. We will see you at the chunin exams Akaneko."
I nodded my brow furrowed, "I guess I'll see you then."
After that Itachi and I left the patient person sitting next Isamu waiting for him to wake up. For some reason or another I was also excited to meet this uncle of mine, who sent my cousins after me, instead of dreading it.
oh, and if you didn't notice before this I suck at fight scenes so I got them done and over with quickly~! please give me some kind of feedback! Oh, and sense I haven't written a disclaimer in a while I don't own naruto, only my character is mine, but you can use her if you want! oh, and you can use Yoichi and Michi if you want _