Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the Assassin's Creed themes inside the story, nor am I affiliated with them in any way.

CH:11 A New Home

"You want to live in that village?" Shishou asked.

"If you think about it, Zabuza-sama," Haku added lightly. "It makes sense."

"Just because it makes sense, doesn't mean I have to like it," he crossed his arms and I rolled my eyes at him. "They're just so…nice."

"I don't think any ninja village can be described as 'nice,' according to civilian standards, Shishou," I laughed at him. "But Haku is right, it makes sense. Ideologically that is."

He took a side glance at me while we made our way through a small village market. "You're absolutely sure? You have gone over every pro and con, and flipped through every small detail in your head? This has to be a one-time, thorough, decision."

"Yes, Shishou," I sighed. "I even went over everything with Katashi, and he agrees. Their village is going to be the best match for me."

We left the market and made our way towards the village entrance. In the distance I could see the wagons of the caravan I would be leaving with. Haku slowly started to creep towards me the closer we got to the small gathering of travelers.

I grabbed ahold of his hand and gave it a light squeeze. "You two can always come with me, you know."

Haku squeezed my hand back while Shishou let out a sigh in response. "You know we can't do that, brat," he crossed his arms. "As long as Yagura remains Mizukage, I will remain a missing-nin. If I were to become an active ninja in another village, while actively being considered a runaway in another? It would lay the grounds for him to declare war. The knowledge and secrets I hold are far too important for Yagura to just give away."

"We'll just have to wait until Mei-sama becomes Mizukage then, ne?" I asked with a playful grin.

"I would not mind being able to settle down after so much time travelling," Haku whispered wistfully.

Shishou hmph'ed and looked away. "Like I would want to live amongst all those tr—!"

I leapt onto his back. "You know you're going to miss meeee~!"

"Get off of me, brat," he growled.

"You know you loooooove meee~!" I sang.

"Tomiko, there is a man—" I vaguely heard Haku.

"I'm going to snap you in half—!"

"C-can I help you th-three?" A man from the caravan asked nervously.

"Oh," I hopped off of Zabuza's back. "Yes! My name is Tomiko Asashinkurīdo, and I will be travelling with your caravan until you reach your next destination."

"I s-see," he cleared his throat. "Let me find your papers."

He opened the leather satchel hanging from his shoulder and began to look through its contents before pulling out a few sheets of paper.

"Here they are," he mumbled, glancing through them. "But it says here you will be travelling alone?"

"Ah, yeah," I looked at Zabuza and Haku. "My companions are just dropping me off!"

"I see," he handed me the papers. "Make sure not to lose them, you will need your papers in order to enter most highly populated villages."

"I'll keep them safe," I muttered while tucking the papers away with my scrolls.

"The caravan will be leaving shortly though," he scratched his chin before turning away. "Perhaps in the next couple of minutes, so be prepared to leave soon."

'Leaving in the next couple of minutes, huh?'

"I suppose this is it then, brat," Shishou huffed.

"You make it sound like we're never going to see each other again," I looked at him with a raised brow.

"The future is not set in stone," he placed a hand on my head. "Perhaps we will meet again, or perhaps Haku and I will perish the moment we take a step outside of this village."

"Zabuza-sama!" Haku cried indignantly.

I rolled my eyes and laughed, pushing his hand away. "Look what you have done, Shishou!" I dramatically hugged Haku. "You have made Haku-nii upset!"

I couldn't see Haku's face, but Zabuza appeared to look uncomfortable from it. "I'll give you a few minutes, Haku," Shishou sighed before turning away, arms crossed. "And then we will leave."

"Shishou was only joking," I went to let Haku go, but he kept a fierce grip on me. "H-Haku?"

"T-Tomiko," his voice cracked, and my heart sank when he looked at me with glistening eyes. "I'm going to miss you, so much."

"H-Haku-nii," I hugged him back just as fiercely. "I'm going to miss you too, but please, don't cry!"

"We," he shuddered. "We're going to see each other again, right? This w-won't be the last time, right?"

"'Course it won't be," I cried into his chest. "We will see each other again, I just know it!"

He laughed, but the tears made it seem like a cough. "I should have known you would stay positive, you always know how to look towards the horizon."

"I have to," I smiled a him. "What would I be fighting for otherwise? And Haku-nii?"

"Hmm?" He questioned softly.

"I love you."

He gasped, but then had the biggest smile on his face, before poking me on the forehead. "I love you too, Tomiko."

I squeezed him into another hug, before Shishou came back over and cleared his throat. "It's time to go, Haku. Tomiko, your caravan is taking its leave."

I looked over my shoulder and saw people beginning to make their way out of the village.

Letting go of Haku, who was still smiling, I looked at Shishou and opened my arms expectantly.

"No," he declared with a straight face.

"You can't not hug me now!" I pouted, arms still open. "Who knows when we'll see each other next!"

We stared each other down, his arms crossed and my arms still open for a hug.

"I'm waaaitiiiing~!"

He sighed and uncrossed his arms, slowly making his way over to me before kneeling down.

I peered at him, before smiling. "Well?"

Tentatively, he wrapped his arms around my small torso and I squeezed him back.

"I love you, Shishou," I whispered. He seemed to tense up. "Thank you for offering me your apprenticeship, and for letting me travel with you and Haku-nii. I'm really happy to have been able to spend this time with you."

We sat there for a moment, before he finally took in a breath. "Me too, brat, me too."

I smiled and let go of him, he rose back to his feet.

"This goodbye does not mean you get to slack off from now on, though."

"What!" I squawked at him. "Same goes to you too then!"

"I am always at my best, brat!"

"Okay, then, mister 'A-rank' ninja," I used air-quotes for extra effect. "I want you to be S-level the next time we meet!"

He shot a quick look at me before smirking. "I can do that," something in his voice made a shiver go down my spine. "But the next time we meet, we're going to spar, and you better be able to keep up with me. I will know if you've been slacking otherwise."

I stared dumbly at him, before smirking myself. "I'll show you how strong I'll be, just you wait, Shishou!" I pointed at Haku. "You too, Haku!"

He smiled at me. "Of course, Tomiko. I'd expect nothing less of you."

"Make sure to take care of yourselves, and be sure to keep Zabuza-shishou out of trouble Haku-nii!"

Shishou tch'd before turning away. "Let's go, Haku."

Haku waved once more before turning away and following after Zabuza. I watched them walk back through the market, disappearing into the crowd, before turning around to catch up to the caravan.

'Thank you for the memories, Shishou, Haku-nii…I can't wait until we see each other again.'

…

'Hidden Leaf Village, here I come!'

TLA

"Name and age," the ninja in front of me asked.

"My name is Tomiko Asashinkurīdo," I answered simply. "I am ten years of age."

"Papers," he questioned before coughing a bit.

Digging into the pouch that held my scrolls, I pulled out my immigration papers and handed them to the guard. "Here you are."

He took the papers from my hand, quickly looked them over, and glanced back at me. "You're travelling alone?"

"Yes, I am an orphan." 'Sort of.'

"Why do you wish to become a citizen of Konohagakure?"

"I wish to…become a shinobi, and to form bonds with people my own age."

The guard seemed to pause at my answer, before looking me up and down. "You are no ordinary ten-year-old," he stated matter-of-factly. "Yet I do not detect any ill intent, or deceit in your answers. I can grant you access into the village on a visitor's visa, but if you wish to become a shinobi, that decision falls solely on Lord Hokage's shoulders."

"Then please," I bowed, "I would like to speak with your Hokage as soon as possible."

I returned to my stance, and the guard seemed to be thinking it over. "As a visitor to the village," he said while stamping my papers. "You are required to have an escort when visiting government buildings."

I felt him pulse his chakra, and a masked ninja appeared in a swirl of leaves. The ninja, who appears to be female, has long purple hair. The mask resembled that of a cat, and has three red marks; one vertical stripe on the center of the forehead, and two horizontal stripes on each cheek.

"Report," she ordered in a muffled voice.

"This young lady," the man gestured at me. "Would like to have an audience with the Hokage. Per protocol, any unknown shinobi or travelling persons require an escort when visiting government buildings or officials. If you could, ANBU Cat, escort one Tomiko Asashinkurīdo to the Administrative Tower? I will send a hawk, alerting Lord Hokage of your arrival."

"Very well," she murmured while the guard began having another coughing fit. She kept her gaze on him until he stopped, then looked back to me. "Take your papers, and follow me."

I took my stamped papers from the guard, and turned to follow the now named, ANBU Cat.

We passed through the gate, and she paused a moment as I took in my surroundings.

'The Hokage Mountain looks far grander than anything ever described to me.'

"Could you please unmask your chakra signature," the ANBU was now looking at me. "You would not want to be mistakenly viewed as a threat."

I turned to her, shocked. "I'm sorry," I gasped, bowing and unmasking my chakra. "I'm so used to traveling with it hidden, that I forgot to turn it back on."

She tilted her head, before turning back around. "All is well, please continue to follow closely."

I nodded and followed her at a comfortable distance, allowing me to take pleasure in my continued sightseeing. The civilians seemed to avoid getting into the ANBU's way, opening up like a gate when we passed by, but then stopping to throw curious gazes my way. The shinobi were subtler in their observations, but I could still see their curiosity.

We continued to walk in silence, and my thoughts got lost in the sights and sounds as I continued to study the people and buildings around me. That was, until an orange torpedo came crashing into my person.

"I'm sorry-ttebayo!" The torpedo shouted.

''Ttebayo?' "All is well, I was not paying attention to my surroundings."

"You're not angry-ttebayo?!" He asked awestruck.

I tilted my head, before looking at the ANBU. She was watching us patiently. "No?" I answered him. "It was clearly an accident, and you apologized."

"Heheh," he scratched the back of his neck. "I s'pose you're right-ttebayo! But you're really nice! We should be friends, dattebayo!"

He smiled the biggest, brightest smile I had ever seen, and looked at me with bright shimmering blue eyes. "Don't you think you should introduce yourself first?" I asked.

"Oh!" He flailed his arms around. "The name's Naruto Uzumaki, next Hokage, believe it!"

'Uzumaki? But I thought Mei said the only Uzumaki was…' "I met an—"

"U-ZU-MA-KI NA-RU-TO!" A man shouted in the distance.

"Oh, crap!" Naruto jumped. "I gotta go, dattebayo!"

He went to dash away, but turned around to look at me, "I didn't get your name-ttebayo!"

"My name's Tomiko Asashinkurīdo."

He smiled his smile and turned around to run off, waving his arm. "It was nice meeting you, Tomiko-chan! I hope we can be friends-ttebayo!"

He vanished in the distance while the man from earlier continued to dash after him.

"—thinks he can just skip class!" I heard the man say.

"What an odd occurrence," I thought out loud. I then turned to the ANBU and bowed. "Sorry for the interruption, please continue showing me the way."

She tilted her head before turning and continuing to lead the way. "We're almost there," I heard her say.

We walked for a few more minutes before coming upon a large building. To one side of the building, I could see children running around in an enclosed area.

"That is the Konoha Academy," the ANBU spoke softly. "We will be entering the other portion, which leads to the Administrative Building, and Hokage's office."

'Academy, ne?'

I followed the ANBU through the entrance, and up a good number of stairs before coming upon a small waiting room.

"Please take a seat," she ordered while approaching the receptionist at the front desk.

"Yes," the receptionist answered Cat. "The Hokage is expecting our young guest, you may show her in."

ANBU Cat waved me over to the door that I assumed lead to the Hokage's office before knocking.

"Enter," a gruff voice called from the other side.

She opened the door and walked in, I followed closely behind her and the door closed behind us with a click.

TLA

An elderly man in white and red robes sat behind a desk in front of us. A tall man wearing what I assumed to be the standard Leaf outfit stood lazily behind him; he has two scars on the right side of his face.

I could tell with a single glance that these were strong men, the Hokage especially.

"Hokage-sama," ANBU Cat started with a bow. "I assume the letter has arrived from the gates."

"It has," his eyes gazed from the ANBU to me. "You may stand down, Cat."

ANBU Cat rose from her bow and stepped behind me, relaxing her stance.

"Now," his voice brought the entire rooms attention to my form. "Who might you be, young one?"

"My name is Tomiko Asashinkurīdo, Hokage-sama," I copied Cat's bow from earlier.

"It's nice to make your acquaintance, Tomiko-kun. My name is Hiruzen Sarutobi, Third Hokage of Konohagakure, and behind me," he gestured to the man behind him, "Is Jōnin Commander Shikaku Nara."

"A pleasure," Shikaku drawled.

"The pleasure is mine," I smiled. "Truly."

"It's a breath of fresh air to see someone so young with manners such as yours," the Hokage smiled kindly. "Now it is my understanding that you wish to become a shinobi of my village?"

"Yes," I nodded. "I also wish to form bonds with people my own age."

"The path of a shinobi is a dangerous one," he warned. "Surely, you could form bonds with children your own age while remaining a civilian?"

"That is not an option," confidence swirled in my chest. "If I may be so bold, Hokage-sama, I'm sure you along with everyone else in this room has noticed the same thing the guard at the gate did."

The emphasis on everyone did not go unnoticed by the Hokage or the Jōnin Commander as they gazed upon me with differentiating looks.

"And what is it that we have all noticed, Tomiko-kun?" The Hokage asked.

"I am no ordinary ten-year-old," I said flatly.

"And what makes you think," Shikaku spoke up. "That you are no different than any of the ten-year-old's currently enlisted at the academy?"

"Perhaps I am no different than your academy students," I suggested, staring into his calculative gaze. "I do not know your curriculum at the academy, so I do not wish to boast in overconfidence."

His gaze softened, he seemed pleased with my answer.

"While it is true you do not know our curriculum," the Hokage was looking at me with his own calculative gaze. "You are different than the children attending the academy. No child in the academy, from new students to the one's preparing to graduate, would be able to stand where you are right now. Showing no fear in front of two of the strongest figures in Konoha? Being able to recognize that there are more than just the four of us in this room? No, you are no ordinary orphaned ten-year-old."

I tensed as he reached for a drawer on the side of his desk, only to relax when he pulled out a wooden pipe. "Shikaku," he hmm'd, placing the pipe in his mouth. He ran his finger over the bottom, heating it, before puffing out a cloud of smoke. "Tell me, what do you see when you look at our young guest?"

The look Shikaku gave me made it feel like he was opening a book, reading my entire life.

"She's young, obviously, but confident," he started. "An orphan, but not just so, she is a clan orphan. The way she holds herself, speaks, and reacts shows me that she has been taught since a young age. No civilian family would put so much care into such trivial things. She is intelligent, more-so than most children her age, and has been calculating everything since entering this room. Though I do not see a blade, she is trained in using a sword; she reached for her hip when you reached for your pipe. While it is also difficult to imagine because of her age, the scarring on her hands, especially on her thumbs, reminds me of the scarring you see on people who summon very frequently. I am curious as to how she knows of the ANBU hidden within the room, perhaps she is a sensor? Or coming from a clan, she has an unknown kekkei genkai?"

I openly gaped, and Shikaku lazily smirked.

"Yes," the Hokage murmured. "Though I have never heard of a clan called Asashinkurīdo, which is surprising, for I have read and studied most of the clans throughout history."

I tore my gaze from the calculating eyes of the Nara, and looked back to Hiruzen. "After the Senju and Uchiha formed the first Hidden Village, my clan remained nomadic instead of conforming to one village as all other clans did."

"Oho, knowledgeable in world history?" The Hokage seemed delighted, but also thoughtful.

"Even though they remained nomadic," I tilted my head. "That didn't stop my clan from staying aware of what was happening throughout the world."

The Hokage continued to puff on his pipe. "A wise decision," he spoke through a layer of smoke. "Though I'm beginning to remember the whispers I heard as a child. The tales of a clan that remained nomadic even after the Warring States Period, highly sought after by many a daimyō. They were called The Hidden Ones if I remember correctly, but many believed they were just rumors."

He looked at me expectantly, and I rubbed the back of my head. "Not rumors."

"Is that so?" He rubbed his chin at my nod. "Interesting. Perhaps you can tell us of them?"

"Of my clan?" He nodded, and I looked at him defensively.

"Only if you wish to," he smiled. "Or perhaps, nothing more than Shikaku has already revealed to us?"

I blinked. 'He is curious about my summoning capabilities, and as to whether or not I have a kekkei genkai. If I want these people to become my allies, sharing information would not be considered a bad thing.'

I scratched my cheek, and looked at him. "I wouldn't necessarily say that I am a sensor," I started out. "But I do possess a kekkei genkai called the Īgurubijon. Similar to the Uchiha and Hyūga, my clan's kekkei genkai is a dōjutsu, but unlike the Uchiha and Hyūga, chakra is not necessary in order to use its first stage and it's not solely based upon vision. The Īgurubijon naturally heightens the senses of sight, touch, smell, hearing, and in rare occasions taste to depict how people and objects relate to the user. When in use, the user is able to see an aura that emits from enemies, comrades, important targets, objects of interest, sources of information, and even plausible hiding areas; each aura having its own distinct color. Though, I personally view the Īgurubijon as simply being a part of who we were as clan members, everyone in the clan could use it after all."

"A truly remarkable kekkei genkai then," the Hokage seemed impressed. "But you mentioned that the Īgurubijon was only the first stage, there is another stage?"

"Yes," I nodded and then sighed. "Though I do not currently have the ability to use it. Through mastery of the Īgurubijon, the second stage called the Īgurusensu can be unlocked. The Īgurusensu is what I would also call a traditional kekkei genkai because unlike the Īgurubijon, it does require chakra for its use. It takes the users senses and heightens them exponentially, and the abilities unlocked with the Īgurusensu depends on the strength of the user's Īgurubijon. With the heightened senses, the user can detect the heartbeat of a specific individual, depict hidden enemies, feel the emotions or intentions of others, foresee one's path, and even 'mark' people, which allows them to be tracked even after the Īgurusensu has been deactivated."

"I can see why your clan wanted to stay under the radar," Shikaku looked thoughtful. "Your kekkei genkai would have been highly sought after."

"And feared," the Hokage warned. "Had your clan allied themselves with a daimyo or village, I cannot fathom how the tides of the Wars would have changed."

'I think I'll keep my clan's activities in the Wars to myself for now.'

"Shikaku was also correct about the scarring," I continued inspecting my hands. "I have been able to summon for a little over a year now. While most of my clan members would have been older than myself when first signing the contract, it was considered a right-of-passage after the initial contract was created."

"Which summoning creature does your clan hold a contract for?" Hiruzen was studying me again.

"I can show you," I hesitantly responded. "My mother's summon requested that he would like to introduce himself to the village leader once an opportunity arose."

He leaned back, eyes sparkling. "Then by all means, please do."

I bit my thumb and ran through the corresponding hand signs, before placing my hand on the ground in front of me. 'Summoning Jutsu!'

In a puff of smoke, Katashi was summoned in front of me. "I was beginning to wonder when I would be summoned, Tomiko," he mused.

Shikaku's eyes widened, and Hiruzen was leaning forward on his desk.

"A spider summoning contract," the Hokage whispered. "Fascinating."

"Katashi," I looked at him, motioning towards the Hokage and Jōnin Commander. "This is Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of Konohagakure, and his Jōnin Commander Shikaku Nara."

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Katashi bowed a bit. "I am called Katashi."

"The pleasure is ours," Hiruzen answered for himself and Shikaku. "Tomiko-kun mentioned you wished to introduce yourself to the village leader, and if I admit, I was more than a little curious about her summoning contract."

"Yes, and now that the pleasantries are out of the way," Katashi rose from his relaxed stance to his full height. "I come to give you a warning."

"Oh?" The Hokage challenged, then pulsed his chakra. "ANBU, stand down."

I blinked at the four ANBU, Cat included, that were now surrounding Katashi with their weapons drawn.

Katashi remained calm as the Hokage's orders registered with the ANBU, and then they vanished back into hiding. ANBU Cat returned to her position behind me.

"I apologize for the interruption," Hiruzen continued on from earlier. "Not many people threaten the Hokage in his own office. Say what it is you wish to say."

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hokage of Konohagakure," Katashi peered at Shikaku. "I will extend my words of warning to you as well, Shikaku Nara. When Tomiko's family was slaughtered, we had no way of going after the assailant or assailants responsible for their deaths. To this day, that is something that still weighs heavily on all of us. Should Tomiko, while under your command and responsibility, find herself meeting with the rest of her family in the pure land…Your village will suffer. Should my family lose the last summoner of our contract, your village will be destroyed by a force the likes of you have never witnessed before."

Katashi's warning, or threat rather, echoed throughout the room as we all processed his words.

Color me shocked when the Hokage actually chuckled. "I can admire your warning," he looked amused. "While I take any threat against my village extremely serious, one can't help but admire the actions love brings us into doing. It is, after all, a key element into our village's Will of Fire. But thank you, Katashi-san, your warning has been heard."

"I will take my leave then." Katashi seemed satisfied with what he had said, and turned to look at me. "Feel free to summon me whenever you wish. Now that you are going to be on your own, I want to make sure your training stays on task."

I sighed, but was also very appreciative that he did not mention Zabuza or Haku. "Of course, Katashi-oji," I smiled at him. "Tell everyone I said hello, and let them know that for the time being I will probably be summoning less frequently."

He nodded in understanding before looking once more towards Hiruzen and Shikaku, and then desummoned himself back to Kumonosu Valley.

"Are all of your summons going to be that protective?" Shikaku yawned.

"More than likely," I shrugged. "Katashi is the worst though, Daichi-sama would be a close second."

"Daichi?" The Hokage asked.

"The boss spider," I smiled at Shikaku's muttering of troublesome.

"You are capable of summoning the leader?" Hiruzen seemed extremely interested again.

"I am," I beamed. I happen to be very fond of this accomplishment. "Though, I actually use less chakra to summon Daichi-sama than Katashi."

"How is that possible?" They both seemed confused.

"To be completely honest," I scratched the back of my head, "I'm not too sure if I can explain it well. Apparently, our contract with the spiders is a little different than most summoning contracts. We have the basic summoning technique, which summons whomever it is that is called upon, and then we have a summoning technique called the Call of the Alpha. When someone signs the contract, they would get assigned an Alpha Summons that is selected through the Call of the Alpha technique, and because of contractually designed chakra limiters, the chakra required to summon their Alpha is tremendously lowered."

"And so, you were assigned the leader?"

I beamed once more.

"Troublesome," Shikaku muttered again.

"I have heard of summoning creatures adding special conditions onto their contracts," Hiruzen lectured. "But typically for something that benefits themselves. The chakra limiters are solely beneficial to the summoner."

"If I lived that long ago, I would love to tell you the details of that meeting," I chuckled. "But I'm only ten, so."

"You make it difficult to remember that we are speaking with a child," Shikaku mused. "I have a son your age, highly intelligent, but even he has that childish attitude about him."

"Yes," Hiruzen added. "It will be interesting having another young prodigy amongst the masses again."

"Oh?" I perked up. "Does this mean you'll allow me to become a shinobi?"

"It does," he took one final puff of his pipe before setting it down before him. "But I do have one final question."

I looked at him questioningly.

"What happened to your clan?"

TLA

"So, you wish to hunt this man down," the Hokage questioned. Shikaku and himself were both looking at me with their calculative gazes once more. "You seek power for revenge?"

"Revenge?" I felt disgusted. "I do not seek revenge for my family, I seek justice."

"Justice?" Hiruzen echoed. ""And what makes justice different from revenge? Most would argue they are one in the same."

"Then they are wrong," I spat. "Revenge is primitive. Nothing but a barbarous or savage way to respond to an injustice with predominantly emotional reactions. I was raised with honor, Hokage-sama, I know the costs of revenge can be morally damning. Justice is primarily rational and impersonal, both a social and legal phenomenon. The man who murdered my family will be captured, and will be returned to The Land of Water to face his charges against humanity there."

"Oh?" He seemed intrigued. "And you believe that Yagura of all people would be the one to punish an injustice?"

"Yagura will not be Mizukage when the masked man is captured," I stated confidently.

"You are quite confident in that statement," the Hokage inclined. "And while I am curious as to how you would know such a thing, I believe such information will become readily available at a later date. Perhaps now we should discuss where your skills lie ahead of rank."

"I would suggest setting up a three-tier spar," Shikaku interjected, placing his gaze upon me. "One against a genin, chūnin, and tokubetsu jōnin. While I doubt most genin would give you a challenge, Tomiko, going up against a chūnin and tokubetsu jōnin will give us a broad estimate on where your abilities lie."

"Hmm, yes," Hiruzen agreed. "While the ability to summon would easily grant you the status of chūnin, your combative abilities are otherwise unknown."

"With all due respect," I started. "I will agree to your spars, as I think they will be necessary, but I request to be placed in the academy amongst my peers."

"Do you realize how preposterous that sounds?" Shikaku drawled. "The students your age are currently learning about the basic fundamentals of chakra control, combat, and strategy. They don't even begin sparring until later in the year. You would be years ahead of them."

"While I understand that," I backtracked. "There is nothing wrong with going through the basics again, and that's okay for me. When coming here I wished to become not just a shinobi, but to form bonds with people my own age. Daichi-sama would like me to make friends, and I would like for that to happen as well."

Again, Shikaku seemed pleased with my answer and his eyes softened.

"You are a capable young lady, Tomiko-kun," the Hokage smiled. "While some may believe it would be a waste to allow you to attend the academy as you are now, I believe forming solid bonds is very important. I also believe there are a few students who could learn and grow from your influence. So, I will grant you your wish, but as stated before you will still go through your sparring trials. Once you graduate though, you will be a genin under my command, and your journey after graduation may differ from that of anyone else."

"I am okay with that," I bowed. "Thank you for your consideration, Hokage-sama."

"To continue," he went on. "Most orphans live within the village orphanage, but as you have lived on your own, and your status as an academy student, you will be granted your own apartment. You will also be given monthly dividends from the village's orphan fund. This will allow you to pay for your living space and any essentials you need until you graduate from the academy."

"That won't be—"

"That will not be necessary, Hokage-sama," Shikaku interrupted. "The Nara clan will take responsibility of Tomiko until she graduates from the academy."

"Oho?" Hiruzen didn't appear to be too surprised. "Thinking of your son, yes?"

"That's one part of it," Shikaku smirked. "That boy needs a little motivation in his life. I also believe Tomiko will benefit from living amongst a clan environment. It will give her a controlled space to socialize while adjusting to becoming a new citizen in the village."

'I see your curiosity as well, Shikaku. What are you trying to figure out?'

"Would you be okay with that, Tomiko-kun?" The Hokage asked. "Living with the Nara until you graduate?"

"That is fine by me," I looked towards Shikaku. "Thank you for your kindness and hospitality."

Shikaku shrugged. "Think nothing of it."

"Then it is settled," Hiruzen decided. "Up until graduation you will reside within the Nara compound. Shikaku and his clan will take good care of you, and perhaps you will find a friend in Shikaku's son, Shikamaru. For the time being, you should continue exploring the village while Shikaku and I finish discussing the details of your spar. ANBU Cat will escort you, and once we're finished here, Shikaku can show you to the Nara compound and get you settled in, hmm?"

"That is acceptable," I bowed once more. "Thank you again for your kindness, Hokage-sama, Shikaku-sama."

After hearing Shikaku mutter a soft 'troublesome,' I chucked to myself as I walked towards the exit with ANBU Cat.

A picture on the wall caught my attention.

'If those are the pictures of the previous Hokage, then the Fourth looks suspiciously like…Odd.'

"Curious about the previous Hokage, Tomiko-kun?" I heard Hiruzen ask.

I stopped in the doorway and peered at ANBU Cat who was looking at me curiously. "Actually," I turned, trying to distract them from my previous curiosity. "I just had a thought. If you're curious about my knowledge of The Land of Water, I suggest you look at their most recent Bingo Book. Specifically, pages sixty-two through sixty-four."

I laughed openly while leaving the Hokage's office. Hiruzen's eyes widening had been entertaining, but Shikaku's groan had been nothing short of comical.

"Please continue to follow closely," Cat muttered.

I laughed once more. "Of course."

'I don't know if it was too soon to tell them about the Bingo Book, especially since it'll let them know that I'm affiliated with Zabuza, Haku, and the rebels. But I'm curious about the Fourth Hokage's relationship with Naruto Uzumaki…

Living here is sure going to be interesting! Fufufu!'

Author's Notes:

Surprised you're not fifty? Same. My work schedule has been fluctuating recently, so I've had a lot of free time during the day to type out this chapter. But goodbye to Zabuza and Haku, and hello to the Leaf Village. A lot of talking going on in this chapter, but some key characters were introduced, even if not directly, so there's that. Curious about the three people Tomiko will end up sparring? Me too.

If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas for the story, feel free to leave a review or shoot me a private message. I respond to any reviews, or private messages as quickly as possible.

Until next time!