Well, I am sure that everyone has forgotten all about this little story. It's been over a year now. But I felt in the mood to pick it up again. After all, the manga is getting deep and has inspired me to write more. So, without any further interruptions, I bring you the next chapter. I promise to make it as long as possible. I owe it to the readers who are still with me.
~*~Questions Left Unanswered~*~
Kunai walked back to the school to see if the children were all right. She was still a little shaken by what had just happened. Spies were now being sent. That meant the Stone village was close. They were coming in. It would be any day now that they would attack. She clenched her fist. The new Jounin would do whatever it took to protect her village. Her dark eyes looked at the playground. Her small team was playing again, telling all of their friends the adventure they were on. She had played there, told tales of how she would be one of the great ninja. Kunai knew that she wouldn't be one of them, but she still would do her best. It's all that she had ever done.
Lowering her head, she let out a sigh. Her mother never understood anything that she did. Her father had placed her in the ninja school when she was old enough. She had been acting out in normal school, daydreaming and pretending to be a ninja. He thought to get it out of her system; he would enroll her in the ninja academy. Her mother had never approved of it and was horrified when he had done it. But as the years went on, she rose to the spot of Chuunin. Kunai was proud as was her father, although he never said it with her mother present. But he worried about her safety because she wasn't the strongest. In the years that past, he became concerned about her having a team of her own and losing her life.
She looked back down the road that led to her home. There was no going back there. Her mother wouldn't let her back no matter how hard she and her father tried. She had dishonored them by going against their wishes. Even though, Minato had said not to worry about it. She still couldn't stop feeling abandoned. It was her home. She had lived there all her life and now, she had to find a place to crash for a little while until missions became available to bring in some money. She turned around and walked towards the hokage office. Maybe she could wait until he was finished for the day before having him help her find a place.
Kunai didn't get to far when she heard a familiar voice. She didn't turn around to face them right away. "I know your mother is being rash. But you have to understand where she is coming from."
She slowly turned around to see her father. He looked saddened by the day's events. His only daughter had been kicked to the curb for a completely irrational reason. Her dark eyes could read that there was a story coming. Another long sigh escaped and she walked closer to her father. "Alright, I will listen to what you have to say, but I have to get going. I am sure that I will need to check in with the hokage after a little while." She didn't mean for it to come out rude, but she was a little anxious to see Minato and to find a new home. "But I suppose I have a little time before that." His face looked miserable after saying she didn't have time for him anymore. She couldn't just leave him. After all it wasn't his fault that she was kicked out of her house.
He smiled and led her towards the park that they used to go to when she was a small girl. Kunai was nervous about talking to him. What was he going to say? Was he going to try to ask her back? How could she? Her mother always made her feel as though nothing she did was ever good enough. She couldn't go back there as much as she would like to. Minato had already told her not to worry; he would find her a place. She wouldn't go against his wishes. Seeing a park bench, he sat down and shortly after she did the same.
"I don't really know where to begin with what happened this morning. But your mother feels as though you shouldn't be wasting your life on this calling. I can't blame her but it's not about us. You are a grown woman now whether she wants to admit that or not." He took a long breath and his eyes looked at her. "But I can give you a little insight on why she feels so over protective."
The young woman shifted her head to the right. Her eyes were on him waiting for him to speak again. Whatever he was about to tell her seemed to be hard for him to say. "She isn't dying is she?"
A laugh came and he seemed to lighten up. "The end of the world would happen and your mother would come out fighting. No, she isn't dying." He looked away from her and to the trees blowing slightly in the wind. "Haven't you ever wondered why you think so differently than the both of us? You were born for adventure and we weren't."
"Well, yeah but I just thought that I was special."
"You are dear. You are a very special girl." He stopped and closed his eyes for a moment. "We have taken good care of you."
"You aren't making any sense."
"Your mother didn't want me to tell you this, but I feel that you are old enough to understand. That is why she isn't here with me at this moment."
Kunai sat there in complete confusion. He wasn't saying anything that made her understand what he was trying to get across.
"When your mother and I first were married, we tried for a very long time to have a child and could not. After six years, we decided to give up and just travel. We made our way to the Whirlwind village. It was a nice place. We stayed there for a little while and befriended a pregnant mother. She was very excited about having this baby and thought of all kinds of different names for her. But when the time came for her to deliver the child, her body wasn't strong enough. Medical ninja did their best, but they said she wouldn't last after the birth. This mother requested that we take the baby. She entrusted us with this small bundle of joy. She pleaded with us to raise her as our own and to keep her safe. Your mother-"
"Stop!" She jumped up quickly and looked at him. "I-I don't need to hear this sob story of how I am someone's child who was passed along. I-I won't h-hear it. Now, if you excuse me. I need to get going now." Kunai turned from her father. Her heart pounded as she couldn't believe that she had been adopted. She squeezed her eyes shut and pushed her anger, frustration, and hurt down. "I-I will talk to you later. But I can never go back to that house. I have been hurt too much." With that she rushed towards the entrance to the hokage building.
Her father watched her run away. It hurt to have to tell her the truth, but he felt it that it was the right time. She needed to know why her mother was so protective. Kunai had to know who her real family was. It was time she found this out on her own. She was old enough now. He could let her grow. Heading home, he thought about everything he had said and hoped that she would be able to find the answers she needed.
Kunai ran up the familiar stairs on the verge of letting her tears well over. Adopted?! That couldn't be! But it did make sense. She was nothing like her parents. Was her birth mother more like her? She would never know since she died in child birth. Reaching his door, she knocked. Her hands were shaking as she waited. It was all a shock now. Was Kunai her real name? She had to find out more, but being a Jounin, she had missions. She had to protect her country now. No running around to find out about her past. Protecting the village was the number one priority now.
Minato answered the door moments later. Seeing that it was Kunai, he gave her a big grin. "Come in." Watching her, he quickly noticed that she seemed a little off. He followed her into his living room. His blue eyes watched her sit on the couch and just look at him. Blinking a few times, he moved to sit by her. "Alright, something is wrong. You look to grumpy. I can make ramen if you like? It always cheers me up."
She laughed and shook her head. "My mother kicked me out today."
He nodded. "I told you not to worry about that."
"I found out something on my way here, and I don't know how to explain it. I am still in shock about it." Her shoulders seemed to tense as her eyes looked away. Should she tell him? Pressing her lips together, she held back her tears. Her whole world seemed be crashing around here. Everything was being ripped at the seams. If what her father said was true, could she be a Konoha ninja? She wasn't originally from here. Would he kill her dreams by taking away something she had worked so hard for?
"Well, I am here to listen."
Her eyes looked up at him. He was always there to take away her pain. His was her rock. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "My father today told me that I was adopted. My mother died in childbirth. I am not even from this village. Originally, I am from the Whirlwind village. I don't know anything about my family." She looked at her feet. Her voice became really soft. "I-I don't even know if I'm allowed to be a ninja."
He was quiet for a while, thinking about what she had just revealed to him. She was adopted and not from this village. He shook his head. "Nonsense, you have earned your rank and no one can strip that from you. Kunai, you were raised here. That makes you a member of this village. Stop being so sad, you are going to be fine."
"But I am adopted. I don't know who my real family was. I don't know my name, my real name."
"Does it bother you that much?"
"Yes. But I understand that my country comes before my own agenda. If I have a mission, I will forget about my problems."
Minato laughed. "Kunai, go to the village. Find out more about yourself."
"But what about me being a Jounin, don't I have to stay here?"
"No, not if I order you to go there. It will be my mission for you. Your mind won't be clear enough to go on any other missions. Find out about your past. I can't go with you but I will find someone to accompany you."
Her sadness seemed to melt away. Opening her arms, she hugged him. Kunai nuzzled him. He knew just what to do to make her fears go away. "It pays to be this close to a hokage." She laughed.
He chuckled at her actions. She bounced back so easily. It was something that he admired. Everything could be thrown at her and she would take it in, but then get back up stronger. Minato held her for a while, enjoying the moment. However, the moment seemed to end when he stomach grumbled. He blushed and looked away from her. "I guess I am getting a little hungry."
She sat up and looked at his pink cheeks. "Hmm, me too. We should get some ramen. What do you think?"
He looked back at her and nodded. "Sure thing! I could never say no to that." Minato jumped up and grabbed his coat. "Come on, let's go." He seemed to be like a child when someone spoke of ramen.
She stood and followed him out of his room towards the ramen shop. Her hand found his as they walked through the streets that evening. Being with him gave her the confidence she needed. Nothing seemed to take away the happiness she had walking by his side. There was another family out there that was a part of her. Perhaps one of her birth mother's relative's was still alive. She couldn't hold this against her father. He wanted what was best. It explained why she acted so differently, why she lived for adventure. Feeling her hand being tugged, she looked up at Minato. He was grinning as she pulled her into the ramen shop. Kunai couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, I didn't mean to daydream."
"Hmm, which one do you want? I could eat them all!"
"Mm, I think I will have my usual, chicken please." She looked at Minato who was staring at the menu intently. Why did he have to be so cute? Her dark eyes watched his face and a smile grew on her lips. This is what it feels like, isn't it?
"The works, please. I can't make up my mind so everything." He seemed to wiggle in his seat with glee. His blue eyes looked at her. "Now, I have told you that I would find you a place and I have."
Shaken from her thoughts, she blinked. "Oh?"
His cheeks flushed slightly. "It's a flat that I had before becoming hokage. It's a small one bedroom place, but I think it should be yours."
Her eyes widened. "Your old house?!"
"I never sold it because I had a feeling I would need it. I guess my feelings were correct huh?"
"Thank you so much! I don't know what to say."
"I told you, I will always take care of you. Never forget that, Kunai." He reached out and caressed her cheek. Minato smiled softly. "I will always look after my girl."
She blushed and smiled. No, Kunai would never forget those words. Her dark eyes stared into his while his touch seemed to send chills down her spine. She took a deep breath to calm down her racing heart. The smell of ramen filled the air. Looking away, she saw the bowl sitting there. "It's going to get cold." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
He nodded and ate quietly; letting her enjoy the time they had alone together. Now that she was a Jounin, she would have missions and their time alone would be few and far between. With the Stone village, sending spies, their troops were getting to close for comfort. Sending her out of the village at the moment, might not be a good idea. He had said that someone would accompany her, but who? He went through all the ninja that would be capable of the job, but all of them should stay here and go into battle. Her laughter broke his train of thought. What was he doing? Business could wait until tomorrow. Right now he needed to spend time with her, no strategic planning. It was all about her. "We should get your things for your new place after this."
After they both had finished, he took her back to his room to get her backpack. Once she had everything, he led her to the middle of the city and into a small apartment building. Holding her hand, he walked her up the stairs to the top floor. At the end of the hall, he stopped in front of the last door. Unlocking it, he opened it and waited for her to walk in.
It was small, like he said. It was a one bedroom apartment. The bedroom was to her right, the kitchen to her left and the bathroom right in front of her. She took a right first and opened the door. The bed was immediately to the right with a nightstand right next to the front door. There was a window over the bed. Directly across from the bed was a sliding glass door that led to a small balcony. There was a dresser on the left wall. She set down her backpack on the bed. Her own home, it was like a dream. Turning around, he was standing there smiling. "This is something else. Thank you!" She ran to him to give him a hug.
He could only smile. "You have your own kitchen now."
"Oh, but I don't have any food to put in it."
"We can get you some tomorrow."
"Thank you so much! I know I have said it so many times, but I can't say it enough. You have done so much for me and I feel like I haven't done anything for you."
"Your smile is enough for me. You being by my side is enough for me. It's all I could ever ask for. I hope you know that." His cheeks turned red.
Her eyes looked up at him with tears in the corners. "I mean that much to you."
"And more." He said, kissing her forehead.
Without thinking, she cupped his face and pressed her lips against his. Kunai didn't even think about it this time. Her heart was leading her own its own adventure. She slid her arms around his back and pulled him closer to her. She could feel his soft lips kissing back. Kunai smiled against the kiss. Right before her lungs couldn't take it anymore, she pulled away.
"I should get going." He seemed disoriented by the passionate kiss that she had just given him.
"Stay. Just tonight, stay."
He looked at her eyes and nodded slowly. "As you wish."
End Chapter…
Well there ya go. It has taken me a long to write this, but here you go. I don't know when I am will be able to post the next chapter, but I hope it's not a whole year from now. I hope you have enjoyed it! I made it pretty long for you guys! Thanks for reading! I hope to see you again real soon!
