This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Naruto, which is trademarked by Masashi Kishimoto. Everything aside from the original characters are created from the wonderful mind of Kishimoto.
Misaki, Kaede, Akihiko and Kazuhiko are the original characters of mine.
Also, comments, suggestions, criticism, even just simple messages are welcomes, please feel free to message me anytime.
Thanks for reading!
Chapter 12: Reunion
Misaki stood in front of Tsunade, sword raised, and eyes nowhere else but where Kabuto is standing, paying no attention to the exchange of words between Tsunade and Orochimaru. Orochimaru is more powerful, being one of the three legendary sannin's, the pride of Konoha during the recent great shinobi wars, but his motives albeit unclear were always on one distinguished path, that together with his hands currently sealed off rendering him the use of his arms leaves him at a current predicament.
Yakushi Kabuto on the other hand is another story. During the six days expanse of the first two phases of the Chunin exams, Yakushi Kabuto had exhibited three personas, two of which or on the clear black and white scale and the last one, the one he presented Misaki with when he thought she was the unconscious Sasuke. He had spoken words that he thought no one would ever witness, and much as Misaki wanted to pity him his Janus attitudeis dangerous, for a person to shift from motive to motive never really staying true to the faith he had presented, but true to the highest bidder, one that can help him rich his ultimate motive.
'but what is his ultimate motive?' Misaki thought, staring at the one face of the many faced ninja.
Kabuto stared at the little red head girl who managed to lure him to thinking she was Sasuke, that thought that she was able to pull off that kind of transformation enough to trick him was both notable and irritating, that and she was able to stand against Orochimaru, with ease.
Misaki had been weighing their options, even when Tsunade was at her full capacity and Orochimaru was handicapped, however with Tsunade being at an emotional compromise and the lack thereof of the other party, there was no telling what would be the outcome this rendezvous. That and there was a threat of Kabuto, who was just as quick and cunning as Orochimaru, no probably more so if Orochimaru trusts him with that persona of his. Maybe Tsunade and Orochimaru can have a stare off while she dispatched Kabuto, no doubt Shizune would have put two and two together and the rest of the party would be here at any moment, all she had to do was have Tsunade and Orochimaru stay put, that couldn't be that hard can it?
Misaki had barely registered the blonde sannin running past her and charging at the opposition with extreme prejudice, destroying and crushing everything in its wake.
"Damn it" Misaki groaned as she followed hot in their pursuit, Tsunade following wherever they directed the battlefield. Misaki didn't doubt the power of the sannin, but with her state, and the cleverness of Kabuto to hit pressure point comparable to a Hyuga.
By the time Misaki had reached the clearing, Orochimaru was standing idly by as Kabuto shook in turning from one position to the other shaking as Tsunade healed herself.
"Aren't you going to join the fight?" Orochimaru inquired the red head standing in front of him simply staring at the Kabuto and Tsunade. Misaki going against Kabuto was a clear issue, however rushing to battle between two medical nin at the height of their battle is quite dangerous.
"Medical-nins are those who use chakra for medical reasons, those who have studied and mastered blood vessel, arteries and veins, muscles, nerves and bones. They have the ability to bend these things to their will to be able to heal, I'd hate to be someone on the receiving end when a medical nin decided to use that knowledge for battle, much less than to intervene a fight between two medical-nins doing exactly that" Orochimaru smirked at Misaki's explanation, it had only taken the child a split second after arriving two leave the two to battle it out, however she kept a very watchful eye, even with that kind of conclusion, she was ready to intervene the fight.
Misaki had seen the change in Tsunade's expression when Kabuto had finally stood from his weird shaking dance on the ground and Misaki reached for her sword, lunging, ready to intervene.
"Such an interesting way of thinking" Orochimaru extended his tongue and violently choking the girl in front of him as she struggled and wriggled for dear life, until she exploded in a puff of smoke, simultaneous to a violent smoke exploding between Kabuto and Tsunade.
"You didn't really think I'd give my back to you?" Misaki said, her sword pressed tightly against the snake sannin's neck as she stood behind him.
'Shadow clone? But when?' Orochimaru thought as he recounted the short event, from the moment Misaki arrived at the battlefield to the time her clone was disposed of.
"I was never really here in the first place. The moment Tsunade separated herself from me to go pursue the two of you, I cast a shadow clone jutsu to follow you and let your guard down with the relief that by being Tsunade to a battlefield outside the town, and me following close by, you'd evade Jiraiya long enough to disable her to take her and force her to heal your seal, but what I really did was rendezvous with the others and bring them faster here" Misaki explained.
On the clearing, there stood Jiraiya, Shizune and Naruto, standing in between Kabuto and Tsunade, however Tsunade had pushed Jiraiya out of the way and charged at Kabuto, leading to Kabuto immobilizing her, with the use of the blood that he stabbed his hand, to pour onto her.
Misaki frowned at Kabuto's continuity of trampling over emotions, especially when it came to Naruto, whose innocence and congeniality he had used to get all that he wanted, like a parasite, taking everything and giving nothing back.
Misaki's sword pressed harder against Orochimaru's neck as she tensed up when Naruto went head on against Kabuto, a fact that Orochimaru didn't miss, much to his amusement.
"Have you ever wondered, why you felt so strongly against Naruto, how you unconsciously follow him, trusting him and putting faith in all of his judgment even without evidence. You are smart and calculative, Misaki, have you ever wondered why a genius prodigy like you would put her faith in an outcast kid like him?" Orochimaru asked her in a snake like manner, only he could pull off.
Misaki regarded his question with caution, in a battle, she didn't trust any information given to her, especially deep emotional ones, but Orochimaru's current question hit her hard, because it had not something she voiced out until she was questioned by Shizune the night before.
Seeing the reaction change from her eyes, Orochimaru decided to push his luck even further with the young kunoichi.
"Don't you ever wonder how you are almost compelled to stay in each other's presence, how being next to Naruto always felt right, no matter what the consequence or the scenario was, doesn't it bother you how your mom, cautious and protective mother hen had been too quick to accept Naruto as your friend and into your home, dangerous kid who has the nine-tailed demon fox inside of him? Or how you two share the same birthdays?" Orochimaru finished, just as Misaki retracted her katana and started an onslaught of slashes and lunges against him, which he evaded easily.
Misaki was confused and angry like she hadn't felt before, and from observations, angry and confused was never a good combination, when Orochimaru easily evaded her and lunged at her, jaws open ready to sink his teeth on to her. From what Kakashi had told her, Orochimaru had did the same thing to Sasuke, a bite that had given him the cursed mark of his. Misaki pushed her heel against his stomach, pushing them away from each other, followed by a series of summer saults and back flips until she was standing next to Jiraiya, across from Orochimaru and Kabuto on the battle field.
Jiraiya frowned as he watched Misaki narrowly evade Orochimaru's bite that would have given him the cursed mark of his, he was right all along, Orochimaru had not been targeting Uchiha Sasuke only, but also Misaki. By the looks of it, it seems that Orochimaru had discovered what Misaki was capable of and he wanted to see how that would do if mixed in with an equally powerful blood of Uchiha, in this case Sasuke's.
"Sorry I should not have lost my cool" Misaki said standing next to Jiraiya, sword by her side as her eyes never left her opponents. Naruto looked at Misaki who was unconsciously grinding her teeth and clenching her fist around the hilt of her katana. Misaki was patient, she heard Kaede even say she had the patience of a saint for putting up with her and Naruto, what could have driven Misaki to her edge so hard she even attacked a sannin with no backup plan or three or four like she always did.
"Misaki, you think you could take on the kid with glasses" Jiraiya asked, Misaki nodded silently, once again eyes on her opponent.
"Well then I'll take on Orochimaru, a sannin against a sannin, a fair trade, I am the only one who can fight him" Jiraiya explained as Naruto began to interfere that he too wanted to fight, but was immediately shut down by Jiraiya.
"Shizune, please look after Naruto and Tsunade, well then Misaki, here we go!" Jiraiya announced as he bit his hand and did a series of hand signs.
"Summoning Jutsu!" both parties yelled at the same time. Orochimaru had summoned another humongous snake from the Ryuchi cave and Jiraiya summoned, Gamakichi? Misaki stifled a laugh, already her mood was improving with just that simple gesture, one huge mistake, even more so when Naruto made his turn to summon and summoned Gamakichi's younger brother, Gamatatsu, and just like that Misaki started laughing, unable to hold it in as Naruto continued to sulk.
"Thank you Naruto, I really needed that" Misaki said smiling as she prepared for the next attack, with Orochimaru having the snakes pounce at them, leaving smoke and debris as they cleared out. Misaki had jumped from where she was standing and landed on her knees on top of the snake, simultaneously stabbing the snake with her katana and dragging it along its skin as long as she can before she jumped up when Jiraiya set a earth technique under the snake, creating a swamp to immobilize.
Misaki then jumped from the debris to debris where she had sent a flying kick on Kabuto's face before he could even reach Tsunade and Shizune.
"Misaki-chan!" Shizune exclaimed in surprise as Misaki landed in front of them, standing between them and Kabuto.
"Sorry, but you can't go beyond this point" Misaki declared as she stood defiantly against him.
"I was wondering when are we going to pick up where we left off, I guess, now's as good as any place to start" Kabuto said and used his charka scalpel which Misaki evaded with ease as she attacked him equally with her katana.
Kabuto's eyes narrowed, he was barely catching up to Misaki's movements who was evading him perfectly. After having watched his fight with Tsunade, she had been extra careful not to even so much as go near his hands, and Kabuto had no doubt in his mind that she wasn't even at her optimum strength.
"Tche, is she trying to insult me?" Kabuto grunted and lunged at her with his scalpel chakra, an attack he hoped she would evade, and disappoint, she did not. Kabuto used this opportunity to bury himself on the ground, leaving Misaki worried when and where he would spring back up.
Only Kabuto didn't spring back up for her, he had grabbed Shizune's ankles, while breaking them as he shot up from the ground. Misaki was shocked and irritated at not having expected that ran as fast as she can as Kabuto raised his hand against an immobilized Tsunade.
Only Kabuto's attack wasn't meant for Tsunade, Kabuto smirked as Misaki ran right in his trap, in his hands, his chakra scalpel directly attacking her ever so bare neck and chest. Misaki's eyes widened as she started coughing up blood.
"Misaki!" Naruto yelled from where he was thrown by the snake as Misaki fell on her knees.
"I would have love to play a little longer with you, but as it turns out we don't really have the time" Kabuto stood menacingly above Misaki who was struggling to get back up then fainting, before proceeding to taunting Tsunade with kicks.
It's painful, was the first thing in Misaki's mind as she opened her eyes, remembering she was in the middle of a battle. She pushed herself on all fours gauging her strength before slowly pushing herself higher and higher.
"Rasengan!" Misaki turned to Naruto who had a finished rasengan in one hand and Kabuto in the other, she would have felt a surge of pride, if only she hadn't seen Kabuto form chakra in his hands and go for Naruto's chest.
"Naruto look out!" Misaki used all her strength and pushed herself to her limits, grabbing Kabuto's chakra scalpel surrounded hands and taking it in hers.
Naruto looked up as the rasengan subsided, Kabuto had been thrown back to a rock, the impact evident around them, but beneath his feeth, Misaki laid already wheezing and couching up more blood.
"MISAKI!" Naruto yelled as he knelt towards Misaki.
"To think that even as she was dying, she'd still have the strength to get a hold my hand so I won't be able to erupt the muscles around your heart" Kabuto said as Tsunade finally stood from where she sat and inspected Misaki who was cradled in Naruto's arms.
"Naruto, congratulations on completing and winning the bet. I guess Tsunade-san has to give that necklace of the first to you" Misaki wheezed in between choking and coughing up blood. Tsunade nodded solemnly and placed the necklace around Naruto's neck.
"Hey, Misaki, it's not the time to be talking about that. You're going to get better, you hear me, you're going to live" Naruto yelled tears spilling down his eyes, to his face to Misaki's bloody ones.
"Idiot, of course I'll live, I did promise to be there the day you become the hokage" Misaki wheezed smilling at Naruto, then Tsunade felt it, Misaki's heart had stopped.
"Oi Misaki, Misaki, MISAKI!" Naruto nudged Misaki awake, growing more violent with each shake that Misaki didn't answer his call.
Bright, it was so bright it was almost blinding, but with the light came the warmth, the sense of belonging.
'Is this what heave feels like?'Misaki thought as she floated air. Everything felt so peaceful, so tranquil, like she didn't have to have anything to worry about. From a distance two figures approached her, she couldn't make out the figure, and they were standing in front of the light giving her difficulty to gaze upon the two figures.
However, that being said, she could make out a female with long red hair resembling hers and a man with unruly blonde hair.
"You seem so peaceful, however, your journey is just about to begin," A gentle male voice told her followed by a jovial female voice.
"Good luck Misaki, send our love to Naruto"
"Who-" Misaki had wanted to ask however, the light slowly enveloped her.
At the Konoha hospital, Sasuke slowly opened his eyes to see Naruto and Sakura lined up to see him, he sat up brushing off the unpleasant feeling of disappointment when he didn't see Misaki around to see him awake. Instead, Sakura had launcher herself to him, crying in relief.
Naruto had then left the room, both to give some space for the two and two bring her to Kakashi, who was in a similar condition as Sasuke, but this time, Tsunade wasted no time bewailing and scolding at Kakashi. Tsunade frowned, on both accounts of Sasuke and Kakashi's condition, they are both in physically pristine condition and someone had been so close in fully healing their minds, with a technique similar to hers, but yet so different.
After that Might Guy and Naruto had dragged her to see Bushy Brows Lee, and it had only taken Tsunade one glance to have her preliminary deduction on the child's condition.
"Hey, Naruto, do you really have the time to be spacing around?" Tsunade asked Naruto, in a pretense that she was getting irritated.
"Oh, yeah I have to visit Misaki while Kaede was busy researching, then I have to meet up with Iruka-sensei for ramen, thanks Tsunade-no-bachan, see you" Naurto said and left.
Sakura had been helping Sasuke with his release papers at the nurse's station when Naruto bumped to her.
"Naruto, what are you still doing here? You'll get scolded this is not a place to be hanging around you know!" Sakura scolded.
"Sorry, sorry I was just on my way to see Misaki" Naruto explained, his body automatically going on a defensive apologetic pose, hoping Sakura would spare him.
"Misaki, she's at the hospital?" Sakura asked surprised, if Misaki had been in the hospital in the first place, it would be very unlike her to not be there the moment Sasuke woke up. At the mention of Misaki's name, Sasuke immediately turned to Naruto and Sakura.
"I'll come too" Sasuke said, and Naruto just nodded.
"Oi Misaki, we're coming in!" Naruto announced as they opened a private room where Misaki's name was written on the door. Sakura and Sasuke stopped in their tracks, frozen at what they saw.
Misaki was lying unconscious on a hospital bed, with an oxygen mask on her face helping her breathe. It didn't take long for them to come to a conclusion; Misaki was comatosed.
"Misaki, Kaede-bachan is at the library so I'll be watching over your for today until she returns, then I'll meet Iruka-sensei at ramen's he said he wanted to see you too, but I said you were at the hospital" Naruto said standing next to Misaki's bed, talking to her as he would have when she was awake. Sasuke had been the first to move, every step as painful as the tsukiyomi he had to endure as he walked closer to Misaki's unmoving body until he was standing beside Naruto.
"Misaki" Sasuke whispered, trying to hide the pain in his voice but to no avail. To Naruto's surprise, Misaki's hands twitched the moment Misaki muttered her name.
"Ahh! Sasuke she responded to you! She only does that to Kaede-bachan and me! Tsunade-no-bachan says it's her way of letting the person know she can hear us and she wants us to know, Tsunade-no-bachan says it's very difficult for her, so we must take pride in being important to her" Naruto explained and Sasuke reached for Misaki's hands.
The moment his skin had felt hers, he remembered, he was unconscious from the Tsukiyomi, but he remembered it well, Misaki cradling him, holding him close as she cried tears pouring down her eyes and onto his face. Misaki's forehead touching his own and Misaki's touch the moment they parted ways as Guy returned him to Konoha and Jiraiya and Naruto had taken Misaki with them to look for Tsunade, the fifth Hokage.
As he held Misaki's hand, it was faint, but he felt it. Misaki was trying to squeeze his hand assuring him that she was there for him, like he was the one in the need.
"It was amazing actually, we all heard her heart stop, but then in the middle of the battle, Tsunade-bachan said her heart just restarted on its own, like her will itself brought her back to life. Since then, she has been recovering day by day, it won't be long till she wakes up now" Naruto announced.
Kaede had waited outside the room, listening to Tsunade's declarations of Lee's medical condition. After that, she didn't know why she even stayed long after the Lee kid had left, but he body didn't allow herself to move.
"How long are you going to linger there, Kaede?" a familiar voice snapped her out of her reverie, Kaede looked up to see her old, well old youthful looking sensei smirk at her.
"It's been a long time Tsunade-sensei, Shizu-chan" Kaede said still unsure how she is going to deal with a meeting she would never be prepared for no matter how many times she tried. Knowing her apprentice, Tsunade didn't wait for her and simply flicked her forehead, without the strength, like she always did when Kaede was down.
"Whatever happened that night, it's for you to remember, and even without saying you used that night to get better. You've grown up quite well Kaede" Tsunade said patting her head and finally Kaede launched herself hugging her sensei.
Once Kaede had stopped crying, she hugged Shizune too, her best friend, someone she treated as her own sister.
"Enough of that!" Tsunade halted their tearful exchange.
"You were here for another thing weren't you Kaede" Tsunade said smirking at her student. Kaede looked at her with confusion before nodding, this time with confidence and determination.
"I think, we could really save Lee, and restore him back to his former glory" Kaede announced.
Several days later, on the eve of the inauguration, Kaede was returning to Misaki's room that night, medical research she had been working on day and night with Tsunade. It was hard work, but they pushed through, it was the medical nin's way.
Kaede was surprised, to see that Kakashi was leaning next to Misaki's door, reading his perverted book.
"Kakashi, I haven't seen you in a while, it's nice to see you standing up now" Kaede mocked.
"Yep, I was allowed to go the moment Tsunade-sama finished scolding at me" he said rubbing his hand on the back of his head.
"That's what you get for falling short and making me so worried, Tsunade-sensei should have been –" she didn't get to finish her sentence when she felt warm lips pressed against hers. Time had seemed to stop, her heart beat faster and everything felt hotter, it was all too new, yet it had felt so right. Kaede dropped the books she was carrying and reached for the copy ninja's face, this time bare without a mask, just as she always wanted to, as she pulled him closer deepening the kiss.
Sasuke was dressed in his sleeping pajamas when his soul almost left his body from shock to see Misaki sitting indian style at the foot of his bed wearing the while yukata Kaede had been dressing her since her confinement at the hospital.
Misaki smiled and walked towards him, as Sasuke watched her in shock. Is this a dream, is she a ghost, if she's a ghost that would mean-!
As if Misaki felt the storm in Sasuke's thoughts, Misaki had held his hand, and placed it on her face, letting him feel the warmth.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up" Misaki said tears on her eyes as she looked up at Sasuke. Sasuke didn't say anything, instead he wrapped his arms around Misaki and buried his face in her neck, feeling her body, smelling her scent, memorizing every part of her, like it would be their last moments together.
"Stay with me" Sasuke whispered against his neck.
"Of course" Misaki said hugging him back. Unbeknownst to her, Sasuke had meant more than just the night, or a few nights.
Kaede once again dropped her books when she entered Misaki's hospital room with Kakashi to find the bed empty, the windows wide open and a note saying:
'Try not to send a search party for me mom, I'm at Sasuke's place, and no Kakashi we are not doing the things people do on your books and yes mom I have read one of those books. Jiraiya-san is quite talented with writing. I'll see you guys at the inauguration tomorrow.
P.S Kakashi had been waiting for you outside the room the whole day, so I suggest you make use of the time that I'm not home.
Love, Misaki'