Chapter 13: Kyo's friend!
It had been one day since the family of the Hokage and the Uchiha siblings had arrived in the Hidden Sand Village. Kyo Sohma, or as he now called himself, Kuroko, had adjusted nicely to being a girl. He still had his temper, but found it came more from his new mother than his old personality. Or rather, most people assumed he had taken his anger issues from Kushina. Now, most people would think that it was strange, a person with such a personality like Kyo's to accede to being a girl so easily. But in fact he hadn't taken to it easily at all.
At first, he refused to be called a girl, wear pretty dresses, have long hair or any of that crap. But then he'd had that talk with his 'brother'. Flashback: Kyo was lying in his cot, glaring up at the ceiling, when he felt someone enter the room. Lying perfectly still, the boy tried to feign sleep. As the person walked up to him Kyo felt a bead of sweat slip down the side of his face. He heard a giggle, "it's okay, I know you're not sleeping, you're chakra flow is all over the place, and even someone having a nightmare doesn't have as active chakra as you" Kyo slowly opened his red eyes to gaze into the blue ones of his older brother.
Funny, how those eyes made him feel so calm and safe, like nothing would ever be able to hurt him. He felt the same way about his new 'parent's' as well, but there was something different about Naruto, something, familiar, and familiar meant safety. Naruto smiled, "do you mind if I pick you up?" he asked. Kyo blinked. What did that mean? He was supposed to be a baby, and baby's wouldn't care about being picked up. Unless- he looked up into the other boys eyes again, and nodded. Naruto grinned, "good, I wouldn't want to upset you". Carefully and gently the blond picked him up and held him in his arms, sitting down on the chair next to the cot while doing this.
Kyo squirmed a little in his hold, uncomfortable. He'd never really been held like this before. Not that he would remember if he had. After a few minutes, Kyo calmed down in the older boys lap. Naruto smiled, "good, now that we're both comfortable, I can start" Kyo looked up, waiting for what his 'big' brother would have to say. "The truth is, I know that you are a reincarnate like me," he started. Whatever Kyo had been expecting, it wasn't that. The boy smiled down at his confused face, "yes, the truth is, I am actually a girl" she explained. Kyo thought about this, so that was why she didn't always act like a boy. Naruto looked up at the ceiling, a wistful smile on her face. "My name was Bethany Middleton, and I lived in a country and continent called Australia with my Mummy and Daddy, Sharon Ann Middleton, and Paul Edward Middleton," here she paused and looked down at Kyo, "do you understand everything so far?" she asked.
Kyo thought about it for a moment then looked back at her and nodded. Bethany smiled gently, "good, anyway, my Mummy died when I was 16 from an infection in her foot," Kyo frowned at that. He knew what it was like to lose a mother, he knew all too well. Bethany took a deep breath and continued, "about a year after that Daddy got a new girlfriend named Michelle, and they were together until I was Eighteen when they got married," Kyo nodded, he thought he knew where this was going. "Five years later when I was twenty-two, Daddy got hit by a car and died," Kyo winced, poor girl, losing both of her parents in such a short amount of time. He was actually reminded a little of Tohru there.
"That same year I also got hit by a car and died, although I didn't expect to wake up again as "Naruto" but, what can you do" she grinned, "Kaa-Chan and Tou-Chan also know about my past, and you can tell me all about yours as soon as you can talk, I already have a feeling I know who you are" she winked at him. Standing up again, she stretched and gently placed Kyo back into his cot, covering him with the blanket. As she walked out the door, Bethany turned back to him, "you can also act like yourself, as your personality is quite similar to Kushina, our mother's, but still, at least try to act a little like a girl to keep up appearances, perhaps a red bow in your hair to match your eyes, " she cocked her head to the side with two eye-smiles, "no decisions now, you're still too young, just think about it, okay?" Bethany turned off the light and closed the door most of the way, leaving it open a crack.
End of flashback.
True, Kyo hadn't worn dresses all the time, mostly a red or orange coloured one over a grey pair of 3-quarter length pants every once in a while, but he did wear a dark red bow in his hair like she had suggested almost every day. Most of the time, though, he was a true Tomboy. Right now for instance he was wearing a pair of black pants that reached his ankles, an orange short-sleeved hoddie with grey sleeves with a white shirt under it that had the Uzumaki spiral on the front and blue sandals. They were Bethany's old clothes, but he had to admit he looked good in them. Wondering around the Sand Village, Kyo wondered what he was going to do today. Suddenly, he heard a cry nearby.
Following the voice, the boy turned girl came upon a group of boys picking on a little girl, about his physical age. She had short brown hair that reached her shoulders, and was wearing a white dress with a blue shoulder cover. But it was when she turned around that he saw something that made his heart beat wilder with- he didn't what emotion it was, joy? love? relief? panic? Or was it all of the above? For that girl looked exactly like his beloved wife, Tohru had at this age. The boys were around two years older than her, at least, and were teasing her by holding what looked like a locket up high where, no matter how hard she tried to jump higher, the girl could never reach it. "Please!" she begged, and Kyo noticed tears running down her face, "please give it back!" she cried, once again trying to jump up and grab her locket.
The boy just laughed cruelly, and tossed it to one of his friends, who laughed and tossed it to another when she moved over to him. On turning to the boy who now held the locket, the girl tripped over a stone on the ground and fell on her face. When she looked up, Kyo could see her start to sob helplessly. That was it. He couldn't and wouldn't take any more! The orange haired girl walked over to the group of boys, "hey!" she called. Upon looking up, the boys all laughed. For, standing in front of them was another little girl with short orange hair and red eyes. One of the boys walked up to Kyo, "hey, girlie, I think you better leave before you get hurt-" he started, grabbing the front of Kyo's jacket, but was stunned when the small girl grabbed his hand in a death grip, twisting it painfully and forcing him to release her jacket.
The boy quickly got over his shock, and looked at Kyo's face to retort, when he caught sight of the girl's eyes. Kyo had a murderous look in his eyes, one that was intensified by the force of his glare, "you shouldn't judge other's on appearance alone, dattebayo" he said in a deceptively soft voice. He then released the boy's hand. Before he had enough time to blink, Kyo was right up in his face, "it could be the last mistake you ever make" he whispered into the boys ear, before bringing his fist up to the boys face, and punching him so hard that he was sure he could hear the boys nose break from the impact. Then he swung his leg out and kicked him in the head- hard. The bully was flung across the street and into a wall.
Kyo landed back on his feet, and glared at the other boys. Safe to say, they all ran away screaming about little girls who were demons. Kyo huffed, cowards. Turning back to the girl on the floor, he gently went to pick up what the boy he had beaten up had dropped- the girl's locket. Kneeling down to face her, Kyo waited until she had calmed down somewhat and opened her eyes to look at him. The memories those bright blue eyes brought up in his heart were almost too much, but Kyo forced a friendly and gentle smile- one he only ever gave to Tohru- on his face and held out the locket. The girl looked from his face to the locket and up to his face again, "here," he said gently, "this is yours, Isn't it?" he asked.
The girl nodded and gave a shaky smile, "th-thank you" she said, happy. Kyo grinned, glad to have made her happy again. He held out his hand and helped her up, "my name's Kuroko, Kuroko Uzumaki Namikaze, youngest child of the Forth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village!" he exclaimed. The girl blushed, clutching her locket, "m-my name is T-Tohru, Tohru, Honda, it's very nice to meet you Namikaze-Sama!" she said the last part a little hurriedly and bowed. Kyo grinned wider, same old Tohru. He closed his eyes and smiled, "hey, no need to be so formal Tohru-Chan, please, just call me Kuroko!" he said, folding his hands behind his head.
Tohru blushed a little, but nodded, "okay, Kuroko-Chan" she said. Kyo unfolded his arms and held out a hand to the girl he'd fallen in love with so long ago. Tohru was hesitant, but she eventually took Kyo's hand into her own, "let's be friends from now on, okay Tohru-Chan?" he asked. Tohru smiled softly, "yes, lets".
The End