A/N: Oh, Gods... I never expected to have to do this... Sigh... Stupid formatting restrictions...
"Normal Speech" Kyuubi Speech Personal thoughts/Memories Thought-Speech
Chapter 19: Self-Allotment
Naru finished the final few motions of the kata with a little more snap than usual. Two weeks in the forest had been exactly what she needed. Nobody to distract her. It was perfect, actually. She'd been wanting to practice her taijutsu forms for a while, but was still apprehensive about showing it to any of her friends. Picking up a fighting style out of an old scroll wasn't exactly easy, after all, and she was more than a little embarrassed by it. Though the scroll itself had been one of the most important things she'd ever found...
She took a moment to stretch a little before starting in on her cool-down exercises. Being alone in the forest had it's high points, but it certainly was rather draining on her nerves. Well, added on to her... Other problems...
Imagine her surprise to wake up one morning to find herself bleeding from the inside. Kakashi had responded to the distress flare immediately, but he instantly turned beet red and sent off his faithful summon, Pakkun, to fetch Kurenai. Naru, of course, knew what was going on, but the shock of the event had knocked her completely off-balance.
But aside from the one intrusion, she had been completely isolated for most of the time, and it apparently worked. Even when her mother had spent the rest of the morning with her that day, Naru had to actively concentrate to get a thought out of her, which was a welcome change from the whole 'random assault' she had been experiencing.
But now, after another two weeks away, on top of the nearly two months of the mission, Naru was ready to go home.
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It was quiet, in the village of Konoha. Birdsong was just starting to filter out through the trees, and the shopkeepers were just beginning of thinking they might need to start getting ready for the day. One in particular was just raising the steel barrier in front of his ramen shop when he saw it. Off to the east, where the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, there was a figure seated atop a single protruding power line junction.
There was a slight breeze, making her almost waist-length blond hair shimmer as it fluttered through. Her full-length white cloak flapped along with it, and he could see what looked to be the most radiant smile he'd ever laid eyes on adorning her petite face. He himself couldn't contain a smile as recognition struck.
Kazama Naru had come home. Konoha had it's flower back.
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The Sandaime scowled, and the ANBU messenger gave a tiny shiver. "And he'd moved on again, I suppose?" The messenger nodded, not trusting his voice. "Double the teams. I want him here before the exam papers are in. Dismissed."
It may just have been his imagination, but the man seemed to disappear even faster than was usual for his ANBU to do. He took a long draught from his pipe and sighed. Perhaps it was time to choose a successor again...
He shook his head. "You're too old for this job, Sarutobi."
A tiny knock on his door stopped him from continuing his conversation with himself. He frowned, turning away from the window. He hadn't sensed anyone approaching his office... "Enter."
The door opened, and his tension immediately dropped away into relief. Naru stopped before him and came to attention. "Kazama Naru reporting in after extended leave, Hokage-sama." She said smartly.
The serious expression lasted about thirty seconds before she cracked and launched herself across the desk at him. The old man laughed as she hugged him tightly. "I missed you, ojisan..." She said quietly, listening to his heartbeat and smiling as she felt him return the embrace.
"I missed you too, Naru." He chuckled. "How are you feeling?"
"Better." She said, standing up and straightening her coat. She even looked much better than she had the last time he'd seen her. Two weeks alone had done her wonders for recovery. She was standing straighter, and the shaking was completely gone.
"And your... Talent?"
What do you think? She allowed herself a small smirk as the words echoed in his head. He blinked and smiled back.
"Well now... I don't suppose you've-"
Considered the practical applications of my newly acquired bloodline limit? Her smirk grew a little wider.
"..."
She managed to blush at the accusatory feeling that flickered. "Sorry... It's a little addictive, once you start using it..."
He nodded. "Your father once said something similar to me." There was a small lull in the conversation, and the Hokage straightened up. "Right. Let's get on with it, then. Give me your report."
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"Block! Reverse! Thrust and pivot! Put your weight into it!"
Shino grunted, stepping back under the flurry of blows that rained down upon him, barely managing to block the last few. His mother paused taking a deep breath before she relaxed with a small smile. "Good. You've adapted to the extra length nicely. I think you're ready to take it into combat."
Shino nodded, running a cloth along the length of the blade to remove the few bits of wood and grass that clung to it. "Thank you for teaching me, mother." He said quietly, putting the weapon away. "I will not let your lessons go to waste."
"I'm home!" The words drifted over the fence on the softest of breezes, and Shino froze. His mother cocked her head to one side, a tiny smirk twitches on the edge of her mouth.
"So I should expect you home... When?" She asked slyly, and was rewarded with an immediate blush and, slightly surprisingly, a muted hum of agitation. Living with the family as long as she had, one learns that the Kikai only get agitated enough to be heard when ordered, when their host is attacked, or when their host is feeling particularly strong emotions. "I'm just teasing, dear..."
Her silent son took a deep breath and shook himself once, like a wet dog. "I... Apologise, Mother."
She waved him off, taking his weapon. "Never mind that. Just behave yourself." The hum returned even as she walked away, fighting to contain her laughter.
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Naru was tackled almost as soon as the words left her mouth. "Naru!" Tenten literally bowled her over, and they collapsed on the floor in a heap, Naru giggling as Tenten showered her with kisses.
"Never ever ever do that again!" Tenten scolded her through her laughter. "Two months away, and they say you're coming home, and then I hear that you're gone again for another two weeks!? I nearly died!"
"Oh, don't be so dramatic." Naru giggled, and was rewarded with a sharp poke.
"Dramatic?! I'll show you dramatic!" Her sister growled and began to tickle her mercilessly. For several minutes, the sisters rampaged through the front hall and dining room, laughing and shoving before finally collapsing into a slightly more organized heap onto a massive throw pillow in the corner of the family room.
Naru snuggled into her sister's arms, blissful feelings of relief ghosting across her mind like a phantom breeze. The second heartbeat she had heard that day pounded away in her ear, strong and steady, sapping the energy out of her and making her eyes droop. She had been up extra early that morning... Maybe a nap would be a good idea...
"Naru-chan?" Tenten's voice cut into the warmth of the moment.
"Hn?"
"I missed you."
"Missed you... Too..."
"Are you falling asleep?"
"Mm hmm..."
"..." There was a long quiet pause, and a hot waft of emotion tumbled over Naru's mind, too jumbled to make sense of in her half-asleep state. "I love you..." She heard finally, whispered into her ear as the color in the room faded into sleep.
I love you, too...
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I love you, too...
Tenten was more than a little jarred when the words rattled off the inside of her head like a ricocheting kunai. But by the time she shook herself out of the shock, Naru was long gone, snoring softly into her chest.
Truth be told, it was as if a huge weight had been lifted from the older gennin's shoulders, the feeling of her little sister's breath on her arm, the warmth of her body and the silk of her loose hair. Two and a half months was the longest they'd been apart since they'd met, all those years ago.
Stroking Naru's head always elicited something like a small purr from deep in her sister's chest, and Tenten had to stifle a giggle, as she always did. In their lives, as odd a little family as the four of them were, Tenten had always enjoyed the time with Naru the most. Kurenai was always the one who saved her from her loneliness, but it was Naru that had filled that void more and more as they grew up together.
There were times, though... Times where she would look into her sister's eyes and see something there... Some horrible thought or feeling... Something that had no place being in those (usually) deep blue orbs... It had taken her a few years to recognise it, but one can hardly expect that a shinobi in training wouldn't notice these types of things.
It was fear.
The poor blond was holding back something that terrified her so much it made Tenten ache to see it. They would only be flashes, tiny glimpses into a new world, but they were always centered around the four of them, and they came and went in places that they never should have been...
Tenten frowned at the negative turn her thoughts were taking, and she felt Naru give a tiny shiver in her arms, as if she could sense the shift herself. A tiny flicker of agitation crept into her head, and she frowned again. Did something happen to Naru that nobody told me about?
Still, she admitted, it was good enough to have her back, safe and unharmed after all this time. No sense fretting about it until she's ready to talk...
A sudden yawn broke through her thoughts, and she had to suppress another giggle. It was her day off, and there was an adorable object of affection snuggled into her arms. She let out a small, contented sigh. Maybe a nap would be a good idea...
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I cannot help bet feel worried at this latest turn of events. Being connected at the soul means that I am linked into the kitling's mind, and this latest revelation with the sister boomed through the child's subconscious like a thunderclap. The elder sibling suspects something, and there is no way that the kit won't realize it now...
I suppose this was bound to happen... Some secrets just aren't meant to be kept.
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Kurenai's heart melted when she walked into her home to see the pair of them cuddled up together. The Hokage had mentioned that Naru had come in when she'd taken her team in for a D-ranked 'mission' that morning, but seeing her back, and all wrapped up in Tenten's arms...
Her daughters. Hers. She started to tear up immediately, pride swelling in her chest as she watched them. All thoughts of pity were washed from her mind by moments like this. She didn't pity these girls. She loved them. Plain and simple. A blanket appeared out of nowhere, and she took it from Kakashi with a small smile, spreading it over the dozing sisters. A camera suddenly appeared in front of her nose, and Kakashi slipped an arm around her waist and squeezed as she clicked away. Half a roll later, and the camera lay forgotten on the bedside table in the master suite of the house.
There certainly were benefits to dating one of the most enigmatic ninja in the village, Kurenai thought to herself as they lay quietly in the fading evening light. It had happened innocently enough, during one of the rougher patches of their (then) newly established life with Naru. She was still in her 'too shy to talk to anyone' phase, and Kurenai had been rather distraught about the girl's lack of confidence. Which, of course, dredged up the images of Naruto's life from before the change.
One thing led to another, and she ended up crying in Kakashi's arms late one night.
And that's where it started.
Still, there were things about him that she still didn't know about. He still hadn't taken off the mask, which irked her a little, but he said something about a family tradition, and she hadn't pressed the issue. But even now, as he was gently massaging her back, she felt... At peace.
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Peace, of course, that was not meant to last. Having slept away an entire day, Naru awoke the next morning just bursting with energy. And, as anyone can tell you, energy without direction can be... Unpredictable.
It was inevitable, one can surmise, that Tenten would be the first victim, simply by proximity. Naru, never spiteful or mean by nature, snitched her sister's hair ties and pins, snickering as she remembered all the times she'd argued with her over her buns. "They're comfortable, and they keep it all out of the way!" "Yes, but why two? And you look so much better with it all down anyway!"
Oh well. Perhaps a little harmless fun might wise her up to the whole thing.
She snickered as se turned her attention on the other two occupants of the home. What it was that made her feel so... Schemey this particular morning, she couldn't say, but it felt good to be back home.
At least, it did until she opened the door to her mother's room.
And shut it just as quickly, fighting the blood rushing into her face faster than a thrown shuriken.
Note to self: Check through doors before opening them.
The image of two nearly nude jonin burned in her eyes, killing the mood. Nearly nude, of course, because Kakashi still had his mask on.
And that was about all.
"Ugh. I didn't need to see that..." She sighed. "Way to kill my mood..."
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The wind picked up even as the sun rose over the cliffs of Konoha. The morning came upon the village, and with it came the stirring of many of the villages ANBU, surging onto the rooftops like bees from a knocked over hive. This morning especially was out of the ordinary, as the normal village watch had evidently tripled overnight. But this could perhaps be best explained by the other shinobi who were out roaming the dawn.
Dozens of flitting shadows converged on Konoha from all sides, traveling at anywhere from a casual walk to high-speed tree-vaulting. Some of them had arrived at the village gates already, and were being checked and rechecked by security.
For the normally sleepy little village, hidden in the leaves, things were about to get a little... Shaken up.
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"And warn me about it next time, for the love of all things holy and good!"
Naru cringed slightly. Evidently Tenten had walked in on the pair of them, just as she had, looking for her things. And they hadn't told her about... Them. Not yet anyway. Kakashi sighed as he finished his rant, rubbing his temples to restart the blood flow to his troubled brain.
He looked down at her, and she stared at the ground, sufficiently chastised. Still, she could feel that he was more embarrassed than angry, and the fact that he was actually early for the team meeting was something that was potentially more interesting than anything else, at the moment.
Apparently she wasn't the only one. "Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura's voice made Naru look up. She and Sasuke had stopped well short of the bridge where they normally met, staring in abject shock. "What's the emergency?"
"Emergency?"
"Why else would you be on time?"
Naru stifled a giggle as the jonin rolled his eye. "Because I have something very important to talk to the three of you about, Sakura."
By now they had joined the pair on the bridge, and Sasuke spared a nod for Naru. "I'm glad you're feeling better." He said quietly. Naru blushed involuntarily. It was good to see him coming out of his shell, and she felt no small amount of pride knowing that she had, if unwittingly, been a part of what had helped him to turn away from the darker path he had been set on, that day almost six years ago.
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Seven year old Naru smiled at the secretary as she skipped into the Hokage's office, and the young chunin smiled back. Up the stairs and across the hall, just like every other day. She stopped just short of the Sandaime's office, however, because on this particular day, his door was closed.
She frowned. The old man always left his door open after classes got out at the academy. He knew she would come visit him, she did it every day on her way home. What was so different about today?
She was about to push the door open and surprise him, when a small voice from the other side stopped her.
"...And... And he said... I had to hat him... And I needed to hate him in order to... To..."
Naru felt her stomach give a little wobble as she recognised the voice. She almost didn't recognise it. Sasuke never spoke like that in classes. He was always so energetic and excited to share what his big brother had taught him with anyone who would listen.
"It's alright, Sasuke." The Hokage's voice was gentle, but there was the tiniest hint of steel behind it. "I know what this is hard for you, you don't have to say it if-"
"He said I had to hate him to get strong enough to kill him. And I will!"
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Naru never forgot how he sounded that day in that office, though she never told anyone she was privy to the conversation, though she admitted to herself that the Hokage probably knew the whole time. (She had only been seven after, and not nearly a ninja yet)
But to see him now, a small, genuine smile gracing his face, made her feel great.
"-Chunin exams, and I've decided to let you all participate, if you want to."
Naru gave a twitch. "Come again?"
"Chunin Exams. Two Days. If You Want." He said slowly, emphasising each word in amusement.
"Okay, I get it." Naru huffed, and she could feel him grinning under his mask.
"And if you do decide to enter the exam, I have only three pieces of advice, and I will give them to you now, as you have today and tomorrow off to decide." He straightened up slightly, and the mood immediately got serious. "First, there is no problem that can only be solved in one way. Watch the target, analyze the angles, and take the path less traveled to stay ahead of the curve. The most obvious answer is rarely the correct one."
ARGH! What's with the riddles!? Naru was distracted for only an instant by... Actually, that wasn't quite Sakura's voice... She filed it away in the back of her head for later questioning.
"Second, the night is always darkest just before the dawn. Never loose sight of your goal, and never give up on yourselves or each other. There is no obstacle that the three of you cannot overcome together. I've said it before, and hopefully this is the last time I'll have to say it. Those who break the rules are trash. But those who abandon their friends are worse than trash."
"Lastly..." He trailed off, and Naru groaned internally as what he was about to say flickered into his mind. "I'm gonna bet a lot of money on you all, so don't make a fool out of me. I expect a good showing from all three of my prized students!"
And with that, and nary a word more, he vanished in a burst of smoke and a puff of wind.
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A/N: Heya, readers. Again, sorry for the three weeks. School stuff. Hell week, actually. Anyways, R&R, longer reviews much appreciated, and guaranteed a reply now! Hey! Doesn't that sound nice? Stay Frosty. -E. Red