I've decided to make this an information chapter and explain some unanswered things before I delve into the Shippuden part of the series; it's not an authors note, and hopefully you lot will treat as just an "extra" within the story. I created the idea of Sumiko and the Keiko clan before I even decided who I was pairing her with. I already knew how her powers would be and how she would use those powers at the end of the story once I chose Itachi. It was literally a coincidence that the Keiko clan died out. I didn't mean it to be like how the Uchiha clan is, it's just how it all progressed in my head. I wasn't trying to get them in the same boat and have them with similar back stories so they could have something in common. Besides for the kekkei genkai, the Keiko clan was of no importance for the rest of this story.
I'll be adding little snit bits of "story" so you guys will know how exactly Sumiko came to know some of the higher up people in the Leaf Village. Now that I think about it, I didn't realize I made my character into such a Mary Sue (though she's not powerful per se, she's just come to know a lot of important people (she is powerful in her own way, she just wasn't taught to be a shinobi, though Itachi is teaching/taught her some stuff)). It was an accident that she became "known", and the first person she met was Hashirama (though technically Tobirama, but nothing other than acknowledgement passed between the two), that's why he was mentioned in the earlier chapters when Sumiko left with Itachi and Itachi gave her the scrolls he found about her clan.
Hashirama is basically the "founder" of Sumiko when it comes to her being in touch with important people. Though she wasn't necessarily close to him, it was the people within the people that became friends, or whatever, with her. I wanted to address this because none of it was never mentioned in earlier chapters, and I highly doubt it'll be brought up in future chapters.
If you all noticed, there was a change in the way that Sumiko talked. Before, and during, her friendship with Itachi, she had sort of a proper way of talking. I died it down after awhile because I felt that since she was with him so much, and also making other "friends" (Sasuke, and because of him, Kakashi, Naruto, and even a little bit of Sakura), I feel like she progressed more with understanding that even though she will witness (in her head for the future) all of their deaths, it's okay to make bonds and get close to other people. And you know what they say, when you hang around someone for awhile, you pick up their own habits and whatnot. So in a sense, she dropped the formal speech and picked up on their characteristics of speech.
I didn't speak much of the death of the Third Hokage because, like with her own family, she prepared for the inevitable and wasn't as affected. I mentioned that it saddened her, which was true, but in a way she also doesn't know how to let the emotions through for just how bad his death hurt her. They were best friends, maybe even closer than her and Itachi. He grew along side of her ever since he got his teammates and had Tobirama as a sensei, so they knew each other for decades. Even though their friendship was based more on a sense of respect other than having the type of friendship that resembles family, like how Sumiko and Itachi have, they were still close (which, in my head, explains why she never picked up on his characteristics of speech).
"The Hokage asks for your presence immediately." A tall man stated. He had white-ish colored hair, and three lines marking his face; one on each cheek and one on his chin. He red eyes looked at me with no emotion, but the blank face he tried to hold up was slowly slipping into a hateful scowl.
I blinked in surprise, not expecting the Hokage to want to see me, as well as the fact that this man stated such official business in the middle of the market place. Though there was't a lot of people, the ones that were there were staring, or acting like they were talking with friends when they were obviously listening in on the conversation.
"Follow me." He demanded, turning around and leading me to the Hokage.
The walk was fast paced and awkward, but thankfully it finally ended once we reached the doors inside of a building. Once the doors were opened, a rather large room came into view; a man with long, dark hair was sitting at a desk with papers stacked up, looking over some documents before giving his attention to us; obviously the Hokage.
He smiled up at me once the man shoved me inside completely.
"Sumiko Keiko." He simply stated.
"Ah, great! It took a couple days but we finally found you." The Hokage grinned, handing out a scroll towards me. Hesitantly I walked closer, reaching out to grab the paper. "This came in with a pigeon two days ago. It's addressed to Sumiko Keiko, which we presume to be you after much questioning of the villagers."
"Yes, indeed." I replied back. "May I open it?" I asked once I grabbed it.
"I would actually like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind, it won't take too long." The Hokage stated.
"Oh. Of course not, please, ask away." I coincided with a small smile of my own.
"How long have you been staying here, and if I may, where is your home land?"
"My clan resides in the Land Of Mountains. I arrived here around five months ago as an emigrant." I stated truthfully, picking at the edges of the scroll. I was interested in reading it as soon as possible- if I seemed as a threat, why wasn't I questioned when I arrived?
"You have no file stating of your presence in the Leaf Village or where you came from. Do you know who let you inside the village walls?"
"No, I apologize. It was two men with dark hair, and one had a beard. I'm afraid I don't really remember their exact appearance besides that." I grimaced. Great, already off with a bad start.
"After you finish reading the scroll sent to you, I would like to create a file with your information. It's important for average citizens to have this type of information available, especially in instances like this." The Hokage mentioned, dropping the smile slightly.
"Of course, may I read it now?" I asked again, a little impatient. The familiar drawn on crest came from my clan, and if this was sent, then something important must have come up.
"Yes, please do."
Sumiko, the clan is in need of your assistance immediately. The sickness that effected the young and old has escalated beyond beliefs. We thought that it would be something we would be able to handle, but within the last few months it has spread to over half of the clansmen. Many has already passed on, and we can only pray to Kami that you make it back here in time to save the ones left. I have already shown signs of the sickness, it's only a matter of time now.
Councilman Ryou.
;
"How do you feel, Akiko?" I asked the little girl. Her face was flushed with her rising fever, and along with the weight loss it had sunken in, making her look malnourished. A sudden cough wrought the small child's body, and when the fit ended, she groaned softly. While dipping a small rag in a basin of water, I felt her around the face, noting just how high her fever had gotten within the hour. Wringing out the rag, I placed it upon her sweaty forehead and watched her fall into a restless sleep.
"How is she?" Ryou asked, holding onto the door frame. His body had gotten weaker since he sent the scroll, I was afraid soon he too would meet his end.
"She's just like the others. There's nothing I can do, the illness has achieved what it came to do. I've used my chakra many times but it's like it didn't faze anything. They're too sick for any kind of improvement." I spoke without emotion, using the railing on the bed to help me stand up from the small stool.
"It's just as you said, there's nothing you can do. So please, Sumiko, do not blame yourself for any of this." He tried to reason, grasping my shoulder.
"This would not have happened if I would have just stayed here." I spoke the truth. I had a wild dream of leaving, and the moment it comes true, over half the clan diminishes. I guess this is what happens when fate has a different path for you to take. I gently shook off his hand and had him take a seat. "One thing I do know is that it is airborne, that's why it spread so fast, and it's effecting the lungs from what I've been able to tell."
"Will you catch the sickness, then?" Ryou questioned with grief.
"No, not at all. Ever since the Miyoko activated, illnesses have not tainted my body." I assured.
"I guess this clan is just a lost cause, now, huh?" The man asked softly.
;
Everyone. Every last Keiko within the clan walls was buried into the ground. It didn't even take a month, but with that amount of time, I watched everyone die a suffered death. And it was all my fault.
"I wanted you to meet Tobirama's students." Hashirama said with a grin. After returning from my home land and let the Hokage know what all happened, he had been trying to lift my spirits for some odd reason. But after awhile, with a decent excuse, I continued along with whatever he had been trying to do.
"Why do you continue to do this?" I asked the Hokage after eating out with him a third time at a new restaurant.
"Because I am partially to blame for making your clan die out." He finally stated after a long while of prodding. "If I had your information sooner, you would've been notified earlier of what was going on with your clan. I blame myself for the lack of care some of my shinobi show, and have changed some things around because of it."
I looked at him in astonishment before shaking my head.
"Please do not put any type of blame on yourself. The sickness was around for many months, I'm solely responsible for what happened. Two extra days would not have made any difference, I promise."
"Could you inform me of your clan one day?" He questioned after awhile of silence.
"Only if you keep the information between us." I smiled softly.
"This is Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane." Hashirama introduced, leaving Tobirama on the sidelines with a frown of annoyance. We walked right into a training session and the young kids couldn't of been happier.
"Hey, lady! You're pretty!" The one known as Hiruzen exclaimed loudly.
"Enough." Tobirama demanded, stepping in between Hashirama and I, and the three little shinobi, not giving me time to answer the small child. "It's time to get back to work. Brother, please take your friend and leave."
Hashirama listened to his younger brother and grabbed my elbow gently, leading us away from the training grounds with a grin.
"Minato Namekaze is going to be appointed as the next Hokage." Hiruzen stated, looking out the large glass windows.
"I've heard much about him, he's very popular, even amongst the civilians." I noted aloud.
"Yes, he'd make a fantastic Hokage." Hiruzen nodded sightly in agreement with himself. "I would like for you to meet him."
"Yes, of course. Whenever you see fit." I agreed.
;
"We-hell-hell, what's your name, foxy lady?" A tall man with white, long, spiky hair greeted me in a suggestive manner, getting in my personal space and smiled a smile he probably thought attracted women. Nonetheless, I still "introduced" myself.
"Yukiko." I lied, adjusting my voice slightly while attempting to side step the strange man.
"Sounds beautiful, just like you, sweetheart."
"Jiraiya sensei, leave the poor girl alone. She's the one the Third Hokage wanted me to meet." Another tall man appeared, though from the restaurant I was attempting to get to.
I lifted my mask and stared at Jiraiya with a grin.
"Sumiko, what the hell! Why are you wearing a mask?"
"You would flirt with anyone that had breasts, Jiraiya." I tsked the poor man, ignoring his question and shoving the mask into his hands while I walked to Minato. "Hiruzen has gloated much about you, it is a pleasure to finally meet you." I held my hand out for him to shake, and quickly received it.
"The pleasure is all mine." The Yellow Flash replied, a friendly smile in place of a smirk.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and if you would like to know more, feel free to ask me. To you guys, I really hope I didn't create a Mary Sue, it's just how it all came together. This probably all seems jumbled up, but it's just how it all went in my head. I didn't add a little story of how Sumiko met Jiraiya because I feel like it's obvious since he was Hiruzen's student. The next chapter will come when it comes, and it'll be taking place within an episode or so. (: Thanks for the reviews and all that jazz, and I hope you guys have a wonderful day/night!