Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto, just the storyline and some characters.
Summary: Sasuke's older sister comes back to Konoha, rekindling love in his heart. But Shinju also returned for other reasons: to finish a task given to her long ago , to find Itachi and ward off enemies from destroy the Leaf Village. The fate Konoha rests on her shoulders. How far will she go to save those she loves?
A/N: hEY everyone! Sorry it took so long to update, busy busy! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
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::Konoha's Pearl Princess::
Chapter 21 - The Talented Ones
It was just another one of those dreams...
Shinju's eyelids fluttered open, drinking in the sight of her sun-lit room. Again, she found herself laying helplessly in her bed. She felt something warm and hard next to her, wrapped up in the thin sheets.
Kakashi...
She turned her body, but did not see the shaggy silver hair she remembered. Instead, she saw caramel-colored hair splayed across the whiteness of her pillow. She froze.
"Genma?" She said confusedly, disentangling herself from her sheets.
She saw him lazily flicker his eyes open, displaying chocolate-brown eyes. Shinju noticed he had abandoned his usual Jounin shirt and was left shirtless... In her bed... But thankfully, he had left his trousers on. She glanced at her own body and saw she was left with her white bindings and her tight, medic shorts. A sharp, scarlet blush warmed her cheeks.
"Hey, princess." He said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"..." She narrowed her eyes at him.
He looked at her when she didn't respond and saw her sharp, crimson eyes glaring at him.
"Eh, is there something wrong?"
"What do you think." Shinju said bluntly, gesturing at both of their half-naked forms in her bed.
"Oh..." His voice trailed off as he started shifting the sheets so he could swing his legs off the side of her bed. He didn't say anything as he grabbed his shirt and vest of the floor and held it in a bunch in his hand. He looked over his shoulder and saw the beautiful kunoichi seething.
"Well, you passed out in the Hokage's office." He said finally, snagging his hitae-ate off her nightstand, along with his metallic senbon.
Shinju reeled through her mind, picking out what exactly happened.
She walked into Tsunade's office...
There was blood...
Kakashi...
Shinju bolted upright and screamed in fright.
Kakashi was bleeding and torn. His chakra was depleted. He was dying of fatigue...
Genma jumped nearly 5 feet upon hearing her outburst, he paled when he saw her eyes wide and fearful. He scrambled back onto the bed and placed a comforting arm around her, abandoning his clothes and dropping them onto the floor. She was shivering and whispering, "Kakashi..." over and over again.
He felt a pain in his heart...
He heard rapid footsteps, but Shinju had gripped his arm, still frightened and upset. The door flung open.
Total silence.
"WHAT THE FUCK?" Naruto screeched, lunging without a moment's notice.
Genma groaned, slapping his forehead and tumbling to the side to avoid Naruto's attack. Shinju tumbled with him, he held her close as to avoid her getting an injury. He heard Naruto yelling profanities at him and lunge after him again. Genma smirked, holding Shinju tight and leapt away toward the door. But then he was thrown against the wall by something soft, and thin.
Snakes slithered up his arms and legs, forcing him to let go of Shinju as she fell to a heap on the cold wooden floor. He remained impassive as the snakes bound him and found their way to his neck, sliding around and gripping him tightly.
"Give me a reason to not kill you, Genma." Sasuke's cool voice asked in a dangerous low tone.
Genma cocked an eyebrow at the youngest Uchiha.
"It would make Shinju very upset." Genma said.
Sasuke smirked, narrowing his Sharingan at the Jounin. The snakes tightened their hold.
Naruto stood by Sasuke's side glaring at Genma, his hands were balled up in tight fists, ready to spring out and pummel Genma into the next century. Sasuke could feel the blood-lust of his friend and placed a hand on his chest.
"Don't." Was all Sasuke said.
"What the hell was that pervert doing in Onee-chan's bed!" Naruto exploded, his eyes flashing, "And shirtless!"
"She passed out in the Hokage Tower," Genma said wearily, shifting uncomfortably in the snake bonds, "I took her back here, but you two were out on a mission or whatever. She couldn't sleep. Kept calling for you two and Kakashi. So I stayed with her."
"And you had to be shirtless?" Sasuke growled.
Genma shrugged, "Hey, that's what I got to sleep in."
Movement on the floor shifted the three men's attention to the young woman rising to her feet. Shinju wrapped her thin arms around her body, shaking.
"Onee-chan..." Naruto said, placing his arms around her, "Are you ok?"
Shinju nodded mutely, shuffling away from the three men and snatching a sweater off her desk. Silently, she slipped it over her head, feeling the soft fabric brush against her skin. The over-large blue sweater hung past her thighs, the Uchiha insignia displayed proudly on her back.
"Let him go..." She said softly, directing it to her younger brother.
Sasuke 'tsked' before releasing the snake's that were near-choking Genma, the Jounin rubbed his throat, glaring at the young boy.
"Sister," Sasuke said, walking towards her, "You don't look good. I thought you were fine yesterday?"
"I was," She responded, turning to him, "I just... I need to see someone."
Naruto and Sasuke looked at eachother, "Kakashi-sensei hasn't come back from his mission though," Naruto said scratching his head.
"He's back." Shinju said quietly.
Genma looked at her sadly, "If you'd like, I'll take you to him."
Shinju smiled, "Thanks Genma."
"Ne, we'll go with you!" Naruto crowed. "I don't want Genma trying to take advantage of you again."
"Goddammit, I wasn't taking advantage of her."
"Yes you were!"
"I'm gonna kill you..."
After an hour, the four shinobi sent out of the Uchiha Complex, heading to the Konoha Hospital. Tsunade had sent her a scroll, requesting her presence later after she had visited Kakashi. Like the day before, it was bright and sunny and full of promise. Naruto was bickering with Sasuke about how his Rasengan could easily outdo Sasuke's Chidori. Again, they always came to the point where they would test the theory out...
Genma watched Shinju closely through the corner of his eye. She was quiet, but her jaw would clench every now and then, and her eyes would twitch and water.
If only he could tell her what transpired after she had left the Hokage's Office...
"Tsunade-sama," Genma called, swinging into the office through a window, "Shinju is safe in her house..." His voice trailed off.
Genma saw his silver-haired slumped over the wall, clutching his side and speaking in ragged breaths. When Genma burst in, Tsunade held a hand up to shut him up, listening intently to the Copy-nin.
"...I...ugh...Our team was decimated...But, we got Deidara and Zetsu..."
"So, the Akatsuki members are down to 5?"
"Yeah... Kakuzu, Hidan, Kisame, Madara, and that Pein character..." Kakashi couged roughly.
Genma froze.
Hatake defeated two Akatsuki members? He thought in surprise.
Kakashi grunted in pain, clutching his side harder.
"Were you able to figure out what they wanted?"
Kakashi's face twisted in pain, either from the information or the gash in his side, "Yeah...Shinju..."
But, before he could continue his entire frame crashed unceremoniously onto the wooden floor, blood pooling around his midsection. Tsunade yelled frantically at Genma to hurriedly take him to the Hospital, healing Kakashi as they moved. As Kakashi was getting operated on in the highest emergency room, Tsunade continued to curse herself for being so insensitive.
"Goddammit, I should have taken to the hospital first."
"But you might not have been able to get all the information if he slipped into a coma!" Shizune exclaimed.
"Still, my top Jounin is dying..."
Genma frowned, looking at his friend, his face pale.
"Hokage-sama?" Genma said, turning to the blonde beauty, "I'm going to check on Shinju."
"Good. Do that. But don't tell her anything, Shiranui." Tsunade said in a dangerous voice, "If she knew that this happened to Hatake because of herself, she would do something incredibly stupid. That bratling is always asking for more trouble..."
"Understood."
"Genma?"
"Hm?" He said to Shinju who was still staring straight ahead.
"What happened."
"What do you mean?"
Her red eyes flashed angrily at him for a moment, "Kakashi. He was bleeding and hurting, Tsunade wouldn't heal him. Why?"
Genma sighed, "I can't say anything, you know that. It was an S-classed mission, I'm not permitted to speak of it."
Shinju's shoulders slumped over, "Right."
She bit her lip in worry, all she could think about was Kakashi.
Was he ok?
Was he dying?
She couldn't help but feel a burning ache in her chest at the thought of losing another person she loved so dearly. No, it wouldn't happen again. She glanced at the three men walking beside her. Then looked at the villagers and shinobi passing by. All content and enjoying their life in their beloved village. She looked at the great Hokage Monument, the faces of her previous senseis and honored shinobi looking down on her. Then and there she made a promise she would learn she would never regret...
I promise...
I promise as once a beholder of the dream to become Hokage...
I promise as the clan leader of the Uchiha...
I promise as the Tenchi of the Earth and Heaven Keepers...
I promise as a kunoichi of Konohagakure...
I will protect everyone within...
Even if it costs my life...
The door to the hospital room opened slowly.
Kakashi was laying down on his cot, his infamous orange Icha Icha book laying open across his face. His injuries were partly healed, but he remained extremely weak. He wasn't sure who walked in and couldn't detect his or her chakra signature. Even his sense of smell failed him.
Unsure of what to do, he remained as if he was sleeping, silently praying it was Shinju.
A hand placed itself on his shoulder. Still, he could not tell if it was a man or woman's. Instinctively, he placed his own hand on the hand on his shoulder, it felt relatively smooth...
"Aw, Kakashi-kun," He heard Genma's voice above say, "I didn't know you felt that way about me."
"Fuck you, Shiranui." Kakashi growled slapping the hand away. The Copy-nin tore his beloved book off his masked face and placed it gently next to him.
Genma snickered, seeing the tint of pink on the rim of his friend's mask.
"I knew you couldn't tell who it was, just messin' with you sweetie." Genma winked.
"I swear, I don't understand how Shizune can handle her man being gay..." Kakashi muttered taking a swig of water from the cup placed on the tray in front of him.
"It turns her on." Genma responded, his face serious.
Kakashi choked on the water.
Genma grinned, slapping his friend's back, hard.
"Is there are reason you're here?" Kakashi ground out, feeling the slightly burning sensation on his throat.
"I know you feel graced with my presence," Genma smirked, "but I just came to drop off a present for you."
Kakashi's ears perked up and saw a figure enter the small hospital room. His breath hitched upon seeing the woman. He hadn't seen her since the week after she got released from the hospital. He was extremely irritated with Tsunade for giving him a mission right after she was sent home, but he didn't want to deal with the Hokage's furious temper. It had been a hard few weeks for him. His mind always trailed back to the frail pearl waiting within the gates of Konoha, far far away from him. The moment the lethal blows hit him and he had to race back to Konoha with less than a fourth of his Chakra supply left, all he could think about to get him home was her.
The way she walked was the same, smooth and graceful. Her long, silky black hair was chopped off, he remembered, and was left short, just touching her shoulders. But it looked good on her, anything she did would look good on her. The large white sweater she wore hid the curves he knew she possessed. But it left her long milky white legs very visible, since it stopped midway to her thighs. The bandages wrapped around her thighs hid the dark, inky tattoos that marred her porcelain skin, yet it looked beautiful on her, and exotic.
The dark-haired beauty took tentative steps toward his bed, wringing her hands inside the long sleeves of her sweater.
His eyes roved over her perfect face, the delicate features of the woman who belonged only to him. Yet... there was something off...
Her sparkling, crimson eyes were hooded over with weariness, dark circles looked as if they were permanently etched onto her face. Her mouth looked dry and cracked.
She brushed the bangs that went a little past her perfect eyebrows out of her way, but they fell back into place. He actually really liked her new hairstyle, even though he preferred long hair. The thick, straight bangs that went around her forehead made her look oh-so cute and innocent.
Her full lips parted at seeing him, her wide, scarlet eyes glazed over.
Damn, she was so beautiful it hurt.
"Oh...Kakashi..." She moaned softly, seeing her silver haired shinobi bandaged and torn.
She dropped to the chair next to his bed and placed her hands on his covered stomach, assessing the damage. Genma silently stole out of the room, closing the door behind him and standing guard. Naruto and Sasuke glared at him.
"We wanna see our sensei." Naruto stated.
"Eh... let Shinju see him first..."
Naruto looked as if he was going to argue, but Sasuke silenced him with a look.
"These wounds look terrible." Shinju said bluntly, slapping Kakashi's arm lightly.
He laughed, gripping Shinju's hand that was on his shoulder and squeezing it gently, "Nothing my favorite nurse can fix."
"I'm a medic doctor." Shinju said, raising an eyebrow.
"Nurse sounds sexier."
"..."
Kakashi blinked innocently, seeing her expression switch from anger to amusement.
"Uh huh..."
"How long have you been out and about?" He asked, changing the subject.
"Just yesterday." She said sliding her other hand up and intertwining it with his other free hand. She laid her chin comfortably on the space next to him, looking into his mismatched eyes.
"You can come up here." Kakashi said looking pointedly at the space next to him on the small cot. Very small cot.
"Um, I'm fine here." She said smiling.
"Has Tsunade found something for you to do while you're off active-duty?"
Shinju shook her head, rubbing her thumb pad over Kakashi's un-gloved fingers. He did the same.
"No, I haven't had the chance to talk to her. She was busy healing a certain Copy-nin..."
"Ah, I heard he was extremely good-looking." Kakashi wagged his silver eyebrows deviously at her.
"Really? I heard he was horribly disfigured."
Shinju attempted to stifle the giggles as she saw his face pout in disappointment, "It's just one scar."
"Riiiiiiight."
"You're so mean to me, princess." Kakashi whined, squeezing her hands.
"I'm just truthful."
"Is that so."
"Mhm!" She chirped, grinning at the silver-haired Jounin.
"So truthful that..." he paused, "You'd tell me what you plan to do with the Bijuu trapped within you?"
He saw her visibly flinch at his question, but this question was not new coming from the Jounin. Several times before she left he would ask her. The discussion would end with her storming out of the room.
"Why do you keep asking?" She said finally.
"I think I have a right to know."
Shinju shot a glare at the man, and withdrew her hand from his. In the back of his mind, he silently regretted asking, he reached out again. She moved her hands to her lap so he wouldn't try and hold her hand. Her eyes roved the bandages and scars marring his sculpted body, lean but entirely muscular. But her sharp scarlet eyes would always trail back to the fresh wounds that stained the white bandages.
"No, you don't." She said softly, avoiding his gaze.
Kakashi felt something inside him snap. He was used to that answer. And he was sick of it.
"Dammit, Shinju," Kakashi ground out frustratingly, slamming his fist on the hard cot. Shinju recoiled, her eyes wide in fright. He struggled to sit up and get closer to her, "You always shut me out. Why can't you tell me the truth?"
Shinju's eyes blazed angrily at his words, she whipped her arm out stabbing her index finger into his chest, pointing accusingly, "Who are you to lecture me about telling the truth? I would wait for you for days while you were out taking S-class missions and you'd arrive beaten up, worse than this-" She gestured at his bandaged body, "And I'd heal you. I'd ask you what happened to get you hurt like that, and what would you say to me? 'I can't say.' And I'd accept it, I wouldn't push it."
"Don't get on my case about being truthful," Shinju hissed, her eyes getting wet, "You have some explaining to do, too."
Kakashi took all this anger and spite silently, but the words struck home. He was being a hypocrite. If anything, he was way more reserved in telling the truth than she.
But still.
"Yeah, that was before you left. Again." He emphasized the last word, causing Shinju to twitch, "How am I supposed to trust that now? You could tell Naruto and Sasuke where you were, what you were doing, but you couldn't tell me."
Kakashi felt words spilling from his mouth before he could think, "I think that we need to take a step back and look at what we're getting into."
Silence reigned the room.
The sounds of Naruto and Sasuke arguing on the other side of the door fell silent as well. It seems that they were able to hear the words that were just uttered by the Copy-nin. Kakashi bit his tongue, seeing the conflicting emotions cross Shinju's face. If his mask wasn't pulled up, she, too, would be able to see the regret and horror at what he just said. He couldn't take back what he said now, what's done is done.
Because ultimately...
That was what he wanted to say. Deep in the back of his mind, all he could think about was...
Is this right?
Is this what would make us happy?
We are ninja...
We aren't meant to happily settle down and love...
It's virtually impossible...
You'll always be taken away from those you care for...
Like how his mother was taken from his father...
And his father taken from himself...
And Rin...
Obito...
Minato-sensei...
Can we handle the pain?
...
The cold truth slammed into Kakashi as he thought. It would always happen like this, between them. Because of who they were.
Kakashi would always go out taking S-class missions, without the assurance of returning. He remembered the times before she left. Those few precious months they were able to share before their lives were spiraled down another emotional roller coaster ride. He would come back from missions in the dead of night, bloodied and battered, days or weeks after he said he would return. Shinju would be there waiting for him, her eyes puffy and red. She would continue to reprimand him for being careless. It was routine. Then, after she healed what she could, they would curl up in his bed and he would hold her tightly. Shinju would cry and sob, repeating how she was afraid he wouldn't come back.
It was heartache to hurt her like that.
And then she left again. Under the false pretense that she abandoned him. This time, it was his turn to feel the pain that she wouldn't come back. The one who had melted the hardness around his heart, who brought the spark and fire back had left. Had broken his already fragile heart. On those nights he was alone, missing her warmth, he would allow silent tears to seep out of the corners of his eyes. It was worse than her dying. He knew that he would never feel this way again, he wouldn't allow himself to feel like this.
"I don't love you..."
Her voice echoed within his head.
The night she left...
She had said those heartwrenching words...
Kakashi's downcast eyes looked up and met Shinju's pain-filled ones. He couldn't go through pain like that again. Neither could she.
Shinju saw the acceptance and understanding of their situation. She saw the pain reflected in his own eyes at the thought of letting her go. Then her mind reeled at the pain and heartbreak they both went through. Just because they loved someone who was fated not to be loved...
This is best for the both of us...
I can't promise her that I would come back...
I can't promise him I won't leave...
I can't promise her a life full of happiness...
I can't promise him a family...
I can't promise her...
I can't promise him...
Shinju lowered her eyes, accepting what she thought. Accepting the words he spoke to her.
"We can't continue going on like this..." A whisper was all he could muster.
"Can't we resolve this?" She whispered back, her words laden with pain and sadness.
"I don't know." Kakashi said, gritting his teeth, biting back the yell of frustration at their situation. If he wasn't the Copy-nin, and she wasn't a jinchuuriki and a sought after shinobi, they would be able to live a happy life, "Do you want to go through the pain again?"
"I can't..." His voice cracked slightly, "I don't think I can handle seeing you being brought back dead. I can't. Or seeing you with a gaping hole in your chest. Or a coma. It will kill me if I have to see that again..."
"Can you handle not knowing when I'd return from an unranked mission? Waiting day and night for me to return? Or finding out one day, I'll never return?" Kakashi pressed, looking into her deep crimson depths.
Of course she couldn't handle it, it would kill her as well. But she couldn't let him go...
No matter what she couldn't promise him...
She wanted and needed him by her side...
She wanted to wake up in the morning and see his beautiful face...
And kiss his soft lips...
But that wasn't what he wanted. She thought sadly.
Shinju said nothing, rising to her feet. Kakashi wanted reach out and grab her, to hold her close like they used to. But he couldn't, she had accepted what he said.
He somehow hoped she would fight back, and yell, and throw a tantrum and tell him he's wrong.
But no...
She accepted his words.
And his heart broke once more.
And hopefully for the last time...
Shinju trudged toward the door, her hand hovering over the golden doorknob.
"I understand." She murmured, her voice cracking, "But... no matter what happens, I still love you. My bestfriend..."
Kakashi felt something squeeze his heart painfully at her words.
What he said was a mistake. And he knew it. It was the truth, but he didn't want to push her away. He was just so frustrated and confused and ultimately tired.
He needed his princess by his side. He opened his mouth to speak but she was out the door already.
And anyways...
It was for the best...
Right...?
"Onee-chan..." He heard Naruto say.
"I have a meeting with Tsunade-sama," She said quickly, her voice low and gruff, "I'll see you three later."
"Wait!" He heard Sasuke call out, but he heard the poof and the smell of flower petals and knew she had disappeared.
"Fuck Kakashi." He heard Naruto ground out.
The door burst open as two seething boys approached his hospital bed.
"WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?" Naruto yelled, grabbing Kakashi's shoulders.
Kakashi fell limp to Naruto's hold, even as Naruto shook him senseless. The Copy-nin did nothing and said nothing.
"I thought you were sadistic towards us," Sasuke said coldly, "I guess I was wrong. You enjoy hurting others... Especially those who've given their heart to you."
Naruto threw Kakashi back onto the bed, growling, "I don't understand. What the hell happened? You love Shinju, right? You stayed up with her when she was being healed by Tsunade. All of a sudden you just don't anymore?"
I love Shinju...
It's for the best...
"It was for the best." Kakashi said tiredly, numb from the pain.
"No, it was what's best for you." Sasuke hissed, "It only saved your heartache because Shinju would leave."
"That's not true." Kakashi whispered.
"Yes it is. Shinju has sacrificed her childhood, her entire life to save this village. When she leaves another part of her heart breaks. Don't you understand?"
Sasuke started walking towards the door, beckoning the furious blonde to follow. The raven-haired boy looked over his shoulder one last time.
"She would die to protect you and the village. Is that what you're afraid of? Cause if it is, you're a coward."
With that, Sasuke and Naruto walked out the door.
Genma stood next to the door, facing the Copy-nin. He opened his mouth to speak, but Kakashi held up a hand.
"If it's to comment on my disgust and total asshole-ness. Save it."
His friend shrugged, "I was leaning toward heartless bastard."
Kakashi shot Genma a look.
"That kid is right," Genma said sitting next to Kakashi, "Yeah, you went through shit your whole life, but who hasn't?"
"And Shinju held her head up high whenever shit happened to her. She got through it with help from her friends. And you."
Kakashi felt the same painful tug at his heart, he was so tired. He needed to rest...
"And yes, as ninja we are at risks all the time. One day we won't wake up, or we won't return. But enjoy what you have now, cause you won't get another chance. Take the risk, Hatake. If not, you and Shinju will really regret it."
Darkness edged at his mind...
"And you two were cute as a couple. Seriously..."
"Genma?"
"Hm?"
"Shut up and let me sleep."
"Yessir."
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
Shinju pushed the door open, it felt heavier than before. She heaved a huge sigh then walked in, attempting to erase the flickering emotions crossing her face. Tsunade looked up from the scroll she was studying and narrowed her golden eyes on her previous apprentice. Shinju shrunk back at the woman's scrutinizing gaze.
"You look bad." Tsunade stated bluntly.
Shinju laughed, it sounded forced, "Just a bad day."
"Hn," Tsunade grunted, "So, you visited Hatake?"
Tsunade saw a flicker of pain cross the young woman's face.
Ah... So that's it...
"Yes," Shinju said with a forced happiness, "He looks better."
"Alright..." Tsunade decided not to pry... yet.
If that idiotic boy hurt her I swear on my grandfather's grave I'll ensure he stays in that hospital bed...
"What did you need me for?" Shinju asked tiredly, running a hand through her short locks.
Tsunade looked at a pile of scrolls next to her, setting each out onto her desk. There were 3.
"Since I've taken you off the missions list," Tsunade explained, opening each scroll, "I've decided to try a little experiment."
Shinju winced.
Sounds like Orochimaru...
"It's true we are low on man-power, but we are not low on the number of men and women available to use."
She lifted a one of the three scrolls and looked over at Shinju with a critical golden eye.
"Unfortunately, we do not have teachers available to guide these shinobi toward strength and knowledge."
"You want me to be a teacher?" Shinju asked.
"More than that," Tsunade said sharply, "You will lead them."
Shinju frowned, "I'm confused..."
"To put it simply: I'm giving you students to train."
"That sounds ridiculous, Tsunade." Shinju said skeptically.
"Quiet, bratling!" Tsunade yelled, slamming her fist into the wooden desk, splinters flying everywhere, "You will not question my authority."
Shinju remained impassive, but listened.
"These students are highly skilled, but still raw. All are Chuunin-level. By the end of their training with you, they will be above Jounin-level."
"Hah?" Shinju yelped, looking at her former teacher incredulously, "Sensei, that is almost impossible."
"But not entirely impossible," Tsunade said smirking, "And these Chuunin are not your average run-of-the mill shinobi. They each possess something that not all have."
"And that is...?"
"Faith."
Shinju's eyes softened and she let her shoulders drop.
Faith...
"Alright, who are these special shinobi?" The dark-haired beauty questioned, crossing her arms under her chest.
"They're known as the Rookie Nine. Except I'm pulling out one from each team. Here-" Tsunde grabbed the three scrolls she was surveying and tossed them to Shinju, "Except I'm removing one of the three-man cells and replacing them with a different set of Chuunin. They all should work well together."
"Hmmm, Team Kurenai: Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, and Hyuuga Hinata..."
"You are to receive Hyuuga Hinata."
Shinju's scarlet eyes skimmed through the next set of names.
"Team Asuma: Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Choji, and Nara Shikamaru..."
"From this team, you'll get Nara Shikamaru. Shikamaru is a Jounin as of a few months ago, but he will still be a part of the team." Tsunade added.
"Team Gai: Rock Lee, Tenten, and Hyuuga Neji..."
"And this team, you'll have Tenten."
"Ah..." Shinju said, deep in thought, "Wait, what about Naruto and Sasuke's team? I see I'm taking care of Sai?"
Tsunade smiled, "Yes, they were the other team. I didn't put them in your care because each already have their own teachers. Sakura has me. Naruto has Jiraiya. And Sasuke has Kakashi. They already have reached Jounin-level. But Sai will also join you."
"But Shikamaru-"
"Is going to go above and beyond."
Shinju decided not to press the problem further.
"What about their senseis? And do they know I'm training them?"
"I sent Asuma and Gai on missions. Kurenai will be home with her child."
Tsunade looked sternly at Shinju.
"Is this wise to split them from their team? I'd think that would be a pretty bad thing to do."
"Well, yes," Tsunade admitted, "It would disturb team dynamics, but they agreed to this."
"They are not to know you are training them. They understand that this team I'm building is top-secret. You are to wear your ANBU uniform at all times."
"The Hyuuga has the Byakuugan." Shinju pointed out.
"Yes, that's true. But our Research and Development teams have developed a doujutsu to counter the Byakuugan."
Shinju frowned, "Naruto and Sasuke will notice that I'm out of the house all day. And if they happen to walk upon my training session, they'll know it's me and call me out. What about that?"
"You will tell them a brief overview of what you're doing. Nothing more. And also, you'll be staying in the ANBU headquarters until you are finished training them."
"How long?"
Tsunade rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "A year at most. Depends."
"What?" Shinju spluttered, "A year? I'll be away from my boys and everyone for a year? Again?"
"You'll have days off," Tsunade said brushing it off, "I'm not saying you'll have to work straight. Jeez."
"Do I have an alibi as to why I'm gone so long?"
"We'll have them believe you're still sick."
"Genma saw me today though..."
"Then we'll tell him you had a relapse." Tsunade said impatiently, tapping her red manicured nail on her desk.
"Alright..."
"You're meeting your charges in an hour," Tsunade glanced at the Grandfather Clock that belonged to her grandfather. He made it himself. "It's 9:00. Be back in my office in uniform by 9:30. I'll have more to explain to you. Now out of my sight."
Tsunade waved Shinju off, and continued pouring over a scroll.
Shinju sighed and disappeared in a whirl of flower petals...
In the soft morning light, an ANBU captain stood in front of her floor-length mirror. She touched the dark, swirling tattoo on her left bicep, feeling a slight tingling sensation. It had not faded, and it had not shifted. It was stark black and perfect as ever.
She slipped on a pair of tight-fitting black pants and turtleneck longsleeve shirt, hugging her thin form. Then she strapped on her thin, white vest, adjusting its straps on her shoulders. The ANBU grabbed her pair of heavy boots and strapped them onto her feet tightly. She tugged the top of her skin-tight turtleneck higher so that it barely touched the rim of her jaw. She scooped her cropped black hair into a shaggy ponytail, frowning at her appearance.
The ANBU realized she can't use any of her weaponry seals, so she strapped two chakra blades on her back. One handle had a figurine of the crescent moon, the other a figurine of the burning sun. The gold and silver colors glinted in the small room.
Her final piece of her uniform, was her mask.
It was something very special to her, she had put time and effort into creating the perfect mask for herself. She and Sai worked for days on the mask, accentuating its whiskers, outlining the curling smirk in red, and shaping her eyes as to make her feline qualities more pronounced. Her cat mask was well-known among the village, but no one knew whose face was behind it. She made sure she remained unknown, but Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi knew the mask well. Thankfully, only them.
The goldleaf lining over her eyes made her mask look regal and beautiful. Purple whiskers stretched from the edges of the mask, like claw marks. Deep black tear marks ran from the bottom of the eye-holes to the bottom edge of the mask.
She lifted the mask to her face, smiling slightly at her reflection from the mirror, then snapped the mask in place. She grabbed her backpack full of ANBU uniforms and scrolls, her toothbrush, and little trinkets.
The ANBU snatched her black katana from its holding place and strapped it in the middle of the twin dual chakra blades and walked out of her room.
"Onee-chan?" Naruto's voice jarred her as she stepped quietly out of her room.
The woman looked up and saw her little brothers sitting in the large living room reading a scroll together, both looked up at her in concern.
"Tsunade is letting you go on missions?" Sasuke asked with a hint of disdain.
"Hn, no," She said sliding her mask up and dropping her pack on the floor and making her way to her boys. They slid apart and let their older sister settle between them, "It's more like a request."
"Can you tell us about it?" Naruto asked hopefully.
"Tsk," Sasuke reprimanded, "Hello, ANBU don't talk about mission details, moron."
"It doesn't hurt to ask, Sasuke-teme!" Naruto exclaimed angrily.
Shinju laughed, patting Naruto and Sasuke's leg affectionately, "I'll tell you."
Sasuke cocked an eyebrow but said nothing.
"I'm just training a bunch of rookies. Tsuande wants me to teach them stuff I learned so that they could be Jounin-level and maybe more. In case an attack reaches our village... Reports have said the Akatsuki is moving..."
Naruto sucked air sharply, "Well, it won't come to that, right?"
"I don't know, little one," Shinju said sadly, "But I'll make sure the future of our village is trained and ready. You know them! Team Gai, Team Asuma, and Team Kurenai?"
"Why aren't we training with you?" Sasuke said disappointedly.
She tapped her finger on his nose playfully, "All three of you guys have senseis."
"B-b-but we wanna train with you, too!" Naruto whined.
"Your friends need this knowledge," Shinju said sternly, "You have Tsunade and Jiraiya and..." she didn't say the last name, pain biting at her chest.
"Kakashi is hardly a good teacher." Sasuke frowned, "He teaches me jutsu and what-not, but still..."
"In any case, he's the Rokudaime," Shinju assured, smiling tightly, "So you're his apprentice in a way."
"That doesn't mean anything." Sasuke deadpanned. Shinju grinned, poking his forehead playfully, "I'll teach you guys. Just... Maybe next time!"
He froze.
Sasuke ran forward, clutching a kunai in each hand.
"Here I go!"
He grinned at his older brother, watching his reaction. Itachi smiled softly, "Let's go, Sasuke."
"You said you'd teach me new moves! Liar..." Sasuke pouted.
Itachi just smiled again, waving his little brother away. Sasuke laughed running forward to him.
His older brother's fingers poked his forehead as he approached, causing him to stop.
"Maybe next time, Sasuke." Itachi said, smirking...
Sasuke cringed inwardly, Stupid bastard he thought spitefully.
Shinju may trust him, but Sasuke sure didn't. The only thing that kept him from killing that man was Shinju, she would come between them if they fought and he did not want that.
Shinju sighed, ruffling her brothers' heads and stood up, "I won't be able to live here for a while, but I'll come by. Oh, if Itachi comes to the house, tell him what's going on, won't you?"
"By the way, don't tell anyone what I'm doing. Just tell them I'm still sick, Tsunade wants my identity to be kept a secret. Mention nothing. Especially in front of Shikamaru and Neji. I'll be using a genjutsu type of thing to hide myself from the Byakuugan, I won't be able to acknowledge you while I'm in uniform. You two understand, right?"
Naruto and Sasuke's expression saddened.
"We won't be able to see you?" Naruto said in a wounded voice.
"I'll come by!" Shinju assured, kissing his cheek.
"I promise." She said again, seeing Sasuke's skeptic face and kissed his cheek.
Her eyes trailed over the scroll they were reading intently before she walked out. It was information on the Jounin exam.
"Both of you are taking it together!" She yelped, scooping the young boys in hugs. They wriggled uncomfortably and protested loudly against her embarrassing actions.
"Yeah, it's in a month," Sasuke said sheepishly, "We wanted you to attend as our representative."
"Can you?" Naruto pleaded.
"Er..." Shinju thought about what Tsunade would say, "Well, I'm not sure," She admitted, and saw their faces fall.
"I'll go!" She exclaimed, hugging them tightly again, "I'm so proud of you guys." She whispered.
"We're proud of you two." Sasuke murmured back, smiling. Shinju began tearing up seeing her little boys were looking at her with such admiration.
"alright alright I'm late," she mumbled wiping stray tears away, "Go train and what-not. I'll come by. Just watch out for a little bird." Shinju winked.
Naruto sniffled, his face scrunching to hide his tears, "Ok ok, be a great teacher nee-chan!"
"Hai, hai," She laughed, sliding her mask back down, "I'll see my little boys soon!" And with that, she was gone in a flurry of flower petals.
Naruto sniffed loudly, rubbing his eyes.
"Cmon dobe," Sasuke said, beckoning the blonde to the scroll, "Let's see what jutsu we have to know for the exam."
"I think you're getting old, baa-chan." Tsunade heard a smooth, female voice call out.
Tsunade turned quickly and saw a cat masked ANBU sitting on her open windowsill, her head tilted back and the wind caressing her skin.
"Pfft," Tsunade scoffed, "I didn't have the energy to say anything."
"Hn."
No, she's right...
I couldn't sense her...
Damn, if she keeps this up, she could be stronger than the Fourth...
"So, what did I need to come here first for?"
"Ah," Tsunade said, snapping her fingers and snatching a packet off her desk, "Here, it's a seal doujutsu. Take your mask off in my presence." she reminded her ex-student.
Shinju opened the flap of the packet and surveyed the paper-thin seal, sliding her mask on the top of her head. Chakra was radiating off the paper and slipping into her own body.
"Put it on your neck." Tsunade commanded.
Shinju lowered her turtleneck and slapped the seal directly in the middle. Instantly, she felt her body tingle and the spread of chakra infiltrate her system. It was slightly uncomfortable and her Sharingan activated itself in response. She saw her own chakra but then saw only her chakra and nothing else.
"Erm..." She said uncertainly.
"Wow, nice look." Tsunade said smirking.
Shinju looked at her reflection in the mirror and saw a purple-eyed woman staring back. Her haircolor was still the same deep black, but her face was the only thing that changed. Her nose was a bit flatter and her lips thinner. Her eyes were shaped like large almonds, instead of the teardrop shape it once was. Her face was round and child-like.
"I can still see my chakra," Shinju said skeptically, turning from her reflection, "I think this is a dud."
"No, no, it works," Tsunade assured, "Watch."
"Shizune get in here."
Shinju heard the clicking of heels run hurriedly to the door and open it hesitantly.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama?"
"Do you know who this is?" Tsunade asked sternly.
Shizune stared deep into Shinju's eyes and looking over her body. Shinju saw a frown form on the brown-haired woman's face.
"No, is she a new ANBU recruit?" Shizune said.
"Yes, she's quite exceptional, she's training the rookies that partook in the Chuunin exam 2 years ago. Alright, that's all I needed, you can go."
Shizune bowed slightly and shuffled out of the office.
Tsunade grinned and said, "See? Shizune has a talent on picking up chakra signatures. Yours was completely masked."
Shinju said nothing, and hoisted her pack higher on her back.
"What else do I need to know?"
"I'm going to tell you exactly what I want taught to them," Tsunade explained, "Concentrate on their weaknesses. Teach them Ninjutsu you think is useful for each student, and as a whole, I want them to cooperate together as if they were one big team. I'll be sending all of you on missions as your training progresses. Taijutsu is a strength for you as well-" Tsunade's eye twinkled, "since Minato decided to teach you space and time techniques secretly, hmmm?"
Shinju's face caught a shade of pink, "He said he'd get in trouble if he taught me, how'd you know?"
"I saw a kunai that resembled his in your home. That special kunai." Tsunade smirked, "Anyways, teach them all you can, alright? Make 'em work for it. Scare them if you have to."
"Hai, Tsunade." Shinju said confidently.
"They're heading this way as we speak, say nothing unless your told to. And for god's sakes, try and not give yourself away?"
Shinju laughed quietly slipping her mask back down, "I understand."
A moment later a loud knock was heard at the Hokage's door.
"Get in here." Tsunade barked impatiently.
The door opened slowly upon hearing Tsunade's tone, but the young shinobi filed in, plastering themselves to the wall to be as far away from Tsunade as possible. Shinju stifled a giggled behind her mask but said nothing. 4 pairs of eyes settled on her, wondering curiously who she was.
Tsunade cleared her throat, their eyes averting to their Hokage.
"As I informed you, you would have a teacher to train all of you. You'll be forming a secret underground team, you'll be known as: Saino no Aru Mono. No one is to know of your training, understand that if others heard about your special training, great suspicion would run throughout the village. I have selected one from the ANBU who was highly regarded by the Third Hokage and the current Kazekage."
Shinju raised a gloved hand in greeting.
"Her name is Yuki."
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at her, she shifted her feet uncomfortably but did not back down.
"Is she supposed to wear a mask in your presence?"
Tsunade glared at the slouching boy, "Silence. Yuki will take off her mask when she feels like it."
"I'm not gonna bite," Shinju laughed, placing her hands on her hips, "Hard." She uttered the last word in a low dangerous tone.
Hinata's pale eyes quivered at the heavy-laden chakra in the room produced by that ANBU woman. She glanced at her teammate, his lazy eyes looked back at Hinata uncertainly.
Shinju surveyed the stiff, young men and women in the room, assessing each and everyone.
"Excuse me," Sai said, "Is there a reason we had to be split from our teams?"
"You're still training with your teams," Tsunade said, "But this is your other team."
Tenten shuffled nervously seeing the powerful ANBU-clad woman that would be their teacher.
She's like Tsunade-sama! I can tell she's so strong!
"Will this team actually work?" Shikamaru noted skeptically, "First of all, we don't really know one another. Second, we don't cooperate well together. And third, we're used to our old team."
Tsunade opened her mouth to shout at Shikamaru's insolence, but Shinju spoke first, "Yes, you don't know eachother, but that just makes it all better when we start learning about one another. And yes, you probably won't work well together, but perfect practice makes perfect. Lastly, you need to learn to adapt to difficult situations, you won't always have your team." Shinju finished her lecture sternly and crossed her arms under her chest.
"Well, you all can get acquainted while training." Tsunade chirped happily, extracting medic scrolls and unfurling them. "You may go."
Shinju bowed and nodded to her new charges. They stiffened as she walked past them. They followed behind her talking amongst themselves while she was a ways away.
Shikamaru rubbed his chin thoughtfully and looked over at Hinata, "Strange. Tsunade is putting all of us in a secret team, led by an ANBU woman we don't know, and we're all Chuunin. Well except for me..."
"Yes. I'm curious as to why you must be here," Hinata said quietly, "Maybe..." Her sentence trailed off as she gathered Chakra to her pale eyes.
"Byakuugan!" She whispered quietly as the veins and skin around her eyes puffed up. She looked directly at Yuki's back, attempting to see past her mask.
Shikamaru waited as he saw the Hyuuga using her Byakuugan. He heard Hinata sigh in disappointment and her skin flatten out.
"It's no one we know. She has purple eyes and her Chakra is one I've never seen before."
"Really, I'm not sure why I'm with Lazy Ass and Miss Stutter." Sai said unabashedly, "Even Weakling over here," He pointed at a furious looking Tenten.
Shinju frowned behind her mask, she heard every word that was being said behind her even though they were a good 10 feet back. She shrugged and walked out of the Hokage Tower, the hot sun hitting her black-clad body.
"Alright," she said loudly, turning to the following teens, "Let's see how skilled everyone says you are."
They looked at her curiously but in the next second, she disappeared.
"What the hell?" Sai exclaimed seeing the empty spot where Yuki was.
"I-I-I think we're supposed to find her." Hinata said timidly her Byakuugan already activated.
"Well, shit that's gonna take forever!" Tenten cried.
Tenten looked at the Hyuuga and said, "Can't you just locate her with your Byakuugan?"
"We could," HInata said exasperatedly, "But I can't find a trace of her Chakra. Our eyes don't go far distances."
"Troublesome..." Shikamaru sighed.
They all started arguing on how to find her, when Shikamaru raised a lazy hand.
"Here's what we're going to do," He said quieting the group down. They were getting odd looks by passer-by and shinobi as it was, "We'll split up. "When we find her, set out an explosive tag, we'll see it. We don't have radios so, that'll have to do for now."
"Good plan!" Tenten exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Let's start lookin'!" Shikamaru said, jumping onto a building disappearing from sight.
The team dispersed quickly and ran throughout Konoha looking for their ANBU-clad teacher...
DONE! Sorry I took so long! Writer's block and all that.
I'm a little unhappy with this chapter because I'm not sure how I'm going to incorporate all these people into the story. Sigh.
TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!
A/N: Their team name means "Talented Ones." Get it? Title of the chapter? Yeah haha.
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