Chapter 25
Optional
A/N
As you can see, this chapter is titled OPTIONAL. The reason is because this chapter doesn't have to be read to continue in the series. You can read this chapter if you wish, but it is not needed to finish the story. It's just a few "Stories From Home". Kind of like the type of stuff you and me have had. It tells of Kousetsu, Itachi, Kisame, Deidara, and Sasori raising her through the years. Being in the Akatsuki and raising a daughter must be hard work. So taking a look at how they did it should be tons of fun, eh? LOL I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I did writing it. If you read it please Review. P.S. If you do read it, you will find out how Kou came to own Kenji.
-Megumi Tsukazu
"Can we go out now Daddy?" she pleaded. Itachi said nothing but continued reading a long document. Kousetsu wrapped her small fingers around her father's large arm. "Kou, I can't take you out right now. I'm working." She folded her arms over her chest and pouted. "You're always working…" she stood and walked towards the sliding paper door that led to the other rooms. "Don't go outside without someone Kousetsu Uchiha!" her father yelled as she exited the room.
"Uncle Deidara!!" A man with long blond hair appeared out of the hallway. "What do you want, brat?" Her eyes closed to a slit to glare at her uncle. "I'm not a brat!! And I was wondering if you could take me outside." Deidara touched one finger to his mouth as if he was contemplating something much more complicated then whether to take his niece outside. "No." was his simple answer and he walked back down the hallway to his bedroom.
She heard the front door open and close. Her hopes rose as she heard a familiar voice from the front room. She flung the door open and ran into the arms of the man who had just entered the manor. "Hey, squirt! What's up?" Kisame picked her up and held her in his arms. "Daddy promised he'd take me outside but he isn't." Kisame chuckled and looked at Itachi who shrugged in return. "Daddy said he would huh?" Kisame questioned.
"Come on Itachi. You've been rereading that document for a week now. Take you're daughter outside" he smiled putting the six year old Kousetsu on the ground. Itachi rubbed his temples before looking up at Kisame. "Fine. Kou, let's get you dressed. It's freezing outside."
After Itachi had dressed himself and Kou for the harsh February cold he walked her out to the back veranda. A thick layer of snow covered the ground. "Wow…Daddy, it's beautiful…" Itachi gently squeezed his daughter's hand. "It's been a while since you seen snow. Almost three years." Kisame Deidara and Sasori had followed them to the back porch.
Kousetsu stepped onto the snow and walked a few steps forward and fell through the snow. "Kousetsu are you okay?!" Itachi asked worried. He ran over to her through the snow and fell in as well. Laughter erupted from Kisame and Deidara. Itachi frowned and pelted a ball of snow at them. "Oh, it's on now Uchihas!"
A snowball fight raged between the father daughter team and Kisame and Deidara. For hours the fight raged. Sasori sat on the veranda watching the war. After the teams had signed a peace treaty they sat on the veranda. "Did you have fun Kou?" Itachi asked, his daughter nestled between his legs sipping on a hot cup of tea. She smiled and nodded up at him.
"You know what today is right, Brat?" Deidara asked smiling. She thought about the date for a second then nodded excitedly. "Today is my birthday! And the third anniversary of being part of the family!" Kisame chuckled. "That's right, and we've all got presents for you." Kisame pulled a long sheathed sword and handed it to Kousetsu.
"You got me a sword, Uncle Kisa?" She pulled the sword out of the sheath and found that there was no blade. "Uncle Kisa, is this one of your special swords?" He nodded with a grin. "It was custom made to work with your Kekkei Genkai. I'll teach you how to use it this upcoming year." Kousetsu beamed. "Thank you Uncle Kisa!!"
"Alright! My turn!" Deidara jumped up. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a large rolled up piece of paper. He unrolled it and handed it to Kousetsu. It was a large painting of her and her uncles. She looked at it admirably. It was beautiful. The colors clashed so that it mesmerized the onlookers. "Thank you Uncle Deidara, it's beautiful."
Sasori grabbed her hand. "Here…" was all he said as he handed her a small cloak. It was black silk with white silk clouds sewed to it. She grinned widely at it. Kousetsu looked up at her Puppet Uncle who looked nervous. She wrapped her small arms around his waist and hugged him in thanks.
"Kousetsu come here" her father said soothingly. She sat beside him grinning. "I know that when we're away on missions it can get really lonely, and you don't know many people besides us in the Akatsuki. So it came upon me to
get you something that would keep you company. Now close your eyes." She obeyed. She heard him stand and walk away then walk back seconds later. "Hold out your hands." She obeyed. He placed something heavy and moist in her hands. She slowly opened her eyes. She screwed up her eyes. "What is it?" It was the size of her head, white and lumpy. It was heavy but somewhat wet.
"Kou, it's an egg." An egg? "When it hatches, you get to keep what's inside." She gasped. "What's inside Daddy?" He smiled down at her. "You'll have to find out for yourself." She smiled back, "When's it gonna hatch?" "It should start cracking in about one week," he said. She looked at the egg smiling; she could feel a tiny heartbeat. She didn't care what creature would emerge from the egg in one week's time, she would cherish it like her family cherished her.
-Page Break-
Her sweat drenched hair stuck to her forehead as she walked through the vegetation. Kenji followed close behind. An eleven year old Kousetsu strutted through the front door of the Akatsuki headquarters, where she lived with her father, uncles, and other members of the organization.
As she walked through the door she was hit by a thick cloud of black smoke. She heard Kenji hiss as the door closed. "Hello?!" she called through the smoke. She fell to the ground and inched her way toward the source of the smoke: the kitchen. She was about twenty feet away from the kitchen but she could see a shape standing with their back towards her. She cursed under her breath as she realized who it was. "DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!"
Within seconds Itachi was bolting down the stairwell and cautiously making his way through the smoke. "What is it? What's wrong?" His voice was shaky. Kousetsu pointed into the kitchen, "He's trying to cook again!!" Itachi nodded at his daughter, "Alright you know the drill, I'll go get Sasori and Kisame!" Kou raised her hand and moved it right to left; the smoke began clearing as she moved her hand. "What do you think you're doing?!"
He whipped around and smiled at her. "I didn't hear you come in, Kousetsu. Are you ready for some dinner?" Kousetsu glared up at the man in her kitchen. He was wearing a bandana to keep his long blond hair away from the stove. "Deidara, you know I do the cooking! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" He turned back to the stove where a large pot was smoking. He opened his mouth to say something to her but turned to see a claw push the lid open and scrape at the outside of the pot. Kousetsu's uncle pulled out a kunai
and stabbed at it. "I told you to die!! Become stew or meet your match!!" The claw drew back into the pot.
Kousetsu let her head fall into her hands as she looked at her uncle smiling over the stove. "Kenji," she whispered so Deidara couldn't hear. "Don't worry, I'll make something else…"
A/N
Sorry it took so long to update Black Widow… I guess I've just been wrapped up in my new story that I wasn't working on this one. Sorry!! Well tomorrow is my first day of school so I probably won't be able to update as often as I have been this summer. But don't worry, I'll try my hardest. Wish me luck at High School tomorrow all my fans. I'm kinda scared…its my first day of high school tomorrow. Sad Face D: lol Well wish me luck my fans. I heart you all!!
-Megumi Tsukazu