I can't say I was happy, even though little Naruto was with me right now. Why was that? Because Kakashi decided to interrupt our little bonding moment by dropping in on me to see if I finally agreed to give Naruto to Ebisu, that's why! She had just summoned enough of her nerve to finally talk, then bam! Kakashi suddenly appears. Of course, Naruto suddenly forgot what we were talking about and fell asleep. Now the damn brat was avoiding me in any way she can think.
"Your limit seems to be three." Kakashi spoke up, breaking my thought process. For some reason, it appeared he gained Naruto's attention as well. "Rest up for now, we will continue this later on." Before I could object, he disappeared. "Son of a…" I sighed before turning to Naruto. "It's been three weeks Naruto; you can't avoid my question forever." I stated as I sat down under the rock she was on. "I didn't understand the question-ttebayo." She simply stated, as if that would stop me from bringing it up.
"You seemed to have understood the question well enough three weeks ago." I countered. "Nuh-uh! I asked you what you meant and you then asked me what I remembered-ttebayo!" She countered back. "How was I supposed to know that you didn't understand the question! You sounded like you understood what I was asking and wanted to push it one stage further!" Why were we shouting back and forth? Hell if I knew, but man… this kid, I swear… it was starting to feel like Naruto was around again.
"Fine-ttebayo!" She shouted before fidgeting above me. "…. I remember being on a field or something… there was blood everywhere. Then the next thing I know, I'm being cradled by Baa-chan-ttebayo. I closed my eyes… the next thing I see is `Kashi holding onto me as some guy was shouting frantically." She jumped down into my lap and stared up at me. "Tell me about the Naruto you know-ttebayo!" I though you remembered those things! This kid confused me, more than anything. It was probably because I knew that she was hiding something but wouldn't tell me exactly what she was hiding.
"Let it be known that this is going to be awkward telling you about yourself." I stated, getting a pout from her. I instantly remembered all the times I would tease Naruto just to get the same exact expressions.
"Naruto was quite the dunce… but for someone who didn't know him, they wouldn't know that he played the prankster to have people acknowledge him. He seemed to be afraid of nothing, but when we were in the land of waves, I realized he had fears. He was afraid of being left behind, he feared losing his teammates, he feared quite a lot. I want to say it was around this time that I realized that Naruto was stronger than I thought, but only emotionally. He had quite the beliefs… considering he detested when people didn't try to live up to their given name. He made sure everyone knew his name, so that no one would ever forget him and so that he would leave a mark. When I think about it… at the end of the night, you and your male side…. There isn't much of a difference at all."
"Homo." Hah? What did she just say? "How the heck do you get that out of what I said?" She stuck her tongue out. "You always sound so sentimental towards that Naruto! It sounds like you were that close to him-ttebayo." I narrowed my gaze. "I'm straight." She grinned. "But you were talking as if he was your lover-ttebayo!" I'm pretty sure my head was covered in veins by now. "Naruto… you are that 'Naruto'." Her devilish smile quickly fell as it was replaced with horror. Seriously? The kid forgot that she was that Naruto? Wow… and I thought I was bad…
"Listen… I don't have feelings for that male side of you at all. My sentimental feelings are of a… friend talking about their closest friend. Despite all the girls that chased me… Naruto was all I had. I didn't realize it until, well… until you showed up. Half the time, it just doesn't feel like that Naruto disappeared at all. That's why I don't believe you when you say you remember nothing!" I pulled her on her cheeks. I let go with a long sigh. "But… I really don't understand you. You're the same Naruto but… you have strength… you have knowledge. It's like the male side of you was holding back this whole time… yet if he was, then he did a pretty good job of hiding his strength…"
"Ano… that would be because the male side is restricted on Kyuu-chan's chakra… weren't you told this before? I'm his favorite side… for reasons." She glanced to the side, pretty much telling me that I won't get an answer even if I pulled on her cheeks as hard as I could. Every time… just every time I learn something from her, another thing becomes confusing. "When I was first staying at your place… you always muttered that you wanted Naruto back… why-ttebayo?" I muttered? Since when?
"I would tell you but… someone is holding back on me so I'm not obligated to answer that question." The glare I got really did remind me of all those times I teased Naruto. "Please! It's like `Suke doesn't want me around anymore…" Really? Who the hell uses those cheap measures to get someone to tell them what they want? Sometimes this brat… I just wanted to beat her!
"It happened a little after I first met Naruto, but before the death of my clan. My brother showed me an area I could train when I wanted to, so I always went there. One day when I was training, I heard voices near where I was. When I walked over, I saw Naruto getting a beating from villagers. They were beating him and jabbing him with the objects they had. His eyes plead for someone to save him, but he kept smiling despite what was going on. I stood between the men and Naruto. The men fled immediately but then I was left with trying to find someone to treat Naruto. Ever since what happened that night, I couldn't handle seeing those I knew, get hurt. That was probably why in the wave country, I put myself before Naruto and took the damage. I never confronted Naruto about it, because it appeared that he couldn't even remember anything that happened."
The blank gaze in her eyes told me that really was the case. "Be honest with me… do you remember things from being the male side of yourself… or do you really not recall anything?" She turned her gaze away from me, staring up at the fading sunlight. It scared me on how mature she would seem at times despite her five year old appearance.
"I remember small things… like the time when `Kashi-chan came to the apartment… but I only remember him coming… I don't recall why-ttebayo. Oh and then there was that time where… ah…" Her expression quickly changed. "Where…?" She shook her head before smiling up at me. "Nah… its nothing-ttebayo." Her eyes were soft; it wasn't natural to see such a gaze in her eyes. "So why aren't you training?" I asked to change the topic. "Says the one who was getting their butt handed to them-ttebayo!" Hey… I didn't have any choice in that battle. I had a problem with my fight; then again… she was medicated…
"Naruto, your opponent knows all your moves though. He even has those eyes. How, exactly, do you plan to fight him?" Well that is assuming she was still matched up against Neji, that egotistic bastard. "He wouldn't know all my moves! I barely touched any of my abilities against doggy!" Really? It seemed like so much from my perspective.
"`Suke… you worry too much." Instead of sapphires, I was staring into those deadly crimson eyes. "Yes well… people seem to become this way when dealing with a child that was suddenly put under their watch. I'm just a kid with not much knowledge towards how to even entertain young ones." She narrowed her gaze. "I told you I'm 12-ttebayo!" I turned my gaze away from her. "One cannot tell… be it the male Naruto or you…"
"And no one can tell you're an Uchiha-ttebayo!" What is that supposed to mean! "Are you trying to pick a fight?" I dangerously growled with a glare in my eyes. "`Suke is so mean wahhhh!" W-what? Now she is crying? Why the hell am I the victim here? SERIOUSLY! What the hell is going on here?
"Sasuke, I didn't leave her in your care for you to bully her." Oh common, seriously? Even Kakashi? Who didn't this brat influence? Crap… when I think about it this way… she could easily go up to the Third, come up with some half-assed story about me bullying her, and any hopes in these Chuunin exams go up in flames… quite literally.
"Wahhhh `Kashi! `Suke doesn't have a will of fire… just a wall of fire-ttebayo!" Oh common even a play on that? Wait… she was avoiding any and all questions I could have asked her! Oh I swear… once these exams were over… oh this runt was going to pay for it. Wait… did Kakashi even know that Naruto's mental state was actually that of a 12 year old and not of a 5…? Okay mind… process everything… Who does Naruto act like a child around? Everyone right? Who does she talk naturally with? Just me right? If I make a comment to anyone, I will just get told I'm training too hard— to take a break.
"Kakashi, hypothetically… if I came up to you and told you that despite the five year old body, that Naruto's mind was older… what would you do?" Kakashi stared between Naruto and me before setting his gaze on me. "It's quite possible but… that is why we did medical tests on her. Her mental state was placed around a 4-6 year old while her physical appearance was placed as a 5 year old. You can't trick science."
I don't think standing in a circle around a kid covered in random seals would be considered science. Sorcery, maybe… but I'm pretty sure science is something a little more… educational. "Nya! `Kashi! Look at the spirals I drew-ttebayo!" I also just realized that I need to teach Naruto shapes… because for some reason she thinks that a gosh darn chicken was a spiral… seriously… at least I think that is a chicken…
"That's a very nice spiral." Kakashi pat Naruto on the head, in which an evil grin met with my 'what the hell is wrong with you' expression that was aimed at Kakashi. "I'm winning-ttebayo." Naruto whispered towards me. This kid has mood swings like a girl going through all the trimesters of pregnancy at once. That or like a woman going shopping during clearance day… kind to you one second… trying to rip your arm off the next… thanking you for no reason one moment later, then arguing with you over something you aren't even sure about.
Or maybe that was just how I was during tomato sales.
"Sasuke—getting back on track, you should at least prepare for your battle. Akuma here is more prepared than you are. So you shouldn't bully her just because you're limiting yourself. Always aim higher, but don't try and kill yourself." I'm not sure if he was trying to motivate me or… put me down.
Right about now… a 5 hour motivation drink would work. And I do mean motivation, not energy… though I swear this brat is hyped on 5 hour energy…
"ICE CREAM!"
Change that to 24 hour energy.
-AN—
Hey guys… it's been a while… and by that I mean like what, 2 months? Ah… I need a job with a set schedule, working at a place where they do weekly schedules… then constantly schedule someone on a day they can't work… I'm the one they always ask… I just want to type! But nooo… anyway…
I can't remember when I last did the whole 'Author Replies to Reviews' but let me do that for a few. Let's look at some of these… (I type this as I look for what chapters I did the 'Author Review'… I see I did it on Chapter 10 but I'm just looking for the latest one so I know how far in the reviews I went haha)
I'm filled with regret on how much I delayed the Author Review…
Ardent Bronze: I'm glad you enjoy the Sasuke in this story. My goal was to give him a mixed attitude. Like someone who is naturally moody, suddenly given a child who is pure… they want to toss them away immediately but they get attached and then explaining things… Ah~ It just makes me grin when I think of all the devious things I've done with this Sasuke.
(Going through the reviews while trying to remember the few I commented on during the chapter uploading process really is hard… and I'm being a lazy nelly by not reviewing my chapters so….)
HopeSeiketsu: You don't have to review every chapter! I'm happy to know that there are still people out there that enjoy this story. It makes me excited every time!
I want to thank everyone that cheered me up and made votes during my small polls as well before I continue… there is just so many of you that it would be hard to try and thank everyone separately!
Epic Bloody Poison Goddess: Naruto, in this story, is a female, but at the beginning they think that she is a boy, because of the Naruto they grew up with. Sasuke tends to think of that male Naruto quite a lot, so he constantly compares the tiny Naruto to the one he knew. But as that chapter explained, the little Naruto wasn't really named 'Akuma' it was just a nickname. It was also my way of separating the two forms but I wanted people to know, this little kid wasn't really named 'Akuma'. So in the beginning, when Naruto was still 12, it was a male, but when he was changed, the reality that 'he' was actually a female was revealed. (Really hoping this clears it up haha!)
Supahjewelz: I'm glad I got you hooked haha! Hope you keep enjoying it!
So I got something to tell you guys… The next chapter? Well… I know someone asked me a looooong time ago for this but…I pushed it off because my plot followed one thing… Ahh I'll just tell you guys! Do you guys remember when I stated that this story was mainly in Sasuke's Perspective? Well… Next chapter isn't~ I wanted to do something special for you guys, because everyone has been patient with my delayed updates. That and the drama between Sasuke and Naruto…. Yeah…
So… readers… Whose birthday is in March and April? Random question I know… I'm going to put up the next chapter this month, but I kind of want to put it up around several readers' birthdays. And I'm planning to have Chapter 3８ ready to be put up as well… I'm trying to get YnK back up and running quickly.
For now, I leave with this very long AN!
-Ja ne~