Pulling yourself out of bed after three days of only three or less hours of sleep was more than painful. My alarm went off and I quickly smacked the button, than watched Sasuke for a few second to make sure he didn't wake. He soft breaths tickled my arm, which was under his head, he looked so peaceful and cute, it almost made me not want to kill the world. Almost. My eye's felt like hey were on fire and my throat felt like it had never tasted water, I carefully crawled out of bed not wanting to wake the sleeping Sasuke. I silently moved down stairs to start making the boy's lunches and breakfast while trying to recall last nights events. I remembered most of it but some details were blurry or out of reach, I was thankful I remembered Sasuke and my conversation, as much as it was heart wrenching to see him in so much pain, I knew it was a good thing he came to me, and that he started to share his emotions with me. Even though he didn't talk at all, it was still leaps and bounds better than it used to be. After packaging up their lunches and plating the boy's breakfast I headed up stairs to wake them up, starting with Naruto. I opened the door crossing is room to his bed shaking him awake lightly.
Nothing.
I shook him a bit harder and still absolutely no reaction. I sighed bending down putting my mouth close to his ear.
"Ramen for breakfast Naruto." I whispered in a sing song voice. The blond boy bolted up immediately.
"REALLY!?" He yelled, I covered my ears quickly, my head felt fifty times to big for my body now.
"No I just needed you to get up, breakfast is ready so head downstairs." I said as I exited the room, leaving behind a rather upset Naruto. I went to my room starring down at Sasuke's sleeping form contemplating whether or not I should let him stay home so he could sleep, but he would probably be upset so I gently shook him awake. Unlike Naruto he woke up right away, wide eyed- dazed look rubbing his cheek, just like how Itachi used to. Ouch, stop thinking about Itachi. Yuki complained. I agreed though, it hurt.
"Time to get ready for school, breakfast is ready downstairs." I said placing my hand on the top of his head and smiling warmly down at him before leaving. Naruto had already started eating by the time I got down stairs. He looked to be in a foul mood, holding a grudge about the false promise of ramen this morning. "Morning Naruto how did you sleep." He made a bunch of grumbling noises. "Cheer up! Want me to tell you a story about your dad?" He looked up and smiled at me brightly.
"Yes please Kina! Tell me a really cool one this time!" I thought about it for a second. Sasuke came down the stairs sitting beside me like usual.
"Okay, well the second day that I was his apprentice, I made this really cool jutsu, Minato saw it and wanted me to teach it to him. It was a really unstable jutsu, so it took him half the day to be able to get it right. But this was a very dangerous jutsu and if you used it close to yourself, like he was used to it would cause you just as much maybe even more damage, it had insane chakra whiplash that would sever you chakra coils, so the next step was for me to teach him to project it away from his body." They were both listening eagerly while eating their breakfast. "But I told him I would teach him the next step until he mastered the first one, because I didn't want him to get hurt. I left him to keep practicing and went to meditate with Kakashi, I think I may have been teaching him something as well but I don't remember. I was so young when this happened I didn't know how to monitor someone's chakra levels yet so all of a sudden he passed out, flat on his face." They both snickered. "Me and Kakashi ran over to him, I didn't know much about medical ninjutsu back than but I could tell he was working so hard to master the technique I was teaching him that he used up all his chakra, and was chakra exhausted. I was just learning about hormone therapy, it was more a theory than anything else, but Kakashi didn't know that so he told me to try to wake him up using hormones. So I did, except it went horrible wrong, your Dad's body was asleep and his brain was a little messed up from the mixed messages, he was essentially drunk. We had to carry him home; Kakashi holding his front half and I holding his back, and he yelled and talked total nonsense. You should have seen Kushina when she came to see him. They didn't call her the red hot habanero for nothing let me tell you." Naruto ad a dreamy eye look in his eye. He was the type of kid where it was good to tell him stuff about his dead parents. If I tried to tell Sasuke any story's about our parents he would disappear into his room for a week. Sasuke was looking at Naruto with the same look he always does when I tell storeys about his dad; 'no wonder your so messed up, your parents are wack' look.
"Wow my dad was so cool he learnt a new jutsu in a day!" Naruto squealed like a fan girl, Sasuke covered his ear glaring at the boy. He probably hears fan girl squeals enough at school.
"Kina is the one who made a jutsu in a day you idiot!" Sasuke yelled back to Naruto.
"Yeah but we already know how cool Kina is. My dad rocks!" he exclaimed loudly pumping his fist in the air. I laughed at his enthusiasm and half wanted to rip his throat out for being so loud while I am incredibly hung over.
"He was really cool. Okay now that your done, morning stretches and drill than go get dressed, brush hair AND teeth." I gave Naruto a pointed look. "And put on clean underwear Naruto." Sasuke laughed childishly at Naruto, who blushed crimson but the headed to the back yard. "Boys, I'm just going down stairs to pick up some fruit and vegies I'll be right back!" I called to them, they yelled back in confirmation so I headed down to the market with a tote bag. Feeding Choji last night really took a toll on our food supplies. I waved to the shop owner, and walked around the stands picking out what I wanted.
"Morning Kina!" a loud deep voice called scaring me half to death, I threw a cabbage at the person the voice belonged to with out even thinking. I looked up in time to see the cabbage bounce off Inoichi's face with such force it found its way back into my hands, I put it back on the stand rushing over to the dazed Inoichi.
"Oh my goodness! I'm am so sorry Inoichi! Here let me heal you!" he broke out of his daze and smiled gingerly touching his face which ad a very noticeable red circle.
"It's fine its my fault, never spook a ninja, especially coming from behind them." he Laughed eye's crinkling. "That was some throw. Was that a cabbage?" He asked, I put my hands behind my back and smiled at him sheepishly.
"Yeah it was a cabbage. Are you sure you don't want me to heal you, it looks really red and painful." he touched his face gingerly again.
"How about if it bruises, because a big circular bruise would be embarrassing." he put his hands on his hips smiling down at me. "Ino said she had allot of fun, and that she is the best girl fighter in your class." I smiled, it was strange hearing 'your class'.
"Yeah she is, but I'm not sure if that would still be true if Hinata used her Gentle fist." Inoichi nodded, probably having thought the same thing. "But once I removed boys from the equation they all had wonderful goals and drive to succeed!" I reported happily.
"I'm glad, when she got home she even begged me to do clan training before she went to bed!" He looked extremely happy. "Well I have to go back home to help Ino get ready, see you in a few minuets Kina." I smiled and waved good bye, it was nice knowing that Ino was inspired to get stronger, I hoped the other kids felt the same way. I paid for the produce, including the one I destroyed my throwing at Inoichi's face and headed back to he house, when I got in I could hear Sasuke and Naruto arguing like usual and got to putting away the food. I needed to get more rice and meat today as well, it was going to be allot of work feeding all the kids every evening.
"Come on boys! Hustle! Or we are going to be late!" I yelled. I heard footsteps stopping down the stairs and headed to the door, opening it for them as they ran out slipping on their shoes. Ino her dad and Sakura were already waiting, but neither of the girls attached themselves to Sasuke like they usually did. "Good morning girls." I said cheerfully, they both smiled back at me.
"Morning Kina Sensei." They said in unison, Inoichi and I raised our eyebrows at each other as we made our way to school, the kid in front of us chattering happily.
"Well that was a big difference, I'm so used to the girls fighting over your brother, it's almost weird that they didn't." Inoichi said looking at the group of kids in front of us. I smiled happily.
"Well I guess they are taking my rules seriously. Sasuke is probably happy, he hates being fawned over like that." I looked at Sasuke who was eyeing the two girls suspiciously as though he was expecting them to pounce on him at any moment. Naruto was trying to show off his arm muscles to the girls, trying to get them to feel them. "I think Naruto likes it too." I giggled watching the wonder in his eye's as the girls actually talked to him. Inoichi chuckled in agreement. After that the walk was mostly quiet except for chatter from the kids, we reached the school yard and the other parents were all gathered up front were we usually stood.
"Good morning." Inoichi said as we joined the group. I was surprised to see Hinata's dad their holding her hand, stiffly involved in the conversation. Sensei and Choza smiled at us.
"Choji told me about the amazing dinner you made for him last night." Choza beamed, Choji blushed a bit looking up at me.
"Well actually Kakashi made it, he is a pretty good cook!" I told him merrily.
"Shikamaru said you had them go against you brothers." Sensei said a bit disapproving, Shikamaru muttered troublesome at his father.
"Well I did that because Choza said Choji is kind hearted and gentle, which if you remember Sensei, is allot how I was. So I thought if I put him against Shikamaru he wouldn't have shown me how good he is, but he isn't as close with Naruto so he wouldn't hold back as much. I needed to see their taijutsu skills so I could know what to work on, and now I know Choji is very good at hand to hand combat. Had I placed them against each other I'm sure Choji would have let Shika win, and than I would have unrealistic view of how good they both are." I explained. The parents all nodded.
"So how did they all do?" Shikaku asked.
"Well my bothers are advanced so they both won the fights, but that doesn't mean your sons were bad, they were both very good actually. Shikamaru might be a genius actually, his ability to plan his moves is un parallel, he was able to gain the upper hand on Sasuke using tactics and quick thinking. He needs to work on strength and speed, and then he will be unstoppable." Sensei looked very proud, and Shikamaru just mumbled how troublesome it will be. "Choji is strong, his brute force is very impressive, his issue is his maneuverability and lack of speed, his form is good. He has allot of potential but even against Naruto he pulled punches." Choji blushed as his father beamed down at him. "Hinata is exceptional, she has a clear head in a fight and is very observant. She is fast and light on her feet, two very important things for a kenoichi, but she faces the problem most kenoichi face and that is her strength, so tonight I will put a resistance seal on her to build up muscle mass. She has extraordinary natural talent and is highly intellectual, she is allot like myself so I know she will go far." I smiled at Hinata who was basically crimson, her dad looked shocked, and there was a whisper of a smile on his lips. "Ino is fast and quick thinking, unlike the other girls she has a good amount of strength, but her form was a little shaky which is mostly due to her speed and strength being above what her skill is, she is observant, she plays the field to find out about her opponent so she can tell the best way to take them down. She is going to do extraordinarily well." Inoichi ruffled her hair much to the young girls dismay. Sakura's parents weren't here but it felt wrong not to talk about her too. "Sakura is strong when she is able to land a blow it devastating to her opponent, because she doesn't have the advantage of being trained all through her life like the rest she is behind on her form, she only knows what's taught in school, but she makes up for it in intellect, she is observant and tactful she just need to work on form and speed." Everyone was smiling now. "I think that I need to get a few more boy students so that Choji and Shika have opponents on their level, maybe if you guys could ask people you know."
"Well how about the Inuzuka boy and the Aburame boy?" Haishi asked in his normal stiff tone. Why not add one more clan heir and clan leader's son to the mix. "I could ask their parents if you would like?" I smiled warmly at him.
"That would be lovely, tell them to stop by my house if they are interested, thank you." he nodded. "Oh and also, since they come to my house right after school I thought and hour after dinner could be spent doing homework or reviewing what ever they learnt that day." I offered to the parents.
"That's a good idea, my wife didn't like Shika not having time to do homework." Shikaku sounded relieved, I'm sure I saved him many head aches. The bell rang and we all said goodbye to our kids and watched them head inside chattering excitedly to each other. "So could I ask what your plan is for them all?" All the parents looked at me in such a way that if I said no I'm pretty sure they would bring out their pitch forks and torches.
"Well Choji will be doing training similar to Sasuke, working on speed through reps and sprints. Shika will be going though less intense version of what Naruto does, working on form, strength and speed, but he will be doing it through spars probably with Kakashi or a clone of myself. Ino is going to be working on her form and fluid movements through stretches and yoga, than moving on to spars. Hinata is going to have a resistance seal put on her that will help build muscle in everything she does, I also ask that she doesn't do clan training for the next few days so she can get used to it. I will probably have her sparing. And lastly Sakura is going to be learning the Uchiha style taijutsu." They didn't really care what Sakura learnt but it just felt necessary to tell them.
"Well it sounds like you have a good solid plan, I am grateful you are taking time to train Hinata and will refrain from clan training until you deem fit." Haishi told me, bowing slightly then walking in the direction of the Hyuga district. Everyone else's eye's bulged slightly at his behavior, no Hyuga clan leader bowed to any one, not even hokage. I was more surprised he agreed to not do clan training.
"I wont be getting them to spar each other until they are on more level ground with each other." I added, they were eight year old kids and I didn't believe in letting the pain be a lesson like some people did, at least not when there is such a stark difference in skills. The parents nodded. "Well I have got to go to the lab, I'll catch you guys later!" I used the fence to vault on to the nearest roof and headed off towards the hokage tower, I hadn't been to the lab in a while and maybe getting lost in work was all I needed. I was half way there when I saw someone down on the road, I stopped to see if it was who I thought.
"Hiroki!" I called down to my brother who was back in his tribal clothes, he whipped his head around in my direction than up. He smiled warmly and waved, I hopped down from the roof landing softly a few feet away from him starling a lady walking by. "Hey how have you been." He looked a little awkward, but I definitely didn't blame him, there was no pamphlet to help you know how to act when your sisters other family is murdered by her other brother. Never the less though he smiled warmly ice blue eye's twinkling.
"I got a team and have gone on a few missions already, it's pretty fun even though one of my teammates is one of those bug summoner's." He made a grossed out face, looked like we were both scared of bugs. I laughed at that and he smiled. "So how have you been?" He instantly made an 'oh shit' face as he realised that wasn't the best question to ask me right now.
"We moved to a new place if you want to come for a visit?" I offered and he nodded obviously happy I didn't break or burst to tears. We headed to my place chatting pleasantly about his missions, and I told him about the little school I had started, it took about ten minuets to reach home. "So this is where I live now." I said pointing to the produce shop.
"In a vegetable store?" he asked, his pale face utterly confused. I giggled, than led him to the stair case up to our door.
"No we live on top of it. Didn't you ever wonder what all the extra stories were for?" I asked pointing up, and he shrugged, obviously never have wondered, probably didn't even notice. I unlocked the door and led him inside. Sitting at the table, was a very miserable and sick looking Kakashi, with his head flat against the wood surface. "How you doing Kakashi?" I asked him throwing the keys on the stand next to the door. He made a miserable groan turning his head so his forehead was against the table.
"Is he sick?" Hiroki asked looking at the silver haired man like he had the plague. Kakashi groaned again. I sat down next to Kakashi rubbing his back, he clearly wasn't taking the hang over well.
"Naw just hungover." I explained motioning to my brother to sit down. Hiroki sat down laughing.
"Well when you drink your supposed to drink lots of water, it lessons the hangover in the morning." huh now THAT was a good thing to know. "So maybe on my days off I can help you with the school?" He asked looking at me hopefully. I took my hand away from Kakashi's back but the second it left he groaned, so I put it back.
"That would be nice, I can shadow clone myself but its always nice having extra people around." I started running my fingers through Kakashi's hair massaging his temples to help with the pain. "I'll make us some coffee." I said bouncing up from my chair, leaving a groaning Kakashi behind. "How do you guys take your coffee?"
"Black." Hiroki said cheerfully. "I think Kakashi is trying to say black as well." I laughed then brought over three cups of coffee placing them in front of them. Kakashi finally got up and I gasped. My god he looked horrible.
"My gods you look terrible." I exclaimed. He glared at me taking a sip of his coffee. Hiroki snickered taking the cup I handed to him. "Well, I have seven kids I am teaching right now, three are apprentices though. Shikamaru, Choji, Hinata, Ino, Sakura, and of course my two brother. I also may be taking on two more, just so Shika and Choji have people to spar with on their level that aren't each other." I told my older brother, he nodded thoughtfully.
"Well just tell me what to do to help, and I will try my best." He smiled brightly. He really was so nice, it made me feel worse for hating him for the last year. We continued chatting for a few hours but eventually he went home leaving me and Kakashi all alone.
"You should go back to bed you look like your on the brink of death." I told him helpfully. He rubbed his eye's wincing in pain.
"How are you doing so well?" he asked putting his arm on the back of my chair.
"Pure force of will. Now come on go back to bed." I ordered but he stayed in the same spot. "I'll nap with you than." I could definitely go for a nap and we didn't have to get the kids for another four hours. He got up and I followed, he opened the door to my room plopping onto my bed than pulling himself over to one side so I could crawl in, he threw the blanket over us and we both turned to our sides to look at each other. "Tell me something I don't know about you." I whispered.
"You know everything about me though." I gave him m best 'bullshit' face and he sighed. "Let me think. Well, em. I didn't just write a simple apoval for your promotion to jounin." I raised my eye brows at that. "I can't quite remember what I wrote, but I know it was longer than even your sensei's." I smiled at that. "Now you tell me something I don't know about you."
"You really do know everything about me though." except something that would make me sound bat shit crazy.
"I highly doubt that." He said plainly. Hmmm.
"I remember the day I was born, and my whole childhood." He squinted his eye's at me. "I could show you but its not that fabulous." He nodded so I grabbed his hand bringing him into my mind, it was weird though, not how it was with Shikaku, it felt like our soul fire's mixed, his dark blue melding with my teal twining around each other. I could feel his soul, his very being fitting perfectly into mine, than we were in the memory like two apparitions on the side lines, wispy and ghost like. My mother was at the end of her labour and my Dad was encouraging her, though once she heard my cries she didn't need his words, working hard to free me. I could feel the emotions I was feeling at the time they were think in the air, I was scared, but more than that terrified. My small form, with a mop of black hair already on my head was in my dad's arms as he cut the umbilical cord, he held me in blankets in one arm as he put a glowing hand to my mother healing her what little was possible for when they were about to flee.
"Give me my baby!" My mother cried reaching her arms out to my father. My cries stopped and you could see the new born baby with far to much awareness in her eye's starring up at the man that was my father.
""it will only make it harder, Konoha Shinobi will be here right away to get her." he said holding me close, trying with all his might not to look down at me, I could see sorrow in his features as he held me that I didn't notice before. I could feel my panic flood the air, and it made me twitchy.
"She is my baby! I have to say goodbye." my mother was in tears desperately holding her arms out. I could see my father contemplate, than he handed me to her. Once i was in her arms she hugged me tight, both of them silently crying. "I love you. Daddy loves you. I wish we could have known you." My dad wiped his tears away as my mother put me down on the heap of blankets beside her and they swiftly left as I screamed. Three more people came into the memory but I quickly snapped away not wanting to see my fathers face. I couldn't. It hurt to much.
We both opened our eye's back on the bed side by side.
"They just left you in the forest." Kakashi breathed out. Some how I couldn't be angry, because of that I got my life here. And it was a good life.
"They were Ame ninja, stuck in a civil war, they didn't want me to grow up like that so they left me for the Konoha ninja to find. They thought it was the kindest thing to do for me, and they were probably right." No I couldn't be mad about that.
"I can't believe you remember."
"Well I had adult like awareness." Yuki laughed at that.
"I felt that when we went into the memory, your soul felt old." his voice was no more than a hushed whisper. So he felt that too, the weird soul melding. His soul felt so vibrant and strong, and when it touched mine it's was like it amplified it both of them burning brighter than before. I looked into his eye and knew I was in trouble, feelings crashed into me, it made me suck in a desperate breath, I wanted to look away but our gazes were locked. It hurt, it felt like to much. But at the same time it felt so good. I felt full. I reached to his face grabbing the hem of his mask pulling it down across his face. His skin was so pale, almost as pale as my own, I ran a finger across his jaw line making him shiver ever so slightly, I stopped at a small mole on the left side of his chin. An image of Shisui flashed into my mind, his face his touch. I loved him. How could I love Kakashi when I loved Shisui. How could I do this to him? Tears ran down my face. I felt gross, like a was betraying him. Kakashi's hand came to my face wiping away my tears.
"I told you I'd wait how ever long it takes, and I meant it." he whispered, I watched his lips move for the first time. "I'll always be here, I promise." surprisingly that made me cry harder.
"I feel like I'll never heal. I keep hoping that if I wake up every morning and say I'm fine I'll eventually believe it, but how could I ever be okay again." I sobbed, he kept his hand on the side of my face. "I have to much to do, I feel like I'm not enough." I cried, breath quivering as I starred at his face.
His lips whispered "you are enough" and I believed them.
TIME SKIP COMING UP NEXT! don't get to cozy because things are about to change :P Thanks everyone who reviewed you guys rock, and I really appreciate your guy's input, and Idea's.
DarkDust27, I will try to do more antics and funny scenes!
BloodyORing, I answered this in pm but I feel like I should answer it here too, I said in earlier chapters that there was no age limit on Ninja bar, you just simply have to be a ninja. She is pretty well known around the village and wears the Uchiha crest on EVERYTHING like most Uchiha's ad so thats why he didn't question her.
as for why Sasuke didn't comment one the smell, that's because she had said before when Naruto asked about it that it was something she was working on from the lab, so he would just assume that she was at the lab again. Also she changed clothes and brushed her teeth so the smell wouldn't have been so potent!
Also as pairings go, I'm keeping Kina's final pairing a secret. though I mean clearly there is something strong between her and Kakashi, but do they really seem like straight forward happy ending people to you?
Pairings for the boys, don't read into anything Kina says as a final pairing, it's mostly just teasing, I'm not going to bother with their pairings for aa while. BUT I am a die hard NaruHina fan.
Genma is kinda being a pedo, but she doesn't act like a 13 year old, so people never really see her as one, Also they didn't even switch names when they first met never mind ages :P
I'm glad people liked drunk Kakashi, I thought his lame dancing was so hilarious.
Niethazu: I know I loved Shisui and Kina, if it help I plan on showing tidbits of their relationship in dreams and stuff.
The Itachi POV will come later on, but it will happen
Sorry my chapters aren't coming as fast, but thanks for sticking around and reading :) much appreciated. And I also love getting ideas from you guys, so review or PM me if you have any ideas!