Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Harry Potter.
Crumbling
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Shikamaru asks while I wrap dark bandages around my hands and arms. He's wearing civilian clothes and looks supremely unhappy.
"Well, I've made a full recovery, I've trained a lot, and Tsunade decided that I have to do this so Hyuuga Hiashi will be put into a bad mood," I answer.
"That wasn't a yes," he answers warily.
"I wasn't a no either," I retort. Then I sigh and wrap my arms around him. "Relax. It'll be fine. I'll be back by tomorrow evening. The area we'll be in has been secured. They wouldn't even let me out if it weren't for that, not to mention Hanabi-chan. Also, Tenzo will be following me from a distance, I'm sure."
He sighs. "Troublesome girl."
"Are you going to be okay?" I ask, drawing back to give him a concerned look. "I could stay here."
He leans his forehead against mine. "Don't worry so much. Just come back soon."
"I'll do my best. We'll play shogi when I'm back, okay?"
I arrive perfectly on time and quickly find Hanabi. Who's standing with two other girls. Namely, Nara Chie and Tachibana Aimi, also known as 'Crazy Aimi', according to Chie. How did I not see this coming?
Naturally, Hyuuga Hiashi wouldn't allow his perfect daughter to associate with boys, of all things. And who is the one that has to suffer for it? Me, that's who.
"Oh, hello," Aimi greets me airily. "Your hair is red."
"You don't say," I remark. "Good morning, you three. It appears we're stuck together. Let's all get along, ne?"
Chie yawns.
"What was your name again?" Aimi asks politely.
"This is Riko-sensei," Hanabi hisses. "She has been our teacher for weeks!"
"Hi, I'm Aimi," Aimi answers. Then she looks around. "Why are we here?"
"Great," Chie drawls. "I'm stuck with Perfect Hanabi and Crazy Aimi. This is going to be SO MUCH FUN."
"Be polite, you three," I chastise.
"Of course, Riko-sensei," Hanabi says immediately.
"Che. Troublesome," Chie grumbles.
Aimi stares off into space.
Well, that's as peaceful as it's going to get in the foreseeable future, I guess.
But I so need to come up with something to corrupt Hanabi. Something that will really piss her father off.
Iruka calls for our attention. "Everybody here?" he asks. "Good! Then we're leaving."
We arrive about an ten minutes later in an area set up next to one of the smaller gates in Konoha's wall. Behind it, the forest looms. Kami, it's been so long since I was allowed outside.
"Come on, line up," I tell my team when the other kids start assembling in lines before their respective squad leaders, who in turn are lined up at the front. I make my way over to Naruto's side, who stands before Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi. My temporary team trails behind me – that is, Hanabi hurries after me, and Chie drags Aimi after her, who doesn't look as if she knows what's going on.
Behind us, Iruka has put up a large map of the area. He and several other chunin stand next to it.
"I will now begin the explanation of the outdoor training," Iruka begins once everything has quieted down. "It will be conducted over two days and one night." He points at a spot on the map. "This is the spot you will all be heading for. The Great Stone Face of Warudakumi on the summit of Mount Takurami."
Now that's some name, I think as I study a copy of the map in my hands.
"You will all start from different starting points, which I and the other instructors will take you to. The team leader will not take routes other than those indicated on the map," Iruka continues. "This is to ensure the safety of the students. Along the way, there will be obstacles such as instructors disguised as enemy ninja, as well as traps and the like."
Tenten a few steps away from me flinches violently at the mention of traps. I feel my lips twitch. Ahh, good memories…
"You Academy students should be able to safely evade them if you act according to the instructions of your team leaders."
Rock Lee gives his charges a blinding grin and a thumbs-up. The three boys simultaneously sweat-drop.
"You'll see the Stone Face of Warudakumi after you cover about eighty kilometres. The teams that bring the secret document hidden there safely back to the village will have completed the training upon crossing the finishing line. There is only one secret document, so this will be a competition with the other teams." Iruka smiles at us. "That will be all. Approach an instructor when you're ready to leave."
"All right!" Naruto yells. "We'll finish first, no matter what!"
"Yeah!" Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon shout while simultaneously punching their fists in the air. Cute, that.
Meanwhile, in my team, Hanabi stands rigidly at full attention, Chie looks half asleep, and Aimi's eyes are avidly focused on a butterfly. "Alrighty, are you all-" I start, but then I'm interrupted.
"Oi, Ri-chan!" Naruto yells. "I'll wait for you at the finish line!" He snickers. "Don't take too long!"
I stick my tongue out at him. "Don't get lost, Ruto! Last one treats me to ramen!"
"Deal - hey! The heck's that supposed to mean?! Treat you to ramen?!"
I laugh and turn to my team. "Everyone ready?" I ask.
"Yes, sensei," Hanabi declares. Then she casts a side look at the rest of the team. "But I am not sure about them."
Some focus returns to Aimi's eyes. "Uhh, where are we?" she asks.
"We're going on a two-day camping trip," I inform her.
"Oh." She frowns. Then her face clears. "Your hair is red."
"So you have mentioned," I answer. "Are you ready to travel?"
"Mmm," she hums.
Chie yawns. "Eh, you're probably over-prepared anyway, Neesan."
Hanabi glares at her. "You ought to be more disciplined," she hisses. "This is an important training exercise, and I have every intention of winning. Riko-sensei and Naruto-senpai are competing as well, and I will not lose against Sarutobi's team." Her nose wrinkles in distaste. "It would be a disgrace."
"Trooouuuublesome," Chie drawls. "I guess it'd be pretty dumb to lose against that guy."
"Who is Sarutobi?" Aimi asks dazedly.
"Tell you on the way," Chie says. Then her gaze fixes on me. "Lead the way, Neesan."
We follow one of the instructors for about twenty minutes until we reach a dirt road that leads through a few fields into the forest in the distance. The instructor jots something down on a piece of paper, then he tells us, "Alright, you can start now," and vanishes in a shunshin.
"Right," I clap my hands. "We're going to move in line formation. I take point in case of an ambush, Aimi is behind me, Chie behind her, and Hanabi at the end, since she's the best fighter out of you three. Hanabi-chan, use your Byakugan from time to time to watch out for traps and ambushes, alright?"
"Understood!" Hanabi actually salutes. I strongly resist the urge to ruffle her hair and fail. "Don't do that!" she hisses at me as she jumps away, a light blush on her face.
"Alright, let's go!" I order.
And off we march.
Traveling with the three girls isn't actually all that bad. They trail behind me like little ducklings and listen to every word I say when I point out plants and traps – not that there are many of those. More annoying are the packs of wolves, but that's nothing we can't deal with.
By now, it's late afternoon. I lean back on my heels and look up into the sky. On the horizon, dark clouds have appeared, and the air feels charged up.
"Great," Chie complains. "A thunderstorm. Exactly on the day of outdoor training. Troublesome."
"Shall we set up camp, Riko-sensei?" Hanabi asks. The veins around her eyes are bulging while she uses her Doujutsu. "There is a large hollowed-out tree we could comfortably stay in."
"Sounds good," I agree. "Are you alright? You've been using the Byakugan a lot today."
"I'm fine." She looks away.
"Ne, White-Eyes is so strong," Aimi whispers loudly.
"Don't call me that!" Hanabi says sharply.
"But I forgot your name, and I like your eyes," Aimi answers earnestly. Hanabi's mouth opens. Then it closes.
"I'm Hanabi," she mutters.
"Uhuh," Aimi says distractedly. "Oh look! A caterpillar!"
"That's a poisonous centipede," Chie points out. "Don't touch it, Crazy Aimi."
"Sure thing, Pineapple-chan!" Aimi says cheerfully.
We head on over to the tree Hanabi pointed us to and start setting up camp – Chie collects some edible plants, Hanabi removes branches and rocks so we can comfortably sit, and Aimi… well Aimi…
"What are you doing," I ask monotonously.
"It's a pitfall!" she explains.
"Uhuh," I say.
"Moron," Chie drawls as she trudges back from her scavenging trip. "No one's ever going to fall for that."
Aimi only giggles. "Just wait until it's finished!" she almost sings. It's the happiest I've seen her, ever. And I don't have the heart to tell her to stop.
"…Just make sure you cover it afterwards," I finally say. "Tell me when you're finished, I'll place a genjutsu over it so it won't be seen."
Aimi's smile could light up the entire forest. "I will, Red-sensei!"
Later, we sit around a camp-light in our tree-cave. Outside, the rain falls down heavily, drowning out pretty much any other sound; but inside, it's dry and warm. We eat the food Chie found and cooked and listen to the rain fall. Aimi sighs softly. "This is nice," she mubles happily from under her blanket.
"You are weird, Crazy Aimi," Chie drawls with a smirk, to which Aimi only giggles. Hanabi says nothing, but she does look somewhat content, which is rare for her.
"Like any of us are normal," I snort. "Normal is boring, anyway. Any of you want ramen?" I unseal a few ramen cups from my arms.
"Over-prepared," Chie snorts from the futon she shares with Aimi, clutching a pillow.
"Shut it, Pineapple-chan," I shoot back. She half-heartedly glares at me.
"You brought a futon," she deadpans.
"If you're complaining about it, you can sit on the ground." Hanabi sniffs haughtily. "I for one appreciate the comfort."
Chie leans back on the futon. "…Naaaahhhh. It's comfy…" she sighs happily.
Kami, those kids are so cute. At the moment. When they're not creepy all-knowing geniuses.
Of course, Hanabi-chan is always cute.
Suddenly, I sense something. Or more like, a flicker of something that's gone the next moment. My head snaps up. "Hanabi-chan, Byakugan," I order.
Her hands twist into the Ram Seal. Veins around her eyes bulge. "Three people," she murmurs. Aimi gets up from the ground and stands next to her. Chie fiddles with the camp light and suddenly, it shines three times as brightly. Our shadows dance merrily on the walls.
"Well, Iruka-sensei did say they were going to test us," I sigh as I get up from the ground and walk over to the cave entrance. "Considering we have Hanabi-chan here, they wouldn't make it so easy for us, would they?"
"Ufufufuhhh…" Aimi suddenly giggles. "Are we going to play?"
I decide not to comment on that incredibly unfitting question and step outside, the girls right behind me. And then we wait.
One moment, it's just us four. The next, three people drop down around us noiselessly. They wear dark clothing and face masks, and they have cloaked their chakras.
"I suppose this is where we show you all that we've learned today?" I muse.
I do not get an answer. Instead, they simultaneously take one fluid step forward and draw kunais.
And here I thought they'd use something nonthreatening, like bats and sticks or something. Then again, Hanabi and Aimi share the top rankings in their Academy year, and Chie is a Nara. And then there's me, the chunin. Naturally, Iruka wouldn't go easy on us, would he? Though, he isn't part of this group.
Regardless of who they are, in this exercise, they are the enemy. And I will treat them as such.
The ninja take another step forward.
And beneath the feet of the ninja to our right, the ground gives and he falls straight into the pitfall. Aimi bursts into delighted giggles as a loud splash sounds – the trap must have run full with water. But not only that. There is the sound of wires snapping and pulling, and suddenly a lump of something shoots up from the trap, crashes against a tree, and then the enemy dangles, trussed up tightly in a net, from a tree.
"It worked!" Aimi cheers. "Ufufuhhh, that was fun!"
…And also mildly disturbing. How the hell did she pull that off?
The two remaining ninja have paused in their movements, looking at their captured companion. Then they turn back to us and lift their kunai simultaneously. I narrow my eyes. Test or not, sharp weapons is going a bit far.
They blur from sight, and I waste no time in grabbing the three children and leaping up, up, up, into the darkness of the tree canopies where I set them down. "Stay," I murmur in a whisper so low, only they could hear. "You need me, you yell. I'll come save you, no matter what." And then I leap back to the ground.
A swish of air is the only warning, then one of the enemies is in front of me, his kunai inches from my shoulder when I block it with the sword Sasuke gave me. Shingi to Giri's blade starts to glow blue.
"Water Style: Water Chain Sword," I whisper. Chains burst from the blade. The enemy tries to jump back, but it's too late. The ghostly glowing chains snake around his arms, his body, his legs until there's no way for him to move anymore. Then my sword slices through the air, and the chains move with it and slam the man into a tree with a sickening crack. The chains dissolve and he crumples to the ground.
One down. One to go. I sheathe Shingi to Giri so I have both my hands free. And then throw myself back when a rain of fireballs comes down on me from above. Time slows as I dodge fiery bomb after bomb. Shit, I can't fight like this!
I throw myself behind a tree, form a seal.
"Kirigakure no Jutsu," I whisper. White vapour blows out from my mouth and fills the area with thick mist until it feels like I'm standing in the middle of a cloud. Fireballs still crash down around me, but the aim is lost and it's much easier to evade them. However, it doesn't solve the problem that I have no idea where the enemy actually is.
But I can guess that he's somewhere above me. And I can sense the three girls a safe distance away.
No need to hold back.
You really picked the wrong weather to attack me, I think, as the rain continues to fall. So much water…
"Water Style: Water Needle Rain," I murmur. And then it doesn't just rain water and fireballs anymore. It rains needles instead, everywhere. They rip through the leaves, and hit tries and ground in a rapid staccato, and there is no way to escape, for anyone. And the fire extinguishes as the remaining man crashes through the canopy, riddled with watery projectiles. He bounces off the ground and doesn't move again.
I breathe out. All three down. A moment later, the three girls drop down next to me. "Using ninjutsu is a bit much for a test, isn't it?" Chie mutters and kicks the unconscious ninja who threw fireballs at me.
"You don't know the kinds of things they sometimes do to test us," I respond drily.
"What do we do with them?" Hanabi asks.
"I've got prisoner storage scrolls somewhere…" I mumble and start patting my pockets. "Wait a sec…"
A choked gasp has me looking up with senbon in my hands.
There's a fourth ninja.
Standing behind Aimi, holding a kunai to her throat.
"Surrender," he says in a deep, threatening voice.
I raise an eyebrow at him. "I'll be having words with the administration. This is going way too far for a test against Academy brats." Though I'm starting to have my doubts about the test theory. It's going too far.
"Surrender. Drop your weapons," the man intones. And then he freezes.
"The hell we will," Chie drawls. "Funny thing about Naras, attack us during the night and all we have to do is light a light and bam! Shadows everywhere." She smirks, the light of the lamp at her back making her appear as if she stands in a demonic halo. "Crazy Aimi is ours." She grits her teeth and forces the man's kunai away from Aimi's neck. Sweat stains her brows, because shadows or not, she's still a child with small reserves. But then Hanabi is there, veins bulging around her eyes as she furiously attacks the enemy.
"Eight Trigrams Sixteen Palms!" she hisses. Pained gasps escape the man as her strikes forcibly seal his tenketsu and he falls to the ground.
The fours of us stand there, looking down at him.
Well. Iruka sure is going to be impressed with us. And- wait. What's that on his hand?
"Isn't that the poisonous centipede from before?" I ask, mildly freaked out.
Aimi bursts into giggles again. "Ufufu, I kept it since it's cute," she says serenely. Then, with a smile, she asks, "Is he going to die a painful and miserable death now?"
I knew there was something wrong with her.
"Nah." Chie kicks the man into the stomach. "Not for two days. But his skin will turn green in a few hours. It'll probably look really funny."
"The poison appears to be very slow-working," Hanabi informs us. "We should be able to complete the exercise before he dies."
My jaw has dropped open as I scramble for words. With a click, I snap it shut.
"…Right!" I clap my hands. "This is a mildly disturbing situation. Apparently, the three of you are borderline psychopaths! Girls, we don't want him to die. We're going to find whoever is in charge of security and hand them off, and then we can complete the exercise, if you still feel up to it."
Aimi frowns. "But it's raining."
"It's not like he's going to die immediately," Chie reasons. "We can take our time. Warm up, eat something, wait till the rain is over."
"But we want to win!" Hanabi interjects.
"Girls! Go inside and warm up," I order. "I'll… clean up here." I cast a look around the campsite. There's the guy that was caught in Aimi's trap, hanging from the tree like a too-large piñata, the ninja that I smashed into a tree via water chains, Fireball Dude whom I neutralised by making it rain needles, and the last one that was decimated by three pre-teen girls and a centipede.
Now how the hell am I going to explain four almost-dead instructors to Iruka?
After fifteen minutes, the area looks as good as new. The enemies are all safely sealed away, the pitfall is filled up, futon, pillows and blankets are back in their respective storage scrolls, and I dried off the kids' clothing and gave them rain coats. They are too large for them, but at least they'll stay dry.
It's at that point that Iruka suddenly appears. "Good, you're all safe," he says in relief. "The exercise is cancelled due to the storm. Riko, please lead your team back to the village."
"Understood." I salute. "Sensei, we have successfully captured the assailants sent to test us." I wave a scroll at him. "They did get a bit… damaged in the process. I'll hand them off at the hospital. You know, so they won't... die."
Iruka frowns. "I didn't send any team. My group of instructors was going to test every team personally."
I blink in surprise. "Well, I did think they were going a bit overboard…"
"Explains the fireballs," Chie remarks.
"And the kunai," Hanabi adds helpfully.
Aimi just giggles creepily.
"What?" Iruka exclaims. "Are you three alright? What happened?"
"…they showed up and we defeated them?" I ask. "Sorry, I thought it was a test."
"What kind of tests have you been doing?!" Iruka yells.
I give him a deadpan look.
"Right." He calms down. "I forgot who I was talking to."
"I'll just hand these guys off to my Dad, then," I decide. "Girls, we're going back."
"Yes, you do that," Iruka says faintly. "Just out of interest, how many enemies were there?"
"Four," I answer.
"Right, right." He looks a little green in the face. "I'll inform the rest of the teams now. And then I'll be having words with the security group. Kami, this is going to be a nightmare."
Oh yes. Hanabi's father is going to go ballistic. A team of enemies, going after his daughter in a training exercise that was supposed to have been perfectly safe? Heads will roll. As they should. How the hell did the information get out that we were going to be here? Who were these guys, even? I found no identification on them, nothing to indicate their village affiliation.
But what I do know is that they weren't after Hanabi. They were after me. From the start, they targeted me. Hanabi would have just been a bonus to them, I'm sure.
Were they from Sound? But that doesn't fit. Sound folks are arrogant and talk more, and they carry their village insignia proudly. These guys… were stealthy. Probably specialise in assassination and espionage. If they hadn't severely underestimated us, it could have turned out extremely badly.
Dad sure is going to be interested in this.
It's three in the morning when I arrive at home after walking the by then bone-tired kids to their respective homes. By now, the rain is really coming down and I'm drenched in water.
I knock on my parents' room's door. "Dad?" I ask. "There's a… situation."
I hear something shuffle inside and a muffled complaint from Mom. A minute later, the door opens before me to reveal Dad, who looks like he's just rolled out of bed. Probably because he did.
"You're back early," he remarks and ruffles my hair. He has to wipe his hand off afterwards since my hair is soaked. "What happened?"
I hand him the prisoner storage scrolls wordlessly. Dad sighs deeply. "I'm going to have a sleepless night, aren't I?"
"Looks like it," I mumble. "Sorry. Uhm, one of them is, according to Chie, going to die in a few days. He came into contact with a poisonous centipede."
"…I'm really looking forward to hearing your report," Dad mutters.
"Believe me, you really don't," I deadpan.
Later, after Dad has disappeared with the prisoner scrolls, presumably to make sure Inoichi doesn't get any sleep tonight either, I slip into my brother's room after changing into pyjamas.
"Back already?" he slurs as I crawl under the covers of his bed, sleep-addled mind working way slower than normal.
"I said I'd do my best to be back soon," I whisper, leaning my head against his shoulder. "This is probably not what I meant by that."
"Something happen?" Shika asks. I sigh deeply and shift a little closer to him.
"Tell you tomorrow."
In the aftermath of the incident, I have to recount the events at least a dozen times: For Tsunade, for Inoichi, for Morino Ibiki, for Dad again, for Shikamaru, and for Hyuuga Hiashi. Twice.
What fun.
As a result, Hanabi is no longer allowed outside without an escort. Neither am I. Either Shikamaru or Mom stick with me wherever I go, despite the fact that Tenzo can follow me around from a distance and that I'm hardly going to be attacked in the middle of the street.
Another consequence of the attack?
Chie, Aimi, and Hanabi have now apparently become best friends. I don't know if I should be happy about that or terrified. Really, if they all end up on one team… I feel sorry for their sensei. And their victims. And anyone who happens to cross their path.
"Hurry up and get to jounin," Chie orders as we walk home together, Shikamaru on my other side.
I stop short. "Hell no," I declare. "Do you know the trouble I went through to even get to chunin? I'm so not repeating that. I'm going to stay a chunin forever."
"But we'll need a jounin sensei!" She protests. "Don't be troublesome!"
"Not my problem, and – will you stop laughing, Shikamaru?" I glare at my brother, who isn't even trying to hide his snickers. "And besides, any team with Hanabi on it will end up with an experienced Hyuuga as a sensei. Not," I gesture at myself. "A girl with lousy luck who also happens to be somewhat unpopular within the Hyuuga Clan. Also, I'd be surprised if you girls all ended up on one team. All-girl teams are rare."
"You leave that to us," Chie replies breezily. "We're going to eliminate any other prospective sensei."
"You will do no such thing!" I almost yell.
"Yes, yes." She yawns. "So hurry up your career. You need to be jounin in two years."
And she flounces off.
"Will you stop laughing, Shikamaru?!"
Naruto is the next one to leave the village. It doesn't come as much of a surprise, but it still feels like a punch in the gut when he tells me over ramen that Jiraiya told him to pack his things.
"But, I want to stay!" Naruto jabbers on. "I promised Sasuke-teme that I'd watch out for you, and I never go back on my word!"
"Wait, what?" I ask. "Why would you- it's not like I'm incapable of taking care of myself! Making you promise that, that's so idiotic, and overbearing, and stupid, and… entirely something Sasuke would do, actually."
I do not find it sweet. I do not.
"But Ero-Sennin said that those Akatsuki-bastards are after me, and if I stay here then everyone will be in danger, and those guys… they're strong." He looks down at his hands. Then he looks up again, his eyes burning with determination. "I'm going to get strong enough to kick their asses, dattebayo. So I want to go with Ero-Sennin. But, I don't want to leave you alone." Then his face breaks into a grin. "So you gotta come with us!"
I almost spit out my noodles. I end up coughing and hitting my fist against my chest. Teuchi-jiisan hands me a glass of water.
"Ruto," I say in a choked voice, but he grabs my hand and interrupts.
"It'll be awesome! We're gonna see tons of places and meet lots of people, and we're gonna get really strong and then when we come back everybody will be like, 'Wow, they're awesome!' and I can kick Sasuke's ass, and then they'll make me Hokage, dattebayo!" Naruto beams at me. I cough a little to hide my laughter.
"I think you derailed from your original speech a bit, there," I remark. "When did this conversation become about you kicking Sasuke's ass – not that I don't fully support the goal, what with him making you promise something so idiotic – and becoming Hokage?"
"Ehehe," Naruto laughs sheepishly. "So whatcha say?"
My smile fades. "Naruto… I don't think it'll work like that."
Naruto's grin falls. "Of course it will, dattebayo!"
I shake my head. "It won't. Jiraiya has things to teach you. If I came with you, I'd just be looking on from the side-lines. I, I need to stay here and figure out my own training."
"But you'll be all alone!" he protests. "I don't want that. I don't want to leave you here alone!"
"But I'm not alone!" I force a smile on my face. "I've got my family, Ino, Chouji, Kiba… I've got a job at the Academy. I won't be alone! And besides, someone needs to protect the village with you on the road, right?"
Naruto pushes his ramen away and stares at our entwined fingers. "But I'll be alone, too," he whispers sadly. "You're, you're my best friend! My family! I don't-" he furiously wipes his sleeve over his eyes. "I don't want to-"
I jump from my stool and throw my arms around him. With a choked sound, Naruto buries his face in my shoulder. "It's going to be okay," I whisper, blinking against my own stinging eyes. "It's just a few years. You'll be back in no time. It's, we can do it. We're gonna have tons of stuff to tell each other when you get back, Ruto."
"Do you really have to stay here?" Naruto whispers.
"Do you really have to leave?" I murmur back.
He sniffs. "This sucks."
"We're going to kick some Akatsuki ass when you come back," I agree. "It's all their fault."
"Right. And that snake bastard's, dattebayo."
"I'm going to miss you," I whisper. "So, so much."
"Miss you more, Ri-chan."
Unlike Sasuke and Kakashi, Naruto and Jiraiya don't leave at the crack of dawn, but in the early afternoon. I watch them go from a nearby rooftop, hidden in shadows, since Naruto asked me not to come see him off – said he didn't want to cry in front of Jiraiya.
But when they're just past the gates, Naruto turns around, waves at the village, and yells at the top of his lungs, "See you soon, Ri-chan!" as if he knows I'm there, watching.
God, he's such a sappy idiot.
I step out of the shadows and wave back. "Ruto! Come back soon!" I shout. He laughs loudly, turns around, runs after Jiraiya.
And then he's gone and I'm the only one left.
Somehow, it feels like the world just ended.
The following week, I throw myself into work, training, and clinging to my brother.
Naruto is gone.
Sasuke is gone.
It feels like the weight of loneliness is going to crush me.
It's late evening and Shikamaru and I are playing shogi in his room when Mom knocks on the door and proceeds to come in without waiting for an answer.
"Come in, why don't you," Shika mutters. "Troublesome."
"What was that?" Mom demands sharply.
"Nothing," my brother says hastily. Mom eyes him suspiciously but lets it go to turn to me.
"You've been ordered to the Hokage's office," she tells me.
"This late?" I ask incredulously. "Why? Did something happen?"
"Shikamaru and I will walk you there." Mom's tone brooks no argument.
I stand before Dad, Shizune, and Tsunade as the latter tells me the plan for me.
"You're kidding, right?" I ask Tsunade. She returns the look, dead serious.
"I assure you, I am not joking," she snaps back. "It's the best plan we have!"
"It's a horrible plan!" I retort. "Seriously, on a scale of one to ten, one being a bad and ten being an awesome plan, this is a 'Naruto'! Those plans only work for one person, and it isn't me! Who the heck came up with this?"
"Your father," she answers. "And it's the best plan we have!"
I groan and bury my face in my hands. "That's not very reassuring! I mean, Kiri? As in, the Bloody Mist?!"
Now how am I going to talk them out of that idiocy? This has got to be some kind of joke.
"Yes," Tsunade says, speaking slowly like I'm some kind of idiot. "That is what I just said."
"They are trying very hard to change their image," Shizune throws in helpfully. Not.
I look at Dad, seeking help. Fat chance of that since he apparently came up with this lunacy.
He sighs. "What do you know of the situation in Water Country?" he asks.
"There's a civil war going on. On orders of the Fourth Mizukage Yagura, people with bloodline limits are being hunted and slaughtered. There's also a rebellion against Yagura, among its members Momochi Zabuza and his apprentice, Yuki Haku," I answer blandly. "Do you want to hear the stuff I'm not supposed to know about, too?"
"Yes, please." Tsunade taps her fingers on her desk, a sweet smile on her face, her left eye twitching. "Tell us your source, too, while you're at it."
"Konoha's been supporting the rebellion, supplying the rebels with weapons, medicine, and missions our village did not want to be officially connected to. We've been cashing in on a percentage of the profits, too." I pause. "I heard it from Demon-sensei – I mean, Momochi Zabuza, during the training month before the finals of the Chunin Exam. He used a lot more swearwords, though."
"That is correct," Dad says. "Not too long ago, the Mizukage vanished and did not return. The rebels seized control of Kirigakure and Terumi Mei was named the Fifth Mizukage. The civil war was declared over. The ninja of Kiri are now spreading the word that any shinobi, with or without kekkei genkai, is welcome to join their forces."
"There are stipulations, of course, concerning missing-nin and people that have betrayed their village," Shizune pipes up. "But essentially, Kirigakure is recruiting to compensate for their heavy losses."
"You can see where this is going," Tsunade states. "For your own protection, you are going to leave Konoha and join the forces of Kirigakure under the guise of a homeless ninja hoping for a better life. They've already agreed to the plan."
"How the hell did you manage to talk them into that?" I mutter. "Never mind, I don't want to know."
"You'll blend in with their forces well enough, with your water nature, and you'll be able to develop your water jutsu better than you could in Fire Country," Dad tells me. "And you'll be hidden from Orochimaru over there. He'd never think to look for you in another village. We'll have him chasing false trails, too. You should be reasonably safe in Kiri."
"Reasonably," I echo him. "Except for the fact that just because they declared the civil war over, doesn't mean it really is. I doubt Yagura's supporters and the bloodline haters just surrendered. They're probably still fighting, trying to take Kirigakure back." I glare at them. "Your best plan is to send me into a warzone?!"
They just stare back at me, saying nothing. And at last the penny drops.
"That's it, isn't it?" I whisper, aghast. "That's why you had me train under Zabuza. That's what he trained me for! You've been planning to send me there from the moment the Cursed Seal was put on me!"
This... this...
"I was only taking precautions, just in case. It was easy to see that Orochimaru would come after you," Dad finally says. "And it was equally obvious that he had at least one informant in the village. The invasion showed us that even ANBU can easily be infiltrated." He looks at me seriously.
This can't be real. This isn't happening.
"And even knowing that and taking precautions, you were still abducted," Tsunade continues. "The Sound Four shouldn't have been able to infiltrate the village so easily, even with most of our forces fighting at the borders. They had inside help. Which means," she clenches her fists. "That Konoha isn't safe for you."
"Not to mention the recent… incident," Shizune adds, hugging Tonton to herself.
"No," I whisper. "No! I – I can't leave here! This is my home!"
"And then what?!" Tsunade asks sharply, hitting her desk with her fist. "Keep you locked up here? Put you under constant surveillance? Tell me, how much time do we have until you go insane under those conditions?!"
"Tell me how much time it'll take until I go insane separated from everyone I love!" I counter.
Tsunade only snorts. "You aren't that weak."
"Riko-chan," Dad says gently. "Do you trust me?"
"That's a stupid question," I whisper. "The one I don't trust is me. Dad, I don't think I can do it."
"I believe in you, Riko-chan."
I deflate at hearing his words. "I'm… I don't…"
I can't leave. If I leave, I won't even have Shikamaru with me. I'll be all alone. No family, no friends, no Konoha. No nothing.
"You can't stay. Orochimaru will come after you again. Whoever was behind the recent incident will, too. People will die to protect you," Tsunade informs me bluntly. "Can you live with that?"
I sit down heavily on the floor. Hide my face in my hands. "That's not fair," I choke out.
"Answer the question," Tsunade orders.
Can I live with another Fumio dying for me?
"No," I answer. "I can't. Not ever." I look up at her, like my entire world isn't falling to pieces around me. "When am I leaving?"
"We aren't going to send you in unprepared," Tsunade informs me. "You'll receive training in one of our facilities. As you are now, you probably wouldn't survive. Never mind that, you wouldn't even pass for a Kiri ninja."
I clench my fists. "Okay," I say almost inaudibly. "I – I need some time alone."
Without waiting for a reply, I stumble out of the office, all grace gone from my movements. I feel lightheaded.
They are sending me away. Dad is sending me away. I'm being kicked out. I'm not wanted anymore. I'm-
I'm all alone.
"Ri?" Shikamaru asks when I stumble out into the corridor. "What happened?" He catches me in his arms. I grab onto his vest and lean into him.
Well, maybe not all alone.
"I agreed to do something troublesome," I whisper. "Shika, you're going to be so mad at me."
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A/N: So that's it. The last chapter. Only the epilogue to go now.
I just... Wow. It's been amazing, writing this. I never expected Growing Strong to become so popular. Thank you every one. You're great.
Also: There is no relation between Luna and Aimi.
And I probably shouldn't have been surprised that suddenly half of you started shipping Itachi and Riko. That said, NO. IT WON'T HAPPEN. (Even if there's that tiny little part of me that ships them, too.)
So here are the questions you asked me. If I didn't answer one of yours, it's either because I didn't want to give you spoilers, or the question has been answered before.
FAQ II
Are you going to put up a link to the sequel in the next chapter?
I'll post a chapter to inform everyone that the sequel is there. Alternatively, you can put me on your Author Alert list, then you'll be informed immediately.
Will there be a timeskip?
Yes, but we will see the tail end of Riko's time in Kiri.
Is this going to be a trilogy?
No. It's going to be a monster. It'll be a tetralogy, meaning there will be four books. And yes, I actually looked up that word.
I have clearly gone insane.
Will there be bashing of HP characters?
This was actually a recurring question. And it isn't that easy to answer. The matter of bashing isn't so simple as saying 'I will do it' or 'I won't do it.'
I'm not a fan of bashing – it's fine if it's for the plot and if it's done well, but I'm not going to be bashing anyone just for the heck of it. Most all characters in HP have both great qualities and horrible flaws, they are human after all. The only one who has absolutely no redeeming quality or moment is Voldemort. And Bellatrix, come to think of it.
So I don't intend to bash anyone. There are enemies and there are friends, and how they look to the readers depends entirely on if Riko likes or hates them. They might actually be a decent person, but if Riko decides she doesn't like them, then they'll automatically be a 'bad guy' in the readers' eyes since the story is told from her point of view and she'll say exactly why she dislikes them. And if she makes friends with someone who really is a bad person, then she'd try to justify that friendship and list the redeeming qualities in that person, which would automatically make that person look better.
So there won't be any bashing. People do good or bad things, they will be enemies or allies, they will be trusted or they won't; and your entire perception of a character can change in the course of one single chapter. I won't tell you guys what you are supposed to feel about those characters – in my opinion, half the fun in reading is figuring out those characters yourselves, or watching Riko try to figure them out.
By the way, what was up with that dream of Riko at Hogwarts showing their second year?
It will be explained. At some point. Waaay down the line.
And it's not so simple as saying that Riko is seeing 'what could have been'.
Will anyone go with Riko back to her original world or will she be solo for that undertaking?
No spoilers…
Is Riko's scar still there, since she isn't a Horcrux anymore?
It is, but it's faded.
Won't Sirius be upset that she has a boyfriend?
Ahahaha oh God.
She won't STAY in England forever right?
You're just going to have to read, no spoilers here.
...That said, HP is Book Three. There will be FOUR books...
