Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I just own my own OCs.
One month later…
It had been about an hour since they had crossed the border into Hi no Kuni and Jai hadn't sensed any chakra signatures since they fled the village. The two women had been traveling for about a day and a half and were both exhausted and haggard-looking.
"How far are we now, um… kunoichi-san...?"
They had been in each other's company well over a month, and during that time the kunoichi always regarded herself as her alias: Megumi. But after fleeing, the kunoichi told her that Hamasaki Megumi was no more. Since then, Hitomi didn't know what to call her escort. And during their travel not much was said between the two.
Before fleeing, a disguise Jutsu was cast over the two of them by the kunoichi. Hitomi couldn't help being awestruck. She looked like a completely different person: her long brunette hair was now blonde and a pixie cut-style, her green eyes were now brown and skin tone was fairer. The kunoichi even went as far as to alter her height and facial structure.
Hitomi looked to her traveling companion. She owes her life to this woman and she doesn't even know what she truly looks like or knows her real name.
"We crossed the border about an hour ago," the kunoichi looked up to the moon and judged the time by its position.
'approximately three a.m.'
"If we keep this pace, we will arrive at Konoha in the late afternoon or early evening."
"We're that far?"
"Yes," Jai breathed out in exhaustion.
'At this rate, we will tire from exhaustion before we reach the village'
She didn't want to risk exposing their position, but she also hadn't sensed anyone since they fled the village.
'We can always make camp'
But that would turn their travel time from hours into days. Jai's brows furrowed as she contemplated the best choice. She had used up so much chakra when she activated her Jutsu before they left, and she was using more and more just keeping hers and Hitomi's disguise in place. She would be useless should anything happen now.
'With my current chakra level, I would not be able to do much'
She came to a decision and bit down on her right thumb and formed four seals before bringing her palm to the ground. A large cloud of smoke appeared, causing Hitomi to let out a surprised shriek by the sudden appearance of a large crow.
"Jai-sama," the large bird greeted as it bowed.
Hitomi looked to her escort with a raised brow.
'So, her name is Jai…?'
Jai returned the bow before beckoning Hitomi to climb onto the bird's back. "Quickly. Summoning Chie has exposed our position."
"But you said we haven't been followed."
"I do not want to risk it."
"B-but I…" the pregnant woman hesitated. She feared the large bird but feared the idea of getting on its back even more.
"We do not have time for this, Hitomi," Jai urged as she forced the woman onto her summon's back. She followed suit and sat behind the pregnant woman. "Chie, fly high and fast to Konoha. Do not stop under any circumstances."
The crow pushed off the ground with three powerful flaps of her wings. Hitomi shrieked again and clung to the summon's jet-black feathers for security. After a few moments, the fear was replaced with excitement and a weightless feeling.
"Amazing," Hitomi breathed out in awe.
A cloud of smoke blew off from her person, and she suddenly felt the weight of Jai against her back. The disguise Jai had cast was no longer in effect. Confused by the sudden intrusion of each other's space, she turned her head to look back. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Jai slouched over; her own disguise vanished along with Hitomi's.
The woman named Jai was…
'Beautiful'
Hitomi thought to herself as she studied the kunoichi's features. Long ebony locks were blown back as they flew, better revealing her facial features. Her skin was fair and looked smooth to the touch, lashes that were long with a natural curl, and full lips with a natural red tint. Hitomi briefly wondered why a pretty woman like her would choose the shinobi lifestyle. Before Hitomi knew it, the kunoichi named Jai slid off the giant crow's back.
"H-hey!" Hitomi made to grab her but wasn't quick enough. She was too late, and Jai was now plummeting towards the ground. "Chie! Megu- I mean Jai! She's-"
"Hang onto me tightly," Chie ordered before nose-diving after her master.
Another shriek escaped from Hitomi's lips as she tried to steady herself against the sudden shift of direction. Her arms did their best to wrap around the crow's neck while clammy hands buried themselves back into the feathers.
'Will we make it in time?!'
Chie was quick and precise. She swooped in and caught Jai with one foot before straightening back out and regaining their original altitude. Hitomi released the breath that she didn't realize she had been holding.
"Thank goodness…" she sighed to herself. "Perhaps we should land?"
"No, Jai-sama has given me her orders."
"But-!"
"Jai-sama is alright, just tired," Chie assured. "Please, do not worry, Hitomi-san. I will protect you both."
Hitomi was still apprehensive but kept it to herself.
"We will arrive in Konoha in the early afternoon. I urge you to take this time to rest."
The sun was at its highest point in the sky by the time Chie flew over the large gates of Konohagakure. Hitomi's eyes were wide as they flew over the village. All this time away, she'd forgotten how large it really was.
Chie's large shadow fell over and traveled across the village's buildings before finally stopping over the Hokage's building. Several shinobi that were inside quickly rushed out after hearing the summon's loud caw. She landed with enough force that shook the surrounding area and let Hitomi get down from her back. Given her current state, Hitomi did her best and helped Chie lay Jai as gently as she could onto the ground. Knowing that her master was in safe hands, Chie let out one final caw before she disappeared, leaving behind a large cloud of white smoke.
Before she knew it, Hitomi and the unconscious Jai were surrounded by Konoha shinobi and their Hokage. "Uh- I- we're-"
"I know who you are," Hiruzen spoke as he made his way to Jai.
He bent down to check on her and commanded two of his shinobi to help him. He gave them orders and Jai was soon rushed to the village hospital, leaving Hitomi alone with Hiruzen and four other shinobi. The older man motioned for her to follow him as he walked back inside.
"Uh, where are they taking her?"
"The hospital for further examination, though I'm fairly certain that it's exhaustion and low chakra levels," Hiruzen said before taking a puff from his pipe.
They walked in silence until they reached his office. He dismissed the remaining shinobi, wanting total privacy. Upon entering, she looked around the rounded room. On one side of the room hung four male portraits, one being Hiruzen's own portrait.
'the former Hokages'
Hitomi felt like a child back in school reporting to their principal as she awkwardly stood in the middle of the office. Hiruzen then came up beside her with a chair for her to sit, and she graciously thanked him for it.
"So," he started as he made his way back to his chair behind his desk. He sat, propped his elbows on the desk, and interlocked his hands together. His eyes narrowed into a stern look as he eyed the woman before him. "Tell me why one of my top kunoichis has returned weeks later after I assigned her a mission that should have only lasted a few days."
Her hands fell to her stomach while she tried to avoid his gaze. She took a deep breath. "First, I want to apologize for deceiving you…"
3 days later…
The smell of sterilizer and antiseptics mixed with generic laundry detergent invaded her senses when she finally came to. Her eyes opened and the first thing to grace her sight was the white ceiling of a place she was all too familiar with: a hospital room.
Her limbs felt heavy and her mind was cloudy.
'How long have I been here?'
She carefully sat herself up on the bed and rested her head in her hands where she massaged her temples and forehead. It wasn't just her limbs that felt heavy, but her whole body was stiff and achy.
Her body was still recovering from over-exhausting her chakra. With her head still in one of her hands, she looked out the window and saw that the sun was setting, casting an orange-gold glow over the village. Looking to the right, she saw that the clothes she remembered wearing were now washed and neatly folded on the bedside table. On her person, she was left in her pale cami and black shorts.
Her mind then wandered to Hitomi and she tried to recall what happened, but she could only recall summoning Chie. After that, her memory was blank.
'She most likely brought us directly to Hokage-sama… he then took charge of Hitomi – most likely mad about my delayed return…'
A feeling of ease settled the more she thought about what happened while she was incapacitated.
'I am sure Hitomi apologized profusely for her deception… but now what?'
The sound of the door to her room sliding open interrupted her thoughts.
"Kakashi…"
His shock of finding her awake was quickly replaced with the feeling of relief. She also felt ease coursing through her own person. She missed him and was happy to be back. He gave her a small smile through his mask as he approached, a plastic bag clutched in his hand.
"I was starting to wonder when you would wake up, my ningyō." He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled out an orange and an apple. He held both up and gave her a questioning look.
She pointed to the orange. "How long?"
"Today would be the third day." He informed as he quickly peeled the rind from the fruit.
"Have you spoken to Hokage-sama?"
He hummed in response. "Everything is fine and taken care of," he eased and held out a piece for her to eat. "Now, open wide."
"You have to remove the pith as well."
"The what?"
"The pith."
"The pith?"
"Yes, the pith."
"What's that?"
"It is the white stringy stuff around the slices."
Kakashi looked at the peeled orange in his hand. "Hmm… didn't know that," he said while starting to remove the pith for her. "Better?"
She nodded and made to grab a slice, but a sharp pain shot through her whole arm that was quickly followed by muscle spasms. A hiss escaped between her clenched jaw as she tried to breathe through the sudden pain.
"Don't know why you even bothered when I'm more than happy to feed you," he tsked at her. He indicated for her to open her mouth when he moved the piece closer towards her.
She obliged and humored him; there was no point in trying to protest. They sat in a comfortable silence as Kakashi continued to feed her the rest of the orange and helping her drink water. Before she knew it, the orange had been devoured and she still wasn't satisfied. He chuckled and reached into the plastic bag once more to peel another.
"I missed you," she said in between bites. She saw the fabric shift as his lips curled into another smile.
He brought his hand to the top of her head before gently rubbing it. "I missed you too." He leaned in and kissed her forehead before standing from the bed. "I'll go let Hokage-sama know you're awake. Will you be alright?"
"Yes, thank you."
Three knocks came from the other side of the door. "I'm coming in, Jai," came Hiruzen's voice through the door.
"Hai."
Upon entering, he found her standing before one of the windows; opened and allowing the gentle night breeze in.
She deeply bowed before him.
"How are you feeling?"
"I am well, Hokage-sama. Where is Hitomi? Is she safe?"
"She is," he reassured.
She bowed once more and stayed in the position longer than normal. "I am sorry for putting the village and everyone in it at risk. I accept whatever punishment you have for me."
"There won't be a need for that."
"But-" she stood back up to full attention.
"Hitomi has taken full responsibility for everything. Bringing her here was certainly a risk, but I understand why. Had it been me, I would have made the same choice. However, we can't just leave Hitomi to herself now that she's here. I believe in your skills and your execution of everything during your mission, but there is still a chance that it could be traced back to us and Hitomi. Which is why she has made another request."
Her brows furrowed in wariness. "Which is…?"
"She has requested further protection from now on until the foreseeable future for herself and her child. And she has requested it be from you, Jai."
A moment of silence fell over the room as she listened and processed everything.
"I hate to put you in this position, but you are the best choice. You and Hitomi already have a bond and she already trusts you. Unfortunately, this mission has no timeframe and may never end. Until the threat to Hitomi's life is gone, she will always be in danger."
"What about my ANBU missions and the Intel Division?"
"You will no longer be able to fulfill your duties there, but I have already found another place for you. Do you accept this mission, Jai?"
She was surprised that he was even giving her a choice. It would be easy for her to decline, but she felt responsible for Hitomi. After all, it was her decision to bring her here and it was her reasoning that put the village at risk. The thought of putting all of that onto someone else didn't sit well with her conscience. And, during their short time together, they had developed a small bond of trust with each other. She was the logical choice.
"I accept, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen nodded. "Then, I hereby relieve you of your ANBU duties and your duties at the Intel Division. You will assume your new duties at the hospital as its director.
"Director? Do you truly believe I am worthy of such a position, Hokage-sama?"
"I wouldn't put you there if I didn't. You are one of the top medics in the village and have the potential to be as great as Tsunade."
She needed to stop questioning his decisions. He never led her astray then, he wouldn't now. The serious look he gave her put her mind at ease. "Thank you, Hokage-sama." She wouldn't fail him.
To everyone who has been so sincere and gracious during this time of change with my story: Thank you. Thank you so much for giving my story your time and attention. Thank you for your patience and encouragement. Thank you for having my back and supporting me. A lot happened during the 8 months of silence, and during that time, I did a lot of re-evaluating everything in my life. This story being one.
To everyone who has told me that they hate what I'm doing with my story: I honestly do not care and, more importantly, I don't have to explain myself as to why I decided to take down my story and re-write it. If you don't agree with my choices, then keep it to yourself – especially since I didn't ask for any feedback. I didn't start this story for the purpose of reviews and feedback. I started it for myself. It takes a lot of guts for me and other people to share their work because we know we're setting ourselves up for judgment and ridicule. And all it takes is just one person to say the right thing to kill our confidence and passion. If there is something you hate about it, then say it in a more respectable and civil approach. Remember this: at the end of the day, I don't owe you anything. Whether I have hundreds that enjoy my work or even just one, I will continue to write my story my way and at my own pace.
And nothing major is going to change. The main plot points will still be the same. The only difference is the deliverance.
