Chapter 7

In the forest Keiko stood, arms crossed. She was observing Naruto as he ran around, throwing rocks at wooden targets he had hung around in various spots. Keiko was surprised that Naruto had a little hide away out in the forest where he trained. He didn't have a teacher so his style was unrefined and very sloppy. Though, after she thought about it, it all made sense. The village hated him and he needed some kind of outlet.

Naruto landed triumphantly, looking at his work before turning to Keiko. His goofy grin plastered on his face, hands linking behind his head, "Pretty good, right? I bet I'm better than everyone at the academy, believe it!"

"Ah..." Keiko coughed. He would not be the worst, at least not in shuriken. "Naruto," She began and walked up to the boy, placing a hand on his head to ruffle his hair. It was something the two of them had grown accustomed to over their time together. He had grown a few inches since the two met nearly a year ago. "The academy isn't to prove who is the best, its meant to help you grow. Besides," she pinched his cheek, "what's the fun if you have nothing to learn?"

Naruto swatted her hand away with a shout as she laughed. The boy rubbed his cheek, "I know, I just wanna make a good impression is all..." He looked away from her and in that moment Keiko could see the nerves Naruto was trying to hide.

She smiled at him, "So, tomorrow's your first day, no one is perfect when they start out." Naruto crossed his arms and pouted. She sighed, he certainly had a stubborn attitude. Keiko bent down and placed her hands on his shoulders, "Naruto, you think I was perfect when I first started?"

He scoffed, "I heard you passed the academy in a year!" Naruto grumbled, she had no room to talk. From what he had heard she breezed through the academy like it was nothing.

Keiko gave an exasperated chuckle, so he did know. "I had a lot of training before the academy, Naruto. Five years of it."

His curiosity was peaked, "How old were you?"

"I was five years old when I first started training to fight." She sighed, her eyes seemed to glaze over in memory. "I couldn't do anything right, my uncle spent many hours just getting me to hold the wakizashi properly. All the cuts, bruises, and concussions got me to where I am today."

Naruto paused in thought, "So, you were basically already a ninja when you went to the academy... What the heck did you need the academy for?" he asked perplexed.

She smiled at him, "I needed to learn how to be a ninja, up until that point I had been trained as a Samurai. Samurai and ninjas are very different and have different styles of fighting. My stealth also needed a little work."

"What techniques are so different from ninja?"

Keiko stood straight and stepped away from him into the small clearing and unsheathed her wakizashi. Focusing her chakra into her weapon she watched as her chakra enveloped the blade and in one swift movement she turned and swung. A crescent of chakra escaped and flew through the air, slicing into a free. Keiko relaxed her chakra and looked at young Naruto who's mouth was agape in astonishment. When Keiko returned her weapon to its scabbard Naruto finally snapped out of his astonishment.

"Whoa! That was awesome!"

"Yeah, it is a pretty neat trick. Although, anyone with enough stamina and control over their chakra could do it. It's why most ninja choose to stay away from the Land of Iron all together. Samurai can keep their chakra materialized for far longer than most ninja. Ninja materialize their chakra through ninjutsu, rather than using the energy to materialize it as an extension of themselves. The training required to pull this off is rigorous, not to mention taxing." Keiko held up her right hand and took off her glove, revealing many scars that looked eerily similar to old burns.

Naruto gasped at the sight, looking from Keiko, to her hand and then back to her smiling face.

Placing the glove back on she kept her warm smile plastered to her face. "As you can see Naruto, the beginning is always difficult. It's how you overcome those difficulties that make you strong."

Naruto looked up at her, eyes hard with determination, "Right!"

Just then Keiko looked up at the sky, looking to see where the sun was and she cursed under her breath. She was going to be late. "Okay Naruto, you better get home and get some sleep before your big day tomorrow. I've got to run, but I'll see you at the academy in the morning, 'kay?"

The small blond watched as the turned and ran off toward the village as he called after her, "Bed? It's not even five o'clock!"

Keiko chuckled but continued on. Naruto would probably be out there for several more hours practicing. She remembered fondly how she first started giving him tips and tricks on how to throw a kunai or a shuriken. He was a fast learner, given the right ambition and coaching that is.

In her haste, Keiko opted to run along the roof tops to get to her destination quickly. She hated to be late and they would be expecting her. Finally, she made it and jumped down from the roof, landing skillfully on her feet in front of the Dango Shop. Looking up she quickly found the familiar faces of Kurenai and Asuma. Kurenai perked up at seeing her fellow Chunin and raised her hand to wave when a flash of green caught their attention.

Keiko didn't have much time to react before her arms were up blocking a punch. The force was enough to make her arms go numb and her body was pushed back, her shoes skidding on the ground until she came to a stop.

"You're late!" Guy told her, he stood straighter, pointing to Keiko as she just looked at him. "A jonin is never late, you have a lot to learn if you want to achieve your goal!"

Asuma and Kurenai had left their table and walked outside to watch. "Guy, do you really think that is necessary?"

Guy turned toward Kurenai and gave her his signature thumbs up, "Of course!"

Keiko stood up and walked up to them, ignoring the throbbing sensation from where he hit her. "I fail to see how you ambushing me is going to help me reach Jonin..."

Guy chuckled and settled his arm around Keiko's shoulders, "Keiko, if there is one thing I know after our time together, it is that your senses need to improve. Just last week I was tailing you all day while you were shopping and you didn't even notice. A jonin is always ready for attack!"

Keiko deadpanned at her friend. 'Well, that explains why I had that weird feeling all day that day...'

Since her first mission with Guy, the two of them had been paired on several more missions. It seemed Guy was one of the only ninja in the village who didn't have an aversion to working with her so the Third Hokage thought it good to pair them together. After all, if a team can't trust each other, a mission was doomed to fail. Over that time, the two of them had gotten pretty close and Keiko considered Guy to be a good friend of hers. He annoyed her on occasion, but she admired his loyalty and determination.

She sighed and muttered, "Sounds like something you would try to do to Kakashi." She had only seen them interact a handful of times since it seemed Kakashi threw himself into his work constantly, but she knew the base of the two Jonin's relationship.

Guys eyes sharpened, "My rival and I have our quarrels, one day you will see the kind of battle we partake in!"

Asuma took a puff off his cigarette, "A battle of janken..." Kurenai giggled and Asuma's lips curled upward the tiniest bit, though the hand holding his cigarette blocked it from view.

Keiko looked sidelong at her friend, a teasing smile growing on her lips, "You two play janken? Isn't that a little below your skill level?"

Guy held his hand up in a fist and huffed, "All of our challenges are meaningful. Even the most menial of tasks can be used to learn and grow stronger!"

"Right, right," Asuma waved him off, "So, why did you bring us all together, Guy?"

"I was hoping that Kakashi would be here." He said simply, "I thought he needed some time with friends."

Kurenai nodded, "He is nearly constantly working. Since joining the Anbu he has been rather distant."

Guy seemed to be renewed with vigor, "Let's go, Kakashi is waiting!" He turned down the road and began to jog away from the three ninja.

"Should we follow him?" Asuma asked.

"Do we have anything else to do?" Keiko asked back.

With that, the three of them followed Guy through the village where they came across a bridge and sure enough there was Kakashi, leaning against the railing. How Guy knew he would be there, none of them knew. The three accompanying ninja walked forward, watching as Guy called out to Kakashi who just seemed to ignore them all.

Keiko watched the next several minutes with much interest. She knew that these four were in the academy together and it would seem they had stayed fairly close over the years. It was hard for her to imagine such a bond. She had never seen the horrors of war so she could never imagine the circumstances they had gone through together. They had been through a world she had never seen. It was a sobering thought.

Herself, Kurenai and Asuma watched silently as Guy attempted to get Kakashi to come with them but it was no use. Keiko watched Kakashi intently as he walked away. Even though she had only spoken a few words to the man, she could tell through Kakashi and Guy's interactions that what Guy said was indeed true. Kakashi did carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. Though, he had it bad. Just what had happened to Kakashi in the past? No matter how many times she would ask Guy about it, he would never divulge into Kakashi's past. He said it was up to Kakashi to tell her himself, and if that were the case she was slowly coming to terms with the fact that she would never know. It seemed impossible for anyone to get close to him.

Guy grumbled to himself, scratching the back of his head as Kakashi walked away from them. Asuma sighed, "He's been like this for a while, it is what it is."

Kurenai nodded, "It must be all the Anbu secrecy." As Guy went on about Kakashi, Kurenai turned her head toward Keiko. Kurenai watched with intrigue as Keiko's eyes were glued intently on the back of Kakashi's head. She knew that look anywhere. "He's a hard one to figure out." She said to Keiko softly.

Keiko blinked and turned her attention toward Kurenai. "I don't know what to say, he is intriguing." After a pause she smiled jokingly, "Maybe it's just the mask."

Kurenai let out a short laugh, "He's worn that since we were in the academy, if you ever see his face, you will have to tell me what he looks like."

"Like that will ever happen."

Shortly after that the four of them decided to go their separate ways. Guy was disappointed that he could not get Kakashi to join in with anything so he went off to train on his own. After a quick goodbye to Asuma and Kurenai Keiko decided to take Guys lead and head off to train. It had been a while since she had trained herself, and she was in the middle of trying to create her own jutsu.

Keiko had thought long and hard about her own jutsu and what to create. She had gotten this far with the basic ninjutsu taught at the academy and the basic water and air release. Not to mention her ice, though she still did not have a ninjutsu for it. Keiko could channel her chakra into the air to lower the temperature and freeze water already there, just as she did to the Anbu boy in the past. She wanted to create her own jutsu to showcase her Kekkei Genkai, she no longer wanted to hide it when she knew it could be a strength.

She smiled thinking back to Guy when she first used her ice release around him. They had finished in a fight over the water and she had frozen the waters surface since he did not have the energy left to walk upon the surface. For a moment Guy had looked down blankly at the sheet of ice below him. Then he turned to her with wide eyes, "When were you going to tell me?" Was all he said before going on a tirade about how companions should have no secrets. He also told her how it would be a great asset for her to hone her ability.

Keiko finally made it to her destination, a small pool of water in a clearing deep in the forest. It was quiet and out of the way of people so she found it perfect. Focusing her chakra in the soles of her feet she walked into the center of the pool and took several deep breathes, focusing her chakra. It was eerily silent as the wind around her started to pick up, the temperature plummeting. Slowly, the water in the air began to materialize into snow that was picked up in the wind. Keiko focused her chakra, expanding the radius of her personal blizzard, feeding her chakra into it. As her chakra seeped into the blowing snow, she could close her eyes and feel everything that the snow touched.

When she felt the presence of a person, her eyes snapped open.

There should be no one there but her. Keiko's hand immediately went to her wakizashi as she moved through her jutsu as it diminished. She came up on the unknown person and swiftly drew her sword, intending for her attack to incapacitate her opponent but that was not the case.

The sound of metal on metal rung through the air as the blizzard stopped. There she was met with the black eyes of Itachi. The two stood staring at one another before the boy finally spoke, "I apologize, I meant no harm."

His voice was eerily familiar. Keiko regarded him for a moment before taking away her weapon and placing it back into its sheath. Maybe Guy was right, her senses needed some work. Without her jutsu, she would have never known he was there. "Itachi Uchiha, right? What are you doing out here?"

Itachi watched her for a moment before nodding, "I was passing through when I noticed your jutsu. It needs work but it is most impressive."

Keiko gasped softly. The familiarity igniting into realization. There was a long silence between them, the tension in the air hung thick before she spoke. "Itachi. You're that Anbu boy who was with Kakashi. The one I fought."

Suddenly, Itachi's eyes turned cold. "And if I am?"

She thought for a moment, what if he was? What then? It wasn't as if her knowing that piece of information changed anything in the slightest. She thought then of their own fight nearly a year prior verses what she had witnessed on her first mission with Guy. While she did not see his skills in battle, she could tell by the way he carried himself that he was gifted. He had to be.

"You were holding back before." She finally said. "Perhaps, you could humor me and show me what an Anbu prodigy can really do?"

Itachi scoffed and closed his eyes, "Frankly, I have no idea what you are referring to."

Keiko smiled sweetly, "Oh, I believe you do, Itachi." Her smile didn't fade as she looked him in the eye, "You don't expect me to believe an Anbu member followed me out here for no reason, not after what happened all those months ago."

Itachi regarded her coldly but did not say anything.

She could feel the cold seep into her skin, it was such an odd feeling, like a high of some kind. "Does Sasuke know?" When he didn't respond she continued, "His first day at the academy is tomorrow, isn't it? I'll have to talk to him-"

That's when he acted. Keiko saw it coming though and raised her weapon to defend herself. She chuckled and gave the Uchiha a smile, "So, I guess Sasuke is a soft spot, how sweet."

The two maneuvered through the forest for merely a minute. Their weapons clashing against one another in the dimming light as dusk sat in. Keiko took in his movements, he was so fluid and elegant. He made no wrong moves. There was no room for second guessing. She envied the amount of confidence this boy had, but she could tell he was still holding back.

Suddenly, Itachi was gone. Before she could react, she felt a foot make contact with her back, sending her to the ground roughly.

Keiko grimaced as she turned herself onto her back. Cold steel was pressed lightly against her neck and she was surprised when fear did not consume her. She smiled, there was no killing intent behind the blade. "You still held back." She told him simply.

"If I did not hold back, you would die."

She smiled and lightly pushed the blade away and stood up, dusting herself off. "It was good practice though. Perhaps," She let the word hang in the air, an idea popping into her mind before she looked back up at him, "next time I'll beat you."

Itachi regarded her for a moment before sheathing his own weapon. "Perhaps," he said as he walked away from her, "you never will."

Keiko smiled after him in triumph, it would seem to her, that she found herself a sparing partner.

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Posted - 5/22/2021