Chapter 2

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Comments

Just to clarify, since we don't get a concrete timeline on certain historical events, this would be set before the start of the Third Shinobi War. But here's chapter 2, I hope you like it!

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"For all good and evil, whether in the body or in human nature, originates in the soul, and overflows from thence, as from the head into the eyes."

~ Plato ~

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I was standing in front of Suna's borders, two hands gripping the straps of my backpack eagerly as I kept looking for mama's student who was supposed to pick me up.

"I didn't think she'd be leaving us so soon." I could hear Akashi almost pout from behind.

"She's here, she's here!" I yelled, "Bye-bye!" I waved and dashed off to the red-headed woman I heard mother talk so much about.

"See you soon!" I heard mother shout after as a familiar trail of iron sand morphed into a puppy and followed me until I had reached the Konoha kunoichi.

I giggled, reaching down to pat the 'puppy' as it looked down and cried, "It's okie puppy. I'll be back. Just make sure you look after my baby sister."

The pup barked, then disappeared back to where I saw my family waving in the distance.

"Soooo, you're Hinami's eldest aren't ya?" The woman grinned, "Nice to meet you. My name's Kushina, and I guess I'm gonna be your sensei ya know!"

I bowed, nearly tripping face-first into the sand but thankfully I was able to right myself back up in time.

"Nice to meet you Kushina-sensei! My name is Tsubaki, I like my family, puppies and food! I don't like Kage because they're boring." I frowned.

She laughed, "Alrighty then. Well, it seems like it is time for us to head off to Konoha!"

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It had been several years since I made the Leaf Village my home, and aside from the short breaks back to Suna, I couldn't see myself ever going back to live there permanently. For better or worse, the beauty and greenery in Konoha had captured my young heart.

But it was safe to say that I would long for simpler days especially when I trained with my sensei… like today.

Standing in the middle of an empty training ground, I gulped, holding up my wrist that was now tied with a bright red ribbon, the same colour as my new sensei's hair might I add.

"Umm… Kushina-sensei… are you sure?" I asked, slightly hesitant.

She nodded, clapping enthusiastically, "Of course! Didn't your mother train with you like this? It's a tradition at this point. This is the first exercise she gave Mikoto and I when we became her students, it's only fitting you go through this as well ya know?"

Gulping, I nodded as she told me to recite the rules of this exercise once more. In my mind, I simply likened it to a very enhanced, more lethal version of 'tag' I used to play with Sasori-san. Except 'It' happened to be the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, and the border was the inside of Konoha.

"Remember, the game's not up just because I caught you. You need to protect that with everything you've got ya know?" She smiled.

Nodding seriously, I reminded myself of the main reason why I was dead scared of this game… everything goes. I doubt it would come to it, but if she decided to release a tailed beast on me, I would technically be expected to be able to handle it.

"- and GO!"

Blinking, I stared at her as I realised I tuned out the rest of her instructions. So I stumbled, before turning around and darting off in the opposite direction.

I figured that my best bet would be to disappear into the crowds. So that's what I did. Thinking back, I remembered a particular training ground along the edge of the village with softer soil that would be more conducive to my Iron Sand. So I traced backward, looping around to make my way back. I was fast, but I knew that I could not out-run a fully-fledged kunoichi so my best bet was to keep the ribbon on me for as long as possible

Reaching into my pouch, I drew out some explosive tags and quickly slapped them on the branches as I passed. Having cleared the more urban part of the village, I decided that training grounds were a free for all… and Kushina-sensei did say to use everything I had sooo-

"TSUBAKI-CHAN, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO GO ALL OUT YA KNOW?"

My face paled. She was close, very close.

Eyes scanning, I took in the clearing that was immediately before me, but there was a thick grove of trees just past it. Reasoning that hiding myself in the trees would buy me some time, I resolved to stay CLEAR of an open clearing because that was just asking to be captured. When the sound of an explosion went off I zoned in on my destination.

'Ok… aim for trees. Clearing bad.'

I pumped more chakra into my feet and using the built-up momentum launched myself forward, aiming to reach the trees in one leap and not worrying about crossing the distance on foot.

'I'm gonna make it!'

I grinned, but my senses flared in pain as a body collided straight beside me, knocking me out of the air and away from my target.

'I'm not gonna make it!'

Tumbling on the ground, it took me a moment as I rolled on my side and backflipped several times only to crash into another body.

"Geez, don't you Konoha shinobi learn to look before you leap?" I lectured, more than slightly annoyed at the fact that half my side was sending a tingling pain to my brain.

"Obito, Kakashi, what happened?"

Looking up I saw the familiar blond figure of Kushina-sensei's husband approach us who looked quizzically at the scene in front of him with those dazzling, ocean blue eyes of his-

'Oh god, I might have a tiny crush on him.'

"Owwweeeeee, oh god I hope I'm not bleeding. Am I bleeding? Oh wait. You're bleeding. RIN-CHAN SHE IS BLEEDING!" The figure to my back panicked.

From behind me, a dark-haired kid with a pair of FLURO ORANGE goggles came forward, and I could see that he was bleeding from his nose, but he was more fixated on the gash along my arm and knee.

"Oh my god… OH MY GOD I AM SO SORRY!" I panicked, realising that despite being knocked off course, I had retained most of my speed and momentum, and getting hit by an object with such a velocity would have been deadly if he wasn't a shinobi.

"Suck it up Obito. It's just a little blood."

Turning my attention to the latest newcomer, I deduced that the masked silver-haired kid was the force that collided into me and caused this whole mess.

"By the way, I think this is yours." Kakashi, I assumed. Holding up his hand to reveal a familiar red ribbon.

I cursed, leaping forward and snatching it from him. Mentally noting that mum would be disappointed at my lack of manners I mumbled a 'thank you' as I tied the ribbon back in its original position.

"Tsubaki-chan, why were you running like the devil was after you?" Minato asked, concerned when the clearing was suddenly filled with a menacing chakra.

I gulped and saw my face pale alongside Minato's as we both slowly turned to see a grinning Kushina who was cracking her knuckles as she stalked towards us.

"Now now Tsubaki-chan," she sung sweetly, "Don't think you can ask Minato to help you get away from this ya know~"

The blond gave me a sad look, patting my head as he realised that I was going through his wife's infamous 'Test'.

"Alright kids, step back," Minato said, voice tinged with defeat as I suddenly found myself in a big open clearing with one overly eager sensei.

Kushina-sensei stopped. Eyes quickly zoning in on the side of my body which I could only assume was as red as a tomato after being tackled at over 50 miles an hour.

"Tsubaki-chan, why are you so red? It can't be because Minato is here right?" She jutted a thumb to the blond who sweat dropped and my cheeks flared up so that now I was red all over.

"Sensei," I whined, "That's mean."

Laughing, she squealed about her 'cute little student having a crush on her husband' and I could feel myself getting redder as Obito turned and gave his teacher a scandalised look.

Taking a moment to compose herself, she got back to business as she reached into her pouch and pulled out some kunai.

"Now, you better not hold back or you might actually die ya know?" She cautioned, pausing and then running straight at me.

Summoning the chakra, I slammed my hand to the floor as I called up the strongest defence I knew.

"IRON DOME!" I surged, black sand coming to enclose itself in a ball around me, with the thinnest of cracks so that I could still see what was happening outside

Kushina paused, taking stock of the small structure before sheathing her kunai back into its holster.

"Alright kiddos, for today your training is to break through that." She jutted a thumb at me. "Winner will have their lunch paid for by Minato and a chance to train with me!"

I let out a quick breath of relief. No disrespect to the kids, but I would much rather take on virtually anyone else aside from Kushina-sensei. Seeing Minato give up, he left his students to the antics of his wife.

"Alright Tsubaki-chan, you gotta make sure you still do your best ya know?" Kushina smiled, stepping back and letting the three genin loose.

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I slurped down my fifth bowl of ramen. Obito and Rin watched on with amazement as Kushina smiled proudly at me.

Minato had a smile on his face as he gave me another bowl, "Kushina's really just making a mini-clone of herself."

The red-headed jabbed her elbow into his side, "And what's so bad about that?"

"Nothing! It's amazing! More of you to go around." He quickly appeased his wife as I downed the bowl he gave me too.

"Where is all that food going." Kakashi asked as he lifted my hair up as if it would reveal a secret storage compartment.

"Into my heart." I smiled, to which Obito laughed beside me.

After dinner I found myself following the silver-haired kid back home as we actually lived close by, but I had never bumped into him until today. It was perfectly pleasant until we bumped into two older shinobi (maybe chuunins?) who appeared to recognise Kakashi.

"Well if it isn't the one and only arrogant bastard." One of them sneered as the other leaned forward and jabbed their finger against Kakashi's chest.

"Oy oy, what do you think you're doing?" I asked, stepping between Kakashi and the shinobi.

"Well who is this? Do you need your girlfriend to defend you Hatake?" They sneered as one of them got too close into my personal space. "Stay out of this little girl."

That triggered something in me. "Listen here, I promise, that if you dare to say or do anything to Kaka-kun again, I will bury you so far under the ground that you can meet the remains of Konoha's founders from the Warring States Era."

I flipped them off for good measure, and grabbed Kakashi's hand and made a mad dash through the winding side streets until I could no longer feel their chakra.

Turning around to make sure they weren't pursuing us, I tripped over (well, the air…) and hurtled straight into the silver-haired scarecrow in front of me.

"Ooft, sorry about that Kaka-kun." I mumbled.

He simply gave me an odd look but I got up and pulled him further along our journey so that he arrived at the bottom of his apartment.

"See you around!" I waved and headed off, leaving the boy standing there looking at my retreating form.

"Kaka-kun..." He mumbled, testing the name. Then, even though I wasn't looking, he raised his arm and waved back.