COME AWAY, COME AWAY
Chapter Thirteen

WITH HANDS DRAWN TOGETHER, AS IF IN A PRAYER, SHION held the Jutsu without a thought. Her eyes were open wide, the Chakra funneling out and blanketing the room just as Itachi had taught her to do. Shion always had a natural gift for learning new techniques, and worked hard to maintain them. She trained her Chakra as she might a limb, and it did as she wished, but it helped that it was her versus a bunch of untrained orphans who wouldn't know the difference between a slide of the hand or a generous bit of Genjutsu.

Naruto glanced over towards the girl who gave the impression of blank meditation. Her eyes were rather unfeeling and for a second the room dropped down a couple degrees before her smile came back and she glanced towards him. "Okay. All you have to do is grab your shit and jump out the window. Don't worry about anyone seeing you. I've cast a Genjutsu over this building."

"So I'm invisible. Can you see me?"

"You're not invisible, Naruto. I can see you. But Genjutsu just changes the perceptions of mind. In that way, you can control what a person sees or hears or even smells."

"So-"

"But it's very weak so try not make very much noise or fart."

"Oh."

"Gross Naruto," Shion wrinkled her nose with a frown.

"I got nervous."

"Okay. Now I will keep watch over the caretakers. Grab your shit and toss it out the window. They won't see it." Shion was glad that the room was empty, since she still wasn't completely certain she had enough Chakra to hold over so many. Also, she didn't actually know how even if she did. She only learned the basics from Itachi, and since then, she had practiced to make them work to the bare minimum. Naruto quickly grabbed his stuff and looped it in a ball before tossing it out the window without a second thought. "I'll get the bed."

"You're actually stealing the bed?" Naruto looked a bit nervous, but she gave him a smooth smirk.

"Naruto, that's the great thing about Ninjutsu. You see what you want, and then you take it," she told him and took out the sealing scroll she swiped from Tsukasa of whom she hoped would never find out.

Shion unraveled it on top of the bed, using the Chakra already embedded into the scroll and adding more so it could activate. However, she must of done something incorrectly because all that managed to go into the scroll was the mattress, leaving the bed frame behind.

"I failed," Shion commented, her brows knitted together and catching Naruto's attention after he finished tossing his stuff out the window, just near where a couple of kids from the orphanage were playing. He was surprised they didn't so much as turn the direction of the clothes that were tossed next to them, proving that Shion's Genjutsu remained in tact.

"All I need is a blanket, dattebayo."

Shion, not used to messing up, scowled at the scroll with an annoyed gaze. "I'll try again." She didn't give it a try as the headmistress peaked into the room and trained her eye to the missing mattress on the far end of the room. Her gaze didn't so much as register the fact that Naruto and Shion were still there.

"Who the hell would steal from an orphanage?" The headmistress ranted as she immediately walked out, and the two kids heard mutterings about telling the Hokage as she walked down the hallway.

"Orphans, obviously," Shion commented grabbing the scroll with a sigh.

"Let's go before we're caught, Shion." Naruto grabbed her hand and dragged her to the window.

They jumped out and gathered all of Naruto's items in the box she left behind in its lonesome. Naruto went to lift it, but Shion beat him to it and grabbed it from his clutching palms. He pouted, as if she had just emasculated him. "Oh, no. I need to get a workout this morning since I sacrificed my morning jog for this."

"You didn't ask me to go on a jog," Naruto complained, and she slightly smiled.

"Well, I've seen you run Naruto," Shion told him and he frowned. "You couldn't keep up with me in a million years."

"Oh yeah? I'll race you, dattebayo," he exclaimed and she raised her brow.

"Oh? Do you know where my apartment is?" Shion asked and his smile instantly dropped. "That's what I thought."

"I'll beat you Shion, just wait. I'll surpass you on my way to being Hokage," Naruto said and she glanced at him. He expected her to get competitive and shout at him, but her smile was rather modest.

"I should hope so. I'd hate to have a Hokage who wasn't stronger than me. I mean. Imagine how embarrassing that will be. If so, I might have to become Hokage myself." Even though she was joking, as she walked forward, her nose wrinkled at the idea as it sounded incredibly annoying and boring. She couldn't imagine staying in an office all day and being constantly swarmed with paperwork. She couldn't imagine being responsible for so many people and being blamed for things that weren't in her control or having to sacrifice all her time to the job that didn't reap any personal benefits.

No, for her to be satisfied, she needed the thrill and she had a deeply implanted yearn for battle. Just the thought of the fight fueled her.

Naruto, of course, didn't know that and he took it as if he had a rival for a throne. "You become Hokage? No way, dattebayo. I will surpass you! I vow it."

Shion's smile grew rather gentle as she turned around to walk backwards, skillfully weaving through the crowds of people as if she had eyes on the back of her head. "I believe in you then! I'll help you do it. I won't rest until you can achieve your dream." Her promise made his cheeks enflame.

"Oh we're here," Shion said again, glancing towards the entrance of the red light district. She caught sight of drunken fools giving her a once over and then looking towards Naruto and sneering. Naruto slightly shrunk back from behind her, but she grabbed his arm, taking her hand off the box and holding it with one hand. People in this part of town made no effort to avoid their confusing dislike of the boy behind her, and obviously he could see that mood fall over the kids. She pulled him in front of her. "Don't hide if you did nothing wrong."

Naruto was silent for the rest of the way, not even complaining when she made them take the stairs up the apartment complex. Finally when they were inside her empty apartment, he made a sound. "Why do they hate me so much?"

Shion paused, glancing over him for a moment as her brows furrowed. She didn't actually know. They muttered something about a demon sometimes, but for the most part, crowds were rather vague about the 'why' of it all. She never spared him a glance in the past and never attempted to help him before, so she never really got into learning it all.

Shion set the box down and turned towards him as she closed her door. "Does it really matter?"

He glanced up, surprised and she simply tilted her head, taking out the sealing scroll. She placed it on the ground and unraveled it, in one quick motion she then activated it. However, she was unprepared for the mattress to slam into her face. She rubbed her nose, sniffing as she began to unpack the rest.

"In my opinion, why they hate you isn't important. Make friends who don't," she told him, and glancing over at his sunken cheeks and watery blue eyes. She rubbed her sore nose, thankful he didn't really see her mistake. "People are stupid. When you're big and strong, they will acknowledge you and apologize for being so stupid."

"Will you help me be big and strong?" Naruto asked and Shion grinned.

"Only if you actually wake up for your lessons."

"I will, dattebayo!"

The next morning, however, the kid was dead asleep. Shion tried to stir him awake with no luck. Without Naruto at her side, she left for her morning ritual of running, practicing her aim, and other sorts of training activities. However, her morning ritual was interrupted when she saw some black haired kid training in her spot. Shion, very attached to her training spot, almost immediately felt her day begin to suck.

Shion sighed, watching him use the training dummies she set up for target practice in the high tops of the trees. He, of course, missed since his aim was trash. He tried a couple more times to get all of them, but they began to move when the gusts of wind hit. Shion could right away tell that he was getting frustrated, and she frowned as his stance was a bit too calculated and stiff. She wondered if he even knew how to relax.

"You're doing it wrong. To get them all at once is a matter of math," Shion said, watching him jump and catch her off guard when he tossed a shuriken in her direction. She caught it in between her fingers with a pout. She then noticed that the Shuriken had a symbol of the Uchiha clan, etched into the metal. To her, that seemed like a waste of time considering Shuriken were just going to get lost one way or another. Also, who wanted a weapon that can be traced right back to you?

"Who are you?" The boy asked and his attitude immediately fit that spikey hair of his. Shion sighed, still disappointed to lose her spot, but she grinned nonetheless.

"I'm Shion. Who are you?"

"What's your clan?"

"I'm my own clan, thank you very much," Shion retorted, holding her chest as if his question physically repelled her. She went to toss the Shuriken his way, for a moment pausing before she threw since she doubted that he could catch it. Instead she tossed it at his feet, deciding she didn't want to be made responsible for such an accident once again.

"Well, I don't need your help. You can leave. I'm doing fine," he said, his pride slipping through his voice and she shrugged.

"Well, I'm just glad that if someone is going to be tossing weapons at them, at least they will miss. I'd hate to have to re-stuff them with straw," Shion said, catching his attention and his irk.

"I didn't miss all of them!"

"Just remember, it's all about math when you first begin. Don't be lazy. Do the math." Shion said, and then jumped up, spinning in mid air and tossing five kunai. Two of the dummies were too far right to hit the mark, so when she threw the kunai, she made one ricochet off another. They all hit their mark, dead center in the middle.

The boy was staring with wide eyes the whole time before his hands clenched into fists. "My brother does it better!"

"So what?" Shion said with a grin, and turning his way once more as she walked backwards to leave. "Beats not being able to do it at all, right?" It took another moment for Shion to recognize the boy as Itachi's younger brother.

The boy had a lot of anger in his eyes for someone so young. It made her feel bad for a second, wondering what he had to be so angry about.

"Try relaxing a bit before you throw. Your shoulders are too stiff," Shion suggested. She made a throwing motion with her arm as a demonstration. "It's all about angles and the angle of your forarm and elbow matter."

"I don't need your help. Go away," he told her and Shion's grin came back.

"Alright. Have fun, train hard."

After she left, Sasuke relaxed his shoulders.

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"But my doctor said to take it easy," Misaki complained after hearing from Tsukasa that the team was going to be experimenting with learning a new Jutsu. Hikaru, not having the best luck with Ninjutsu, slightly frowned.

"Misaki," Tsukasa said, her voice coming out rather soft as she stared the girl down. "You're going to be fine. These Jutsu are not difficult. Everyone has their own nature type, yours being water. That's a good type considering water has many healing factors."

"How do you know my Chakra type?" Misaki asked, but Tsukasa glanced towards Hikaru who was currently giving the silent treatment to Shion for her actions of stealing all of the mission money from before without doing any of the work. Shion didn't notice, and she continued to get excited for the thought of using Jutsu.

Of course, she was nervous too, considering she wasn't so great with Ninjutsu and it took her two months to walk up a tree. She could learn just about everything, but mastering it took time. All her Ninjutsu always had flaws. She was still perfecting how to walk on water, but lately had not had the time to perfect it due to missions, Naruto, and learning and practicing Genjutsu from Itachi. She also still dedicated a couple hours a day to studying and reading. She made a note to train the water thing tonight.

"Hikaru, your Chakra type is wind and Shion, while you have proved to be able to use all Chakra elements, yours is fire. Wind type Jutsu are not my speciality, but I prepared a couple lessons I am sure will benefit you eventually. Fire, however, I am quite skilled at."

Shion raised her hand, smiling at her teacher who glanced at her raised hand right down to her bright smile with a roll of her eye. "I have a question."

"Of course you do." Tsukasa Izana sent her student a deadpan, awaiting the girl to finish her thought.

"Just curious, what rank Jutsu are we gonna learn, cause teach, I'm ready for anything. Lay it on me," Shion said, causing Tsukasa Izana's deadpan to worsen as she stared down at her student with what could only be disdain. "Also, will we be using these Jutsu on bad guys in the near future?"

"Shion, I know that most teachers say that there's no such thing as a dumb question. That is something I adamantly disagree with. Shut your mouth."

"Wow, she's extra mean today," Shion whispered to Hikaru, who, in turn, sent her a deep scowl.

"Don't talk to me."

Shion only smiled and continued to listen to Tsukasa's lecture before she was finally assigned her Jutsu to practice at home after short instruction. Tsukasa had a value for self discipline and obviously didn't much enjoy walking her students through all the steps. This was something Shion could normally appreciate, even if it was to Hikaru and Misaki's intense dislike.

Shion never liked to be walked through everything, and it made her feel much too coddled. Also, it took away the joy she found in gaining a new skill. However, this was not one of those times as the Jutsu that Tsukasa assigned her was a B ranked and did in fact give her much trouble. Her fingers were sore as she attempted to push through it all in order to perform the Jutsu in question. She could do a couple Earth type Jutsu, but most of them were very weak and mostly learned for petty tricks. She could do two water Jutsu, but again, petty tricks. Air was the next easiest element, but it was hard to learn air Jutsu through books.

She laid back against the bank, the grass sinking into her skin as she heard the wind shuffle against the water. She figured that if she faced the water then, at the very least, no wildlife could be harmed. It was perhaps the only thing she was doing right in the recent hours as she attempted to learn the ever tricky Ninjutsu. It just wasn't working and she was exhausted.

With that depressing thought, she closed her eyes and attempted to take a well deserved nap. She didn't get far as she felt someone plop down beside her. "You're doing it all wrong." Tsukasa Izana's voice wasn't condescending, and if anything, it was rather empty.

Shion quickly sat up, her legs shaking when she realized she had no energy. "I wasn't being lazy! I was practicing for three hours straight."

Tsukasa didn't even sit up, with her arm resting over her eye and a single leg propped up in a triangle. Shion's sensei wasn't much older than her, but seemed to have risen so far so fast that Shion felt ashamed for not being able to catch up. "I know."

Tsukasa's response made the girl frown, not having expected its abrupt tone that sounded rather condescending. "I can do it. I don't need any help!"

"You know," Tsukasa finally glanced up, removing her arm from her gaze. "I was awful at Ninjutsu."

"I wouldn't say I'm awful..." Shion muttered, slightly flinching under the weight of Tsukasa's glare.

"It's okay to not be good at everything. You don't have to be and nobody expects you to," Tsukasa told her, and this caused Shion's fists to clench. "But I've said it before, you stretch yourself too thin, trying to learn everything makes you master at nothing. You won't be good at everything," she repeated.

"No offense, sensei, but I have to be," Shion retorted, brushing off that touch of annoyance with a smile. "I can do this. I know I can. I just need more time to learn it all, to get better at all of it."

"Nobody is gonna send you back to the academy if that's what you're worried about." Tsukasa jumped up and did a quick one handed Jutsu, spilling fire from her lips in so big a blast that it didn't stop until it reached the other side of the clearing. She turned back towards Shion. "Shoulders straight, breathe, adjust your fingers. You will have to work harder than the rest with the hand motions because you're so small. Most importantly, Chakra will flow where you tell it to. It's a living organism. Treat it as such. Feel for it and urge it where you want to go and the rest will come into place."

Shion tried, but Ninjutsu was different than Genjutsu, at least for her. Genjutsu came as easily as breathing, as if she were meant to do it. Her body already knew the way her Chakra should move, flowing like vapor in the air. Ninjutsu was like asking for a brick wall to move. She ran out of Chakra too quickly, then had to take a long break to wait for the Chakra to replenish.

"I can control my Chakra just fine," Shion said instead, not saying all the thoughts that flooded her mind like a broken dam. She didn't want to appear as weak as she felt.

"Yes, you can, so what's the problem?" Tsukasa said, raising her brow. "According to Itachi, you were able to do your Ninjutsu technique fine enough under the pressure of battle. Why not now, Shion?"

That question flooded Shion's mind over and over again, because she didn't know the answer. This was rare for her since she prided herself in knowing everything.

"Sometimes, a persons weakness is external failures or inexperience or laziness," Tsukasa turned her body towards Shion with a hand on her hip. "None of those can describe you. You've been training since you could walk, you practice every day, and the settings for you to succeed are optimal. What's the problem?"

Shion got the impression that Tsukasa already knew, but wanted her to figure out the answer for herself. With that lasting thought, Tsukasa looked ready to leave.

"Figure out what you want and take it. It's easy enough. You're strong, so what's holding you back?" Tsukasa asked, causing Shion to wince. In moments, Tsukasa's body disappeared in a barrage of leaves.

Shion stared out into the distance of the water, her eyes slightly narrowed. Slowly, she raised her hands to her chest. She knew the symbols, she knew the way Chakra was supposed to move. She even knew the process of the Jutsu. She didn't know why that wasn't enough. She didn't know why she wasn't enough.

Her muscles were screaming for a break, and she knew she couldn't ignore it any longer. She turned on her heel and headed back towards the village with a sigh. Her lips were set in a deep frown, feeling like a failure to the point of self-doubt. She barely even remembered her steps and before she knew it she was slumped against her blankets, her arms flat and sprawled out beside her. She watched her ceiling fan move in circles for enough time that she could count the individual blades.

She only looked up when she felt a pillow slam into her nose, breaking her cascade into self pity. She shot up, glancing towards her offender and saw it was Naruto, in his bright orange jump suit. "What the fuck?"

"I did it!" Naruto's voice was much too excited, and she began to notice that his breath came out wavered. His knuckles were raw and red and his clothes were scuffed.

"Did what?" Shion asked, tilting her head to the side and feeing out of place.

"I practiced all day. Watch." He knelt forward, getting on his knees to show her his open and flat palms. Shion watched, her head inclined towards his every action.

Slowly, just as she taught him, he formed the small bit of Chakra into his palm. She always had a keen sense of sensing Chakra, so she saw the way it swirled with something untapped and powerful. Slowly, he grabbed the shuriken he had obviously been practicing with and placed it onto his raised palm. It stuck firmly to his skin and she felt her lips curl into a proud smile.

"See, see, see!" Naruto's happy voice was what broke her from her fascination with his every action.

"I'm looking," she assured him, touching the shuriken and seeing that it did not budge. Slowly he let it fall to the ground. "I'm so proud of you." She quickly pulled him into a happy hug. "Just wait till you see what's next on the lesson plan!"

Perhaps that's what she needed. Teaching someone else helps get her out of her own head, and sometimes she needed that. Perhaps that was why teachers became teachers.

"Can we do it tomorrow?" Naruto's face suddenly looked torn and her brows furrowed, despite the fact that she was also tired.

"Why? That was just the warm up. There's so much to learn."

"I want to, but..." Naruto's happy gaze had melted like snow, leaving behind something that tugged at Shion's heartstrings. "Can we not go to the usual spot?" Shion's smile disappeared entirely.

"How many are there?" Her question was met with silence. Shion shook off her own exhaustion and stood up. "I'll kick their asses so hard they won't be able to use them again."

"No! You can't beat up everyone," Naruto exclaimed, standing up and giving her a glare of his own.

"Sure I can. That's the easy part," she told him, tilting her head to the side until she could see strands of hair fall near her face.

"I don't want you to, dattebayo," he exclaimed. "I have to do this myself."

She was torn, because on one hand, she was perfectly okay with demolishing them but on another she didn't want Naruto to cry. Instead she pouted. "Can I show you something, Naruto?"

He looked confused at the change of subject, but he was grateful that she seemingly dropped the previous line of violence that would likely embarrass him. Slowly, he nodded his head and she held out her hand. He stared at it for a moment, but took it anyway and she dragged him out of the apartment.

She chatted a bit about different things she was going to to teach him, weaving through different crowds outside. He still didn't know where they were going by the time they paused a park. There weren't many people there, but one caught Shion's eye. This caused her stop and clench Naruto's hand and the boy, in turn, winced.

"See that woman over there?" Shion said, pointing straight ahead to the black haired woman who pushed the small, black haired boy, on the swing set. Naruto nodded, not understanding the line of question. "That's my mom."

Naruto froze, glancing over to Shion who was standing stone faced. The girl didn't move, but she also still held onto his hand. He tugged it, as if to remind her that he was still there.

"The boy she's pushing, that's my half brother."

Naruto's brows furrowed. "Why don't you live with them?"

"She didn't want me."

This was something that Naruto didn't understand. "B-but she had another kid, dattebayo!" His nervous habit of adding his word at the end of his sentences came out far more forceful.

"Yes. Yes she did," Shion agreed. "Those boys were telling the truth. She didn't want me and here she is, with my replacement."

Naruto's hands balled into fists, and he motioned to move forward and scream at the woman. Shion, however, stopped him from moving by grabbing him by the scruff of his collar.

"Don't stop me, dattebayo!" Naruto shouted, drawing the attention of a couple parents who shot him dirty looks, attempting to hide their children as if he were a monster.

"Naruto, I don't need you to fight my battles," she told him, and he looked even more angry.

"I can't just do nothing," he retorted and she slightly smiled.

"And I can't just do nothing when kids are bullying you," she said, and he paused, surprised that she cornered him. "Hypocritical, isn't it?" She smiled at him, and couldn't help but notice he had grown half an inch. She wondered how much longer she could remain taller than him. "You're my friend, Naruto. I want to do anything in my power to protect you and as you can see, it's the same the other way around. The difference is, it doesn't matter what you say to her, nothing will change. I, however, can beat those punks within an inch of their life."

"Did you do all this just to get me to let you beat them up?" Naruto asked in a deadpan. "Why didn't you just say all that?"

"They are halting our progress on you becoming Hokage. The faster you get stronger the faster you will be able to kick their face back into their butts. Are you with me, Naruto?"

She held out her hand, but he was hesitant to take it. "Wait, was that even your mother or did you make all that up?"

Shion blinked, slightly smiling. "You caught me. That's just some random chick swinging a little boy."

"I didn't believe your sob story for a second!" Naruto exclaimed, causing Shion to ruffle his hair.

"I can't get anything past you, can I?" Shion laughed, walking next to him and grabbing his arm. She didn't spare another glance back towards her mother and brother.

Author's Note

Wow! It's been forever. That's my bad guys. I want to say I was just really busy, but that's not true. Christmas came and went and I had to haul my tree out of my house on my own. Talk about a bummer.

What did you all think of this chapter? There's still some obvious character development to come, so brace yourself because Shion is in for a real tough time in this story. Like the summery in the beginning suggests, she seriously has no luck in her life.

Thank you for reading, see you next time.