Song: Don't You Worry Child
By: Swedish House Mafia
"I don't know, Kakashi… I've heard rumours."
"But it can't be true, Hokage-sama. Has it been verified? Where are the papers? We can't just let-"
The old man held up a hand, cutting him off. He let out a long breath, a cloud of smoke floating from the end of his pipe.
"Danzo is hardly one to inform me of these matters… but he knows not much gets past me. Who knows what he will use the boy for? And you know I cannot intervene. Danzo already has enough leverage as it is. To take one of his members against his will, for no other reason than heritage, might just give the elders enough reason to throw me off the perch."
The silver-haired man closed his eyes, visibly reigning in his emotions.
"You did it for Tenzo."
"It was acceptable, for the chance of the Kyuubi escaping, and put many of my people at rest… I had a viable reason to bring Tenzo under my care."
A long sigh followed the statement.
"I get tired of these games, Kakashi."
The silver-haired man's face was carefully blank as he responded.
"As do I, Hokage-sama."
"Take off your clothes, 737-A."
In a split second, my blood turned to ice. And it wasn't even totally attributed to the fact that the Root agent in front of me had asked me to strip; no, it was because of who it, or rather he, was.
I couldn't even reassure myself with the fact that he wasn't sentient; because there was no doubt in my mind that he was.
On top of that, my gender would be revealed. My little secret that brought me no small amount of relief. It wasn't even that important really; not in Root, anyway, since gender meant next to nothing (for most of us, anyway). But for it to be discovered would just be… be…
Shit.
But then, this was a medical examination, and considering it was Root I really shouldn't have expected privacy to be respected. No, they would surely go all the way.
And it just had to be my fucking luck that he was standing before me in the medical room. No one else was present; the door behind me was locked, and frankly all the strange and mysterious medical equipment in the room did nothing to ease my nerves.
Whitish-grey hair was tied up in a ponytail behind a white mask that resembled an ox, as was his Root namesake. Dark eyes stared at me impassively from the eye-holes.
Kabuto.
There was no doubt about it. But what was he doing here? What were the chances that he, of every other practicing medical ninja in Root, would be the one to examine me?
Yes, this was just my shitty luck collecting its next round of despair.
My hesitation, however, could only last for so long. I knew I had no choice.
It had to be done.
I wasn't sure if Kabuto was in cahoots with Orochimaru yet, after all he was still very young. He could only be around 13, give or take. Well, as long as I kept my head low, I shouldn't have any problems. I wasn't anyone noticeable, as long as I just acted like a normal, non-sentient 5 year old I'd be perfectly fine.
Kabuto shifted, causing me to jump to action. I had hesitated just a moment too long.
I undressed hurriedly, attempting not to cringe as I removed my underwear. I had to force myself not to clench my teeth.
Damnit, this is so demeaning! Guh!
If he was surprised to see I was a girl, he didn't show it. But then again, he was wearing a mask so I couldn't exactly tell.
"I was under the impression you were a boy… Danzo-sama implied so."
"I'm sorry to disappoint," I said blandly, while sneering inside. "I did not believe it mattered."
"Oh don't worry, it's no problem. I'll keep your little secret safe."
I was confused as to why he was playing along. Surely, as a Root member, he wouldn't keep such a fact from Danzo?
My musings were interrupted as he walked towards me and began to inspect me. I felt extremely exposed as he circled me, having carefully folded and placed my clothes on the patient bed as instructed.
"No need to be so tense. You'd think the emotional conditioning isn't working…"
I held his gaze as blankly as possible as he returned to standing before me, though inwardly I was sweating. What was I meant to say to that, as an emotionless kid?
In the end, I stayed silent.
Finally, he posed his next question.
"Tell me, how old are you?"
"Six," I said in my most deadpan tone. Whether I was five or six, it would be better to say I was six. If I was considered older, I would hopefully be less of a target. Plus, it might make my intelligence more believable.
"And who were your parents?"
"I didn't know them, but my mother was a prostitute and my father was a nameless filth-monger."
Cited by yours truly. Well actually, it was Lady who told me that.
"I see. Well now, I'm just going to take a few measurements, ask a few questions about your medical history. Then I'll take a sample of your blood and chakra. Any questions?"
I shook my head, even though I had a lot of questions. But I didn't think they'd be suitable for such an occasion.
"Good. Let's begin."
It turned out, the examination wasn't… dare I say it… that bad. After getting used to the fact I was naked in front of Kabuto, it was actually quite… well, not pleasant, but not bad. Kabuto was (acting) kind and relaxed, so it was easy to forget about any embarrassment.
The reason for the medical assessment was not disclosed, so I could only assume it was normal procedure and part of the 'preparing me for my mission' thing. And, you know, 'need to make sure our mindless soldiers won't die' kind of thing.
The day after the medical exam, a day before I was to be released into the village to create mayhem- ahem, befriend Naruto, Feretto came to collect me.
"Follow me, 737-A."
I stood up from my chair, ignoring the eyes of the other kids watching me, and followed Feretto out the door. I followed behind him, gaze fixed on the back of his chin-length grey hair.
I wonder what now?
We walked through several hallways until he stopped at a door with no title.
We entered, and a glance around showed a poorly-lit room with a hole in the wall acting as a counter to our left. The hole revealed what appeared to be a large storage room. The Root member at the counter waited motionlessly as we approached.
"A mask is all." Feretto's voice seemed to echo in the room. The person behind the counter nodded briefly before disappearing behind a large cupboard.
When he walked back out, in his hand he held a single plain white mask. It had tall ears, a black dot for a nose and three straight lines representing eyelashes under each eye-hole.
A… rabbit.
Feretto took the mask from the other Root agent who said nothing, instead returning to stand, still as a statue, behind the counter.
"Your name is now 'Usagi', and this mask is to be worn whenever you are present here, which will only be upon the orders of Danzo-sama. Due to the nature of your mission '8-oh-f', you will no longer be permitted to attend training, or associate with Root. The exception to this rule will be your training with Yugi, which will continue to be held outside the compound once a week. Your aptitude for maintaining a sociable exterior has been noted; the parameters of this long-standing mission are within your capabilities."
No longer permitted… Danzo-sama requires you… Aptitude…
Long-standing mission.
I paled, breathing suddenly becoming difficult.
I don't think I quite managed to hide my shock.
I'm going to be a spy in my own village!
It all made sense. The mask was a kind of rite-of-passage. Once validated for a mission, you become a true Root agent.
My first mission just happened to be a long-term mission, effectively as a spy. I would be watching over Naruto, reporting on him and hoping no one would question why some random kid had become Naruto's bestie.
Which bought me to my next point;
Danzo was kicking me out.
Not out of the organisation, of course, but out of the compound.
(No one gets kicked out of the organisation. Ever.)
It did, of course, make logical sense. After all, if someone decided to tail me, I couldn't be seen returning here.
But hell, this was terrible. I would be back on the streets. I wouldn't even get much training, for kami's sake! Hadn't he said I would be training with his other disciples? That was our deal! Sure, I would be getting training with Yugi, but that was all.
That two-faced bastard! If I bring that up now, it'll draw attention to the fact I'm insubordinate!
He… he trapped me.
But there wasn't anything I could do.
Feretto began to lead me away, and I trailed after him, placing the mask over my face.
I suppose it felt… kind of nice, to have a mask. If I just ignored the part about it taking my identity away, it was good to have a barrier between myself and Root, even if it was only a flimsy mask meant for a much darker purpose. I wouldn't have to worry so much about my expressions now.
"Some Root agents will periodically check up on you every few months to ensure you are completing the mission successfully; do not expect to notice them. You will only be contacted by Root should Danzo need you for a different matter."
I breathed out harshly, the sound muffled by the mask.
I needed to take a chill pill. I may have landed myself in a dangerous spot, but the fact was I still had my on-way ticket to being on Naruto's team. Assuming, of course, Danzo wasn't lying about that either.
If I just ignored everything, I could just pretend Root didn't exist and start anew. Easy.
"An orphan's fund has been set up for your 'Sasayaki' persona."
I flinched, my chest tightening at the reminder that I was an orphan. And the way he said it so casually… it struck a raw nerve.
No family. Minority. Outcast.
Alright, calm it down. Easy does it...
"You are now a registered orphan, meaning you will be automatically conscripted to the academy."
Conscripted? I suppose it's fitting. The hokage must have imposed that all orphans are to attend the academy, whether they like it or not. Cannon fodder.
My lip curled with distaste.
My opinion of you drops by the second, Hiruzen.
"Naruto! Long-time no see," my smile was slightly painful, the Root emotional training perhaps working on even me.
The response was immediate. "Sasayaki-chan! You came!" Naruto leapt from his stool and jumped up and down in front of me like an excited puppy.
Ayame waved from behind the counter, and I waved back before turning my full attention to Naruto.
Only to find him staring at me strangely, eyes squinting suspiciously.
And then his eyes suddenly widened, his finger raising to point at my hair in awe and confusion.
"Sasayaki-chan! You dyed your hair!" he shouted.
To think so much had changed since the last time I saw him… my hair was just the tip of the iceberg.
I laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of my neck.
"Uh, yea, something like that…"
Hey, I wasn't going to tell him my hair was brown from dirt.
I sat down beside his stool and ordered some simple udon noodles.
"By the way, I'm going to the academy! I'll probably be in your class," I revealed.
Naruto sat back down with a sound that sounded vaguely like a happy squeal.
"Awesome! We'll be best friends!"
"Uh, yea! That's right…"
Welp, that was quick. Poor kid. Still, I decided long ago I'd devote my life to changing the plot. And since Naruto practically is the plot, well… This will work out well.
Was that mean of me? It did sound kind of bad, that I was only being his friend to change the plot…
Eh.
After I ate and paid with the provisional money Root had given me, which was a one-time event and I would have to get money from my orphan's fund from now on, we decided to go on an adventure.
Speaking of friends, maybe it's about time I introduce him to the Gang? They probably think I died in the massacre…
Oops, I forgot about them. But I'll talk to them first before introducing Naruto, so I don't have a double shock-factor when I turn up.
"Naruto, why don't you show me your orphanage so we can meet up whenever we want?"
Well, I'd already been there, but he didn't know that and if I told him he would probably think I was some kind of creepy stalker.
Well, technically you were stalking him…
Shut up.
"Yea!" he yelled excitedly, and I winced at the volume.
Ugh, I'm sure he'd give Lee a run for his money in terms of volume…
We said goodbye to Ayame and I swiftly followed Naruto as he dashed out onto the streets.
He yelled over his shoulder for me to follow him, pushing past the people on the street despite their anger. And he did it all with a huge smile.
He was so brash and loud, there wasn't a subtle bone in his body despite his circumstances it seemed. He didn't seem to care about all the people glaring at him.
So different to Yurei.
I blinked and shook my head, clearing my mind as I ran after Naruto. We reached his orphanage, just as run-down as I remembered. Instead of going in the entrance like I expected, we instead ended up around the back. It was eerily quiet compared to the front patch of grass where the kids liked to play. But then again, that was probably because the forest stretched out behind the orphanage… Anyway a rope was hanging from the same window I remembered Naruto abseiling down from when I first came here.
"We have to climb up here to get in, because none of the orphans under 12 are actually meant to be outside the orphanage unless with a caretaker… but since none of the caretakers ever want to take me out I just go myself!"
I sweat-dropped at the cheery tone, but grinned none-the-less.
"That's cool! Screw them, right?"
Naruto looked delighted as I sided with him, and he tugged at the rope before carefully beginning to walk up the wall while holding the rope.
"Yea!" he responded cheerily.
That looks hard…
I gulped.
Yugi-sensei had already taught me how to wall-walk in my last lesson, but I didn't yet trust myself to walk up that wall. Plus, I couldn't go around randomly parading my skills, even to someone like Naruto.
Reverse-abseiling it was.
When Naruto got to the top and beckoned me over, I took the rope with pretend bravery.
I took a deep breath and began hauling myself up, digging my relatively new ninja-sandals into the wall whenever I felt my hands weakening around the rope.
Easy does it…
I didn't die. That was a plus. In fact, I got up pretty easily. Naruto shouting encouragements probably helped.
The moment I dropped into Naruto's room, I was struck by how colourful it was. The walls were splattered with paint of every colour possible, random doodles dotting the walls and one whole wall taken up with blue paint saying 'I WILL BE HOKAGE' .
Although first I'll mention the tiny cactus that I knocked off the sill when I climbed through the window. It dropped to the ground with a loud 'thunk' but thankfully it didn't shatter.
I hurriedly picked it up with an apology and replaced it on the sill. Naruto just laughed it off.
"Don't worry, Rozu-kun has been through much worse," he said with a small, soft smile directed at the cactus.
Rozu? That's an interesting name for a cactus...
I laughed at the absurdity of it, but decided not to ask. He seemed to care a lot about the... uh, plant, and it felt weird to intrude by asking questions.
Maybe another time.
"Welcome to Uzumaki Naruto's room, future hokage of Konoha and generally all-around awesome person!" he said with a blinding smile. Though I could hear a note of uncertainty in his voice.
It was pretty big room, but sparsely furnished. There was no wardrobe, only a single set of drawers in one corner of the room with clothes hanging out of every drawer. Shoved into a corner was a tatami mat as his bed, and scattered about the floor were various objects. Paint brushes, open paint tins still half-full, more clothes, cup ramen, an illustrated children's book, and even what appeared to be a collection of mangled kunai and shuriken stuffed not quite out of sight under the tatami mat.
I could barely see a single bit of uncovered floor. 'Messy' was an understatement. Not to mention it didn't exactly smell pleasant… I briefly wondered if he ever washed his clothes often or even himself, for that matter.
"It's really colourful… and roomy…" I said, not quite hiding the awe in my voice.
"Huh? Oh yea, that's because no one wants to share a room with me. Normally the rooms have four people staying, but I'm lucky."
Yea, 'lucky'…
"So are there, like, any kids or caretakers who are nice here?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Uhh…" Naruto uncaringly stepped on his clothes as he made his way to the tatami mat and sat down. "Not really. But I don't care really, 'cause it means I can do whatever I want whenever I want, and I still get a place to stay and sometimes even free meals!" he laughed as if it was nothing.
'Sometimes' gets meals? Guh, stupid people of this village…
"I guess…" I trailed off uncomfortably, and quickly changed topics. "Anyway, what's all this paint for?"
Immediately he was on his feet, radiating mischief.
"Pranks! I'm the prank master of Konoha! Well, actually I haven't done anything really awesome so everyone will see me for how awesome I am, but I will one day!"
I knocked my fist onto my palm in realisation.
The prank that got him recognition in the anime was the hokage mountain prank! But that was about six years from now, before he graduated…
Really, those massive stone faces were just begging to be painted. It was really no surprise people like Naruto and Obito chose that as their main target.
Hah, imagine Danzo's face if I end up becoming a prankster with Naruto! It's pure genius!
"Naruto," I said, mouth stretching into a devious smile. "I think you've just found yourself a partner in crime."
Konoha won't know what hit it!
Song: Don't You Worry Child
By: Swedish House Mafia
Adventures of the Gang
Part 4: Loss
By: Shinda-Shikai
-The morning after the massacre-
Takeshi heard about it first. He was at the southern brothel, about to head out to meet the Gang, when he heard the whispers.
"Oh no, a massacre? really? That's terrible! Do you think they'll come after us next?"
"No, no, don't worry, apparently someone just went on a killing spree. They caught him, so it's no worries. Look on the bright side; at least this means less competition, right?"
Takeshi paused in the entrance, before turning around.
"Massacre?" he asked the two Sisters, who were sitting across from each other at the low table.
They looked up at him.
"Oh, it's nothing to worry about Takeshi-kun. One of the brothels in the area was massacred last night, that's all."
A horrible feeling suddenly washed over him.
But no, surely of all the brothels, it wouldn't be theirs?
"Which one…?" he asked carefully, keeping his breathing even.
"The Mischievous Maidens."
His breath caught, his heart thudded painfully in his chest.
"Wh- what did ya say?" he asked, throat suddenly dry.
The two girls exchanged a look.
"The Mischievous Maidens… Why, what's wrong, Takeshi-kun? Did you-"
The door slammed behind him, and suddenly he was sprinting. It took him only minutes to reach the Mischievous Maidens, because he had to know, he had to!
It was closed off. Several people, ninja, perhaps detectives, were standing inside the gate.
There was tape on the entrance. Yellow tape that read 'DANGER KEEP OUT'. There was already a small crowd gathered around, despite the early our.
Takeshi didn't care. He shoved past them and climbed over, despite the crowd that was yelling at him to leave.
One of the ninja noticed him, gesturing briefly to the man with the clipboard he'd been talking to before intercepting Takeshi before he got any closer.
"My friends lived here! My FRIENDS were here!" he yelled. "Where are they? Are there any survivors? TELL ME!"
"Look kid, I'm sorry but there were no survivors. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
The words were like a knife to his heart. He didn't even resist when the man bundled him away and pushed him out of the gate.
He had to tell the others.
He moved, away from the Mischievous Maidens and the curious crowd. He ran through the streets, put two fingers in his mouth and whistled piercingly in a seemingly random manner.
But those of the Gang knew better.
Luckily Takeshi was heard, and someone else, perhaps Akemi who lived nearby, repeated the whistle.
It was a chain reaction as others from the Gang heard it and repeated the message via whistle.
10 minutes later, in that little courtyard behind the bar only accessible by a small alley, the Gang stood in various states of confusion.
"What's going on?" Kiyoshi asked, yawning and rubbing his eyes.
"Why did you call a meeting at this ungodly hour, Takeshi?" Eri snapped, Emi slapping her twin for being rude.
Akemi simply watched him, was the only one who seemed to notice how tired Takeshi felt. God, he felt so faint, ready to fall to his knees and pass out.
Didn't they notice the missing members?
"SHUT UP!" Junko roared as the twins began to argue, and Kiyoshi grumbled obscenities to himself.
They all fell silent.
"Takeshi, you called the meeting right? What's going on?" Junko asked in the ensuing silence.
Takeshi looked up from the ground slowly, his eyes dull and his tone bleak.
"They all gone. The Mischievous Maidens was massacred. Yurei 'n Sasayaki are…"
He finally sank to his knees, the final word whispered like a breath of icy-cold wind.
"Dead."
I'm sorry (not sorry) I'm a dramatic bastard XD
Question:
What was the saddest and happiest moment(s) in Naruto in your opinion?