chapter seventeen :
A certainty in uncertainty.
"Nothing is permanent in this wicked world, not even our troubles."
~Charlie Chaplin
Naru watched as the hard potatoes boiled in the water. It was an hour before the others planned to wake up and she wanted this time to think.
True she wasn't some great thinker or strategist, nor was she tactical or truly subtle on a good day, but she had the want to be at least one of those qualities while she led their team. Sure she had the Kyuubi to fall back on incase things got away from her, but for some reason she didn't want to give her blind trust in some corporeal chakra monster with a hate against her home.
That being said, she also couldn't afford to have him as her enemy either. The fox was many things but many of those were bad and downright nasty, she had to watch her back with him. Metaphorically of course, he really couldn't jaunt around out of her seal to put a claw through her spine but that still didn't mean she trusted him.
If living on the streets and all alone had taught her anything, it was this, be cautious and don't be seen being cautious. This advice was the cornerstone for how she lived and Naru was damned if she would give it up just because she had a few friends now. Still, until they showed anything against her or her unwanted prisoner, Naru would be as she always was - sly and waiting, always waiting.
A timer chimed lightly from the stove as she moved to click it off. A small thud alerted her that Hinata had probably just gotten up and would be heading for the showers and baths soon and ranging from how long that took her, she had another twenty minutes before Lee woke up and got ready for the day.
Naru smiled thinly as she sliced into the small bag that held some peanuts. Sometimes it amazed her that she, the most hated person in the village, was in actuality the daughter of their precious fourth Hokage and his wife who was an Uzumaki. Shaking her head which was now blonde, which while a cool color, didn't have the flair her old red hair had. Apparently the fox said Uzumaki's had red hair, so cool.
She had a clan. At some point she had been loved. But then a trip to the Sandaime had thrown that option out the window.
The Uzumaki clan was destroyed along with their ancestral land in the Uzukagure. Her mother was said to be one of the only ones to have survived the attack that had decimated a once great nation. It hurt to know her own mother had been alone like she had.
The third was a good man. Not the best, but definitely not the worst. She could not begrudge him his secrets but it did sting when he hid important things that concerned her. She was apparently an heiress like Hinata had been, which kinda sucked as she didn't know anything about being with a family and a clan.
Also the Hokage had mentioned that the Uzumaki had several cousin clans in their village, along with a few that were known as stray merchant clans. Clans with no special talents besides business.
She had asked when the Hokage had mentioned he knew next to nothing about who had survived and who she could be related too. It was a low blow to her.
"you seem deep in thought today." a soft voice said behind her.
Turning slightly, Naru could just make out the color show surrounding Lee as he took a seat at the table in the kitchen. Happy yellows and a somber gray. "I'm fine. Thinking some deep thoughts is all…its nothing to worry about." she said.
A soft chuckle echoed in the space between them. "you worry we wont like it if we knew everything about you. I wont push you but me and Hinata had a talk when we found out you had some secrets, and we just want to let you know we both don't care. Hell Naru, you could personally kill Hokage-sama and dance naked in the street in a sultry tango with Orochimaru and I would still follow you…of course I would be deeply disturbed and we both know that dampens my flames of youth." he said slyly. A small laugh lighting his face as she choked at his mental image he gave her. Great now she was going to have these added to her nightmares.
She shuddered. Naked Orochimaru dancing slutty with her. She grimaced knowing that was all she would think about until something more interesting and hopefully less disturbing came along to fill the space. "what makes you think I have any such secrets Lee?"
Crossing his arms and staring her down, Lee sighed. "Naru, did I ever tell you how my parents died." he watched as she shook her head at him. "it was when I was younger…both ma and dad were shinobi. Both chunnin rank. Well they got assigned to the same mission with six others and they left me in care of a genin babysitting team. It was only supposed to be a small mission, mostly running interference between two feuding lords or something. A month passed before word got back from the only survivor of a large scaled ambush, some chunnin who died a few hours later from exhaustion and his wounds. Ma and dad are on the stone in training ground seven. There were no bodies left to bury, they had been hit with a high level fire justu."
Naru walked up to him and placed him in a comforting hug. She was kind of lucky in this regard, both her parents and her clan was already dead so she had not had to go through a mourning process.
She looked up and caught a flash of light blue color and smiled grimly as Hinata joined them in their hug. They were outcasts, and in this world, being an outcast didn't give you a long and full life.
"come on and eat up, we still have to meet up with Anko-sensei for training." she said quietly. The usual bolster and cheer absent from her voice as she herded her teammates into their spots at the table. Her mind whirled with many thoughts…she had too much to think about.
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A messenger hawk flew through the misty morning air, his keen eyes watching for danger far below him as the dark, oppressive pine forest thinned out into smooth grassy plains and brighter skies.
It had been several days since the female-who-could-not-fly had set him loose with his current burden. humans, his brain muttered, if only they had wings to fly with. he was above all a professional of his craft and would do as he was trained to do, the old man with the limp who had raised him and his kin demanded it so.
The slight increase of temperature warmed his lovely red plumage as he soared into the beginning borders of the land of Fire. The message that was held in the slender metal tube on his leg was a familiar weight as he entered unfamiliar territory.
He didn't know the hawks in this strange land that was too humid and very green.
He longed for the comfort of the aviary hutch he had been hatched in with its many roosts and all his nest-siblings. Here he was uncomfortable, this place held too many surprises. Besides how was he supposed to find the one named Uzumaki Naru, strange named humans were always the hardest to locate, plus they didn't give treats to hard working birds either.
A keening screech issued from his throat as he flew just a touch faster. The sooner this errand was accomplished, the sooner he could return to his own masters.
It couldn't come soon enough.
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In the slight fog of early morning three figures ran.
The wet ground covered in dew was a horrid obstacle as Hinata slid for the umpteenth time that morning. Not for the first time did she grumble in the privacy of her mind that she wished they lived closer to the forest of death, if only so they didn't have to run so far to get to training. Hmm, maybe she could get the others to help build an outdoor training ground in the compound, that way they could do light training sessions without going so far. The idea had merit.
As she moved she tried to think on what Anko-sensei had said about her performance from yesterday and the past weeks. She hated admitting that she was so far behind her friends…it only made her think of her father and the elders constant criticism. To them she could do nothing right. On one side of the table, she was a failure and a screw-up that the Hyuuga clan was forced to get rid of lest she taint their reputation. She was clumsy, short, weak and lacked any ambition or drive that the main branch of her family was renown for. Surprisingly, these were some of the gentler things she had experienced in her ex-clan.
On the other side, Hinata had friends. A sensei that was willing to teach her new things because she cared to see past her uneasy fit with the other things. Naru and Lee were willing to be there for her whenever she needed them. They cared not that she was a failure or that she had a habit with retreating within herself…they only cared that she was happy. If she asked right now, she was sure both her teammates would spend the rest of their lives making sure she was protected.
How could she even ask of it. What if they died in a mission because she wasn't strong enough to help fight alongside of them or worse, what if they were captured and injured and could never become ninja because she had been too weak. How would she be able to live with that type of guilt.
Hinata wasn't an optimist like Lee and nor was she a realist like Naru. It was almost like she existed somewhere between both their ideals…maybe she was hopeful.
Still none of this alleviated the growing trepidation that was bubbling under her ribcage. Would she even be able to live up to Anko-sensei's expectations? Would she hold her team back from reaching their true potential? She didn't know.
Cell one coasted down a light hill and stopped before the main gate into their training ground. Awaiting them was the underdressed jonin sensei and some practically buzzing green giant.
Anko grinned at her students. The Hokage had stamped the seal on their file and they were officially a genin squad now, able to do missions and go on training trips. She could feel the excitement at this new development and it caused her to be fired up.
"alrighty kiddies, listen up. This here is Maito Gai, he's an elite jonin of Konoha and our resident Taijustu master. He has a summoning with turtles and is also quite skilled with none bladed weaponry." she watched as her team greeted the tall man before continuing. "anyways you'll learn more about him as we go along, right now we are laying down the agenda for today."
Clearing her throat Anko started, "Lee you are going to work on building muscle mass today. Push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups the works. You'll do this until we tell you to stop or do something else, understood. Good…Naru, I am having you work with me for right now. We are running strategy and situational experience so be prepared…Hinata. I am having Gai here take over on your training for a bit. This may last a few days or a few weeks. So do whatever he tells you to do when under his instruction…okay that's about it. We work until after lunch, then we have a small mission to do before we go home for the day.
Nodding their heads, Anko made a sign and they disappeared in a plume of smoke. They reappeared at the tower in the center of the forest. Several jonin and chunnin nodded to them as they went to train or get ready for missions.
The tower itself was actually a resting point for long training exercises. Mostly it was Anko and few select shinobi who even bothered to train in the deadly grounds, but it still stood as a marker and a place to recoup. It was also one of the few places in the village that had a direct line to the Hokage's office, just incase of emergencies.
After the haze cleared from her eyes, Hinata looked over to her friends to wish them luck and found herself alone with her temporary sensei.
"so you are the young Hinata." her sensei asked. There was an air of power around him that didn't seem to fit with how he presented himself. Hinata could only nod.
He grinned a thousand watt grin and practically screamed, "HOW YOUTHFULL!" flashing her a thumbs up and standing dramatically in what she could only think had to be his version of a 'cool' guy stance. Waving her over after a moment, he outlined his plan to her. "well Hinata, the powers of youth and Anko-san has asked me to help you with your youthful training. I believe she wants you to build up your speed, which is something I can definitely help you with…lets see where did I put those…aha, there they are…"
Hinata was confused when Gai-sensei pulled out four rectangular blocks. They were about six inches in length and a dull gray the color that reminded her of storm clouds. Leather straps looped through holes at the bottom on tops, while on the front, some kind of drawing took up the face of the smooth looking stone.
Looking at her confused expression, Gai nodded solemnly, "these are chakra weights that have been inscribed with gravity seals. These two go on your legs…and these two, around your arm." Hinata almost sighed.
Quickly grabbing them and putting them on, Hinata thought there must be some mistake. Sure there was a weight about them, but only around ten pounds, something she could easily move around with. "Sensei, are these correct?" she asked.
Hearing a happy laugh she looked up towards her sensei before her whole world shifted and she started to spit out mouthfuls of dirt and grass. "I have added almost ninety pounds to those weights…don't worry Hinata, the seals distribute the weight equally amongst the body. Now in order to make you more youthful, we are to run ten laps around detraining ground."
Mumbling some choice words that she learned from Naru, Hinata climbed shakily out of the small crater she had created. In another life she would have been almost impressed, as it was though she had no time to sit and admire before Gai-sensei started off at a run that made it look a mild jog.
With heavy steps she lumbered off after the man, his cries of youth and other such nonsense ringing in the humid air as she huffed.
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"Four-hundred…four hundred and one…four hundred and two…"
Lee stopped and looked around at the small clearing he had chosen for his training. It was tiny and had only a few meters in which to walk around in, although it had this amazing tree with branches perfect for pull-ups.
This was the perfect time for him to sit and think about all that was happening. First he was orphaned, again. Then he met the two kindest and coolest girls ever and moved in with them into a large compound. Then he passed his genin test and was welcomed into anbu training. Now he was on a team with his best friends and the most youthful Anko-sensei as their teacher.
All in all, not bad for somebody who was only seen as the dead last. Sure he did have to be captured and held in some sick guys delusional clutches for awhile to see all of this, but that's just what made their group all the most interesting.
And of course he had his friends and Hana and Yoh, wherever she had disappeared off too anyways. Yet, he felt like he was still missing something… important…no.
Shrugging his shoulders in both a noncommittal way and too also ease out the stiffness, he grabbed the branch again and started some one-handed pull-ups. If whatever he was trying to think of was in anyway important, he would remember it in time. Until then though, he had training to complete.
"One…two…three…four…"
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Naru sat in the shade of a large tree and listened to her surroundings. The light morning breeze barely ruffled the forest and in hearing distance no animals prowled. All in all this place was creepy and she hated creepy places.
Beside her Anko huffed impatiently. "Naru stop trying to listen for your friends, they have their own trainings to finish, just like you do."
Turning her head she allowed just a tiny glare before she nodded, resigned. "fine sensei…what are we doing then?" she muttered unhappily.
Anko reached into a hip pouch and produced a plain book - that now that she stared closer - actually was like a hard covered magazine. It was small enough to fit into a hip pouch or even a large pocket and was covered in no outward colors or decorations.
"this is the Bingo Book! It is designed to track powerful shinobi from all villages and that includes missing nin as well." she opened to the first page which showed some shinobi with a mist headband and a large scar on his right eyebrow. Beside his picture was information about him. Ranking, stats about his techniques, height, weight, mission info, and general background.
Looking quick at her sensei and seeing a slight nod, she stared back at the page and started to read. "Akiko Ten. Age: 45. Five ft ten inches, approx. two hundred and sixteen pounds. Eye color: gray. Defining features: has a large vertical scar crossing right eyebrow. Last known rank was a Jonin of Kirigakure. Has completed 67 D-ranks, 20 C-ranks, 80 B-ranks, and 35 A-ranks and 4 S-rank missions. Current status: MIA, presumed KIA."
She Looked at Anko again and asked, "why don't they know what happened to him sensei?" Anko just shrugged and said, "because when he went missing it was on his fifth S-rank mission against some missing ninja out of Kumogakure. He had a month to complete the mission and when the allotted time was up they searched for him but came up empty. Now since he was technically on a mission, Kiri was hesitant to announce that he was a potential missing nin and instead waited for another couple of months before marking him MIA with a presumed KIA."
Naru mulled it over. "how does someone get added to the Bingo book?"
Anko grinned back. "there are several ways to be added. One, you are a missing nin. that's the most obvious way to be added since it is required of the village of the traitor to add anything vital to the security of the rest of the world. Another way is if you become some kind of great shinobi. Like the three Sannin, they have one of the highest ranks in the bingo book and are feared and respected because of their involvements in the wars and in other such battles."
"The last way to be admitted into the book is if you reach jonin rank and have a presence in the shinobi world or a title." she flipped a few pages and showed a lazy eyed cyclopic man with gravity defying hair and a mask and headband covering the majority of his face. "this is Hatake Kakashi. He's an elite Jonin of Konoha and is titled The Copy-Nin. He is rumored to have memorized and mastered over a thousand jutsu. He is the son of the White-fang of Konoha and has a kill on sight rank in the Bingo book."
Naru was in awe. Her village had created and housed such a cool shinobi. What was he like, did he like ramen, was he really such a capable ninja, why did he wear a mask and his headband like that? She threw out random questions to her laughing sensei, eager to learn more about Konoha shinobi.
"well I don't know him on a deep and personal level. But I do know he has a habit of being extremely late to things and reading porn at any given moment. But besides that he is very dedicated to his friends and is considered a genius and a prodigy." she answered truthfully.
Flipping through a few more pages both konoichi read about various shinobi and the villages.
Anko groaned as she stretched cramped muscles. "darn, the older I get the more I hurt. Be glad you're young brat, getting old isn't fun." before she stood up she passed the book over to Naru with a grin. "here this is for you. Study it carefully okay, it might just save your ass one day." Naru looked surprised and then grateful. Gifts as a vessel were hard to come by and were to be treated with extreme care.
"anyways we need to start on our own training -strategy." she said, standing up fully. "now say you have a heavily muscled shinobi barreling down at you. He is wearing a Iwa hiate and is flashing hand signs you do not know at you, what do you do?"
Naru thought about it for a couple of seconds before she was sent sprawling over the springy grass at the base of the tree. In a slight daze, she attempted to get up and fell right back down. "Naru wake up. The enemy isn't going to give you that long to think. You have to be ready to either fight or flee at a seconds notice. And even if you fall you have to be ready to get right back up and continue. Do I make myself clear." Anko said calmly. Looking for all the world like a statue.
The blond genin nodded and flipped into the air until she landed back on her feet, proud that she only wobbled a little bit and the landing. "yes sensei."
Feeling caught off guard again, Naru barely managed to dodge the roundhouse kick aimed at her solar plexus. Just as she was about to yell out to her sensei, a fist came out of nowhere and got her in the gut. Having the air violently pushed out of the lungs was a very, very painful experience. Besides hurting though, it also made it so that Naru couldn't take in as much oxygen either. "what are you going to do Naru, fight back or run. don't just stand there getting the shit beat out of you, do something.
Squeaking in pain, Naru pivoted to the side just as a foot kicked the air where she had been moments ago. Normally she would be fine in a spar, her naturally high stamina kept her going long after her opponent was tired and drained. Its just that when Anko hit, she made sure it hurt. Even her love taps could send Naru hurtling though the air uncontrollably. She always said afterwards that it made the lesson stick better and because the enemy wasn't going to spar playfully, they would be aiming to kill.
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By the time it was lunch, Naru was pretty much black and blue and sore as hell. Even her hair hurt. Walking next to the cool as a cucumber Anko, she thought near murderous things would befall the wild woman. From the sly look that her sensei shot her, she knew what her genin was thinking.
Mumbling about horrible sensei's and sore muscles, she chose a spot up against a tree and opened a bento box that Anko had passed her. Steamed vegetables, rice balls with sour plums, some barbecued meat, the smells made her mouth water. Digging in she only had to wait a moment before Lee sat next to her. Unlike the bruised genin, He was exhausted and sweaty. His black hair was made even darker by the salty liquid, as was his clothes. Mumbling a quick hello, he dug into his bento with even more gusto than Naru had.
In between bites of their food, the two teammates would give noncommittal grunts or sighs.
It was probably a couple minutes later when the last genin showed up. Hinata looked a mess. Her normally straight dark hair was ratted and soaked with sweat and leaves. Her cloak was wrapped around her belt, probably because it was to cumbersome to run with. Around her arms and legs were these strange blocks that seemed to drag the exhausted genin closer to the ground. All over her body were scratches and bruises and mud.
Walking unsteadily over to Anko she was given a box of food and sent to sit with her teammates. The way she ate her lunch would have made Naru laugh if she wasn't so damn sore and moody. The normally shy and sophisticated ex-Hyuuga was polishing off three rice balls and the vegetables before she even fully sat down. It was so uncharacteristic that even Lee had stopped eating to watch his friend.
Waiting until the third genin had finished eating, both Naru and Lee cornered the still hungry girl.
"Hinata-chan, what has caused such a youthful reaction from you." Lee whispered. Naru looked over her friend in slight concern. "Yeah, Hinata you never eat like a starved maniac. Does it have something to do with your training." she pressed.
Hinata looked tiredly over at her teammates who watched her with concern. She felt kind of bad that she was worrying them, but the talent and energy to speak had seemed to desert her at the present moment. Instead she nodded back at the two.
Not nearly nullified, Naru was just about to shake the answer out of her friend when their sensei interrupted her with a well placed love tap. "alright everyone up and at em' we have a mission to do today."
All three genins groaned. Anko grinned. "it's a D-rank mission at the Konoha orphanage. don't worry, you don't have to give up a lot more energy. If I remember right from my own genin days…"
"Sensei don't stress yourself. Its okay that you trained amongst dinosaurs, we know it was a long time ago." Naru couldn't have dodged the smack across her head even if she was given a week to prepare and plan.
Huffing in agitation, Anko continued, "you all should be extremely tired right about now. Still that wont excuse any laziness on this mission okay. You may be dead on your feet, but you are still trainee ninja, and this is still a mission, no matter how easy it may be there will still be complications and people judging you all. So put on those war faces and follow me."
Maneuvering the three downtrodden children, she gave the rundown of what was expected of them from the missions scroll. "Konoha orphanage boasts over a hundred orphans in varying ages. What is required of the mission is to watch over the brats while the matrons are meeting with the council and the Hokage over funding and rebuilding. Under no circumstances are we to move or break anything. There is a list of all the children under three and specific instructions for those who are on that list. Besides that, we are to play with them, watch over them, and make sure they are fed, bathed and put into bed before ten tonight. that's when the matrons will be getting back and thus ending our mission. After we are finished we will got to the missions desk and get our paycheck."
She stopped and made the sign that carried them to a four story building smack down in near the middle of the village. It was a rather old building which clearly needed some of it redone and other places knocked down. A large gated fence circled the perimeter and a rather large yard with flowers and playground equipment sat nestled in between the building and the fence. Leading up to the door was a well trodden dirt path.
Letting Anko walk and talk, the three genin watched as the sensation of hundreds of eyes fell on them. Naru shrugged her shoulders as a pair of giggles reached her ears. She hated orphanages, having grown-up in one for a time.
A big woman with arms like tree trunks walked out of the building first followed by a short, chubby woman in her early forties. The chubby one spoke first. "I am the head matron of this orphanage, Mistress Lin. This is my partner Aki Son." the muscled lady nodded, but otherwise remained silent. " we presume you are the team that will be watching the children while we are away, yes."
Her voice was light and airy. Her skin was like melted caramel and she wore a slightly smudged work apron that held a huge front pocket. From how she carried herself, Naru felt confident that this woman had never been a shinobi nor had she had any training to fight. The other female though, had definitely seen action. Even the way she carried herself spoke of how she was a fighter. Maybe not a ninja, but she had been trained to fight…maybe she was a retired mercenary or something.
Anko hashed out everything and was finally given the lists of things that had to be done before the two women left them at the door.
Anko grinned, "lets head inside and then we can divide the work load."
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Lee looked into the dim hallway as Anko walked though it. The place smelled of carpet cleaner and cookies. Not the most pleasant of scents. Hinata walked beside Naru as they followed Anko, both wore looks of trepidation and uncertainty.
Naru nudged him as they walked. Looking abashed, he nodded back and followed their silent sensei towards the living space.
Inside what could be called a living room, was several low tables and the skeleton workings of a pillow and blanket fort in the middle of construction. There were no expensive paintings, pictures, vases and most of the edges to things were covered in a squishy plastic.
They toured the kitchen and dining area. And looked over the list of things that had to be done.
"Hinata I want you to start on the general childproofing. Make sure all edges are covered and anything that can be broke or swallowed is safely put away. Make sure all cleaners are marked and stored in the designated places that have been marked." she handed Hinata a small piece of paper with more detailed instructions on it, before she turned over to her two other students.
"Okay whose next…Lee, I want you to pick up this place and give it a good scrub down. Make sure nothing is out of place okay. Also don't forget to make the beds. Here are your instructions." Lee saluted and grabbed his list of things to do. He walked backwards until he stood by Hinata, who was already looking at her paper.
Anko grinned with almost wicked delight before she turned to her next and last victim. "Naru…I have a special task for you" - Anko grinned wider at the suddenly fearful look on her students face - "I need somebody to watch the kids while all of us do the housework…can you manage that." Naru didn't answer the obvious rhetorical question and instead went back to planning her own funeral. Anko-sensei would place her wherever her voracious mind wanted her anyways, what was the point in fighting it. She had neither the energy nor the desire for this day to be any longer than it was already.
"yes, Sensei." she replied meekly. now do I want flowers at my funeral. Maybe orchids or sunflowers. Hmm, who would I invite anyways…
Kit pay attention to the older vixen. She commands your respect, not your half-assed attempts at arranging the last days of you pitiful mortal existence.
Feeling grated, Naru mentally flipped the overgrown plushy the bird and went back to paying attention.
Hinata raised her hand and then lowered it with a wince of pain. " sensei what will you be doing while we are off at our tasks?" Naru listened just a bit closer at that.
Raising a slender brow at her tired little victims, Anko paused, "well I will be doing the cooking for one and the paperwork." she giggled lightly at the look of disgust on their faces before walking towards the kitchens. "if you guys need me, don't be afraid to ask. I know this is technically not your first mission, but according to the village records it is…make me proud brats."
Naru glanced back at her teammates before she walked tot the back door leading into the playground. The others simply shrugged before following suit and heading to their own tasks.
The mission was finally started.
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Hinata walked up to a large cabinet with a lock clamped on it. Grabbing the Key that had been slipped to her, she unlocked the door and stared into the pitch darkness. Muttering a phrase that was best left unsaid, she fumbled blindly for a light switch and came up empty.
Resigned to using her Byakugan she activated it and swore like Naru had taught her. There wasn't even a switch or a cord or even a socket in the darn thing. There was no light bulb at all. Looking at the silvery highlighted space, she grabbed at the things she needed and walked back out, deactivating her eyes as she left. She was halfway out of the room when she remembered to lock the cabinet.
She reached for the lock that had been left on a stool near the door, and hit the flat surface of the seat. feeling a headache coming on, Hinata turned to see if the lock had fallen to the ground and again came up empty.
Mumbling to herself, she turned in a semi-circle and stopped. There! A small skittering noise echoed in the bare room. Thinking it might be a child, Hinata reactivated her eyes and sought out the source of the noise. there…no there. Where did it go…the door is closed, it can't leave the room. What is it? too fast and it can hide from the Byakugan. Do I call for sensei, she might know what to do…no I can't, its our first official mission, I have to do this without help.
Throwing more chakra to her eyes Hinata squeaked in pain. Everything was so bright and too defined. It was hurting her. Suddenly she tried to cut off the flow and couldn't, it was taking too much chakra to hold it back and she was slipping. By this point she was able to count the grooves in the wood flooring. She felt weak, weaker than she had earlier that day.
Hinata was just about to scream out for Anko when the sensation of being bit, hard, hit her. Something wet and sticky oozed down her right leg, just below her knee and boy did it hurt. Thankfully though the flow of chakra to her eyes had stopped as the chakra in her legs was disturbed by whatever had bit her. Looking down she realized it was Yakennono, his black fur and big pink eyes looked up at her in worry even as his large front teeth buried themselves into the muscle of her leg.
Feeling shaken, she gently fell down - Yakennono released her leg before she moved - and reached out for the mouse babe. He was getting bigger she thought as his once puppy sized form had grown into a very large dog size. how did I miss him, he's huge now.
Still shaking and now dripping blood onto the floor, she called for her sensei. "ANKO-SENSEI!"
The sound of muffled running sounded far away even as pale hands gripped her. Her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. And there was a peaceful ringing in her ears. Warped sounds flew around her as Anko's head swam into view. It seemed she was asking if she was okay…Hinata giggled, was she okay? Maybe she should answer, Anko would worry if she didn't…how did she make sound again. She giggled again.
Anko had run from the kitchen into the room where Hinata had been and gasped at the sight. A small red puddle was surrounding her right leg and her pants were stained with the substance. A huge mouse laid its head in her lap, pink intelligent eyes watched her every move. Walking closer, she saw that large black-blue bruises covered the area around her eyes and the veins that attached the eyes to the brain were a deep blue color and seemed to mutely throb.
Working with a few Hyuuga in her time, she knew what had happened. She had even seen it first hand. The chakra was pulled when the person was too exhausted to properly regulate it and the end result was a overuse of chakra on the eyes. It left extremely painful bruises and the inability to use the Byakugan for a time or it could lead to permanent blindness.
Frowning slightly, Anko grabbed out a heavy roll of bandages from her pouch and set to work on her students still bleeding leg. Every few minutes she worked Anko would hear her genin giggle at something inane. chakra exhaustion and rapid blood loss…she'll need something to eat and drink, something that will help with her iron intake…maybe… Anko hated second guessing herself but right now even she was at a loss with how this had happened.
Shaking her head in mild concern and annoyance she reached back into her hip pouch and pulled out a tiny gloss bottle filled with reddish-brown pills smaller than rice grains. They were compacted into ball shaped pieces instead of the usual oval look that most pills had. When she unscrewed the lid, the smell of iron was unmistakable.
"Hinata, look at me. Good. These are blood transfusion pills. They work with building back up blood count. don't worry about not having the same blood type, the medics work with the Akimichi clan to make these so that they will automatically adhere to your own red blood cells." Anko said, trying to keep the girl from passing out. Popping out three of the pills - the maximum amount that could be taken in a twelve hour period - she opened her students mouth and dropped them in, when she was sure they were not going to be spit back out, Anko gently massaged her throat until she was absolutely sure they had been swallowed.
Looking down at the big mouse's face, she gestured to the door that led to the living room. Feeling shaky after that scare, she lifted the tiny girl into her arms and carried her to and out the door, before she placed her on a dull brown couch.
"So much for a day with nothing going wrong." she muttered as she left to find disinfectant and a mop.
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Outside, Naru was panicking. Hundreds of tiny eyes ranging the color spectrum lanced at her still form. The oldest headache, a Yori Nunka, was just under seven years old and the object of her wrath - just as soon as she found a way out of these jump ropes currently tied around her.
"you're slow, are you really a ninja, most ninja could've dodged ropes?" Nunka crowed. He was just an inch taller then Naru herself with uneven black hair and dark gray eyes set deep in sockets. He wore a pair of dark green shorts with a white t-shirt emblazoned with the Konoha symbol. He like some the others had been orphaned at a young age, only he had actually known his family before they disappeared. Besides that, he was a bully and Naru hated bullies.
Gritting her teeth, Naru got out a strained "yes", before she found the knot holding the ropes in place. Giving it a tug she found the ends easily and steadily untied herself from her bonds. Blue eyes snapped in extreme annoyance.
"listen up brats! I'm not in the mood to play these games with you, find someone else who is willing and ready for this stupid job. I've had a long ass day and I'm not willing for it to be any longer." she spat out. The amount of annoyance she felt for the smug little hellions to strong for even sailors.
Nunka glared at the irate blonde as she verbally lost it. "you think you're so strong because you're a shinobi, huh, you don't look like much to me." - he turned to look at his posse and crowed, - " looks to me like she's nothing but a big talker. How do we even know she's an actual shinobi anyways. For all we know she and that rag doll group she came with are just stupid civilians who managed to find some grungy hiate in the garbage and are pretending to be ninja!"
The resounding slap could be heard for almost a mile in any direction as Naru pounced on the unlucky brat. Her bright blue eyes resembled the frostiness of a unmoving glacier, her voice deadly calm and quite as she whispered in his ear. "Nunka was it…such a shame that the time spent with your family didn't teach you any manners. Like it as not I am an actual shinobi and you do owe me some respect. If that is to hard for you to accomplish, then I have some creative ways of making lesson stick. don't look so worried Nunka-kun, it doesn't have to be this way." she smiled thinly as she pushed the boy away from her.
Turning so she could see all the children she assessed her situation. "believe or don't believe the idiot boy. I am a true shinobi and because we are who we are, me and my team have been assigned to take care of you until the evening when the matrons get back. Now, I know we all basically hate each other…don't worry, I feel the same way about all of you. So lets hash out some guidelines okay…don't piss me off and I wont bother any of you." looking into the somewhat awed faces, Naru turned around and sat up against on of the trees, her back slightly uncomfortable against the rough bark.
A few meters away Nunka stood up and spit in her direction before walking off, his friends patting at his shoulder and throwing nasty glances her way as they led him to another part of the yard.
Naru grinned lazily, her eyes glowed with still unresolved anger. Rage was a comfortable fire beneath her skin that hissed and snapped at the cool water of reasoning and calm tempered the heat and flame. Deep in her mind a dark and even lazier chuckling emerged.
Kit, such a temper you have…so much like your mother before you.
Naru opened her eyes as the room full of tubes filled with both chakras came into focus. Before when she had been here, it was to fight for the right to her own chakra during the Tree walking exercise.
"fox…why am I back here?" she asked with confusion. Did he want another showdown, or was it something more prudent to her current life situations.
Relax kit, I'm not going to attack you. I'm quite comfortable right at the moment you know, lets not ruin that by calling down the Hokage on us. Besides, I just want to talk.
Behind the mess of glowing tubes, a large wooden cage sat up against what looked like a wall. It was layered in seals and despite its flimsy appearance, showed signs that it was more than it seemed. Behind the bars, two large glowing red eyes appeared as a maniacal grin spit across the darkness, in the space of nothing, several red-orange tails waved.
Feeling that same awe and trepidation she always seemed to feel around the fox, Naru walked over to a blue tube beside the cage and sat down on it. "what do you wish to talk about Baka-Kitsune?" she asked when she was comfortable enough.
A snarl formed on the Kyuubi's face as he regarded the idiot child. She really had no manners and was sarcastic to boot. why haven't you told those friends of yours about who we are? he asked. Curiosity was a horrible habit, but he was a fox so those rules didn't apply to him in the least. Truly though he was actually curious about the girls inability to trust anyone. Maybe in another life he would've tried to corrupt that fault and make her into a mindless killing machine that bent to his whims, sadly though he actually respected the ugly little monkey before him. How the mighty have fallen, he thought.
Naru stiffened. Of course it was stupid to try to hide things from the feather duster. He seemed to know everything she knew and something so big as this wouldn't have had a snowballs chance in hell at actually hiding her fears from him. What could she do though. Her friends seemed to be different from the villagers, so was Anko-sensei, but could she truly trust them enough and open up. Could she explain that she was a human sacrifice that lived as a last shot defense for the village, that she was hated so passionately that she feared her death was not on the battlefield, but before those that tormented and scorned her through her dark childhood. How could she tell that to her first true friends and expect them to stay with her. They didn't need her, but she needed them.
"I cant tell them Kyuubi." she mumbled, her voice suspiciously thick. "they can never know the truth. I wont lose them the way I've lost everything else in my life."
The fox sighed. kit, they are different from the other ugly ants that crawl through the muck of humanity. They wont abandon you because of what you are. Besides, who cares what others think of you. Only the strong survive while the weak waste away anyways, I wont have my jinchuuriki as anything but the best, so get off your pity horse and face your weak mortal fears.
Naru laughed sarcastically, the sound mechanical and devoid of any warmth as she glared at the fox. "get off my pity horse you say. Do you forget Kyuubi, I'm on this horse because of you. If you hadn't attacked Konoha in the first place, I would be with my family and not shunned. I would be able to live my life knowing what love is and not facing the pain that basically sums up my shitty ass childhood. Its because of you that we even need others of my kind to contain others of yours. And you have the gall to say that my fears are weak, that I'm weak. I know what I am Kyuubi and that's mortal…I have fears and worries. I get sad and pissed off and I sure as hell hate being looked down upon. I think I might even hate you." her blue eyes burned as she stared into the apathetic red ones.
Hate me, despise me…but I will always be there for you when no one else can. he muttered. His booming voice oddly mellow as he saw the tears in the child's eyes. The tears she refused to let fall. she truly was like her mother, strong.
She looked through a watery veil before muttering, "you're callous and hateful." before leaping off her perch and vanishing before she hit the ground. All around him, the floor, the wall and the nonexistent ceiling started to drip water until a virtual mess surrounded him as he lay on the flooded floor of his cage. His red slitted eyes closed as he faded.
I know I am kit, I know.
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In the waking world Naru opened her eyes to two pairs of dark green orbs. Startled she leaned further away from the sudden threat, completely forgetting that less then three inches away from her head was a tree. Clutching the slightly visible bump, she opened dizzy eyes once again to see what the hell was stupid enough to get so close to her.
Before her stood two boy twins of about four. They had straight dark brown hair that reached their chins and pretty forest green eyes that looked like they were a part of the greenery around their village. Both twins had sharp features and strong noses that at their current age made them look comical. In their hands they carried toy bokken. Both brothers had dark blue shorts and light tan t-shirts, their feet had been put into blue shinobi sandals.
Still rubbing the newest addition to her hurts, she regarded the twins with slight curiosity. "mah, what do you boys want. Can't you see I was taking a nice nap." she asked slightly peeved still from her fight with the chakra monster in her gut.
One of the boys lifted his skinny hand in the air and said in a tiny voice, " I'm Ai and this is my brother Lin. We saw you fight off the mean bully Nunka…are you really a shinobi?" he asked her, beside him his brother practically vibrated in place. Both looked at her with expectant faces.
Resigning herself to another day with little rest, Naru abandoned her nap and instead focused on the twin brothers. "yes I'm really a shinobi, a Kunoichi under the Sandaime."
Both boys practically danced in place, she grinned at hearing a few praises of her being 'so cool' and 'were all ninja like her'. silently laughing she patted the ground right in front of her. "mah, I'm not really all that special. The Hokage has much better ninja serving him than me. If you want to see a really cool Kunoichi, you should see my Sensei, she kicks major ass."
Both boys dove into sitting positions before her, pleading for awesome stories from her and her team. Ai and Lin had the puppy eyes down stat and showed no mercy against her as she told stories about her and her teammates during training. All through out it, a warm maternal feeling staved off the dark, corrosive anger that boiled beneath her.
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Lee looked out a bedroom window that faced the backyard and smiled when he saw Naru surrounded by a growing group of children. She seemed to be telling stories and was even acting out some parts to the benefit of a laughing, smiling crowd.
Shrugging his shoulders, he picked up another folded pile of linens and moved on to the next room. He smiled to himself as he worked, Anko-sensei had said once he was finished with his job he could go outside and help Naru with the kids. He was more than happy to get out of these small stuffy rooms and out in the warm sun of Konoha.
He was still worried though however, Hinata had somehow injured herself and was now recuperating on one of the lounge sofas in the living room as Anko-sensei watched and tended her. He felt horrible for his female teammate and the pain she must've been feeling. Out of them all, Hinata was the kindest and to have her constantly hurt or depressed left a bad taste in both his and Naru's mouths.
Shaking his head he resumed working, all the while keeping an ear out for anything strange. One never knew when their strange but talented sensei would appear out of thin air and nightmares to test them and make sure they weren't falling behind on their individual trainings. Lee thought she was thorough, Naru said she was just a sadistic bitch with a complex and the license to carry large amounts of sharp metal.
Chuckling softly he moved to another bed. The idea of short sheeting some of them was a looming specter in his mind, a gift from spending countless hours with Naru's mischievous pranking mindset. Lee loved that about his team though. Hinata was the calm, collected one - the person who made sure everyone was kept on track and that obligations were kept as well. Anko-sensei was the sadist, she was the one who made sure the wet work of their world was kept in order. In short she was training them to be warriors, not children - it was her oath and solemn duty to make them the best as possible while she was their teacher. Naru - she was difficult to categorize, she was a enigma and a puzzle wrapped mystery with the ending ripped out. Completely unpredictable in what she was going to do. But Lee knew she was a born leader, like hot metal she was being forged into someone the world was going to look up to and remember, as of now though, she was his leader, his friend and confident. He had the rest of his life, however long that would be, to figure out his friends quirks and dynamics.
Grinning ear to ear, Lee finished up room after room as he hurried through his tasks. It was near night when he finished the last bed, he remembered it clearly because it took everything he had to not swan dive ceremoniously onto the inviting covers. Instead he walked out into the hallway and down the stairs as the warm smell of soup beckoned to his tired and hungry body. Walking into the dining area he saw both Naru and a still shaken Hinata being hounded by a large group of excited children. Upon seeing him both his teammates grinned and waved him over to their table.
He seated himself between a boy with shoulder length brown hair and dark green eyes and Hinata. "hey how are you feeling Hinata-chan?" he asked the lavender eyed female as she passed out some napkins.
A small smile lit her features as she replied, "much better actually, though Anko-sensei says I am forbidden to use my Byakugan for at least a week and even then I'm on light duty with them until she can get the Hokage to sign off on my medical analysis." here she smiled wider. "how was your day Lee-kun?"
He sighed in relief that she was okay, if a bit pale. "I'm doing well. Man though all those beds, I believe I shall see beds in my nightmares and dreams for days to come." Lee pulled a sour face as the children laughed.
Looking up from filling bowls, Naru gave a foxy grin at her two teammates. "mah, mah guys these two are brats are my newest brats. Ai, Lin these are my teammates. Teammates, these are Ai and Lin. They were helping me to show off some of our awesome ninja adventures today." both boys gave sheepish smiles as they held hands. Beside them Naru gave her team a odd look.
Both Lee and Hinata tensed. Whenever Naru gave them unidentifiable expressions it was cause to worry. It usually heralded the approaching storm of Naru doing something completely unexpected and entirely irreversible. Last time she gave such a look, the entirety of Konoha's Anbu and hunter nin had to be issued new uniforms and masks. Hinata stared at Lee in worry - what was Naru getting herself in now.
Breaking eye contact both shinobi started in on the food. The only sounds were the sounds of eating and the occasional grunt whenever someone pointed at something.
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It was close to midnight when the trio of exhausted genin and a mildly sleepy sensei walked into the office of the Hokage.
Old, patient eyes watched as Hinata rubbed her arms in a attempt to stay awake though the debriefing. Genin were so much fun. Hiruzen sucked on his unlit pipe as his mind drifted back in to the old days, back when he had been placed on his first genin team. Ah, he could still remember the soreness of training constantly and then the stupidity of D-ranked chores. Shaking his head slightly he refocused on the conversation just as Anko was finishing up her report.
Pulling his pipe from his mouth, he filled it with his brand of tobacco and lit it before putting it back between his lips. "normally I do not place fresh genin on orphanage duty. Unfortunately, we had a large promotion rate this year from the senior genin to chunin. Adding that to the average death rate of genin in the field and we came up with a low stock of eligible trainee ninja to complete the in village missions. Besides Team Anko, we only have three more genin teams out in roster at the moment. I'm afraid this cell is going to see more than its fair share of D-ranked missions…don't pout though, you all will see more than your share of the C-ranks that will be coming in." the Sandaime took a long drag out of his pipe as he looked at the motley group before him. just children he thought, barely old enough to know what a ninja is.
"in any case however, Team Anko did a examplemary job and have served your village well. All of you besides Naru are dismissed. Naru please come here." he ordered. Waiting while the team said goodbye and goodnight. "Naru I understand you wished to speak with me about something?"
Steeling her nerves at what she was about to do the young Uzumaki walked over to the large desk. "Hokage-sama, I have a request that I wish filed, active ASAP."
A few hours later
A blonde haired Ninja walked down the street towards her home as the wise eyes of the Hokage followed her movements. To say he had been surprised at what she was doing would have been a blatant lie, as not even he had dared think she would have asked for what she did.
On his desk was a large file, black bars covered six words in ten as a registration photo showed a small whiskered girl with dark red hair and pretty eyes. Underneath that was a small slip of paper and a registration, both of which had him mildly confused and mostly in awe.
The child was growing up. Looking away from the file he instead focused his vision on a small picture secured to the wall of the office. A young man with long blond hair and deep blue eyes watched back at him as the aged Kage sat in his seat once more. The burden and the failures of the past free to haunt him now that the sun had retired from the sky.
High above the village of Leaves, a large stone face, immortalized in the mountain stood silent guardian over its people. The fourth of what was once three glared and brooded as the people of said village walked beneath it. So was the burden of being a leader.
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It had been a few weeks since the first D-rank at the orphanage. To be completely honest it was probably the most boring time of Team Anko's lives. There was nothing to due that didn't revolve around training and doing crappy D-ranked missions or running away from their positively insane sensei who seemed to have developed a horrible habit of making them work twice as hard and five times as fast as any other genin team. They cursed her competitive ass for agreeing to a competition against the other jonin-sensei's.
Walking along a unpaved walkway, Hinata grinned to herself as she thought of her team. Both Naru and Lee had been dragged unwillingly to the Hokage tower after a prank had set all of the gem merchant's clothes a deep unsavory orange with pink and purple swirls. Oh yes, Naru had found a book of beginner Fuinjustu at the shinobi library and saw that it allowed for the capacity for unlimited destruction and mayhem. So following along that line of thought, Hinata knew her friend was going to rent it out and cause trouble. Why she had grabbed Lee and roped him into that, Hinata could only shake her head.
Sometimes it was tough being the responsible one on the team.
Clutching her shopping basket Hinata walked further into the heart of the village, the sounds of shopping costumers was heavy even though she was still minutes away from her destination.
Hmm, lets see…I need onions, chicken, leeks, some fresh thyme and basil…what else? I should've brought that list like Naru told me too…maybe some shrimp and that bitter seaweed Lee likes…do we need rice? No, Lee and Naru just bought that five pound bag of it a few days ago…oh right, I cant forget the ramen, Naru might actually come after me instead or worse, she'll spend all her money at Ichiraku's again.
So deep in her thoughts was she that Hinata almost collided with somebody, instead though, she spun on the ball of her right foot until she was behind the random person impersonating a door and failing. Turning back around Hinata's eyes shot open and she gasped out in shock. "H-Hanabi!"
Cold, white eyes glared up at the frozen girl. Her lips down turned as she looked on in stony silence. So this was her older sister who had been cast out of the clan, humph, there wasn't much to look at. Her outfit was odd…to say they least. A mesh-like shirt hugged her growing form nicely and went surprisingly well with the baggy shinobi grade pants. On her arms there was metal backed gloves that had the fingers and the palms removed that matched the shin-plates on her legs. On the plates themselves were odd designs with little kanji written around it. But what really caught her eyes was the cloak her older sister was wearing. Velvety looking Hanabi realized it was actually made out of animal pelts, some type of canine if she was seeing it right. Around her neck was a fang tied to a metal necklace.
Finishing her perusal of her sibling, Hanabi looked back into the eyes of her sister. "you have changed sister. Why?"
Slightly confused and extremely wary, Hinata carefully chose her answers. She couldn't forget that even though Hanabi was her baby sister, she still was forced to answer to their father and the elders. "I am well little sister…does the Hyuuga clan not believe in change though dear one. It is just a state of my being that has led this ninja to change. Why do you ask me this Hanabi?"
Frowning even more, Hanabi clenched her fists. Here was her weak sister, a disgrace to all the clan had ever stood for, who had been thrown out without even a nice word or a goodbye, was actually daring to talk to her like they were equals and on the same terms. She fumed. "what is this, a lowlife dreg of a weak, little failure dares talk to the Hyuuga clans heiress in such a manner. You forget yourself sister, we are not family anymore. You have no right to question me like you are one of us again."
Shocked and hurt, Hinata felt as cold as the words her younger sister was saying. Still though, she wasn't surprised by what was said. It was only natural that the clan would choose Hanabi as the new Heiress. After all, she was the daughter of the clan head and the true holder of the Hyuuga ideals. She wasn't surprised by the corruption of her precious sister, but she was sad that she had been to late to stop it.
"Be that as it may. I am not going to fight you Hanabi. You may think we are sisters no more, but that is only in name. the bond we share is ingrained far further than a title and a family." Hinata said. Her pupiless eyes burned with inner conviction.
Hanabi froze as she regarded her once-sister. "and what would that be?" she questioned disinterestedly.
"blood."
Sneering, Hanabi turned on her heels and walked back the way she had come. Hatred and a smug look were shot over her shoulder as she left. "oh, dear Hinata. I shall tell My father about this meeting. I hope for your sake that you haven't changed too much."
Sinking to the ground, Hinata silently cried. The basket that she had brought with her wobbled on its side forgotten as the shiny trails of liquid poured down her face. She couldn't believe the person her sister had become, even more so, she didn't want to believe that this was the tiny child she had refused to fight not so long ago.
Mother. Can you see what father and sister, no, the entire clan has become. What can I do? I'm no longer Hyuuga, I can't change them. Maybe I never could. I'm so sorry mother. I'm so sorry.
As she cried, the day slowly wore on. Even time didn't stop for the broken hearted.
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In a large, spacious office overlooking the village, four people sat and watched the pretty red hawk as it screeched and ran its beak through its beautiful feathers.
A week had passed since Hinata had come home with tear stains on her face. That also meant it had been a week since Naru almost went on a rampage with Lee to find Hanabi and kick the ever-loving crap out of the little creep. Naru's words.
Sitting in a chair with a low back Anko watched the meeting with a sense of complete boredom. Nothing was happening. She was a woman who valued movement and freedom, not 'sit in a chair until your ass becomes one with the seat', type of woman. She was sooo bored.
Beside her Naru sat, thankfully just as bored. She kept figiting, like she expected someone to jump out at her and attack. It made Anko smile inwardly to know she had a hand in developing that paranoia.
Every so often her student would shift glances over to the stoic Anbu commander as he leaned against the wall. His crane mask firmly in place as he watched the Hokage read a small message in his wrinkled hands.
Sighing softly she daydreamed about why the old man had called this meeting in the first place. Right now she could be tormenting her genin or even a D-rank mission to clean the Inuzuka kennels would be a welcomed distraction right now. Further more, why had the Sandaime called in only her and Naru. Why not the rest of the team? And for the love of all things Dango, why the fuck was the Anbu commander here. It just didn't make sense to her.
Sensing the rising tension from his Jonin sensei, the Hokage re-rolled the message scroll in his hands once more. This was troubling news and welcome news. Clearing his throat he began to speak. "you are all wondering why I have called you all here today."
He waited for their complete attention before continuing. "we have just gotten word from a contact that a clan from the destroyed village of Uzushio, was discovered and being escorted to Konoha as we speak. They have sent a missive stating their intent on joining our village, further more they do not wish to be given a clan name nor any land."
A small cough had him looking at Crane. "Hokage-sama…forgive me, but why do they not wish to be announced as a clan or be given land to build a compound on? It makes little sense to me sir." he asked.
A wistful smile lit up the old features of the Hokage as he watched his Anbu commander. "they have instead wished to return to their former clan which is stationed in Konoha as of right now. They also wish for the new leader, while not fully qualified, to take command and sort out houses within the compound that they will be housed in. it is with my understanding, Crane, that they do not want their other clan title anymore to escape detection and to once again reunite with their roots, so to say." he pulled out his pipe and lit it as he watched his subordinates faces.
Surprisingly it was Naru who gained the courage to ask the ext question.
"Hokage-sama…you say that this clan wishes to rejoin a clan already stationed here. Does that mean the family in question split up from that clan or did they separate over time. Also, sir, how reliable is this informant of yours. Can they be trusted with bringing in a new clan and are they good enough to keep everything silent." she asked. Her blue eyes narrowed in contemplation as she thought over everything.
He ignored the sounds of Naru being hit by both her teachers and the resounding calls of being more respectful to your leader or don't question the Hokage you baka. He laughed quietly at the three now bickering ninja before holding up a hand for silence.
"this clan was once part of a larger clan that had its home in Uzushiogakure. During the war in which several other hidden villages attacked them, they split off and became several smaller clans. When the went back home decades had passed before then and they were not all one big clan anymore, yet they still lived peacefully with each other. Then the second shinobi war had come and divided them even further. Many of that once great clan had fled and formed even smaller side clans and they left their ancestral lands to escape the bloodshed. By the time the third shinobi war had happened, the clan was nearly wiped out and their home village and country was razed to the ground." he puffed on his pipe.
He locked eyes with the orange girl, "besides that, my informant is very good and has pledged loyalty to Konoha provided we don't turn her in to her previous village. I have all her papers written up, along with the ones pertaining to the clan which will need to be signed by the clan head, me and you Crane - since you run our Anbu division you need some proper notification on your newest charges." he said as the sweet smelling smoke from his pipe hazed around the room.
Anko straightened up in her seat and cleared her throat. "Hokage-sama, you keep mentioning this clan in Konoha…who are they?"
The old man smiled before looking to the youngest in the room. "the clan Uzumaki will be taking them in."
The shouts of denial and bewilderment suddenly caused the spacious room to feel crowded as Hiruzen smoked silently. It was best he decided, to let them work this out for the moment. He would resume when the stoped long enough to take a couple of breaths.
"what do you mean Clan Uzumaki…there is no such thing." "you don't think I know that you Bird-masked freak of nature!" "oi, old man what's the given. You said my clan was destroyed. Why are you bringing in more people?"
Everyone took a few breaths of air before getting back to their argument. The Hokage could feel the spot above his eyebrow twitch in annoyance with his shinobi. They bickered worse than his children had when they were in the academy.
"ENOUGH!" he yelled. The three fighting ninja suddenly froze as the tiniest tendrils of killing intent flooded their nerves system.
He took a deep breath for calm and straightened out his papers before looking at them. "sit down all of you." they sat so fast it left him amazed. He still had it. "yes there is a Uzumaki clan or at least there will be. Crane, I want you to let the rest of the patrols know about a clan coming back from a long term mission. That is all I want to hear about. If anyone asks for more information, tell them it is classified under my ruling. -Crane nodded but didn't leave. - Anko I want you to notify the rest of the Jonin about the same thing. If asked, give the same answer as Crane here. I want most of the force to understand that a clan is coming back to Konoha and to not give them trouble. If they do, tell them I will be the one administrating punishments. You both are dismissed." he barked. The two shinobi gulped and bowed before shunshining out of the room.
Locking his hands together, the Sandaime looked at the small girl before him. "Naru…I know this is a lot to take in right now. The newest clan knows about you from the informant and through some of my own letters. They have decided that they will place their trust in you. it's a big honor." he said to her.
"Maybe I don't want this honor Hokage-sama. Have you ever thought I just want to be normal and live a normal life. I just want to be a shinobi sir, how can I be that when I'm looking out after a bunch of people. - she grumbled slightly embarrassed by her reaction. - besides, why do I have to be the clan head. There has to be somebody more qualified in the other clan, isn't there?" she asked. Her big blue eyes slightly watery as she pleaded with the man she viewed as a grandfather.
Silence met her question. Looking down at her feet, Naru clenched her hands together as she feigned calm. Her voice silent and icy as she talked. "I see…Hokage-sama, may I be excused…there's a lot to-do before the clan arrives…" she trailed off before bowing to the aged leader and then left out the door.
Heaving a small sigh, the old leader leaned back in his chair. He felt sad for the tiny girl. To have such a burden at such an age, on top of being the jailer for the Kyuubi, he couldn't fathom what she was going through. He, in his long life time, had already met two other Kyuubi containers…it pained him to have had met the third.
He quietly picked up a pen and started working once more. If only it had eased the pain inside while he he was doing so…
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Uzumaki compound, two weeks later.
In front of the large gates leading into the compound, Hinata and Lee stood beside Naru in silent support.
Both sent quick looks to the other in worry as their friend stood stark against the early morning sun. to them she looked like some primordial statue that stood in quiet testimony to time itself. Besides that, the blonde looked scared to death.
Sending looks to her back, Naru couldn't help but be both annoyed and grateful towards her friends and teammates. Here she was: a small, annoying scrap of space with an orange complex the size of Iwa, being asked to lead a once - nearly destroyed clan brought back from the ashes of history…and she was supposed to be apparently okay with it. That didn't happen unless it was a story of make-believe.
To be fair though, she was slightly happy that she was going to have a family. Maybe if they lived in Konoha, she could help make sure that her new family and clan made it through this time. She wasn't going to let them be destroyed. Not this time.
Shrugging off the odd stares, Naru stared at a sudden burst of color - bright colors of pinks and blues mixed with more somber shades of grays.
"good morning Hokage-sama." she bowed. Behind her both her friends murmured their own greetings as they bowed as well.
Making a small gesture all three shinobi straightened up once more. A sudden screeching of a hawk rang out in the deafening silence between the four. Naru looked up at the rusty red of the bird as it wheeled and climbed higher into the sky. She felt suddenly very exposed. Before her the Hokage nodded. "they are here." he said.
Looking behind the old man, Naru could make out the glimpse of a semi-large dust cloud. The range of colors that lit up the area around it was immense and beautiful, like a sunset and a sunrise happening at the same time.
So this is what it will be like with a family huh? Naru thought. The feeling of well-hidden anxiety suddenly resurfacing as the new clan came closer.
All of a sudden they were right in front of her. The young, the old. Warriors and housewives and many children. She felt she was suffocating.
A very old woman with thin white hair walked out in front of her family and regarded her, slowly walking in a loose circle before coming back to face her again. "you are the last Uzumaki?" her whispery voice crackled slightly as she spoke.
Naru nodded. "yes. That is technically correct." the old woman's eyes sharpened as she looked at her. "what do you mean 'technically'?" she answered back, just as quickly.
Swallowing a lump, Naru tried to meet the elders eyes. "we are to be a family. Stands to reason…I wont be the last anymore." she answered meekly.
The old woman regarded her for what seemed like hours before she gave a chilling grin. The wrinkles and folds in her skin deepened as she chuckled. "seems to be that way, huh." she laughed. Before offering a hand to the smaller girl. "my name is Tsubaki, but you will call me obaa-chan. This is our family. We now take the name Uzumaki, who is to be led by Uzumaki Naru…we have high hopes for you clan-head." she chuckled again before signaling the rest of the clan to bow.
"lead us well, young one."