*insert usual disclaimer here*

I usually write short chapters, but this got pretty long *eyes it*

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Chapter 3: Kiaka's Story

"Where do I start?" Kiaka mused aloud. "To seem to be a logical person, I guess I'll start from the beginning," she joked. "I was born here in Konoha eighteen years ago to a highly praised family, last of our line. Father was a gifted shinobi, well respected, and mother was just…mother. Before I was born she was a full time shinobi, dedicated to the village, but when I came along she simply became devoted to our little family—me and my father…"

*flashback*

Kiaka followed her mother around the kitchen, observing, with her four-year-old's fascination, her mother setting out dinner. The food smelled delicious, and the little girl was tempted to dip her finger in one of the sauces to get a taste. But, the sauce was steaming, having been just taken off the stove, and little Kiaka had learned her lesson about sticking body parts in hot things last time. That wasn't pretty.

"Kiaka-chan, can you put out the chopsticks?" her mother asked in a singsong voice reserved for the little girl. Completely thrilled to be able to help, Kiaka ran off and grabbed a stool to stand on so she could reach the utensil's drawer. She grabbed three pairs of chopsticks and set them on the table, two big pairs for her parents, and one tiny pair for herself.

Now the table was all set for dinner, save for one thing, no, person, missing. Daddy wasn't home yet. Kiaka's mother looked at the clock, at the same time taking off her apron and letting her long auburn hair down.. She sighed, slightly annoyed. "Daddy's late," she announced as she picked up a frying pan and washed it. Kiaka giggled, knowing her "perfect shinobi" of a father was going to be told off by his wife.

Both mother and daughter "felt" the tardy father arrive outside the door. "Daddy's home!" Kiaka cried as she ran to the door. Having been doing this everyday recently, her timing was almost perfect; just as the door completely opened she would get to it and jumped on her father. If he was really tired that day, she may even end up knocking him over. The timing was perfect…usually. Today she jumped and knocked her knee on the doorknob, tripping her in midair. Only the quick reflexes of her father prevented her from landing on her face.

Having been saved, Kiaka latched herself to her father's neck, then after a second, let go and rubbed her throbbing knee. That's going to be a bruise. Her father gave her a kiss, set her down, and closed the door behind them, then looked almost pleadingly at his wife.

"Honey, I'm…" he started.

"You're late!" his wife announced in a strict tone, throwing down the dishtowel with which she had been drying off the pan. She walked closer to the man, who took a step away and held up his hands. The little girl moved to her seat at the dinner table and watched the little show from a safe distance away.

"You're late and dinner's getting cold," the woman continued, still advancing on her retreating husband with what looked like a slightly murderous glint in her eyes.

"Honey, let me explain," the man said as he scooted away, "Today was really busy and I got piled with paperwork that had to be finished before I left, so I had to do them before I could come home. I'm really sorry I'm late coming home—" he jumped backwards over the couch—" I really am and I'm sorry for letting dinner start to get cold. But honey, please…could you…please PUT DOWN THE FRYING PAN!" he pleaded, covering his head. A few seconds of silence passed, then the house erupted into laughter, first from the woman, than her husband and child following. The woman put the frying pan away and announced, with her eyes shining with laughter,

"Let's eat."

***end flashback***

"The first few years of my childhood were joyous, and more importantly, pretty much normal. I had everything I needed, and many things I simply wanted. Then the Kyubi came.

I hardly got a chance to see my father after that, he was always busy. My mother was pregnant at the time, but when the draft for part time chunin to fight was raised, she was one of the first to sign up. Her obligations to the village to her, in this situation, overrode her duties as mother. Father didn't know she signed up. I was left in the care of one of father's friends whose squad had been called off duty to regroup after losing most of their members.

After a few weeks, word of my mother fighting reached my father and he ordered her home, for a battlefield was no place for a pregnant mother. I left the care of father's friend and went back to live with my mother. For those months, life for me was practically normal, save for the usual absence of my father. Mother did a good job of shielding me from the horrors of the world around me. I think of it as her last and most precious gift to me…"

***flashback***

Kiaka sat in the waiting room of the hospital impatiently, swinging her feet and watching for someone to beckon her and tell her about her new younger brother. She waited for a long time, then finally, she saw her father come out. Her eyes lit up at the sight of her father, who she had not seen all that week. She didn't even know he was here.

The way he walked, though, was burdened, the usual brightness in his blue eyes replaced by a deep sorrow. Being only five years old, though, Kiaka didn't notice. "Daddy!" she exclaimed, jumping off the chair and going over to her father. "Where's mommy? Where's my little brother?" she asked excitedly, tugging on her father's long jacket. Her father dropped on his knees next her and held her tightly in his arms, tears rolling down his face.

"Your brother's fine," he told her, "But mommy—" he choked on a silent sob "—mommy died, Kiaka." His grip on her tightened as he began to tremble. Kiaka squirmed as his grip began to hurt her.

"So I won't be able to see mommy again?" she asked with a sad tone, her innocent mind failing to truly grasp the meaning of death past the obvious.

"No, Kiaka," her father replied solemnly, wiping away his tears with his hand.

"And she won't tuck me in or read me a story or make dinner for me?" the little girl persisted.

"No, Kiaka, mommy's gone." Kiaka's eyes watered and her lips quivered.

"But I don't want her to go! No..." she whined and cried. Her father picked her up into his arms and held her close.

"You might not be able to see mommy anymore, but she'll always be there in your heart," he said, placing a hand over Kiaka's heart as tears still rolled down his own cheeks. "Mommy's gone to a better place now, and she will watch over you and your brother forever and ever."

"Is mommy an angel in heaven now?" Kiaka asked. Her father smiled.

"Yes," he replied with a smile. "Do you want to go see your brother?" he asked, wiping away the tears from both their faces. Kiaka nodded.

Her father took her to the room where all the newborns were lying in cribs and made his way through the cribs until they reached the one containing his son. Kiaka gazed at her new little brother, mesmerized by his golden hair, matching that of their father's and tiny hands and feet. On his face were six birthmarks, looking almost like whiskers.

"It's your job now to take care of him, Kiaka-chan," her father told her. She looked at him and nodded vigorously.

"I will!" she proclaimed. "Forever and ever and ever and…"

***end flashback***

"My mother died giving birth to my little brother, and a day later father died fighting the Kyubi. Then the demon was sealed and the war ended, leaving me to take care of my baby brother. We lived with family friends, which was just as well, since I wasn't able to take care of myself, much less my brother, living alone. And on top of that, I enrolled into the ninja academy and started my studies, leaving even less time for me to look after my brother.

Looking back now, I think I worked so hard at my studies so that I could distance myself from my little brother. He just reminded me too much of my father, and our broken family. That boy hardly knew me, I kept to myself so much. But in other ways I kept my promise to look after him. If people picked on him, they answered to me, if he were hurt, I'd tend to his wounds, if he were sick, I'd stay with him. Other than that, though, I concentrated on my studies.

When I was nine I graduated from the academy, and I dipped into the inheritance my parents left me and my brother and bought back the apartment I had spent the first five years of my life in. I left it to my brother for when he would be of age to take care of himself and move in there.

Now having received my leaf headband and technically passed into adulthood, I dipped into the inheritance again, took out a little money to spend until I found a way to keep myself going, and I left Konoha. For more of a reason than anything else I simply tried to run away from the pain lying in my past. I tried to forget my father, my life, my pain, but I couldn't. So after nine years, I've come back to face that pain, and to maybe make amends with that little brother I abandoned," Kiaka absentmindedly stared at the leftover soup in her former bowl of ramen as she finished her story. Naruto looked at her with compassionate eyes.

"You're life has been a sad story, Kiaka nee-san," he said, almost apologetically. "I hope coming back will make it better."

Kiaka smiled. "It think it already has."

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oie oie gomen ne if I got carried away with the flashbacks, I tend to do that at least once in a fic. Thanx guys for all the reviews and suggestions, they've help a lot. Domo-arigatou gosimous. ß pretty sure I spelled that wrong lol.

Anyway, please review! See ya later

Kirsta