Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto! I do own, however, Haneda Hiko. Steal her and you'll find out why my pen name is twisted-sheets. :evil grin:
Author's notes: ARGH! Once again, I, twisted-sheets, made two very stupid factual mistakes. There are NINE Akatsuki members, not seven (why, oh, why, did I write seven?) and Hoshigaki was Kisame's surname. The mistake was from my part, not Hiko's. Thank you, The Gandhara for pointing it out! :huggles The Gandhara: I'll make the necessary changes next chapter. XD
Hiko: :grumbles: Oh, now you ruined my credibility. Couldn't you just say I killed the other two Akatsuki members and that I mispronounced Kisame's surname?
Twisted-sheets: Uhm, no. That wouldn't be a great idea. Don't get mad, ne? Sorry for the mess-up!
For those who asked, Haneda Hiko is Naruto's mother. He calls her 'Hiko-neechan' because Naruto doesn't know Hiko's his mother. Also, remember that Sandaime was the only one who knew Hiko is Naruto's mother. Other than him, no one, as in NO ONE in the village, knows about this fact.
Timeline: Okay. I started this before Kakashi's Gaiden came up, so don't start comparing what happened there in Kakashi's past with what's happening in the fic. There will be flashbacks, so beware, I guess.
Special thanks to: Dragon Man 180: One mother and son scene, next chapter! Yeah, been wanting to write one, but I had to wait for the right time and place for it. As for Shikamaru being a hunter-nin…saying anything further would be spoiling stuff. XD But I think the kid's not as much of a lazy ass as he projects himself to be. Hey, chasing Sasuke was troublesome, but he did it anyway.
The Gandhara: First of all, thank you very much for your insightful and helpful review. Hiko likes ramen a LOT (as you've just seen). Naruto's name…I think the creator, Kishimoto-sensei, really did name Naruto after an ingredient of ramen. Hiko does have very special abilities, one you'll see in this chapter. XD On Iruka and Hiko, she was just teasing him. Hiko's like that. And thank you for reading Birth Day as well.
Joekool: Yes, Hiko loves Naruto! You'll find out just how much later. Here's the update!
Neurotic Freak: I got the information that Iruka's a year younger than Kakashi…but the heck, age differences doesn't really come to play much here. Anyway, thank you very much!
ArrowOfHikaru: Thank you. :grin:
Catchstraw: I've explained in the author's notes why Naruto calls Hiko 'neechan'. Anyway, thanks for the correction! :blushes in embarrassment:
Yume Rinku: Thank you! :grin: You're the first one to remark about Kakashi and Hiko…you'll get your answers (or at least part of it) in this chapter.
TenshiKaitou: Hiko nearly lost her temper then, but Naruto was there, so she restrained herself. You'll see her temper in this chapter. Here's the continuation, and thank you!
Firehedgehog: There will be more ass-kicking this chapter. XD Thank you!
Loki Everhate: Whahaha! Thank you! :huggles:
Chapter III: Missions
"I hope you know what you're doing, Tsunade-hime," Jiraiya said to the Godaime, Tsunade, as he watched her gulp her sake. "You know how those two are." He bit into his radish, wondering if Tsunade would hit him or something for saying that. Tsunade was unpredictable when she drank. Already, Jiraiya was regretting the fact he dropped by at her quarters this morning to offer her a drink.
Tsunade poured out some more sake, then glared at him. "Of course I know. It's not my problem if she and Kakashi don't get along. That's something they'd have to deal with themselves." She narrowed her eyes. "But whatever those two feel about each other or whatever happened between them, no one can deny those two make one hell of a team. They've been one when they were ANBU, they'd still be one now."
"Things change, Tsunade. Both of them have changed since then. They are no longer children."
"They were never children, Jiraiya," Tsunade said, suddenly sober. There was a sad look in her eyes as she remembered. "Too early. Too soon," she muttered. "Brilliant, but too young. Both of them." She gave Jiraiya a level gaze. "It didn't help that your student was too…free…with them…let them do what they want."
"Why are you blaming me and my student?" Jiraiya protested. "And you know that's not true. You," he added, pointing a finger at her, "are not one to talk."
"Che," Tsunade spat out. She was being unfair, she knew. "Enough about those two. Let them handle themselves. They're old enough. Hand over that sake, you perverted hermit."
Naruto glanced at the scroll then at Hiko. "Class A mission? What scroll is that?" he asked, sounding excited. It wasn't everyday Naruto and his team were given a Class A mission. This would be more interesting than the usual chores of weeding lawns.
Kakashi, grinning, said, "Sorry, we can't tell you. It's big secret." Hiko gave Kakashi a sharp glance, but said nothing. "Anyway, we better get started. We have along way to go, so better get packed for a week of travel. Be back here in thirty minutes. Don't be late." The genins nodded, though still confused, and left.
As soon as the two jounins were out of sight, Sakura turned to Naruto. "Who was that woman? And why do you know her?" she demanded. She strode beside Naruto, keeping as far away from Neji as possible.
Naruto gave her a big grin. "Oh? You mean Hiko-neechan? She's my guardian."
Neji and Sakura frowned. "I thought Iruka-sensei was your guardian," Sakura said.
Naruto nodded. "Well, he is…sort of, but it was Hiko-neechan who took care of me since I was a baby until I was five years old."
Sakura's eyes widened. "Really? I never knew about that." She knew that Naruto was an orphan since birth, but she had never given a thought on how he had survived when he was younger. Somehow, that made her feel a little guilty.
To her surprise, Naruto glanced over his shoulder and smiled sadly at her. "There are lots of things you don't know about me, Sakura-chan." Then, before Sakura could ask what he meant by what he said, the boy had gone.
Kakashi watched the departing genins, eye narrowing when he saw Sakura put as much distance between her and Neji. So the girl still hadn't adjusted to the new arrangement. He sighed. He had been hoping Sakura would be more open-minded about this. So much for his hopes.
"You can't really blame Haruno Sakura. From what I've heard, she's pretty attached to the Uchiha," Hiko drawled from behind him. "In her eyes, the Hyuuga is an usurper."
"She has a crush on Sasuke," Kakashi said with a shrug. "Actually, it was more of an infatuation."
"Ah." Hiko nodded in understanding. "Why did you tell the kids this will be a Class A mission? This is Class S."
The scroll contained information about the Akatsuki, to be delivered to the Fire Country daimyos. Missions of this sort usually fell on ANBU or higher jounins, but Konoha had been 'understaffed' lately, so the Godaime had no choice but to give assignments to those who were available, no matter what rank they were.
Then Hiko waved her hand. "Never mind. I get it." She leaned behind the bridge's rail. "It's been a while since I've done any missions with genins. This ought to be interesting." She gave Kakashi an arch look. "Somehow, I never imagined you being a jounin instructor. You were such a jerk when we were younger."
"Oh? And this is from the one who gave all her sensei migraines with all the mischief she made?" He pulled out his Icha Icha Violence and began to read it, looking for all the world the lazy pervert he was.
"Hey!" Hiko protested. "I wasn't THAT bad! At least I didn't act like I had a stick stuck up in my ass like some people I know." She glared at Kakashi. "Obito-kun always disliked that–" Hiko stopped, biting her lip.
Kakashi lowered the book and gave Hiko an intense stare. There was a moment of silence before Kakashi finally spoke. "You weren't there at his funeral."
To her credit, Hiko didn't look away when she replied, "The Sandaime sent me to a mission the day before the funeral. I left immediately."
"And never came back until eight years later."
"It was a long mission. And I didn't need a funeral to remind me what was lost that day."
Her statement was followed by another awkward pause. Kakashi watched as Hiko shifted her position, a sign that she was growing uneasy. Finally, she said, "I'm glad the Sandaime chose you as Naruto's sensei. Anyone else would have been…wrong."
That statement nearly made Kakashi start. She sounded so sincere when she spoke…almost wistful. Kakashi just shrugged as a response.
"Geez. I give you a compliment, and you just shrug it off. Jerk." Hiko punched his shoulder.
Kakashi gave her a strange look, which Hiko returned with a strange look of her own. Her gaze drifted to his covered eye, the one hidden by his forehead protector. He saw the questions in her eyes, but Hiko said nothing, merely turning away.
Just then, the three genins arrived, Naruto leading them. Kakashi sighed in exasperation when he saw Naruto's overstuffed bag. Really, the boy had serious packing problems.
"That's a lot of stuff, Naru-chan," Hiko remarked, looking at the pack as well.
Naruto flushed. "Anou sa…Ehehehehe…It's just some ramen and stuff…and weapons. You never know…"
"It's all right, Naruto." Kakashi glanced at Sakura, then at Neji. "As I've told you before, this is a Class A mission. Be alert at all times. This is a dangerous mission. We have to get the scroll to the feudal lords no matter what." As he spoke, he appeared very solemn. Then he smiled. "Well, that being said, let's go."
As they prepared to leave, the genins made some preliminary checks on their weapons, making sure they were enough and in their proper places.
"What about you, Hiko-neechan? Aren't you going to bring any more weapons?" Naruto asked, noticing Hiko's rather flat kunai pouch and shuriken holster.
"She doesn't need to," Kakashi answered. "Everything around her is a weapon."
Hiko glared at Kakashi. Naruto looked confused. "Eh? What does Kakashi-sensei mean, Hiko-neechan?"
Hiko opened her mouth to answer, but Kakashi beat her to it. "She just throws whatever she gets her hands on at her enemies–rocks, tree trunks, people and the likes," he said with a grin.
"Hatake-san, if you don't shut up, I'll throw you into the water," Hiko said through gritted teeth. She smiled apologetically to the genins. "You'll find out soon enough, I think. Anyway," she turned to Neji and Sakura, "please call me Hiko-sensei. I haven't taught for a while, but I am a teacher."
The two nodded. Hiko then smiled. "Good. Now let's be on our way! We've wasted enough time here!"
Sakura stared at the back of the young woman as they made their way to their destination, her thoughts straying to the woman's name. Sakura prided herself for knowing just about anything about Konoha–the villagers, the customs, etc., so she was rather disconcerted to find that she could not come up with anything to associate with Haneda Hiko. Well, I could ask her, she thought. Bracing herself, she asked in a hesitant voice, "Anou, Hiko-sensei, how come I haven't heard anything about…the Haneda?"
Hiko glanced over her shoulder and gave Sakura a small smile. "I'd be surprised if you'd heard anything about it. I'm the last of my clan, you see. And I'm not originally from Konohagakure. My family came from Water Country."
Naruto and Sakura gaped at her. "You're from Water Country?"
She nodded. "Yes. You've heard about the great war between those with advanced bloodlines and those without advanced bloodlines, haven't you?"
Naruto and Sakura remembered Haku, and the tale he told them while they were fighting in Wave Country. The war in Water Country had been a long and bloody one, and many clans have been wiped out because of it over the years. As far as they knew, the war was still going on. They both nodded.
"Well, my clan had an advanced bloodline of sorts and as you know, many people then didn't like people with advanced bloodlines, so…they tried to kill us off. My mother managed to escape to Konoha, where she was granted political asylum and citizenship by the Sandaime." Hiko then frowned. "At least, that was what my mother told me."
"Oh," was the only thing the two could say.
Behind them, Neji listened quietly, looking unconcerned, though he was interested with what he had heard. So the young woman was not from Konoha, she had an advanced bloodline, and she was a political refugee. If he remembered his tedious history lessons correctly, Konohagakure had prudently kept out of the war in Water Country. However, there were rumors that the Sandaime had taken in refugees from the said country. He also remembered the rumor that the said act was done despite several protests from the elders.
"'Advanced bloodline of sorts?'" Naruto asked, eyes bright. "Was that one Kakashi-sensei was talking about?"
Hiko shook her head. "No. It's something else. The one Kakashi is talking about…is another matter." She grinned at him. "It isn't much of an advanced bloodline, really. It's a rather insignificant one. Nothing like the Sharingan or the Byakugan. It doesn't really work until certain conditions are met."
"Really? What conditions are those?"
She laughed and ruffled his hair. "I can't tell you. It's a secret! Maybe you'll see it some other time." She glanced at Kakashi, who was still reading Icha Icha Violence. "I better remind Hatake-san about lunch. He tends to forget stuff like that when he's reading. Excuse me." She then marched over to him.
Neji narrowed his eyes as he watched her retreating back. An insignificant advanced bloodline? That's an oxymoron. Who does she think she fools? There is no such thing. Advanced bloodlines, Neji knew, was the product of years of hard work of 'manipulating' genes and selective 'breeding'. No one in his right mind would have given so much effort for something insignificant.
Another thing that caught his attention was that she was 'the last of her clan'. She was, in a way, in the same position as Uchiha Sasuke. Survivors.
"You shouldn't have told them about that bloodline of yours," Kakashi said when Hiko reached him. He didn't look up from his book.
Hiko shrugged. "I see no harm in telling them." She flashed him a quick grin. "It's my story to tell, not yours," she pointed out.
"Speaking of stories," Kakashi said as he snapped his book shut. He gave Hiko a piercing stare. "How about telling me a story as well?"
"And what story would that be?"
"On where you've been these past years." Kakashi gave Hiko his usual lazy smile, but there was now a curious light in his uncovered eye.
"Here and there. Nowhere really interesting."
"You're still not good at lying, I see." The lazy smile was still there, but the expression in his uncovered eye changed.
"And you're still as curious as before." Hiko sighed. "It's not something I can talk about, you know, and you knew I was going to lie about it, so don't get angry. What else did you expect?"
"Maybe I was expecting the truth this time," Kakashi replied. Before Hiko could say anything, Kakashi stopped, and turned to the three genins. "All right! Let's stop for lunch!"
The place Kakashi chose to stop for a break was a grassy spot under a shade of trees not far from a small stream. It was a great place to eat, and at the same time, it was defendable.
As they prepared their meals, Neji felt what seemed to be a sudden outward ripple of chakra. Activating his Byakugan, he looked up and glanced around.
"Hyuuga." It was Hiko who spoke. "It's OK. That was just me." She gave him a sheepish smile.
Sakura gave Neji a suspicious look. "What was that all about?"
Hiko smiled at Sakura. "Nothing to fuss about. Just taking some precautions. Go on with what you've been doing." She glanced at Kakashi and gave a slight nod. Kakashi nodded back.
Neji was curious to what safety precautions Hiko had made, but was wise enough not to ask.
In a few minutes, they were eating their meals, even going as far as roasting some fish Naruto had caught from the river. Neji and Sakura thought that roasting fish was a bad idea, since the smell would attract trouble, but the two older shinobi seemed unconcerned, so they didn't complain. Besides, the fish tasted good.
"Is there something wrong, Hiko-neechan?" Naruto asked, noting the far-away look on her face as she watched them eat from underneath a small tree.
Hiko started. "Eh? Ah, I was just remembering the time I had genins. We used to do stuff like this. They were my first and last batch of genins." There was a sad smile on her lips as she spoke.
"Why? What happened to your genin team?" Naruto asked. Sakura was staring curiously at her as well.
Hiko leaned back against the tree. "Well, two of them later died in an ambush shortly after they became chuunin, while the third…well, let's just say he's someone I'd rather not meet. It's kind of sad, really. He was a good kid…then. After what happened to them, I didn't like taking genins anymore. But I still liked teaching kids, so I got a job as an instructor in the Academy." She smiled at Naruto. "Don't you remember me telling you that when you were younger?"
Naruto gave a grunt. "You sealed up my memories of you when you left, remember? And I was just a little kid when you told me."
Hiko blinked. "Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Guess I'm really getting old." She glared at Kakashi, who was reading his book. "Not a word, Hatake-san. Not. A. Word."
Kakashi continued to read the book, seeming to be oblivious, though Sakura could see that he was smiling behind his perverted book. Then she glanced at Naruto, who was sitting beside Neji, happily chatting with him. Sakura felt her eyes burn. Taking a big bite out of her sandwich, she continued to watch them, swallowing her fury. Her hands clenched to tight fists.
Their journey was relatively easy after their break. Too easy, Neji thought, feeling wary. They were nearly halfway to their first stop, and so far, they have not encountered any problems. He had learned to distrust such things.
Just then, Kakashi and Hiko stopped abruptly, their bodies suddenly tensing, alerting Neji that something was up. Even Naruto stopped and crouched, hands on his kunai pouch. Sakura glanced at them, looking confused, though her hand went to her shuriken holster.
"Sakura," Kakashi said in a low voice, "stay beside Haneda." Sakura immediately obeyed. "Neji, Naruto, be alert." Then he looked at Hiko.
Hiko's eyes hardened to steel gray, belying the calm tone of her voice as she said, "Akatsuki. Two of them. Moving fast, but cautiously. Itachi and Kisame."
Naruto tensed. His last experience with the Akatsuki had not been pleasant. He was lucky Jiraiya had been there to rescue him, but now, Jiraiya was not here.
"Akatsuki?" Sakura asked, looking at the two jounins. Her green eyes widened. "Itachi? Who's that?"
Ignoring Sakura's question, Kakashi turned to Hiko and threw her the scroll, which Hiko deftly caught. "Take them and the scroll and get away from here. Get the scroll to the feudal lords." He spoke in a grave voice; it was something so out of character for him that it startled his companions.
"What?" Naruto and Hiko burst out at the same time. Both knew how difficult it had been for Kakashi to fight the two Akatsuki members. For him to fight them again…
Almost without thinking, Hiko reached out and grabbed Kakashi's wrist as he turned his back to them. As their gazes met, both knew they were remembering a time long ago, back when they were younger, back when they were teammates. The memory had little to do with what was happening now, but somehow that was the first thing that came to their minds.
She grabbed Kakashi's wrist in a firm grip. "What do you think you're doing?" She stifled a gasp when he smoothly yanked his hand away.
"I'm going back."
Kakashi's voice was flat, and despite his ANBU mask, Hiko could see that his eyes were narrowed into slits. Kakashi meant what he said. He would do it.
"No, you're not. We're going back to Konohagakure," their squad leader snapped. "I'm sorry, but this mission is finished." Behind them, several meters away, Hiko could see the burning compound, flames dancing, smoke rising into the moonless night sky. "There are already enemy shinobi on the scene. Soon they'll go after us. Let's go."
Kakashi shrugged and turned his back towards the squad leader. "Suit yourself. The mission might be over for you, but not for me. I will not abandon a comrade. We'll catch up with you later." Without another word, Kakashi disappeared, leaving behind a fuming squad leader and several stunned ANBU. Hiko could only stare at where Kakashi was; she was too numb to do anything else. She knew the two would be coming back, but one of them would not be alive when they returned.
Hiko released her hold and let her arm drop. She nodded in understanding, then turned to the three genins. "Hyuuga, how long can you keep up your Byakugan?" She narrowed her eyes, and suddenly, her whole demeanor changed. A determined look appeared on her face, and she spoke in a quiet voice.
"For several hours," Neji replied.
"Good. I want you to activate it as soon as I give you a signal. Get behind me. Naruto, Sakura, flank me on both sides. I'll lead."
"But what about Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, worried.
She flicked a quick glance at Kakashi. "He'll be fine. Let's get out of here."
T.B.C.
Author's notes: Wokey. Finished one more chapter! Thanks for the reviews! You're the reason why I update so fast! I usually take months to update! :glomps reviewers: By the way, please read Birth Day as well. Was there any OOCness? I was afraid I was 'pushing' Kakashi's character a bit.
I've come to realize that I'm making some extraordinary leaps in terms of Naruto plot lines, but rest assured I'm doing my best to keep this fanfiction firmly grounded in true Naruto lore. XD
Hiko's ability and relationships: How did you find it? I hope it isn't over the top or anything. If you're wondering what relationship Kakashi and Hiko have…well, you'll have to guess. Some have been asking me if I'm going to pair them up or something…but I'm not sure. I'm hesitant to pair Kakashi with an OC (especially Naruto's MOTHER!). The fangirls would KILL me! What do you think?
The Water Country War: Not sure when exactly this happened, but for the sake of the plot, I'm assuming this happened a long time ago, even before Hiko, Haku, Naruto or Kimimaro was born. Wars like this tend to be long, anyway. Besides, like Hiko said, that's what her mother told her. Ooooh! Foreshadowing! XD
The flashback: Did you like it? Ehehehe…that gives you a clue on what happened between Hiko and Kakashi. It's quite a random flashback, triggered when Hiko grabbed Kakashi's wrist. You can probably guess whom Kakashi was coming back for.
Next chapter: Fight! Fight! Wheeeeee! By the way, anyone up for ItaHiko anytime soon? Kidding. XD (Gads, Hiko's eight or nine years older that Itachi! Shota-con! BUT ITACHI IS SOOOO HOT! XD). Anyway, Kakashi's alone to deal with Kisame, while Itachi chases after Naruto, Sakura, Neji, and Hiko. Let the hunt begin! And more on our favorite genins!
Thanks for reading!