Chapter 4
"Alright, now. Ume, can you remember what kind of chakra you use for your jutsu?"
"No," she lied easily and looked around the quiet woods. It was kind of nice in that particular spot; good for training. "But I can remember there are 5 types, water, wind fire, earth, and lightening."
Kakashi took a piece of paper from his pocket and held it up carefully. "Well, that's a start. Take this card, and focus your chakra into it."
Ume carefully took the paper, and channeled her chakra into it. She had done the test before and knew herself to be water natured. When that card began to crumble into dust she gasped, but kept her hand held out. So, she was both water and earth natured? She hadn't realized it before, but it was good to know now. She could train that skill so she could use it more efficiently in the future.
"Well, now we know you're earth natured, let's start training. Naruto learned his a few days ago, but now he's back to normal we can train again." He smiled at the obnoxious blond who in turn grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. Ume thought she was going to be sick.
The team wasn't really supposed to be practicing with their mangled body parts, but Naruto's had healed miraculously fast, and the sensei and pink haired Kunoichi weren't far behind. Ume herself was in fine shape for training, but she would have to control herself and not let her powers get out of hand. The last thing she needed was for the thing inside of her to gain control on her actions.
Over the next several hours Kakashi told her to correct her stances, which she knew by heart and messed up on purpose, and practice simple moves. During the late afternoon, the jounin sent the memory-less girl back to the hospital and was left with the remaining two members of his team.
"Well?" He asked smiling.
"Well what?" The two asked simultaneously.
"What do you think of our new addition?"
"I don't like her." Sakura stated. "There's just something about her that seems…. menacing? Or something like that."
"She's kinda like a female version of Sasuke." Naruto stated. He suddenly realized his mistake and saw the pain in Sakura's eyes. She may have gotten over her silly crush, but he was still a close friend until that one night… but she pushed that out of her mind. She had bigger things to focus on.
"Well, I think you're both right. There's just something wrong about her, but we'll find out soon. I think there may be something she remembers, but doesn't want to talk about. Perhaps a matter of the heart?"
"But who can we send to figure this out Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked. Kakashi thought for a moment, and then turned his head to look at Sakura. Naruto followed his gaze, then his eyes widened in realization. "Oh yeah."
"Why are you guys looking at me like that? If you think I'm going to do any bonding with that girl you are dead wrong."
"Sakura, we weren't talking about bonding. Maybe making her more comfortable with the kunoichi of Konoha. Perhaps a sleepover would do…"
"Sleepover! With everyone?"
"Yeah!"
"You have got to be kidding me…"
How the hell do I get myself talked into these things, Sakura wondered as she let two kunoichi into her house. Her parents left on missions, so she had the house to herself. The two who wandered in were the last who were invited. All of the girls had shown up; Tenten, Ino, Hinata, and, since she was in the area, Temari. They had been invited to the party she had been forced to plan to try 'girl bonding' on Ume. Whatever the hell that was.
Frankly, Sakura was surprised Ume even showed up. She sat in a corner watching the small number of girls mill around the house suddenly feeling very unprotected without more than three kunai on her person. She only had one, and that was in her shoe, but she was otherwise unarmed.
"Okay, you all know there's a festival tonight." Ino announced. All the girls were wearing their best kimonos for the occasion except for Ume. "There's only one girl here who isn't dressed right." She looked over at Ume, who glared back in return.
"My mother has extra kimonos in her shop. Perhaps I could convince her to lend you one?" Tenten offered. Sakura gushed about what a great idea it was and Tenten quickly looked Ume over to get measurements before hopping away over rooftops. After 20 minuets she came back carrying a large bundle. She carefully unwrapped it so Ume could see.
The sound nin almost gasped when she saw the beautiful piece of work. It was mainly gray, but the sash around the waist was white as was the sleeve's trimming. There were small silver flowers stitched into the white parts. Ume was sent to the bathroom to put it on while the other girls arranged each other's hair. She came back with the beautiful kimono on and her hair in a single bun just about the back of her neck. The last thing she wanted was for those girls to start playing with her locks.
"Oh, good, you're ready. Our escorts are here!" Sakura said happily.
"Escorts?" Ume hissed. She couldn't believe she was going through this torture for Orochimaru. 'When I get back I am going to kill that son of a snake!' Ume thought bitterly.
"Yes, it is a couple festival." Temari reminded her. "Although I thankfully have my brother over there." She jerked her thumb at the tall boy with wild brown hair. His face also had strange tan lines, probably because he wore face paint all the time. "Anyways, I want you to meet someone. He'll be your escort." She led Ume to a tall red haired man where he was talking with Naruto and Hinata.
"Hey Ume!" Naruto said cheerfully, allowing Hinata escape from his clutches redder than the tall man's hair.
"Gaara, I'd like you to meet Ume." Temari instructed. "Ume, this is Gaara, the sand's Kazekage." Ume curtsied while Gaara just bowed his head. "He'll be your escort for tonight."
"Alright!" Naruto cheered. "Now that everyone's here, let's go. It's 6 o'clock now." He left in search of Hinata, leaving the newly made 'pair' alone.
Inside Gaara, he was debating with the badger. 'Something seems familiar about this girl.' 'What is it badger?' 'I don't know. There is just something that seems…familiar. Give me a while to figure it out. Something about her aura is recognizable.' Gaara glanced at her aura and was surprised about how it looked. There was her natural blue aura, but underneath that was an unfathomable store of a strange yellow chakra.
Without warning the badge reached out to touch it, but his paw recoiled when he touched the surface. The badger growled in pain, and went to nurse his burned paw. Ume felt like somebody poked her arm with a needle, but when she checked to see if she had, there was nothing there. She just shrugged it off.
'I knew it,' the badger grumbled. 'My sister, the eight tailed lynx. Her temper is just as bad as the fox's. Be careful, she may not be the strongest of the tailed creatures, but she is only of the craftiest.' 'I'll remember that.' Gaara promised and left the badger to his wound.
Roar, I'm so mad. I had finished this chapter and chapter 5 last night, but then my computer crash and both documents dissapeared, so now I have to retype everything! Oh well, this is better than the original story line i thought up. Next chapter in a few days, so review and maybe I'll type faster.