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A New Rank
Rubbing his temples with slight unease, the Hokage grimaced as another headache came on strong. Team Seven had brought in a foreign fighter, by the look of it, from another village. There was no ninja headband on them, so he immediately assumed that they were not a ninja. He immediately ordered for the medic-nin to arrive quickly and bandage their prisoner.
Tipping his hat forwards, he let out a heavy sigh. Might as well get it over with…He lowered his hand, poised to pry off the mask that was hiding the mysterious being's features. As the disguise came off easily, the esteemed Hokage finally glimpsed the individual's face. A loud 'klat' echoed through the room as he dropped it in prompt surprise.
'It's…!'
"Kakashi-sensei!" cried a loud voice. What was that? The voice was quite annoying…
Opening one of his eyes, Kakashi registered the grinning boy's face as…
Naruto.
Noticing that he was on an abnormally flat surface, he glanced at his surroundings. At the moment, he was on a metal table with his arm in a sling and Naruto looking worriedly at him. 'What…' He could remember being in the forest, supervising his Team's mission, when a ninja had knocked him unconscious.
"How long was I out, Naruto?" the masked Jonin inquired of his student.
The embodiment of the nine tailed demon fox pondered for a while. "Around a few hours. The girl that attacked you is out cold too. You almost completely pierced her stomach."
Thinking on current events, the Copy-nin stayed silent. He did not regret piercing the woman in the stomach, for she had gotten too close to his student. His pride was shattered slightly as he thought of how a girl had knocked him unconscious. 'Deal with it Kakashi. This is reality.'
Hoisting himself into an upright position, he winced uncomfortably as white-hot pain surged through his arm. 'I won't be moving this for quite a while.'
Swinging his legs off the steel bench, he questioned Naruto. "Have you reported this to Lord Hokage yet?"
The blonde looked taken aback. "Ah, well, that showoff Sasuke should have done it already. He was the one that took the girl to his office, along with Sakura."
Nodding, Kakashi gathered his chakra to create a disappearing jutsu, when…the sling completely halted his action. 'This is so not good.'
Sighing, and admitting defeat, he submitted to his fate. "Naruto, could you do the transportation jutsu to the Hokage's office?" The eerily happy expression on his young apprentice was enough to make Kakashi seriously consider just walking to the Hokage's workplace.
"Sure thing, sensei."
Hanging onto Naruto with his good arm, the silver haired sensei prepared for the worst. His protégé made a few quick hand-signs, and…
…they were in Lord Hokage's office. Looking around, the Jonin let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
The office was empty, and just as that thought registered in his brain, the door slid open. There stood the Hokage in all his top-hatted glory, right next to his recent attacker in the woods. Now that he actually had the chance to look at his opponent, he could actually see that she was a girl.
Her hair was tied back, but it was very well taken care of. There were subtle traces of feminine curves through her clothing and her voice wasn't as deep as most men's were.
The young woman walked up to him, bowing. "Forgive me for attacking you…but you attacked me first." Needless to say, Team Seven's instructor was surprised. Her attitude indicated that she was slightly immature. Just like Kagome…
Coolly, he replied. "No need to apologize for someone you don't know." Watching her body language at his statement, he wasn't surprised to see her reel back slightly. However, he was surprised when she pressed on.
"You don't recognize me, do you?" Her tone suggested that she would hurt him very badly if he didn't reply the correct answer. Clearing his throat at her mysterious behavior, he shrugged. Had he known any powerful, non-ninja…ninja? None that he could remember.
Noticing that she was still waiting for a response, he gave her one. "If I did, I would have said so wouldn't I?" Observing as she sighed, freeing her hair from their prison, and putting a hand to her mask.
The disguise slid off, revealing her face to him. His expression morphed from bored, to completely and utterly shocked. This couldn't be real. She was dead…
"Kagome…" he whispered. She was different from before; she wasn't plain, she was drop-dead gorgeous.
She cleared her throat. "Now let me start again." She rushed the distance between them and tackled him to the ground. "Kakashi!" Somewhere in his befuddled mind, the Sharingan eye wielder grinned. This was the exact way she greeted him in the past.
Suddenly remembering why she couldn't possibly be real, he sat up and groaned. "You can't be real. You're dead." Well, wasn't that blunt and to the point.
Confusion overtook him once again as she giggled. "This entire town didn't do their homework."
He raised his eyebrow. Plowing on, she explained what she was saying. "You see, if you had obtained further information about the fox, you would have found out that a touch of the demon's teeth would transport you to a different world. Therefore, that was what happened to me around, seven years ago?"
At this information, he couldn't help but scoop her in his arms and hug her ferociously. 'She's alive…'
"Sensei!" Apparently, Naruto had been forgotten this entire time. This time, it was Kagome who raised an eyebrow. "Sensei?" she inquired of her long time best friend.
Glad to be able to explain things to her, he sensed Sasuke and Sakura listening in through the door from the Hokage's bureau. "All these years you've been gone…you've missed a lot." Drawing in a deep breath, he continued. "I'm a Jonin now. Currently, I am the sensei of Naruto, the blonde, and the two other genin who are listening in on this conversation at this very instant."
The pink haired girl emerged, looking extremely sheepish, while the other was just impassive. "Ice cube." He heard Kagome mutter under her breath. Fighting back the urge to laugh, he settled for a small grin and a chuckle. "You're too predictable." The Copy-nin had to struggle to contain himself from rolling on the ground while expressing amusement in the highest forms as he took in the sight of her sticking her tongue out at him.
It was very cute. "How about you? What happened to you for the past seven years?" She brought her face close to his ear and whispered, "I'll tell you later, but for now…" Standing up, she hobbled her way over to the Fire Shadow.
Bowing deeply, she straightened up once again. "Lord Hokage, please allow me to become a Jonin as well. I believe that I have the skills necessary for it."
His face was impassive. "But, you do realize, that I will not just assign you this rank. A test will have to be concocted, and you will have to go through with it. Do you understand?"
She nodded. Kakashi was silent. He believed in her abilities, but didn't know to what extent they were currently at, now.
The unregistered kuonochi answered in words. "I will take your test."
All was silent for a moment, as the Hokage regarded her for a moment. Finally breaking the silence, he only replied, "Excellent. You will have to fight against an elite shinobi to skip all the other levels straightaway."
Nodding once again, she voiced a question. "And who is the Jonin that I get the honor to face?" She let the question hang in the air for several moments until the Fire Shadow answered, "Kurenai."
This was bad.
From what Kakashi could remember, Kurenai was the one shinobi that teased her the most when they were smaller. And he had the feeling that Kagome wasn't going to let that go without some payback.
Normally, his feelings were always correct. But then again, Kagome had always been quite the forgiving child. As all these thoughts muddled up in his mind, The Hokage had exited, leaving the young woman to her thoughts as well.
When she was a child, Kurenai was always the one that had bullied her, furthering the insults from the other children and shinobi. She could remember those days very clearly…
The young girl grunted as she was pushed towards the ground by willing hands. A sharp pain spread through her body at the sudden contact of stone on her back. 'Ow…'
"Hey!" cried her assailant. Looking up, she came face to face with what was said to be the prettiest kuonochi in the entire village. Kurenai. A kick in the face interrupted her thoughts. "Hey, you! Show us your Kekkai Genkai!"
Bringing her hands up to her bleeding face, Kagome stayed silent. The girl knew that they would beat her up both ways, so showing them would be pointless. She had not shown anyone before, so why should that bratty girl see it?
Angered at her silence, the kuonochi reached out and grabbed the girl's black locks of hair. "You'll pay for that." Using her body weight, she threw Kagome into a nearby tree. A sudden blur appeared and swooped the girl before she made any contact with the opposing greenery.
The female ninja gasped. "Kakashi!" It wasn't a big secret that Kurenai, and the rest of the female ninja population, had a huge crush on the masked chuunin. Setting the recently flying girl down gently on the ground, the ninja prodigy turned to face the kuonochi. "What do you think you're doing?" he said in a calm voice.
"She's an insignificant little Kekkai Genkai user. She shouldn't even be alive."
Kagome gripped her fist tightly as she bit her lip. But I am alive. That fact keeps me going on. That…and Kakashi as well. Looking back at the past, she made a decision. She decided Kurenai's fate.
An expected clack from the door interrupted her thoughts. Out from the doorframe stepped out Gai, Asuma and Kurenai. The green spandexed jonin looked incredibly surprised to see her. Grasping her hands, he cried out in glee. "Why, hello pretty lady! Would you like to go out with me?"
She shook her head. "No." Gai looked shocked. "But why ever not?"
The jealousy in Kakashi's eyes was obliterated when she replied. "I really don't think that you'd like to date a filthy Kekkai Genkai user, now would you?"
Gai racked his brains. Had he ever known a Kekkai Genkai user before? There was one seven years ago…
Asuma and Kurenai seemed to remember that moment as well, for they had freezed up in fear. "Kagome…?" The Kuonochi whispered. The surprised beauty turned to her and smirked. "Well, Kurenai. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but as it seems that I am still alive. Remember what you said to me? I shouldn't have lived. Well, it seems I've proven you wrong."
With cigarette still in mouth, Asuma spoke up. "You were recorded in the village handbook as dead. Of course we're surprised that you're still alive." At her glare, he silenced.
"Now Kurenai…" Kagome's voice was melodic, but there was a certain tone that promised chaos. "I'm supposed to defeat you in a battle to attain the rank of Jonin. I'd say that this will be a fun match, considering how well we knew each other in the past."
The red eyed shinobi couldn't help but tremble a little.
The air was filled with tension as the audience, consisting of Kakashi, the other Jonin's, Kurenai's students and Team Seven gathered to watch the match between the two women.
"All right." The announcer started. "Begin!"
Kagome smirked. "Hey Kurenai!" Her opponent turned to look at her. "Remember what you said to me right before Kakashi saved me?" At the shinobi's confused face she chuckled.
"Show me your Kekkai Genkai."
Suddenly, the girl became a blur to the eyes as she rushed towards the crimson eyed shinobi. There was a loud, prolonging clang as they parried each others attacks, Kagome with a Senbon Needle, and Kurenai with a kunai knife. The brown eyed girl took a deep breath in, and released it in a barrage of fire. 'Blaze of Glory!'
Sasuke froze up. 'Tha-that's my attack!' Kakashi looked onto the battlefield with thoughtful eyes. 'She didn't even make any hand signs…'
Kurenai focused her chakra into her feet and slid backwards, the flames barely nicking her clothes. 'What the— Is this…?' With the flame growing smaller every passing second, she used her strength to reach underground and grab hold of the water pipes conveniently located underground.
Water splayed over the stadium, dousing the fire and quenching her attack.
Kagome smirked. 'Perfect. Thanks Kurenai.' Drawing back one arm, she plunged it underground, just below the water. "Water Style! Ice spears!" The stream of water froze and large spears of ice formed around the battlefield, effectively trapping Kurenai in it's prison.
"Y-you…you can do ninjutsu without having to make hand signs? That's your Kekkai Genkai!" The crowd gasped at the exclamation. 'That explains it.' Kakashi thought. 'That ability would come in handy, it saves time and keeps the opponent guessing as well.'
Raising an eyebrow, Kurenai's opponent grinned. "Yep. Doesn't that spell out doom, catastrophe and fear? At least for you, anyway…" Suddenly materializing in front of the paralyzed Jonin, she thrust her right foot forward, kneeing the kuonochi in the face. "It also ensures that I use very little chakra to use those same attacks."
"An excellent technique." Murmured Kagome's secret admirer, aka Kakashi. Sakura snuck a peek at her sensei. The look in his eyes was so focused, so non-Kakashi like that it frightened her a little.
The pink haired ninja wasn't the only one who noticed the slight change in Kakashi. Sasuke, and amazingly, Naruto had seen it. The thoughts that ran through their heads were all different ones. Sakura: Let Operation Matchmaker Begin!
Sasuke: Love will only make him soft. He snorted as his eyes gazed onto Sakura's form. She seemed very quiet for once. He could only be left to worry about her health…
Naruto: Kakashi-sensei's got the hots for his best friend! This is so much like those soap operas that come on every single day and interrupt my favorite show! Not that I mind too much…
A sound sliced through the air as Kagome drew her sword. "Kurenai…" she murmured to the fallen kuonochi, just as she was about to pass out.
Kagome ignored the gasps from Kurenai's students at the sight of the sword. "Kurenai-sensei!" cried out a blue haired girl. The student with the dog screamed in outrage, while the third was silent.
Her opponent could only stare at the weapon that she held in her hand and swallow silently. Quick as lightning, she whispered into Kurenai's ear, "I forgave you seven years ago."
Then all the shinobi met was darkness.
"Hup." Kagome mumbled as she withdrew her hand from the punch to the stomach for the unfortunate Kuonochi. Sheathing her sword, she grinned. Her sensei was right…the sword made for good show. Kurenai probably fainted from the image of the sword, rather than the punch.
'Ah, sensei…wish you were here now…' She grinned and waved at Team Seven and their teacher. She heard a whoosh as they greeted her as they landed on the stadium floor. Needless to say, Kakashi looked pleased. "Excellent job, Kagome."
His statement only reaffirmed Team Seven's thoughts. 'So he does like her…' Sakura grinned gleefully. Her joy was cut short, when the Hokage's voice echoed throughout the stadium.
"Kagome Higurashi…you have defeated one of the Elite Ninja in our ranks, so by my full permission…" Kagome held her breath. "You have just become a Jonin."
Uh, I'm really bad at doing fight scenes. So please don't flame me. Review if you like it!
