Chapter 11
"Hokage are powerful and wise. You are puny and brainless. The day you become Hokage I'll sprout wings and fly." Pausing at those words I look to the old man with a straw hat on his head, his bottle of alcohol still resting near his mouth. A drunk speaking to Naruto as if he knows everything? Well, I can't say he isn't right but still. Not only is it unnecessarily condescending but we'll pay for those words from having to listen to Naruto yell more.
"Ahh, shut up! I'm willing to do anything to become Hokage no matter what it takes!" Naruto yells a visible vein in his temple showing.
"Naruto, just ignore Tazuna, he's only a drunk. Let's get moving we are wasting daylight." I say as I begin walking again.
"And you, you're a twelve-year-old girl, and yet you wear an outfit that shows more of your body than it actually covers. How can I be sure you even have the strength to hit something with those muscles you obviously don't have?"
Turning around I shoot Tazuna an icy glare causing his steps to falter. "And you old man, how do I know that you can even stop drinking long enough to build a semi-sturdy bridge?"
"Well you're a mouthy one aren't you?"
"If you don't shut up, I'll remove your tongue for you." I snarl at him before turning back around. Running a finger visibly along the hilt of one of my new blades specifically for him to see so he knew I wasn't joking before I even began walking again.
Ignoring the talking around me I watch ahead of us. Remembering how I would have reacted to taunts like that in the past. I wonder if my mentality did indeed suffer when I was turned five again. It could be quite possible really. When you look at it those younger in age have more chemical imbalances than the grown or near-adult bodies contain. We all grow out of them with time. And here I still have 4 more years until these imbalances begin to straighten out. Sighing at my thoughts I move my attention more towards the sky for a moment. The sun was shining brightly. A perfect day... Sun. I wonder how Taiyo is. By now he should be nearly fifty years old. His daughter grown into a twenty-year-old woman. I wonder if he's keeping the legacy alive and has trained her properly for when the day comes and she receives the death note. I also wonder if he had another child. Maybe a son.
If I wasn't stuck here I would go back and tell him who his birth mother actually was. I would tell him everything. It wasn't right for Light and I to keep that from him. He wouldn't have seen me as anything other than his mom because I was the only one taking up that role in his life. His mom died in the interrogation of L under the guise of S. She was the second Kira. At least he would have known that all three of his parents had believed in the same thing. Either way, he knew both of his parents did. I wonder if he's thought about me since I left. With me around it had to of been weird for him. People at first thought of me to be his mom and as time past I was seen as his big sister and then finally his little sister. He never knew a mom that aged with his father. A mom he could openly in public yell 'Mom!' He always had to be careful. Mindful of the effect that it could have had on our family.
I... was never human. I was born the way I am and in a family-like myself. I've known the excruciating pain of loneliness along with the joy of being saved from such a painful existence. To turn around and feel an even worse pain than I had adapted as life. To lose the very reason, for my existence. To lose the one who had quickly become everything to me. No, he wasn't murdered so I had no one to get revenge on. But, time itself took him from my grasp. So I have sworn to myself, I will defeat time. Until then, I cannot allow myself to get close to or care for anyone who isn't like me. Someone whose body doesn't freeze in time. So if I must act like I am heartless. If I must keep people away from me by instilling fear in them. I will. That is just something I decided a long time ago while I was still in the academy.
Coming out of my thoughts I look towards the ground in time to notice a puddle of water was coming up. Slowing down I let the others pass by me. Not even looking at Kakashi as I pull a paper bomb and kunai from my pouch. Wrapping the bomb around the handle I give a smirk before turning around once we had gained a little distance and threw the kunai at the puddle. The small splash soon changed to a thundering roar of flames as the paper bomb exploded, causing Kakashi to shake his head and the others to pause looking at me. Smirking to them I shrug my shoulders. "What? I'm bored. Need I say more?" I ask almost innocently. By now they should know it's dangerous when I'm bored especially when we aren't inside any buildings that I could get into trouble for destroying. I don't think Gramps has forgiven me just yet for blowing a hole in his office wall. And I love bombs, there is just something about the explosion itself sending flames outwards that seems... Well beautiful to me. What they didn't know was that puddle had been housing mist ninja that I'm sure are now extremely pissed because of their burns.
Here they come... Leaping forward from the sudden sense of someone attacking I spin in mid-air pulling my blades from their holsters at my back. Holding them up in time to see Kakashi caught by a bladed chain held by two chunin. The others, of course, were caught by surprise but even in the shock, I felt the bridge builder watching me from having moved at the exact time Kakashi had glanced back. Yes, I gave away that my skills are higher than the other genin but who cares. Tazuna is our mission and he needs to be protected.
Taking a glance around I try and picture an anime I haven't seen in far too long. Yet so many things about different episodes have remained stuck in my mind clearly whereas a lot of the anime has faded to almost nothing. I can't believe I let Aphro talk me into hiding my bag and not watching the anime so we could make a home for ourselves here. It would have come in handy. "Sakura guard Tazuna." I mutter to her before running towards a presence I felt would be one of the mist chunin. If I did piss them off like I believe I did with my paper bomb they should come after me and ignore Naruto.
I seemed to be right as both of them appeared in front of me with a chain in between them. Yet before I could make an assault a shuriken whizzes by me catching the chain and burying it into a tree. Followed quickly by a kunai to further make sure the shuriken wasn't going to be removed. Taking the chunin on the right to leave the one on the left to Sasuke I raise my blade. Dropping myself towards the ground as I go into a slide. With one quick slice as I slid by him, I cut into the tendons of his knee causing his leg to buckle. Planting my left hand on the ground I throw my body up and into a slight spin as I quickly bring my blade down into the tendons of his other knee before he could even hit the ground. Successfully rendering him immobilized. But, just to make sure, with one last throw of my body I bring my foot against the side of his face from behind him. Knocking him silly.
Finally standing I slide my blades back into their sheaths to find Kakashi standing in front of Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna with the other Chunin close hung on his arm. Smirking I dust myself off from sliding on the ground. "Sorry for not joining in sooner, but I needed to know who these ninja were after. If they were after us, ninja attacking ninja, or you the bridge builder. It seems you have a lot of explaining to do Tazuna." I hear Kakashi say before he turns around and gives me a closed-eye smile. "Good work Kira. You too Sasuke."
Giving him a nod I reach down and grab the chunin's shirt collar and drag him to the tree Kakashi was now walking towards with the other chunin. I don't believe this guy is going to be moving any time soon but still. I'd like him tied up, better safe than sorry. Right? I could feel eyes on me which only caused me to turn around and look as Kakashi ties the enemy up. Realizing Tazuna, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke were all staring at me I raise my right hand to the back of my neck. "Heh, good work team." I tried to play innocent but it didn't seem like they bought it.
"They are chunin from the village hidden in the mist. Their specialty is relentless attack. They keep fighting no matter what the sacrifice." Kakashi says glaring at the two.
"How did you know about our ambush?" One asks though since they were wearing gas masks I couldn't tell which one was speaking.
"Kira, would you like to explain?" Kakashi asks smiling at me causing the others to just look at me again.
"A puddle, on a clear day when it hasn't rained in weeks." I state simply as if they were complete morons. "It's actually why I threw the paper bomb. I thought it would be funny to burn them so they would be well done and nice and crispy." I nearly laugh looking at the burns that were marking up the chunin's bodies. "Looks like I should have set off a few more. They are still medium-rare." I playfully pout.
"If we knew you were going to be attacked by other ninja, Tazuna, it would be a B-rank mission or higher. Our task was simply to get you to your destination. And protect you while you finished building your bridge. If we knew we'd be fielding attacks from enemy ninja we would have staffed differently and charged for the cost of a B mission. Apparently, you have your reasons, but lying to us is not acceptable. We are now beyond the scope of this mission." Kakashi states for everyone who was an idiot to understand.
"We are Genin, this is too advanced for our level of training. We should go back." Sakura points out looking down. Pitiful. She's scared. "A mission like this… Us genin are no match for our opponents. We stand no chance.."
It was then Naruto pulls a kunai out and holds it. Looking at it intensely before facing Tazuna. Holding it in a.. non-threatening sort of way as he turns it sideways a bit. "I worked so hard to get here! Pushing myself until it hurt training alone for hours. Anything to get stronger to reach my dream. I will never back down again and let someone else rescue me. I will never run away, and I will not lose to Sasuke and Kira. Upon this ninja tool. Believe it. Bridge builder, I will complete this mission and protect you with this kunai knife!" he turns around looking at us. "A real ninja never gives up and neither will I. Don't you guys worry about me I'll be fine! I won't freeze up again! Now let's go!"
"That was kind of cool and all Naruto, but you're still scared. Your knees are shaking." I say with a smirk placing my right hand on my hip.
"Shut up! No, I'm not!" He yells at me causing Sakura, Kakashi, and Tazuna to laugh.
"Then it's settled. We will take the bridge builder to his homeland. From there we will decide if we end the mission right there or move on." Kakashi says as he starts walking again. Tazuna hesitantly follows along with Naruto and Sakura. I decided to lag behind not caring that Sasuke for some reason, chose to do the same.
"Hey... Kira." He whispers to me causing me to glance at him.
"hn?"
"Where did you learn to fight like that?" He questions causing me to smirk.
"I have one tuff cousin. Besides, most of it is like instinct to me. Take out the legs so they cant move then make sure they don't do anything else by knocking them unconscious. I didn't even have to think about what I was doing before my body did it for me."
"I see. So fighting is like second nature to you?"
"When you've been fighting against someone like Aphro every day since you were five. You learn these things." I say nonchalantly as I shrug. "You can do it too, Sasuke. You know, you are always welcome to join us... Orphans, in training." I decide to add in causing his steps to falter.
"Your... You have no family?" He asks unnecessarily.
"Yeah, we're alone... Why else do you think I would choke Sakura with a whole spiel about solitude. You heard it for yourself. I had mentioned that we don't have anyone." I roll my eyes as if it were a duh moment.
"Hmm... Maybe I will join you guys sometime." He says this time causing my movements to pause. My jaw nearly dropped open. Just like that? He would agree just like that? For some reason, I thought Sasuke would be harder to talk to.
"Then we will be expecting you." I give him a nod before smiling slightly to him. I watch his eyes widen momentarily before he looks ahead of us.
"You know... That's only the second time I've seen you smile." Great. He had to point that out. Rolling my eyes I sigh now looking ahead as well.
"Don't get used to it. Emo boy." I speak playfully.
"Wait... Emo boy? Like you're one to talk. Ice Queen." Smirking I fight not to laugh at the mutual childish banter.
"By the way... Why did I ever get that stupid nickname?" I found myself realizing I had no idea why.
"You're kidding right?" He asks only successfully achieving a glare from me. Causing him to sigh and put his hands in his pockets. "It's because you glare a lot. The feeling is bone-deep chills as if you had touched a glacier and began to freeze."
"Really? Hmm... I never noticed." How could I not notice something like that? Wouldn't I see it in my eyes in the mirror or something?
"To be fair. That ice always melted away when you were talking to Aphrodite."
Really? How weird. I didn't think I ever treated her differently than everyone else in the class. I've always been hard on her but she's also helped me when not being asked to. I've rarely thanked her and outside of training, we don't spend much time together… "Ice Queen huh… For some reason, I'm starting to like the sound of it. Probably because this was the first time I didn't hear it used maliciously, I actually got to see the charming side of it." I joke with a smirk causing him to come close enough to snickering that he made a slight snorting noise.
