Obligatory Disclaimer: The series Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto; I only own the OCs, picture, and this story.
Chapter 18: Of Firsts and Fear
For all her insistence on taking it easy, Kushina was a slave driver when we trained together in that first week. Red-hot Habanero was an apt nickname. She made me do twenty laps around our training ground, along with several other exercises to test the limits of my stamina. She could be more terrifying than Ikeda-sensei in some ways but at least she didn't try to psychologically scar me for life daily. I learned that I was the first student the redhead ever had and she was trying to develop her own teaching style, so I couldn't fault her on her mistakes. There weren't many mind you but I doubt teachers, even of the ninja variety, were supposed to break into their students' homes and scare the crap out of them.
...
After an afternoon of plotting and scheming, I returned home to Aunt Mei's expectant face.
"How was your team assignment?"
I gave her the rundown of my team situation and she didn't seem the least bit surprised.
"Is it usual for a genin to get their own sensei Mei-obasan?" I asked, taking a seat at the kitchen table.
It wasn't as though I was displeased with Kushina as a teacher but it was odd for the officials and Hokage to do such a thing. With the war going strong, I wouldn't be surprised if there were a lot of teams missing shinobi, from death or other life altering injuries. It would've made more sense if I had been slotted in any one of their teams.
Mei paused her work at the stovetop as she thought over my question.
"It depends on the situation. Sometimes clans will have their members overseen by their own to strengthen kekkei genkai or other clan techniques."
That made sense.
"Then why isn't either Hiashi-san or Hizashi-san my shishou?" I questioned further.
"I can only assume that Uzumaki-san put in the request herself," Mei said. "It's not often that shinobi take on students, especially in these times, but it does happen."
I had stared at her in surprise before nodding to myself. I had always thought that such apprenticeships were for tradesman like carpenters and blacksmiths since ninja training was heavily regulated by the village. There was a lot about the workings of the village I was still unaware of. Mei turned to me with an amused smile on her face.
"I don't know Uzumaki-san that well, but by the way she threatened Daichi at his wedding, she must care deeply for Kimiko-san."
If Kushina was as close to my mother as she had mentioned during our first encounter, maybe that was the reason. I mean, I didn't want to assume anything but maybe it was to give appreciation to my mother, to oversee me in her place? I had fallen asleep with that in mind, a warmth in my chest. Though that feeling had dissolved when the redheaded woman appeared behind me in the bathroom while I was brushing my teeth the next morning, nearly giving me a heart attack.
…
Aunt Mei had not been pleased at the disturbance that morning but welcomed the sheepish woman with a plate at the table, so all was well.
I still think Kushina did it on purpose.
Taking our team picture and getting my ID was a bit awkward since, well, we didn't have a team. I was fine with not taking it as I didn't see the point, but Kushina wanted the full experience and basically dragged me from my home. The cameraman had been put off by my age, as he should be, but the older kunoichi had been ready to put him in his place. It was kind of sweet in a violent way. Kushina had to kneel beside me so we could both fit in the frame but she was very happy with the outcome all the same and so was I.
The first week was also spent letting Kushina gauge my abilities and getting comfortable in each other's presence. Even though we had gotten along great on the first day, I knew she was a bit hesitant on teaching me jutsu because of my age. She had my files from the academy and she had seen some of it firsthand in my partnered match alongside Obito, but she wanted to know the extent of my abilities so she could figure out how and what she could teach me. Since the redhead excelled in ninjutsu, she planned to teach me some barrier ninjutsu as she saw it would match my defensive style, as well as some water transformations to work on my mild water affinity.
Taijutsu was already more than covered by the clan but Kushina insisted on teaching me some moves in her style to 'loosen me up' as she liked to put it. Although I thought the Jūken was plenty smooth enough, I nodded along with her plans. I would never put down learning something new; I needed all the help I could get. Genjutsu was out the window as she didn't have a knack for it which I didn't mind at all. After that intro with Ikeda-sensei a year ago, I didn't want any part of it in my repertoire.
The fact that I had Shisui put me under one was merely experimentation and nothing more. But that's a story for another day.
And in that first week, I didn't let it bother me that I had seen neither hide nor hair of my friends. I'm sure they were having a similar introduction with their own sensei. I had hoped to catch a glimpse of the trio while walking to the training fields but was never lucky enough to run into them.
I wasn't worried though.
Well, kind of, but I was sure they would be alright.
Hopefully.
The training ground Kushina booked for us was one of my favorites, the one with the lake and mini island in the center. It made sense considering the woman's affinity but I took solace in the familiarity of the place. I usually came an hour before shishou did so I could get my hour of meditation in. Sure, I could've done it at home but starting in the training ground centered me for the rest of the day. Aunt Mei had rescheduled her life as well to work with my new routine, something I was both grateful for and guilty about, even though she tried to reassure me that it was nothing.
It was in the second week that we took on our first d-rank mission. It was strange walking past the academy gates and entering the mission assignment desk in a building nearby. I swallowed my nervousness as I kept in step alongside Kushina, but it got stuck in my throat under the gaze of the seated ninja and the familiar wrinkled face of the Sandaime. The other shinobi whispered to each other, casting glances down at me as we stopped before them and I fought the urge to tug at my headband to make sure it was there. This was arguably worse than standing in front of a bunch of children.
Slipping into my polite façade, I fell lightly into a bow with Kushina as we were in the presence of our leader. When I rose, I clasped my hands behind my back, smiling up at the line of ninja in what I hoped was a charming way.
"Team Uzumaki ready for action!" Kushina declared with a grin.
There was a weariness in the Hokage's dark eyes, making him look ten years older than he was as he returned the gesture with a smile of his own. The hairs of his beard were specked with gray, along with his temples. The war had to be taking its toll on him. It was taking its toll on everyone.
"I am glad to see you are doing well, Kushina-chan." He nodded to the woman before letting his eyes drift down to me.
"You're the young prodigy, Hyūga Junko," he said, casting his smile over to me. "Your clan must think very highly of you for graduating so young."
I'm sure they gloated about it to the other clans but I had barely heard any praise for it other than that awkward dinner party. Just additional training and more lectures about upholding the clan name.
"They are pleased at my accomplishments," I smiled, even though Kushina twitched minutely at my side. "I can only hope that I continue to meet their expectations."
The redhead absolutely hated it when I got super polite, even more so when my clan was mentioned. She thought they were brainwashing me or something.
"That's admirable of you Junko-chan." The Sandaime's smile became sad for a brief moment before disappearing as he looked at his desk where a mountain of scrolls waited. He deliberated with himself before pulling one from the side of the stack, being careful to not cause a landslide. He opened it and scanned its contents briefly before handing it off to the Uzumaki woman.
"Rio-san in the third district needs some extra assistance with her farm. I think that's more than suitable for your first mission."
Kushina twitched a bit, probably having a flashback to her genin days, but took it all the same.
"We'll get it done, no problem. Right, Junko-chan?"
"Of course, shishou."
With our dismissal, we set out to the western edge of the village where the majority of the farms lied. I had been around this part of the village only once as Konoha was humongous and my legs were tiny and weak. It was quite a quaint place, away from the bustle and noise of the main part of the village. We were greeted by an elderly woman as we approached the gates, a simply dressed grandmotherly figure who was hunched over with age.
"Hello Rio-san, Team Uzumaki has taken your mission," the redhead introduced as we walked up to where she sat on her porch.
"Oh, thank you so much for taking this old lady's request," she said happily before looking down to where I stood, her expression changing drastically.
"What is this child doing here?" she asked, noticing the headband that sat on my head with an expression of surprise. "You shouldn't be playing with the hitai-ate dear. Those are for real ninja."
This was going to be a common occurrence, I could already tell. I let out a silent sigh through my nose, letting my patent smile spread across my face as Kushina quickly came to my aid.
"Rio-san, I can assure you that Junko-chan is a full-fledged genin," the Uzumaki said. "She even graduated at the top of her class."
That seemed to do nothing but make the wrinkles on her face multiply as her lips dropped into a frown. I had worked hard to claim victory of the top spot of our class, only beating Shisui by a few points in the knowledge sections of our exams. He still managed to get the jump on me in taijutsu though. He's too fast.
"So young? Oh dear, the academy's churning them out younger and younger."
Sparing me another glance, at which I held onto my innocent smile, she led us into the backyard where a large plot of land stretched across the area. A few farmhands milled about working on their tasks for the day, who spared us only a passing glimpse before returning to their work. She took us to a fenced area that looked worse for wear, some of the herbs looking withered and brown. It was more than twice the size of my father's garden.
"I have been having problems with the upkeep since Shouhei went off fight," the elder woman said solemnly. "And a few of my usual farmhands have been sick all week too."
"It's not a problem at all Rio-san; Junko-chan and I will take care of it in no time."
Parting with a last glance in my direction, the old woman hobbled into her little abode leaving us alone. Kushina smiled sympathetically at me.
"You're probably going to get that a lot, dattebane."
"I expect it shishou," I sighed again, carefully tying back the long sleeves of my yukata to get them out of the way and pulling my hair into a high ponytail.
I was only slightly surprised when Kushina hustled down and began to help me clean out the weeds from the large plot of herbs. I was sure that she had her fill of d-rank missions to last a lifetime during her own genin days but I was grateful for the help nonetheless. I tended to my father's garden regularly but this would take me all day to get through due to the lack of teammates.
Taking up a spade, I worked at one end of the plot while the redhead worked at the other. It was quiet while the both of us dug out weeds from the garden, being mindful of the medical herbs that were healthy, as sparse as they were. I didn't mind the tedium of the task as much as the canon characters made it out to be. Then again, maybe it was just me. When my hands were busy with the repetitive motions, it was easy to clear my mind of everything, all my worries about the future. I enjoyed the grit of soil under my fingernails as I dug out weed after weed. The morning, waning summer sun brushed against my arms and a light breeze teased my bangs.
It was nice. I could almost forget that I hadn't seen my parents in almost two years.
Forget that there was a war going on beyond Konoha's borders.
That things would only become more hectic from now on.
In this moment, there was peace, if only one manufactured by ignorance.
I made it through a little under half of my assigned part of the plot when Kushina called for a break. Wiping the sweat off my forehead and dusting off my yukata, I ambled my way over to where she waited for me on the elderly woman's porch. I hadn't realized how long I'd been working since the time seemed to pass by so quickly. There was a slight tightness in my muscles from crouching for so long but other than that, I didn't feel tired or fatigued.
"You're kind of like a machine kiddo," Kushina commented as I plopped down at her side. A platter with a pitcher and glasses filled with iced tea waited for me, and I took one gratefully.
"I tend to my father's garden regularly," I shrugged, taking a sip. "I think it's relaxing."
She stared at me for a moment before shaking her head.
"You're a weird kid, dattebane."
I could only give her another shrug; couldn't refute that.
I looked down at my dirty fingers. It was strange how easy it all was. Well, not easy per say, but more like how routine my life in this world had become since my realization. It seemed like years ago, though in reality it was a simple three years that I had become aware of my reincarnation. Three years of training, plotting, and planning in hopes of a better future. Sometimes, I still regret remembering.
I wonder how differently things would have turned out for me if I hadn't. Ignorance was bliss after all.
A hand pushed down on my head, startling me out of my thoughts and I blinked up at the source.
"Don't sweat it Junko-chan," Kushina smiled. "Everyone has something weird about them. They're just really good at hiding it, dattebane."
I couldn't help but think the woman was referring to the beast she kept sealed inside her. I smiled in return.
"I know, shishou."
After we were done with our drinks, we continued with our work. But I couldn't shake Kushina's words. I knew she had meant nothing by it, Noburu called me a weirdo all the time but considering everything, I was quite the oddity. An almost 'perfect' kunoichi in following rules and protocol, but a bizarre child. Even Shisui with his prodigy status wasn't as strange as I was. He was inquisitive and surprisingly open-minded for a six-year-old but he belonged in a way that I didn't.
That I couldn't.
Shaking my head with a sigh, I gripped my spade and dug into the earth, cutting away at the roots of a particularly thick bundle of weeds. Those kinds of comparisons wouldn't help me now. I had a job to do.
I tried to let myself fall into the lull of digging and pulling, but I couldn't reach my usual meditative state. The sun was still shining as it had all morning, the sound of the farmhands in the distance calling to each other came occasionally. But something had changed, a faint ache littering the length of my fingers as they dipped into the soil with my spade.
I dug out another weed when the feeling hit me again and I rubbed away the goosebumps that rose on my skin. Something was definitely wrong. I looked down at my hands, noticing how numb the tips of my fingers were. It wasn't the same feeling I got when I would overdo training or tending to my garden. It was a tingling, almost painful feeling. The mound of soil I had just dug into was no different than the soil I had previously dug up, at least on the surface. I grabbed the bundle of weeds I had carelessly thrown aside a moment ago to examine them, but they looked no different either. And I was sure that I wasn't allergic to anything.
Flexing my fingers, I stood with a frown. There was something strange about this plot. I hadn't noticed it before, but none of the other ones on the farm had the same level of decay as this one. As isolated as it was, it had to be something in the soil specifically in this area.
Bringing my hands together in a snake seal, I activated my byakugan and peered into the soil. Nothing stood out of the ordinary to me at first, but I bowed my head and focused my vision deeper underground. There was just more and more dirt until a strange line of purplish chakra stood out amongst the chromatic earth that clouded my vision. That wasn't any farming practice I was familiar with.
Kushina came up behind me with a question on her face, dusting off her pants.
"What are you doing Junko-chan?"
"There's a line of chakra under this plot," I answered, following the trail which seem to move towards the border that rose in the distance.
"Chakra?" She frowned.
"While I was working, my hands started to become numb." I stood and deactivated my dōjutsu. I lifted my hands, showing her my palms and fingertips which were turning a slight red. "I think it might be the reason why the soil is so strange over here."
Kushina crouched down to join me, running her fingers through the soil. Her hands appeared to be unaffected by whatever it was. Maybe that was the Kyūbi's doing?
"Strange is right," she mumbled, scoping up a handful and bringing it to her face to smell.
Before she could say anything else, a scream came from somewhere, in one of the plots nearby. It was a frightening, bloodcurdling scream that cut off abruptly. Every muscle in my body tensed and my hand automatically flew to my kunai pouch. Kushina already had one brandished.
Her violet eyes found mine sharply.
"Get to the farm house, now!" The tone of her voice left no room for debate. It was one of a commander.
Nodding, my chakra fidgeting underneath my skin, I semi-flickered to the house where Rio-san was wobbling out onto the porch.
"Oh dear, what's going on? What was that scream?" the old woman asked worriedly and I quickly ushered her back inside the homestead. My thoughts were running on overdrive, a dozen scenarios and possibilities running through my head.
It was more than likely that we were being accosted by enemy ninja. That scream was unlike anything I'd ever heard. Filled with pain and fear; it wasn't like my third birthday with the clan's jūinjutsu or even my first day at the academy with the genjutsu demonstration. Those screams had been scared and confused, frightened in the way only children could be.
This scream had been terrified in a way I could only imagine someone confronting death would sound, someone who could see their life coming to an end.
Shaking my head and calling forth my chakra from my core, I refocused my attention on the old woman next to me. I untied my long sleeves, making sure my senbon hadn't been jostled and were all accounted for. I had to be ready. We were standing in the threshold to the kitchen, the woman's wrinkled face becoming even more detailed with her worried frown.
"Shishou has gone to investigate the source of the scream." There wasn't much I could do but get in her way. "It's best if we stay indoors for now, Rio-san."
My body and mind were conflicted. A part of me wanted to run and hide while the other wanted to rush to Kushina's side. Rio-san fidgeted anxiously nearby and I took a deep breath to calm myself. Bringing my hands up, I performed the snake seal and activated my byakugan once again to scout the area. It appeared quiet outside until two figures appeared at the edge of my vision. One I recognized, my shishou, but the other was unfamiliar with no identifiable insignia.
The two were in a standoff. The invader was male, non-descript with his brown hair and dark eyes, but his chakra network was defined like someone who was familiar with its usage. I stretched the limits of my byakugan but couldn't see any sign of the injured, or more likely dead farmhand. What could this invader possibly gain from attacking this farm? It wasn't even one of the more lucrative farms available in the village, especially if it was an enemy trying to weaken Konoha from within. Assuming that this intruder was also the one who installed the weird chakra system underneath the plot, he must've been around this area at least a while. If so, what was his reason for launching an attack on this small farm, and why not sooner?
My attention sharpened and my breath shook slightly as the intruder launched himself at Kushina, who deflected the attack with her kunai. I felt completely useless as I watched them trade blow after blow from inside the safety of the house. The elderly woman at my side was looking at me with a mixture of shock and confusion. Letting my dōjutsu fade, I turned back to Rio.
"Kushina-shishou is confronting an intruder on the premises." It was probably the worst thing to say in this situation, as the color began to drain from her face but I continued. "She is a jōnin level kunoichi Rio-san. She will be able to take care of it."
In the short weeks the pair of us had been together, I had learned a lot about the woman. She was rambunctious, strong-willed, and determined. She cared deeply for the village and even more so about my well-being. She wouldn't let anything bad happen to either of us.
The older woman seemed to calm down at my words, that is, until a noise came from somewhere in the house. My byakugan activated immediately and I caught sight of a figure, just above us.
Someone was inside the house.
Time slowed as my mind ran through a hundred scenarios and outcomes, remembering every hypothetical situation I had gone through in the academy and all the textbooks I had read.
What should I do?
What could I do?
The enemy was making their way through the top floor of the house, having gained on our location in the split moment my byakugan wasn't activated. Their chakra network was just as developed as the intruder Kushina was fighting outside. Rio-san was shaking beside me, almost ready to pass out by the quick sounds of her breath and the quaking of her knees. My own fingers were shaking around the kunai I had in my hand, and I tightened my grip to focus.
I had to move; this was a mission and Rio-san was my client. If I couldn't deal with this, I had no chance of succeeding in any other mission, if I even made it through this one alive. The intruder was coming closer, skulking on the floorboards above us. Focusing my vision on the immediate area, I noticed the pantry; it was packed with bags of grain to the ceiling but there was enough room for the older lady.
I grabbed Rio-san by the hand and tugged her to the door, throwing it open as quickly and quietly as I could while tracking the intruder's moments. She tried to speak but I brought my hands up to silence her, pushing her into the small space and sliding the door closed before she could make a sound. Crouching low, I scurried into a cupboard underneath the sink just as the intruder stepped off the last step of the stairs.
I slowed my breathing as the enemy crept into the kitchen. This intruder was female with light brown hair and dark eyes, holding a dangerous looking dagger in a reverse grip. This was going from bad to worse, far beyond the scope of a d-rank mission. I wouldn't be able to do this on my own. No other intruders appeared in my extended vision but they could be just on the edge, waiting for the right time to strike. The man Kushina was fighting against was still giving her the run around, and who knew if there were any more waiting for us. I had to call for back up.
Reaching carefully into my pouch, I pulled out one of Noburu's high-powered flare bombs and attached it to the end of my kunai. If I could get outside, maybe I'd be able to signal some reinforcements.
Hopefully, reinforcements of the friendly variety.
Just as I finished, a solid thud resounded throughout the room and everything stopped. Rio-san had tripped over one of the sacks of grain in the pantry. The enemy ninja darted towards the door, ready to slide it open, when my body moved.
I shot from the cupboard, throwing a clean kunai at her as I did. The woman easily deflected the offending object but her eyes widened as they caught sight of me.
"A child?" I glared at her, eyes pulsing. I gathered as much courage as I could, even though my stomach twisted painfully into knots from where I stood.
"What are you doing in our village?" I demanded in my pathetically high pitched voice.
She continued to stare down at me, her face twisting in a mixture of shock and disgust.
"Will Konoha not stop her ruthless accumulation of power?" she muttered angrily to herself, moving towards me.
I had no idea what this woman talking about, but none of it sounded good. I quickly took several steps towards the doorway; there was no way I was going to let her anywhere near me. I could see an open window at end of the hallway behind me and it was probably the only chance I had to lead her outside and away from the elderly woman.
"Why are you here?" I demanded again, keeping several feet between me and the crazy woman. Rio-san was on the floor near the door of the pantry, shaking like a leaf. I couldn't let her get hurt. "If it is meant to harm the people of Konoha, I cannot let you leave."
Stronger words than I felt, I twisted my fingers into the sleeves of my yukata with my left hand for a senbon and lifted my rigged kunai into view with the other.
"Do you even know what you're fighting for child?" she hissed, prowling towards me. "You have been blinded by this village. My comrades and I will free you."
Free me? Comrades? What was going on? I had almost made it to the doorway when the woman sprinted at me. I threw the senbon at her with a chakra charged hand and she had jerk around to dodge, bumping into the table in the middle of the room as she did.
This was my chance.
I bolted into the hallway, sending myself into a semi-flicker as I neared the window. But the woman was on my heels. I jumped at the window, grabbing the top of the wooden frame and flipped out onto the side of the house. Her fingers brushed the bottom of my foot as I took off towards the roof with chakra and adrenaline enhanced speed. Channeling a large amount of chakra into my fingers, I activated the paper bomb and threw it into the sky as hard as I could. But before I could launch myself off the thatched roof, an arm grabbed me around the middle and a voice growled in my ear.
"Don't you dare-"
The air above us ignited.
My ears popped as the explosion sent us crashing to the ground. My senses were scrambled and disconnected as I hit the earth, cushioned by the intruder's body. Noburu's bomb had been much more powerful than I'd realized. I struggled out of the crazy woman's arms, crawling away as fast as I could.
I didn't get very far. A hand wrapped around my ankle, jerking me back. I let out a scream that I couldn't hear, digging my fingers into the dirt to get away, using my other leg to kick her with all my might. I managed to get her in the face with a lucky kick and she gave a scream I could barely hear over the ringing in my ears, and suddenly I was free. I stumbled to my feet, tripping over myself as I turned around to face her.
I should've ran. Every nerve in my body was screaming at me to run. But it was ingrained in me that it was unwise to turn my back on a dangerous enemy until the threat was neutralized. I knew I wouldn't be able to get very far. I grasped a kunai from my thigh pouch and fought to hold myself together. My equilibrium was all messed up.
The woman pushed herself to her feet, blood running down her face. It was terrifying. There was such malice in her eyes and the blood only amplified the effect. Her lips moved soundlessly, looking down at me with absolute disdain and I could only stare back in fear, clutching onto the weapon in my hand.
Why did this have to be my first mission? How could a d-rank go so wrong?
Gritting my teeth, I channeled chakra into my eyes and reactivated my byakugan. I wasn't going down without a fight. I couldn't. Every muscle in my body tensed as she launched herself towards me, throwing a kunai at me as she did. I blocked it with my own, dodging more clumsily than I should. I was still messed up. But then again, so was she. She pulled out the dangerous looking dagger from before as she neared.
I managed to block a few manic swings until she struck as I tripped over my feet, sending my kunai flying away. She didn't give me the chance to grab another as she continued to swing down at me, becoming more and more crazed the closer she got. Her lips were still moving, and as my hearing returned little by little, I recognized the crazed rumblings of someone far too gone.
I couldn't use the full extent of the Jūken as I wasn't stable enough. The only reason I hadn't been stabbed yet was because Noburu's bomb had disrupted the woman's equilibrium as well. If I was able to get enough space, I had just enough chakra to pull off a few jutsu, and that was only if I deactivated my byakugan. But that was the only thing keeping me from getting sliced to pieces. The woman's blade came close to my nose and I was barely able to deflect its trajectory with a chakra pulsing hand.
I gasped as she threw her other hand out, releasing a spindle of wire which flew too fast for me to dodge. She pulled my feet from under me and I lost my breath as my back hit the ground. The woman gained on me quickly, trapping me underneath her as she grabbed my neck and pinned me to the earth. I clawed at her gloved hand, trying fruitlessly to free myself. She was still muttering to herself, dark eyes trained on my face as she held me down. The blood on her face dripped onto mine.
I let out a cry, desperately fighting, chakra dancing on the surface of my skin as I fought to push her hand away from my neck. I only manage to keep her grip from crushing my throat, just enough to get some wheezing breaths. As I struggled to breathe, my hearing returned and the crazy woman's mumbling became words.
"I will free you from your burden!" she declared, raising her blade in the air.
I could only stare in horror as the dagger inched closer and closer in slow motion. There wasn't a thing I could do; my chakra was at its limit, my body restrained. My breath and heart stopped in my chest as the blade reached my face and I shut my eyes tightly, not wanting to watch the end.
There was pain.
There was a clang of metal against metal. And then a scream of agony.
There was the feeling of wetness on my face and hands, and the smell of iron in the air.
The weight of her body was lifted, and I could finally breathe.
I gasped for air, rolling over onto my side and coughing as I took in too much too fast. Every nerve in my body was on fire, frenzied. Where had she gone? What happened? I brought shaking hands up to my cheeks, wiping the wetness off my face. Blood glistened on my fingertips.
"Junko!"
I found big, familiar violet eyes staring down at me in a dirtied face as hands grabbed my shoulders and pulled me from the ground. Kushina quickly cut the wire from around my legs and gathered me into her arms, smearing the blood as she cupped my cheek.
"Junko-chan, can you hear me? Are you alright?"
Her voice was frantic, becoming more panicked with every word as I regained control of my thoughts.
Was I alright?
I could feel the cuts caused by the ninja wire on my legs, having cut through my leggings. My back hurt from the fall and my ears were still ringing from the explosion. My neck was sore and it hurt to swallow. I could feel the onset of chakra exhaustion and the warmth of the blood that had splattered onto my face lingered in my pores.
"Junko-chan!"
"I-I'm a-alright." My lips moved and words came out but I couldn't recognize them as my own. The Uzumaki woman let out a shaky breath, squeezing me tightly to her.
I was alive.
Author's Notes
Posted/Edited: December 28th, 2016
Minor editing: March 5th, 2017
...
As always, thanks to everyone who have added this story to their favorites or have followed it this far. I appreciate it.
I hope everyone had a great Christmas if you celebrate it. If not, I hope you had a great Sunday. I would've posted this chapter sooner but considering the content of this chapter and real life stuff, I pushed it back a bit. Though seeing all your reactions at Junko's sensei was pretty fun.
Reviews:
Thanks to tw2000, Tamani, Arenea Nara, lizyeh2000, k123, Sekai Kun, Kazenos, Palaserece, Scarla Roza, AxidentlGoddess, Ginseng Tea, Judgment of the Arbiter, OneWhoReadsTooMuch, Zafrinel, kirika o7, bloodplus103, AmericanNidiot, chloemika, Iron Dragon Maiden, starsarebright, KimranReech, OTrizy, Tsuki, Zlag, Zilcho, EVA-Saiyajin, FreelanceBum, Yaya, AnimeFan972, and the multiple Guests for all the feedback, especially about the plot holes in Kakashi's life. I am definitely less confused than I was before.
-Both k123 and AxidentlGoddess asked about Kakashi's relationship with Junko.
Kakashi and Junko's relationship will be something to look forward to as the story progresses, because he does understand the struggle of being a young prodigy. But Junko doesn't like to play nice with those who underestimate her, so it'll take a bit for the both of them to get over their egos.
-Palaserece: Oh, Kushina's probably going to have a rough time with the Hyūga but I'm sure she can handle it. The Hyūga clearly have much influence over Junko's life, so they may have the ability to change her sensei but Kushina is determined not to let that happen. You'll have to wait and see.
-Scarla Roza: Don't worry, a chapter involving Kushina, Itachi, and Junko, as well as Shisui, is coming relatively soon.
-OneWhoReadsTooMuch commented: "It's kind of strange to realize that if they hesitated like that in an actual battle they would have died. There is still a war going on and eventually they will be sent out into it."
That's a reasonable observation. Considering the state of the war, other villages are probably also sending out child soldiers as sad as it is. I'm working under the assumption that Team Minato haven't experienced the full assault of the war until the events of the Kannabi Bridge mission. Also, consider that the team are familiar with Junko, having known her for a little over a year as sporadic as it is. I think it's understandable they don't go all out initially against her as it's a spar and she isn't just a nameless enemy.
-To the Guest who asked about Junko inheriting the mokuton/wood release:
I haven't really decided to be honest. It's well within her genetic makeup to have it since it's a kekkei genkai of the Senju clan, though only manifested naturally in Hashirama. And on a slightly related note, Kishimoto stated that a sharingan user and a byakugan will have each dōjutsu, so it's entirely possible that Junko could have two kekkei genkai. Still…it's something that she would have to develop and learn for a while and wouldn't be useful until she's a teenager or adult. Unless other things like ROOT come into play, since apparently Danzo stole a scroll relating to it, per the wiki, there aren't many people that would be able to teach her or help foster the ability.
-kirika o7 asked: "Will her presence alter the Hyūga affair when Hinata was kidnapped or will she be the one who will be kidnapped?"
I have some ideas about what I should do for that event, but nothing is set in stone as of now. Kidnapping Hinata would be useful since she's younger than Junko, and despite how creepy it sounds, she would probably be more malleable to whatever they want her for. But since the Hyūga affair will take place when Junko is around nine or ten years old, Junko might look more valuable considering her prodigy status.
-bloodplus103: I'm assuming your last review was sent as a Guest that asked a bunch of questions about Shisui and Junko's relationship, Since they started with close to the same sentence about final's week. Thanks for taking to time to rewrite them regardless.
To answer all your questions concisely, there will be a Shisui interlude going over how their relationship developed after their time in the park and how Akane and Noburu reacted to him entering their inner circle. I have a page written and a faint outline of the rest but it will have to come at certain part within this arc, so it may not be out for a while. But there will be Shisui and Junko bonding moments in the chapters yet to come.
-AmericanNidiot, the only problem with getting info from another author's work for canon stuff is that they might have artistically changed to fit the writer's vision for their story. (And I haven't had time to catch up on that story since I want to still to my schedule for this one.) But thanks anyways.
-OTrizy asked: "Is there another different PoV chapter coming soon?"
Not for a bit, and as you can see from this chapter, things are too hyped in Junko's life right now for me to change but there will be one later. And as for five-year-olds children doing ridiculous feats, as demonstrated in the series itself with Kakashi and Itachi in the series, test the limits of my suspension of disbelief every episode. But it is also very fun to write.
-Iron Dragon Maiden, on chapter 9: I like the way you think; blacksmithing would be very profitable in a ninja village and definitely more safe so Noburu's mother wanting him to be a ninja really doesn't make sense to the outside viewer. It makes me want to write a chapter where Junko interacts with the Fujioka family, which I definitely should.
-KimranReech: Junko isn't supposed to be a universally liked character, though there is bias in her favor as it is from her perspective, so it's interesting to see someone not completely like her.
Shisui will get more screen time in the future, as in this story at least, his life differs from Obito's in several ways. And as I writer, I kind of like making characters suffer, as it makes the good times at least ten times more worth it. (I hope that didn't come off as strange.) And Kushina and Minato are definitely too good for this world.
-EVA-Saiyajin: Thanks for the kind words and I'll try to skim the author you pointed out, though I have some ideas about the Hyūga genes and dōjutsu that would be fun to explore.
-And finally, to the rude Guest who began a review telling me to "Fuck off" because Junko's supposed "OP-ness":
Have you ever read or watched the Naruto series by chance? The power the children characters have is ridiculous, especially over characters and entities much older and stronger than them, yet they make it out alive, for the most part, despite all odds. Even Kakashi himself is ridiculously over powered as a child. But I supposed you see no problem in the fact that he can live well into adulthood without serious inhibiting injury even after becoming genin at five and chūnin at six. And losing his eye doesn't count since he received the sharingan soon afterwards.
But as a side note, according to the info known about the Hyūga and the chakra pathway system, if one was to mess up someone's tenketsu with the Gentle Fist techniques they would totally be able to level the field no matter their age or level. Manipulating, blocking, or destroying the tenketsu on the chakra pathway system has dangerous effects on the organs and muscles which they inhabit, as well as stopping chakra flow.
I hope posting hateful, non-constructive criticism- because an OC tied with a canon character- made you feel better.
On that note, I don't mind criticism on my writing, or the plot and characters of this story, as I see it is as way of seeing though my reader base's eyes, pointing to things I should perhaps go into with more depth or things I didn't pay enough attention to.
I only ask that you be polite about it.
Next time on For a Chance at Happiness:
Chapter 19: Of Haze and Aftershocks