Authors Note: Hey guys! I apologize for the late update. I know I've keep you all waiting, but I promise it'll be worth it! I hope you all enjoy the next couple of chapters. Thanks for staying tuned!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters mentioned in this story. I do own Asuki. She is an original character of mine.
Keep the comments coming ya'll! Enjoy!
Chapter 5
I woke up the next morning, expecting Obito to still be there but he wasn't lying in bed anymore. For a split second I panicked out of sheer fear that I had just dreamt it all again. It wouldn't have surprised me. But the minute I started to worry I looked over to see a neatly folded note on the pillow next to me. I reached for it and it read "Good morning Beautiful! Making breakfast like I promised. Come downstairs when you wake up. -Love Obi." I felt my face grow hot and my heart flutter as soon as I read it. And it was weird because every muscle in my body instantly relaxed all at the same time. It wasn't a dream! I hurriedly made my way downstairs and Obito had an impressive buffet spread out on the table. It smelled amazing but I rushed over to tackle him with hugs. I was just so happy that it was all real! The rest of the morning was spent laughing and reminiscing over old times as we sat down to eat together. But it was rather short lived since he was in a hurry to report to the foundation to start his elite training. We said our goodbyes and I watched him walk away until he was out of sight.
"Oh, is that your boyfriend?! He's absolutely precious!" I hear a familiar voice from my past exclaim. My eyes widened as I turned around, finding my childhood friend Asuki standing there in the flesh. She had grown up so much from back when we were kids before the academy, her vibrant red hair in a long braided bun. Her eyes were much brighter than before, a slitted pupil like a snake, then bright blue that faded into a darker purple around the iris. She went from wearing a lot of colors to wearing a long sleeve fishnet top as well as fishnet leggings that ended mid calf. A gorgeous and sleeveless emerald green wrap dress that ended at her upper thigh with some black shorts under that hugged her curves. Her tribal dragon headband was just under the shorts and wrapped around her mid thigh. She absolutely filled out and passerbys noticed as well as she was sitting on the top of my fence outside of my house.
"Asuki? Is that you?!" I exclaimed. My heart soaring even higher. I had both of them back? Okay wait… reality check! I pinched my cheek, making sure that it hurt before running over to her spot atop my fence. "Holy hell, you look hot! I mean...you're very much grown up from the last time I saw you." I stated, frowning as I looked down at my chest, comparing my blossoming buds to her melons. Then it occurred to me that she had asked me if Obito was my boyfriend. I stopped, thinking about how to answer her question. It wasn't really something we had put a label on yet. But whatever we were, I was okay with it. "And um...I-I don't know what you mean? We're just close is all." I stated, my face flushing as I tried to hide behind my hair.
She jumped down effortlessly, a few inches taller than myself and hugged me tightly against her. "Eh, this is more clothes than I'm used to, but with different climates it changes. And you two would be absolutely adorable together Rin! God, you grew up pretty hot yourself! Look at you!" She sounded so excited, glad to see her hyper and excitable nature hadn't changed from when we were kids.
"W-what? Me and Obito? I mean...well, I guess we do have something special." I stated, my face turning a darker shade of red than before as I thought about his kisses and the way he held me. And...I supposed we had confessed our love for one another. It was just so embarrassing to admit out loud. Not that I was ashamed of it...It was just that I wasn't used to being so bold as to wear my emotions on my sleeve. "And stop with that, I'm not much different. Not compared to you anyway." I stated. "God, how long has it been, Asuki?"
She bounced happily, clapping her hands together and every part of her jiggling...namely her chest. "Oh my goodness, that is so cute! I'm so happy for you sweetie!" She stopped and looked me over, turning me around a few times, "What are you talking about? You've grown up a lot!"
"You really think so? I feel like I might be a little taller, but mostly the same. I hope Obito sees what you see." I whispered the last part of that, hoping she hadn't heard me, but with her incredible hearing, she probably had. "Oh! I have something for you. Come upstairs to my room with me?" I invited her in. I had kept her Leaf shinobi headband for all of these years, and I had been awaiting the day that she returned to give it back to her. I motioned for her to follow me inside.
"This Obito guy would be absolutely blind if he didn't see how amazing and beautiful you are!" she states as she follows me, "And you have a present for me? But how did you know that I was coming back? Only the Hokage knew I was coming."
I let out a lighthearted laugh. "I didn't. I just have something you might like to have back is all." I stated, guiding her through the kitchen, the food that Obito had made us for breakfast still spread out on the table.
She snagged a piece of bacon and popped it into her mouth, her eyes lighting up. "Cooked to absolute perfection! Did he make you breakfast? And I'm so curious to what it is!"she giggled and smiled at me with a toothy grin.
I chuckled at her, "You never change, do you Asuki? And yes, he did. He's surprisingly a wonderful cook...among other things." I stated, my face growing hot once more. We made it up to my room and I shuffled through the top draw of my nightstand.
She plopped down on my bed, bouncing on it. "I didn't eat everything, I have some...self control! And ohh, among other things? Did you guys do the dirty?"
I dropped the box that contained her headband in it, jumping slightly after she had the nerve to actually ask me such a thing. What kind of girl did she think I had become? "W-w-what?! No! I mean we didn't….It was just a kiss...Or, you know, a few." I admitted, stumbling over my words. "Opps." I stated, bending down and picking up the headband that had fallen out of the box. I reached out towards her and extended my open palm to reveal to her the old Leaf shinobi headband that she had left behind before she went off to train in the mountains with the elites of her clan, who had established a small community up there. The Ryu clan were a group of dragon/serpent specialized shinobi who were able to channel the techniques of such creatures who allegedly existed in ancient times, long ago. There weren't many Ryu clan members left in the Leaf. But Asuki and her family moved here temporarily after her parent's homeland was destroyed many years ago. Since then, many clan members began to gather back in the mountains for specialized training and established a sort of sacred training ground for their future generations. But since a lot of the other members had dispersed to the varying villages where their element prospered the most, many of the families had decided to permanently settle in their perspective villages. Hence why Asuki had finally returned. I smiled up at her. "Remember this? I thought you might like it back." I told her, seeing the look of surprise on her face.
She teared up a bit as she took it and hugged it to her chest. "God, this is from forever ago! Thank you so much for keeping it all this time!" She hugged me tightly, her body shaking as she started crying a little. "I can't tell you how much I wanted to come home and see you."
I hugged her back, feeling myself tearing up a little. "So much has happened since you left. I planned on surprising you in the mountains with a visit but the time just got away from me, what with the war going on and everything. You know, come to think of it, I think right after you left is when I met Obito and Kakashi. Oh! They're my teammates." I explained, remembering that she had no idea who I was talking about.
She looked at me curiously, wiping her eyes a bit and smiling. "I have noticed that for sure! So much has changed for me as well...well my family. My brother Drakul got married and had a baby, I absolutely love my niece Libelle!" She stated and put her headband on her upper arm, touching the symbol."I can't wait to meet your teammates they sound like fun! But do you wanna come with me to meet the Hokage then maybe go out for food?"
"That's so great! I'm so happy for Drakul! Even though so many girls fell for him in the village before you guys left. I hope I get to meet your niece someday. Libelle, what a cute name!" I gushed, remembering her brother. He was quite the looker, every girl had a crush on Drakul. "And I'm pretty sure you'll find Kakashi irresistible." I stated, smirking at her. "He's exactly your type. Unless it's changed in the last decade?" I giggled at her. "But I would love to accompany you. We might just have to walk slow due to my injuries."
She giggled, "I think you were the only one immune to his charms, but no he settled down a lot. As for my type, I have been stuck around so many sticks in the mud, hopefully he will be a nice change!" She looked over my body, looking up concerned. "What ever happened?"
My eyes widened at the question. How was I supposed to tell her that a few days ago I tried to kill myself...and that I failed, and now I host the three tails? That wasn't something I could explain outright. "I-It's a long story. I'll tell you over lunch." I smiled nervously at her, afraid that once I told her she might see me differently. Come to think of it, I don't even think I had explained to Obito that I was a jinchuriki now. Hmm...that's definitely not something I can put in a letter either.
She nodded, linking her arm with mine. "I will hold you to that, but come on, can't keep Old man Hokage waiting!"
We made our way slowly to the Hokage's office. I won't say it wasn't a little painful considering my injuries, but it was so nice to have Asuki back that I didn't even care. We continued filling each other in, chattering on and on about every little detail until the other was satisfied with the knowledge. Finally we reached the Hokage's office and it was a little embarrassing because since there were so many stairs, Asuki had to piggy back me all the way up. It was just like old times. It was somewhat refreshing. I needed something to distract me from recent events.
"That was so much like old times! I missed it so damn much." She stated, giggling at me as she gently set me on the ground. She was so much like her older self during moments like this, but I could tell that she was much more mature than back then. "Shall we?"
I nodded and knocked on the door to the Hokage's office. "Come in!" came the reply from the other side. The Third Hokage was sitting at his desk, going through paperwork, never taking his eyes off the tasks spread out before him. "Good afternoon Rin. Who have you brought with you?"
She glanced around the room, taking in everything before her eyes settled on the Hokage and she smiled. "My name is Asuki Ryu, of the Ryu clan. I was summoned here a few days ago and just arrived in the village this morning."
The Hokage set down his paperwork and looked up finally, taking in the both of us. "Ah, yes! Welcome home Asuki! I think the last time I saw you, you were just a tiny thing. Well that must have been almost ten years ago! My, how time sure flies. However, I do wish it were under better circumstances. Unfortunately, times of war are unforgiving." the Third greeted her with a gentle smile. "Ah! Kakashi! Have you finished settling into the Anbu black ops?" he added, his eyes casting past the both of us. We both turned around, seeing Kakashi wearing all gray shinobi clothing with a red and white anbu mask over his face standing in the doorway.
Kakashi removed his mask and looked at me with concerned eyes, then replied back to the Hokage. "Yes, Lord Hokage. I've just finished my initiation...Rin, how are you feeling?" he asked me, his look of sympathy killing me. I glanced over at Asuki who was staring dead at him with a look of fascination that she used to adopt whenever she saw something that she liked or that intrigued her as a child. It was nice to see she hadn't changed all that much on the inside.
"I'm feeling a lot better actually, had a wonderful night sleep and got to be greeted by my life long best friend Asuki!" I said motioning over to her, noticing that she was no longer in that spot as I heard Kakashi let out a yelp. I looked over to find her dangerously close to Kakashi, her body leaned over his as she was trying her best to see under his signature mask he never takes off.
"Oh come on, it's just a little peak!" She whined, I could almost hear the pout on her lips as Kakashi looked like a deer caught in headlights and I turned my attention back over to see Lord Hokage blushing and covering his nose with a rag. I looked back over to realize that Asuki's dress has slipped over her butt and while she was wearing shorts, they were very tight and revealing.
"Asuki, come on don't scare the guy! And cover your ass will ya? You're going to make the Hokage have a heart attack." I chuckled, shaking my head as she practically shot up straight to pull the back of her dress down, turning around quickly to bow to the Hokage.
"I am so sorry about that Lord Hokage. I have been in the mountains for far too long and well, people outside of my clan fascinate me." She explained and I found myself feeling a little sorry for her. She had been out of contact with others for so long...I can't imagine what it must be like in her head right now.
He coughed, wiping his nose and blushing heavily. "It's perfectly alright, Kakashi doesn't scare easily so he will be fine." Kakashi gave him a surprised look, causing me to giggle. "Now, why I have invited you here is because your friend Rin will be unable to help out during the war going on due to her injuries, among other things. And you'll be taking her place on her team with Kakashi here."
We all looked at him in absolute shock, before looking to one another. Was he serious? Oh god, that'll be interesting to see her interacting with him every day. Kakashi looked as though he was going to lose it but managed to keep his usual calm, which was absolutely surprising. I'm sure he will rant about it later on to me in his free time. Asuki was just standing there absolutely confused, rubbing the back of her neck. From what she had been explaining to me, she had never worked on a team before and the thought of it absolutely baffled her.
She looked at me, worry crossing her features as she realized why she was brought in. She soon became a nervous wreck, because of her inexperience with teams and the thought of taking my place. It surprised me because she was actually showing some worry and vulnerability.
"Hey, it'll be okay." I smiled at her, hoping to ease some of her worries. "Kakashi is a good guy and a very skilled shinobi. You don't have to worry. He takes care of his friends. Right Kakashi?" I asked him and he quirked his eyebrow at me.
"I do...But I barely know this girl. However, I'll do my best to protect you, Miss…" he replied, extending the opportunity to be filled in on who he was partnering with. She just stared at him and then suddenly jumped.
"Oh! Asuki! Sorry…" she bowed to him. "And while I appreciate the sentiment, I'm sure I can manage. I know I can't possibly replace Rin as your partner on your team. But I will do my very best to accommodate for her absence." she vowed, becoming quite serious. Kakashi closed his eye and shook his open palms at her.
"No need for that! Just do what you can and try to keep up. We can't afford any miscalculations or wreckless moves this late in the war. But I think it would be a good idea to train together before we deploy on the battlefield." he suggested. "It was quite...interesting to meet you, to say the least." He stated, giving her a once over before shoving his hands in his pocket and exiting the Hokage's office.
She blushed, watching him leave before looking back to the Hokage and bowing to him. "Thank you so much for this opportunity Lord Hokage, I will not let you or the Leaf village down. Is there anything else I need to know before we're dismissed?"
"You'll train with Kakashi for a while before you deploy. For now, you have some free time to spend with Rin and enjoy the village. We're counting on you. You're both dismissed." The Hokage stated and we both bowed out and Asuki bent down at the top of the stairs so that she could piggy back me back down the steps. I let out a sigh and then a small giggle.
"You know, this is a little embarrassing when we're this age, now that we're older and all." I told her, getting on her back. "Sorry you have to baby me."
She shook her head at me, looking over her shoulder and smiling. "Nonsense, I know it's a little embarrassing, but you're like a sister I have always wanted. Besides, we will get to food much faster this way!" I chuckled, her metabolism was always going so she was always getting hungry, but it looked like she never really gained weight from it.
"You know, ramen from Ichiraku's sounds pretty good. Plus, you might be able to get a little less formal of an introduction from Kakashi if he's there. He usually goes there around this time of day for lunch. Although, it was quite hilarious to see you interact with him in front of the Hokage. He looked so concerned." I let out another laugh. "You were so close to his face, I thought you were going to kiss him." I joked with her, teasing a little.
She giggled more, getting a spring in her step at the mention of Kakashi. "I would never kiss on the first meeting! Besides, I wouldn't want to kiss through a mask. Does he ever take that thing off? Have you seen his face? What's underneath it?" She started asking the million dollar questions as we continued through the streets. Oh she was absolutely interested in him!
"Yeah, good luck with that mystery! I don't think a single person alive in the village today could tell you what's behind that mask. I guess it's something that you're just going to have to solve for yourself. I can tell you that underneath his slanted headband is...and this is going to sound odd, but he actually has one of Obito's eyes. And he's got a pretty wicked scar over it that I can tell you is pretty sexy." I chuckled at her vibrant interest in my teammate. I was just happy it wasn't the one I was madly in love with.