Chapter Two: Hello Papa
Mikoto followed Naruto as quickly as she could, throwing all her chakra into her speed. Despite what she had said earlier, keeping up with such high level shinobi was not easy for her ten-year-old body.
After that silly bell test Team Kakashi had been given their first mission. To aid the Sand after the Kazekage had been kidnapped by the Akatsuki. Mikoto was of course well aware of the Akatsuki, their power, and their plans to kidnap all the Bijuu. After all, she had been traveling with Naruto-sensei and Jaraiya-sama upwards of a year now.
Plus HE was a member.
Mikoto stood by the gate as Team Kakashi prepared to leave, her pack ready to go.
"This is an S-ranked mission!" Tsunande shouted angrily, "It's no place for a child."
Mikoto looked at the powerful woman. She admired her strength and didn't want to be on her bad side, however…
"Lady Hokage, I'm not a shinobi of the Leaf, I'm not even a citizen of Leaf. I can go where I please."
"But…" Tsunade hesitated. While the girl was technically correct, she would not allow a child to be put in danger, not if it could be easily avoided.
"It's ok obaa-chan!" Naruto interrupted, "Mimi-chan can take care of herself no problem!"
Tsunade was about to argue when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to face Jiraiya, "Tsunade," Jaraiya said seriously, "Mikoto is a special case. She has every right to go, especially since this involves the Akatsuki."
Tsunade's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She would ask him about that one later, "very well." Tsunade said, "Good luck everyone! Do your best!"
"Hai!" Everyone shouted. And off they went.
After that they had gone to the Sand Village and regrouped. Sakura had healed that older boy and then before they knew it they had left again. Chasing Gaara-sama's scent.
Mikoto looked up as Naruto ran quicker than she could keep up. She knew why this was so important to him. Gaara was his friend and a jinchurriki. Naruto felt responsible.
She pushed harder to speed up. She would keep up. She would help Naruto-sensei. He was one of her precious people and she would do anything to protect him.
Suddenly she sense a presence and keeping up wasn't a problem anymore.
The entire group stopped and stared at the powerful rogue ninja in front of them. His presence loomed over them.
"That's…. Itachi Uchiha," Sakura whispered.
Mikoto said nothing as she continued to stare at the man in front of her.
Kaskahi was about to inform everyone to look away when he noticed something. Itachi's focus wasn't on the group. It wasn't even on Naruto. It was on the child standing next to him.
Mikoto took a deep breath as she carefully stepped forward. She looked at him and smiled a tiny smile, "Hello… papa."
Sakura and Kakashi gasped. Papa! This girl… was Itachi's daughter!
Naruto said nothing. He was very aware of Mikoto's heritage. After all, when he met her, she had attacked him... using her sharingan.
"Mikoto," Itachi's deep voice rang out, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here with Naruto-sensei," She answered carefully.
"Naruto-sensei?" Itachi said, with a slight raised eyebrows.
In anyone else this would have meant very little. But this small reaction from her father, that was shock.
"You want to hurt Naruto-sensei, don't you papa?" Mikoto asked, her eyes sad.
Itachi said nothing.
"I can't let you do that papa. I care about him too much."
Itachi looked at his daughter. She was supposed to be living at an inn in Hoshun Town. He had paid good money for her to be there. What was she doing here?
She had grown since he'd last saw her. Of course she had. It's been over a year and she was at that age. Her black hair was long, much like her namesake, his mother. She wore it in twin braids to keep it out of her face; very practical. Her violet eyes stared glared at him with distrust. When had that happened? The last he knew she worshipped him. What had she learned?
Itachi shifted his weight in preparation for what was bound to come next. "What are you going to do my little Mikoto-hime? Are you going to fight your father?"
Mikoto looked up at him sadly, "If you were really here I wouldn't stand a chance, but you're not? Are you?"
This made Itachi visibly react. His eyes widened.
"What do you mean? He's not really here Mimi-chan?" Naruto asked loudly.
Mikoto replied, never looking away from her opponent, "I know what my father's presence feels like. This isn't it. Whatever it is, it's not as strong as he is. Let's take this fake out quickly and go find your friend!"
Naruto grinned. His friend. Not the Kazekage. His friend. Mikoto understood. Mikoto always understood.
Mikoto raised her hands in front of her body. "Kage Bushin No Jutsu!" She shouted. A copy of herself appeared next to her.
"What do you intend to do with that clone child?" Itachi asked.
Both Mikoto's clones held their hands in front of their face and they concentrated their chakra. Suddenly their eyes snapped open.
"Sharingan!" Shouted one.
"Byakugan!" Shouted the other!
Kakashi gasped audibly. This child! In front of him were two identical copies of a the girl who had been traveling with them, except with one distinct difference. One had the distinct red eyes of the Sharingan with two tomoe, and the other had the white eyes with veins protruding indicating the Byakugan.
Who are you? He wondered to himself. Aloud he said, "Be careful of his eyes! You don't want to get caught in one of his genjutsu!"
"Don't you think I know that?" The child scoffed.
And off she went.
The byakugan clone (b-clone) dove in at a fast pace, albeit one that Kakashi could easily track with his sharingan. She moved towards him attacking him in a very familiar style.
Kakashi's eyes widened, "Is that the Gentle Fist?" He muttered to himself. No it wasn't quite right. The style was similar and it was clear that she was going after her father's tenketsu and internal organs. However it was rougher, dirtier somehow. She was emitting chakra from more varied points than just her hands, including her knees and elbows as she aimed to take down Itachi Uchiha.
Itachi however, was dodging easily, "I see you found a way to use them both at once," he said conversationally as his daughter attempted to kill him, "Did your Naruto-sensei teach you that?"
"Nope!" She said as she tried to remain focused on her technique, "That was Jiraiya-Sama's idea!"
Itachi raised his eyebrows yet again, "Jiraiya hmmm? You have been busy."
Suddenly there was a shout from behind them. Mikoto turned to see Naruto stuck in a genjutsu. "Naruto-sensei!" She shouted. When did he do that? Damn, even with whatever this is, he's still too strong.
"You shouldn't turn your back on your opponent!" Itachi said as a kunai swung towards her, about to hit the b-clone.
Cling! The kunai smashed into another held by the sharingan clone (s-clone). The s-clone had been standing back, analyzing the battle with the sharingan, waiting for an opening.
"Don't worry!" Sakura called to the child, Itachi's daughter. Sasuke's relative, "I'll take care of Naruto." She reached forward and released him from the technique but continued to watch the fight between father and daughter. Sasuke's niece, she thought to herself. She wasn't sure what that meant for the future, but it would definitely be important.
The s-clone nodded and pumped chakra into her feet as she jumped upwards above Itachi, quickly making hand signs.
"Katon: Grand Fireball Jutsu!" The s-clone shouted from above.
Itachi dodged the fireball easily. What a silly attack when I can move. She still has a lot of learning to do.
The b-clone smiled as she watched the fireball get closer to her. Itachi's eyes widened, What?
"Futon," The b-clone began, "Kaiten!" And she began to rotate.
Rotation too? Thought Kakashi, What is she?
But this rotation was different. Instead of emitted regular chakra from her tenketsu she emitted a change in nature. The fireball hit the wind rotation and grew, consuming Itachi as it formed into a fire tornado.
Both clones landed next to each other as they watched the chaos clear.
Itachi stood where the fire storm had been moments ago. His hair and clothes were singed from the flames but he was otherwise unharmed.
"An interesting attack," He commented, "But still it's not…"
Before he could finish his sentence, Kakashi popped from underneath him with a powerful chakra-infused uppercut. Itachi barely dodged, jumping backwards.
"Great Rasengan!" Naruto shouted as he and a shadow-clone raced towards Itachi. The giant ball of swirling chakra connected with Itachi causing him to fly back and it ripped a hole in his stomach.
All the shinobi stared at what remained. There, on the ground, was a corpse, but it wasn't Itachi.
"This is…" Chiyo muttered.
"Horrible." Sakura finished for her.
Mikoto looked at the corpse solemnly, "I told you it wasn't him," she said, "I know my father."
