Well…. Let's kick this chapter off with something why don't we? Like I told everyone that reads D.S. I broke my pinky finger and it has to be in a splint for the next fives weeks so sadly it's going to take me even longer than it already does to update! I know, I am sorry and I'm doing the best I can for you guys right now. Well on a way higher note, happy spring since it's finally here. Which means… My sixteenth birthday is only nine days away!!! YAY!! Hehe!! I'm hoping for a laptop, so Kaitlin can have her privacy when she's typing without noisy parents and a younger sister who likes the phone line more than her flesh and blood! Lol!
Now I swear that this chapter is going to be more upbeat than my last update which was undeniably depressing… Even though the above said may have already changed your mind…. But I hope you like it!
A special thanks to Alex for giving me my motivation as usual! ;p Check out her awesome KHII Sm x-over, it's a Mako/Riku story:
Disclaimer- I own nothing…
Written In The Stars
Chapter Five- Training and Mixed Emotions
Her breathes were soft and calm unlike how they had been the night before. She was awoken by the sound of soft murmuring voices in her room. Her ears perked up as she recognized the beeping sound which she had heard not too long ago… She knew exactly where she was, but she didn't want to wake up, not now and maybe not ever again.
She didn't want to have to speak of the man who had tried to kill her the night before, as a matter of fact; she would just prefer never to hear his name again… She didn't want to tell everyone all the things that he had done. All the things that he had made her relive… Even the death of Mikito and Fugaku… He had even seen her-
"The Crystal!!" Makoto shouted as she remembered that there now was a good reason for her to awaken. She shot up out of the bed only to receive confused but yet relieved stares from many people in the room.
"Mako-Chan? Are you alright?" Makoto looked over to see that she had missed that Sakura was sitting on the side of her bed all along.
"I-I'm fine Sakura, but where is Suna? I have to talk to her! I have to tell her something important!..." Makoto said trying to get up and wobbled.
Obviously Itachi had done more than just affect her emotionally…
"Makoto, you need to get back in bed. You're in no condition to be walking around like this." Tsunade said as Makoto looked up at her; the Hokage's once lively amber eyes were now dull and drained of energy.
"I need to talk to Setsuna." Makoto said looking around for her in the room and then spotted her.
Makoto looked around the room at all of the people; there was, Sakura, Naruto, and Tsunade, but none wanted to make eye contact.
"I-Is she going to be okay?" Makoto asked her lip quivering as she stared at Tsunade.
"She has yet to awaken Makoto, and it seems that it's taking her a bit longer to recover than you…" Tsunade replied, both her and Sakura knowing that the reason was to blame Kisame's sword that would deplete anyone's chakra.
Makoto walked over to Setsuna who was lying on the hospital bed next to where Mako was once a minute ago. Her face was very frail and washed out compared to her normal all year tan… Her typical relaxed face now had an expression of pain.
Makoto walked over as no one tried to stop her.
"Mako-Chan…" Naruto whispered as he took his place next to his friend and put his hand on her shoulder smiling down at her.
"She'll be alright, if she's your friend, there's no way she'd be knocked around that easily." Naruto smiled at her as Mako gave him a reflection of his face.
"You're right, Naruto-Kun, she's very strong… Stronger than me…" She smiled looking down at the good friend who was so dear to her.
"What did he do to her?..." Makoto growled looking down at her, the tall Senshi's face now had a sour expression on it.
As Sakura and Tsunade both were about to answer her question, an unseen person did.
"Kisame's sword depletes chakra… It was amazing Setsuna lasted as long as she did before I got there…" The man said as he suddenly appeared next to Makoto as she jumped a little.
"Kakashi-Sensei!" Makoto shouted as she jumped away a bit, looking at him surprised.
"How are you feeling Makoto?" Kakashi asked briefly looking away from Setsuna to Makoto.
"I… I'm fine… I'm just worried that Suna-Chan..." Makoto trailed of looking down sadly at her friend.
"Kakashi-Sensei! Why are you here!?" Naruto shouted obnoxiously as usual over to his Sensei.
"I'm here because the Hokage asked me to come." He replied still not looking away from Setsuna's battered and bruised body.
"Right, and I'm glad for once you have graced us with your presences on time, Kakashi… Although I think you had more motivation from something other than my request." Tsunade said looking at the man as she cocked an eyebrow.
Makoto, Sakura and Naruto looked at Tsunade confused and then back at Kakashi.
He finally ripped his gaze away from the Senshi of Time, to his Hokage.
"What is it that you need my assistance of Hokage-Sama?" Kakashi asked, as everyone listened to what she had to say.
"I need you to personally train Kino Makoto, my orders, whether you want to or not, you're doing it. This is for the sake of the village and its people." Tsunade said as everyone's mouth dropped as they either looked at Makoto or Kakashi.
Kakashi looked at Tsuande then to Makoto who stiffened under his stare.
"Makoto's situation will be explained in a little bit by me, but Makoto is here because of certain business that involves all of the villages' survival but the Sound. Her specialty is electricity and who better than to have Hatake Kakashi; wielder and creator of the Chidori, to teach her?"
Kakashi kept staring at Makoto; it was almost like he was looking to see if she was worthy enough… And he found that she most definatly was.
"This is very interesting… Both she and Sasuke, wielders of the Chidori. Both destined to fight in battle and most likely a battle to the death. That you can see in her eyes. She has as much determination as he does. But she also has as much love for that boy as Sakura does… That will be a battle of all battles…" Kakashi thought as he smirked from under his mask speaking of the battle of love and war as he looked back at Tsunade.
"Hai, Hokage-Sama. I will-" Kakashi stopped and looked back at the woman who many of his thoughts had been circling around since last night.
As he looked down, Setsuna was now stirring awake.
Her blood red eyes softly opened and above her was someone she wished wouldn't be in her vision now… Or maybe even ever again.
"K-K-Ka-Kakashi-San…." Setsuna gulped as she looked at him. She had just awakened and she was already acting like a young girl with a puppy love crush!
"Damn him! Damn that man! … Damn you Kakashi!!... Oh boy… This is more embarrassing than I thought it might have already been!!... People…" Setsuna thought helplessly as she now looked around the room, still red.
As her eyes scanned the area she was abruptly shook violently by Makoto.
"Setsuna!!! Setsuna!! He- he saw my crystal!! He saw my Sailor Crystal!! I don't know how he did it but… But now he's going to do something! He's plotting something and I know he's going to come back!! An-And he'll probably have the fish-man again!!..." Makoto shouted as everyone in the room looked at her, their mouths hanging wide open.
"WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO!!!!??" Makoto shouted shaking her again. Suddenly Setsuna gripped Makoto's hand tightly.
"He saw it?... You're positive?" She asked her face was completely serious.
"Yeah…" Makoto whispered so softly, as she took her hand away from the Senshi.
Setsuna didn't even pay attention to the people around her as she threw the covers off of her and sprinted towards the door.
She had to get to the Time Gates and contact Rei as soon as she could!
She reached out to the door then-
BAM!!
"I came as soon as I heard! Is she okay?!" Lee yelled as he flew the door open slamming it right into the Hell-bent Setsuna… She was now on the floor her eyes swirling… Yeah, she was out of it AGAIN.
"…." No one in the room said a thing they all stared at the irony of poor Setsuna being knocked down like that…
"What? Do I have something on my face?..." Suddenly Lee heard Setsuna's unconscious moans from behind the door.
He looked behind it and gasped.
"Setsuna-San! Gomen! I did not know that you were there! Gomen! Gomen! Gomen!" Lee shouted as he bent down and picked her up and quickly sat her on the bed.
"Damn it! I don't even know what she was going to do!... Now I have to wait until she wakes up again!" Makoto growled as she crossed her arms a cross her chest in defeat.
"Mako-Chan, are you alright now? We came as soon as he told me what happened." Lee said as Makoto looked at him confused as to why he was saying 'we'.
"Lee, I'm fine but, are you? Who are you talking about?" Makoto asked as he looked at her, still not understanding what she was talking about.
"You do know that there is no one else with you right?" Sakura asked looking at Lee like he was crazy.
"Oh! That's right! I ran here, he should be here any-" Before Lee could even finish his sentence sand spun around the room leaving Gaara standing next to Lee. His expression was the same that it always was, unreadable.
"Gaara!" Naruto and Makoto shouted at the same time.
"See Gaara-Sama! Mako-Chan is indeed unharmed!" Lee smiled at the boy next to him as Mako smiled kindly.
"Thank you again Gaara. This is the second time that you've had to risk your life to save mine; I swear that I will repay you before…" Makoto stopped herself; she was going to say she would repay him before she left… Did she want to leave?... Should she leave?... What if they beat Orochimaru but don't get Sasuke back?... Or better yet would Setsuna let her stay? What about her Hime?
"Mako-Chan?..." Naruto and Sakura asked, but she didn't answer.
"Makoto-Chan. Come, we need to talk." Tsunade said grabbing her arm and pulling her out the door.
"Makoto will catch up with you all later, Kakashi you will start training her tomorrow, and keep an eye on Setsuna-San, and make sure she doesn't do something stupid." Tsunade said as she dragged Makoto out of the room and into her office.
"Sit down Makoto." Tsunade said as she took a seat behind her desk. Makoto obeyed and looked down. She knew that Tsunade was going to tell her something important or lecture her.
"Mako-Chan… Have you… Did you visit them yet?" Tsunade asked looking at her, as Makoto's eyes widened as she looked up at her then they trailed back down to her hands.
"Iie… I was going to soon though…" Makoto replied as she looked back up at Tsunade. She was smiling at her.
"You know, you look just like your mother… Every little emotion is the same, your smile the way you laugh… The only difference is that you have your fathers' eyes… It's almost like seeing my best friend again, and for that I thank you Mako-Chan… Never in my life would I have believed that I would ever see you again…" Tsuande said smiling at the girl who she considered to be as much of a daughter as she did Sakura.
Makoto smiled at Tsuande biting her bottom lip. She now remembered why she loved 'Aunty' Tsuande so much.
"Now, why don't you go and take care of that little errand and I'll send someone to find you when Setsuna-San wakes up." Tsuande said as Makoto stood up and launched herself into the Hokage's arms.
"Arigato Aunt Tsunade! I've missed you too…" Makoto said as she pulled away smiling at her as she ran out.
Tsunade smiled, because for that split second she saw Natsuko.
She sighed as she walked out.
"I wonder if Naruto or Sakura have told her about him yet…" She thought as she shut the door to her office.
-:-
After picking three red roses that she had reluctantly found growing freely in one of the fields, she walked over to a place she visited frequently when she was young.
Memories rushed back to her with every step she took getting closer and closer to them.
She looked up and caught a glimpse of it from about twenty feet away… It was just how she had remembered it.
It was more overgrown but flowers danced around the two graves many of the stems intertwining with others, making it look like a nature made bouquet. So many colors flowed from the diverse types of blossoms. Her breath caught in her throat as she ran over, tears ready to escape now.
She fell to her knees and laid between the two graves… She remembered as she cried how many other times she had done this when she was only a child. As the tears fell from her eyes, she was glad this was far away from other people… Here she could talk to them and cry feely without the burden of others.
"Mama… Papa…" She cried out loud as she had done when she was younger.
"Why is everything so wrong!?... Sasuke-Kun's gone! H-He was so much to me… Even Itachi-Kun!... And even Grandpa…. Everything is gone… All I have are Tsunade-Chan, Sakura, Naruto and Lee… Why did everyone leave me?" Makoto cried as she buried her face in her hands.
"No matter if I was here or in Tokyo… For most of my life… I had nothing, I've had to support myself and be strong with no one to help me through it… If only I knew who did this to you… Who took you away from me… I'd search for them forever; I'll avenge you, all of you…" Makoto cried. She knew they wouldn't reply but deep in her heart she knew they were listening.
(God!! You know what I just realized!? I made Makoto's life practically identical to Sasuke's… It wasn't even intentional!... Geez!... All the more reason for them to be together:D)
She stood up and sniffed as she dried her eyes.
That was her vow and now her self proclaimed mission- She would avenge and kill the person who killed of the last of the Kino Clan as well as her grandfather…
Although poor Mako-Chan had yet to be told that Orochimaru was the one that had killed her dear grandfather, making things more complicated than she even knew. She still suspected that only one person killed them all.
She sighed as she kissed the roses and gently placed them on the graves with a smile.
"I promise you both, I won't fail you… Not anymore and not ever again." She said as she stood up and dusted herself off.
Now she was going to pay her needed respects to her grandfather.
-:-
She held her head high as she walked on her way to his grave, all she could hope was that she would again be the only one around so she could cry without the shame of weakness.
She smiled as she was indeed the only one around. Her breath quickened and she couldn't take it, she ran as fast as she could to his grave, her tears flying behind her.
Right when she got next to the grave she threw the rose down and hugged to marble headstone and wept.
"Grandpa… Wh-Why did you have to die!? You were all I had left!!!" She screamed no longer caring if people did hear her or not. Although someone did as they were passing by.
She chocked out breathes trying to keep as calm as possible.
"D-Do you remember on my fifth birthday when gave me my first Kunai and Ma-Mama and Papa said I was too young and might hurt someone?" Makoto said giggling softly as she spoke.
"And, when you gave it to me you turned around to talk to Mama and I threw it and I ended up hitting your foot? I felt so bad but you just handed it back to me with a smile and told me that it was good aim." Makoto laughed and cried at the same time.
"I miss your warm smile and hugs… You always made me feel better whenever I was missing Mama and Papa…" Makoto said as she pulled away as she began reading the inscription on the headstone.
"Father of Kino Natsuko (deceased) Grandfather to Kino Makoto (deceased) and Konohamaru…"
"Wh-What?... Konohamaru?..." Makoto said as she read the name again.
"Paying your respects to the old man?" A small voice asked from behind her.
"How dare you call him that!? Give your Hokage so-" Makoto stopped yelling as she turned around, her tear-filled eyes widened as two tears fell down her cheeks.
The little boy in front of her was the spitting image of her dear grandfather.
-:- Memory -:-
She remembered when she was younger she sat next to her grandpa as he was looking through something.
"Whatcha' lookin' at grandpa!?" She shouted as she hopped over and sat next to the beloved man.
"Just remembering a few memories Mako-Chan." He smiled down at her as she scooted closer.
"See here?" He asked pointing at a little girl who had curly brown hair and determined black eyes as she threw a kunai at an unseen target; she looked about Makoto's age.
"That's your mother when she was starting her training at the Academy, just like you are now." He smiled down at her as she looked up at him, her eyes glimmering with admiration of her deceased mother.
"Oh! Who's that!?" Makoto shouted as she pointed at a boy who was smiling standing next to the First and Second Hokage. He had markings under his eyes and spiky brown hair.
The Hokage laughed and replied.
"That's me when I was younger Mako-Chan." He smiled.
"No way!!" Makoto said looking closer at the picture.
-:-
"What? You afraid to say anything else because I'm his grandson?" The little boy scoffed and looked away from her angrily.
His eyes widened as felt arms wrap around him.
"I-I- had no idea… Naruto and Sakura didn't tell me yet…" Makoto cried as she hugged him.
"Lady! What's your problem!?" He shouted trying to pull her off of him.
Makoto smiled up at him and dried her eyes.
"Kino Makoto…" She said and watched his eyes widen.
He had read that name over an over many times wondering about her. His grandpa had never told him that he had an Aunt, Uncle and older cousin that had died before he was born until Iruka told him when he asked at the funeral.
"Don't lie about crap like that! What kind of an idiot do you take me for!? Kino Makoto was murdered a long time ago along with her clan!" Konohamaru shouted and pushed her off.
"I figured you might think something like that… And I'm sorry you don't believe me but I guess I'll just ha-" Makoto was cut off by a shout.
"Mako-Chan!! Setsuna is awake! She's talking about something called a Time Gate and someone named Rei! She ne-" Sakura stopped upon seeing who was next to Makoto and where they were.
"Mako-Chan?" Konohamaru repeated the name now realizing that she wasn't lying about who she was after all.
"B-But if you're her then why does it say that you're dead?!" He shouted looking at her, tears in his own eyes now.
"You don't have any parents either do you Konohamaru?" Makoto asked ignoring his question with her own. She looked at him with a saddened look. He bit his lip and looked away.
"For a while, he was all I had too…" Makoto said as she hugged him again, but this time he paused and then returned it.
His teary eyes looked over at his grandpa's grave and smiled.
"You planned on this, didn't you grandpa?" Both he and Makoto thought at the same time.
"Did you find her Sakura-Cha-"
"SHUSH!" Sakura scolded Naruto as she pointed at Makoto and the crying Konohamaru.
"They beat us to it, didn't they?" Sakura quietly asked Naruto as he looked the two smiling as he put his hands behind his head.
"Hai…" He replied as he glanced over at Sakura and blushed.
"Sakura-Chan has changed so much since Sasuke left… In my opinion she's changed for the better… And with Mako-Chan here, she'll make it through alright…" Naruto thought smiling at her with a blush.
Sakura felt his eyes on her and looked over at him.
"Wh-What? Is there something on my face!?" Sakura screamed feeling her face for anything.
"Iie, Sakura-Chan…. It's perfect." Naruto replied as Sakura looked over at him blushed and then smiled kindly.
"Come on… Let's go talk to Mako now…" She said leading the way over to the two cousins.
-:- A few hours later -:-
Makoto sighed as she walked along the streets alone. Setsuna had told her that she was going to visit Rei for a while and talk to her if she has any visions. That meant Makoto was on her own… For the moment at least.
She looked around the large village at all the old places she remembered from her childhood. She still couldn't believe that she had a family, a real family very small, but it was indeed real. She smiled when she thought about the little boy who she had only met a few hours prior to now. It was almost like having her grandfather back again…
"He is so much like you…" She whispered to herself as she walked along the streets.
"Mako-Chan!!!!" A voice she knew all too well by now shouted her name from behind.
She smiled as she turned around and faced her childhood friend and his beloved Sensei as they ran up to her.
"Lee-Kun, Gai-Sensei." She greeted with a smile looking up at the two.
"Makoto-San! Lee has just told me some interesting news…" Gai said wiggling his eyebrows at her angrily.
"And that would be?..." Makoto asked clueless.
"That my eternal rival Hatake Kakashi was appointed by the Fifth Hokage herself that you are his new pupil!" Gai shouted with a dramatic pose.
"I don't like the way this is leading…" Makoto murmured to herself as she sweat dropped.
"So, I'm offering you a proposal, Makoto-San! Come and train with my team and tell me if you would consider my squad being stronger than Kakashi's!" Makoto looked at the two, wagering her options.
She could either A.) Say no and feel horrible B.) Say yes, possibly get her ass whooped, and be embarrassed as HELL when Gai pranced around telling everyone; or C.) Just say yes and treat it as a warm up for Kakashi tomorrow… She figured C was indeed her best option!
"S-Sure you guys when do I- AHHHHHH!" The poor girl didn't even have a chance…
"Come on Mako-Chan! We only have seven hours until night fall!" Lee shouted as he and Gai blasted down the streets of Konoha; the poor defenseless Makoto being dragged along like a puppy by Lee.
"Could we slow down!!!" Makoto screamed as they whizzed by people.
"Sure!" Gai shouted with a crocked smile as he looked behind at her.
"Good 'cause I-"
"Unless you want to get trampled." Gai said with a smile as Makoto tripped and fell to the ground.
"WHAT!!!??" And that's when Makoto noticed the screaming and shouting of people behind her.
She gulped and ever so slowly turned around and epped.
"OH GOD!! OH GOD!!! OH GOOODD!!!" She screamed as she picked herself up and ran again. Bulls?! Gai set a bunch of crazy, wild and hungry looking bulls out to trample her…. FOR TRAINING!!!??
"What kind of place is this!!!? I didn't agree to this!!!... Screw it! Gai when I get a hold of you, I'm SO kicking your ass!!!" Makoto shouted and peeked around behind to see the damn animals were only five feet away!
"AAAAHHHHHH!!! Help!!? For KAMI'S SAKE help me!!! I'm not going to die by being trampled by a bunch of sheep damn it!" Makoto screamed and ran faster. She could feel the animal's breath on her bare legs.
"I'm gonna die!!! I'm gonna die!!! I'm gonna die!!! I'm gonna die!!! I gonna d- AAAHHH!"
Makoto screamed and in that moment someone who she didn't want to see her like this, saved her… From stupid, little, ugly animals…
"I'm such a ninja wanna be… And OF COURSE he has to be the one to ALWAYS save poor Mako-Chan from, Kimimaro, Itachi, and now the savage animals!? God!!" Finally she spoke up and smacked the sand away that had saved her.
"Y-You know, I could have taken care of myself!... I didn't need any h-"
"You were just screaming bloody murder for it, so don't be such a hypocrite." He said pissing her off even more. She looked around thanking God that he was the only one who saw.
"If there's one thing I've learned how to do; it's that I can take care of myself just fine." Makoto snapped back. Yes, she was normally kind to the handsome red head, but she was just being pissy with her poor decision making.
"Don't blame me for your dumb mistake Kino, I was only offering a hand, which obviously was the wrong idea." Gaara replied and began walking away leaving the girl in the alley, alone and… And guilty…
She growled angrily and took off after him.
"Damn it, Gaara! Hold on!" She shouted and caught up to him and was now walking beside him.
"Look… I didn't mean to be so rude, it's just that… Things here are so different than from where I came from… I was so strong back there but here… I'm not even close to par… I've got so much work to do so I can prove myself to everyone and… And the whole thing with Sasuke-Kun being with Orochimaru… That complicates everything more than anyone would ever know…" Makoto said her voice becoming softer and more pleasurable to listen to as she continued.
Gaara glanced over at her seeing the hurt look on her face then sighed.
Kankuro had told him, since being Kazekage meant talking to people, he needed to learn to be able to open up to people more and seem more friendly… So maybe this wasn't such a bad time to practice... And too, this was one of Naruto's special people and… Maybe he could see why she was so special in the first place…
"People don't become anything over night, and as you said it takes time and work. But it's not like you haven't done anything for your Hime am I correct?" He asked as Mako looked up, a confusing look on her face.
"The Hokage told me when we were discussing a few things." He continued and answered her inaudible question.
"Discussions about me I'm guessing…" She mumbled under her breath but didn't go unheard by the Tanuki container.
"Gaara! It doesn't matter! My Senshi are expecting me to be able to take Orochimaru down and hold him off until they get here, but I know I can't even do that! I'm not even strong enough to save myself from anything! You or even Kakashi-Sensei have to come and save me! I can't carry out anything I'm given-"
"Stop it." Gaara growled at her. She looked up tears appearing in her eyes out of failure.
Gaara then quickly grabbed her hand and held it up in front of her face.
Her hand was nothing of what a lady's should look. Calluses, scars, scabs all from training and the recent battles some even from her first.
"How can you say something like that when your hands are pure! You have saved countless of people with these hands while many others do nothing but the opposite! You fight to protect people and your Hime no matter what the cost! And from what I've heard, you've done a damn good job!! So stop throwing a sob party for yourself and get over your childish fears!!" Gaara shouted and looked down at the girl whose eyes were falling with tears.
"Look at your hands." He demanded softly but was firm. He was unsure if she was crying because of what he said or how he said it.
Mako's wet eyes slowly traveled to her hands that were in his grasp.
"You can tell me where you got each of these scares, cuts, calluses and wounds, could you not?" He asked harshly.
She dared not to look up at him and show him her weakness.
"H-Hai…" She chocked out.
"Then you've done your job." He said as he felt one of her tears land on his arm and let go of both of her hands and wiped the moisture on his robes.
"Now, come on, I suppose those to idiots are looki-" Gaara was stopped by a strange feeling.
He felt warm and… And he felt safe… This couldn't be right!
He looked down and saw the brunette girl latched onto him her body convulsing from sobs.
He thanked Kami that they were somewhat secluded from people so no one would see, the problem was that they were still out in the open.
Gaara wasn't sure how to react to this feeling so he figured that he would let her latch onto him until she felt that she was done.
He could feel her fingers knotting in the back of his robes and she grabbed fist fulls of the fabric as she cried.
"I damn the Uchiha's… They know nothing… All they ever do is throw precious things away but one day they'll figure out that they want it back but someone else will have it…" Gaara heard Shukaku laugh in his mind, filling it with things he didn't need to be thinking about with a member of the opposite sex in his arms… And she was vulnerable…
"She could never love me like she has always loved him… I'll never be anything more than what she thinks of me." Gaara replied to the demons perverted thoughts.
"Oh, but you can!" Shukaku smirked.
"I would never do that to one of his precious people… No matter what you think!" Gaara growled but before the demon could retaliate, they were distracted by the girl they had been speaking of.
Makoto slowly pulled away and looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with left over tears.
She placed her hands on his chest and smiled up at him.
"Thank you… Gaara-Kun… You're right." She replied and hugged him tightly and waited for him to return the gesture… But he didn't.
She looked up at him with a questioning gaze.
"Are you incapable of hugging or something? Oh wait! Don't tell me! It's against your religion! Or-" Before she could poke anymore playful accusations at him, he fell right into her trap.
Smiling she looked up again.
"Now, see this isn't so bad. It's nice isn't it?" Makoto laughed and then looked closer at his face.
He wasn't making eye contact… And now she knew why.
A sly smile crept on to her face.
"Gaara!... Are you blushing!?" Makoto asked and before she could play 'lets poke more fun at Gaara'… Well something happened.
"So! You skip training to be with a boy I see! Wait until I tell Kakashi as well as your god mother!" Now it was Makoto's turn to blush and have a psychotic breakdown.
Gaara hadn't ever seen anyone move as fast as she did out of his arms. He would let her take care of this problem while he sat back and watched.
"N-No! G-Gai-Sensei! I can explain! The bulls and- and he and my hands then we were- and touching -……." Makoto stopped and looked at Gai and Lee's faces that were shocked and you could see the blush traveling from her feet to the top of her head.
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT EITHER!!... Gaara!" Makoto called and looked back at him as he shrugged.
He was enjoying this wasn't he!?
Makoto then stopped and angrily looked back and Gai.
"Hey!? Aren't I supposed to be kicking your ass right now for almost getting me trampled by thos- HEY!" Makoto yelled as Gai walked over and picked Makoto up by her collar and began pulling her away.
"We can do that later, for now I need to talk to you about the difference between training and eloping with the opposite sex… Well you already know the eloping part but, we can go over it again, and then-"
"NANI!!!??? Gaara aren't you going to help me!!!?" Makoto screamed as she was being dragged away.
Lee just looked at her and shook his head back and forth disappointingly.
Gaara sighed and figured she would be fine, she would be pissed the next time she saw him that he didn't help her out, but he would deal with that then. Besides, what made her think that he wanted to listen to that idiot talk about sex?
-:- ten minutes later -:-
Makoto had a piss poor attitude and the expression to match it perfectly. She was sitting on the ground next to Lee who seemed to be paying complete attention to Gai as he told them about the affects of eloping.
If someone would have told her a month ago that she would be sitting here, in Konoha, listening to her childhood friend's Sensei tell her basically not to have sex, she would have taken them to a mental institution.
She growled as she looked over at Lee and watched him taking notes on what Gai was saying, and sweat dropped.
"Lee… What am I going to do with you?" Makoto whispered to herself.
"And so that should never be used, unless you really like the person… Or if you're out of ideas. Now for a demonstration, Lee and Makoto, would you come he-"
Makoto's eyes bugged out of her head.
"OH MY GOD!!! IS HE KIDDING!!??" Makoto thought to herself as she watched Lee stand.
"Come on Makoto-San." Gai said glaring at her, obviously still mad that she had 'ditched' them.
"I-….I-… What were we talking about?" Makoto asked trying to get off the subject.
"Gai-Sensei! We're here!" They heard a voice shout and caught their attention.
"THANK YOU GOD!!! I'LL NEVER DO ANYTHING BAD AGAIN!!" Makoto shouted holding her hands together in prayer.
"I suppose that we can continue this after training. And I don't want to find you confusing the meaning of training and eloping again Makoto-San!" Gai shouted as Makoto blushed and looked over to the two new comers giving her accusing looks.
She shook her head back and forth quickly.
"It's NOT what you think! He doesn't know what he's talking about!" Makoto shouted blushing deeper.
"Note to self: Once training is over one.) run like Hell then Two.) find Kakashi so he can save me ASAP!" Makoto thought.
"Are you questioning Gai-Sensei's intelligence Mako-Chan?" Lee asked his eyes flaming.
Makoto sighed and sweat dropped, the last thing she wanted to do was get Lee angry with her.
"No Lee-Kun, Gai-Sensei is the most intelligent person I know, even more than Kakashi-Sensei." Makoto spoke more dully than the Kazekage himself.
Suddenly Gai was next to her his arm around her and a tape recorder in his hand.
"Can you say that one more time into the recorder Makoto-San?" He asked hopefully.
Makoto leaned in so that she was in voice range.
"…No." She said with an evil smile.
"Gai-Sensei? What's going on? I thought that we were going to train?" Neji asked, obviously that was the only reason he came in the first place.
"Oh but Neji, we are!" Gai shouted to him.
"We're going to train Mako-Chan! We can prove to her that Gai-Sensei's training is more affective than Hatake Kakashi's!" Lee shouted enthusiastically.
Makoto sighed at Lee's eagerness and looked up at the two people and finally recognized them.
"You're the two people from the hospital aren't you?" Makoto asked looking at them.
"Hai! I'm Tenten! You're Kino Makoto aren't you?! It's so amazing that you're alive, there were so many rumors of how you were killed." Tenten smiled.
Makoto face vaulted.
"Thanks for the burst of optimism…" She whispered quietly.
"And, he's Hyuga Neji, don't worry if he doesn't talk to you, he's not much of people person anyway." She said pointing to Neji as he began walking over.
"H-Hyuga?" Makoto asked astonished as her eyes widened.
"You mean the one with the Kekkei Genkai, Byakugan!?" Makoto practically screeched as Neji looked over at her.
As Tenten laughed and nodded.
"He's pretty hot isn't he?... You're a lucky girl Tenten-Chan!" Makoto laughed elbowing her in the side as the mahogany eyed girl blushed herself.
"Th-that's…- Gai-Sensei! Why don't we get started?" Tenten shouted hoping that Neji hadn't heard her stammer.
"I love your zest Tenten! Let us begin! Who wishes to face Mako-Chan first!?" Lee shouted looking around.
"Wait! Na-Nani!? I thought this was just a warm up Lee!" Makoto shouted but Gai answered.
"The bulls were your warm up Makoto-San, but you were too busy with the Kazekage." Gai said accusingly as Mako blushed but this time it was because she was pissed.
"Gaara, is nothing more than a friend! He saved my life more than once! I was thanking him for his kindness! You would be able to tell the difference is you listened to me for a second!" Makoto shouted her face scrunched up in a sour expression as she sat on the ground and crossed her arms under her chest giving the sensei a 'in your face' glare.
"But you were hugging." Lee said as if he couldn't help but add that in.
"LEE!!" Makoto shouted as took off her shoe and pelted it at his head making contact.
"Gomen! But it is true! You were caught red-handed Mako-Chan!" He shouted as Makoto kicked off her other shoe and charged at the childhood friend.
"You are supposed to be on my side you baka!!" She shouted as he ran in the other direction.
"I am only telling the truth!!" He shouted as she ran faster after him but he skillfully jumped up one of the trees.
"That isn't fair!! You know I never got to learn how to do that!!" Makoto shouted as she punched the tree so hard that it shook Lee down and he fell to the ground right in front of her.
Everyone's eyes widened as she took her fist away from the tree and looked at it.
"Well… That's a new power…" She said to herself as she felt her knuckles that were undamaged, which shouldn't be.
"Mako-Chan?... Were you able to do that back in Tokyo?" Lee asked amazed as she shook her head negatively, then smiled viciously.
"No, but thanks for reminding me you were still there Lee-Kun" Makoto said as she pulled her leg back to kick him and as she as almost there he grabbed her foot and turned it backwards so that she would loose her balance and fall to the ground.
"You jerk!" She shouted laughingly as she tried to pull herself up to hit him, but he had her pinned so that she couldn't reach him until he let her go.
"You must watch your movements Mako-Chan they are in vain if you are not paying attention." He said calmly as she laughed and laid down.
"Fine, I give… You win… But you just remember I wasn't even trying…" She pouted as he let go and offered her a hand as she accepted it.
"My friend Haruka would love to meet you, Lee-Kun. She's a better fighter than I am and she taught me what I mostly know about fighting… She'd definatly give you a run for your money. And I bet once I start training and get back into the groove of everything, I'll be able to as well!" She smiled as she wrapped her arm around his shoulder.
"I will hold you to that Mako-Chan." He smiled down at the Lightening Senshi.
"Is that enough of a warm up for you Mako?" He asked as they waked back over to the other three and Tenten was still looking at her like she was monster.
"Are you like Tsunade-Sama's freaking kid or something!?" She shouted as Makoto laughed.
"No, but she is like my aunt and is the closest thing I've had to a mother since my mom was killed almost ten years ago." Makoto replied more chipper than she figured that she would be able to.
"And I'm getting the feeling, once I'm done training with Kakashi-Sensei, she's going to give me some of her hardcore training… Sakura-Chan says I'm in for a load of shit…" Makoto sighed thinking of all the horrible things that the dear friend was put through.
"Well! I vote that Mako-Chan and Neji fight! That will be interesting indeed!" Lee shouted with his natural gleefulness.
"What a wonderful idea Lee! Go on Neji!" Gai shouted just as much enthusiasm as Lee.
"No, I see no point in this. She won't improve my powers by doing this, so I see no point. Besides, she will loose." Neji replied and Lee stepped away from Makoto whose powers were blazing.
"Now! Wait just a minute Neji! Mako-"
"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is Hyuga? Or are you moving your stature up on Konoha's list just because the Kino and Uchiha Clan are gone? Don't you forget that just because I've been gone, doesn't mean that I'm not my parents' child." Makoto spat hatefully as she stepped in front of Lee showing that she was more than capable of fighting her own battles.
Neji's eyes widened at her impudence to talk to him in such a way.
"If you're so eager to be beaten then come." He spoke firmly and stepped into his fighting position.
"As you wish." She growled also stepping into her position a glare plastered on her face.
"Gai-Sensei…" Lee called softly to his superior.
"I'll step in when I must… But she wants to fight him, let her. Besides, it shows us what she's truly capable of. You would have gone easy on her, this is what she needs." Gai replied not looking down at Lee as the boy turned his worried gaze back to his long time friend.
Makoto watched with curiosity as Neji activated his Byakugan and his eyes widened as if he saw something that amazed him beyond belief.
She gave him a crocked smile and made her powers pulse, seeing that he now realized what the thing inside of her body was for.
Suddenly she saw an opening and faster than her own lightening she was behind him.
"Amazing isn't it? It's called a Sailor Crystal and that's what my powers derive themselves from." She said as he quickly turned around to hit her but she narrowly missed his attack.
"Note one: he's a close range fighter. Damn that was close." She whispered as she quickly distanced herself.
"Not a problem…" She said as she began to gather lightening in her hands.
"Chi-Chidori?" She heard Tenten ask.
"Nope! Jupiter Oak Evolution!" She shouted and whipped the leaves at the boy so fast he almost didn't have enough time to put up his shield and spin them back at the girl.
"Shit." She muttered and quickly dodged the leaves.
"Well that was unexpected…" She whispered to herself.
"What the Hell was that!?" Tenten shouted looking at Makoto as she smirked.
"What the Hell is this girl!? She's almost as fast as Lee without his weights!" Neji thought angrily.
"No matter, this will be over soon enough." He thought and as she was getting ready to attack again she felt the wind blow behind her.
"Four palms!" She heard him shout.
"Damn it!!" She shouted and quickly let herself drop to the ground and flip backwards away from the boy.
Her breathes were short and labored then he was in her face once again.
She then grabbed his shoulders as he tried to hit her and flipped over top of his head taking him with her and she threw him forwards landing on her feet, but before she let go he hit her shoulder.
"Ahhh!" She screamed feeling that her body almost stopped as well as her heart.
Lucky for her that she had thrown him far enough away that she could recover.
"You're a bit of a bitch aren't you?" She spat looking at him as he smirked. He even landed on his feet when she threw him!
If she was to come straight at him, he would hit her with his 'palm' thing and if she stayed long range, which wasn't preferably either, he would just send the attack right back at her.
He had an amazing offense as well as defense… But everyone has a flaw, but her problem was that she didn't have to time to think of what it was.
"If only you were here Ami-Chan… You'd tell me something in your smart little gibberish and then hurry and translate it and direct me where to hit him." Makoto smiled sadly then charged at him.
"I guess I'm fighting on a whim!" She thought to herself gathering more electricity in her hands and saw him smirking.
As she pulled her arm back to hit him she stopped and swore that her heart skipped a beat.
"They're here…" She cried in a hoarse voice and felt his fists pour onto her now defenseless body.
"Ahh!!" She shouted feeling like she was going to die.
She tried to channel the electricity through her body to shock him while he hit her but she then remembered that the technique he was using closed off her charka channels wherever it hit.
She felt her eyes beginning to close as she gasped for air.
"Th-They're here…" She whispered then everything stopped.
"Who the God damn Hell do you think you are!!!!?" She heard a voice scream and possibly Neji's jaw break as she smiled unable to open her eyes and see the wonderful sight.
"For a hot guy, you're a bastard!!" She heard another voice shout and one of their appendages connect with a part of Neji's body.
"ALL men are bastards!" Another shouted as Mako smiled at the voices.
"Mako-Chan? Are you alright?" She heard a sweet voice ask kindly as they laid her head on their lap.
"I'm fine, Suna…" She smiled and opened her eyes to see four of her best friends around her.
"Ruka, Mina, Rei…" She called out softly and they stopped pulverizing the now surprised Hyuga prodigy.
"Mako!" Mina shouted and glomped the girl.
"I missed you so much, my best buddy!!" She shouted squeezing the girl as Makoto also hugged her. She didn't care how much her body hurt she had to hug her dear friend.
"I'm already pissed boy! So don't let me EVER catch you doing that again, or I'll make you truly regret it!" Makoto heard Haruka blare at the boy, and possibly Rei kick him and walk over to Makoto.
"Well this is weird…" Tenten said looking at the five girls then back at the pissed off Neji.
"Mako-Chan!" Lee shouted and quickly ran over to Makoto.
"Are you alright Mako-Chan?" He asked looking at the battered girl.
"I am now, Lee-Kun…" She smiled up at him.
"I am glad…" He whispered and looked at the other girls around his friend.
"Hi! I'm Aino Minako! Pleasure to meet you! I hope we didn't hurt your friend over there too bad!... Okay well maybe we do but, that's besides the point and-"
"Oh shut up Minako! You're not making any sense! You're as bad as Usa-Baka!!" Rei shouted.
"Well if you'd let me FINISH Hino maybe I would!" Mina retaliated and stuck her tongue out and in turn as did Rei.
"Why don't you both be quiet so you can stop giving Koto a head ach, don't you think she's been through enough pain?" Haruka asked scolding the two childish teens.
"Hai, Haruka…." They both replied.
"This is nice, just like home." Makoto replied with a smile and then began to loose consciousness.
-:-
Makoto woke up the next day to find herself asleep on a comfy couch with a blanket over her body.
She stretched and yawned then realized there was a horrible noise coming from the bottom of the couch.
"Naruto…" She whispered softly and looked down to see Naruto asleep at the foot of the couch his head laying on the cushion while the rest of his body was on the floor.
"Oh yuck!! You drooled on my foot!!" She shouted and shook her foot violently and woke the boy up.
"Wh-What happened!!? Is it the Akatsuki!?" He shouted then felt her foot jab him in the jaw on accident.
"HEY!!" He shouted and popped up looking at Makoto.
"You drooled on my FOOT!!!" She seethed at the boy as he looked away sheepishly.
"Opps…"
"Opps is right! You-… Wait! Where are the girls! Wa-was I just dreaming it all!?" Makoto shouted looking at Naruto.
"We're here Koto, you were loud enough to wake all of us up!" She heard Haruka shout from the other side of the room, obviously she had slept on the chair.
Makoto jumped up and hugged the girl.
"I'm so glad to see you guys and that you're all alright!" Makoto cried on her shoulder.
"I didn't bring them here for just any reason Mako… You should know that…" Makoto heard Setsuna say from behind her.
Makoto's face turned to worry as she looked to find the Senshi of Venus and Mars next to Setsuna as well.
"Oh no…" She whispered.
"Wh-Who is it?" She asked looking at them and saw they were staring at Haruka.
"No…" Makoto whispered and looked back at Ruka to see her expression was pensive.
"The bastards' got Michi…" She spoke with pure venom.
"B-but how!!? How did he even know where to find her! And let alone get there!!?" Makoto shouted to them all as Naruto sat back trying to follow everything that they were talking about.
"If we knew, we would have not had needed to involve you in this Mako, you're the most important part of this mission…" Rei spoke obviously letting Mako know that she didn't even foresee this coming in her fire readings.
"And Artemis doesn't even know what to do…" Mina spoke softly.
"But there's one thing that we do know." Haruka said.
"He wanted Michi for the Mirror…." Setsuna spoke hatefully of the man.
"And most likely so he could get to you much easier and be able to watch every little move you make…. DAMN IT!! Why didn't I even think about Michiru!? That has to be one the last things next to you and Usagi that I'd want in his hands and now he has both her and the mirror!!" Setsuna shouted angrily clenching her fists together.
"And now everything is more complicated because I have to try and keep the damn Akatsuki away from you as WELL as Orochimaru!" Setsuna growled and let her head hang in defeat.
"You're not trying hard enough." They heard a voice say confidently.
"What did you just say?" Haruka growled standing up.
"I said you're not trying hard enough. If you wanted to save Mako-Chan and that other girl, you wouldn't just give up… She left me for ten years and I still had hope that she was still alive and look what happens when you hold on to that hope!" Naruto shouted and looked at Makoto and she smiled at him.
"It comes back to you. If you give up so easily, you'll never accomplish anything. Mako-Chan was my best friend and my only friend and then she left, and while everyone thought she had been killed I still believed that she was out there. And if I wouldn't have, I would have never seen her again… Just like Sasuke-Teme… I know he gave up on hope a long time ago, but Mako-Chan was more dear to him than anything! And he actually cared for her, more than I had seen him care for me and Sakura-Chan put together… But when he gave up on hope, he gave up on you too Makoto… That's why he thinks you were killed by his brother and that's why you can't give up on your hope either!" Naruto shouted only to find all of the girls in the room staring at him in awe.
"That boy…. That boy MUST be distantly related to Usa-Baka!" Rei shouted as Mina nodded in a silent agreement while Setsuna chuckled still watching the boy.
"Naruto-Kun…" Makoto whispered and looked at him with a sincere smile.
"No wonder I liked Usagi-Chan so much…. She always seemed to remind me of you…" Makoto spoke still smiling.
"Well they sure have to eating pattern down pat, now don't they?" Rei asked accusingly.
-:-
"So… What are we going to do about him having Michi?" Makoto asked as they were all seated in the Hokage's Office.
"Obviously, he'll use her as bait to lure in Haruka and I'm getting the feeling that she'll fall for it too…" Tsunade spoke as no one, not even Haruka objected to her accusation that was definatly true.
"I'm sorry, but we can do nothing but wait and see what happens, and I'm not sending Makoto off to be used as counter bait and get caught in the process."
"Are you saying that we aren't enough to protect her but kids younger than myself are!?" Haruka shouted as Makoto looked at the two women with pleading eyes.
"Those KIDS younger than yourself could very possibly be stronger than you and I put together in only a matter of months! One of them at which I have trained personally for the past two and a half years and soon WILL surpass my abilities! So before you go around waving your maturity like you're more superior to some, I suggest you look around to see that you're not in Tokyo anymore Miss. Tenoh!" Tsunade shouted as Makoto winced looking back at her friend.
"Haruka… Please just listen for a little longer and then you can have your say… Tsunade knows what she's doing…" Makoto replied looking up at her friend.
"It's what Michi would want you to do Ruka…" Mina spoke softly as Haruka sat down and let the Fifth continue.
"Now… All that I can tell you to do is go back to the planets that you were from and train as much as you physically can. And once we get the slightest impression that something is about to happen or if we find out anything on Michiru, we'll contact you immediately… You of course being first Haruka." Tsunade spoke stiffly and watched as the Senshi bowed and thanked the woman half heartedly and walked out of the room.
Makoto sighed as she looked at the friends she loved so dearly. She didn't want to see them leave, they just got here… She was missing them already and they were standing right next to her.
"We'll get her back Ruka… I'll make sure that I'm hounding Tsunade-Chan every day so she won't forget okay?" Makoto asked trying to cheer her taller friend up.
Haruka didn't reply. She wanted so badly to go after Michiru… But she knew that if she did, it really would jeopardize Makoto's freedom as well… So in the end, all she really could do was listen to The Hokage.
"I know you will Koto… I trust that you will…" She finally replied smiling down at the brunette.
"Um… Suna? When are you going to make us leave?" Rei asked but Haruka answered.
"As soon as possible. You heard her; the only thing that we can do to help Michi is go back and train our asses off."
"Oh… Right…" Mina and Rei both said at the same time and in the same morbidly depressed manner.
Makoto looked down at her watch and saw the time.
"Ohhh!! I have to go train with Kakashi… Are you guys going to leave now then?" Makoto asked sadly.
"We can walk you there… And then I'll send them back and I can come back to watch over your training." Setsuna said with a blush as they walked out of The Hokage's tower and into the blazing sunlight.
"Yeah right Suna, you just wanna watch Kakashi-Sensei get all hot and sweaty." Makoto snickered as everyone but Makoto stopped walking and turned to the now beat red Setsuna.
"N-Now that's not true Makoto! I'm worried you might get hurt-"
"You know he wouldn't hurt me and you KNOW it's so true!" Makoto retaliated.
"Oh my God! Everyone it's the apocalypse! Set's has the hots for someone!! Run!!!" Mina shouted mimicking what Makoto had done the first time she realized that Setsuna liked Kakashi.
"Heh, I was getting worried that you'd never find yourself someone Suna." Haruka laughed at her fellow outer Senshi.
"Yeah, I almost listened to Mina and Usagi when they wanted to play match-maker with you." Rei laughed as they walked down the streets of Konoha.
"This place is really amazing! I mean it's so different from Tokyo! I mean, it looks so Amish!" Mina shouted hoping around, fascinated by every little shop as the girls sweat dropped.
"Well, it looks like you've made some friends." Makoto stopped as she heard a familiar voice coming from an unknown place.
-:-
I know, I know!!... Cliffie… Hehe!! XD Well it's high time that I'd give you guys one! It should be expected! Lol! Well, no need to fret because I've already got chapter six done and is now being edited, so long as I get at least five reviews (which is the norm anyway) a week from today, I'll post Chap. Six… Um… Well not much to say except… Please review or no chappie for you next week! Yes, I know I am evil. Tell me your thoughts, good or bad!
Chow!
-Katness
P.S.- Next weeks chapter is guaranteed laughter!! I REALLY like it! So please give me your reviews so I can post it!! Lol!