Disclaimer: Do you actually think I own Naruto? Really?
Beta: sabakunofaye
When I woke up in the morning, Kakashi was filling something out. As always, he had on the black half mask and a blue shirt with grey pajama pants.
"Are you feeling better?" He asked, never looking away from his papers.
I frowned and rubbed my eyes. They felt icky and dry, like when you fell asleep with contacts on. "I'm fine," I muttered, pulling myself out of the bed. "Gotta pee."
He wrinkled his nose as I passed, "Take a bath while you're at it, you smell."
I turned to stick my tongue out at him and walked into the wall. Kakashi snickered and I could feel myself blushing as I ran into the bathroom and slammed the door.
Kakashi's bathroom was simple and small like the rest of the apartment. There was a sink, toilet, bathtub, stool, shower, and that was about it. There was some fancy looking shampoo and conditioner too, with a girl flipping her hair on one of them. I snickered, guess all that hair did need maintaining after all.
I didn't bother taking a full bath because I always found those disgusting (you were bathing in your own filth for Jashin's sake!) instead just taking a short rinse.
I stepped out of the shower, still dripping wet, and took a moment to stare at myself in the mirror. I had almost forgotten about the lines on my face. I ran a finger down one, idly thinking that they made me look like I was crying blood.
"Tsukiko?" I heard a voice call from behind the door, "I've got your clothes, I'll just put them on the sink."
"No wait! I'm not wearing a-"
I froze when the door swung open. Kakashi stood there holding my clothes. Our eyes met and there was a short pause before I snapped out of it.
"Get out!" I screamed, grabbing the thing closest to me and throwing it at him.
Kakashi caught it- a hairbrush- with ease and set my clothes down next to the sink. He turned around and slammed the door shut.
I stood there for a bit, wet and flushed. For a second I forgot that I was a kid and there wasn't anything to see. Instead, I reacted like I would have if someone had walked in on me in my old body.
Sighing, I looked at myself in the mirror again. My eyes widened a fraction when I realized I wasn't wearing concealer.
And Kakashi had met Jiraiya.
Did he notice the similarities? He was supposed to be a genius. Would he tell the Hokage? Would he tell Minato, who might tell Jiraiya? Maaaaaaaa, I wasn't ready to meet him yet! What if he rejected me? What if he decided he wasn't ready for a kid and just left like he did with Naruto, except this time he never came back for me?
I slapped my hands on my cheeks, "Deep breaths, Tsukiko, deep breaths."
I willed myself to calm down as I pulled on a mint green shirt and a pair of black pants. Opening one of the bathroom drawers, I pulled out the concealer and applied it. Just because Kashi knew, didn't mean he would tell anyone else right?
I pulled my eye patch on, folded up the clothes I had been wearing and stepped out of the bathroom. I padded around the apartment looking for Kakashi.
"Kashi?" I called out. "Kashi-chaaaannnn. Where are you?"
I wandered around a bit, checking and searching rooms, looking for him. I even looked under the bed and in the closet, although I had no idea why I'd think he would be hiding there. When I checked the kitchen for a third time, I found a note on the corner of the counter, just in the place I would miss it. It was written in neat, elegant handwriting that screamed Kakashi.
Tsukiko,
I've been notified by the Hokage that I'm to go on a mission, it may take a while. Kushina will come by to check on you.
Kakashi
I puffed my cheeks out and turned away. I didn't need a babysitter. I was older than Kakashi! It wasn't fair. But then... if Kashi wasn't here that meant...Icha Icha Paradise was all mine!
I ran to his room, slipping on the floor in the process, and pulled open all the drawers, looking for the book as if my life depended on it. In one of the drawers there was another note in the same handwriting.
Nice try. Don't bother looking for the book, I took it with me.
I was really annoyed when I made my way back to the living room. Flopping onto the couch, I reached for the remote and turned the TV on. I flipped through the channels for a while before I was startled by some violent knocking on the door. I got up and swung it open. I was met by a woman with a familiar shade of red hair.
I stared up at her, bored, and in a perfect imitation of Kakashi greeted her with a lazy, "Yo."
In instant she was down to my level and pinching one of my cheeks.
"You're so cute!" She exclaimed excitedly. "I bet you're dying with boring Kakashi-kun"
It really pissed me off when adults did this in my past life. But intense fear mixed with respect of Kushina kept me silent as she patted my hair and cooed over me.
It was a bit until Kushina got up and dusted herself off, "You're Tsukiko-chan right?" I nodded. "I'm Kushina. Kakashi-kun asked me to check up on you."
"Oh, hi then," I muttered, not knowing what else to say.
"Anyways, this was somewhat last minute and I had been planning on visiting someone before Kakashi-kun told me to check up on you. Do you mind coming with me? This will only take a second," her gaze lingered on my blind eye for a moment while she waited for my answer.
"No that's fine," I replied, walking out of the apartment and shutting the door. "I don't have much to do anyways."
The walk outside of the building was really awkward. The silence was so thick you could cut through it with a knife.
" So, uh, where are we going?" I asked, trying to clear the atmosphere.
"We're visiting an old friend of mine. I haven't been able to see her that much since she got married. She has a son too, so he can keep you company," she said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
Ugh, I was being put on a play date with a drooling brat wasn't I? I hadn't even talked to a normal kid since my time at the orphanage, and even then I only said things I needed to. I never actually started an actual conversation with anyone except for Nanami and we weren't even that close. I had no idea whatsoever on how to act around children. It had been way too long since I actually was one.
I huffed in annoyance, god damn you, Kakashi, if I end up in an awkward situation this would be your fault. You couldn't have just left me alone, could you?
I had finally succeeded in pulling my hand out of hers. I flexed it a bit, feeling the stiffness. Wow, Kushina sure had an iron grip. The atmosphere darkened in an instant and when I looked up, Kushina was giving me a death glare.
"What are you doing brat?" She snapped at me. "Do you not like holding my hand?"
I gulped when I saw the tips of her hair start to take on a life of their own and swirl around her head.
"I-I'm not doing anything Kushina-san," I replied timidly as I put my hand back into hers. "A-and your hand is. . .great."
"That's what I thought," she stated with a smile, her hair falling back into place as she continued walking.
We stopped in front of a park that was filled with little kids running around and playing various games. Kushina walked us over to a woman sitting in the shade of a tree, a picnic basket next to her. Her face instantly brightened when she saw Kushina.
"Kushina!" She said, a big smile on her face as she got up to hug my babysitter. "It's been far too long."
Kushina grinned and hugged her back, "It has, hasn't it? I'm so happy we put this together. How are you?"
"I'm doing great," her onyx gaze turned to me and she smiled. "And who is this?"
"Mikoto, I'd like you to meet Tsukiko-chan. I'm babysitting her for Kakashi-kun," she turned to me. "Tsukiko-chan, this is Uchiha Mikoto."
I gave her a polite bow, "Pleased to meet you."
An Uchiha, hmm? Well that was lovely. I get to talk to a stoic, emotionally constipated prodigy instead of a normal five-year-old. I wasn't sure which one I'd prefer but they both sounded like they'd suck. Though, at least I knew what to expect from the Uchiha.
"Say, Mikoto, is Itachi here?" Kushina asked.
Itachi. . .Itachi Uchiha? Kushina was putting me on a play date with the guy who single-handedly killed off one of Konoha's strongest clans, if not Konoha's strongest? Yeah he did it to stop the coup d'état, but still. His own family? Sure, he was a good guy deep down, and yeah he did have a really awesome voice, and yes I may or may not have been a huge fangirl of him, but that was before the things he did were real.
It's like this, while watching a show or playing a video game a lot of people will think that the psychopathically-insane-in-a-funny-way killer is pretty awesome right? But take that same psychopath and put him in real life, and he's not so awesome anymore, just insane.
Itachi wasn't insane but the fact still stands that he killed his entire clan. And what he did just became real for me, or more like it would become real.
I cleared my throat, "You know, Kushina, I wouldn't mind just staying here with you two."
Kushina gave me a look that I took to say shut up and let me catch up with a friend.
Mikoto just smiled, "Don't be shy, Itachi's in the traing grounds, it's not far from here, not at all. I think Shisui is with him too. You three can play together."
"Be back here in an hour," Kushina called out as she plopped herself next to Mikoto.
I huffed, listened to the directions Kushina gave me, and walked away. I didn't dare speak up against her, one death glare was enough for the day. If you think the demon hair was freaky from behind a screen, multiply that feeling by a thousand and that's what it's like being on the receiving end.
Getting to the training grounds was much easier with Kushina's directions. I didn't even get lost once. But even though I did make it to the training grounds I had totally forgotten to ask Mikoto which training ground to go to. So I once again ended up having no idea where I was going.
After searching four training grounds, I was about to leave and go back to the park when I heard something.
"Fire style: Fireball jutsu!"
I whirred around to see a giant mass of fire eat up the trees surrounding the fifth training ground. It looked amazing, really awesome too. So much cooler than from behind a screen. And I could feel the heat coming off the jutsu from here.
I ran in the direction from which it came and saw two dark haired boys arguing about something. One of them was probably the one who did it. I needed to learn that, it just looked too cool not to know.
"Hey you!" I yelled once I got close enough. "Which one of you did that jutsu?"
One of the boys, the one with the shorter unkempt hair, responded by puffing his chest up with pride, "I did. It was pretty cool, wasn't it?"
"It was," I agreed. "You have to show me how to do that!"
"Hn, he can't," the shorter boy with longer hair said. "He couldn't teach a dog to sit."
"I could too!" The other boy said indignantly. "You're just being mean 'Tachi."
"Itachi?" I asked furrowing my brow. "You're Itachi?"
I should've been afraid of the guy who could kill me before I could blink but I wasn't. I just couldn't be. This is exactly what happened with Kabuto.
He didn't look like a seasoned shinobi, even if he looked like a chibi version of his anime self, he just looked like a little kid. He wasn't even all that intimidating. There was an air of innocence about him.
"I'm Tsukiko," I continued when he didn't answer. "Kushina-san's babysitting me and your mum sent me here while they talked."
"Hn, pleasure to meet you. I hope we get along."
"Uh sure, back at you," he didn't sound like he wanted to get along.
"Don't worry about Itachi here, he doesn't talk much. I'm Uchiha Shisui," the other boy said holding his hand out.
I took his hand and shook it, "So will you teach me that justu?"
Shisui nodded, "Yeah ,and I'll prove 'Tachi wrong."
Itachi looked away, "This isn't going to end well."
Shisui just stuck his tongue out and turned to me, "Ok, so how good is your chakra control?"
"I can water walk and climb trees," I proclaimed proudly.
"Water walk?" Shisui asked incredulously. "Wow! When we're done here, you'll show me that right?"
I smiled and nodded. It felt nice to know more than a Uchiha.
"I could've show you that," Itachi muttered.
"Yeah, but you always say you're busy training," Shisui said, a slight whine in his tone. "Anyways, for this justu your chakra control has to be good. So, you have to convert your chakra into fire chakra and then do the hand signs. They're snake, sheep, monkey, pig, horse, and tiger."
"Uh, shouldn't you teach me chakra conversion first?" I asked, slightly worried.
Shisui waved his hand, dismissing my statement, "Nah, you'll be fine. Just superheat your chakra and release it from your lungs and mouth."
Itachi shook his head, "I'm telling you it's not a good idea."
I huffed in annoyance, "You don't think I can do it because I'm not a Uchiha, don't you?"
"Yeah, that's exactly what I think," he started, dead serious.
My eyes widened, how rude could this kid be? I didn't expect him to come right out and say it. I thought he was supposed to be smooth talking and gentlemanly.
"Look," He started again, "You do-"
"Oh hush Itachi," Shisui interupted. "You're always nagging me about how things aren't a good idea. 'Shisui, you shouldn't climb that tree without chakra, you'll fall. Shisui, don't eat too much mochi, you'll get sick. Shisui, don't pee in the pool, it's disgusting.' And yeah, maybe you're always right, but I don't want you spoiling things this time. She'll be fine."
Itachi took on a look of annoyance, "Don't say I didn't warn you."
Alright you arrogant bastard, I'll show you. Yeah Shisui's instructions weren't that clear but I had information from the show to go on too. This couldn't be that hard if a couple of kids could do it right? Sure they were prodigies, and yeah they were geniuses, but they were just kids. . . right?
I shook my head and tried to clear my mind, I couldn't be having these negative thoughts now. As my hands began forming the signs I closed my eyes and focused on heating up my chakra and focusing it to my lungs. I think it was working, my body did feel warmer.
Feeling triumphant, I opened my mouth and gave the chakra in my lungs a violent push to my mouth. . .only to feel like I had been sucker punched in the stomach. I fell to my knees panting. My vision was covered in black spots. I faintly registered Shisui running to me worriedly. Itachi said something to him and Shisui ran out of the training grounds.
Itachi knelt down next to me, "I tried to tell you this would happen."
I opened my mouth to answer and he slapped a hand over it, "Don't talk." he muttered, "Shisui went to get Kushina, just hang on."
My body was covered in this faint pain and there was a more intense one in my lungs. My breaths came out very shaky and I tried to keep a whimper in, this feeling sucked, I felt so helpless. Was this what chakra exhaustion felt like? Itachi must've felt my discomfort because he raised an awkward hand and put it on my head.
It wasn't long until Kushina appeared in the training grounds. She looked furious but managed to sound gentle. I didn't quite get what she said. She mumbled something to me and pressed two fingers to my temples. A more pleasant feeling washed over me as the world faded into darkness.
Ok I'm über sorry for how late this is, it's just life is kicking my ass right now. It's going to be a bit in between updates until school ends, I'll try to work my hardest though.
Review! Reviews are inspiring and it's always nice to hear what you people think!
Till next time!
