Authors Notes: sorry I didn't up date on Saturday. My cousin is getting married and all my family are coming up and mom wanted clean house and then there were family gatherings and stuff. I have not been doing to well with the updating have I? I find it easier to update on the holidays then in a school week. Damn oh well I'll try. Here chapter 4.
Kohana father's name Akira means bright and intelligent, because I believe that Kohana got her smarts from her father and later on him the story Kohana will have her mother's breasts. Heh heh heh.
Oh I almost forgot NO ONE REVIEWED MY 3RD CHAPTER!!
Disclaimor: I don't own Naruto, but I do own the characters Kohana, Chikaho, Umi Yasuo and Akira.
"Characters © copyright hahahhaha . . . . ."
"Thoughts"
"Shukaku"
"Normal"
Since Then, Until Forever
By RikuOfTheDesert
Chapter 4: Pieces Of The Past
The street of Konoha was busting with people as they went about their daily duties, some turned and looked at the four shinobi from Suna as they walked past, but nothing more. However no one saw the small figure that jumped across the rooftops over head as they silently followed the group of shinobi though town.
It was not long that they made it to the Hokage tower and entered. Kohana stopped and hide in the trees close by and waited. Half hour later they left and checked in to a hotel, all the while being followed.
"Well, now what?" thought Kohana as she sat on the roof of the hotel, "I have nowhere to go and if I go inside Baki will have the shinobi from Konoha escort me back to Suna, and I well not go back. So that leaves finding a hole big enough and curling up in that for the night. Fun."
Kohana was brought out of her thoughts when Temari and Kankuro walked out of the hotel and down the street.
"I have nothing better to do, so I'll follow them," murmur Kohana as she toke off after them, unaware of the cold eyes that followed her movement.
"So this is the might Leaf village," said Kankuro, sarcasticly.
"It's not much really," agreed Temari, as the walked down and around the street, "I wonder how strong their shinobi are?"
"If their weak it will make our mission all that more easy," smirked Kankuro.
"Mission?" thought Kohana as she silently jumped from tree to tree, "Their here for a mission what mission, aren't they here for the Chunin exams? And the creepy old bastard never said that the Chunin exams were a mission. Gasp. The Kazekage kept them aside to talk to them, so he gave them a mission then. I knew Temari was acting strange when they came out,"
"AHHHHHHHHH!!"
A small little boy of 9 years old suddenly came running around the corner, straight into Kankuro and then fell to the ground. The little kids looks up at him and Temari, before flinching back a little.
Temari and Kankuro looked down at the little boy who ect decripe.
"Well hello what have they found now," thought Kohana looking down at the brown haired little boy.
"Do you need something?" asked Kankuro sneering down at the little kids.
Four more people com running around the corner, two the same age as the first kid, and two who were 12 years old. One of the older ones had blonde hair and blue eyes, with whisker markings on his cheeks and he dressed in an orange jump suit, the other had unusual pink hair and bright green eyes. She wore a red sleeveless Japanese styled dress with black bike shorts underneath and she had an overly large forehead. Both of these people wore a shinobi forehead protector proudly on their heads.
Kankuro pent down and picked up the kids that lay at his feet, the boy whimpering at the stranger guy in face paint.
"Konohamaru!" called the blonde as he stopped and looked at Kankuro.
"So dose this hurt punk?" asked Kankuro and he tightens hid grip slightly, making the little boy called Konohamaru gasp a little in pain.
"Kankuro?" thought Kohana in alarm, "What he hell dose he thing his doing?"
"Put him down Kankuro or you know you'll pay for it late," advised Temari, yet she made no move to stop him.
"Hey I'm sorry, the whole thing was my fault," said the pink hair girl stepping forward, hand held together in an apologetic manner.
"Pink hair, oh you poor thing," thought Kohana, but could not help but on the inside at the unsual hair colour.
"You better take your hands off him right now," demanded the blonde, not really helping to make matters better.
Kankuro's only respones was to smirk, "We've got a few minutes until he gets here lets miss with this punk huh," said Kankuro, as Konohamaru gasped and started to struggle, swinging his legs as he tried to kick him.
"He? Dose he mean Gaara? Gaara's coming oh that will end well, thought Kohana as she remember as few of their previous fights.
"Let go of me you jerk,"
"Your feisty, but not for long," threatened Kankuro as he tightened his hold.
"Grrrrrr, put him down!" yelled the blonde as he toke off running right at Kankuro.
Kankuro smirked s he raised his hand and twitched his fingers, suddenly the blonde fell over with a thud.
Kohana raised an eyebrow. She had never been able to find out what his fighting style was and pretending to be mute, she could just ask him. "So his a puppeteer, that's what's the mummy looking thing on his back,"
"What the? What was that?" asked the blonde as he sat on the ground rubbing his soar head.
"You're a leaf Genin too looks like your villages is full of wimps," mocked Kankuro, as he turned back to the little boy in his fist, tightening his grip.
"Huh, Konohamaru," called the blonde.
"Konohamaru," cried the little girl
"Konohamaru," snorted the little boy his nose still running.
"If one more person calls, cries or snorts or even says Konohamaru I will course them more pain then they will ever know," though Kohana as the constant calling of the boys name was really getting of he nervous.
"Hey cut it out it hurts," whined Konohamaru grabbing at Kankuro's hand.
"That's it drop him now or I'll take you apart you got that fool," declared the blonde point his finger at Kankuro in a challenge.
The pink haired girl came up behind him and around her arms around his neck to strangle him, "you're the fool making threats isn't going to help Naruto," she said as she continued to course the blonde pain.
"And the strong fall yet again to the powers of women," thought Kohana laughing on the inside as she watched the two wrestle around for a little bit.
Kankuro smiled, "your annoying all of you," he raised his fist up, "I don't like runts or any other scrawny weaklings so when a wimp like this shooting of his mouth," Kankuro tighten his grip one more time as he turned to the blonde, "I just want to brake him in half,"
Temari sighed, "Fine I'm don't involved in any of this okay," said Temari as she folded her arms.
"So honorable of you Temari, " thought Kohana rolling her eyes, " say you won't stay out of it, but you don't stop him, smart,"
"First I take care of this little spurt then I'll waste the other one," stated Kankuro as he pulled his arm down to strike the kids he was holding.
"Ahhhhhhh," roared the blonde as he again charged at Kankuro, fist rose.
With out warning Kankuro dropped the kids, who gasps as he hits the ground. Moaning Kankuro held onto his right wrist, which seem to be in some sort of pain. A small rock hit the ground.
"Huh," said Kankuro as he stared down at the offending rock, before turning to the tree across the street from the tree Kohana hind in that the rock had come out of.
"You're a long way from home and you're way out of your league," said a dark handsome raven haired youth with onyx eyes and a long neck royal blue shirt and white pants sitting along a branch not far from the street, lazily throwing another rock into the air just to catch it as it fell.
"Sasuke?"
"Sasuke!," squeaked the pink hair girl, blush painting her face. Temari seemed to stand there looking the new comer up and down, an empress look in her eyes, as if she liked what she saw.
"Naruto!" cried the forgotten Konohamaru, as he ran over the blonde.
"Oh great another wimp to tick me off," sneered Kankuro glaring up at the Sasuke.
Sasuke raised his hand just to crush the rock in his grip, "Get lost," was all he said as he opened his hand to let the dirt fall into the wind.
"Sasuke what happened to you? You're not the boy a use to know. Where's that small smile you use to have?" thought Kohana, unable to turn her eyes away from the flesh of old memories, "you're eyes are now cold and hard and distant, what has happened to you?"
"Hn, so cool," squeaked the pink haired girl and the younger one together with love hearts in their eyes.
"How came your not cool like that huh," half asked half whined Konohamaru, turning to the blonde called Naruto.
"What do you mean I could have taken that guy out in two seconds flat," said Naruto knelling down to Konohamaru's high and placing a hand on his shoulder laughing uneasily.
"Hey punk get down here," challenged Kankuro, as he confronted Sasuke, "you're the kind of pesky little snort I hate the most all attitude and nothing to back it up," stepping back, Kankuro turned and grabbed the rapped up mummy from his back.
"No Kankuro, his on a different level then you. You can't fight him. Wait what am I thinking? FIGHT HIM, GET YOUR ASS KICKED, YOU STUPID IDIOT!" screamed Kohana in her head, fists raised.
"What are you going to use the crow for this?" asked Temari in shock and worry.
"Kankuro back off," said a new dark and evil voice. Sasuke tenses, yet it went unnoticed be though below, but not by Kohana, who had sense the new comer before he had even announced his presents. There handing, upside down from a higher up branch was Gaara.
"This could turn ugly," thought Kohana a little on edge, "If Sasuke's as strong as I think he is, then Gaara would be a better match up against him and that could turn bloody,"
"You're an embarrassment to our village," stated Gaara darkly, which seemed to make everyone a little nervous.
"Er, hey Gaara," said Kankuro hestietly.
Gaara ignored him and turn his head to look at Sasuke who just glared back. The staring or more like glaring contest continues for a few moments before Gaara turned back to Kankuro.
"Have you forgotten what we came all the way here?" asked Gaara.
"I know, . . . I'm mean they challenged us. . . . They started the whole thing really, see here's what happened - ," said Kankuro, stumbling over his words, just to be cut off by Gaara.
"Shut up,"
Kankuro tensed up as gaara's glare turned deafly, "Or I'll kill you,"
"Oh great, Gaara's in one of his moods," thought Kohana sighing, "and it's not like Temari or Kankuro are strong enough to get though to him,"
"Err right I was totally out of line I'm sorry Gaara I was totally out of line," wheezed Kankuro.
Again Gaara ignored him as he turned back to Sasuke, "I'm sorry for any trouble he caused,"
"What?" thought Kohana shocked. "He just said sorry. I didn't think he had every even heard of that word before. Guess you do learn something new everyday,"
Tresses of sand raped around him as he disappeared, just to reappear knelling down on the street next to Kankuro. Straightening up he turned to leave "Let's go we didn't come here to play games,"
Kohana narrowed her eyes at this, "Is he talking about the Chunin exams or this o called mission?"
"All right sure I get it," laughed Kankuro nervously, but he turned to follow Gaara.
"Hold on!" called the pink haired girl as she run after them, yet none of the sand shinobi stop. "Hey!"
"I must say girls got guts," sniggered Kohana.
"What?" demanded Temari, as they all stopped and turned back to the Konoha Genin.
"I can tell from your head protector that you came from the village hidden in the sand of course the land of wind and the land of fire are allies, but no shinobi can enter another's village with out permission," said the girl confidently, even taking a step towards the sand shinobi, "so state your purpose and it better be good,"
"Looks like we have a brainy and you'd need to be with a forehead that big," laughed Kohana.
"Really have you guys all be living under a rock or what you don't know what's going on do you?" mocked Temari as she raised a small note with what appeared to be her details and information, "we have permission,"
"Huh,"
"Of course you're correct we are hidden sand Genin our home is the land of the wind and were here for the Chunin exams get the picture?" smirked Temari.
"The chunin exams whats that I've never heard of any chunin exams believe it," said a confused Naruto.
"Oh I believe it alright that your totally clueless," insulted Temari.
"I totally agree with that. His an absolute idiot, more so the Kankuro and that's saying something," thought Kohana smirking.
"Hey boss those are the exams that every Genin have to take in order to graduate into a full on Chunin," explained Konohamaru to the older boy.
"Hahahaha even a little kid knows more then he dose," Lauged Kohana gripping on to the tree she was hiding in so she wouldn't fall out.
"Oh, well why didn't you say so, I'm doing it so there," exclaimed Naruto giving him the thumps up.
"Huh," said Gaara as if signaling to the other two they all turned to leave again. Just to be stopped be Sasuke as he jumped down from the tree to the street.
"Hey you identify yourself," commanded Sasuke.
"Sasuke. No don't ask him, he'll single you out and crash later on," thought Kohana in a panic.
Only Temari stopped as she turned back to look at the handsome boy with a blush across her cheeks, "you mean me?"
"Yes you," thought Kohana sarcastically.
"No him the guy with the gourd on his back,"
Gaara stopped and turned to look back at the other boy before answering, "I'm name is Sabaku no Gaara I'm curious about you too who are you,"
"No,"
"I'm Uchiha Sasuke,"
"Hi there I bet your dieing to know my name right," said the hyperactive blonde.
"I could care less," said Gaara as he turned to leave, not before he stopped and turned cold jade eyes towards the tree where Kohana sat in hiding.
"Crap, he knows I'm here," panicked Kohana quickly turning to leave when he followed be Temari and Kankuro, had leaped away.
Kohana jumped across the rooftops, not really paying attention to anything around her as her mind swirled around the one thing that had plagued her mind since she had seen him, standing there facing down Kankuro and then Gaara.
Sasuke.
"It been a long time since I've been here, but he's changed so much that I almost did recognize him," thought Kohana as Sasuke's image flashed though her head. "What has happen to you? You're not the boy I use to know. Why are you so dark and mistrusting? Where is the Ni-sama I knew all those years ago?"
In her trance like state, Kohana had not realized that she had now came to the north estates where some of the high class shinobi clans lived. There were more trees around here as the buildings were more spaced out and beautiful garden grow every where.
Crash!
The noise pulled Kohana roughly from her thought as she looked for the noise, just too nearly run into a fight between two strong and burly bucks as they rammed into each other.
Crash!
"What the – ?" said Kohana as the two buck continued with they battle, while a doe stood to the side watching them.
"They are fighting over mate ship of the doe. I would move if I was you or you'll get caught in the crossfire again," drawled a voice to Kohana's right.
Turning, Kohana was faced with a boy her age, with raven hair pulled back in a high ponytail and dark brown eyes that held an expression of boredom. He wore a green and gray vest with his clan sigh on the short sleeves over a mesh shirt and a pair of murky brown three quarter pants, and blue sandals. A forehead protector was tied around his bicep, displaying he was a shinobi of Konoha, but because of his age, Kohana guessed he was nothing more then a Genin.
"I said I would move if I was you," said the boy again as he pointed behind her.
"Huh,"
Looking over her should, Kohana panic as one of the bucks got ready to charge at her. Quickly with reflexes that had learned long ago to move without thinking Kohana jumped and flipped to land behind the boy just as the buck run into the tree that had just been behind Kohana.
"Troublesome," murmured the boy as he turned and walked away.
"Hey," called Kohana as her legs moved to follow him, before her mind could catch up. "Who are you?"
"I should be asking you that?" answered the boy as he looked over his shoulder at her, before turning to look in front on him, "You're the one trespassing on my families' estate,"
"Sorry,' said Kohana as she fell into step with him, "I was lost in thought and end up here, I'll leave just as soon as you tell me who you are,"
"Troublesome," murmured the boy under his breath as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants.
Kohana frown when he said no more, "Fine if he wants to be like that I'll just have to bait him into telling me," thought Kohana as a smirk replaced the frown on her face.
"Well, Troublesome, my next question will have to be where am I?" asked Kohana innocently.
Scowling, the boy's eyes flicked to her before back to the path ahead as they walked between and around the house in the large wood land estate. All the houses had a wooden cottage crossed with the traditional Japanese style look to them. It had a really nice homey fell to the whole place and Kohana thought she wouldn't mind leaving somewhere like this.
"Nara Shikamaru,"
"Huh,"
"Troublesome. . . . . My name is Nara Shikamaru and you are currently in side the Nara estate," answered the boy as they came to a house and he sat down on the porch beside a board game that he then started to set up.
Kohana stood a watched as he place white and black piece into place and then sat back and looked at the board. They stayed like this until Shikamaru turned to Kohana.
"Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to leave like you were going too?" he drawled in a bored tone.
"Are you going to sit there all day and look at the board?" shot back Kohana.
Frowning again, Shikamaru turned back to the board, "Well it's not like there are many worthy opponents that can make me think when playing," said Shikamaru with a sigh.
Looking at him with curiously, Kohana asked, "Why don't you teach me?"
"Why?"
"Why not? It will give you something to do and I might be able to think clearly again," said Kohana matter-a-factly.
"Troublesome," murmured Shikamaru, but nodded none the less.
After half hour of explaining to Kohana how to play, they started up on their first game, ended an hour late with Shikamaru the winner.
"One more game, I think I have the hang of it now," pleaded Kohana, flashed Shikamaru sad puppy eyes.
"Troublesome, fine one more game," said Shikamaru as he set up the board again.
That was how Shikamaru's mother found them two hours later; half way though a game with no one looking like they were winning.
"What are you doing here? I thought you would be with Choji at the Barbeque place and who's your friend?" asked Mrs. Nara as she lent on the side of the house watching a Shikamaru made a move in the game.
"I'm playing shoji. I don't know where Choji is, but he probable is at the Barbeque place and this is . . . . . ? Troublesome," said Shikamaru as he realized he had not asked Kohana for her name yet.
"Your friends name is troublesome, weird," said Mrs. Nara good naturedly at the frown on her son's face.
"I don't really need a name," said Kohana as she made her move on the board, making Shikamaru frown more as he found himself stuck and had to think of his next move.
"Well person with no need for a name if you're ever in need of anything your welcome to ask. It's not ever day that Shikamaru has a girl over," said Mrs. Nara as she turned and walked back into the house.
"You're a girl?" asked Shikamaru looking up in surprise.
"How the hell did your mother know?" answered Kohana back with another question.
"Women are troublesome," murmured Shikamaru as he made a move.
"Oh so sorry your manliness, we low lively women do not mean to bother you with our presents please forgive us for our sinful behavior," mocked Kohana as she made her move.
"So do you have a name?" asked Shikamaru as his eyes watched the board as he thought of his next move.
"Is it that important?" shot back Kohana.
"Yes, . . I mean no, . . . I mean, . . troublesome," aid Shikamaru with a sigh. "Do you even have permission to be inside the village or are you some guy who's here to steal our secrets?"
"Yes, I'm here to steal the villages secrets, you caught me," mocked Kohana rolling her eyes.
"I'm being serious, troublesome," sighed Shikamaru.
"Chill, I'm may not have permission to be here, and if it helps, you can just refer to me as the friendly stranger walking by," said Kohana matter-a-factly.
"Troublesome, what reason could you have to be here if your not here to steal or cheat the village?" asked Shikamaru, the shoji game long forgotten.
"I'm looking out for someone and to hind from someone else," answered Kohana with a smile.
"SHIKAMARU!" sounded the voice of Mrs. Nara. "I NEED YOU TO GO FETCH YOUR FATHER FOR DINNER AND YOUR GIRLFRIENDS WELCOME TO STAY IF SHE WANTS!"
Shikamaru face went bright red with embarrassment, while Kohana just raise an amused eyebrow.
Girlfriend?
"Mom, she not my girlfriend," Shikamaru called back.
"Oh what a pity. I had hoped you might have got your lazy but and had taken a step into the real world, but I see your head is still stuck in those clouds you love to watch so much and she seemed like such a nice girl too," answered Mrs. Nara, making Kohana giggle as Shikamaru's face turned an even darker red.
"I think I should go now," said Kohana as she stood up, and then looked at the board, "whose go was it anyway?"
"I don't know," Shikamaru sighed, unable to look her in the eye now, "You know you can stay for dinner, if you want. You don't have a place to stay do you?"
"No, but I'll be fine, and I don't think you live though dinner if I stayed, not with your mother anyways," laughed Kohana.
"Huh,"
"We should do this some other time. I like playing shoji with you Shikamaru-kun, and you never know i might beat you next time," said Koahana as she turned and ran off thought the houses towards the trees.
"Troublesome,"
"Shikamaru?" called Mrs. Nara as she came out of the house, "Oh where's your little friend?"
"She had to leave," answered Shikamaru with a shrug.
"Oh, I really liked her she was so sweet, oh well there's always next time she over," said Mrs. Nara with a pointed look at her son.
"Troublesome," murmured Shikamaru, as he packed up the shoji board.
"Didn't I tell you to go get your father? Off you go," said a she shooed Shikamaru off to the pub to get his father for dinner.
The sun was now setting over Konoha and Kohana had found herself standing next to the old memorial stone. She was not sure what made her come here, just that something told her she had to see it and look upon the name of a lost loved one.
Akira
Maybe it was the fact that she had seen Sasuke that day and it brought back old memories and thoughts of the one that had died that had her walking all the way out to stand lonely by the stone.
"Well, what have we here? It's not never often that I've have company here," said a voice behind her.
Gasping in surprise Kohana span around to come face to face with a dark eye. Stepping back Kohana was then able to see just who he was. He had only one dark onyx eye showing, his other eye hidden under a forehead protector, his messy mop of hair was a silver gray as it stuck out all over the place and the rest of his face was hidden under a black mask.
He wore a long black sleeve shirt under a green shinobi jacket vest with long baggy black pants and black gloves and sandals. Bandages were rapped around his ankles and a kunai pouch was strapped to his right leg. Even with his silver gray hair Kohana would have to have guessed that the man was no more then 26 years old.
"W . . wh . . what?" stuttered Kohana as she got her bearings after her fright. She hadn't even sensed him coming up behind her.
"I said it's not often that anyone else comes here at this time," said the man step up next to her and looked upon the dark stone.
"I just thought I'd come and see someone I haven't seen in a long time," said Kohana as she too turned back to the stone.
"He died in the line of duty, huh?" said the man.
"Yeah," said Kohana sadly.
"Was he your father? I might have known him,"
"Maybe, he was an old friend to the family and I don't really remember him that well. He was never around and was always on a mission, but even so I admire him," said Kohana with a small smile.
"Why?"
"He did everything to protect his family and work harder then anyone I know to provide for them, even if he had to go on one mission them other with out stopping to pay for their food. Even if he was never around, that just shows how much he loved them and that's why I admire him so much," answered Kohana as a ghostly wind blow by.
Silence fell between them as they stood together and looked upon a stone of many names and memories. Finally Kohana broke the silence.
"So why do you come here," asked Kohana looking over at the scarecrow of a man.
"Oh I could here to read," was the answer as he pulled out an orange covered book with Icha Icha printed across the cover.
Kohana raised an eye brow, but just turned back to the stone.
"I never seen you around here before, are you here for the Chunin Exams?" asked the man.
"No and Yes," asked Kohana.
"Are you here with your team?"
"No and yes,"
"Are you going to watch the show?"
"No and yes,"
"Are you going to answer any of my questions differently?"
"Yes and no," said Kohana with a smile as she eyes glanced at him.
"I guess I'm not really going to get any really answers from you, am I?"
"Not really I have nothing of real value anyway," stated Kohana.
"I don't think I'll get any reading done here so I'll take me leave," said the scarecrow as he turned and walked off towards the village and disappeared into the trees.
Sighing Kohana turned back to the stone. "I really miss you dad, I wish you hadn't had died on the mission then mom might I've still been alive and we might have had a life together," thought Kohana sadly.
Akira.
Kohana raised her hand and ran her fingers over the name engraved within the stone, before she turned and walked away.
Hidden within the trees lining, Hatake Kakashi's eye wide. He knew that she was hiding something and that the memorial stone was the key to finding out, but with that one little slip up by her Kakashi had a very clear idea what it was.
He could not believe what it was he had found maybe there was one more out there. One more that held the secret of that clan.
TO BE CONTINUED
Thank you for the review
Artemis J. Halk - yes i have been busy but i am getting thought it and i think i like up dating on holidays course then i have time to write and stuff couase schools caugthing up to me.
Thats the end of chapter 4, please review.