Child of the Leaf

Chapter Four

by operadeglace


"You're adopted!?"

Ayaka screeches in surprise.

Shinachiku winces as the high frequency of her yell pierces his ear drums.

"My father… Ryoukan… told me on his death bed that I was a child of the leaf."

"What? Were you born in a tree..?"

"No. Konohagakure."

"Ah, the hitai-ate with the leaf. Got it." Ayaka nods her head in understanding. "So, um, what are you going to do?"

His pretty team mate was hoping that he wouldn't say the words 'going to' and 'Konoha'…

"I'm going to Konoha."

He said them.

Ayaka gives him her best, condescending smirk to mask her disappointment.

"Hah! Like you'd ever make it that far without—"

She is cut off from speaking by Shinachiku swiftly grasping both of her hands and looking her firmly in the eyes.

"Come with me, Ayaka-chan!" He blurts out, his face blushing deeply as he holds her small hands.

Ayaka turns as red as her hair as she looses the ability to speak.

"The truth is… the truth is, I really care for you!" He says quickly, rather loudly, a slight tremor of fear in his voice.

"Ever since I first saw the freckles on your cheeks, I liked you. I liked you a lot!"

Ayaka's mouth goes slack as she feels her chest burn with lovely feelings as he spoke so passionately to her.

Shinachiku, not seeing a response from her, fears he had gone too far. He steps away quickly, rubbing the back of his head.

"I-I'm so sorry…" He stutters, his blonde hair falling into his eyes as he bows apologetically to the red haired girl.

"I know I'm a worthless ninja… I am not as strong or handsome as Magire, or charming… but, even if you don't like me, you will always be the girl of my dreams, Ayaka-chan." Shinachiku sighs sadly as Ayaka stays silent.

There was an eerie, awkward silence that lasted a few minutes before the kunoichi finally mumbles quietly.

"I like you, too."

Shina is flabbergasted. When he regains his senses, he smiles that smile that Ayaka loved so dearly.

Then, the smile slowly fades as he looks at her strangely and cocks his head to the side.

"You're not Magire, disguised as Ayaka just to poke fun at me, are you? Because, if I kiss you, and you're that guy, I'm gonna have nightmares about it the rest of my life…"

Ayaka launches herself at him, hugging his midsection affectionately.

"No kissing yet, idiot." She says into his clothing as she hugs him.

The young ninja freeze in place as they hear a chuckle come from the broken door.

"Well, well! I knew you liked him."

Ayaka growls as she turns swiftly to see Kankuro and the Kazekage standing expectantly in the doorway.

"Whaddaya want, geisha man?" She snarls as she turns in Shinachiku's embrace, one arm still hooked around his waist.

"Good one, dot face! We're just here to make sure your man doesn't skip town…" He smirks as he folds his arms in a very intimidating manner. The blonde boy furrows his brow.

"What do you mean?" He says very slowly, trying to gauge the atmosphere that was evolving around them.

"You cannot leave this village." Gaara speaks in his normal, nonplussed tone. His voice sent involuntary shivers down Shina's spine.

"W-why not, s-sir?" The younger boy stammers.

"Your inherited abilities are too valuable for our village to lose." The Kazekage responds, smoothly. Kankuro gives a shocked look to his younger brother, a motion that is missed by the teenagers in the room, who were still utterly confused.

"Now that you know the truth… you must never leave Sunagakure."

Gaara's eyes narrow menacingly, a very scary image for Shinachiku, who found the Kazekage's resting face to already be quite terrifying. He feels Ayaka's fingers pinch his back.

"Run, Shinachiku." She says calmly as she stares down the two grown men. Shinachiku looks at her strangely again.

"You dummy! I said run!" Ayaka yells as she leaps forward, attacking Kankuro with a kunai that is easily deflected by a single swipe from the Kazekage's far more experienced sibling. She rolls to the side of him as her kunai lands at her feet with a useless clatter. The painted man starts to laugh heartily.

"HAHAHA! Not even close, little bratling! Try again in twenty years…"

Ayaka grins up at him as her fingers bring up a string that immediately wipes the smile from his face. Before either of the men had a chance to move, the petite kunoichi pulls on the cord in her hands, unleashing a booby trap that she had expertly set up a few moments after she had burst through the Ryoukan household's front door.

In a flash, the Kazekage and his elder brother were mummified in a sea of metal threads. Shinachiku was astonished.

Wow… she's amazing. I don't ever want to get on her bad side…

"I can't hold them for long, Shinachiku!" Ayaka grinds out as she struggles to hold Kankuro in her trap. "Go to Konoha! Take the supplies in our spot..!"

Shinachiku is torn. He doesn't want to leave… especially not after he sees the blood dripping from the kunoichi's hands.

"I won't leave you! Finding my birth parents… its not worth leaving you!"

"Idiot… this is how I'm saying 'I love you'." She shouts at him, frustration etched in her voice. Shinachiku is rendered speechless by her words.

"Please, go. I'll be alright." She whispers to him with a sad smile gracing her freckled face. "I have my family's falcons… we can send messages to each other…"

One of Kankuro's arms breaks free from the thread trap. The Kazekage's prison of cords begins to shake slowly, a foreboding, unnatural sound coming from his cocoon of cords. Ayaka's hold starts to waiver.

"If you don't go, I will go on a date with Magire!" She threatens him, gasping as Kankuro's head breaks free.

"Okay, okay!"

Shinachiku quickly grabs his travelling pack and turns momentarily towards her as he was halfway out of the nearby window. He instinctively gives her a grin with a thumbs up.

"I will find my parents, then I will come back for you! I promise!"

"GO, STUPID!"

With one leap from the windowsill of his childhood home, Shinachiku was free…

"You know, we can still catch the little punk."

Kankuro grunts to his younger brother who walks calmly beside him. In his arms rested an unconscious Ayaka, her hands tightly bandaged and dressed.

Gaara shakes his head in response.

"Let him go. It's his destiny."

Kankuro chuckles deeply.

"Right… destiny. You know, if that pink haired harpy finds out you let him get to Konoha, you are in some deep sh*t." He quietens down as the red-haired kunoichi in his arms stirs.

Gaara smiles gently, something that Kankuro still wasn't quite used to after all these years. Suddenly, it looked like a light bulb clicked on in the elder brother's head.

"Oh… so that's why you gave him that box and said it was from old man Ryoukan. So sneaky. And that threat, about the kid not leaving Sunagakure…?"

"Empty."

Kankuro laughs so loudly that he nearly drops the teenager he was carrying.

"You know how much trouble that kid is going to cause? Why'd you do it?"

"Naruto was my first real friend. He deserves to know the truth." Gaara replies simply, eliciting another grin from his brother.

"Alright… but, if that woman finds out, I will not step in to save you…"

Gaara sighs. Another thing that slightly irked Kankuro.

Haruno-san…

"Why can't you just keep it?" Gaara says softly.

"I can't… Naruto… he deserves more. Much more than I can give him…"

"Much more than a child..?" The Kazekage questions, disbelief in his voice, although his face held its stoicism.

"This child will bind his heart to me for the rest of his life.. I just know it. He still has hopes and dreams that are unfulfilled… I just want… I just want to make him happy."

"You're not making any sense to me. Wouldn't your child make him happy..?"

"I am broken." Tears spring to her emerald eyes. "How can I ever give him what he deserves? He deserves pure, wholehearted, unwaivering love." The tears start to cascade down her cheeks and onto the blankets of the sleeping baby in her arms.

"I am incapable of giving that kind of love…"

-The End of Chapter 4.

-Story by ODG

Phew! Another chapter done!

I am trying to draw a lot of parallels in my story that will make the outcome as plausible as possible. visit my tumblr for side stories and character profiles!