Child of the Leaf

Side Story Two

"Kumotaka Ayaka"

by operadeglace


Ayaka awoke to the sight of her mother and father sitting beside her holding to each of them one of her bandaged hands.

"Ayaka!"

They cry simultaneously as they hug her tightly, weeping and wailing dramatically.

"My baby dumpling!"

"Sweet rice cake!"

Ayaka groaned and rolled her eyes around dazedly to see blurred figures hugging the walls of her rather large room. By their impressive stature and hunkering positions, the young kunoichi guessed that they were her older brothers. She could hear them snickering as her parents spouted off food themed pet names, as they were accustomed to doing in her presence…

Her well meaning father squeezes her hand rather painfully, his emotion taking over as his tear soaked face as his dark blue eyes grow intense in their adoration for his only daughter.

"We don't know why you insist on being a ninja… it hurts your mother and I dearly when our little ramen noodle gets injured…"

Ramen… noodle?

… …

… … …

Shinachiku!

Ayaka yanks her hands away from her parents and hops to her feet.

"I have somewhere I need to be."

She says bitterly as she stands, feeling much like a flapping fish out of water. Her short, slim mother catches her easily, sitting her firmly on her bed.

"Why? Why do you want to leave us so badly?" Her mother asks quietly.

Ayaka wilts in her seated position.

Did they even have to ask that?

Ayaka was born into one of Suna's wealthiest families, the Kumotaka clan. They were the messengers and delivery service for the whole of Sunagakure with clientele spanning the five great ninja villages.

She was called the 'rose child' when she was born, on account of her rare coloring of hair. Remarkably, she was the only girl to be born to the Kumotaka in over four generations, garnering praise and adoration from the entire clan, for in all ways, was quite unique.

So, they spoiled her.

Needless to say, once she was six, she became the chubbiest kid in the entire village.

When her parents weren't around, her brothers would bully her, driven by their jealousy of her special treatment.

'Fatty freckle face' was a favorite. They would chant it over and over again as they poked her cheeks and pulled her hair. She still remembered how sad and helpless she would feel, even at so young an age.

Then she met him.

One day, while hiding from her torturous siblings, Ayaka had gotten lost. She wandered the dusty streets for hours upon hours, feeling so lonely that she felt like she could die…

"Hi, there!"

Her heart leaps as she hears a gentle voice intrude upon her solitude. She turns to see a blonde boy with soft, green eyes standing behind her.

Then, Ayaka's heart sank as his eyes settled upon her cheeks, obviously looking at her complexion… and maybe upon her obesity…

"Um… uh… uhm…"

She was surprised when he started to blush and stammer, his eyes darting away from her. The red haired child started to cry.

She honestly thought that the boy found her to be repulsive, so she turned on her heel and stalked away.

Her movements froze as she felt a hand grasp her chubby wrist.

"Don't go! Let's be friends!" He states cheerfully, almost desperately.

Ayaka stares at him blankly.

She had never had a friend before, so she didn't know what to say, opting to stay silent.

"I-I'm Shinachiku! Please tell me your name!" The boy says rather loudly, his hold tightening on her wrist. His emerald eyes pleading.

"Ayaka."

What the boy did next would literally change her life.

He grinned. It was a wide, sparkling smile that jump started her heart, causing it to roar in her chest.

"You wanna play, Ayaka-chan?" Shinachiku says brightly, still holding onto her wrist.

"As long as we don't play with dolls. I have millions in my room, and they creep me out." Ayaka says snootily, to which Shinachiku laughs.

"I don't like dolls. I like playing ninja."

Being friends with Shinachiku gave Ayaka courage to be discontented with being sad or feeling alone.

She nearly gave her parents a heart attack when she told them she wanted to become a ninja.

"B-but… you don't have to, my little dango! You'll never have to work a day in your life! Like… EVER."

Her father sobbed, pleading with his cherished daughter on his knees.

"No. I will be a ninja, not Fatty Freckle Face!"

She points a chubby finger in a sweeping motion, sending a threatening look to all of her ten brothers, who currently were dying from laughter caused by their unbelief at her bold words.

"And when I become a great ninja, I will kick the sh*t out of all of you."

In the present, fueled by her memories, the red haired kunoichi stands firmly on her feet.

A hush settles upon her older brothers as she steps toward them.

"I'm going on a trip to Konohagakure." She says calmly.

"Buuuuuuut, whyyyyyyyyy…?!"

Her parents throw themselves at her feet. They were loving and kind, but she didn't appreciate their theatrics. Ayaka gave them a stern look, and they stood up respectfully.

Her entire family watched her in silence as she quickly packed a travel bag with clothes and her hefty allowance.

"I'm taking Kumo, so we will be in touch. Don't worry about me."

She hugs her mother and father briefly before walking to the door.

"Love you." She says casually, waving a hand to them with her back turned.

Ayaka pauses a moment before exiting, sweeping a pointed finger at all of her brothers.

"You all behave for mama and papa, understood?"

Even though some of them were fully grown men, all of her ten siblings nodded their heads obediently.

"Good."

On a grassy plain far away from Suna, Ayaka rolled a tiny piece of paper in her fingers then sealed it in a little container that was attached to a dark hawk's leg. She pets the bird affectionately and whispers to it.

"Fly quickly to Konoha and give this to Shinachiku, Kumo."

With a flourish of her arm, the hawk springs into the air, soaring into the heights at a great speed.

Ayaka sits on the grass and imagines what her Shina-kun was doing at that very moment, heat rising to her face as she accidentally thinks about how it would feel to share a kiss with the boy that she loved…

-End of Side Story.

—Story by ODG


1/7/15 I will be taking a three week break from writing any more CotL due to school starting again! Need to be a great student this semester or bye bye scholarship! _

I hope this story will reach a lot of people, especially those who were hurting like I was when Naruto ended the way it did. This is not for popularity or praise, it is more like a healing journey for us all. :)

follow me on tumblr for CotL art and Naruto fan arts drawn by me! Especially watch out for my Chapter 699 and 700 redraws. Already drawn 4 pages for 699! Check them out!

-ODG