Five years have passed, and Kumiko rose through the ranks faster than expected. After becoming a Genin at six, she became a Chuunin at eight, then a Jounin at ten. Now, at twelve, she's preparing to take the ANBU exams, while the rest of her friends become Genin. Being an elite Jounin, she also has a nickname, like her father. Hers is the Lightning Cat Ninja, though people believe her father choose it because it fits with his own, the Copy Cat Ninja. She was helping the Third Hokage pass out missions to the new squads, when Squad 7 came back. She smiled, saying, "It looks like you have your hands full, dad." Kakashi nodded, and Naruto's mind went into overload as he said, "Wait…he's your dad?" Michiko got an anime sweat drop as she asked, "You can't see the family resemblance?" Naruto shook his head, and Sakura smacked her forehead as Sasuke looked at him like he was a retard. Michiko sighed, walking next to her dad. "Naruto-kun, think before you answer. What do you see between us that's similar?" Naruto first looked at Kakashi, then Michiko. Michiko had grown her hair out to her waist, which was held in a low ponytail that was hanging over her shoulder, and wearing a white belly shirt and a short denim mini skirt with black shorts underneath that were completely covered.
She also wore the Jounin vest like her father, only it was open, hanging lazily off her shoulders. Her body was also maturing faster than her mind was, making her sometimes pass as a fourteen or fifteen year old. After a minute, Naruto said, "You have the same color hair…" Michiko had gained great patience after meeting Naruto, and exercised the talent now. "What else?" there was another few moment of silence before he said, "You both have dark eyes…" Even a GOD has patience, and a vein pulsed in her forehead. "If you don't find it out in five seconds, I'll BEAT it into you!" yep, her temper hadn't changed a bit. Naruto cringed, saying, "You're both always late…and you both always make up excuses…though Michiko's are always better…" Michiko smiled at her dad, saying, "He actually got it!" "I'm not that bad at lying…" Kakashi said defensively.
Michiko put a hand on his shoulder, saying, "It's not that you're bad at it, it's just mine are more believable…" while this chat was going on, Naruto turned his attention to the Third Hokage, and started demanding a higher ranked mission. Michiko caught on, and covered Naruto's mouth, saying, "I'm sorry for his…impatience, Hokage-sama. Apologize, Naruto-kun!" she hit him upside the head, giving him a demanding glare, and he mumbled an apology. She felt bad for Naruto though, and turned to the Hokage. "But…it might be wise to allow them room to grow. I went on A-ranked missions as a Genin, and I'm fine. All I'm asking is that you let them go on a C-ranked mission…if you don't think they're ready…then I'll go with them." She seemed determined, and everyone knew that once she set her heart on something, you couldn't steer her away from it. "I'll allow them to go…if you agree to go with them." She smiled, nodding, as he took out the folder for a mission.
"You all will be escorting the master bridge builder, Tazuna, to the Land of Waves." "Okay…" she took the folder, reading it quickly before handing it to Kakashi. "Where is he?" "He's right outside." That's when an old man walked in, and Michiko turned to see him clearly. "Are these kids supposed to protect me?" A vein pulsed in Michiko's temple, and Kakashi stepped in between her and Tazuna, giving her a look that said, 'You can't beat him up!' She sighed, cracking her knuckles so she wouldn't punch Tazuna in the face, and they followed him out of the building. "I'll get our bags." She said to Kakashi, and was gone in a flash. Not a minute later, she was back, with a black leather back pack slung over her shoulder and another in her arms. Kakashi took it, and they waited with Tazuna for the others to get to the main gate.
When they did arrive, Michiko stood up, saying, "If you guys are ready, then let's go." "Don't go ahead of everyone, Michi." Squad 7 got question marks over their heads as they all asked, in unison, "Michi?" the next moment, she had hit them all over the heads, saying, "What's wrong with Michi? My mom used to call me that! It's a nickname!" They all nodded, rubbing the bumps on the back of their heads, as Tazuna turned to Kakashi, saying, "She seems a bit…temperamental…" "That's why everyone SHOULD have learned to be careful what they say around her. And it would be best if you do the same." Tazuna nodded as Michiko turned back to the gate, saying, "Let's GO already!" They all started off, and Naruto got bored. After trying to play 'I Spy' for the tenth time, Michiko glared at him a moment, before calming down, saying, "Maybe it would be best if we don't play that game, okay Naruto-kun?" He nodded, and Michiko noticed a puddle in the road.
Her eyes narrowed, and she masked her chakra slightly, and she looked at a father, making sure he had noticed the puddle. After they passed the puddle, two Chuunin jumped out, and caught Kakashi in spiked chains, and Michiko jumped away. They ripped him to shreds, and Michiko's eyes flashed cat green as she fingered the hilts of her katana, which were now on her hips. "Your turn, little one." A vein pulsed in her temple as she said, "You'll regret that." The next moment, one had been punched through a tree and the other was in a crater.
She took a deep breath, and turned to the others, saying, "They shouldn't be bothering us for a while-." That's when one of the Chuunin appeared behind her, his claws on the major vein in her throat. The other ran at Naruto, and Michiko's eyes widened. She stopped masking her chakra, and the full force of it must have smacked the Chuunin in the face. "Don't mess with a Jounin until your ready for the consequences…" she disappeared in a puff of smoke, and punched the other Chuunin in the face, only making him cut the back of Naruto's hand slightly. "Naruto-kun, don't freeze up on me!" Naruto seemed to snap out of it, and Michiko sighed with relief.
A Chuunin was running at Sakura and Tazuna, but Michiko didn't move, because Sasuke was already there. Kakashi appeared, allowing the Chuunin to slam his neck into his arm, and he tied them up. He turned to Naruto, saying, "Don't move! Their claws are poisoned, and moving only spreads it faster." Michiko sighed, saying, "Damn poisons…I hate them…" She looked at Naruto's hand, saying, "We'll need to head back to Konoha to take out the poison…" "You can't!" Michiko turned to Tazuna as Kakashi said, "I knew there was something you weren't telling us…" Tazuna explained about Gato and his hold on the island, and how the bridge was the only way to save them all. Guilt was written on Michiko's face as she said, "But…what about Naruto-kun…?"
She heard the sound of a kunai striking flesh, and turned around to see Naruto had stabbed the back of his hand. "Why am I so weak? Why can't I do anything? I vow, on this wound, an oath of pain, that I won't need anyone to protect me again." Michiko's eyes softened and Kakashi said, with an air Michiko knew as funny, "It was cool how you took out the poison and all, but if you don't stop the bleeding, you'll die." Naruto paled considerably, but he didn't move. "It would be a good idea to stop the bleeding now…seriously…" Naruto started freaking out, and Michiko giggled, covering her mouth with her hand, as Kakashi calmed him down, bandaging his hand up.
Michiko knew he was thinking hard about something, but decided not to mention it. They kept walking, but this time Michiko kept her guard up. Naruto, being the competitive nimrod he is, started throwing kunai. "Naruto-kun, don't hurt anything…or poke your eye out…" He almost hit a snow white rabbit, and he kept saying, "I'm so sorry, rabbit!" over and over again. Michiko was on guard, and she grabbed the hilts of her blades. That's when a huge sword came down at them, and Michiko pushed Naruto and Sakura down before jumping over it. It struck a tree, getting stuck, and Michiko landed on the ground lightly, taking a fighting stance. "I would've thought they would send more than a bunch of kids…" Michiko's eyes hardened as she looked up at the shinobi standing on the sword, bandages covering the lower half of his face. Kakashi stood up next to Michiko, standing a bit in front of her. He saw the fire in her eyes, and it would be unwise to let her attack blindly.
"The Copy Cat Ninja, Kakashi Hatake." "Zabuza Mamochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist." Kakashi said back, and Michiko looked at the others. 'He wants me to protect them…' she thought, and she slowly moved in front of them, hands gripping the hilts of her katana tightly. The battle between Jounin began, and Naruto asked, "Michiko, why aren't you fighting?" "Kakashi can handle it…I need to protect you guys…" At that moment, Zabuza used his Hidden Mist jutsu, and Michiko jumped in front of Tazuna, katana unsheathed. Kakashi uncovered his Sharingan eye, and Michiko tensed, relying more on her sense of hearing then her sight, and she heard Zabuza say, "I wonder who I should kill first…how about this little girl?" he appeared behind Michiko, who whirled around, blocking his sword with her own. "She's faster than I thought…" Her arms were under too much strain, and started to shake. She tapped her foot against the ground, letting the kunai show, and tried to kick him. The kunai stabbed him in the thigh, and she kicked him away.
She twirled her katana expertly, eyeing him with practiced wariness, as he stood up. She seemed to disappear, and appeared behind him, slashing him with her blades. The cuts on his back bled badly, and he said, "You're too good to be a Genin. You must be that prodigy I've heard so much about. The Lightning Cat Ninja…" she didn't say anything as she moved away just as fast. "So that's why they gave you that nickname…because you're as fast as lightning…" she didn't answer him, instead she started doing some hand signs, and stabbed her katana into the ground, saying, "Earth Release: Rock Wall jutsu!" A rock wall rose around the Genin and Tazuna, and Michiko pulled her swords from the ground, saying, "Stay behind this and you'll be fine." She jumped onto the ten foot tall wall, and watched the fight, worrying slightly. That's when Kakashi got caught in the Water Prison jutsu, and Michiko jumped off the wall, saying, "Let him go!" Zabuza made a water clone, which broke down her wall. "Damn it all!" she slashed the clone, making it turn to water.
Michiko slashed at another clone Zabuza made, but it blocked, locking their weapons, and she struggled to keep his sword off her. That's when she saw another clone attack Naruto and Sasuke, knocking off Naruto's headband. 'Naruto-kun!' She moved lightning fast, breaking the lock and slashing the clone. Naruto charged the other clone, getting hit back. "Naruto-baka, what are you thinking? You could've died-." That's when she saw his headband in his hands, and she understood. Her own headband, now pure white, was still hanging around her neck, and she'd probably murder whoever took it. "Why try fighting the inevitable? You'll all die soon." Michiko's blood was on fire, and she stood in between the clone and the others. "Don't fight him, Michiko! Go with the others and protect the others!" "I can't…it's time to see if I have what it takes…to protect what's precious to me…" She sheathed her blades, her eyes covered by her bangs. "Let's see you try, little girl."
Naruto felt her aura change…it became…darker…The clone ran at her, sword raised, but she grabbed the blade, not seeming to mind the bleeding cut on her palm. "I'm not the type of girl you piss off…" she glared at him, revealing cat green eyes, with narrowed pupils. "Now let him go…" "…No…" she grew fangs and claws, saying, a demonic cat-like tone to her voice, "Then die…" she slashed the clones throat, making it turn back into water, and she glared across the water, bright green chakra spinning around her like an aura. "Michiko-chan?" "Stay back guys…" the next moment, there was a trail of waves over the water, and she was in front of Zabuza, claws outstretched, and she slashed at his throat. Lucky for him, he moved back enough so she only cut his bandages, but he removed his hand from the water prison, releasing Kakashi. "Michi…" The demonic power receded, and she seemed almost…scared…"Dad…what was that?" He seemed…ashamed, and she was soon back to normal. "I'll tell you…later…" she nodded almost timidly, her knees almost buckling from sudden exhaustion. "Go back to the others…" she nodded, and turned around. "Scared already?" that made her freeze, and Kakashi moved away from her when he saw her turn around. "You know…I'm sick of you…" she glared at him, her eyes icy. "And that's not something you want…" She did some familiar hand signs, and his eyes widened. "Lightning Release: Lightning Bolt jutsu!" Kakashi jumped back to land as the bolt of lightning struck its target, and the electricity danced visibly in the water.
The next moment, she punched Zabuza in the chest, making him fly into a tree on the shore. She ran to the shore in a flash, trying to ignore the surprised, confused gazes of her friends, and pulled out a kunai. Before she could finish him off, senbon hit him, and he seemed dead. A tracker nin appeared beside him, taking him away. 'Those needles didn't hit a pressure point…something's up…' she turned to her father, saying, "You have a lot of explaining to do." "I know…" the next moment, he passed out from chakra exhaustion. She caught him, putting his arm around her shoulders, and turned to Tazuna, an air of authority around her as she said, "We need to keep going…" Tazuna nodded, and Michiko put Kakashi on her back as they headed out.