The next day, Michiko woke up slowly, but her mind snapped awake when she heard someone clear their throat above her, but the warmth she was wrapped in was too good to stay away from…"Michi…Michi, wake up…" she felt someone shake her arm, and she opened her eyes to see Kakashi above her, and Sakura was behind them. She heard Sakura squeal out, "That's so KAWAII!!!" When the fog lifted from her mind, she noticed her head was in the crook of Naruto's neck, her arms around his chest as his arms were around her shoulders. She blushed crimson, noticing Naruto was still asleep, and gently moved away from him, glaring at both Kakashi and Sakura lightly so they wouldn't wake Naruto up, and they went out into the hallway. "We need to start getting ready for the festival…" Kakashi said lazily, and Michiko nodded.
"You and Sakura can go get ready, I'll wait here for Naruto." Michiko nodded, and both kunoichi went to a room full of kimonos. Sakura was happy to start going through the different ones, but Michiko was much slower as she went through. She found one, and took it off the rack to examine it more closely. It would be up to her knees, with slits on the sides up to her hips. It was silk, and pure white, rimmed in black, with a black sash. It had a delicate black flower design on the lower left hand corner that went up a little past the sash. It came with shorts down to mid thigh, rimmed in black, and the sleeves would go a little past her hands.
She went into the changing room, changing into the beautiful kimono, and pulled on her mother's gloves before coming out to see Sakura in a pink dress, with delicate light green cherry blossom patterns on the bottom and a light green sash. Since Sakura's hair was still short, she couldn't do much to make the bun complicated, so she instead did it for Michiko. She put the long silver hair into a beautiful, complicated bun, her bangs still brushing into her eyes, and, after doing it to herself, put on make up. She did it lightly, knowing Michiko wasn't used to it, and they both put on high heeled shoes that matched their kimonos before walking outside.
They met up with Kakashi and Naruto in the front, Naruto wearing traditional robes, mainly blue, but with little patterns of orange here and there. Kakashi's wasn't bright at all, and was a light gray with black patterns here and there. They all met up with Taiki, who was wearing black robes with red detailing. They went into the streets to find people walking around in robes and kimono's, already enjoying the festival. Sakura dragged Naruto and Michiko to the booths, to have a good time. After winning all of those prizes, they started looking for a place to eat. Thanks to Naruto, they went to a Ramen stand, and, after Kakashi joined them, they began to eat.
Naruto decided to stay there, and Sakura dragged Michiko to another after Kakashi promised he'd stay with Naruto. As the hours began to pass by, Michiko felt sure something was going to happen. Chiaki kept warning her to be on her guard. She was grateful she's decided to hide her shuriken holster under the kimono, just in case…When the girls were going to join up with Naruto and Kakashi, it was nightfall, and the ringing of a gong made everyone stop. Michiko noticed their attention was turned towards a large platform, and saw Taiki and his father there, his father asking for silence.
Michiko started pulling Sakura through the crowd as the older man said, "It is nightfall, and it's time for my son to pick a wife and take my position as ruler. Taiki, choose your bride." The older man stepped down, and Taiki stepped forward. "I have already chosen who will be my bride…I choose…" he paused for emphasis, and Michiko muttered, "Baka…" as she pulled Sakura closer to the Ramen shop, seeing Naruto and Kakashi sitting there.
"Michiko Hatake."
His words made Michiko freeze, and she heard Naruto spit out his Ramen in surprise as her father DROPPED HIS BOOK in surprise, both shouting, in perfect unison, "WHAT!?!" Both girls turned to see shinobi coming at them from all sides, probably Jounin, from their chakra levels. Michiko took out two kunai, pumping her chakra into the blades. "My answer's NO, Taiki!" she threw the kunai, hitting two of the Jounin back a good few yards as she stomped the ground, shaking the other two so they wouldn't even CONSIDER coming close enough to be within reach of her fists. Naruto stumbled out of the Ramen stand as Kakashi picked up his book, putting it into his weapons pouch.
Michiko's glare was deadly as she saw two familiar faces before her, making her blood boil. "Shun…Haitori…it's been a while, ne? Back to try and kill me again?" "That should be no concern to a shinobi…but we didn't expect you to be an ANBU captain yet…" "Orochimaru doesn't inform his minions well, then?"
She smirked at the annoyed, angry look on Haitori's face, when it suddenly turned to a wicked smile. It made her uneasy, and he said, "But we'll succeed this time…you can count on that…" Her unease was obvious, and she shielded Sakura from Shun's ice sword when Haitori's sword went straight for her stomach. She was able to kick him away and led Shun's sword away from both girls before kneeing him in the face. 'I need to keep them away from Sakura-chan!' When she saw Taiki come down on her, she threw one sword at him, slowing him down as she kicked away the other two.
She saw Taiki, who had recovered rather quickly, use a powerful fire jutsu to keep Naruto and Kakashi away as well. "Don't make this harder than it has to be!" Shun growled out, and she kicked him away, not listening to his words anymore, when she saw Haitori go after Sakura. "Stay AWAY from her!!!" she shouted, hitting him away roughly. When she felt restraints hold her wrists and ankles together, she cursed as she fell. She struggled to break the bonds, but the chakra was powerful, and she saw Taiki come over, a victorious smirk on his face. "Teme!" she hissed, still struggling. He picked her up bridal style, not noticing how her eyes flashed cat green, like a warning. "At least your mine, Michiko…" "NEVER!!!" she hissed, struggling harder. "That's not your choice, Michiko…"
He started heading for the forest, and Michiko's futile struggle persisted. She bit her thumb, and did the hand signs with little difficulty. "Summoning jutsu!!!" The puff of smoke blinded Taiki, who stopped, dropping her, as a REALLY pissed off Michiyo, now a large tigress, roared savagely, her claws outstretched. When Shun and Haitori appeared, they froze when they saw the large tigress. Michiyo went after Haitori and Shun as Michiko used Chiaki's chakra to break her bonds. She stood up, angry, and ran at Taiki, punching him in the stomach.
There was a puff of smoke, and she cursed as a fire jutsu nearly struck her in the back, but she dodged, luckily. "Damn Replacement jutsu…" She muttered. She did some hand signs, saying, "Earth Release: Earth Dragon jutsu!" "Fire Release: Fire Dragon jutsu!" the two jutsu crashed together in midair, and Michiko sprang into the dust, trying to land a punch on Taiki while he was blinded, when his fire sword cut at her side, burning her before she kicked him away.
She didn't have a chance to heal herself before he started slashing at her with his fiery sword. She dodged swiftly, only a few blows landing on her. She jumped back, breathing heavily. 'I need to finish this…' she did some hand signs, and held her right wrist as she said, "Chidori!!" She charged at him, and, when the attack was about to strike, she noticed his own sword was going for her heart.
She jabbed forward with the powerful attack, and stopped when she felt the blood on her hand. She pulled out her hand, hating the feel of the blood on her hand as Taiki's body fell to the ground, his lifeless black eyes still showing his surprise when her attack had destroyed his heart.
She tried to get the blood off her hand, and the drops of it that stained the skin on her face and arms. She sighed, when she heard Michiyo cry out in pain, and she raced to her summons aid. She did some hand signs, saying, "Lightning Release: Lightning Pulse jutsu!" as her chakra went towards Shun, she punched Haitori in the face, happy when he knocked over a tree. Shun glared at her, and ran at her with his ice sword, ready to cut off her head. She made simple blades out of her electric chakra, and stabbed them into his heart without thinking of the blood that would stain her skin again.
She couldn't help the guilt that wrenched at her heart when she saw the pain still on his lifeless face, and turned away, the chakra swords disappearing. "You may be strong, but you're still going to Orochimaru! Dead or alive!" She glared at Haitori, the blood staining the once pure white silk and almost ivory skin making her seem more deadly than usual. He was about to throw wing shuriken when Michiyo attacked him, and Michiko closed her eyes as she heard the cry of pain and the sound of blood gushing from a wound. She opened them slowly, seeing Haitori, dead, on the floor, and Michiyo, blood on her fangs, trying to wash it off.
Michiko walked over, petting Michiyo's head. "Arigato, Michi…" Michiyo nodded, licking Michiko's cheek, taking off some of the blood. She then poofed away, and Michiko sighed, moving away from the bodies to sit down against a tree. 'That was more tiring than I would've thought…' she felt a chakra nearby, and tensed, pinpointing it and turned her head in that direction. "Whoever it is, you can stop hiding! I already know you're there!" But the figure that came out of the shadows made her heart skip a beat. 'No…'
Just this once, I'm going to let my reviewers decide who's there. Think of all the hints I put in the previous chapter before you say who you want it to be! Whichever character is voted for the most will be in the next chapter, but I'm not writing until ALL of my reviewers choose whoever they want it to be! I'll be waiting until Monday, September 17th before I start writing, 'kay? I hope you liked it!