Chapter Three: Participating In The Chuunin Exams?!
HEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYOOOOOO! I don't really have anything to say this time, sadly. Just enjoy this chapter and don't forget to R&R! Please!
-H. . . .
Previously, on Dark Chrysanthemum...
"You will never be able to take off your eyepatch again. If any sunlight or moonlight is received by the socket, you'll turn into a beast.", he explained, looking at the clock. "It's late, you should go to bed.", he added. She nodded, murmuring a goodnight as she left his office. She walked to her room, which was Konan's room, and entered it. Right when she closed the door behind her, she was taken into a hug.
"I'm so glad you're okay, Kiku.", Konan whispered. Kiku hugged the woman back, a smile on her face.
"Thanks Konan.", she whispered back, letting go. She walked into the bathroom, grabbing her pajamas on the way inside. She stripped herself of her clothing, and sat in the bathtub. She filled it with water and soap, and she bathed herself. As she did, she thought about what happened today. She put a hand to her eyepatch, and sighed. She would never be able to take it off again. She got out, and dried herself. She put on her pajamas, and brushed her teeth. When she exited the bathroom, she found Konan in the bed, fast asleep. This made the young girl smile. She lifted up the blankets, and got in the bed. Closing her eye, she fell asleep quickly from the earlier events of the day.
Four Years Later...
A young, brunette girl sat outside in the blistering heat. She was sitting cross-legged in the grass, hands on her knees, with her eyes closed. She appeared to be around 12 to 13 years old, and in a state of meditation and concentration. This girl, as you might have already figured, is Kiku Kobayashi. Right now, she was training with Itachi. She was listening for any strange sounds and trying to sense a chakra signature. She heard something coming from her left, and she immediately summoned a thick vine, which the kunai struck instead of her. She did that with her eyes closed. Hearing soft footsteps, she opened her eye and smiled. "That was close, Itachi. I almost summoned the vine too late with the speed you threw that kunai at.", she stated, uncrossing her legs and standing up. When she turned around, her brown orb met with onyx ones.
"At least you weren't injured.", he replied, looking over the girl before him. A lot has changed since the incident with Orochimaru. Kiku's not been only training with Pein, but with the other members as well, and her skills have improved tremendously. And more members joined. She found Kisame funny, Deidara was now her best friend, and she found Hidan extremely annoying. She's grown physically, standing at 5'5 in stature, which was pretty tall for a 12 year old girl, and had a lean and slightly muscular body. Her mental strength was off the charts, having a pretty high IQ for her age.
"So, Itachi, how did I do today?", she asked him, since the two have been training for a while now. The ebony-haired male smiled slightly.
"Well, you're definitely much stronger and more skilled than you were four years ago, Kiku.", he told her. "You did a great job today. It's noon, so why not have some lunch? We'll continue later.", he added, tilting his head slightly. Kiku nodded, and the two walked back into the base and to the kitchen. Konan and Sasori were there, making lunch. They noticed the two.
"Hello Itachi, Kiku! How did your training go today?", Konan asked. Kiku smiled, taking out four cups and setting them on the table while Itachi sat down at one of the seats at the table.
"It was great Konan! I feel like I did way better today, and Itachi said that I've improved a lot these past four years, and that I'm more stronger and skilled.", the young girl chirped, getting out some green tea and putting it in a teapot. She brought it to the table and poured some tea into each cup. Konan and Sasori set down the dishes they made and joined Kiku and Itachi. There was Nagashi Somen Noodles, Mochi with Edamame, lots of sushi, Onigiri, Tempura, Ramen, and some Simmered Vegetables. Kiku took some of each on her plate, grabbed chopsticks and smiled. "Itadakimasu!~", she mused, the other three repeating her action, and started eating. The brunette sighed in delight. "You and Konan are the best cooks here. Can you guys cook everyday?", the young girl giggled, looking at Sasori. The redhead chuckled, sipping some of his tea.
"I wish. But, Leader-san wants to take turns. If only it wasn't like that. We all remember what happened when it was Deidara and Hidan's turn to cook for the day last time..", he replied, muttering at the end. Kiku shuddered at remembering that day. Konan sighed, shaking her head.
"I've never seen such a terrible meal in my life before that day..", she stated, the other three nodding in agreement. Itachi spoke next.
"They managed to burn the rice. They couldn't even make one of the simplest foods.", he added, remembering the sight of the poorly cooked rice, if it could've even been considered rice..Suddenly, Deidara came in the kitchen, looking for something. His eyes landed on Kiku, and he approached her.
"Kiku-chan, Leader-san wants to talk to you right now! He says it's really important.", the blonde bomber exclaimed. Kiku stopped eating, and rose an eyebrow at her hyper friend. Setting down her chopsticks, she took one last sip of her tea, and stood up.
"I'll see you guys later.", she told the four, and made her way to Pein's office. She knocked on the door, and a 'come in' was heard. She entered, seeing Pein and another familiar face. Her eyes widened in shock at the violet-haired female in front of her standing next to Pein. "HUH?! Satsuki-sensei?! W-What are you doing here?!..", she asked the other woman. Satsuki Otomo was Kiku's jonin squad leader. Satsuki had short, violet hair, tan skin, and different colored eyes, one scarlet and the other amber. The brunette was placed in Satsuki's squad after passing the genin exam in Amegakure. She had two other comrades in her squad, Masaru Fukui and Shinji Hanamura, both males. Satsuki gave her pupil a smile.
"Hello to you too, Kiku. Well, I've been talking with Pein lately, and we both have made an important decision concerning you.", she replied. Kiku gulped. Did she do something wrong? Is she getting removed from her squad? Is her training not helping her? "We've decided you'll be participating in this years Chuunin Exam!", the cheery woman exclaimed. Kiku's eyes widened. "But we're doing something a bit different with you.", Satsuki added.
"What do you mean different? I'm going with Masaru and Shinji, aren't I?", Kiku questioned, raising an eyebrow. I mean, isn't that how it's supposed to be? Go with your squad, do the exam, and come back home. Why is it a different case with me? Kiku thought to herself.
"We're doing an pupil exchange with a squad in Konohagakure. It's an experimental thing that both I and the jonin squad leader at Konoha have gotten permission to do from the Hokage and Ame's Leader, a.k.a. Pein.", Satsuki explained. "You'll be switching places with a girl named Sakura Haruno. You'll be in her squad while she'll be in yours. You will also be taking the Exam with Konoha's squad, while Haruno takes it with my squad.", she added. Kiku rose an eyebrow.
"Is there a specific reason you're doing this? And with me of all people?", the young girl asked, crossing her arms. Before Satsuki could reply, Pein opened his mouth and spoke.
"You'll find out later.", he stated. Giving her a small smile, he continued to speak. "I'd suggest getting your belongings together, you depart tomorrow morning.", he added. Kiku smiled back and nodded at him. She turned her gaze to Satsuki.
"It was nice seeing you again, Satsuki-sensei.", she told the woman, giving her a bow, and leaving the office. When both of them couldn't hear the brunette's soft footsteps, Satsuki turned to Pein, closing the door. She sighed, shaking her head at the orange-haired man.
"When are you going to tell her Pein? It's best you tell her soon, she's getting smarter and smarter each day, and you know that.", Satsuki scolded him, putting her hands on her hips, and narrowing her eyes. Satsuki was not in the Akatsuki, but you could say she worked for Pein in some aspect. She kept a close eye on Kiku to make sure she didn't get hurt or found by Orochimaru. In a sense, she was a bodyguard hired by Pein to guard Kiku. Pein sighed.
"I know but, now is not the best time. I know she's getting more intelligent and perceptive, but that's a good thing. She'll be a beneficial addition in the Akatsuki.", he said, staring at the door. "She's just not ready yet. But, she's close.", he added. Satsuki stood there silent, examining the man before her. Geez, he's so hard to understand sometimes.. she thought to herself. Seeing as her business was done, she performed a teleportation jutsu, and left the office.
Later That Evening...
All the Akatsuki members and Kiku were seated at a large table eating. Kiku had just finished packing her things for her departure tomorrow. As she was eating, Konan pulled out a large box from under the table. It was a dark brown and had a violet ribbon on top. Kiku looked at it with a raised eyebrow, seeing as there was a tag that read 'to Kiku' hanging by the side. "What's this?", she asked confused. Sasori smiled a bit.
"We're not going to see you for a while, and this a pretty big accomplishment for you.", he stated. He pushed it over to her. "Think of it as a congratulations gift from all of us.", he added. Kiku smiled back, moving her plate to the side and grabbing the box. She undid the ribbon, and slowly took the lid off. When the lid was completely off, she gasped at what was inside. A sheathed katana, two fans, brand new shuriken and kunai, and a folded ninja outfit with sandals. The table was already cleared, and Kiku took out the items.
"You got all of these things..for me?", she questioned in a soft voice. Pein, standing behind her, placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Yes. Each of us contributed to buy something. Kisame, Itachi, and Zetsu got the katana, Sasori and Deidara the fans, Hidan got the shuriken and kunai, while Kakuzu and Konan got the clothing. I as well got something for you, but I'll give it to you tomorrow.", he said. Kiku grabbed the katana, unsheathing it. Kisame stepped forward.
"This katana is called the 'Hyaku man Kiku no ha', or 'Hyaku man Kiku' for short, which means 'the blade of a million chrysanthemums'. It's said to be a powerful blade, very compatible with an earth release kunoichi such as yourself.", Kisame explained. Kiku examined it. The blade was very shiny, with faint engravings of chrysanthemums in the metal. The hilt had black and light pink cloth woven around it, with two gold tassels hanging on the side. She sheathed it, placing it down carefully, and picked up the fans. Deidara stepped forward next.
"These fans are known as the 'Tsugai Kogarashi', which means 'paired wintry winds'. They release harsh, cold gusts of wind when used in battle.", he chirped, smiling down at Kiku. One fan had black, dark gray, navy blue, blood red, and white patterns, while the other one had light pink, scarlet, mahogany, chocolate brown, and white patterns. She closed the fans, placing them down, and looked at the shuriken and kunai.
"I made sure to get you ones that were just made. They're shiny and sharp, ready to use.", Hidan said, crossing him arms and giving Kiku a small smirk. She gave him a smile, and placed them in their respective pouches. Last, she took out the sandals and clothes. The sandals were the standard ninja sandals, except they were black and had some metal plating. Kiku looked at the clothes. A dark purple sleeveless kimono top with violet lining with a violet obiage, a dark purple obi, and a gold obijime, with a pair of slightly baggy dark purple pants with cutouts on the hips and gold trim. Accessories with those articles were black fishnet fingerless elbow gloves and a dark purple scarf. She looked at Kakuzu and Konan with wide eyes.
"I was not going to by you cheap garb. An excellent kunoichi deserves well made garb, and I saw you eyeing it when we went shopping.", Kakuzu said, muttering the last part. Placing everything back in the giant box and closing it, she looked at all of them, and gave them a soft smile.
"Arigatō, guys. This means a lot to me."
The Next Day, Kiku's Departure
Kiku was finishing up her breakfast. She was wearing her new outfit and she had her new weaponry strapped on herself and placed in their right compartments. When she was done, she hurried to her room where she strapped a large scroll to her back. That scroll contained all the stuff that she'd need in Konoha. Kiki exited her room, and Pein was waiting for her in his office. She entered it. Pein was holding a small box in his hands. "This is for you. I did tell you I would give you something today, did I not?", he said, barely smiling. She took the box from him, and opened it. Inside was a black leather eyepatch and a ring with '赤', the kanji for red. She removed her medical eyepatch, and put on the new one as well as the ring.
"I'm ready, Pein-san.", she said in a confident tone, standing tall and proud. The orange haired man nodded, and the two left the base. He met with Satsuki and her other pupils in an alleyway. Satsuki smiled.
"You ready to go, Kiku?", she asked. Kiku nodded. She gave a bow to Pein, and then the squad left. He soon returned to the base. As the squad was walking to the entrance gate of Amegakure, Shinji looked at Kiku.
"Wow, Kiku, you're all dressed up!", he chirped, his magenta eyes sparkling at how cool she looked. Shinji Hanamura was a 13 year old boy with long virirdian green hair, usually kept in a low ponytail, and magenta eyes. He was the tallest of the three, and the most childish one. His release was fire, and his kekkei genkai was a release conversion jutsu, in which when his opponent uses a jutsu related to their elemental release, he could convert that element into fire. She chuckled.
"Thanks! My friends got them for me.", she replied, thinking of the Akatsuki. It really caught her off guard. She wasn't expecting that at all. Masaru cracked a smile.
"Of course she needs to be dressed up, she's an excellent kunoichi and she needs good garb.", Masaru said in a 'isn't it obvious' tone, smacking the back of Shinji's head. Masaru Fukui was a 14 year old male with short icy blue hair and vibrant orange eyes. Even though he was the oldest, he was the shortest, and the more serious and mature one. His release was water, and his kekkei genkai was chakra distortion, in which he could alter his chakra to put the odds in his favor. Kiku blushed a bit from the compliment.
"I'm an okay kunoichi for my age guys.", she corrected them. Before the two could protest, Satsuki called out to someone.
"Oi, Kashi-tan! Over here!", she called, waving her arms around. When they reached the gates, they saw two people. A man with gravity defying silver hair, and a girl with long cherry pink hair wearing a red qipao. The man closed his small book and put it in his pocket, looking at Satsuki, his one charcoal eye gleaming a bit.
"Ah, hello Otomo. Didn't expect you to be early.", he said. Satsuki sweatdropped, and awkwardly laughed.
"Kashi-tan, we're on time..did you guys just get here?", she questioned, heterochromic eyes shining with amusement as she and her squad watched the silver haired man scratch the back of his head.
"Well, you see, a black cat crossed our path-", he started, but was cut off.
"LIES!", Satsuki and the pink haired girl exclaimed in unison. They looked at each other, and laughed. When they calmed down, Satsuki cleared her throat, and bowed. "I'm Otomo Satsuki, the jonin of Ame's squad 17.", she told the pink haired girl. She glanced at Kiku as a way to tell the girl to introduce herself. Kiku bowed as Satsuki stood up.
"Konnichiwa. I'm Kobayashi Kiku, of Ame's squad 17. I am the one taking your place for this years Chuunin exams.", the brunette girl said, rising up. In response, the pink haired girl smiled and bowed.
"It's nice to meet you, Kobayashi-san. I am Haruno Sakura, of Konoha's squad 7. I will be taking your place.", she mused, rising up. The two girls approached each other, and shook hands, then walked to their new teams. Sakura gave her sensei a pointed look, and he looked at Kiku.
"I'm Hatake Kakashi, and I will be your temporary sensei.", he introduced himself. The two jonin nodded, and Satsuki looked at Kiku.
"Well, Kiku, this is where we say goodbye for now. Make me proud!", she exclaimed as she, Sakura, and Masaru and Shinji left. Kiku called back.
"Don't worry Satsuki-sensei, I will!", she called back. When the squad was out of sight, she looked at Kakashi. "So, I guess we depart now, right Kakashi-sensei?", she questioned, looking at the gates.
"Hai,", he replied, and the two leaped up into the trees, jumping their way back to Konoha. Kiku was slightly nervous. She wasn't going to be with, Masaru, Shinji, or Satsuki. She was going to be with a whole different squad. As they traveled, Kiku thought about what squad 7 was like, and how the members acted.