Chapter 6

The day after Sayuri's reveal Kakashi's head was still spinning. He had Sayuri stay the night with him at his house, worried about her emotional state, and hoping that she might talk more about what she had said, possibly give more details for Kakashi to look in to, to either confirm or dismiss her claims. Kakashi knew better than to actually push Sayuri into talking, and was forever grateful that his father was away on a mission for that night, allowing Sayuri to settle and talk at her own pace.

Sayuri had eventually given in with only a bit of prompting, she talked more about the world that she could remember. Kakashi couldn't believe the differences in the lifestyles Sayuri was talking about, the lack of chakra and how it gave way for more developments in science and technology. When Kakashi pushed about Sayuri's knowledge in those areas she said that she knew enough that she could explain them to children, apparently, she used to be a teacher, but she had no way to truly recreate the experiments that proved the theories behind the science. At best she could describe some of the initial tests that were used to find the answers to some fundamental questions, like the speed of light, the size of the planet, and how to prove the existence of germs and bacteria.

Kakashi went to the library, he couldn't believe everything Sayuri said at face value. The idea of reincarnation seemed a bit much, but she had known so much about this 'Azalea', about her life, her family, about the world she grew up in. There had to be more information about it somewhere, and the Village library was the best place to start. The lady behind the desk gave Kakashi a sceptical glance when he asked for books and scrolls on the matter.

With reading material in hand Kakashi went to researching, a couple of the books were useless, just saying that reincarnation might be possible but highly unlikely, and there would be no way of knowing. One scroll held a theory that since chakra didn't really every go away, it was possible that a person may have the same chakra as someone else, but didn't say anything about their memories, just that some key traits might be handed down, but even then, it said reincarnation was only possible if the original person had a powerful or particularly unique chakra, but the world the Sayuri talked about was nothing like what he had known, she had said specifically that there was no chakra when she continued to talk later in the evening and there was no mention of anything that sounded like Sayuri's world in any history document he could find.

But Kakashi knew he couldn't devote too much of his time looking into the credibility of his friends' story, he would be back on missions and training full-time again soon. Minato-sensei had extended his rest break for personal reasons, and Kakashi had begun to suspect that his sensei had a romantic partner that he hadn't yet met. Kakashi spent the rest of the day in the library before he was greeted by a guest. A tall man sat opposite Kakashi, he looked at the books and scrolls that the boy had surrounded himself with and smirked.

"Looking to come back from the dead Little Scarecrow?" The man picked up one of the books and began flicking through it.

"Don't call me that Jiraiya, and no, it's something my friend said to me. It got me interested." Kakashi carried on with his books, ignoring the overdramatic aghast faced the Sannin pulled at being so casually disrespected by the six-year-old.

"So rude, Kakashi-kun. So, what did your friend say that's got you interested in all this? Sakumo never said anything about anyone he knows having an interest in these topics. And which friend? I didn't know you had a friend. It's not Dai Maito's boy is it?" Jiraiya shuddered at the memory of meeting the aforementioned man, his enthusiasm would be considered a weapon if it could be wielded properly.

"No, he's not my friend, it was Sayuri-chan. She told me last night. I think she's been aware of it for a while now and it has only been making her upset."

"Oh?" The Sannin had not met the young girl, but Sakumo had nothing but nice things to say about her. "What happened?"

"She said she died."

"Well obviously, if you're looking at these kinds of things." Jiraiya looked more closely at the books that Kakashi was studying. "Are you sure she isn't getting things confused? Your old man told me that she was in the hospital last year."

"No, she said she died before. Before she was Sayuri. I want to know if what she said was the truth or if she needs some help."

"Hmmm. Well these won't help," Jiraiya got up from the table and gestured for Kakashi to follow him "the Village doesn't really have a lot of information on that sort of thing, nearly no one does. The Nidaime probably had some of the most thorough information regarding death and reincarnation, but even he had admitted that there were simply things he didn't know." Jiraiya led them out of the library and off towards a more secluded training ground.

"But you do?"

"The toads do. They are probably the best source for any information about rebirth, reincarnation and prophecies. Your Otou-san would agree with me on that." They walked further, nearing an empty training ground. "What did your little friend tell you anyway?"

"She told me a lot about her family, she used to be close to them, I think she misses that. She also told me how she died."

"What happened?" So Kakashi repeated everything Sayuri told him at his house, about her life, her family and her death. He felt a bit bad, for telling Sayuri's secrets to someone she didn't know, but Kakashi knew that if anyone could confirm her story it would be the Sannin. They reached the training ground, Jiraiya went to one side and bite his thumb. "Summoning-no-jutsu!" And with a puff of smoke a toad appeared.

"Yes Jiraiya-chan?" The old toad, with bushy white eyebrows and a small beard, looked Jiraiya then at Kakashi "Who's the tadpole?"

"Pa, this is Kakashi-kun and he has a story you need to hear." Jiraiya looked at Kakashi and encouraged him to tell Sayuri's story again, he did so, looking curiously at the toad named Pa.

"Hmmm. An interesting story tadpole, but why am I here?"

"Is it possible Pa? Could this girl have been reborn?"

"Of course, it's possible Brat. It's just a matter of how long her soul has been waiting. Did she say where she was from?"

"No. But it didn't sound like anywhere I recognised."

"Is it possible to meet the girl? Ask her some questions?" The toad looked towards Kakashi, a glint of interest in his eye.

"Not right now. She's still at my house, but she's still very upset. I'm not sure she'd be willing to discuss what is basically her biggest secret with a couple of strangers" Kakashi frowned at the thought of Sayuri's reaction to his perceived betrayal. He winced slightly at the possibility that Sayuri might not ever trust him again if the Toad Sannin just showed up talking about her secret. "Maybe I can find a way to introduce you to her and then we can work up to it." Kakashi compromised, already thinking of reasonable scenarios in which he could get both Sayuri and Jiraiya in the same place and have them talk to each other.

Kakashi sighed as he thought about the amount of work ahead of him.

The night had been a taxing one on me. And while I was glad I had finally told someone the truth, it hadn't been a 'the truth will set you free' moment like I had hoped, rather it was more of a 'saying it out loud just cements it as the truth' kind of thing. My stomach clenched at the thought. A part of me held on to hope that this was all just a bad dream, that I was simply unconscious in a hospital somewhere, and that I would wake up. I didn't tell Kakashi about the Naruto anime or manga though, no, I kept that to myself. Truth was, I didn't want Kakashi to leave me if he thought that I was manipulating him. Which even if I tried to do I was pretty shitty at, so Kakashi had no real fears there anyway.

After my emotional conversation with Kakashi I had decided I didn't want to be alone, and I certainly didn't want to be home alone, so I headed to 'Brew-Tea-Ful' instead. I knew that at the café there would be a near constant stream of people, even if they didn't talk to me their presence would be enough to tide me over and hopefully overwhelm the feeling of loneliness that had seeped into my bones.

I had heard from Tou-san that the café had taken on a rolling contract for a genin team to help out with some of the heavier lifting that came with the café, so I was hoping for the chance to meet some other people nearer my physical age, as I had come to realise that, for some reason, children who trained to be shinobi tended to be more mature than their civilian counterparts, which meant I didn't feel like I was babysitting kids when interacting with my physical age groups.

I had theories that it was related to chakra, both its amount and usage.

It turns out that the team that was helping with the café was team Chouza, with his students being; Ebisu, Genma Shiranui, and Gai Maito. Meeting Gai for the first time was an…experience, to say the least. Already donning his vivid green jumpsuit with fluorescent legwarmers, I would have struggled to not have recognised him. That didn't stop him from introducing himself, loudly. After having literally burst into the café, scaring more than a few of the patrons and nearly getting impaled by a knife that Momo threw on instinct, Gai declared that he was ready to work.

After some time, nearly half-way through the assigned task I could estimate, Gai declared that after the mission he was going to seek out his 'cool' rival Kakashi and challenge him to some task or another. Deciding with a sigh that I didn't want to risk running into Gai outside of this current situation, I gave Gai a hint as to where Kakashi was likely to be.

It honestly had nothing to do with the near desperate looks Nanae was sending me, or the death glare Suzuki was giving Gai. How he didn't feel the killer intent coming off of her I'll never know.

"Kakashi was heading to the library when I saw him this morning Maito-san. I don't think he's still there, as he said he wanted to get back into his training routine after having had some time off." I told the excitable boy gently, trying my best to channel my inner retail worker.

"You can tell him that the Green Beast of Konoha, Gai Maito, is searching for him."

"I'll be sure to pass along the message." I flashed a pleasant smile at him, hoping that with the new information Gai would quieten down and just focus on his current task, without disrupting others.

"And what is the name of the precious flower that I am entrusting such a task?"

"I'm Sayuri Akiyama. It's been a pleasure Maito-san." Now please be quiet and get on with your job.

"Sweet Lily, you are truly a flower of Konohagakure. Please, just call me Gai."

"That's very kind Gai-san. I'll be sure to let Kakashi know you're looking for him." If only so you'll leave me alone and get back to work.

"Thank you, Sweet Lily. Until we meet again!" And in a trail of dust Gai Maito was gone.

It wouldn't be until later Gai realised that he had left before completing the task he had been hired for. Resulting in a loud, public, apology, and the boy running around the Village on his hands three-hundred times.

After this, somewhat exhausting, meeting I decided that what I needed was to find my designated guardian for the day and have them escort me to the onsens. A warm bath would help me unwind and disconnect from this horrendous day.

Jiraiya had decided to remain in Village for a while after meeting with Kakashi in the library. If what the silver-haired boy said was true, then there was a reincarnated soul roaming around Konoha, with unknown knowledge and unclear priorities. As far as Jiraiya could tell the girl/woman had no other friends or contacts except the Hatake duo, but Jiraiya knew that Sakumo had enough leverage behind him to be a powerful force. So, the Toad Sage wanted to be certain of the girl/woman's mentality before he was comfortable leaving the Village again with her wandering about.

The man had conceded with Kakashi that just blurting out to the girl that he knew what had to be her deepest kept secret, could only end in disaster, so opted for a 'chance' meeting instead. In an ideal world Jiraiya knew that their meeting would be in a scenario where Sayuri would be forced to talk about her situation, but that was highly unlikely and would take more planning than he cared to put forward.

Instead Jiraiya decided to trust his friends' son and just made sure that he was available for whatever scheme Kakashi came up with.

With a little bit of time on his hands Jiraiya decided to appreciate what Konoha had to offer. Specifically, the onsens. Hidden behind a fence with a convenient peep-hole Jiraiya had to stifle his, very manly, giggles. If anyone asked about why he was hanging around the women's side of the onsen he would say that it was for information gathering, what better for people to relax and gossip than the local onsen.

His enjoyment of the feminine form was halted when the presence of a young girl, a child, was brought to his attention. Jiraiya was many things, but a kiddie fiddler was not one of them. He made a move to leave when he couldn't help but pause at the mention of the child's name.

"I'm glad that you wanted to come to the onsen Sayuri-chan. Jirou-dono had been so worried about you, a lot of us have been worried about you. You've been so distant lately." The woman addressed the child who had been looking down at her feet as they entered the open bathing area.

"I'm sorry I worried you Chika-san. I've just been thinking about things. And Okaa-san has been gone a lot again, and Tou-san is busy." The child, Sayuri, Jiraiya noted, replied quietly. She looked tired. Kakashi hadn't said just how drained their conversation had left the poor girl.

Jiraiya winced as he caught a glimpse of Sayuri, she was a tiny little thing. Only a child, Jiraiya couldn't imagine that the consciousness of an adult woman lived in that tiny body. The other thing that Jiraiya noted was how thin she was. At her age her body should still be carrying baby fat, but Jiraiya was sure that if he could catch another glimpse of Sayuri he would be able to count her ribcage. It was disconcerting to see what should have been a perfectly healthy child so ill.

"We were all worried that you didn't come back to the house last night Sayuri-chan. You're lucky that Ichirou-san thought to check the Hatake home before we sent out a search party for you." Chika admonished, Sayuri stiffened at the mention of Ichirou. Jiraiya knew Ichirou, had definitely fought beside him in the last war. Ichirou was a good man, he wouldn't cause his niece any undue harm, and was unlikely to have Sayuri went to Interrogation unless he felt there was a risk of harm for either herself or others. But it did give Jiraiya another person to talk to, to get a better picture to the not-so-young-soul that was relaxing in the bath next to him.

With the realisation that he was still at the baths, inadvertently watching a young girl bathe, Jiraiya got up to leave and go find Ichirou instead when the worst possible thing happened.

Jiraiya tripped.

Into the onsen wall.

Or rather, through, the wall, and into the ladies' bath.

Directly in front of Sayuri and her guarding Chika.

The killer intent aimed at Jiraiya was enough to remind the man that Tsunade wasn't the only woman who could, and would, punch him from one end of Konoha to the other, kunoichi training or no.

Ichirou Akiyama wasn't impressed by the Toad Sage. Not impressed at all. Having heard through the grapevine that Jiraiya had last been seen at the onsen, specifically the ladies side of the onsen, where he had been beaten black and blue by his fellow clan-member Chika Akiyama. Who was at the onsen with his niece.

So, with a raised eyebrow Ichirou looked down at the tall white-haired man that had essentially crash landed in his backyard. He was even less impressed when said garden crasher started to try to pry into a secret that his niece had yet to admit to anyone other than her closest, and unfortunately only, friend.

Ichirou didn't get to see much of his dear niece, but he liked to believe that they were fairly close. But even he knew that they quite at the level where she would divulge her deepest secrets to him, so the fact that Jiraiya, a literal stranger to the girl, seemed to know something so personal to her, set red flags off in Ichirou's head.

"Come on Ichirou. I know you overheard whatever it was your little niece said. And Kakashi wants to confirm that his little friend isn't crazy. Just help me paint a picture of what your niece is like so that I don't have to worry about her being a spy that only half remembers what she's been told. Or that she actually is crazy and a threat to herself and others."

"I've known Sayuri since the day she was born. She isn't a spy. Or crazy. She's withdrawn. Highly intelligent, and sometimes completely lacking in common sense. She struggles to make friends with the kids her age, and Jirou has stopped introducing her to clan children as she seemed to become more and more distressed with each meeting. Her friendship with Kakashi has less to do with her and more to do with him, he lets her be more mature than her peers and doesn't question it, he lets her be whoever she is without pressure to be more.

"If Sayuri really was reincarnated, then she's been that way from birth. No one in Konoha has ever known a different Sayuri Akiyama. I think she became aware of her situation when she only one or two-years-old. She's been keeping a very large part of herself secret from everyone she knows for the majority of her life here, and that has been wearing on her. I believe she's been keeping a diary, but it won't be written in Japanese. Sayuri struggled to learn to speak for a while, she could repeat simple phrases, but once she learnt Japanese her speaking went from on one extreme to the other in a matter of months."

"So Sayuri is smart, not a spy, introverted, and probably doesn't know how to read yet. She's four. Apparently. Do you believe that she was reincarnated though?" Jiraiya pressed, relaxing slightly now that he was more comfortable with Sayuri being an ally for Konoha.

"I'm not sure how reincarnation works, but I think it's possible. After I told Jirou where Sayuri was, I went back to make sure she was alright. Her story had too much detail for it to be the fabrication of a childish imagination. And she was truly grieving for the loss of what she had before. I just don't think that reincarnation is the full story, there is probably more to the picture that we won't get to see for a while yet. And I suggest that we don't push Sayuri for more than she is willing to give.

"This is my warning to you Jiraiya. I don't care if you are my friend, I will personally hunt you down and beat you into the ground if I find out that you pushed Sayuri into talking to you in any way. Do you understand?" Ichirou growled out, picking Jiraiya up by the front of his haori and holding him at eye level.

Jiraiya gulped as he looked his friend in the eye. Ichirou could see Jiraiya trying to figure out a way around agreeing to Ichirou's demands, so the Akiyama gave the Toad Sannin a slight shake to emphasise his point.

"Fine. Fine!" Jiraiya consented, "I won't harass your niece for information regarding her trip back from the dead. But that won't stop me from looking into it more in a general aspect." And with his agreement Ichirou let go of his long-time friend.

"That's up to you. Do as you want. And if Sayuri comes up to you wanting to talk about it, I won't stop you from asking your questions, just don't seek her out. For all her maturity she is still a child, and very easily overwhelmed." Ichirou warned before heading back into his home, cheekily inviting Jiraiya in for a drink.

The rest of the night was spent theorising about the possibility of reincarnation, and what Sayuri's world must have been like. And then what a world without chakra must have looked like. They then devolved into bickering about who was more likely to survive in a world without chakra, which then turned into who was better at tai-jutsu.

Their arguments ended when they were too inebriated to speak. Jiraiya ended up crashing at Ichirou's house, too drunk to go back to his own home. They remained passed out on the floor until they were disturbed by Mari. The blonde looked down at the two men, who at some point during the night had curled around each other and were sleeping in quite an intimate embrace, causing Mari to laugh, jolting the two men awake.

"Mari?" Ichirou slurred as he wiped sleep from his eyes. Looking confused at his old teammate being in his house, laughing at him for some unknown reason. Unknown until Ichirou felt something move around his waist, drawing him closer to a warm entity. Now wide-awake Ichirou looked in horror at Jiraiya wrapped around him like a blanket. Ichirou looked back at Mari who was shaking with laughter. "You will never speak of this." Ichirou glared, the effect lost on Mari since Ichirou still had sleep encrusted eyes, and a hint of dribble still on his face.

"Oh, trust me. I'll never breathe a work of this." Mari laughed, shocking Jiraiya awake, who reacted by shrieking and throwing Ichirou away from him. "No one would ever hear about this from me." Mari laughed as she left, completely forgetting why she had come by in the first place.

Her laughter could be heard all the way from the main street.