lostmoonchild: Well, it's after seven here in beautiful South Dakota and I'm currently making friends with some coffee due to needing to be up early tomorrow morning so no sleeping in today. So I actually enjoyed this chapter cause of the father/daughter thing but I enjoyed writing a future chapter that taks place in Suna. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Chapter Twenty Five
Naruto couldn't help but feel pride as he watched his daughter slowly move up the tree, keeping the chakra levels in her feet at a constant level with only minor wavering. Unbidden memories of his own lessons came to mind as he watched his daughter fall back onto the ground, his body immediately moving to catch her. "Stop trying to catch me! I didn't get five feet off the ground!" Hisoka shouted in frustration.
The blonde raised an eyebrow, seeing that something else was bothering her. The chakra control lesson was going fairly well but he wondered what it was. "Okay, what's up?" Naruto questioned patiently.
"Nothing!"
"Like hell. Fess up, little girl."
Hisoka puffed her cheeks out in anger as she crossed her arms, giving her father a look that said plainly she didn't want to talk about it. Naruto simply raised an eyebrow that told her that they weren't going anywhere until she told him what was going on. "All the teachers get nervous when I use my chakra or when we're practicing weapon throwing." Hisoka said finally. "Even when we do taijutsu practice, they get nervous."
"Only cause they know your mom was that awesome and your dad's that great!"
The girl stared blankly at her father for a moment before answering, "Even when I do a genjutsu they're watching."
"Again, cause your mom was that awesome and your dad's that great."
"You suck at genjutsu. It must have been Momma."
Laughter left Naruto's lips as he hugged the girl before brushing her bangs from her eyes. "They're just looking at the fact that your mom was this smart kunoichi and that you've got large chakra reserves just like me." Naruto told her. "You're unique and pretty gifted. If your mom could see what kind of girl you are now, I bet she'd be real proud."
"Are you?"
"Every moment of every day."
Hisoka was silent for a moment before she nodded slightly. "They just don't know how good I can keep Kyuu-chan's chakra away from my normal chakra, right?" Hisoka questioned.
"Right. Just grin and bear with it, Hi-Hi. Come on, we'll put that huge chakra reserve to some use."
Confusion showed on Hisoka's face as she looked at him. "How?" Just what in the world was her father planning this time? The glint in his eyes told her that it was something that he knew was going to have Tsunade screaming at him for.
"I'm gonna teach you the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
As a shinobi Sasuke knew that information could be gathered any number of ways. He just wasn't impressed by how easily the shinobi gave up information regarding the girl. The information he uncovered, however, had put him in a bad mood. It wasn't fair that the dobe had gotten everything he was being denied.
While he was still doubtful regarding the girl's father, he couldn't deny the similarities that lingered between the two. Was it possible that Naruto had actually fathered a child? If so then he was going to take away all that the blonde had. It wasn't fair that a dead last idiot fathered a child well before the one that was at the top of their class. Say that you do kill the girl, a voice said patiently, he would still have been the first one to have a child. He'll even have the unfortunate title of being the first to lose a child.
No! Sasuke gritted his teeth in anger as he punched a wall, Sharingan spinning. Come hell or high water, he would destroy that hateful child that was technically his. One way or another, he would kill her and take away Naruto Uzumaki's daughter forever. "What do you think you're going to do?" Madara questioned lightly, already knowing the course of action that his descendant had already chosen.
"I'm going to get that brat. Naruto will come to get her and I'm going to destroy her in front of him." Sasuke said coolly.
"Konoha will not let the Kairi go so easily. The Kyuubi will especially be protective of her."
"As if I care."
It was pointless to argue with a fool but this fool at least had his head screwed on straight. The complete destruction of Konoha was at least in the younger Uchiha's head and Madara was fairly certain that a partial destruction would take place just taking the child away. "For your little Dark Temptation's sake," Madara said coolly as he looked at the King of Hell statue after Sasuke had left, "you'd better pray she doesn't show the markings."
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
"It's not funny!"
Naruto clutched his stomach as he felt the tears of laughter rolling down his face, another fit taking over him when he saw the russet orange streak beginning to appear near the girl's scalp. "Sorry, Hi-Hi, it just looks like someone tried to color your hair then tried to hide it by cutting it." Naruto laughed, this time falling onto the floor.
Hisoka's cheeks puffed out angrily as she glared at him, her gray eyes immediately looking back at the small mirror, searching for any other colors that may have been trying to appear. Seemingly satisfied there were no other colors, Hisoka put the mirror down. "It's not funny!" Hisoka shouted.
"She has a point. Each Bijuu's protector was known merely by the colored streak in their hair. By the time Hisoka has a chance to fully take in some of the chakra from the other Bijuu, she'll look like she lost a fight with a hairdresser."
Naruto forced his laughter back under control before inspecting the small tuft of russet orange, giving a small tug. "Yep, it's natural." Naruto sighed. "Well, I'm going to say that came from your mom."
"Am I really going to look like I lost a fight with a hairdresser like Kyuu-chan says?"
Damn it. Kyuubi could keep his mouth shut on that one. The last thing Naruto wanted to deal with was a girl that was self-conscious about her looks. "Not sure, honey. I don't think your mom had any colors in her hair."
"Her mother wasn't a Dark Temptation."
The six year old frowned slightly as she looked at Naruto before sighing. "What colors are the other Bijuu?" Hisoka asked finally.
"Tan, blue, red, orange, brown, white, kind of silvery blue, green…" Naruto listed immediately. "Kyuubi and I got into a discussion regarding colors. I've seen Sanbi in person."
"Can I go to Sai's house?" Hisoka questioned. "Please, Daddy?"
A protective instinct said to keep her at home while another feeling said just to let her go. Hisoka was his kid so it wasn't like any sudden surprises was unexpected. They were all waiting for him to teach her something that pushed along the boundaries of illegal which of course he'd claim he was teaching her the finer points of shinobi training. "All right. Just be back in time for dinner, got it?" Naruto questioned. "We're going out for dinner tonight since I don't feel like cooking."
"Yep! Thank you!"
Naruto smiled faintly as he watched his daughter throw her shoes on before booking it out of the apartment. He couldn't deny his pride for the girl but he could help but feel uneasy. Something in the distance was brewing and it was making his chakra edgier than he had ever felt before.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
Getting past the various ANBU teams that had been placed around Konoha to protect that horrid child had been fairly easy although Sasuke almost wished that murdering the one and only team that had spotted them hadn't been necessary. If they had simply let him and his team come in and do what they needed to then they'd be able to go home.
At least, go home to what was left of Konoha.
"You sure about this, Sasuke?" Karin questioned. "It'll be four against however many."
"That's why it's going to be Suigetsu getting the girl."
Suigetsu nearly fell off the tree branch at the news before giving Sasuke a look that plainly asked if the Uchiha was serious. "All that separated us before was that damn tube! If she sees me out of it then only the gods know what in the hell she's gonna do!" Suigetsu shouted.
"That wasn't a request." Sasuke replied flatly. "Take the girl and retreat. We'll meet up with you so don't die. Juugo, you take the northern part of the village. Karin, the south. Since Naruto's more than likely with the Kairi, we'll hunt them down together. While I'm distracting Naruto, Suigetsu will take the brat."
Even though he was a shinobi, Suigetsu was fairly certain that there was a special place in hell for kidnappers. As they split up, he found himself dreading the moment when he betrayed the child that had smiled so brightly at him before.
-Flashback-
"You're not one of Orochimaru's regular followers." Suigetsu commented as he stared at the child that stood before his prison.
Gray eyes stared at him for a moment before a bright smile spread across her face. There was no way such a sweet kid could possibly be one of Orochimaru's lackeys but looks could be deceiving. Then again this child could just be plain dumb. "Don't you talk?" Suigetsu questioned.
A small shake of the head answered his question but still the bright smile lingered. Hesitating only a moment, the girl put a hand on the cold glass before suddenly whipping around when they heard the door open. "What do you think you're doing in here?" Orochimaru questioned, his voice dangerously calm.
Fear showed in the girl's eyes for a moment before her eyes dimmed and her bright smile faded away to nothing. There went the dumb idea. "Orochimaru-sama." Suigetsu said softly, realization dawning on him.
"Get out. I'll deal with you later." Orochimaru snarled at the girl.
When she didn't immediately move, the snake-nin raised his hand and struck the girl, sending her to the floor. "I said get out!" His voice echoed in the room as if an ominous force.
Casting him a frightened glance, the girl fled from the room and it was then that Suigetsu knew for certain that the child's life was nothing more than a living hell and that death would be a welcome release. Then again, Suigetsu thought, life as Orochimaru's prisoner was nothing more than a living hell and when death finally came it was a welcome release.
-End flashback-
"Ready for this?" Sasuke questioned calmly, his dark eyes focusing on the blonde shinobi that was running towards the Hokage Monument with a dark-haired girl in his arms.
Drawing his sword, Suigetsu nodded slightly hoping that when the girl was old strong enough, she'd kill him for what he would do as soon as the opportunity arose.
lostmoonchild: Now my brain's contemplating several scenes and I've already got the deal with Madara figured out. What I don't have, however, is the deal with Sasuke figured out so we'll have to see which way my muse decides to go. Anyway, read and review!