Author's Note: AHAHAHA! READ! IDK WHAT TO SAY!

Chapter 7 - Meeting

Kurenai had been crying, too. The other Genin tried comforting her, but she would not forgive herself.

"I should have defended her… I should have stood up to Dad! I-"

"Kurenai," Akahi was sitting next to her. Kurenai looked up, her watery red eyes apologetic. "Do you know how lucky you are? To know who your parents are? To still live with them? Tsunade cleared her throat. She walked over to Akahi.

"Let's go, child. Grandma's waiting." Akahi got up, waved, and left with Tsunade. The other Genin left, too, and Shizune left with her mother.

Back at Mito's, Akahi went to sleep immediately. Mito and Tsunade conversed in hushed voices.

"Grandma… We've got to perform the transfer tonight," whispered Tsunade. "She shouldn't have to watch – it would haunt her forever. Plus, we are going to start carrying out missions. As we have discovered, Kushina's attack style includes Shadow Clones-"

"Amazing…. The Shadow Clone technique… It is a Jonin-level jutsu…"

"… So having the Nine-Tails chakra would help. Her strength lies in her taijutsu."

"Tsunade…. Take good care of your cousin. She'll need you most tomorrow." There was a knock at the door. "Enter." Kushina stepped in.

Mito and Tsunade led her into a separate chamber. They set up the sealing barrier.

"Release," spoke Mito.

Akahi woke up. The Thirteen-Tails had responded to another tailed beast's chakra. The Nine-Tails? She thought. She jumped off of the bed and ran out her bedroom door. The sensation disappeared after a while. Hmm… That was weird.

There was a loud shriek and a thud. It's coming from there! She followed the sound, and came to the chamber. When she entered, Tsunade was seated on the ground next to Mito and Kushina, who were unconscious. Akahi gasped and ran over to her. Tsunade looked up at her, her golden-brown eyes tired and sorrowful.

"Grandma's dead," she said slowly, as if she could not believe it. "And Kushina is the new Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails." Akahi got up and ran out of the room. She ran out of the house blindly, her vision blurry with tears. Not knowing what she wanted to do with herself, she went to the dango shop. She collapsed onto a bench.

Someone else walked in and sat next to her. It was a young woman with long purple hair that spiked at the ends and brown eyes. She was holding a small child who had the same features. Akahi brightened and wiped away her tears.

"Wow… So cute!" she exclaimed. "What's her name?"

"Ahahaha…" the woman chuckled softly, blushing. Akahi looked confused.

"Umm… Ma'am? I don't see how that's funny…"

"I'm sorry. I came here just now to decide what it should be…."

"Ok, then. In the meanwhile, what about having some Anko dango with me? Oh, and my name's Akahi!"

"Akahi, huh? How original, Hikaze…" murmured the woman, looking a bit distant.

"Huh? What's Hikaze-sama got to do with it?" asked Akahi, confused.

"Don't you know?" asked the woman, puzzled. "She named you!"

"Really… Ok, anyways, what do I call you?"

"I think Mitarashi-sama would do just fine."

"Your name is Mitarashi?!" exclaimed Akahi, stifling a laugh.

"It's my surname!" she corrected, laughing. "They used to call me Senju-sama… That was just plain strange. Oh, here are the dango!"

So her last name used to be Senju…pondered Akahi, who had already finished her first stick.

"All right. Can I ask you one thing?"

"Sure," replied Akahi.

"Why were you crying?" Mitarashi asked gently.

"My grandma just died," answered Akahi. "And I don't have any parents."

"Who's your grandma?"

"Mito Uzumaki." Mitarashi gasped and put her hands to her mouth. "Are you… okay?"

"Yeah… Guess I'm a bit… Shocked, that's all… She's my m-my friend's mother. My friend died, too, twenty years ago."

They had been talking so long that the child had fallen asleep. The sun was just coming up, and all the dango was gone.

"Thank you… You sure taught me a lot. I hope I see you again soon."

"No, no, thank you. Here, as a farewell gift, can you name her?"

"Me…" Ok, so her last name is Mitarashi. How about Anko?" asked Akahi.

"Anko Mitarashi… I love it!"

"All right. See you, Mitarashi-sama! Take care, Anko!" chirped Akahi happily as she left.

"Bye, Akahi," whispered Mitarashi. "Thank you so much…" She looked up at the sky. "That's so interesting. Isn't it, Anko?"

Back at her house, Akahi chattered about her night to Tsunade.

"I met this really funny person at the dango shop!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, she had long purple hair that was a bit spiky, and brown eyes. She also had a kid with her. When I was leaving, I got to name her!"

"So what did you name her?"

"Anko Mitarashi!"