There is no way. There is absolutely no way. He couldn't have said that.
All of a sudden there is a very angry looking shop keeper coming towards me and the girl.
"Koyumi, get over here!"
"Eeep!" The girl cries and starts to run away. I grab her by the shoulder.
"Koyumi, give me the fruit you took, and I won't tell your mom what you've been up to."
The girl looks indignant for a moment, then pulls an apple out of her pocket and gives it to the man.
I tap him on the arm.
"Excuse me, but did you say her mother's name is Ms. Haruno?" I say, trying to hold back the shaking in my voice. "Would her first name happen to be Sakura?"
"Hm?" He looks up "Why, yes, I believe so. Do you know her?"
Still trying to keep my voice steady I say "Yeah. I mean yes. I think so."
"Well, that's just great." Says the shop keeper. "You're a ninja from the Hidden Leaf, right? We were told you would be here to guard at the museum. Since you know Ms. Haruno, could you take Koyumi home for me? I don't want her getting into any more trouble."
"Oh, I, um…. Alright, I guess." I want to find out where Sakura is, and who this girl who is, apparently, her daughter is. I turn to her "do you know the way to your house?'
"Yeah"
"Okay. Let's go." I start walking, and the girl runs ahead.
She starts walking on the rocks lining the path.
"So… Koyumi? Have you lived in this village a long time?" I ask. I want to try and get information from her.
"Yup. Mom came here before I was born." She replies. "She used to live in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. She tells me stories about it all the time."
"I see. Is your mom married?"
"No." She says "It's just me and her."
"What does your mom look like?"
"What, are you some kinda perv or something?" She turns around to look at me, her eyes partly joking and partly suspicious.
"What? NO! I was just wondering." I decide to switch to something less personal, as not to creep the girl out. "Why did you steal from the shop keeper?"
"Oh, that's easy. His son made me angry." She says this almost aloofly.
"What did he do?"
"He made fun of my dream." She stops, and looks up. "One day, I'm going to go to the Hidden Leaf village. I'm going to be a ninja." She turns around and looks at me full in the eyes before saying "And then, one day, I'm going to be the greatest Hokage ever. The best!"
She grins, and the setting sun turns the light around her golden. That's when t hits me. Her hair, her face, the way she acts. It's me. A young, female version of me. But still. Me.
"Koyumi…. How old are you?"
"Huh? Five. Why?"
"Just wondering."
She's the right age. Heh. So, Sakura, looks like someone's been keeping secrets. All this time. Is that why she left?
"Hey, mister, you okay?"
"Oh, yeah. Sorry." I've been standing here, probably with a dumb look on my face. We start walking again. Is she really who I think she is? She must be.
"You've never met your father, right?" I'm not going to tell her I'm her father, but I want to find out what Sakura has told her. "Has you're mom told you anything about him?"
Not really." She replies. "She told me that they were team mates and he was a great ninja. And that he would probably be Hokage someday. That's another reason I want to go to the Hidden Leaf village. I've always dreamed of meeting him. I want to know what he's like."
So she doesn't know anything. Damn it Sakura, don't you know how much it hurts to not know anything about your parents?
"We're here." She says. "It looks like mom's home. Do you want to come in?"
"No thanks, I've got to go. Maybe I'll see you around some time." I am going to come back, but later, when I can talk to Sakura alone.
"Okay, well, bye" Nice meeting you!" She says, smiling.
"Yeah. And, Koyumi?" She looks at me "Don't tell your mom about me, okay? It'll be our secret."
She grins "Okay! But you have to buy me ramen some time!"
I arrive at the museum early, only to find that Kakashi and Sai are already there.
"Hello, Naruto. Have a good time in town?" Asks Sai.
"I think I found Sakura."
He and Kakashi stare at me, looks of shock on their faces. I tell them what happened.
"So… you think you have…. a daughter?" Asks Kakashi slowly, like he can't quite believe what he is saying.
"Yes. I need to speak to Sakura before we leave this village."
"Go." Says Sai.
"What? I have to guard here, I can't just leave."
"Naruto, we can handle things here. Go find Sakura." Says Kakashi.
"I… alright. Thank you."
I take off. It's dark by the time I reach Sakura's house. I muster all my courage and knock on the door.
"Hello? Who's there?"
The door opens, and I find myself staring into the green eyes I have missed for so long.