Six

Getting Colder

Kushina-sensei decided that if Minato was around I could very well train at his apartment while those two had some lovey dovey time. They sat on the couch in each other's arms while I tried scribbling the Hiragana out neatly.

"That looks lopsided," muttered Minato. I sighed smacking my head onto the wooden table.

"Why am I even doing this? I don't wanna write," I grumbled out. Kushina poked me in the ribs, hard, with her foot. I yelped before trying it again.

"Minato-san, don't you think Kushina-sensei should just forget the writing part and teach me some cool moves or something." He laughed a little in this shy closed eye way which made it clear that I was never going to get him to side with me. I sighed.

"Actually," he said. "Kushina is the one who taught me all about Fuuinjutsu. She's a good teacher." I paused to stare at him before sighing again and re-writing the symbols. I was going to meet his team soon. It seems that knowing people is thought to be really important. You should know about fighting style of possible allies and enough about them to be able to work alone them well.

Kushina-sensei had started to show me even more seals, really cool ones. The sort I could do when I was 'old enough'. I was stuck with writing Hiragana again and again and again. I always messed up somehow. To think I used to be really good at these almost three years ago. I wonder how much worse my Kanji has gotten.

I tied a black ribbon that Kushina had given me tightly on my head. The words 'hard work' were written on it in white. Tsukishima would also sit in these lessons even though he was better then me at Hiragana. It was horrible. I was stuck with just letters. He got to do small words. It was my version of hell.

"Ra," said Kushina-sensei.

"Hai!" After the yell I tried to write it neatly and ended up stuck with a backward C. I could almost see the sweat drop on Kushina-sensei's head. It was there I knew it.

"Does that look like Ra to you?" I shook my head. She sighed before pulling out a scroll. I watched her scribble out a neat Ra. With the straight line and the neat curve under it. This was going to be agony. I wonder when Orochimaru would start his classes with me. Tsukishima then showed Kushina-sensei his scroll which said 'Ryuu'. It was neat, well neater then mine. Only marginally. Okay, fine. It was amazing in comparison to my chicken scratch.

I was aware that I was the clan head's daughter but I never knew that I actually had privileges. The Chunin exams took place and the clan heads along with heirs were allowed to see it. We were all sitting in a room in the tower in Training Ground 44. The room was dark with multiple screens on one wall, cushions and chairs were placed methodically around the other wall. I sat in Wakato's lap as he pointed out techniques to me in a hushed whisper. I nodded every time he did.

It was very interesting because this was Kakashi and Guy's graduating class. Canon characters all over the screen. It was like watching Naruto just with much more boring detail. If you thought the thrillers were bad, wait till you hear this. The first five hours was literally nothing but running and the occasional piss break. The first night was when most tried to find something place safe and succeeded. The first twenty four hours and the only remotely interesting thing was a gigantic spider eating that huge ass ant. There was blood everywhere and ant parts too. The Aburame clan were annoyed by a slight shriek of fear, I don't know who it belonged to. I found it awesome.

Eventually the battles started, exactly like canon. Fugaku was pinching the bridge of his nose when Obito choked and fell back. Since it was a time of war the normal audience was unavailable. The Hokage often took advice from them. The chunin exams were preplanned so that all people that were supposed to be part of the audience were there. The Sensei of each team was also here. We were supposed to come with some sort of unanimous decision about who got in and who didn't. Guy was almost evenly matched with a chunin so he obviously got the rank. It seems the Aburame clan is led by Shibi's Father aka Shino's grandfather. He brought Shibi along. The Akimichi and Yamanaka clans were also in the hands of Chouzs and Inoichi's fathers but only Inoichi was present on a cushion next to Shikaku. Shikaku seemed really tired with bags under his eyes. No one said anything though because they knew his father was recently deceased and he had to take the responsibility of the Nara clan and be a strategist for Konoha's forces. I thought he was already the Jounin commander but as it it turns out that post belongs to Orochimaru. He fell asleep on Inoichi's shoulder after the first hour. Inoichi seemed a little wary at first but within half an hour Shikaku was lying in his lap. I was obviously watching their bromance because it was so much more interesting then the groups fighting over direction and strategy. I think it was then that I realized a really good life lesson. Even the greatest Shinobi need a shoulder to lean on, even the greatest masks can crumble.

In the dim room, I'm not sure how many people saw but chose to ignore but it was clear as day that Shikaku was shivering in his sleep. His face was scrunched up and his breathing was laboured. Inoichi at first seemed to be hoping for it to pass as he stroked Shikaku's hair lightly but when he seemed to curl up the Yamanaka turned to his Father who whispered something in his ear. Inoichi nodded before tapping his friend's forehead and releasing some chakra. I felt the trickle of chakra flowing from his stomach to his hand and then into Shikaku's head. The man - he seemed too young to be one though - seemed to calm down. The odd thing I noticed was that they looked to be Kushina-sensei's age. Shikaku was too young for such a burden. There was an another life lesson. No burden is thought too big for a Shinobi. He was still a gangly teenager in comparison to totally macho guy we see in the series. For starters he didn't have most of the muscle nor his scars. He was skinny wearing a sleeveless mesh shirt with a sleeveless dear skin jacket and brown pants. He actually looked quite a bit like Shikamaru from Shippuden except his eyes were narrower and more deeper into his skull. His jaw line was also more defined. Inoichi didn't have the silky long hair, in fact his hair barely reached his shoulders. They were in a high ponytail and the front of his hair was set in bangs that framed his face. He also looked younger but his eyes were colder.

It was rather boring and a few of the Clan heads seemed rather surprised to see me there. I think what surprised them more was my input on the chakra techniques and how strategies could be made better. It was basically Wakato asking me to watch closely before explaining what had happened. I mostly got it right with a few hints and prods in the right direction. I think this was his way of teaching me these things. He was supposed to leave for the battle field after the chunin exams.

"Watch the green one, bowl cut." I did just that, narrowing my eyes after the battle was over I turned to Wakato looking into his eyes, he was expecting something good. I have a feeling he was just trying to make Fugaku jealous. I am younger then Itachi. He's three right now, I think. I'm going to be three in two months.

"Guy-san's technique is quite refined but it seems to be entirely composed of muscle memory. He isn't very good at strategy, he just jumps in without a thought. That would make it harder to predict if you were basing your strategy on his thinking process but it leaves him helpless if the opponent seems to know his style." Wakato's smile was soft but I knew I had done well, especially seeing Fugaku's scowl.

"Good, Arashi-chan. And the Katake kid?" I turned to the screen and paused for a moment.

"He seems to be really good at using his Tanto. He doesn't really care about teammates or teamwork. He is willing to do whatever gets the job done. The move he used on Guy-san is something one wouldn't use against some thought to be a comrade. He doesn't hold back. He follows the rules in a cold detached manner," I answered.

"And in essence he is...?" I looked up at Wakato finally understand the purpose of this.

"A true Shinobi." I was being taught the ways of the Shinobi by using Kakashi as an example. Wakato doesn't seem to like Sakumo then, I think. I bit my lip, so that is what Wakato wanted me to be. It struck me then that I had never heard of Sakumo, not as a traitor nor as a saviour.

Tsukishima wasn't very happy but he didn't say anything. He had turned five but he wasn't allowed to go to the Academy. He would be allowed when I would go to the Academy. I stayed quite as he sulked the whole day.

"Tsuki?" He was just sitting there and pouting. He had been doing that for the last fifteen minutes. He looked up and smiled lightly.

"Yes, Arashi-sama," he said. I wrinkled my nose in annoyance. I had told him not to call me that but his mother scolded him whenever he stopped.

"Are you sad?" He stared at me before shaking his head with that small smile. I got angry. He was just a five year old kid and yet he was hiding his emotions.

"Tsuki, never do that again." He looked surprised. He had somehow managed a serene and calm look at five years of age. He always wore haoris in dark colours with pale green or blue kimono and black obi belts. His hair was eternally messy.

"Do what?"

"If you want to say something just say it. Don't lie or try to hide your emotions. You are my friend aren't you?" He nodded. "Friends tell friends everything." This was one thing I wasn't do sure of. I never wanted to know secrets or tell them but this boy was about my younger brother's age. I wanted him to be able to talk to me. He blinked before a frown came over his face.

"It's nothing." I played with the hem of my kimono.

"Whenever you want to tell me." He nodded.

"Let's go to Aunt Kururi," he said slightly excited. I smiled and grabbed his hand. He all but dragged me to the woman's room with both of us giggling the whole way. I actually felt like the child I was. I guess my childish luckiness ran out when we entered the room and the woman was already in labour. Tsuki didn't know that and started crying about she was dying while I started covering my eyes and screaming until Teru yelled at some woman to take us out.

Six hours later I was an older cousin to a adorable boy with a tuft of blond hair lying flat on his head. I wanted to have a female cousin around but what's is done I guess. He was named Mahiru.

And with my third birthday less then two weeks away Wakato was still on the battlefield. Daichi was part of a backup Medic team that had left. Rai, Teru and quite a few people were gone. I'd spend most of my time with Kururi and Mahiru. Mahiru had these really pretty grey eyes. I think he is just an adorable bundle of adorableness. Tsukishima has been working on his kenjutsu. He is quite good for a five year old. He still uses this tiny bokuto but that kid is deadly with it. He nearly killed two ornate pots yesterday. Sakuraya congratulated him. Kushina-sensei was busy so I just had to revise writing the Hiragana I had covered with her.

It was then that a scroll was sent over in my name. Sakuraya read it out for me. Orochimaru was back and he wanted a training session as soon as possible. I grabbed my training gear and made my way slowly to the training ground mentioned. I was a little wary because I still couldn't control my chakra. I just pushed it all out without mixing it properly or trying to control it. This was good for Taijutsu but it was nearly impossible to do proper Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. I couldn't do medical Ninjutsu either. I had gone to meet Grand-sensei again his name is actually Yukine. He says I can't manage medical Ninjutsu. He also mentioned that there was some uncommon disease in the Land of Fire which I might be able to fix because its treatment requires pumping chakra continuously through a person's body to replace blood. While his or her body was drained and refilled with blood.

Once I was outside training ground twenty I took a deep breath before walking in. I normally wore Kimonos except for when I was training. So right now it was a pair of shorts with a half-sleeved shirt. My hair did have a small hair tie in one side with some clips on the other but it was still spiky and I think that's the way its going to stay.

Orochimaru stood in the center of the training field at the appropriate time, as promised. I had arrived minutes before and was practising the kata. I needed to work harder and get stronger. If they send me out in the war I could escape the clutches of Konoha. I could be free and just watch everything unfold. That was a relatively new idea but with the way Wakato hadn't trusted his own daughter I understood that Shinobi have issues. I'd rather live outside Konoha. I'd be free then.

"Good morning, Orochimaru-san." I straightened my back and stood proudly with all my three foot six inches glory. He nodded acknowledging my greeting.

"Ah, you can say my name this time. Let's get straight to the point, what do you want to learn?" I looked at his impassive face and noticed the calculating and analysing look. I was being tested.

"I want to learn everything necessary for survival in this world." He blinked twice, I think I managed to surprise him.

"Let's start with chakra, what do you know about it?" I bit the inside of my cheek.

"Chakra is the life source if humans. Shinobi hone it like a sixth sense." He nodded.

"I've heard that you have been working on it." I nodded. "I've also heard that you are good at expelling chakra but not mixing it or controlling it." I nodded again.

"I've tried the tree climbing exercise too but the tree splinters." He closed his eyes. "I have gotten better since I first started, I don't rip the leaves anymore."

"I see." He wasn't happy about my inability to use chakra properly. He seemed to be thinking as he folded his arms and tilted his head. "We can take advantage of this ability of yours. What is Genjutsu?"

"It's a way of fooling the mind by shrouding a sense in chakra to make an illusion." He nodded.

"If you send out a fog of chakra then what?" I frowned and shook my head to show that I didn't know. "It would affect all the senses at once. Hearing, sight, smell, touch and taste. That would be almost impossible to break out of." Now I was interested. The show had Genjutsu which attacked the brain and filled it. This would actually change their surroundings by shaping them with chakra.

"Is it possible?" He smirked.

"Anything is possible with chakra. You can also learn how to explode a person from the inside. We will work on your control until I device a good way for us to try the techniques." I nodded. "Make all the hand seals and then concentrate chakra in your hands. When it seems like too much absorb the rest into the chakra system. Do it slowly or you might burn your skin or your chakra paths." I gulped before making the first seal, Rat. Pulling my chakra out was easy. I didn't have to mix the spiritual and physical parts. Then trying to absorb it was where everything became messy. My hands exploded charing my skin lightly and producing a lot of smoke as I fell backwards. Orochimaru healed my hands before making me stand and do it again. I did it without complaint.

We did that the whole day and there was some difference in my chakra control because now I was hesitant to let all my chakra out and I could absorb it now, not fully. I was shivering as I walked home alone covered in blood and dirt. It was quite late. Sakuraya bit his lip when he let me in and called Akane. She seemed rather quite as she grabbed my shoulder and pulled me to my room. Sakuraya stayed in the room while Akane took me into the bathroom attached to the room.

"Akane, what's the matter?" She looked at me shocked before pulling my clothes off. I was thankful because I knew I wouldn't be able to do it with the condition of my hands. Orochimaru didn't fully heal my hands. She helped me clean my self before I slipped into the pale blue kimono. Akane never replied. She left the room and Sakuraya patted my futon which he had helpfully laid out for me. I sat down.

"How was it?" I just showed him my hands. He didn't wince or look guilty he just held my hands sending his chakra in to heal them.

"He has me working on chakra control. I think I'll get better at it this way," I muttered. He nodded looking up at me before looking back down as the skin stopped looking inflamed.

"I see," he said. "Your training with me is over as of today. Kushina-san will continue with the Fuuinjutsu training sometime in the next month." I nodded as he tucked me in before leaving.

It seems that they were evaluating my response to the harsh training method of Orochimaru. They knew that he was going to do something rash. I wish I had been given further warning. I wasn't allowed to show weakness but I had cried a little when my hands exploded and gasped in pain when Orochimaru asked me to keep on going. I stared at my red eyes in the mirror on the ceiling. In that moment I told myself to leave the ethics of my precious life. No one was going to save me from whatever abuse that people sprung on me. I wasn't a child I was a solider.

Canon

The war starts picking up the pace as Ame withdraws after being overrun by multiple military forces. Iwa, Kumo and Konoha are at a stalemate. Kiri is engaged in a civil war while Suna is trying to back out because their medicinal supplies are depletied to almost non-existant.

Glimpse

"Be nice she's my patient."

"I don't mind," I said. "He can say whatever he likes as long as I can call him a freak."

"Oi! Don't call me that!" He flipped a page before stopping. "Wait...you're a girl?" I sighed.