DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto
AN: Thanks to everyone who read this story, put it on alerts and favorite's list…
On The Verge
Of Moving Forward
The next day, almost evening really, I woke up with a slight throb in my head. It took a few minutes to process the events of last night. I got up to go outside the room when I saw a pale yellow kimono caught my eye. Taking it as a sign to take a shower, I went to the bathroom. A million thoughts ran through my mind, none of them pleasant which only worsened my headache. I would never have another birthday with my parents by my side. Was to wrong wish they were here next week with their usual calming presence? For them to stay with me while I became someone, watch me grow up?
Yes, I needed something else to think of quickly, before I became Sasuke- ish and revenge obsessed. Although, now I can kind have understand him. I wandered outside, noting the huge empty living room. I realised I was being rude but sat on one of the chairs anyway.
"Oh, you're awake!" I heard someone call from behind. It was a boy, probably a couple of years older than me. He didn't very familiar even from what I could remember from my old life. I tilted my head in question, it was not easily possible for anyone to break into the hokage compound.
"I'm Asuma. Your cousin." He said with a little grin. "My mom told me to tell you eat something from the kitchen when you woke up."
"Alright, thanks." I said, quickly getting up. I took a few steps before it occurred to me. "I don't know where the kitchen is." I admitted with my face heating up.
"Sorry. Follow me." Asuma said walking in the complete opposite way. We reached a simple kitchen and Asuma took a plate from a shelf handing it to me. Just realising how hungry I was, I took a huge bite of the tempura. There was an awkward silence. Apparently, Asuma noticed it too.
"How old are? Do you attend the academy?" he asked, probably deciding they were safe subjects.
"I'll be seven, soon. I don't attend the academy. What about you?" I added the last part to get the conversation going.
"I'm nine. I'll be a genin in a few months." He said quite smugly.
"Wow, that's great. Do people already know beforehand when they'll be graduating?" I asked genuinely curious.
"Not really but I failed the exams purposefully the last time because I wanted to graduate with my closest friend who became my classmate now." He explained.
"Your parents let you do that?"
"My father expected it, probably. As for mother, she couldn't believe it, but no one could prove anything." He said leaning against the counter.
"Why would you want to do that? I thought people were obsessed with advancing ranks as quickly as possible." I asked, totally confused.
"Well, I kind of want to be in the same team as my friend. There is a higher chance of being in the same team if you become genin together." He said calmly. "Besides, it's all about teamwork; if you don't like your team, the success rate goes out of the window. Only prodigies like Hatake who want solo missions with a mentor or don't mind being in any team want to graduate quickly."
"That's…" I trailed off not knowing what to say. "Wait aren't you worried I might tell someone?"
"My parents already suspect I did it on purpose, my friends know too. So I don't really care." He shrugged. Talk about blasé.
"Is it too difficult for someone with a civilian background?" I asked. I just realised if my- no the Mazuka clan didn't get custody of me… I could probably…
"I guess it depends on how hard you work. I mean, we do have a lot of civilians in our class who get top scores… but I think it's different for everyone."
I was about to ask him something but Biwako entered the kitchen, nodding at my empty plate.
"I see my son has been doing something right for once." She said raising an eyebrow. "How are you feeling, Yumeko?" She asked turning to me.
"I'm feeling better now." I answered honestly. "What's going to happen now?" I asked hesitantly. I needed to know if I was going to have to run away; my plan if I was sent to the Mazuka clan again.
"We'll have to discuss it with Hiruzen." She looked thoughtful. "We can talk about it now or whenever you feel up to it." I nodded, she was giving me a way to post pone the talk which did nothing to erase my fears.
"I want to do it as soon as possible." I said finally.
"Whenever you want." She said.
"Now?" I asked wondering if I was really pushing it. She nodded once.
"I'm going to meet my friends, mom. See you around, Yumeko." Asuma said loudly breaking the tense moment before dashing off.
We walked in silence the entire 576 steps. I was counting because I could feel a few people's gaze on us as soon as we went outside the compound. We climbed the multitude of steps before reaching the Hokage office. He was hidden behind the mountain of paperwork. If I wasn't so tense, I would have laughed at how silly it looked.
"Ah, Biwako, Yumeko, here already?" He asked standing up. Finally I could see his face.
"Yumeko wanted to know now." Biwako answered for me. I nodded.
"I'm sorry, child but I want to know what you know." The hokage asked looking sorry.
"I know someone from the clan killed mama and papa." I told him everything I knew including who I suspected I heard when I heard mama screaming. The old couple listened to me with serious faces. "I'm not going back to them, right?" I asked, tears flowing down my cheeks.
"You know much more than we do then." The hokage sighed. "Kazumi's scroll only said that they were being treated badly lately and we were to adopt you should something like happen."
"So I don't have to ever go back to them?" I asked needing clarification.
"No. actually, the entire clan had left Konoha by the time you reached here. So we have to assume that it was planned." The hokage said sombrely. Suddenly a horrible thought came to me.
"What if they want me? I mean, I was a Mazuka till yesterday. What if they kidnap me?" I knew they would stop at nothing.
"You are a Sarutobi now. We protect our precious people." The hokage declared. "What do you want to do now?"
"Give her time to calm down and think, Hiruzen." Biwako said chastising. "You don't have to give an answer right away, Yumeko."
"Um, I guess, I wanted to join the ninja academy. If it's not too late, I mean." I said, looking down at my shoes.
"To be a kunoichi. Is that what you want?" Biwako asked mildly surprised.
"Papa even taught me a few things if we could somehow convince the clan…" I trailed off, what a joke that turned out to be.
"If you're absolutely sure, I'll enrol you by next week. Let me know if you change your mind."
The next two days were spent with me helping Biwako with herbs, turns out she was the one who honed my mother's skills too. She was a medic too. Whenever Asuma was home, he would share some funny things that happened at the academy. We got along surprisingly well after the first few awkward hours, especially after he got to know that I was going to attend the academy too.
It was decided that I would go to the academy with Asuma on the first day. He had already told his friends that his "little sister" was joining them. I didn't know who his friends were but I knew I was going to meet some interesting people. What was even more surprising was that, Biwako told me I was probably going to be placed in advanced classes after I told her what was taught to me by papa.
"I thought he was teaching me things we learned according to our ages." I told her. She simply smiled.
Upon arrival, Asuma walked me outside my class, gave me a huge wave before running to his class. I entered the door which was the start of a new chapter in my life as Yumeko Sarutobi, kunoichi.
AN: I like writing dialogues. Unedited, sorry for any mistakes
A Cookie to anyone who can guess who Asuma's friend is :)
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