(Here is the long awaited chapter 38! I love feedback and constructive criticism, so please leave a review so I can improve my writing and storytelling skills. Enjoy!)
After escaping from Kirigakure, Kuroda arrives just outside of the main gate to the Hidden Leaf Village about 12 hours later due to inventive use of his secret technique. In accordance with the plan he came up with on the journey, he creates a Shadow Clone and has it put some serious wounds and gashes all over his body so it looks like he was attacked. He checks the position of the sun and in a few moments he is able to confirm that his calculations were correct. He sees Team 15 approaching the gate at exactly the time he predicted. After dismissing the clone he stumbles out of the treeline, onto the road, and collapses onto the ground. Team 15 along with the gate guards immediately rush over to him.
When Kuroda wakes up he is in a bed with white cotton sheets that make his skin a little itchy. There are some machines set up to his side that have cords running to his body, pumping fluid in and out and taking measurements of his vitals. The light shining in from the big window in the quiet room informs him that it is about midday. A middle-aged woman dressed in a white nurse's uniform is fumbling with something in a corner of the room, just beyond the silk sheet separating him from the vacant bed on the other side. She sees him open his eyes and immediately walks out of the room to summon the Hokage. Several minutes later the busty, blond leader of the village comes in and greets him, "Hello, Kuroda, it is good to see you awake."
"Lady Hokage, why are you here?" asks Kuroda, feigning ignorance.
"Do you know where you are?" she inquires cautiously, taking a seat in a white chair beside the bed.
"I assume that Yoshikuni and the others brought me inside the village," he replies, "And judging by the room, I assume I am in the hospital."
"Good, the doctors thought you might have had a concussion," she replies.
"But still, why are you here, Lady Hokage?" he asks.
"When someone disappears from a mission and then randomly shows up in front of the village hours later, covered in blood, it is a matter that a high ranking person needs to investigate," she explains, "And considering the report I got from Tousen Nohana I thought it was necessary that I investigated this matter personally."
"So, he told you what happened," comments Kuroda.
"Yes, but I would like to hear your version," she says, "And please start at the point where you tracked the Mist Ninja called Kasumi into the cave and engaged her in combat."
He explains, "I anticipated that Shun was going to attack her alone, so I thought I would give him a hand. Obviously we failed and Shun was trapped in her water Jutsu. After Tousen was able to free Shun, I was going to try another attack, when Kasumi started to perform hand signs. Suddenly, as if Kasumi did not mean to do it, a clone attacked me from behind and knocked me unconscious. I woke up back in the Wasabi mansion."
"That is consistent with what the others said, but what about your arm? Tousen said it was injured when they all woke up and found you," she says.
"I'm not sure," he lies, irritated that Tousen had noticed his injury, "I just woke up like that."
The Hokage does not seem to believe him, but she moves on, "So what happened to you on the way back to the village? Where did you disappear to?"
Kuroda explains, "We stopped to take a break, and I remembered reading about some rare berries that were in the area, so I went to look for them figuring I could sell them for profit. While I was searching someone came out of nowhere and attacked me. I tried to get to the others, but couldn't find them. I tried to fight the enemy, but he was too fast for me, I could barely even see his movements. So I did the only thing I could think of which was run. Somehow I was able to make it to the village gates where I collapsed. I'm not sure why my attacker didn't follow me and finish the job."
The Hokage levels him with a piercing stare and sighs, but does not press the matter. "Very well, thank you for explaining that to me," she says getting up and walking to the door, "Please get some rest."
She leaves the room and closes the door behind her. Then she meets with Kayo, who is fully recovered from Team 3's last mission, out in the hallway.
"So how is he?" asks Kayo, trying to hide the fact that her concern is beyond the level of a normal student-teacher relationship.
"He seems fine both physically and mentally," replies the Hokage, tossing her long locks over her shoulder with a sigh, "However, I believe he is lying to me for some reason. Please use your Mind Interrogation Technique to find out what really happened."
"Yes, Lady Hokage," says Kayo, not questioning the order since she received the same request once before.
Kayo quietly enters the recovery room and immediately does the Jutsu before Kuroda can say anything.
Inside Kuroda's mind Kayo finds the wall with yellow electricity surging through it, and, after a moment, Kuroda appears on the other side and walks through to converse with her.
"The Hokage ordered me to find out what really happened," she explains, "I'd like to know what went on as well. I've already read over the report, so how about you tell me what actually happened?"
Kuroda grins and replies, "I was summoned to help one of my other associates."
"You mean slaves," Kayo snaps, her temper flaring faster than normal.
"Is that what you really think?" Kuroda says. "Do you not see that this is a mutual relationship? I have already proven that I will risk my life to save yours, and all I ask is that when I need you to, you follow my orders and wishes so I can accomplish my dreams."
"And the majority of your orders have been to keep your secrets about the betrayal of the village, and to help you in enslaving others to my own fate," replies Kayo sharply, pointing an accusing finger at him.
"It is only your opinion that I am betraying the village, because you do not know the full extent of my plans," says Kuroda.
"Plans that you swore you would tell me," snaps Kayo again.
"And when the time is right you will know them, but I cannot risk you meddling," he responds, "As for my other associates they have all agreed to my terms of their own free will in return for something that they wanted from me. Now, you will tell the Hokage that my memories have been tampered with and the originals cannot be recovered."
"Is that all?" she asks bitterly, knowing it is useless to try and press him further.
"Yes, now go," he commands, turning around and disappearing back behind the yellow wall.
Kayo exits from Kuroda's mind; her spirit drifts back into her own body and her eyes snap open. She walks outside and gives the Hokage the message.
The Hokage comes back in the room and declares, "I have decided that you will be suspended from all further missions and you are not allowed to leave the village until I say so."
"What? Why?" he protests, "Did I do something to make Kayo mad? I can't remember what we just talked about."
The 8th Hokage shakes her head and explains, "It is for your own protection and for the village's protection. You cannot fully remember what happened and it is obvious some of your memories have been tampered with. You may have given up some information about the village, or been put under a Jutsu. Also the person who attacked you might be waiting and will try to kill you the next time you go on a mission. It is safest for you lay low for a while until we can determine if the threat has passed."
As per the Hokage's decision Kuroda is restricted to the village after he is released from the hospital. He is allowed to go on the D-rank missions that are inside of the village, but other than that he is suspended from duty. For any missions outside of the village either Shun, Ichimaru, or Rame Tsu accompanies Team 3 as a temporary replacement. So the dark-haired boy with mysterious intentions is forced to wait and do nothing until it is considered safe. Of course the minute he was whisked away on the journey back from the Tea Country he knew that this would happen. But still it irritates him to know about all the opportunities he is going to miss and all the precious time that will be wasted. Yet he recognizes that there are still some things that he can do inside the confines of the village that will affect his future plans.
*Day 1 of Suspension*
Kuroda starts to get up, but then thinks better of it and goes back to bed.
*Day 2 of Suspension*
After making the decision not to sleep in again Kuroda decides to go out to one of the training areas and brush up on his Taijutsu skills. He creates a Shadow Clone to spar with so that his opponent will be on the same level as him. They spend the first half of the day kicking and punching and dodging until they are both drenched in sweat and the clone expends all its energy and disappears.
After a home-cooked lunch of beef stew Kuroda sets out to go do some more training when he encounters Sakura. After a quick discussion she practices with him for the rest of the day so that they can work on improving her skills. Sakura is overflowing with glee as she gets the chance to spend some more alone time with Kuroda. However, she is careful to suppress her excitement so that she can focus on the rigorous workout he puts her through. In the end the session doesn't produce the best results, but Sakura is still just happy that she got Kuroda all to herself.
*Day 3 of Suspension*
Kuroda heads out to the training fields again, but this time he decides to focus on Ninjutsu. He makes sure to only practice Jutsu that he learned before officially becoming a Genin. After an early lunch break he heads over to Kayo's house to receive more tutelage in Genjutsu. She spends several hours trying educate him in the secrets and nuances of the art of illusions. Although his progress in actually preforming Genjutsu is slow, he does end up picking up a few new Jutsu that could prove useful. After stopping at a Yakitori booth for a snack he spends the third part of his day researching various subjects in his favorite spot at the library.
*Day 5 of Suspension*
Another day of training with Sakura followed by an additional session of researching in the library and ending with some quality time hanging out with his best friend Ichimaru. The two kick back and relax at Ichimaru's place while his parents are out of town. Not being the types to throw a huge party, they spend the evening playing cards, shogi, and other strategic games. The conversation is lighthearted as they catch up on recent events and reminisce about the fun times back at the academy.
*Day 10 of Suspension*
After a few days the village starts to get really busy as it is gearing up in preparation for the Chunin exams. Not one to miss an opportunity Kuroda carefully scouts out all of the new arrivals. He takes note of their height, weight, build, any weapons they carry, the style of clothes they wear, and anything else he can use to determine their strength. But even he can't account for every single person, not even with shadow clones. It would take up way too much chakra to make enough to keep track of everyone, but even if he could they would certainly be spotted.
So instead he settles for keeping tabs on the ninja who look the most cunning and dangerous. It is difficult to determine strength and ability just by looks alone, so the process isn't very accurate and he doesn't come across anyone particularly noteworthy.
After giving up on following the foreign ninja, Kuroda instead tries to get information on the actual Chunin exams. He could certainly pass the exams on his own with ease, but that might arouse suspicion. Plus he knows for a fact that in order to move up in rank you have to do it as a team. So the purpose of learning about the Chunin exams is not to help himself, but to help his teammates and ensure he doesn't bring any unnecessary attention to himself. First, he tries a direct approach by asking fellow Leaf Ninja, but none of them are willing to cough up much information. Next, he attempts to gain info by disguising himself with a Transformation Jutsu and talking to various ninja from the other nations. This plan also doesn't prove fruitful as the foreign ninja are just as tight-lipped as the ones from Konoha. Finally, he is able to learn that the first part of the exam will take place at a multi-purpose building in a few days.
He thinks about sneaking into the testing facility to see exactly what is going on. He knows he could probably get in without a problem, but there is so much security that moving around and getting back out without being seen would be impossible even for him. And he has no inclination to create any sort of international incident at this time, so he chooses to just wait, watch, and try to glean information from testers once they exit the facility.
Throughout his spying Kuroda picks up on a few things. Everything seems peaceful as ninja from other villages arrive to compete, but underneath everything is an unsettling tension. It isn't the build-up to a highly competitive exam, it is more like everyone is on edge. Like people are waiting or expecting something to happen so that they can break out and start attacking. This revelation is very disturbing to Kuroda and so he decides to back off of his intelligence gathering so he is not the cause of some incident.
After talking with a local vendor he learns that the last part of the exams is a public display of abilities by means of one-on-one fights in the stadium.
It is strange; he remembers that several exams have been held in Konoha since he has been alive but he doesn't remember actually attending the final rounds of any of them. He knows he has been in the Konoha Stadium before, but none of those times were for the Chunin trials.
"I guess I was just too caught up in my own world to notice anything going on around me," he thinks as he walks home, "It seems that a lot of people fall into that trap. I'll probably be able to use it to my advantage one day."
*Day 37 of Suspension*
"Now that the Chunin exams are over the town is less crowded," he thinks as he walks through the streets, "I suppose I should go and do some more research at the library since there isn't a whole lot else I can do."
A group of young boys rush past him, chasing after each other with paper weapons and yelling at the top of their lungs. He smiles remembering the days when he would've been running right alongside them. An old woman hollers at them to be more careful before they disappear down another street.
He shakes his head and continues on his way to the library. As he approaches the familiar place of refuge a sudden memory pops up in his mind.
It was many years ago, back before Kuroda and Ichimaru started their campaign to become the most famous practical jokers in the world. At that time Kuroda was making an effort to go out and make more friends, but many of the villagers discouraged their children from playing with him because they knew a truth about him that he was not yet aware of.
"No way, he can't play," states a blond boy in brown trousers, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Why not?" questions Ichimaru.
"My mom says I'm not supposed to play with him," comments another boy in a green shirt, shrinking back into the crowd after speaking.
"Yeah, last time I got in trouble when we let him join the baseball game," adds a tall boy with long, blue hair who doesn't really seem to care either way.
"Well, then just don't let your mom find out," Ichimaru responds, as if the answer was as obvious as the color of the sky.
"I guess we could, I mean we do need another person to make it a good game," suggests a kid with a red baseball cap.
"Fine," says the tall boy, eager to get the game started.
"Okay, but he has to be a Rogue," declares the blond boy, pointing a finger at a young boy with pitch-black hair.
"I'm good with that," Kuroda says eagerly, a smile lighting up his face.
"All right, now that it is settled who gets to be the ninja?" asks the tall boy. The rest of the group throw their arms in the air and jostle to be picked for the ninja side and not have to go and hide as an evil rogue.
"Thanks for helping me out back there," Kuroda says gratefully once they ran a few blocks away from the lucky kids who got be ninja and whose goal it was to find everyone else's hiding spot.
"Yeah, no worries, I got your back," Ichimaru assures him.
"Okay, now where should we hide?" Kuroda poses as the two boys look around for a good spot. An idea sparks in his head and he takes off running without warning.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Ichimaru calls.
"I'm going in there," points Kuroda. It is a massive white building with tall pillars lined up in neat rows out front.
"But that's the library," Ichimaru says.
"Yeah, it's perfect," Kuroda responds with a grin.
"The library is the most boring place in the whole village. Plus it is always hot and stuffy in there," Ichimaru complains.
"Exactly, it is the last place any kid wants to go," Kuroda explains, "Nobody will ever think to look for me in there."
"That's pretty smart, but I think I'll find my own spot. I at least want to be able to look up at the sky," Ichimaru says.
"Okay, suit yourself," Kuroda shrugs before running up to the large tan doors that mark the entrance to the building.
"I'll find you when the game ends," Ichimaru promises.
"Now where should I hide? I should find a place just in case someone actually does decide to come and look in here," Kuroda thinks as he makes his way inside and looks around. He's been in the building before, mostly on trips with the Hokage, but he has never really explored the place on his own.
A young librarian smiles at him from behind a counter, happy to see a little one entering all on his own. "The children's section is right over there. Can I help you find something?" she asks.
"No, I'm just going to look around for a while," Kuroda says shyly, hoping to keep a low profile.
"Sure, go right ahead," she replies warmly, "Just ask one of the librarians if you have a question."
"Thanks," Kuroda replies before wandering off. He roams through the maple bookshelves, admiring the different sizes and shapes of the books. He enjoys the wide variety of colors displayed on the shelves and wonders if this is what a rainbow looks like up close. Sometimes he stops to read the titles of books that seem strange and unique. After a bit of browsing he remembers about the game and starts searching for a good place to hide.
He spots a door in the back that takes him down a wide staircase to the lower levels of the building. This place seems a little less cheerful than the upper level, the mundane color of the walls and those of the books themselves giving it a gloomy appearance. There aren't as many people down here and most of them are at tables piled up with books and they are too consumed with whatever they are studying to notice him. Kuroda sees a sign marking a section for adult fiction and being a curious boy decides to check it out. He turns down the first aisle, but quickly backs out once he sees a couple of teenagers pushed up against a wall and locking lips.
"Uggh, gross," he complains, quickly turning into another row, "He's gonna get cooties now."
As he tries to get the repulsive image out of his mind he notices that this particular row of books is very different than all the rest. It seems to have been completely neglected. Books are randomly piled on shelves, half of them don't seem to be in the right section and the other half are out of order. There are also a bunch of scrolls and torn pieces of paper strewed about the ground. It intrigues him that the rest of the library could be so clean and organized while this part is a complete mess.
He heads deeper into the aisle, poking and prodding things and sometimes picking them up to skim the material. It is only once he is engrossed in the middle of the messy row that he spots a dusty, black door at the far end. He instantly heads to open it. At first he thinks it is locked, but after some coaxing and a little effort he is able to turn the handle.
"I wonder what is down here?" he thinks.
He pushes open the moldy old door and it expels a loud creak as if the hinges are used for the first time in many years. He stops and looks around, fearful of someone coming and getting in trouble, but no one does. After a few minutes he decides he is in the clear so he proceeds to step into the stairwell.
*The Present*
"Since then I've been to this place just about every day," Kuroda remembers as he takes a step towards the doors, "Where would I be now if I never came in here? I wonder how different things would be."
Sakura watches Kuroda enter the library and thinks about seeing him go there even when he used to be a goof-off. She stops for a moment and sits down on a nearby bench so that she can examine her feelings for him.
"He's changed so much from back when we were in the academy. I always used to think that he was a loser that would never go anywhere in his life and definitely not become a shinobi. But then at Raj's test everything changed. He was suddenly so powerful and sure of himself. It was like all that time he'd just been hiding who he really was. He was keeping his true self back in the shadows and putting on a mask to distract everyone and prevent them from seeing what was real. Now when I look at him I feel... I feel... I'm not sure how I feel. I always thought he was cute, but because of his attitude and behavior I never even considered him as a boy that I'd want to be with. But now I've gotten to see under the mask a bit more. I've learned that he is so much more than just a boy. He can be kind, and caring, and thoughtful. But he can also be strict, and harsh, and cold. Yet nothing he does is without purpose. Everything he does has a reason behind it. Whether it's being mean during training, so that he pushes me to become stronger, or when he flashes that smile of his so that I know I've done a good job. He thinks everything through, plans everything out so that it all helps him reach his goal."
She crosses one leg over the other and folds her arms over her chest as she tries to work her way through their complicated relationship.
"What that goal is I couldn't even begin to guess, but I do know that he is so determined he'd do anything to accomplish it. Including risking his own life to save mine. But is it really his goal he is thinking about when he throws his body in front of my own? Or is it something else, something more? Could he really care about me in a different way? Not just because I'm a part of his plan, but because he has feelings for me? But how could he feel anything for me after the way I used to treat him? And would he even be attracted to me when he has all those other options? I mean he's seen me, all of me. He's seen my body in a way that only my parents have, and that's only when I was little. But he's seen Kayo and the others in the same way as well. I'm still just a teenager, my body can't even be compared to a fully grown woman's, especially a woman like Kayo-sensei. She's so stunning, and beautiful, and full of curves. I've seen the way guys perk up when she passes by. How could anyone ever choose me over that. And I know she has no interest in Kuroda that way, but if he really wanted to he could make her. I've seen the way he looks at her sometimes. I can't believe he'd ever act on it, but still the lust in his eyes is so intense it's scary. And he's never looked at me that way. But I know that I've looked at him that way a few times. I don't understand why, but sometimes I just want to throw myself at him. Yet other times I feel like even just a kiss would send me spinning in circles for days"
Sakura notices she has been chewing on her nails and quickly takes them out of her mouth to stop herself from reverting into her old bad habit.
"Uggh, why am I even thinking about this? At this point it doesn't even matter what my feelings are. He'll never accept me the way I am now. I'm still weak. I can't keep depending on him to rescue me every time a situation becomes difficult. If I don't become stronger then it won't matter how I feel. So that's what I'll do. I'll work hard and become stronger. Strong enough so that he won't even have to think about how he feels about me."
She turns away from the library, forgoing everything she had planned for the day she heads straight to the training grounds to start improving herself.
*Day 42 of Suspension*
Kuroda is looking at the mountain where all the previous Hokage have their heads carved into stone. He avoids looking at the one to the far right, the one most recently added for the 8th Hokage. He pretends it is not there and instead focuses on the rest. People give him strange looks as they pass by because he is standing in the middle of the street. He ignores them as he recalls a distant but valuable memory.
*Several years earlier*
"Where are we going?" Kuroda asks, brushing his dark hair out of his eye.
"To the place where we can get the best view," explains the elderly Hokage guiding the way.
"Best view of what?" Kuroda asks, his attention span nearly at its limit.
"You'll see in a moment, we're almost there," says Konohamaru, placating the young boy.
"Good, cuz I have to meet up with Ichimaru later and I don't want to be late," Kuroda states, proud to be able to brag about being busy.
The 7th Hokage smiles warmly and pats the young child on the head before continuing on the path. A few moments later he announces. "Okay, here we are, now turn and look over there."
"It is just the Hokage Mountain, I see it every day," the young boy states when he looks in the direction the old man is pointing.
"Yes, but have you ever seen it from this view, where you can see all the heads at once?" Konohamaru inquires.
"I guess not. It is pretty impressive. Hey, gramps?" Kuroda asks.
"Yes, Kuroda," responds the Hokage as he takes a seat.
"Why does the village put the faces of all the Hokage up on a mountain? Are we supposed to worship them like gods?" Kuroda asks cautiously.
The innocence and honesty of the boy's question brings another warm smile to the old man's face. "No, not at all," he replies, "I can't say if there are any gods or not, but I'm sure none of the other Hokage was one, and I know that they never tried to be one."
"Okay, but then why are they there?" the child inquires.
"So that everyone knows they are watching over us, protecting us, keeping everyone in the village safe," the Hokage reveals.
"That makes sense. It is the Hokage's job to protect the village," Kuroda states manner-of-factly.
"Correct," nods Konohamaru.
"I have another question," Kuroda declares after a few moments of quiet.
"You seem to have a lot of those. Go ahead, ask away," says the Hokage, indulging the young boy.
"Well, all of the faces seem to be pretty close together. Except for the 5th and the 6th, those are further apart than the rest. Did somebody make a mistake, or was it just too hard to carve into that part of the mountain?" Kuroda asks, his skills of observation seeming beyond his years.
"Neither," the 7th responds.
"What do you mean?" Kuroda questions, wondering what other possible answer there could be.
"That gap was left there on purpose," the old man explains.
"Why?" Kuroda asks, each answer bringing up a new question.
Konohamaru sighs, "I guess you're too young to know about it, but that space represents the Hidden Hokage."
"The Hidden Hokage? I've never heard of that," Kuroda says, struggling to think of what this new information could mean.
"His name was Danzo. He was the Hokage who took over when the 5th fell ill before the 4th Great Ninja War," the Hokage reveals.
"But wasn't Naruto the one who came after the 5th?" Kuroda counters.
"Officially yes, but Danzo was the first man to be called the 6th Hokage," explains the 7th Hokage.
"I don't understand," Kuroda says flatly.
"Danzo cheated to gain the title, so after he was found out it was decided that his appointment would be erased from the records," says the old man.
"How can you cheat to become Hokage?" Kuroda wonders aloud.
"He used a special Jutsu to trick the Fire Daimyo into naming him as Hokage," the Hokage states.
"Then if he was a bad guy why leave a space for him on the mountain?" Kuroda inquires.
"It is there as a reminder," Konohamaru states.
"A reminder of what?" Kuroda asks.
"A reminder of his love. Danzo may have used improper methods and done some terrible things, but he did it because it was his way of protecting the village. His love for the Hidden Leaf Village was so great that he would do anything to safeguard it," the 7th Hokage says, "Out of respect for Danzo's love the 6th Hokage decided to leave him a space on the mountain so that he too could watch over the village."
"Wow, that was pretty nice," Kuroda exclaims.
"Yes, it was. Now then, what can you tell me about the other faces on the mountain?" the old man asks slyly, turning the conversation into an education.
"Well, there is you, Konohamaru the Wizard," Kuroda jokes.
"That's not my title," the Hokage says, feigning a look of shock.
"I know, I was kidding," Kuroda explains.
"Although I do like the ring of it," the old man chuckles.
"Okay, and then the 6th Hokage was Naruto the Jinchuuriki of Peace. He was host to the Nine-Tailed Fox, ended the 4th Great Ninja War, and brought peace to the ninja world," Kuroda says confidently.
"Yes, correct, what about the others?" the Hokage asks.
"Well...ummm..." Kuroda mumbles as he struggles to recall the things he learned in school.
"Someone's been slacking in class again"
"Sorry, it is just hard to remember people from that long ago," Kuroda admits.
"All right, then I'll give you a personal lesson from the 7th Hokage," Konohamaru declares.
"Cool, gramps," Kuroda smiles.
"On the far left is Hashirama Senju ,the Wood User. He is the 1st Hokage and helped to found the village. Next to him is Tobirama Senju, the Water User. He was brother to Hashirama and established the organizational structure of the village. The next one is Hiruzen Sarutobi, the God of Shinobi or the Professor. He is famous for being the strongest Hokage and because of his knowledge of every single Jutsu in Konoha. He also happened to be my grandfather," the Hokage brags.
"Was he stronger than you gramps?" Kuroda asks.
"Probably," the old man admits.
"What about Naruto, was the 3rd Hokage stronger than him?" Kuroda inquires.
"Well, that would have been an interesting battle if those had ever fought," the Hokage contemplates, scratching his chin, "Now, moving on, the next one up is Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash. He is known for his Space/Time Ninjutsu that allowed him teleport between locations. He is also known for sacrificing himself to save the village from the Nine-Tailed Fox and then seal it inside his infant son, Naruto. Then the only one left is Tsunade, the Slug Princess. She is the only Kunoichi to become the Hokage so far, and she happened to be the granddaughter of the 1st Hokage. She is also famous for her superhuman strength and her medical Ninjutsu."
"Wow, they are all so amazing!" Kuroda exclaims, envious and awestruck by the legacy of the Hokage.
"Yes, and they all did everything they could to protect the village," Konohamaru adds.
"Just like you do," Kuroda states.
"Yes, just like I do," the Hokage agrees.
"Hey, gramps, do you think that I could become Hokage?" the young boy asks.
"If you put your mind to it I know you can do great things," the 7th Hokage says wisely.
*The Present*
"You never did tell me that I could become the Hokage, gramps," Kuroda thinks, "I guess even then you knew what path I would take."
"What is Kuroda doing over there just staring at the mountain?" Jando wonders as he watches his comrade's odd behavior, "Whatever, it's not like I care anyways."
He stretches his arms and then picks up a brown bag of various items that he had bought from the few stores he visited earlier at his parent's request.
"Uggh, today is going to be such a boring day. Why do I have to be the one to watch over the little brat? I mean, we have, like, hundreds of people in the Hyuga clan. I'm sure one of them would be more than willing to look after her for a few days," Jando complains, talking to himself more than anyone else, "I'll be wasting so much valuable training time just because my parents have to attend some important meeting with the King of the Fire Country. What a hassle! When I'm the clan leader I'm not going to go to any stupid political meetings. Why do I always get stuck with the short end of the stick?"
Jando sighs as he notices the position of the sun and turns to head back to the Hyuga manor. "I guess I should probably pick something up on the way home," he thinks, "The brat will probably be hungry."
*Day 55 of Suspension*
Kuroda is lying on top of a hill, just staring up at the sky and watching the clouds drift by. He looks for familiar shapes and lets his imagination play with them and form the white blotches into plants, animals, and anything he can think of. Turned on to this activity by his old pal Ichimaru, he finds the exercise extremely relaxing. It stimulates his mind, but in a way that takes minimal effort and doesn't tax his brain. He'd come to this spot after a heated morning of Taijutsu training against one of his shadow clones. Kuroda was planning on meeting up with Kayo later on, but decided on a whim to come here instead.
He spots a particularly odd-looking cloud formation that reminds him of a hunk of nasty-smelling expired meat he had seen a three-legged dog playing with a few weeks ago when a shadow encompasses him. A moment later a blue sandal stomps down on his chest forcing air out of his lungs. He looks up and sees Rame Tsu pressing her leg on top of him.
"Hello, Kuroda, I hope I didn't wake you from your nap," the girl says, a hint of superiority and contempt lacing her voice.
"Would you mind letting me up?" he asks politely.
"And why would I do that?" she mocks, "I've got you right where I want you."
"If you were wearing a skirt I would be able to see up it," he comments. Her face goes stark red and he uses the chance to slip away from her.
Snapping out of it, Rame Tsu's blush changes to rage and she shouts, "You little creep, I knew you weren't any different. You're just like all the rest of them."
"I guess it is a good thing you're not Naoko," Kuroda states as he tries to brush the dirt off his clothes, "Otherwise I might need a doctor to fix my face."
"You still might," she threatens, showing him a menacing fist, "I don't understand how Kayo-sensei or Sakura haven't put you in the hospital already."
"Because they don't jump on top of me from out of nowhere," he replies.
"You should have been ready," she counters, "Any good ninja is always on alert. Even when they are sleeping."
"I'll keep that in mind next time," he responds, sarcasm lacing his voice, "Now, is there something you needed or did you just want to give me a good view?"
"God, I came here to get some advice on how to deal with your incompetent team member," she says, "Not to be sexually harassed."
"Oh yeah, Sakura did mention you might be one of the ones subbing in on missions," Kuroda remembers, "So I take it that Jando is starting to get on your nerves?"
"I thought having two female team members instead of just one would be an upgrade," she complains, "But when you throw in that moron it turns it into double the effort. I can't believe that this experience is actually making me appreciate Shun and Tousen-sensei. How do you stand working with that Hyuga kid?"
"You get used to it after a while," Kuroda shrugs, "And you learn to work around him instead of against him."
"Still, I don't understand how your team is able to accomplish anything at all," she says, "Kayo-sensei must be a saint for putting up with him every day."
"Yeah, she's pretty cool," he agrees, "We're lucky to have her."
"I'll say," she responds, "If she was my team leader we'd be unbeatable."
"I don't know," he says, "I heard some of the kids from the new class are pretty strong."
"Yeah, whatever," she replies, "Anyways, how much longer are you going to be suspended for?"
"Not sure," he reveals, "The Hokage hasn't said anything to me yet."
"So they still haven't figured out who attacked you yet?" she questions.
"Nope, and I heard the ANBU investigation in the Tea Country didn't turn anything up," Kuroda says.
"What about you?" Rame Tsu asks, "Can you still not remember anything?"
"It's all still pretty much a blur," he says.
"I'm sorry we weren't able to help you. We looked everywhere trying to find you, but we couldn't find a trace," she says.
"Don't worry about it, it's not your fault," he assures her, "Anyways, I've got to get going. I actually get to go on a mission today, even if it is only a D-rank. It's probably chasing cats again or something, but it's better than just sitting around the whole day. I'll see you around."
"Yeah, see you later," she replies softly as he turns around to head off and waves his hand.
Rame Tsu heads over to her favorite weapons supply shop planning to purchase some new items for her collection. She avoids all of the main roads so that she can have some time to go over her own thoughts.
"That Mist Kunoichi was so powerful. Even Tousen-sensei got taken out by her. I know he is an incompetent pervert, but he wouldn't have the rank of Jonin if he wasn't skilled. Even the Hokage said we were lucky to survive considering some of the things she's heard about Kasumi Momochi. I always thought that the Hidden Leaf Village had the most powerful females since we've had two woman been named as Hokage. But it looks like we're not the only ones with skilled Kunoichi," she contemplates, "I guess I was just being unrealistic thinking that Naoko and I would be the girls to change the world for all females. Now I know the truth. I understand how it is out there in the real world. If I ever truly want to change things I'll not only have to beat all the men out there, but all the woman as well. I'll have to surpass them all."
Rame Tsu decides to forgo shopping and head straight to her usual training spot to start a new practice regiment.
*Day 63 of Suspension*
Kuroda is on the main floor of the library looking up something on the Village Hidden in the Grass when Ichimaru walks in.
His old friend plops down in the chair beside him and says, "Man, this is really getting annoying. Pulling double duty as a replacement on your team as well as going on my own team's missions is really a pain. What makes it worse is that Jando Hyuga doesn't listen to anyone. He always jumps right into everything without planning or strategizing. When are you going to get yourself back on to missions?"
"She is the one making me stay inside the village," Kuroda replies, getting up to return the scroll to the proper storage slot, "Go complain to her."
"No way, man," says Ichimaru, waving his arms, "I'm not going to say that to her."
"It stinks," Kuroda states, "While I can get in a lot of research and practice, there is no better training than a real mission."
"Strange to see you doing research, but yeah, a real mission is the best training," Ichimaru agrees, standing up and pushing his chair in, "Well, I am pretty tired I am going head off to bed."
"Make sure you get a good rest," says Kuroda, gathering up the books and scrolls he was using and depositing then on a restocking cart, "I heard from Kayo that you have another mission tomorrow."
"Oh yeah, I just remembered," Ichimaru recalls as he turns towards the exit, "Sakura said she wanted to talk to you about something important. You should probably go and see her."
"All right, thanks for the message," responds Kuroda. They exit the building and depart on their separate ways.
Kuroda is walking through the deserted streets of Konoha, over to Sakura's house, and is almost there when he feels a familiar pricking go off in the back of his neck. He mentally prepares for the worst as his body is transported thousands of miles away.
(Well that is the end of the chapter, what did you think? I hope you liked it, I wonder what will happen next? lol. As usual, if you want more information on my characters you can see their bios on my profile page. Be warned, there may be some spoilers. Also I'm in the process of getting pictures drawn for the characters, but I have no idea how long that will take. If you're interested in drawing and have a DA account then send me a Message. Enjoy the next chapter, and please review.)