V 4 ch 8
Toughen up!
Daiya lifted his arm to block Onari's kick to his face. She flipped onto her hands and proceeded to kick him with both of her leg. Daiya lifted his other arm to block as well. He crouched, digging his heels into the ground to keep Onari from knocking him off balance. Onari cart wheeled twice attempting to punch from the side with her fist. Daiya twisted his body to block her instantly. He brought his leg up and around to kick at Onari's side. She wasn't paying attention. His new sister was bent on getting past his guard with her fists. Daiya's leg made contact with her side and Onari went flying.
Onari slid on her side in the training circle. She sat up holding her side, grimacing. Onari lowered her head defeated. Izumi was training her during the day, but she was still not used to an opponent fighting back. Daiya had volunteered to train her to give her another initiative.
"Onari, are you okay? Did Daiya kick you too hard," Idai asked as he jumped the wooden fence. He walked over to the girl. She was acting submissive. Idai sat down in front of her. He moved his hand to lift her shirt to check where Daiya had kicked her. There was a nice bruise forming. "Yeah, he got you pretty good."
Daiya walked over. "Onari, you have to learn that when you can't get past someone's defenses, you need to try other moves. I know you were trying to wear me down, but I already noticed you were too bent on it – Therefore, you were not paying attention to what I was capable of doing. You always pay attention to what your enemy's moves are. It can mean the difference between life and death."
Onari kept her gaze lowered. She felt stupid. Izumi had told her that the very first day. Daiya wasn't going to let her get by with it, even if he was her brother. "Onari understand," she said softly and a little hurt. She was disappointed in herself.
"I'm not trying to be mean. I'm trying to get you to defend yourself. If someone manages to get past your defenses, you get injured. Not only that, but whoever you're with, is in danger, also. It's more serious than you think. You need to pay attention," Daiya said again, sternly.
Idai watched Onari nod her head. She was keeping her eyes averted on purpose. "Daiya, I don't think she's used to someone coming after her – or defending, rather. I believe she's still new to the whole idea of training."
"It's not an excuse. Who do you train for, Onari," Daiya asked as he lifted her chin to make her look at him. "Do you understand what I'm asking you? There has to be a purpose to why you train and a reason behind it."
"Onari protect family," she said softly. "Onari no bad man hurt family." She watched the expression on Daiya's face. He was as serious as any male she had ever come across.
"Bad man? What bad man is she talking about," Idai asked. He lowered Onari's shirt. She was going to be in pain, but she had to toughen up.
"I have no idea. No one seems to know too much about her past. Onari doesn't talk to anyone in words we can really understand," Daiya said as he grabbed her wrists to tug her up. He noticed the pain in her facial expression. "If you want to avoid the circumstances of feeling my powerful kick, than you must pay attention. I'll get you some ice, Onari."
Onari sat down on a bench. It was hard to impress her new brother. He was as tough as Sasuke and reminded her in certain attributes of the Uchiha man. Being in Konoha had made her less aware. The snow village she had come from had made her be alert because no one liked her there. The enemies were the people. She glanced at Idai as he sat next to her.
"I know Daiya seems harsh, Onari, but he wants you to fight for yourself. If you cannot protect yourself, you can't protect the others around you. It's kind of like wasting the time of your trainers if you don't improve. In a way, you have to surpass them to be considered on their level – or as equals. Are you trying to get on a team?"
"Team like Daiya and Idai?"
"Yeah, teams like what we're on. I work with two others and learn with them. I hear you know Kiba sensei. He's who I train under," Idai said rather proudly. He was glad to be on Kiba's team. He needed the older Jounin to teach him and he was also glad for his friendship. Idai didn't have many friends in the village.
Onari tilted her head. "Brother Kiba fights Idai?" He started to laugh a little at the way she perceived things.
"No, Onari, I fight with Masaru and Yanagi. Kiba is the one that trains me and directs me what to do. I was put on his team because I needed a lot of acceptance, I guess. He's kind of given me that. Kiba sensei befriended me when he learned he was my trainer. I don't fully understand why though. I don't think I'm special or anything." Idai wondered if it was because of how he acted with the rest of his peers at the Academy. He never fully included himself in anything – whether it was the assignments or just casual talk. He was always alone. Idai only realized after some time that Daiya stood out like he did. They were both out-of-place because they were from different countries. Idai looked at Onari. She was from a different country like he was.
Onari looked at Idai. He was studying her. Did she have something on her face? She reached up to check, scrubbing her cheek. There was nothing there. She couldn't see anything on her fingers. "Why Idai look at Onari?"
Idai averted his gaze. He blushed a little. "Sorry, I was only thinking and my eyes were kind of… studying without my head being intact. You and I are from different countries. I'm from the sound village. You're from the lightening country like Daiya. The three of us are more out-of-place than anyone out of the kids here. And I would like it if… we hung out, or something," he said with difficulty. Daiya said that Onari's vocabulary was kind of distorted. They didn't know what she understood. He hoped she understood some of what he was telling her.
Onari tilted her head trying to pick the words out that she knew. It was some time before she was able to figure out what he was getting at. Onari hoped that she would pick up on the language faster, but she had to go off of what she knew first. "Boy Idai like Onari?" He looked at her a little shocked at her reasoning. She wasn't able to differentiate the real meaning to his words.
"Um, I don't mean in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationI mean more like friends," Idai said a little embarrassed. "But I don't think that was how you perceived it. You really have to pick out what you know, don't you?" Onari nodded her head slowly. He could tell by the look on her face that her eyes were always watching. She was always learning by observing the behaviors of others. Idai thought that was kind of wonderful for Onari to be able to have that sort of attention span. He was more of a dreamer when he was alone. She seemed to be more focused.
"Idai like Onari friend," she asked. She watched Idai move a little closer to her. The white haired boy with long bangs wrapped his arms around her. Onari blushed a little. Idai leaned into her. "Idai sad?"
"Only when I'm alone," he said softly. He felt Onari lightly touch his sides. She was a bit odd, but he figured that was because Onari had never been around others before. Idai liked her. Daiya had told him that once she opened up, she was playful like he was. He wanted to be friends with her due to that reason. Idai liked playing with Daiya. It was only fair to include Onari. "Will you be my friend," he asked shyly. It wasn't like him to seek out others.
Onari turned her head to look at Idai. He was watching her with a soft gaze. He had the same expression that she saw in Daiya when she was learning how to do things. She moved her hand to touch his face lightly with the tips of her fingers. Idai tensed a little. He wasn't used to being touched like her. He was still learning to accept others and let them close, too. "Idai same Onari. Onari learn with Idai, jes?"
Idai lifted his eyes so that his orange eyes met her unusual yellow ones. She wanted to be his friend. She wasn't rejecting him. Everyone else had stayed away from him once he had been taken in by Gai. He was used to everyone talking behind his back. They were all afraid of him. Sound-nins were feared amongst the ninja of the hidden leaf village. Onari and Daiya weren't afraid of him. "You're not afraid of me?"
"Why Onari afraid Idai? Idai Daiya friend. Daiya Onari brother," she said. She watched him try to figure out what she meant. "Onari no know words say to Idai. Onari confused."
Idai reached up rubbing his hand thoughtfully against the stop of her head. Daiya was back with the bag of ice. "It's okay. I think I understand." He didn't want Daiya to get the idea that he was hitting on Onari. At the present time, Idai didn't harbor feelings like that for anyone. He wasn't sure he even knew what those sort of feelings were if he did feel them.
Daiya sat down next to Onari. He lifted her shirt and put the ice on the bruise. It had already started to turn yellow and brown. She gasped at the coldness of the ice. He wondered what had been going on while he was away. Apparently, Idai and Onari had gotten closer. He could tell when Idai avoided his gaze. "What's up with you two?"
Onari looked at her brother. "Sky is up." Idai turned his head to look at her when she said that. "Onari incorrect?"
"That's not what I was asking, Onari. You need to learn more vocabulary. I really don't see how you're going to be able to get on a team. You have to be able to read and write. You're slowly learning. Don't look at me like that. I'm not putting you down. I'm being honest. Don't mistake my concern for cruelty," Daiya said. He moved his hand to move her hair behind her ear. "If I didn't want you to succeed, I wouldn't help you train, or speak my concerns."
"That's kind of true. He doesn't tell anybody what he thinks, most of the time. Daiya usually has to be tricked slowly," Idai said laughing. That caused him to get his ear pulled by Daiya. "Ow, Daiya! That hurt! You can't take someone picking at you, either," Idai said as he massaged his ear lobe.
"Daiya Onari understand what Daiya mean. Onari smart like Daiya is," she said as she looked at him. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Daiya too serious. Daiya play jes?"
"I don't play," Daiya said seriously. He had never done such a thing in his life. "I only train to be stronger, faster, and better than whom I'm up against." He crossed his arms as he closed his eyes.
Idai looked at Daiya sadly. "Daiya, you've got to loosen up. Life is only fully enjoyed if you can be a part of it. Sitting on a bench staring at it, isn't any good. Neither is only training and being alone."
Daiya looked at Idai oddly. "I don't see how you can say things like that without getting embarrassed." He wasn't trying to be mean, but Daiya didn't like showing his true feelings about that sort of thing. He didn't want to get involved with others. He had his reasons. If he got attached to someone, something bad would happen. Daiya always had bad luck like that. A lot of his past reared its ugly head when he tried to break free of the restraints it had on him.
Onari was watching Daiya try to play it off. One thing she had learned a lot of was to watch body gestures. It was all she could do to familiarize herself in the surroundings she was in – since she lacked a lot of language skills. Onari turned his head towards her. She looked at him as his gray eyes widened a little, watching her. "Daiya not alone. Daiya with Onari and Idai. Daiya have sister, friend, and brother. Daiya need to play. Play not … not stupid, Daiya. It fun. It show this," she said pointing to her heart, not able to really get across too much of what she was thinking.
"I don't play," Daiya said a bit angrily. He moved his head so she wasn't touching him. His defenses went up. Daiya was not willing to do what anyone wanted. He was his own person and demanded respect – mainly because he was so independent. Daiya had gotten where he was by himself. He had never had an adult, or friend to help him.
"Daiya, stop being rude," Idai said a bit sternly to where his friend looked at him. "Onari isn't hurting you, but you're acting like she is. I don't understand why you're so reserved, even now. Is it because after you were taken in by Sasuke sensei that you still don't understand people?" Daiya tensed and moved away from Onari and Idai on the bench. His shoulders raised and head lowered in submission. "I'm not trying to stop you from being yourself. I understand why some of your defenses are there, but we're not trying to hurt you."
Onari put her hand under her shirt to withdraw the bag of ice. She opened the back of ice and leapt at Daiya. He almost sparked with the suddenness. Onari looked at him with a serious, unwavering gaze as she straddled his waist. She lowered her head to where her nose almost touched his. "Daiya need to pay attention," she said as her hand moved to dump the ice down his shorts.
"Onari get off of me! I-," he stopped. Daiya felt an overwhelming cold sensation. He hated the cold. Daiya growled as he pushed her off of him. She landed on the ground onto her side, but was up quickly and away from him behind Idai. Daiya jumped around trying to get the ice out. "Dammit, Onari!"
Idai blinked. "Well, that's something I've never seen before. An icebox lightening bug," he said starting to laugh his butt off. Idai grabbed his sides as Daiya only glared at him and Onari rather hatefully as he started to fish the ice out of his shorts. Idai couldn't help but laugh. "You were kind of asking for it, Daiya. You're such a jerk sometimes."
Onari froze as Daiya turned his head to glare at her the most. She was the one culprit. Onari grabbed Idai. Her brother had his teeth gritted. He wasn't moving towards her but his fists were clenched at being made a fool of. Onari tilted her head. Daiya really didn't like people.
"Daiya, leave her alone. She was only trying to get you to do something besides be angry and defiant all of the time," Idai said as he noticed the expression on the other boy's face. Daiya was completely furious with Onari.
Daiya walked over to Idai and Onari. They were both watching with wide eyes. "I don't play childish games! You two can just have each other," he yelled angrily. He walked off with his fists clenched.
"Onari do bad thing," she asked as she watched Daiya walk away from them. She was only trying to get Daiya to open up, but it seemed kind of difficult for her new brother. There were reasons why he didn't trust anyone. She didn't know what they were. Could Daiya have been mistreated a long time ago? She didn't understand.
"I think we need to leave him alone. It'll take him some time to cool off. He's not resentful and he doesn't hold grudges. Daiya just doesn't understand why you did that to him. He's not used to being around other kids, Onari. He's been alone for a long time. It's not easy to get him to talk, or react in a positive way. It's kind of sad. I wish he accepted others, but he's very cautious," Idai said as he looked back at her. "You didn't do anything wrong though. It's not your fault," he said petting her head softly. Idai smiled at her gently. He pulled her down so he could wrap his arms around her. "I know you understand body gestures more than anyone. Try to figure out what Daiya's gestures mean. It'll give some insight to how he feels."
The leaves rustled overhead as he sat on the branch high above the hidden leaf village. Daiya Eimino looked down at the people passing below him. He tensed his shoulders, arms crossed as his eyes befell upon other children with their friends. He felt out-of-place. Why had Onari put ice down his pants? He closed his eyes as he brought his legs up towards his torso. Daiya wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his head into his arms. His mind kept reflecting on the past. He couldn't help it.
When he had been at the Academy, no one had wanted to befriend him. It seemed foreigners were a bad idea, or the children just didn't accept him. He didn't know which it was. Daiya had never been around other children when he was living in the lightening country. His mother had forbid him to speak to others. He was seen as an abomination – as something horrible.
Daiya could still the woman's face that had given birth to him. She was a woman who had been from a lower classed family. Daiya's father had visited on occasion to see his mother – but not him. When his mother tried to talk to his real father about him, the man waved the issue off. He didn't want to know anything about him. Daiya once overheard the conversation his mother had had with the man.
"Don't you want to see him? He wants to know you. He has no one. I don't allow him out of the house much – like you requested. There has to be another way for you to be able to have some kind of relationship with the boy," she said as she slammed her hand on the table. The man Daiya saw looked at his birth mother cruelly. Daiya watched as the man came out of the chair to grab the woman forcefully. He tensed behind the door as his eyes watched in shock.
"I told you before, Haeru, that I wanted nothing to do with that child! You should have drowned him like I told you to! There is nothing I can do about him existing! I cannot provide for you and that boy! My clan doesn't even know I associate with you. If they ever found out, I would be turned out and forbid my rightful inheritance with my father! You are on your own with that child! I don't want to know his name, or see him, so don't try speaking to me anymore about him," he said as he let go of her arm.
"What do you plan to do? Wait until the old man is dead before you can see him? He looks just like you! I cannot raise him by myself! I won't! I'm not in this by myself! What if I decide to confront your father myself? That boy cannot live here! This area is full of crime and it's not safe for a child his age," she said as she demanded her lover to react.
The man looked at her harshly. "You won't have the nerve to tell my father anything. As for the area you reside in, it suits you. You were only trash the moment I became tangled with you and you still remain so. I rid myself of the dirt that clings to my feet," he spat at her. "If you don't want the boy, give him away. He's no good to me if he cannot be accepted as a true Eimino." He walked out of the small hut leaving Daiya's birth mother in his wake.
Haeru slammed her fists on the table. The cups and dishes rattled with the force. She looked out of the window watching the man go. "That stupid, foolish man. If that's the way he wants it, I will rid myself of every foul thing that he has touched!" She whirled around as Daiya stood behind her watching her. "What do you want?"
"Mama, I'm hungry," he said softly as she whirled around. He moved back as the woman looked at him with loathing. Daiya's back hit the wall. He couldn't get away as his mother slapped him hard. Daiya fell to the floor. He tensed, cowering as the woman started to hit him over and over again.
"I don't want anything of that man's in my presence! Get out of my sight! I don't need you! You're not mine! You're lower than a dead rat to me! Go! Fend for yourself," she said as she started to kick at him. "Get out of my sight, Daiya!"
Daiya cried as he ran away from his mother. She had started to throw a chair at him. He heard it hit the wall and break. Daiya fled out of the house into the street. There were people walking along the streets. He looked around at them. They paid him no mind. Everyone seemed to pass him. "Help! Help me!"
A tall man pushed him out of the way. "Get out of the way, kid! There are carts moving in the street! Go back home to your mother," the man shouted at him. Daiya looked up as he saw the man walk away from him. He looked back at the way he had come. The alley that he lived down looked dark and sinister. Daiya didn't want to go back there. The woman who had given birth to him didn't want him.
Night fall came. Daiya looked around at the people on the street as he huddled against the wall of a building. He hadn't eaten that day. He was cold, hungry and alone. Daiya had no choice but to go back to the place where his birth mother was.
As he stepped inside the hut, he glanced around. He could hear his mother speaking to someone in her room. Daiya wondered if his father had reconsidered. He went running to push the door open. He wanted his father to take him away from her. She was mean and cruel to him. As Daiya padded down the hall, his mother came out of the room. It wasn't his father. The man in the room was just another lover of his mother's.
"What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to be gone?" Haeru went after the boy. She was furious. Why had he come back? She didn't need him! She didn't want him. Haeru reached down to grab Daiya by the collar of his shirt. She dragged him to the closet where she kept a huge trunk. "If you dare come out of there, I'll slice you to bits! Do you hear me?" She lifted Daiya's small form and locked him in the trunk. He screamed and kicked at the box. He couldn't get free. Daiya cried as he curled up in the box. He awoke some time later to find his mother had forgotten to lock him in.
Daiya lifted the lid cautiously. He wiped his eyes as he looked around. The closet was very dark. He came out of the closet. Daiya walked down the hall slowly. He wondered where his mother was. As Daiya turned the corner, he was caught. She was sitting at the table drinking. Daiya tried to run, but he fell onto the floor as his mother brandished a knife. She started to slice his delicate skin with the knife as he screamed in terror. "This will teach you to listen to me," she screamed in full drunken rage at him.
Daiya's mother got up once she was satisfied and her anger had cooled. She walked away from him, leaving his six-year-old body in the floor. Daiya was bleeding all over the place. She threw a rag down to him before she walked away in disgust.
Daiya gritted his teeth. The pain he had felt then was resurfacing. He was deathly afraid of adults and people he didn't know. He didn't admit it outright. He never did. Daiya only fought off his confrontations by shouting and trying to show he was stronger than the other person. Inside, he was cautious, nervous, and very hesitant. He didn't want to tell anyone why. The real reasons made him feel not worthy of another's attention.
Onari was watching Daiya sadly. Had she done this to him? She had been watching him for some time. It wasn't easy to find the Eimino boy. Idai had told her that Daiya hid in the trees when he wanted to be alone. She had been searching for him for a while. Onari's serious gaze looked around at the trees. There was no one up here but her and Daiya. She lightly brushed her fingertips on the back of his neck.
Daiya felt something touch his neck. His head lifted quickly. He moved back just as fast when he saw someone looking at him. It was Onari. It took him a moment to realize why she was there, or how she had found him. "Are you going to attack me again?"
Onari shook her head. She moved closer to him and stopped. His body was tense. He was afraid that she was going to hurt him. "Onari not hurt brother Daiya," she said softly. "Onari train to fight bad man – to protect family. Daiya Onari family." He was watching her, but he was also relaxing some. "Onari not mean hurt Daiya. Onari not understand."
Daiya's eyes darted around at first, as if he didn't believe her. He wanted to know what she was up to. "What did Idai tell you?" She shook her head. "Why are you out here?"
Onari brought her hands up to touch Daiya's arms. He tensed again. She was being careful. He was afraid of everyone. She could tell that much in the way he acted towards her and Takeru. Her brother was unsure of himself. "Onari protect Daiya. Onari no let bad people touch Daiya."
"I can protect myself," he shouted at her suddenly. Onari didn't move. She didn't even flinch. "I don't need someone else to do it," he tried to tell himself. What he felt inside was a different matter. Daiya bit his lower lip. He watched her move closer. He didn't move. Daiya couldn't. The tree was right behind him.
Onari kissed the side of her brother's head gently, her arms wrapping around him, to cradle him in a soft embrace. She knew something was wrong with the way he acted. She understood that his defiant nature was to protect him. However, Onari didn't believe he wanted to be that way. He was letting her hold him. "Onari love Daiya. Daiya need to understand Onari. Onari continue to fight to allow Daiya to keep blinking lightening bug tail," she said in her broken dialect.
Daiya turned his head to look at her. He slowly raised his hand to touch his sister's cheek. She was watching him very seriously. Even though she was hard to understand, he understood what she meant. "I'm… the reason you fight..?"
Onari lifted her hand in return to stroke his cheek gently. "Daiya one of reason Onari fight. Onari want Daiya smile. Daiya need to smile." She leaned in to kiss him tenderly on his cheek. She could feel her brother relax in relief. He was looking at her with a sad gaze. "Onari serious. Onari toughen up."
"You do realize that you're going to have to take a lot more punches and kicks to make your body stronger right? Your body will have to build up its strength so that the force won't hurt you," he said as he held her hand. "I think I need to toughen up, too. I'm not doing a very good job of being an older brother."
"Brother allowed to be mad. Daiya need let go. Daiya hold sadness in. Onari no like it. Onari want Daiya to be Daiya – no one else," she said as she tightened her hand around his. "Onari walk with Idai and Daiya. Idai and Daiya the same." She was beginning to understand why the two boys sought each other out. It wasn't because they were foreigners, as was expected by most. It was because Idai and Daiya both inwardly tortured themselves. They had both dealt with horrible situations. "Daiya fight Onari now?"
Daiya stood up. Onari stood up with him. "I'll increase your training, Onari. In fact, I think I'll teach you how to avoid an enemy in the trees." He smiled at her as he let her hand go. "You have a ten second head start, Onari. Run," he warned. She nodded at him and turned around to leap off of the branch. "One, one thousand. Two, one thousand. Three, one thousand. Four, one thousand. Five, one thousand," he shouted as he went after her at full force.
Onari leapt from branch to branch, her eyes and ears alert. She knew Daiya wasn't going to hurt her, but it was a real training session. She was going to have to learn to avoid him, or be ready to handle him. Her brother was a tough fighter. He was the strongest on Sasuke's team. Even though Daiya wasn't fully recovered from his injury, he was still a force to be reckoned with. Onari's own kekkegenkai hadn't awakened yet. There was no one to train her who knew about it. She was stronger than she realized.
Daiya was coming after his sister with high speed. He was ready to teach her about obstacles. The obstacle for the moment was the darkness around them. Onari wouldn't be able to use her special technique on him. There was no way for her to see into the dark forest below. Daiya had the advantage and he knew it. "Alright, little sister. Let's see if you can match what you say."
Onari suddenly got the feeling that she was being followed. It had to be Daiya. She pushed off from the last branch she touched and let her body fall into a spin. As she did so, a kunai went soaring past where her form had been. Onari touched down on a branch a few branches below. She was out in the open – which wasn't good. She had the choice of hiding, or defending herself. It was clear Daiya already knew where she was.
Daiya retrieved the kunai he had thrown. He hadn't thrown it hard, so it was easy to dislodge from the bark. If he knew Onari like he did, she was now aware that he knew her position. His eyes looked around at the dark trees. "You have two options. One: stand your ground and fight. Two: Run and I find you again." It was a trick actually. The only real option she had was to fight him. If he could track her that easily, than she wasn't very good at loosing him to begin with.
Onari came out of nowhere aimed at Daiya's back with her body bent and leg held back. She had one arm behind her and the other in front of her face to guard. She made no noise. Her light body structure caused her to zip through the air undetected. Onari swung her leg forward and kicked with all her force. Her foot came in contact with her brother's back and he went flying forward.
Daiya slid hard onto his stomach as his sister kicked him. He didn't have the time to be concerned about the pain in his back. He rolled over and brought his legs up. Onari was on top of him in a matter of seconds, her eyes serious and hard as she tried to punch at his head. He pushed her back with his feet in her stomach. She landed on her back as well. Daiya rolled over to get up. He grunted. "Nice try. At least you're not trying to same move over and over like you were before."
Onari started to spin her legs in a circle. Her rear came up off of the branch and she slammed her feet down as she pulled her upper body forward. She was on her feet in no time running at Daiya again. There was no time to comment. She had to fight him to the best of her ability. Her brother wasn't about to let her go home without a good session in tow.
Daiya leapt back as Onari came towards him again. She was off of the ground in a spin kick, her form turning around in the air as her legs tried to make contact with him. He brought his arms up to guard each of her kicks before he bent his back away from her. Daiya flipped his legs up and kicked back at her. He was right behind her kicking at her side before he spun in the air, punching at her. He was using her technique against her.
Onari turned her body to the right suddenly to avoid his fist as she brought her left arm up to block his other fist from coming into contact with her shoulder. She let her feet touch onto the tree to where her body was parallel to the branch below. Onari glued her chakra to the bark as she kept a hold on it with one foot. She started to spin upward, letting one of her legs loose while the other one stayed glued to the tree in order to give her the ability to gain height. Within a few seconds she was several feet away from her brother. She flipped over to where she saw him start to run up the tree at her. Onari started to form hand seals in front of her body. She was treating Daiya as if he were a real enemy. She had to. Her brother expected no less of her.
Daiya blinked as he watched her hands moving. He had to get away from her. Daiya wasn't fully aware of how many seals Onari knew. He had to bail. Her hands stopped on the tiger seal. His eyes went wide. I've got to get away from her! Sasuke must have taught her one of his jutsus! Daiya formed hand seals of his own. Just as Onari sent the huge fireball at Daiya, he poofed with a substitution jutsu. He ended up coming down upon her from above. "Nice try!" Daiya landed on her and swept at her with his foot. Just as he figured, she was bent on trying to get him again. He ended up detaching her feet from the bark of the tree.
Onari started to fall towards the branch below. Daiya was right behind her. She didn't know what to do. There was nothing to grab a hold of. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth ready for impact. Onari felt something grab a hold of her leg and she felt the heavy pull. She opened her eyes to look up and see Daiya with a kunai lodged into the bark of the tree. He had grabbed her to stop her from falling.
Daiya smiled at her. "That was a pretty nice attempt, Onari. I see you're not familiar with substitution jutsus. You also need to practice coming out of a fall. If you can't get out of it, you do get hurt. I wonder why Sasuke sensei hasn't been teaching you to use ninja tools yet." He had noticed that Onari didn't wear a case on her leg, or a pack on her rear. She was completely unarmed. "We might have to ask him why. I think it would be better if you learned how to use them now. If you don't go ahead with it, you won't be familiar with them."
Onari kept still as her brother kept a firm hold on her pants leg. "Daiya and Onari go home now?" She watched him blink. Apparently, he didn't realize how late it was getting. They might be in hot water when they get back to the Uchiha compound.
"Yeah, I didn't realize it was getting late. I don't think Takeru's parents will be happy about us staying out like this." He looked away as he let go of the kunai and grabbed Onari fast. His feet hit the branch and he set her down.
"Why Daiya not say 'mom' and 'dad'?" She watched him look away. "Izumi accept Daiya. Sasuke accept Daiya. Daiya no accept?" Onari leaned towards him searching his eyes.
"I don't know what a mom and dad is, Onari. I've never had one. It's hard to let an adult near me. They've never helped me before… I'm used to being alone and doing things by myself," Daiya said as he caught the stars shining in her eyes.
"Daiya, Izumi and Sasuke are nice. Onari get in trouble with Sasuke and Izumi for no try. Onari can be Onari. Daiya can be Daiya," she said as she turned her head to look at the moon.
"I can't let them see who I am. I don't know who I am," Daiya said as he stood up. "I'm afraid I won't like what I find." He waved her to follow. "We need to go. Izumi is kind of a worry wart. I've noticed that with Takeru."
"Where have you two been? I've been searching the compound calling you. Not only that, but I also went to Saori's, Ryu's, Neji's, and even Kiba's! Do you have any idea what time it is," Izumi Uchiha said as she put her hands on her hips trying to act motherly and stern. It was kind of a disappointing thing. She wasn't used to being stern. It was mainly the worry of not knowing where Daiya and Onari were that got to her.
"Izumi no mad at Onari and Daiya," Onari said. She saw through the white haired woman's real concern with the way she held her posture. It wasn't tense enough. "Onari and brother Daiya train. Onari and Daiya in trouble?"
"Well, considering how late it is, you should be," Sasuke said as he approached the two in the hallway. "She wasn't the only one looking for you two. I've been out looking and so has Takeru. You two need to train during the daylight hours. At night, is when the village is vulnerable. It's hard to distinguish where an enemy is – even with the ANBU on guard, or other ninja around the village."
"I was training Onari to make her familiar with being attacked at night," Daiya said defensively. He looked at Sasuke with a hard gaze. He moved back when Sasuke approached them.
"Daiya, Onari needs to rely on Neji and me for the time being. I know you're trying to help, but she isn't ready to learn combat skills that a team performs. She hasn't passed the exams and has not been given permission from the Hokage to be placed on a team," Sasuke said. He watched the boy before him raise his shoulders. It was a challenge of authority. Sasuke knew it well with Daiya. He was prepared for an outburst, but Daiya didn't shout at him like normal.
"When is she supposed to be prepared? When someone already has the advantage of getting her? She doesn't even use ninja tools and has no inkling to a substitution jutsu! She has to know those things in order to get out of a sticky situation," he said lowly.
Izumi waved Onari to follow her. She stopped and turned around to look at Daiya. "How she is trained and what she learns is not just Sasuke and Neji's decision, Daiya. I do teach her while you and Takeru are away on your teams. Onari is constantly training. Right now, she has three trainers and we are doing what we can to get her caught up. The fact remains that she is not ready to be jumping ahead. If you jump ahead in any of your training, you're liable to miss a valuable piece of it that an opponent can and will use against you," she said. "Fighting with Sasuke about why you two were out late, doesn't get you or her out of hot water. You two need to learn from poor decision making. If you're serious about being Onari's brother, you can take the punishment like one."
Daiya swallowed. He looked at Izumi as she smiled slyly at him. He quickly looked at Sasuke. Sasuke only crossed his arms. The decision was made. He was going to be punished by Izumi. Daiya wanted to run as fast as he could. Sasuke punishing him was one thing. The man trained him on a team punishment, not as an individual. He had never been punished individually except by his… Daiya turned around trying to run down the hall and out the door, but he felt a huge tug on his vest. He looked up to see Sasuke looking at him.
"You're not getting out of it. I understand you and Izumi are fine with each other now, but she is your mother. You're going to have to learn to respect us. It's not wise to make us worry, or put someone else in the family in danger – even if you had good intentions. I try to get everyone on my team to think about their actions. I thought you would have picked up on that, Daiya. However, we're not on the team – we're family. I'm not trying to be cruel. It's not my intention. All I will tell you is this: Tomorrow, you're going to be heavily embarrassed." Sasuke led Daiya to his and Takeru's room. "Get some sleep. Izumi will be waking you and Onari up early."
Daiya walked past Takeru sleeping. He sat on the bed for a moment reflecting what Sasuke had said. What did he mean I'm going to be heavily embarrassed tomorrow? What are they up to?
Izumi snuck into the room quietly. She had no need to be quiet anyway. She smiled as she looked at Takeru sleeping hard. It was a shame to wake him on account of Daiya, but they had to learn to accept responsibility as a whole. Takeru, sadly, was going to have to take the blunt punishment, in a way, with his new brother. Izumi liked how hard Daiya was sleeping. It let her move around with ease as she snuck up on the boy from the lightening country. Izumi formed a few hand seals in front of her body. Daiya didn't know it, but she was a water user. She snickered as a few drops of water plopped onto the boy's nose. She was being pretty sly. Izumi had used the same tactic with Sasuke. It was a nice calm way to get back at someone for an annoyance they had caused.
Daiya wriggled his nose. Was it raining? He rubbed at his eyes. The water droplets stopped. He turned over to nestle back into his bed, but he soon felt the water drops hitting the side of his cheek. He opened his eyes sleepily as a large amount of water fell towards his face and hit him. Daiya sat up coughing. "What the hell?!"
"Good morning, sunshine," Izumi said as she looked at him with a devilish grin. "Are you ready to take your end of the punishment? Onari's already started on hers." She watched Daiya register what she said.
"You were the one that used the water?" Daiya watched her nod. Izumi had a serious look on her face. It was the first time that he started to realize what he was seeing –and becoming aware of. Sasuke was a strong, powerful man. He was one of the few top ranked ninjas in the hidden leaf village. Daiya looked over Izumi. He was noticing her in a whole new way. In order for Sasuke to feel well-matched, his opponent, or significant other would have to be the same. Daiya swallowed with difficulty. Izumi was not from the fire country. "You're… a foreigner like… me and Onari," he said softly.
"That's right, Daiya. I am. I'm from the hidden village of Mist. I met Takeru's father a very long time ago when I was running for my life. Like Sasuke, I had a horrible past, and had to overcome it. At one point, we were rivals and didn't trust each other – but as time tends to do, it heals wounds and you learn forgiveness. I'm not just Takeru's mother, or Sasuke's wife. I'm Izumi – an elite ninja from the water country who was trained to be the best of the best. I never knew my family, or what it meant to be with someone you cared about. I didn't harbor feelings like that. I only learned what emotions were by living them with Sasuke. I soon found out what everything meant when I fell in love with him and soon had Takeru. I'm kind of like you, but I didn't push others off for caring about me." She looked at him hard.
Sasuke leaned against the wall out in the hallway. He was listening to what Izumi was saying. In a way, it made him blush a little. His wife was a strong individual. She didn't need anyone when it came to doing what was right. Izumi was able to handle herself and defend herself against the strongest of opponents. He knew it all to well. His mind started to think about some of the fights they had been in with a few strong opponents. Izumi had rejected him defending her. She had told him then that she needed to learn to protect herself. He had understood her then, as he understood Daiya's motives for trying to get Onari out into the open, like he was.
Takeru woke up to see his mom giving Daiya one heck of a look. He rubbed his eyes as he sat up. "Mom, what's going on? Did Daiya get in trouble?"
"Yes, your brother is in trouble. He decided to train Onari on his own until the late eve. So since he had me and your father worry about where he and Onari were, they are both down for punishment," Izumi said as she heard her son gasp. "Time to get up, Daiya."
Takeru watched his brother walk out of the room with his mother. "Don't fight her, Daiya! She'll only embarrass you worse," he called after him trying to give him the insinuative to bear it. Takeru flopped back onto the bed. "Man, Daiya has no idea what he's in for. I think Onari does, though. She's gotten in trouble with mom before."
Sasuke pocked his head through the door. "Takeru, since you're not in trouble with them, you can hang out with me today." Takeru was sitting up and scrambling to get his clothes on in a hurry. Sasuke smirked at his son. It was rare for them to spend time together anymore. Usually his missions or his team came first. His eyes widened as his son leapt at him. Sasuke fell backwards. He sat halfway up to look at Takeru. "Well, I guess that's one way to get you ready." He reached up to rub his thumb against his son's cheek. Takeru was ready and willing to go anywhere.
Daiya stood in Sasuke and Izumi's room wondering what he was in here for. Izumi was searching for something. He rubbed at his eyes a bit more. He wasn't really awake. Izumi didn't let him get dressed. All he wore was his shirt and his shorts. What the heck was she up to?
"Hah! I found it!" Izumi stood up. She walked over to Daiya. "Don't bother getting dressed. I already have something for you to wear." She watched him eye her as she took out the kimono from behind her back.
Daiya stepped back. It was a girl's kimono! "No way! I'm not wearing that! You can't make me," he said as he turned around to try and run out of the room. He was met with a huge wall of water blocking him from the door. Izumi was not playing around. He tensed as she stepped towards him.
"This is your punishment for the day, Daiya. You must wear this kimono and walk around as a girl all day. I see you're not considering the fact that I may make you walk around in public," she said hitting him with the last word. "Onari's punishment is kanji lessons with Eiyu. She has to write an entire song out in kanji. You may think it's easy, but she hasn't adapted herself to writing entirely. She hates Kanji and it confuses her. So while Onari's brain gets a little scrambled, I think I'll take a shot at your dignity."
Daiya felt his heart racing as he was forced to wear the kimono. His face was red with embarrassment alright. Izumi was defiantly trying to prove a point. He thought he was just going to spend the day in a girl's kimono, but Izumi had him go grocery shopping with her in it. He was getting stared at by all of the other kids he came in contact with. A little boy pointed at him and commented about Daiya being a scruffy looking female. He blushed so badly he almost passed out from humiliation.
Izumi picked up a basket. She made Daiya hold it like a good daughter while she browsed for vegetables. "Daiya, sweetie, would you help your mother pick out which carrots are the best ones to purchase?" She watched Daiya side walk to her, his body tense, and eyes staring straight ahead. She laughed a little. He was taking it hard. The worse thing anyone could do to a boy was to question his manhood – she had done just that. Poor Daiya. He's going to have to learn to not overstep me and Sasuke though. I know he's used to being on his own, but despite how he wants to keep his independence with us, that's not going to be possible. He is dependent on us for survival. The least he could do is listen to us. We do have more experience than him.
Daiya spent the entire day with Izumi. He sat on a bench in the kimono as Izumi walked over. She sat next to him. He was staring at the ground, completely humiliated. He felt her rub his back. "Mom, can I please take this off now…?"
Izumi's eyes widened as she gasped. He had called her…Mom. Daiya never referred to his own birth mother that way. Her hand froze above his shoulders. She turned her head to look at the boy. She couldn't help the way she was feeling. It was as if he was Takeru all over again and he was just learning his first words. Her heart flopped a little in her chest.
Daiya turned his head slowly to look at Izumi. She was watching him with an alert expression. "I said 'please'," he said lowly. He wasn't even aware of what he had said to her. Daiya watched as her hand moved to run her fingers through his messy brown hair.
Izumi leaned towards him. She smiled at him in her usual happy, carefree attitude that she displayed only in Konoha. Other than that, she was serious outside of its walls – and deadly. "You called me 'Mom'," she said in a joking way. She didn't want him to feel embarrassed about it. "I think you let it slip."
Daiya had only known Izumi for a few weeks. She was one of the nicest women he had met who could tolerate the way he was. She didn't try to change him, or get him to completely sway to her demands. He realized that the entire day had been spent teaching him a lesson. It was a part of growing up and learning. Izumi Uchiha was teaching him like a mother ought to. Sasuke was preparing him to defend himself and others. They were his parents. "I don't let anything slip. If I don't want to say it, I don't," he said trying to get her to understand.
Izumi kissed him softly on the head as she brought him closer to her. She rubbed the side of her finger up and down his jaw line. "You can take it off when we get home. I'm pretty sure Onari is about to explode with Eiyu," she said laughing a little. "We need to go get her."
Onari held up the scroll to Eiyu Hyuga. "Onari no understand lines! Lines not sound! Onari make sound with mouth! Onari no stupid, Eiyu!"
Eiyu twitched his brow as he pointed to one of the caricatures he had written on the scroll for her to copy. "It is a sound, Onari. I'm trying to tell you what the sound is with that caricature. It's not just random lines! You're driving my patience!"
"Onari no stupid, Eiyu! Sounds go in ear and out mouth! This not sound! Eiyu is tricking Onari!"
"I'm not tricking you, you silly girl! If you don't write what I wrote, Ms. Izumi will make you stay longer! You've been here all day arguing and throwing the pencils! Just write it," he said as he came off of the floor slamming his hands face down on the low table.
"Onari no like lines! Onari no understand purpose of lines! How get sound out of lines? It not a jutsu!"
Eiyu cocked his head at her. "What the… A jutsu? You can't perform hands seals to unlock what it says, Onari. Stop trying! You have to read it!" He lifted his hands to practically rip his long brown hair out. "I swear to the Hokage, how in the world is anyone going to get you to pass the academy entrance exams, much less the finals if you can't read or write?!"
Onari crossed her arms. "Onari show Eiyu Hyuga," she said pointing at him with a stern gaze. "Onari not beneath Eiyu! Onari mind faster than Eiyu's!"
"If you're so smart, write the damn caricatures and stop arguing with me! You could have finished this hours ago!" Eiyu pointed at the scroll several times emphasizing that she needed to do it.
"Onari, Eiyu wants you to copy him. If you copy him, you may go home for the day. That is part of your training," Neji said from the entranceway. He watched Onari narrow her eyes at Eiyu. They had been fighting off and on for a while. The girl snatched up the pencil, took one look at the kanji, and began to write it in a hurry. She held up the scroll and shoved it in Eiyu's face. Eiyu's eye was twitching so much Neji dismissed her quickly before his oldest son leapt at her.
Eiyu gritted his teeth. He tried to calm himself down, but he had wasted hours with her trying to get her to understand. "That girl is going to be the death of me. I don't understand how you managed to figure her out in a matter of seconds." He looked at his father.
Neji smiled a little. "That's why I'm the parent. Next time, think twice about using force on her. Force only makes someone back off, not come towards you, Eiyu." He walked off to let his son cool down.
Eiyu slapped his forehead. The reason his father hadn't intervened earlier was to teach him a lesson about himself. He did have a temper. "She's defiantly going to cause me some serious stress," he said as he fell backwards. The pencils on the table rattled as the table vibrated with his weight hitting the floor.