Chapter 16
AN: Kishimoto owns all except my characters-Kiminari, and Kimiko, and later characters. Also I'm probably not going to follow any of the story line except a few small things. I may take the characters outside their natural personalities, but that's because it's my story, and it'll add to it. Another thing: since I'm not following the story line of the series- All main (good) characters will start out the same age as they should be, but even though the Akatsuki will be around, the war will not happen until later; if it does at all. Again this is because I'm making up my own story line; it gets kinda boring when nothing has changed and, you readers would be able to guess what was going to happen all the time. So, enjoy, and please comment, review, rate, whatever you wanna do. :D
I nearly passed out. I mentally took back wishing that this man was Kimiko's father. The profile shown, was that of the last person I would have ever thought to consider. I allowed a grim chuckle to escape my lips. Although she had not inherited her mother's headband, she'd by some cruel luck, inherited her father's; and I'd been the one to give it to her.
Kimiko's P.O.V.
It was now Wednesday- two days since we had last seen Lady Tsunade. Kakashi said she was probably still trying to figure something out, but I had a feeling something was wrong. The last week and a half she had spent every day observing different things about me; I would have thought by now, that she'd have enough to at least find a few matches.
We had paused our training for a quick lunch, when the annoying blonde guy, that Kakashi had introduced to me as Naruto, came running up to the training area. "Kakashi sensei!" He yelled when he was close enough to be heard. We watched as he slowed down and approached huffing a little. Then he said the words we'd been expecting all week: "Granny Tsunade wants to see you two in her office."
While we were on our way, Naruto asked me endless questions about my training, and if, when Kakashi said I could, he could teach me a really cool technique, and why I was so quite. I was about to get fed up with his non-stop blabbering- I mean, come on, if you want an answer you have to shut up for a second or two- when we finally came to the hokage's building. We walked up to Lady Tsunade's office, and surprisingly, Naruto followed us in.
When we stepped into her office, we noticed that all the jonin who were not on a mission, were in the room, as well as Sakura, one of Naruto's teammates. I waved with a little grin at Sakura, who returned the gesture; we'd really started to get along while she taught me, and she'd become somewhat like an older sister. I looked around to everyone else and saw how confused they were at being there; I was just as confused as to why they were there.
When we reached her desk, we bowed to Lady Tsunade, and in return, she gave a small bow back. "Kimiko, I've found out who your father is, but I don't think anyone here is going to like it." She spoke solemnly.
A few people exchanged looks. "Why not?" I asked. "What's wrong?"
She seemed to think for a moment, seemingly of how to put the answer as nicely as possible. Then, "Well, you didn't inherit your mother's headband, but by unfortunate chance, you've inherited your fathers." I was a little confused for a moment, then I remembered who's headband I'd been given. My body stiffened, and my face went blank; I was shocked. But hadn't he died way before I was born. He would have been way older, even if he hadn't. I was so confused, but it seemed that so was everyone else.
"Kimiko, could you show everyone here the name on that headband?" I nodded, too shocked and upset to say anything, and quickly took it off my waist and set it on her desk. When they saw it, most of them were shocked as well, and a few seemed a little angry; almost everyone looked to my face as though to compare it to something. "Do you still want to keep the headband, Kimiko?" Lady Tsunade asked.
I thought about it for a moment, while I found my voice, then said quietly, "Yes." There were a few quick intakes of breath, and a few whispers, but I didn't care. "Like I said when you gave it to me, Lady Hokage-sama, I'll do whatever it takes to make a better image of this headband, and if it's my father's, then I want to even more. Even with who he was, I would still like to think he'd be proud of me for working hard to achieve my own goals; and, Lady Hokage, I promise you, I will." I finished proudly. I wasn't ashamed of myself for being Madara's daughter, in fact, it gave me more of a reason to train hard, and become an excellent kunoichi; I had to prove that I was strong like my parents, but in a sense stronger, because I had to make all the right choices, since my father had not.
A man I'd never met before, with long white hair, walked up to me and stooped to my level. He looked me in the eyes and said, "You've inherited the Will of Fire in more ways than one. You follow your dreams, and work hard to accomplish them, OK. Don't let anything hold you back; but remember that you can't do everything on your own. Remember who your real friends are. Always do the right thing, no matter how bad it hurts. And…" with a small chuckle, "Please, make it a priority to bring a good name back to the Uchiha clan." I grinned, and nodded.
"I promise. And when I make a promise, I don't back out of it." I added, smiling in Naruto's direction as I quoted his daily saying; even if it had begun to get on my nerves.