When It Rains.
Onyx and Ivory
Fuyuko (I'm using this name just incase these letters ever get intercepted, not that they would seeing as they're being carried by the Great Toads of Mount Myōboku.),
How's it going, kid? It's been like what—a year or something since I last saw you? You must be sixteen, or seventeen now? Hope your journey is going well. I've been working on my new book still and I may or may not have used your appearance and such for the main character.
Jiraiya
(Super Pervert)
Jiraiya,
First off: how the hell did your toads find me? And tell them I sure as hell don't appreciate them sitting on my face and trying to suffocate me while I'm asleep!
Yeah, just turned seventeen. I can't believe how many years have flown by. Anyway, I'm currently in Cloud Country, and no I'm not telling you why.
And if I haven't already told you, you're disgusting. You're going to hell for basing a character off an underage girl.
Fuyuko
(The girl who will more then likely murder you if you publish anything about me)
Fuyuko,
Think of them like hounds—just slimy (and way cooler). So you're almost of age now then? Fantastic. Have those breasts grown it yet?
You don't have to tell me why you're in Cloud, but I guess I should warn you to be careful up there. The Raikage isn't known to like strangers in his land. While you're up there, there's a nice little hot springs to the west of the hidden village. They serve the most delicious dango! And the servers are pretty hot too!
By the time my book is publishing you'll be long overage by then, nothing to worry about! And I'm sure they'll have a seat waiting for me there.
Jiraiya
(Super Super Pervert)
Jiraiya,
I hate dango.
Fuyuko,
It's been a while, huh? My toads have had trouble finding you for a while there. I hope this letter finds you well kid—should I really call you that anymore? I guess you're all grown up now. If my calculations are correct (and they probably aren't) you're nineteen now, right?
I'm not sure if you'll want to hear this, but I'm back in Konoha for a while. Duty brought me back, can't say much more then that I'm afraid. And unfortunately for me I got roped into teaching a punk ass kid, you may remember him from your time here, Uzumaki Naruto? He's a bit of a loser so I wouldn't expect you to remember him.
That's not even what I wanted to tell you about, this kid Naruto is on the same team as Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto won't stop talking about the little blight, says he's his rival. It got me thinking about the stories you told me about you and…uh well, that guy. Anyway, that's still not the reason why I wrote you. I just thought you should know that Sasuke is in the Chuunin exams, he seems to have grown into a strong young man, you'd be proud.
Jiraiya
(An older but none the less still Super Pervert)
Jiraiya,
I'm coming home.
The Village Hidden in Leaves, once the village had been filled with strife and despair. Four years had changed the village since that fateful night. It was if the entire village had forgotten about the monstrosity that had happened to one clan. All but a select few remembered the pain and grief of that night. Hearing the news that many had perished, all by the hands of one man.
There was obviously something else that the village had to gossip about, the upcoming Finals for the Chuunin exams. If you spoke to anyone in the village, they would all say the same: "I'm definitely watching it. Why? Because Uchiha Sasuke is competing."
Taking those first steps back into Konoha was daunting to say the least. She was disappointed that it had to be under a Henge no jutsu, but it was the sacrifice she had to make to save her own skin. Something she had come to live by these past three years in solitude.
Hoshiko handed the familiar faced Chuunin her identification card marking her a Fire country civilian called Fuyuko. She had the thing made a while back from a shady looking man in a busy village. It had cost her a small fortune but was now worth it in the end. The Chuunin didn't detect anything off from her fake papers and her jutsu and let her in with a pleasant nod. Hoshiko adjusted the bag on her shoulder and ran her fingers through the short blonde hair that hung to her shoulders. She had tried to make her appearance as far from hers as possible, but also keeping it plain and simple. She wanted to blend in. Blonde hair and brown eyes it was, she had even made herself taller as to defer from the fact that she was seriously lacking in height even as a nineteen year old.
Hoshiko turned down the main street; giving her full view of the great stone faces some distance away. Her feet faltered for a moment as her eyes widened at the large rock. Even after preparing herself for days that she would be returning home, everything was still a shock to her. She was back in Konoha. She was home. Perching atop the stone faces had been one of her greatest pastimes. Memories started flooding her mind, all the memories she had with Itachi and Sasuke and Shisui. Hoshiko had to physically shut her eyes and shake her head of the thoughts. She couldn't loose face now. For four years she had been strong. She was only here as she had a chance to see Sasuke from afar; she wanted to know how he was. There had never been a day where she didn't think about he little tyke—well, he wasn't so little anymore, was he? He was twelve now, a year older then when she herself had become a Chuunin.
Hoshiko found herself walking around the village for hours. She was revisiting places that she used to frequent as a child. It was strange for her. Even though she had spent the better part of her life in the village, she felt like an outsider once more. She was looking at the village through different eyes now. She was older, wiser; but yet as she glanced around at the people and the places. She had never felt more alone.
She had avoided the Uchiha compound at all costs. She had no intention of ever going there again, she was already plagued with nightmares about that night still. She didn't need to relive any of it again. Instead she found herself in the market district. She approached many of the same stalls, not much had changed in that department. She recognized many of the same faces that had greeted her in her youth.
It wasn't long until she came face to face with the door to her home. Her home had been small and cramped between two larger houses. Steps led up to the door, and from memory Hoshiko could picture herself walking through the small foyer into the open kitchen and living area. She remembered the days when herself, Itachi and Shisui would hang out in the kitchen. Her mother would fuss over the three of them and cook them lunch or dinner.
Her gaze moved along the wall, coming to rest at the small window. The window to her bedroom was shut tightly. Hoshiko wondered if everything looked the same in there. Had her mother touched anything in there? Or had she gotten rid of all of her belongings? She desperately wanted to go in, to retain some form of her old life. She wanted to run her hands along the walls, look at the family pictures she had in her room. Sit on her bed and smell her sheets. They seemed like such trivial things compared to what she had been doing with her life, but it was a reminder that she was still alive. That she hadn't dreamt the past four hellish years.
Her senses prickled. The hair on her arms stood up as she sensed a familiar chakra coming towards her. Hoshiko's disguised brown eyes searched the thick crowd for the person. A part of her wanted to flee, but another small part wanted to stay—just for a moment. She wanted to see them. It had been so long.
There!
She spotted him moving through the crowd. He looked exactly the same from before. His spikey silver hair stood up in every direction. He still covered his eye and instead of wearing his ANBU armor he now garbed the Konoha Jounin uniform. His hands held two bags filled with groceries. He was speaking to someone to the left of him. Hoshiko's eyes slid over to his companion as they went wide. She didn't even sense her with him!
Hiroka held a bag in her hand as she conversed with the Copy ninja. Hoshiko's eyes began to water traitorously. She knew that she would've seen her mother around eventually, but she hadn't prepared herself mentally to see her. Hiroka hadn't changed much in the four years, except now instead of her long brown hair that normally reached her lower back, she had cut it to just above her shoulders. She had a few more wrinkles and dark circles under her eyes that Hoshiko assumed was from restless nights sleep. The pair had walked closer to her standing in front of her home that she could now hear their conversation.
"It's nice of you to offer making the lunch, Hiroka-san," Kakashi said to her. Hiroka waved one bag around.
"Well, it's the least I can do. I want to make sure Sasuke-kun has a healthy balanced meal before his exam tomorrow. How is his training coming along?"
"Very good." Kakashi nodded. "He's picking things up quickly, a trait no doubt inherited from the Uchiha. He's taken a shine to learning the Raikiri."
Hiroka's lips parted as she looked up at the Jounin in awe. "Wasn't that something you taught Hoshiko?"
It was strange for Hoshiko to hear her own name come out of her mother's mouth. She hadn't seen or heard her voice in four years. To her, her voice felt like a soothing embrace, how she wished she could just run up to her and hug her tightly.
Kakashi chuckled. "Not exactly. She sort of taught it to herself."
The pair were so close to her now. She could reach out and touch them if she so desired. She wanted to dispel the jutsu and scream at them that she was alive and standing right before them. Her brown eyes flicked between the pair as Hoshiko thought against talking to them. She wouldn't put them in danger. She wouldn't announce herself, she had stayed away to keep them safe and she intended to keep doing just that.
As if fate decided to be cruel to her, Kakashi looked over in her direction. His one uncovered eye found hers for a split second before Hoshiko turned away. Not wanting to cause suspicion. She droned out the rest of Hiroka and Kakashi's conversation and headed away from them. She didn't look back because she was scared that Kakashi would be staring at her, she knew that if his Sharingan had been out he would've seen right through her disguise.
She also didn't look back because she wouldn't have been able to see them through the blurriness of her tears.
X
Hoshiko knew where to find him. It was the first place she had checked and it was no surprise to her that she found him in a booth at the back surround by three gorgeous women. Two were draped over his arms, feeding him food and passing him his cup of sake, no doubt that's what he was drinking. A third was currently stripping her robe off and Hoshiko had to avert her eyes from the scantily clad woman so that she could approach him.
He laughed boisterously, and Hoshiko had to suppress her urge to grin. It had been a while since she had seen him, or heard his voice. She suddenly remembered the jokes that he used to tell her in the teashop together.
Jiraiya's eyes landed on Hoshiko, not recognizing her because of her disguise. He grinned perversely. "Oh! A fourth one, you ladies sure know how to treat a man!" The three women looked over to Hoshiko. They all frowned together, obviously not recognizing her. Hoshiko stepped around the one that was currently disrobing.
"Jiraiya. It's me," Hoshiko sent him a pointed look that he would hopefully recognize after all this time. The Sannin took a few seconds, but he then made the connection. His smile dropped as he unwound himself from around the two women.
"Sorry ladies, you'll have to come back soon. I have important work to do right now." He smacked the rear of the woman on his left. Hoshiko tried not to bring up her breakfast. The three women sent her glares for ruining their fun as they exited the booth and slid the curtains shut around them.
"You're still disgusting as ever, I see," Hoshiko said as she took a seat on the other side of the table, sliding onto the large plush chair. Jiraiya chuckled as he downed another cup of sake.
"The ladies love me even more now that I'm older." Hoshiko grimaced at him as Jiraiya poured another cup and offered it to her.
"No—thank you."
"Come on!" Jiraiya drawled. "You're of age now. I'm a bit disappointed I don't get to see what you really look like." Hoshiko rolled her eyes at the old Sannin and watched him down his drink.
"Just because I'm older now doesn't mean that I'm going to be swayed by your persuasive personality. You forget, I was raised around manipulators."
Jiraiya gave her a pointed look as he poured himself another cup of sake and threw it back like it was water. "Isn't that the truth. So—how're you holding up, kid?"
Hoshiko glanced away from him, looking over to her left. "I'm fine. I didn't come to talk about myself."
"Yes, yes, of course," Jiraiya said as he placed his cup down and leaned towards her. "There's just…something about you—you're different."
"I'm disguised you moron," Hoshiko rolled her eyes at him.
Jiraiya smirked at her, one side of his mouth pulling up. "Yes, I can see that. I just wasn't talking about your appearance."
Hoshiko met his gaze for a moment, and then glanced away. She grew uncomfortable with the way Jiraiya was staring at her. Her mouth parted and a whisper came from her. "Have you seen him? What's he like?"
There was a moment that Jiraiya gazed at her, he trying to imagine what her real expression would look like, not the one this blonde haired brown eyed girl had. The moment ended and the Sannin smirked again. "Haven't met him myself but from what I heard he's a real smart kid. Nowhere near the smarts that his brother had but he's smart in his own right. He's also a real grumpy asshole—according to Naruto that is."
"Good," Hoshiko muttered. "Being smart is what got me into this mess. I guess he may have picked up the attitude from me." Jiraiya chuckled deeply as Hoshiko looked towards the door. "I should go. As much as I want to stay and chat with you I shouldn't be around you."
"No one's going to know who you are, kid," Jiraiya said firmly.
"I'm not willing to take that chance. If anyone found out I was back—I don't want to think about what could happen."
Jiraiya sighed. "I get it. I really do. I just wish for your sake that it didn't have to be this way."
Hoshiko chuckled. She reached over and quickly poured herself a cup of sake and chugged it quickly. "So do I, Jiraiya-san." Hoshiko grimaced at the foul tasting alcohol as she dropped the cup onto the table and stood up. "I'll try and find you before I leave again."
Jiraiya held up his cup in a toast to her. "See you around then."
The day of the final exams came around. Hoshiko had gotten there just as Uzumaki Naruto had beaten a Hyuuga. Hoshiko was impressed. She had fought a few Hyuuga's in her time in Konoha. They weren't exactly easy, so she was surprised when she watched the blonde haired kid running around the arena blowing kisses to the audience. As Hoshiko watched him, she actually recognized him. She had defended the kid when he was a child from the horrible shop vendors. She smirked in recollection. Hoshiko was sat next to a couple to her right and a young woman to her left. All of them were talking about the upcoming fight of Uchiha Sasuke and Gaara of the Sand. In fact, it seemed to be the only thing the villagers could talk about. To her disappointment, it was announced that Sasuke's match would be postponed as he and Kakashi was running late.
Typical, Hoshiko thought with a grin on her face. Leave it to Kakashi to be late with his own pupil for his Chuunin exam. She watched with the other villagers as a Genin from Suna forfeited his match. And then a Konoha Genin outsmarted the other Suna team member to win his own match without so much as breaking a sweat. She was impressed with the kid. His intelligence was astounding. She thought that maybe this kid could give Itachi a run for his money.
The crowd was waiting anxiously for Sasuke to arrive. The chatter was deafening as they all wanted to see the Uchiha fight. Hoshiko was eager to just see the little prat. The proctor was standing in the middle of the arena; his eyes were scanning the crowd and then settled on the Hokage up in the stands. The proctor raised his hand, signaling that he was about to call off the match when suddenly a mini tornado appeared in the middle of the arena. Dust and leaves flew around the two figures that had suddenly appeared.
Hoshiko felt her heart skip a beat when she laid her eyes on the form of Sasuke. It was a shock to her, to see him so grown up now. The last time she had seen him he had been eight years old and unconscious. She was near the front of the stands, but still couldn't make out what he really looked like. Was he a spitting image of his older brother now? She could see that his hair was still the same weird combination of spikey at the back and flat at the front. He wore a black one piece and she could see the glint of his Hitai-ate.
The roar of the crowd was instantaneous. People were out of their seats cheering for Sasuke's arrival. A few words were spoken between Kakashi and the proctor. From the tunnel a figure walked out. Hoshiko saw that it was the third Genin member from Suna.
There was a popping sound behind her as Hoshiko glanced over her shoulder, stunned to see Kakashi ten rows back. He stood with Might Guy, a man Hoshiko remembered from her youth. She couldn't hear what they were talking about from her distance from them. She didn't want to draw attention to herself so she turned around and set her eyes on the two boys down below.
The match started. Hoshiko watched Sasuke throw shuriken and sprint around the boy with the ultimate defense. She had heard whispers in her time of solitude, about a boy with a sand defense that was impenetrable. This must be that boy. As the fight continued on, Hoshiko could feel the awe and pride welling up in her chest. Sasuke's speed was incredible. It was definitely a no brainer why Kakashi had been Sasuke's teacher. She watched him speed around Gaara, the boys sand not able to keep up with the sheer speed of the Uchiha. Sasuke managed to land a few hits onto him, which had the crowd going wild.
It wasn't until Sasuke managed to land a direct hit onto Gaara's cheek that the feel of the atmosphere changed. Hoshiko could feel the malice in the air as Gaara suddenly cocooned himself into a little sand ball. Sasuke tried to breach it but it was no use.
It was then that Sasuke moved himself back up the wall of the arena, giving him space from the Suna Genin. Hoshiko smirked. She assumed that something big was going to happen. Sasuke wouldn't have given himself that much room if he wasn't planning an attack.
And then she heard it. That sharp chirping sound. She felt the raw power emanating from the Uchiha as he was suddenly bathed in a blue glow. Raikiri, she thought. Her jaw dropped and her body stood up from her chair on its own accord as she watched the young boy race down the side of the arena wall. Sasuke pierced the sand armor.
Hoshiko turned her head; she glanced back at Kakashi who stood there with a satisfied look on his face as he conversed with Guy and some other young Genin's. A scream tore through the arena, Sasuke's jutsu having made contact with Gaara. Kakashi's attention was diverted to the arena, and then he noticed Hoshiko staring at him. Hoshiko spun back around quickly, afraid that he would recognize her from standing outside her house the other day. She couldn't concentrate on the match anymore as she could feel eyes on the back of her head. Was Kakashi still staring at her? She had to know.
She angled her head slightly to the left, trying to see the silver haired Jounin out of the corner of her eye. Her heart sunk when she saw that his hand was lifting his headband. Shit, she hissed to herself. He would see through her disguise in a second. She had to get out, now.
She didn't want to see if he had looked in her direction with his Sharingan again, as she leapt off to the right and to one of the exits of the arena. Her feet pounded against the stone flooring. She used her chakra senses and swore in her loudly when she could sense Kakashi catching up to her. So he had most definitely seen that she was currently using a Henge no jutsu. She could see a set of stairs ahead of her, she just had to jump down them and then once she was out the large doors she would be able to really run.
She heard Kakashi unleash a jutsu, one of his signature ones as suddenly a large mud wall went up in front of her. Hoshiko smacked right into it. She had been completely caught off guard from it. She hadn't wanted to expose who she was by the way she used her old techniques so she had thought running would've been the best idea. She was wrong, and now Kakashi had caught her.
As Hoshiko bounced off the wall she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder as she was roughly spun around. Her eyes met Kakashi's black and red as his free hand came up in the rat seal.
"Kai!"
In a puff of smoke she felt her jutsu release. She was suddenly a head shorter than her disguise. Black locks fell around her eyes instead of sandy blonde hair. Her attire had stayed the same though. Her pupil less silver eyes stared up at Kakashi.
His reaction was instant. He stumbled back from her, both of his eyes as wide as the moon. She could see the outline of his mouth through his mask; it was opened into a stunned silence. His hand shook slightly, hovering above her shoulder, like he was afraid that if he touched her again she would simply disappear. With Kakashi's concentration shot to hell, the mud wall behind Hoshiko's back crumbled into dust. She felt the debris trickle down the bare skin of her legs as it pooled around her feet.
Kakashi's complexion had turned a pasty white. He looked like he had seen a ghost. He was in a sense. He tried to speak a few times, his mouth closing and opening but no sound was heard. Finally, he was able to choke a word out. "Hoshiko?" His eyes were scanning all over her face, his Sharingan confirming what he saw by the way her chakra felt. He would know it anywhere. Hoshiko's expression turned sad. She hadn't wanted this to happen. Now this complicated things. She had been stupid and reckless. But a small part of her thought that maybe she had wanted this to happen, maybe she wanted someone—other than Jiraiya—to know that she was in fact alive.
"Hello, Kakashi." It was like her speaking confirmed it for him. The sound of her voice had stayed the same after four years. She looked the same, her features thinning out with maturity. She no longer had a child's face. She was an adult. She had grown into her awkward features; her nose was no longer too long for her face. Her cheeks didn't make her look three years younger. She was different, but still her.
"How can this be? They had your body—they found you—killed by Itachi," Kakashi suddenly gripped her shoulders painfully. "Are you really her!?"
Hoshiko nodded. "It's me." Kakashi looked elated. He released her shoulders.
"What happened to you? Where have you been?"
"I can't say," Hoshiko replied softly. Kakashi narrowed his eyes at her.
"What do you mean? You can't do that. We've all thought you've been dead for four years! Your mother…"
"It needs to stay this way, Kakashi."
The man shook his head. "No it doesn't. Itachi is long gone from the village. If you survived him once you can do it again. We'll protect you. I'll protect you."
Hoshiko hardened her stare. "Itachi wasn't the one who stabbed me."
Kakashi's raised his eyebrows in alarm. "Then who?" Hoshiko shook her head at him.
"I'm sorry, I can't say. I can't put you in danger too. No one was ever meant to find out about me." Hoshiko moved away but Kakashi reached out and pulled her back.
"What do you mean? So you were just going to live the rest of your life on your own?"
"It's worked so far, hasn't it?" She snapped at him. Her thoughts suddenly drifted to Ren, Aishi and Sadao. She hadn't thought about them in a while. It was after their deaths that Hoshiko had lived on her own. And for three years, no one else had died because of her.
"Why won't you come home?" Kakashi asked her, releasing her arm gently.
"Why do you think?" Hoshiko hissed at him. Her eyes narrowed to slits. "Because the person I'm hiding from is still here in Konoha. I have enemies in Konoha and out there too." She pointed in the direction of the village gates, "Itachi was not the one to try and kill me. We fought and I lost. He left me out in the forest."
"Who was it?" Kakashi demanded from her.
"If I told you, and someone found out, you'd be killed. I can't have anyone else's blood on my hands, Kakashi."
"Your mother misses you—"
"Don't do that," Hoshiko said bitterly. Kakashi wasn't surprised by her reaction. "Do you think I want to stay away?" Her eyes began to fill with angry tears. "Do you think I want everyone I ever cared about to think that I was dead? I'm staying away to protect them. This is to protect my mother, Sasuke and you. He has threatened her before and he tried to kill me. If I came back, I know for sure that he will kill anyone that I care about to teach me a lesson." Hoshiko could see the pity in Kakashi's eyes.
"No one would ever tell. Sasuke would benefit from it if he knew you were alive."
"How can I face him?" Hoshiko exclaimed. "I couldn't stop his own brother from murdering his family! I deserted him that night to chase after Itachi when I should've stayed with him!" They were both silent for a few moments before a deep rumbling was heard. The ground under their feet started to shake and the ceiling above their heads started to crumble.
"What's going on?" Kakashi questioned, looking around.
"The village is under attack," Hoshiko stated. Kakashi spun around to face her.
"How do you know that?" Just as he spoke, a large explosion rocked the arena. Both Kakashi and Hoshiko braced themselves against the wall. Kakashi looked back towards the doorway, which he had chased Hoshiko from. He could make out the figures of people jumping around out there. The sounds of a battle could be heard. "I need to go," Kakashi said and he turned back to see if Hoshiko would join him…instead she was gone.
"Hoshiko!" He called out the empty hallway, but he knew that she wouldn't come back.
It always seemed to rain in Konoha. It always rained when someone died. Hoshiko remembered that it rained the day she had come to Konoha. It rained the day her father died, and it rained the day that Shisui died. It was raining again now, this time it was the Third Hokage who had died.
He died as he had lived. Protecting his village. He gave his life to try and stop Orochimaru, a man hell bent on revenge. This was something Hoshiko knew well. For four years she had been plotting her own revenge, and now it was finally the time for her to strike.
She stood atop the Hokage stone monument, in another time she would have stopped to admire the view, but too much was at stake now. She had to act quickly before the others caught on to her. Her disguise was now gone, she had no need to hide behind it for the moment. If everything went according to her plan, no one would know it had been her behind it.
Her tattered ANBU mask was secured to her face, her features hidden from the world. Her black hair, touching the end of her shoulder blades hung loose and stuck to her clothes and exposed skin from the heavy downpour. She had changed from her simple civilian clothing into her ninja gear. Three quarter black pants with black boots that reached above her ankle. Hidden beneath her short black cloak was a long sleeved black shirt, cutting off just above her bellybutton.
Her silver eyes, once full of life and light and love now narrowed dangerously, their colour a murky grey. A crow flew overhead, it cawed once and Hoshiko disappeared from the monument silently.
In the quiet and dimly lit room, a single candle illuminated the space. The darkness from outside did nothing to light the room up from the single window by the sliding door. A man sat reading from a small book, the flame from the candle cast a shadow behind him. A table was in front him with a mug of hot tea. His two guards by his side both remained stoic with their hands crossed behind their back.
A flash of lightning lit up the room for a second, followed by the sound of roaring thunder. The mans face tilted up, his one exposed beady eye glancing out the window for a second. He could see nothing but the drips of water pelting against the glass. His gaze lowered just as another bolt of lightning shot across the sky.
As the thunder sounded overhead, two more sounds accompanied it. The bodies of his guard collapsed to the floor, blood pooling under them. Danzo had no time to yell for help as he felt the cool metal of a blade press against his jugular. His body froze of it's own accord. He felt the blade move against his skin and heard slow and deliberate footsteps on the wooden flooring. From his peripheral he could make out a figure slowly moving to stand in front of him.
Hoshiko's grip on her Wakizashi never wavered. Blood dripped from the shining blade. She watched as it dripped onto Danzo's white and grey robes. She knew he wouldn't recognize her immediately. She was hoping to see some emotion on his face, mainly fear. She wanted to see the terror in his eyes. She wanted him to know what it was like to look death right in the face and wonder if this was it. Instead the old man remained as stoic as ever, his expression bored.
"Shall I see the face of my attacker?" Danzo drawled. Hoshiko had half a mind to just end his life there, be done with it and go. But a part of her wanted him to know that it was her. With her free hand she tore the mask from her face and let it drop to the floor. Danzo's lips quirked upwards. "I should have known really."
"Surprised to see me alive, Danzo?" Hoshiko asked bitterly, pressing the sword harder against his skin. The old man chuckled.
"I knew one day you would crawl out of whatever hole you had fallen into to come back to me."
"You tried to kill me," Hoshiko hissed out.
"Multiple times, really. You always had some way of surviving, it's what made you interesting."
"Multiple?" Hoshiko questioned, her brows knitting together in confusion. Danzo scoffed.
"Oh yes, dear girl. Do you really think that was the first time I had tried to have you killed? Don't you think I was strange that in your ANBU exam, everything was going so well until you had that unfortunate accident, causing you to almost kill Hatake Kakashi? Or how about when you and that Uchiha brat went on your Hanabira mission that Orochimaru knew exactly where you would be?" Hoshiko hardened her gaze at him, she didn't want him to think that she was growing unstable because of his revelation.
"And why else did I want it to be you who confronted Uchiha Itachi. I had placed my bets on both of you killing each other off so I wouldn't have to worry about you two anymore. You had both become too powerful for your own good. Instead that good for nothing Uchiha decided to leave you withering away on the floor. I took matters into my own hands."
Hoshiko growled like an animal. Her vision was tinted red as she became enraged. Using her unthinkable speed she took ahold of Danzo's free arm and slammed it against the table. Before the old man could defend himself Hoshiko had thrust her Wakizashi down, piercing his hand and pinning it to the table.
Danzo grunted in pain. His jaw locked as he glared straight into Hoshiko blazing eyes. "Do you think this is a fucking game?" Hoshiko screeched. Her grip on her blade tightened as she twisted the metal. Danzo's flesh curled around her blade as he bared his teeth at her. "I've lost everything because of you! I'm going to kill you here, Danzo. And I am going to make it very very painful."
Hoshiko pulled the blade out. Danzo didn't wince as blood gushed out of his hand. Using her foot Hoshiko kicked the table to the other side of the room. The cup smashed against the wall, the lukewarm tea dripping down the paneling. The candle went out, casting the whole room into darkness. Hoshiko lunged for Danzo just as the old man began to raise the bandage on his covered Sharingan.
The window smashed behind them. Hoshiko twisted around, preparing to fight Danzo's subordinates. Frigid cold wind blew into the room as a cloaked figure jumped through the window and approached her. Her mind wasn't on Danzo anymore as she prepared to fight this new attacker. Her sword was at the ready but it wasn't any use. They expertly dodged her first attack and came face to face.
The last thing Hoshiko saw before she blacked out was the swirling iris of the Sharingan.
Hi guys! Sorry it took me a little while to get this out, I recently got back into the workforce after being unemployed for a long time and I'm still trying to set out a writing schedule for myself. Plus it's bloody exhausting working full time again. But anyway I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, finally we have one where it isn't so depressing all the time. And huzzah, no one died in this chapter! And seeing as so many of you loved Hoshiko and Jiraiya's relationship I just had to bring the pervert back, god he's fun to write!
Were you all surprised about the Kakashi reunion? Sadly no Sasuke reunion this time and go Hoshiko on finally confronting that bastard Danzo!
And who do you think was the cloaked figure that stopped her fight? I'd love to hear your theories! Soon we'll be getting into some lighthearted content and then the Itachi reunion! Gahhh I can't wait!
REPLIES
The Queen1615 - Thank you! Your heart should be ok for a few more chapters! But no promises!
blueerimartian - Yes our girl Hoshiko is finally grown up! You'll be getting information on what she did those three years we didnt see and how she's grown in her skills and as a person! There's you Kakashi and Hoshiko reunion! Can't wait for the Itachi one too! That's going to be so exciting to write I can't wait!
- Thank you! Sorry for making those tears but I love it actually. Hopefully no crying this time around! It'll be a bit more light hearted soon, our sassy Hoshiko will be back!
kwisy - Thank you! Hope you enjoyed this one reunion
Emocean - Thank you! I'm so happy you thought that about Jiraiya! I was worried I wasn't going to get his perverse nature right, I hope i do him justice for everyone!
kayna96 - I know its been very sad and depressing but most of that is all over now! We've got funny times and reunion times to look foward to now!
Doodles - Thank you! Hope you enjoyed this reunion. I know everyone is probably waiting for the Itachi one and it will come, not just yet but it will and it'll be worth the wait! As for the Sasuke reunion it won't be for a little while, I'm sad about that cause I love their relationship when they were younger, ah so cute!
MeandNotYou1001 - Same fam. Same. All this angst, but gotta do it. I loved the relationship that these two formed. He may pop up again in future chapters but he's not really a main character in this. I only planned for him to be in those two (now three because of people loving him) but we'll see what happens.
machiaveIIian - Yes i do tend to do that in my stories...whoops. Thank you so much! Trust me, the ride is not ending anytime soon with what I have planned for Hoshiko and Itachi! Buckle up kiddos! I've only mentioned once because someone asked but I don't really have a schedule. Right now I'm struggling to write as I've just started a new job and it's taking up a lot of time and energy for my body getting used to it. I try to have one out within 2 weeks. Sometimes if i write fast i can smash 2 out within a week but that rarely happens now. But honestly a new chapter will be out every month i can guarantee that. And I'm not going anywhere!
Thank you so much for your reviews guys! I love hearing about your reactions to the chapters, i live and breathe for them (ok not really lol) but they do mean the world to me! Let me know what you thought and I'll see you all next time!