Chapter 12: Curiosity

Konoha, training grounds outside the academy

Naruto was more observant than he let on. He had to be back when he lived in the orphanage. At that time, he had to be careful of the people around him. By observing the people around him, he learned to discern their intentions towards him.

After being taken in by the Hyūga, he had retained that habit. It was how he was able to know that Hinata, her parents, her uncle, Sara, and all his friends were people he could trust. It was also how he knew that the Hyūga elders, Mizuki, and that bandage man that he sometimes saw around Jiji were people to be avoided. He had only gotten better at it when he got his Futogan.

So, it should be no surprise that Naruto noticed something was off with Sasuke. At first, he had thought it was just one of his moods, or he was having a tough time with his family. Now he was thinking that something else was going on.

He wasn't brooding like he normally would when he was in one of his moods. Well, that wasn't entirely true, Sasuke was brooding. Just not in the usual "life hates me" sort of way. More like he was trying to think of something.

"Hey, guys." Naruto said, getting the attention of his friends. "Isn't Sasuke acting a little strange?"

Kiba looks over at Sasuke for a second. Then back at Naruto and shrugged his shoulders. "He seems like his brooding self."

Naruto would have rolled his eyes if he still had them in his head. "That's not what I meant, Kiba. Sasuke has been quiet."

"Isn't he always quiet?" Choji asked.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru yawned. "He means that Sasuke-San has been unusually quiet."

Naruto nodded at the lazy boy, glad that someone else had taken notice. "Yea, he's been like this all week. At first, I thought he was being broodier than usual. Now I'm not so sure."

Kiba and Choji looked over at where Sasuke was. Sitting up against a tree with his hands crossed together over his mouth, ignoring everything around him. Both boys looked back at him, still looking confused. "I don't know, man. He still looks like the broody asshole he all know and don't love."

"Actually," Choji began. "He does seem a little off now that you pointed it out."

Shikamaru sighed. "Whatever it is, you would be the one to notice. You and Hinata spend more time around him than we do. Why don't you try and ask him what's on his mind?"

Naruto thought about it for a moment. Naruto knew he wasn't the most sensitive of people. Sure, he knew how to read people, however as Kurama put it, he had "a rather blunt way of dealing with people." It was something he was learning to curve. "I guess." Naruto answered. It couldn't hurt to ask. Right? He said his goodbyes to his friends and walked out to Sasuke. Coming up on the Uchiha boy Naruto asked. "Hey, Sasuke. Mind if I sit by you?" He was waving his hand.

Sasuke looked up at Naruto, briefly irritated before recognizing who was talking to him. "Uhh, sure." He said, moving over slightly before going back to his thinking pose.

Naruto said his thanks which was ignored. He sat close by Sasuke, leaning his back into the tree. "So, how's your day been?" He asked.

"Hn, good." Sasuke said, not moving.

Naruto frowned. "Well, my day's been good. Woke up, ate some ramen, fought off an army of missing-nin attacking the village."

"Hn. That's nice."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto continues with his story. "Yea, Jiji was so thankful that he made me Hokage. We had this big, huge party to celebrate, and everyone was invited. We had lots of fun."

"Hn. That's nice."

"It was all fine until the Kyūbi attacked, and we all died." Now he was seeing if he could get any reaction from the boy.

"Really? You couldn't come up with something better than giant murder fox attacking the village?" Said giant murder fox asked. "Well, at least I won this time. Third time's the charm as they say."

"I'm not letting you out, to find out." Naruto retorted at the fox.

He heard Kurama snort in his head. "Don't worry kit. Even if I was under the influence, I've learned my lesson. Don't mess with the nice little tree huggers."

"Can you go back to doing whatever you usually do? I'm trying to help my friend here." Naruto thought. When he got no response from the Biju, Naruto turned his attention to Sasuke. The boy was still in his brooding pose staring at the ground. It was a small surprise that a small fire hadn't started. Okay, so the roundabout way wasn't working. Time to go with a more direct method.

If Sasuke were paying any attention, he would have noticed the fox grin on Naruto's face. "Hey, Sasuke, is that an army of fangirls? They all look like they're wearing wedding dresses."

If Sasuke had shot up any faster, he might have set the tree behind them on fire. "I don't." He shouted frantically, looking around the training ground. His legs shifted in different directions, ready to bolt for an escape route.

Naruto was covering his stomach as he laughed. A confused looked settled on Sasuke's face as he continued to look for the non-existent army of fangirls. Then he looked down at Naruto, still clutching to his stomach. Naruto watched with a wide grin as Sasuke's mind processed his little prank. He could almost see the moment when it clicked in the Uchiha boy's mind and multiple angles.

If stares could kill, then Naruto would be ashes right now. "Naruto!" Sasuke growled. "It's not funny."

"It kind of is." Naruto said, getting some control over his laughter. "Seriously, you should have seen your face."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and sat back down. "What was that for?" He asked, shooting the blonde a glare.

"Mainly because I thought it would be funny." Naruto responded with a toothy smile. Sasuke continued to glare at the blonde. "I was trying to get your attention. You were brooding again."

"I was brooding?" Sasuke questioned.

"Yea like this." Naruto did his best impression of a brooding Sasuke, hands crossed over his mouth and all.

"Hey! It's bad enough you're hanging out with one of them."Karma barked. "I don't need you picking up their bad habits." He ignored the fox.

"I don't look like that!" Sasuke complained. Naruto could the cracks of a smile.

"You did." Naruto leaned back on the tree, crossing his hands behind his head. "At least until I got here to spread my cheer."

"Is there any way I return that?"

"Sorry, no returns on my gifts. Or exchange them for something else." Naruto said.

"I don't think I could find anyone who would want it." Sasuke said with a smirk. "So, what was you wanted. I know you didn't give me a heart attack just to get a laugh. Though I wouldn't hold it above you."

Naruto was tempted to make another joke but decided it was best to cut right to the point. "It's connected to the whole brooding thing you had going before." Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You've been like that all week."

"All week?"

Naruto nodded. "Yea. I thought it was nothing at first. You get broody sometimes, nothing unusual. In a day or two, you would have been back to normal. Though I just learned that some people can't tell the difference."

"I get broody?" Sasuke asked.

"Would stop interrupting and let me finish?" Sasuke gestured for him to continue. "Good. As I said, you've been like this all week. So, I was wondering, is something going on with your family or with your clan?"

"What? No." Sasuke answered. "My clan isn't planning another coup if that's what you're thinking."

"No, that's not what I meant." Naruto said quickly. He could have phrased his question better.

"It wouldn't surprise if they were."Kurama so helpfully supplied.

"Can you take your Uchiha hating ways somewhere else?"

"No."

"Okay, next question." Naruto said. "Are you getting along with your dad?"

"No more than I usually do." Sasuke quipped. He was getting irritated.

Alright, it had nothing to do with his family. Best to get off the topic before his friend began to breathe fire on him. "Does it have anything to do with your little encounter with Daisuke and his cronies last week?" Naruto asked as the thought occurred to him.

"You saw that?"

Naruto gave the Uchiha boy a deadpan stare. Three pairs of eyes floated down. "Did you forget that I like to keep an eye on my friends and everyone else? I saw the whole thing."

Sasuke had a nervous smile. "Sometimes I forget that. I've gotten used to it, so I don't think much of it." He explained. "But no, it has nothing to do with Daisuke. What makes thing I would even think about that guy for half a minute, let alone a whole week?"

"Well, I have." Naruto said. "I've got something special in mind for him."

"Dare I ask?" Sasuke said with a ghost of a smile.

"Not unless you want to be an accessory." Naruto said with his trademark fox grin. "But let's just say the teme will never look at rubber duckies the same again." For a moment, Naruto saw a flash of sympathy in Sasuke's eyes. Then it vanished. "So, what has been on your mind. And don't say nothing because I'll never buy it."

A mixture of different expressions morphed across Sasuke's face as he seemed to debate if he was going to tell his story. "I had an encounter last week." Sasuke nervously began.

Naruto raised an eyebrow he had never known Sasuke to be nervous. "An encounter?"

Sasuke hesitantly nodded. "After classes were over, I went to the park and wandered off into the forest. That day I had a lot to think about, so I wanted to be alone to unwind." That much Naruto could follow. He understood while Sasuke was a close friend to him and Hinata, there were times when he wanted to be alone. "I eventual came to a clearing, and there I met someone." Sasuke began to scratch his cheek, and was that a blush?

Ok, now, this was getting interesting. "You met someone in the forest?" Naruto had to wonder who else would be so deep in the forest.

"Yea, I saw her sitting up on this hill." Sasuke continued with his story. "When I got closer, I saw that she was."

"Wait, you said she?" Naruto asked. "As in you met a girl?"

Sasuke slowly nodded. "Yes." He said carefully.

Naruto's grin had turned into a full-blown smile. "Go on."

Sasuke had a 'I'm starting to regret this' expression. "As I got closer to her, I saw that she was painting something. It looked like the tree that was in the middle of the clearing. Then I kind of watched her."

"Let me guess. You were struck by how pretty she was." Naruto said, having no idea how close to the mark he was. "And here I thought you had no interest in girls."

"Naruto." Sasuke warned.

The blonde chuckled and waved his friend off. "Kidding. But seriously, do you have any idea how creepy that sounds? You were staring at a girl without her noticing."

"It wasn't my fault." Sasuke defended himself. "But I did get her attention when I mentioned how nice her painting was."

"So, what happened next?"

"We just stared at each other, and I said, hi" Sasuke's blush had grown brighter. "Then she kind of ran away from me. I tried to go after, but I." Sasuke trailed off.

"But you?" Naruto said, waving his hand for the Uchiha boy to continue.

"I tripped and fell on my face." Sasuke finished just above a whisper.

Naruto stared at Sasuke for two or three seconds before he burst into laughter. "You- tripped and- f-ell on your -face?" He was holding his stomach, trying to keep it from popping open. Inside his mind, he could hear Kurama snickering.

Sasuke's blushing face had a frown on it. "Naruto, this isn't funny."

"Then why – Am I – laughing?" Naruto said between breaths. "Oh- wait until – I – I till Hinata-Chan. She's – going to – bust a gut."

Sasuke's frown had now turned into a deathly glare. "Naruto." He said in an icy tone. "If you do not stop laughing right now. Sara will learn about the time you snuck into the red-light district."

Naruto's laughter immediately died in his throat. "You wouldn't dare." He said, turning pale. He didn't want to imagine what Sara would do to him if she found out about that. It was just a bit of curiosity, honest.

"Try me." Sasuke said.

Naruto decided it was best not to find out. "Alright, I'm done." He said, leaning back on the tree. "So, what happened after you- uhh? After that?" He quickly amended.

Sasuke's blush had returned. "I sort of remained there until my brother came and got me."

"Okay." Naruto said carefully, he wasn't risking Sasuke's fury again.

"And that's it." Sasuke finished. "I've tried to put the incident out of mind ever since. But every time I think have, my mind races back to that girl."

Naruto was smiling again. "So, for a whole week, you've been thinking about a girl?" He said with a slightly teasing tone.

"Naruto, my threat still applies." His friend warned.

"Alright, I'm done. Spoilsport." Naruto wasn't about to let go of this source to tease his friend. He was just going to wait. "But it is kind of nice to know that you found someone who caught your interest. I wouldn't mind meeting her. Have you tried looking for her?"

"I have." Sasuke said. "Whenever I leave the compound, I've tried to keep an eye out for her. Even tried to look around the academy to see if she came here. I haven't found a trace of her."

"Maybe she's a civilian, or he's trained by her family," Naruto said.

"Maybe." Sasuke said, putting his head on his knees. "The more I think about her the more I want to meet her, and the more frustrated I get when I don't. I've searched the village and haven't found the slightest trace of her. It's almost like she doesn't exist."

Naruto could see where Sasuke was coming from. What if he tried looking everywhere for Hinata and couldn't find her? He wouldn't be able to get any sleep. "So, how long will you look for?" He asked.

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. However long it takes, I guess?"

Naruto wanted to help his friend. He thought of all the possible places where they could find the girl. Ichiraku, the Hokage tower, one of the many shops in the village, the park. Naruto sat up at the last thought. "Sasuke, you've tried searching at every place you think she might be, right?" He got a nod from the boy, followed by a curious look. "So why not try looking at the one place you know you saw her?"

Sasuke raised his head. "What?" He asked.

Naruto grinned. "Do you remember where you found that clearing?"

"I think I do." Sasuke said after a second of thinking.

"Then go there and look for her." Naruto said. "If you found her there before, and then you could find her there again."

"You think that could work?"

"Yea. I mean, it's as good of a place as any." Naruto reasoned.

"I guess you're right." Sasuke said.

"I'm always right." Naruto responded.

Sasuke huffed. "Not always." He said. The bell rang, signaling that class would soon resume. "Looks like about time we got back to class." Sasuke stood up, dusting off his pants.

Naruto did the same. "Do we really have to?" He asked. "Can't we just sneak out somewhere? Classes are so boring, especially when Iruka-Sensei gets into his lecture mode."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "And risk your caretaker's rath? No, thank you." He walked out from under the tree. Naruto quickly followed behind him. "Naruto."

"Yes?"

"Thanks. I'll try looking for that clearing tomorrow." Sasuke said.

"You're welcome." Naruto said. "What are friends for? Now come, let's hurry before Iruka-Sensei yells at us."

Later that day, Kurama Clan Compound

Yakumo was distracted, that much Kurenai was certain of. But what she couldn't figure out was what was distracting her. 'Yakumo-San focus." She said to her student.

"I am Kurenai-Sensei." Yakumo said, continuing to mold her chakra.

Looking around, the Genjutsu mistress could see that her student was struggling to maintain the illusion. She was standing in what appeared to be a forest clearing. A gentle breeze was coming from the west. But she was really standing in one of the training rooms within the Kurama compound.

What she was seeing now was a genjutsu. Her student belonged to the Kurama clan, a once powerful and feared clan. Its members were known to create genjutsu so powerful that their opponents were known to injure themselves or die from them. As a genjutsu practitioner herself, Kurenai was both fascinated and terrified of such power.

However, over the years, the Kurama clan's fame had diminished as their power began to wine and their numbers dwindled. Then there was the fact that their power came with a dark secret.

It seemed that the Kurama clan was destined to fade into obscurity within a generation or two. That is until Yakumo was born. Her power was stronger than any other member of the Kurama clan recorded in history. For the Kurama clan, Yakumo was their last hope to return to its former glory. However, this came with its own set of problems.

Problems that the Kurama had yet to rectify, and for some reason, they believed that Kurenai could help with. "How do they expect me to help this girl with her literal inner demon?" Kurenai asked herself. She looked around the forest, wondering if it came straight out of her apprentice's imagination. Or if she had seen this place before and recreated it.

Though it didn't matter to her, the forest was finely made and could fool the average citizen and shinobi. But the more experienced shinobi could see the flaws in the genjutsu, and this being her field of expertise, Kurenai could differently see them.

Despite her claims to the contrary, the Kurama girl was not concentrating any harder than she was before. Kurenai sighed and held up her hands into a seal. "Kai." She said, sending out a burst of her chakra. In an instant, the illusion of the forest vanished, like it was being washed away by the tides of water.

Looking around again, Kurenai saw she was now standing in the Kurama training room. Along the walls, finely written, were an array of Kanji that formed the room's sealing matrix. They were meant to keep any genjutsu from straying outside into the compound.

Looking back to her apprentice, the girl gave her an expression of equal surprise and frustration. "Kurenai-Sensei, why did you break my genjutsu?" She asked.

"Because you weren't concentrating." Kurenai explained.

"But I was." Yakumo protested.

"No, you weren't." The Genjutsu Mistress said back. "I could see the flaws in your genjutsu. Now you might have been able to fool a civilian or even an inexperienced shinobi. But the experienced of our profession will see right through it. If this had been a real fight against an enemy shinobi, you would find yourself in a difficult situation." Kurenai didn't intend for the statement to come out so harsh. But that was the truth.

Yakumo had a fantastic talent for the art of the Genjutsu. But everywhere else, the girl was severally lacking. The girl was born with a fragile constitution and so couldn't perform taijutsu, and her chakra reserves were too small for her to be an effective ninjutsu practitioner. So that left only left Genjutsu for the girl.

The girl was adamant about becoming a shinobi of Konoha, insisting that she could become a great shinobi through genjutsu alone. Apparently, she drew inspiration from Guy's apprentice, one Rock Lee, a boy that was incapable of doing ninjutsu or genjutsu, so focused solely on taijutsu. From what Kurenai gathered, the boy was well on his way to becoming a shinobi of the village.

So that left Kurenai in a difficult position. She understood the young Kurama girl's desire to become shinobi and prove to everyone that she could do so solely using genjutsu. She even wanted that to happen both as the girl's mentor and as one who prided herself on her art. But at the same time, the young Jōnin could not quash her fears for the girl. The heiress of the Kurama was so fragile and lacked stamina that if she ever encountered someone who could counter her genjutsus, she would be unable to last long in a fight. She could even be killed.

Kurenai sighed, wondering how life had become so complicated for her. "I think it's best we call it for the day." She said. "We did make some progress today."

"But Kurenai-sensei, I can keep going." Yakumo tried to argue. "I'm doing better, I'm getting more control over my abilities. Just let m..."

Kurenai stopped the girl before she could argue more. "I said we are taking the day off. It's clear to me that your mind is not on the task at hand."

"But!"

Kurenai held up her hand to stop the girl. "Training is over." She said a bit more firmly.

Yakumo opened her mouth to say something more before closing it and bowing to her sensei. "I suppose that I could use the break." she relented. "I'm sorry if I couldn't live up to your expectations. I guess I have been a bit distracted today."

Kurenai smiled at the girl, a warm motherly smile. "It's alright, Yakumo-San." She said. "We all days were for whatever reason we can't get much done." Or, in this case, a week. "Try not to worry about it too much." She walked out to the training room's door and slid it open. Kurenai invited the girl over. "Come on, how about we go out and get something to eat. My treat."

The Kurama girl gave her a somewhat bewildered look. "But you know I'm not allowed to leave the compound." She said, walking beside Kurenai as the two exited the training room.

"I think I can convince your uncle to let you out for a little bit. I've done it before, and we had problems." Kurenai said. "Besides, I think you can use the fresh air. I think it might help you unwind. Even if I can't convince him, I'll find a way." If there was one thing, she had learned from her friend Anko, it was that sometimes the rules did need to be bent.

Yakumo gave her a bright smile. Now that was what she was looking for. "Alright, I thank that could be fun." She said.

"Alright then." Kurenai said, noting how happy the girl was about leaving. "She really doesn't get out often. Does she?" That had been the first thing Kurenai noticed about Yakumo, just how lonely the girl looked. With her being so isolated at the Kurama compound, she probably didn't have many friends, if any at all. A shame, Yakumo was such a nice girl that Kurenai was certain that she would have no problems making friends, even if she were a little on the shy side.

In a way, Yakumo almost reminded her of Hinata. "I wonder if there's a way for me to introduce her to Hinata. I'm sure that the two would become fast friends." Kami knew that Yakumo could use a friend.

"Come on, Yakumo-San, let's see if we can convince your uncle to let you out for the day."

It had taken some convincing, but eventually, Yakumo's uncle had allowed Kurenai to take her out into the village. That man was as stubborn as they came and arguing with him was one of the most frustrating experiences in her life. But seeing the look of awe and wonder on Yakumo's face had made it worth it.

They were now sitting in one of her favorite restaurants in the village, a little-known café. When the waiter left with their order, Kurenai decided now was a good time to ask her charge about was distracting her. "So, Yakumo." She said, getting the girl's attention. She had been staring out the window, watching the people go about their daily business. "What's been on your mind lately?"

"It's nothing." The girl said. "I've just been distracted of late, that's all."

Kurenai looked over the girl's face looking for any sign of what was occupying her mind. She quickly noticed the small blush on her face. Kurenai quirked an eyebrow, that was a little unexpected. "Does it have anything to do with your little excursion into the forest last week?" She dugged a little further.

The girl's eyes widen a little in surprise. "Ye- maybe?" She answered, her blush grown a shade darker.

Kurenai gave Yakumo a warm smile. "Why don't you just tell me what happened? You know I'm going to keep pestering you about this, and I will find out. So why not save both of our times and tell me?"

Yakumo looked hesitant for a moment before she slowly nodded. "Last week, I snuck out of the compound and went into the forest around the park. I wanted to paint alone." Kurenai nodded, following the story. This wasn't the first time she had done something like this, but clearly, something different had happened this time. "I found a nice clearing, with this tree in the middle of it. I set up my supplies and started painting a landscape of the clearing. Before I knew it, I was almost finished." Kurenai thinks she remembers seeing a painting like that in Yakumo's room. It was hard to say, Yakumo liked to paint and had a room full of her works ranging from landscapes to abstracts. Like with genjutsu, the Kurama girl had a talent for the arts, the first time she had seen one of her paintings, Kurenai wondered why it wasn't on display in a museum.

"I was about to put the finishing details on it when," Yakumo continued with her story. "I heard a voice say, "It's a nice painting." I turned over my head, and I saw a." Yakumo's voice trailed off as her blushed took on another shade of red. "A, ahh."

Kurenai leaned in on the table. "You saw a what?" Her curiosity peeked.

She saw the Yakumo girl gulp and take a breath. "A boy." She said quietly. Kurenai almost didn't hear it. "I saw a boy."

"You saw a boy?"

"Yes."

"In a boy the forest clearing last week?"

"Y-yes." This was followed by a nod.

"And this boy has been on your mind all of this week?"

"…"

Kurenai leaned back into her chair, a small amount of amusement welling up inside her. "So, what happened next?" She asked with a smile that betrayed her feelings.

"I'm not entirely sure." Yakumo began. "I think he tried to say something. But I got scared and ran off. I've been thinking about him ever since."

Kurenai's smile grew, it almost sounded like the beginning of a crush. "So, was he cute?"

"What?" Yakumo yelp, now having a blush that could rival one of Hinata's.

Kurenai suppressed a chuckle. "Was he cute? The boy you met. Was he cute?" She asked.

Yakumo fell silent for a second before she answered the question. "I guess he was." She said. "He was an Uchiha and looked to be around my age."

"An Uchiha?" Now that was interesting. What was an Uchiha boy doing in the forest?

"Yes," Yakumo confirmed. "When I ran past him, I saw the Uchiha crest on his shirt."

"I see," Kurenai said. "Was there anything else you noticed about this boy?"

Yakumo's eyes went down to the table as she seemed to think about last week. A huff that almost sounded like a laugh came. "Well, there was this one thing funny thing I noticed about him." She said with a smile. "The back of his hair sort of resembled a duck's tail."

Kurenai's eyes narrowed. That sounded familiar for some reason. The Genjutsu Mistress of Konoha racked her brain. Now, where had she heard about an Uchiha of that description? Maybe she could ask Itachi or Shisui the next she saw them. Itachi! "It couldn't be." She said under her breath.

"You say something Kurenai-Sensei?" Yakumo asked.

Kurenai shook her and waved the girl off. "It's nothing. Just a passing thought." What were the odds of her meeting that boy? "So, you had this boy on your mind this whole time?" Kurenai asked.

Yakumo nodded. "Yea. He's been on my mind almost all the time. Even when I try to get him out of my mind, the thought of him comes back. And when I do stop thinking about him, all I want to do is think about him." Yakumo was fiddling with her finger. "I don't get it. Kurenai-Sensei, am I weird to think this way? Is it odd that I want to see him again?"

Kurenai bit her lip, wondering how she should go about answering the girl's question. The girl had been isolated from the rest of the village for most of her life. So, it made sense that she didn't know this sort of thing was normal for a girl like her. Without thinking, Kurenai's hand had reached across the table and touched Yakumo's hands. "Yakumo, it's all right. What you're feeling right now is perfectly normal for a girl your age."

"Really?"

"Yes." Kurenai confirmed. "Take it from me. When I was your age, there were plenty of times when I had nothing but boys on my mind."

"Oh," Yakumo said, sounding a little relieved. "So, this is normal?" She got a nod from the young woman. "Kurenai, is there any way I can see him again?"

Now Kurenai was faced with a decision, should she encourage Yakumo to pursue her desire to see this boy again? Or should she stop her? Kurenai was inclined to go with the former. If she did pursue the boy, she could make her first friend. And if it were who she thinks it was, it could lead her to make several friends. Having those friends at her side might help her gain the focus needed to control her abilities and become a great Kunoichi.

However, Kurenai was hesitant at the same time. Yakumo's abilities had a darker side to them that made it difficult to control them. If she encouraged the girl to meet this boy, she might put him and his friends in danger. Another layer of complication was added with him being an Uchiha. If he was harmed by Yakumo and his clan found out about it, then it could be the start of a conflict between the Kurama and Uchiha clans.

Kurenai thinks that both points had their merits. Let her meet the boy and make her first friend, but risk harming him. Or deny her this chance and isolate her further from the village? Kurenai looked Yakumo in the eye, and she found that the decision was easy. She only hoped it was the right one.

"I'm not sure." Kurenai said, removing her hand from Yakumo's. Their orders had just arrived. A steaming hot coffee for Kurenai and chocolate parfait for Yakumo. "If he is an Uchiha, we could always schedule a visit to the Uchiha Compound and ask around."

"But we would have to tell my uncle about this." Yakumo said. "He wouldn't allow it."

Kurenai wanted to argue against that, but she knew the man well enough to know Yakumo was right. Her uncle was strict when it came to Yakumo's freedom of movement. He wanted to keep his niece isolated for her own safety and for the safety of the village. It had been difficult enough for Kurenai to convince him to let her take Yakumo out into the village. It would be even harder to convince him to let Yakumo make friends.

"Alright, so we don't go to your uncle for this." Kurenai said. She picked up her cup and took a small sip from it. So, what other options did they have? Wonder around the village and hope for a random encounter? No, that could take too long and raise suspicion. Maybe she could ask Itachi and see if he could set up a meeting. That could work, unfortunately, the young man was out on a mission and would be gone for at least two weeks. Could Yakumo wait that long?

Then a thought occurred to her. It was a long shot, but even if it didn't work, it would keep Yakumo occupied until Itachi got back. "I've got an idea." Kurenai put her cup of coffee down.

Yakumo had just taken a bit from her cold treat, she put the spoon down. "Yes, what is it?" She asked, sounding almost excited.

Kurenai smiled, happy to see her young charge so energetic about something. "Why not go back to the same forest clearing that you saw him in?"

"The forest clearing?" Yakumo parroted.

"You do remember where it is, right?" Kurenai asked.

Yakumo looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think I do." She said. "But why go there?"

"You met the boy there once. It's possible that you'll see him again there." Kurenai explained. Admittedly it was a long shot. But then again, so were the odds of meeting the boy in the first place, and Kurenai, in her experiences, had learned that the world tended to favor the long odds.

"You think he might be there?" Yakumo asked nervously.

Kurenai just shrugged her shoulders. "It's no guarantee, but it is better than nothing. Go to this forest clearing and see if he's there for the next couple of weeks to see if he's there. In not we'll think of something else."

Yakumo thought about the Jōnin's proposal for a few moments and slowly nodded. "I try that. I'll sneak out of the compound whenever I can go the forest clearing." Then she fell silent again for a moment. "Kurenai, what do I do if he is there?" She nervously asked.

"For one, don't run away." Kurenai joked, but she stopped her teasing at seeing the girl's impassive response. "Just introduce yourself and talk to him."

"Introduce myself?"

Kurenai nodded. "Tell him your name and let him do the same. After that, see where it goes from there, talk to him. Who knows, maybe you'll make a friend."

"A f-friend?" Yakumo said. "A friend." She repeated like the word was feign on her tongue.

"Yes, a friend." Kurenai ignored the aching feeling in her heart. This girl should be leading a normal life, she should have several friends at this age. Not couped up in some old compound because of what she could do and the dangers that came with it.

"A friend. That would be nice." Yakumo said. "Kurenai-sensei, do you have any friends?"

"Many." Kurenai. "I'll have to introduce you to them at some point." She made a mental note to keep Anko away from this girl. No need to expose her charge to corrupting influences. "Trust me, they'll love you."

"What if he doesn't like it?" Yakumo asked. "What if he doesn't want to be my friend? What do I do then?"

Kurenai gave the girl an understanding smile. She reached out her hand squeezed Yakumo's. "Yakumo, you're going to be all right. This boy will love you and will want to be your friend. Just be yourself let him get to know you. Even if he doesn't, then it's his loss. It doesn't mean that there was anything wrong with you." Kurenai was certain this boy would want to befriend Yakumo if he was who she thought he was.

Yakumo looked like she was at a loss for words. "Th-thank you, Kurenai-sensei." She said.

"No need to thank me Yakumo-San." Kurenai replied. "I'm your sensei it is my job to help you. To make sure that you're able to grow both as a Shinobi and as a person. In a way, that makes me your first friend, doesn't it?" Kurenai had never put much thought into her relationship with Yakumo. But now that she was thinking about it, she viewed Yakumo as more than just a student under her tutelage. Much the same way she did with Hinata.

"I guess." Yakumo said uncertainly.

"Then, as your friend and sensei, I encourage you to meet this boy." Kurenai removed her hand and picked up her cup. "Now then, how about we finish up here, and I'll take you for clothes shopping."

"Clothes shopping?" Yakumo asked.

"Trust me, you'll love it."

Konoha, forest clearing

"Naruto. The next time you have an idea, I will ignore it." Sasuke thought to himself. He was standing in the same clearing he had found more than two weeks ago, standing at the very same hill where he first saw that girl.

He had taken Naruto's advice; an action he was starting to regret now and went back to the forest clearing the next day. Hoping to find the girl that had occupied his mind for so long. It took him a little bit to find the place the first day as he didn't completely remember that path he took. When he did find it, he had half expected to find the girl there waiting for him. He never thought he would feel so disappointed at something when he saw the clearing was empty. But being the stubborn boy he was, he waited in the clearing for the girl to show up.

Several thoughts plagued his mind as he waited. What if she doesn't show up. What if she doesn't remember where the clearing is? What if he scared her off completely? What if she did show up. What would he do then? It was nerve-inducing, Sasuke had never felt this way before. He had never been so nervous about meeting someone before and at the same time so eager about it. He waited until the sun had set.

He did the same the next day and the day after, with all the same thoughts and doubts plaguing him. Today would mark the eleventh day he had started this routine. Now his nervousness had given way to frustration. Eleven days he had followed his friend's advice, and eleven days he had found an empty forest clearing and waited there. Only to be met with more disappointment. His parents were starting to get worried about his recent lateness at getting home. He explained to them that he was just spending more time with his friends, but he knew they were starting to get suspicious.

Well, they wouldn't have to worry about that for much longer. His patience was wearing thin now, and he was starting to suspect that the girl would never show up. And could he blame her? Meeting a total stranger in the middle of the forest was certain to scare anyone off from the place for a long time. If the roles had been reversed, Sasuke wouldn't have entertained the thought of returning for a long time.

Which begged the question of what was he doing out here, knowing that the odds of the person he was waiting for would never show up? "Oh, right, it's because I decided to listen to the ideas of a dumb blonde." The sun was setting now, marking the end of another fruitless day of waiting. The next time he saw Naruto, he would have words with him. "Last time, I'll listen to anything you have to say, dope."

He turned around, ready to leave the clearing perhaps for the last time. Then his eyes met with brown ones.

A few moments earlier

There were times when Yakumo really disliked her uncle. Don't get her wrong, she knew the man cared for her and was doing his best to look after her and keep her safe. She was grateful to the man for what he did after the passing of her parents.

But there were times when she felt that her uncle could be overbearing when it came to her protection. For almost two weeks, the man kept a close eye on her, a result of her previous excursion into the forest. She couldn't do anywhere or do anything with her uncle knowing about it. Because of his watchful eye, Yakumo couldn't sneak off into the forest like Kurenai-Sensei suggested.

Yakumo tried to keep her frustration at bay. She had done this before and got similar results. Eventually, her uncle would relax, and she would have freedom of movement back. But as the week passed, her frustration grew. She couldn't help but feel that her chance to see that boy again would slip away.

Today her patience had paid off. She had finally managed to sneak out of her clan's compound and made her way to Konoha park and through the forest that surrounded it. But even now, the young Kurama girl felt a pang of nervousness well up inside her. What if the boy wasn't there? What if she had waited too long and she had missed her chance? What if he was there? There was so much she didn't know, causing the worry to eat away at her. The temptation to turn back and forget the whole thing. But no matter what, she stamped down that worry and pressed on.

Her worry returned tenfold when she finally reached the clearing. Yakumo had reached the foot of the hill and had to cover her mouth to stifle a gasp. There he is, up on the hill close to where she had been painting. Excitement and worry twisted around her as she stood there staring at the back of the boy.

"Kurenai-Sensei, you were right. He is here!" The girl thought. "Now, what do I do?"

"Simple, you go and meet him." A voice said in the back of her mind. It was not the same voice that she was used to hearing. Strangely it sounded a lot like Kurenai-Sensei.

Yakumo took one step towards the boy. Then another and another. Fear and Trepidation ate away at her. What if this was a mistake? What if the boy didn't like her? At the same time, she felt excited. What if Kurenai-Sensei was right? What if this boy did become her first friend? What then?

The sun was setting when she came to a stop behind the boy. Her hand reached out to the boy, then stopped. The urge to turn and run came crashing back into her, but her feet stayed rooted in place. Her desire to meet the boy blocked that urge, and with the two internal forces battling it out, she froze up.

That was when the boy turned around, and everything seemed to stretch out into eternity.

Sasuke didn't know what to do. He had just turned around plans of giving a certain blonde dope an earful about getting his hopes when he came face to face with the most beautiful girl he had ever met. The same girl he had seen over two weeks ago. Naruto, for once, seemed to have had a good idea.

That thought mattered little, though, as Sasuke did not know what to do. He was face to face with the girl that had pre-occupied a significant portion of his thoughts. And quite close to her, he noted with a flush. He couldn't just ignore her like he did with his fangirls, could he? At the same time, he lacks the strength to talk to her.

Eternity seemed to stretch out in each passing second as the two children continued to stare at one another. Was the girl equally at a loss for words? Sasuke wondered.

The Uchiha boy opened his mouth, finally finding some strength to talk. However, nothing came out, as no words came to mind. He closed his mouth, and then opened it again to say something, nothing. This repeated itself to Sasuke's growing frustration.

"Come on, Sasuke! Say something, anything!" Sasuke internally shouted at himself. He said the first word that came to mind. "Hi." Then internally slapped himself.

"Hi? HI!? You've been waiting for this for a whole week. Had literal hours to think over what you would say when you met this girl. And all you can say is, hi?" A voice berated him. His voice.

A part of him hoped that the girl would run away like she did last time. Anything to avoid the embarrassment he felt right now.

The girl looked away from him, gazing at the ground. Her cheeks turned red. For a moment, Sasuke was worried that he had offended her somehow. He heard something come from her.

"What?" Sasuke said. "Did you say something?" He asked the girl.

The girl looks back at him, a shy look in her eye. It almost reminded him of Hinata. He thought it was cute. "I-I said h-hi." She said quietly. "That is what you say when someone greets you, right?"

Sasuke rubbed that back of his neck, feeling his cheeks warming up. "Yea, I guess." He said.

A moment later, the two were sitting on the edge of the hill. That awkward silence had returned between the two, as they struggled to say something. Sasuke wasn't about to let it continue. "Uchiha Sasuke."

"W-what?" The girl said, looking at him.

"My name." Sasuke clarified. "Uchiha Sasuke."

"Oh." The girl responded, bitting on her lip, her cheeks turned a shade of red. "I'm Kurama Yakumo."

"Kurama?" Sasuke asked. That name sounded familiar to him. "Now, where have I heard that name before?" Sasuke racked his brain, trying to bring up whatever he knew about that name.

Then he found the little nugget of information he was looking for. The Kurama clan once one of the most prominent clans in Konoha but has been on the decline since the second great shinobi war. They were known for their genjutsu that were so powerful that their opponents were known to hurt themselves or die. If rumor were to be believed, some even could fool Dojutsu's like the Byakugan or the Sharingan.

"I'm from the Kurama clan." Yakumo confirmed. "Their,"

"I know about the Kurama clan." Sasuke said, cutting her off. Then berated himself for being so rude. "Come on dude. She was about to talk about her family. Not everyone has strained relations like you do." Though now, come to think of it, Sasuke didn't remember visiting the Kurama clan compound or a member of the Kurama clan coming over the Uchiha compound.

As the son of Fugaku, the head of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke as a young child, often had to go with his family to other clan compounds or children of other clans, major and minor, come over to the Uchiha compound. Something about maintaining relations in the village. Sasuke was never a huge fan of politics, so he hardly paid attention.

The Kurama clan, while on the decline, should still be considered a major clan of Konoha. So why had his family never visited them or vice versa? Maybe they had, and he just couldn't remember it.

"Oh," The girl said softly. The silence between them grew more awkward. Something Sasuke didn't think was possible.

"Nice going, Sasuke. You just killed any chance of knowing this girl." Sasuke wished that a hole would just open beneath him and swallow him.

Then Yakumo did something unexpected. She laughed. Sasuke blinked once, then twice. It was such an unexpected reaction that Sasuke was left at a loss for words. So not much different from before. "Uhh, is something funny here?" Was there some joke he missed?

Sasuke wasn't an expert on humor, but he had been around Naruto long enough to get a general idea on what it was. With that in mind, he couldn't see what was so funny. "It's just kind of funny." The Kurama girl said between laughs. "I've spent nearly a week trying to get out of my clan's compound to come here. Hoping just to see you here. In that time, I was so afraid that you wouldn't be here. Or worse, you would be here. But now we're both here, and the only thing we can say to each is hi? Or introduce each other?"

Again, Sasuke blinked. Then he smirked. The girl had a point. He had been coming to this clearing hoping against all odds that he would see this girl again. Every time he waited, he would think of the conversations they would have. He thought about all the things he could say to the girl. He ran hundreds if not thousands of these imaginary conversations. But here he was now talking to this girl, and what could he say to her. Nothing, other than a little "Hi" and an introduction.

Sasuke began to laugh too. "I guess you're right." He said. "From the sounds of it, we both were so wrapped up in wanting to see each other. Neither of us thought of what to say when we did. Well, I kind of did." He admitted. "But I'm coming up short, now."

Both kids stopped with their laughter and looked one another in the eye. Then started to giggle again. "Is it weird that I feel relieved now? I spent so much time worrying about this, even losing some sleep over it. Now that we're here, all I can feel is relieved."

Sasuke shook his head. Honestly, he felt the same way. This past week he felt a weight on his shoulders. Now he felt lighter. "No, it's not. I came to this clearing every day for a week, and while I was here, I tried to think of things to say to you. I'm sure I had lots of things to say, but none of them are coming to mind."

The Kurama girl smiled, something that seemed to make Sasuke's heart beat a little faster. "I guess we both didn't plan on this. Not really." She said. "Wait, you said you came here every day for a weak?"

Sasuke felt his cheeks warm up. "Yea, I did. I was waiting for you to come." He said. "I didn't know where else to find you. A friend of mine suggested that I should try to find you here. You know, where I first met you."

"Your friend suggested that?" Yakumo asked.

Sasuke nodded. "Yea, he did. He's an idiot, but sometimes he does come up with good ideas." Good luck with getting him to admit that in front of Naruto. The blonde had big enough of an ego. Sasuke wasn't about to add to it. "I'll have to introduce you to him sometime." Sasuke wasn't particularly good at this "making friends" thing. Naruto had this unnatural talent to make a friend out of anyone if given half the chance.

"Oh, th-that would be nice." Yakumo said shyly. "Do you have many friends?" She asked, playing with her hair.

"Not many." Sasuke said honestly. Naruto and Hinata were the only ones he considered to be his friends. Though the others like Shikamaru, Kiba, Choji, and Ino could be considered his friends. But he wasn't as close to them as he was with the other two.

"That's nice." Yakumo quietly said, almost to the point where Sasuke didn't hear her. But he did hear her. Her voice sounded so hollow, so alone. Could it be possible this girl didn't have any friends at all? A part of Sasuke didn't want to believe that. A girl as pretty as Yakumo should be attracting lots of friends, hell he had been drawn to her, and that should count for something.

But looking at her face, he just how lonely this girl was. Now more than ever, Sasuke was determined to become this girl's friend, possibly her first friend. He would also find a way to introduce her to the others, anything to help her feel less lonely in this world.

"My sensei made the same suggestion." Yakumo said after a moment.

Sensei? "Wait, are you genin already?" He asked, feeling a little envious of the girl.

"What? No." Yakumo said, shaking her head and hands. "I'm nowhere near ready to be a shinobi. She just helps me with learning to control my abilities."

"Oh," Sasuke said, understanding what the girl meant. "Sorry if I assumed anything. Is she someone from your clan?" It couldn't be one of her parents. Otherwise, she wouldn't have said sensei. Maybe an uncle or cousin?

Again, Yakumo shook her head. "No, she's from outside the clan."

Sasuke felt his eyebrows raise. That was unusual; most clans didn't trust outsiders to teach their children unless they were from the academy or an allied clan. "Don't members of your clan teach about your abilities?" When the girl said abilities, he figured she meant her clan's Kekkei Genkai.

"They do." Yakumo said. "But they felt that my sensei could help."

For some reason, that set off a red flag in Sasuke's mind. Why would they believe that an outsider could help Yakumo control her abilities? Wouldn't they know more about that than anyone else? Sasuke was about to ask her when he saw the pensive expression on her face. He realized this was a topic that she wasn't comfortable discussing.

Sasuke decided it was best to shelve this discussion for a later date. When Yakumo was more comfortable around him, he would ask. "So, you said that your sensei made the same suggestion as my friend?"

Yakumo nodded. "She noticed that I was distracted in my training. So, when I told her about our encounter, she suggested that I visit this place again. See if you would be here." That was much the same logic that Naruto had. Thinking about it now, Sasuke just how much of a long shot both of their respective plans were. They both henged on the possibility that the other would be here in this clearing. Sure, they both met today, but Yakumo seemed to have less opportunity to come here than Sasuke did. If he had been just a little less patient or she just a little slower getting here, they might have never met today. "It wasn't easy getting here." Yakumo admitted. "My Uncle saw to that."

"How so?" Sasuke asked.

Yakumo bit the bottom of her lip. Sasuke realized he had brought up another uncomfortable topic for the girl. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." He said hastily.

"No, it's okay." Yakumo said. The Kurama looked up into the night sky with a faint smile. "If you're willing, I'll tell you about it."

Sasuke slowly nodded. "Sure." He said. He wanted to learn more about Yakumo, and he felt like this was a good chance.

"Bear in mind my uncle is a good man." She began. "He tries to do what is best for me and my clan."

Kurenai had a faint smile over her lips, as she watched the two children talk to each other. She couldn't make out what they were saying. But she felt that was for the best; she was already intruding on what should be a private moment by spying on them.

She almost jumped when a familiar voice spoke from behind her. "They look cute together, don't they?"

Without tearing her eyes away from the children, Kurenai responded to the voice. "They do. I thought you wouldn't be back for another week."

Itachi moved to a tree branch next to her's. "I managed to conclude my mission quicker than expected. I had just completed my report when I saw you following that girl. Curiosity got the better of me, and I followed you here."

Well, that was a scary thought. "I'm glad you're not an enemy-nin." She commented. "Curiosity also got the better of me. When I saw my student sneaking out of her clan's compound, I followed her here to this clearing."

"I see." Itachi looked over at his brother and Yakumo sitting together on the hill. "That explains things." He mutters."

"Pardon?"

"Before I left, I noticed that my little brother was distracted with something." Itachi explained. "He was oddly closed-lipped about it. Now it seems I have my answer." The young man had a wistful expression on his face. "My brother is growing into fine a young man. It feels only just yesterday that he was a baby trying to crawl up my leg. The next thing I'll know he'll be a man."

Kurenai smiled. "I heard that children grow up quickly."

"They do." Itachi said. "When I have my own, I plan to cherish every moment I'll have with them." Kurenai nodded quilty. Hearing it from Itachi, the genjutsu mistress realized she would do the same if she ever had a child. "That's the Kurama girl, isn't it? Yakumo, if I remember right."

Kurenai stiffened at the passing comment. "Yes, she is. She's my student." She stressed that last part, hoping that Itachi would get the underline message. "What do you know?"

Itachi cut her off. "I know of her condition."

Kurenai's eyes narrowed a the Uchiha. "You're not planning something, are you?" Kurenai did not care if Itachi was a captain in ANBU or that he was a prodigy of unrivaled talent. She wasn't going to let him, or anyone else, impede her student's happiness.

Itachi held up his hand to placate her. "Do not worry. I won't do anything to harm the girl. You have my word."

Kurenai let out a relieved sigh. "I apologize." Looking back at her student. She noticed how tired both children looked. Their conversation would not last much longer. "I'm just trying to look out for my student."

"No need to apologize." Itachi responded. "You were concerned for the girl, just I am for my brother. But I believe that this will be good for the both of them."

"Try telling that to her uncle." Kurenai said more bitterly than she thought she was capable of.

"Some may believe that others will only serve to drag them down." Itachi said. "But we of Konohagakure know better. Having loved ones can strengthen one's resolve. Tell that her uncle."

Kurenai may do just that. No matter what, she would see to it that Yakumo would have a happy life. Her uncle be damned.

Unknown location

"Did our client really have to meet us out in a dark, dank cave?"

Daichi rolled his eyes at the complaints of his subordinate. "Be silent Touma. Our client told us to meet in this cave. So, we're meeting him here."

"But we've been waiting here for hours! The tall, muscular man said. "If they wanted to meet us here, then they at the very least should have been here on time."

"Our client never gave us a specific time, only that we meet here on this day." Sana said, a normally quiet man.

Touma growled. "Daichi-San, are you sure this job is legit?" He asked.

"It better be." Daichi responded, like Touma, he had grown impatient while waiting for their client. He hated for his time to be wasted, and he had killed for lesser insults. He supposes it could be worse, this meeting could have turned out to be a trap. The only reason they had stayed this long, was because of how much money they could get from the job.

"How much are they going to pay us for this job?" Touma asked. "That is assuming they even show up."

Daichi cracked a smile. "Enough to begin funding our revolution." His hand unconsciously went to the Hitai-ate wrapped around his arm. Fingers glided across the symbol for Iwa. If all went to plan, Iwa would soon have a new Iwakage, and their enemies would be made to pay for their crimes.

"Then our client had better be here soon." Touma began. "Otherwise, I'll."

"Otherwise, you'll do what?" A voice cut through the ambient noise of the cave.

Daichi felt his whole body stiffen. He spun around, looking for the source of the voice. His eyes landed on a figure hidden by the shadows of the cave. The missing-nin reached for his weapons and felt that his companions were doing the same. The figure didn't react beyond the narrowing of their eyes. "Who are you?" This wasn't right; Daichi was a Jōnin level shinobi, for someone to sneak up on him this easily did not bold well for them.

"Shouldn't it be obvious?" The figure responded with a hint of scorn in his voice.

"You're our client." Daichi answered. He kept his hands hovering over his weapons. At first, he thought their client would be a civilian, probably some rich nobleman or governor who wanted an off-the-books mission. Now he realized they were being hired by another shinobi. That could complicate things.

"Ahh, so you do have some intelligence." The figure mocked. "Good."

The missing-nin suppresses a growl. He had to remind himself this was their client and to upset them in any way was not a good idea. Especially given the possibility that they could kill him and his companions with relative ease.

"So, what is this job you have for us?" Daichi asked. His eyes quickly scanned over the cave, creating plans of escape should things turn sour for him.

"Down to business." The figure responded. "I like that. This job should be easy for a man of your talents." The man produced a folder from his cloak. "Let's just say that there is a special package I need you to collect. The details are in this folder. Along with a list of contacts that will help you on this mission." The figure tossed the folder to Daichi.

The missing-nin caught it easily and opened it up. Scanning through its contents, Daichi noted that this special package was in Konoha. The man cracked a small smile, a chance to strike at those tree-huggers, now that was something he wouldn't pass up. He closed the folder. "Before we accept this mission, I want to see proof of payment." He said.

For a moment, he could have sworn he saw the figure smile. "Once more, you prove your intelligence." The figure said, tossing a large bag.

It landed at Daichi's feet. Careful not to take his eyes off the figure, he stepped down and picked up the bag. Standing back, he opened it to see it was full of gold coins. He took one out to inspect it. It looked real enough to him. But as a shinobi, he knew appearances were deceiving. He held one of his hands up and formed a sign. "Kai." He muttered, sending out a pulse of chakra. The coin remained unchanged. Fully satisfied now, Daichi put the coin back in the bag and sealed it. He hands to Sana.

"That is a third of the payment I will give to you, should you succeed in your mission." The figure said. "Now than any questions?"

"Only one." Daichi said. "When do you want us to leave?"

"As soon as possible."

Well, I hope that first meeting between Sasuke and Yakumo was suitably awkward. In the future when they tell their kids how they meet they'll probably leave out some details. Details the Kurenai and Itachi will be more than happy to fill in.

Now who could this mysterious client be? And what could they want from Konoha? Well your just going to have to wait and find. But feel free to make some guesses.