Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ A day in the life ❯ A fated beginning ( Chapter 3 )

A DAY IN THE LIFE c3

 

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LEGAL DISCLAIMER: I DO SO OWN NARUTO!!!!

 

Actually I don't, I'm just messing with your head.

(Heh heh heh…)

 

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Chapter 3: A fated beginning

 

“Kill you?”

The question was cold as ice and hard as granite. Ishizu doubted that he actually cared whether she lived or died, and was surprised he had even bothered to make sure she had asked what she asked. She nodded her head. “Yes, Assatsu-san. P-please kill me.” Ishizu winced, closing her eyes tightly, expecting pain, death…anything.

But the dome was filled with silence. She watched him through her closed eyelids, wishing he would just wrap her in sand and end it all quickly. But he stood stock-still, staring at her bowed head with a half-look of confusion. His sand moved around his feet slowly.

Finally, sand began to pour from the sides of the dome towards Ishizu. It slithered up her legs, converging around her arms and chest, before finally becoming the shape of the ever-famous “desert-coffin” of the Gaara bloodline. She let the tears wet her cheeks, silently bidding Neji-sama and Hanabi-sama farewell. Assatsu walked towards her, arm extended and hand open. The sand wrapped around her chin, lifting her head level to his. He stared into her eyes again, and she did her best to smile encouragingly.

“Why do you wish to die?” Assatsu asked.

Ishizu could not hold down a sob. “Be…b-because…” she gulped back more tears.

Assatsu continued to stare. “So you do not wish to die.” He sniffed, moving his fingers. The sand dissipated, leaving Ishizu kneeling on the ground. She lifted her head.

“N-no, wait! P-please!” she cried. “I-I would rather d-die quickly and p-painlessly then…then slowly, as the M-Main house will probably do it!” She let her head touch the dirt, in a formal bow. “I'm…b-begging you…p-please!”

He turned his attention towards her. Shaking his head, he sighed, and then moved his fingers in a peculiar fashion. Sand wrapped about his entire body, encasing him in a strange shell. Ishizu watched as the sand seemed to dissolve his clothing.

The sand moved off of him, moving towards her. She cringed, suddenly fearful. Was he, too, going to…try and…? “N-no!” she screamed. Even if she wanted him to kill her, she didn't want to become a plaything first. She scrambled towards the edge of the dome, clawing at the sides as the sand moved about her. It soon covered her from neck to foot, moving and shifting. She shuddered, keeping her terrified gaze on Assatsu. He stood with his back straight, his arms crossed and his fingers moving about in strange ways. The container on his back was all he wore, and he would not take his gaze off of her.

Suddenly, the sand receded. Ishizu blinked, then looked down. She blushed as she realized that she was now dressed in the clothing of Assatsu Gaara.

It was comfortable, feeling as a fine layer of cotton would but obviously incredibly durable. The sash was tied around her body, the knot in front. It was incredible that he could even attempt something like that with sand. She turned her head towards him, still blushing. “B-but…Assatsu-san…w-what…?”

He smirked. “This is how it was. You were coming home from training with your cell when I stopped you in the street. I told you to strip for me, but you refused, saying that it would harm the Hyuga dignity. I then removed your clothing forcefully for my own purposes. You fought tooth and nail. Getting nowhere, I put my clothing on you to further mock the `Hyuga dignity.' I then walked you home to rub it in your fathers face. Understand?”

Ishizu stared at him, completely dumbfounded. She understood what he was saying, but…”What are you talking about, Assatsu-san?” she said, too confused to be nervous.

He shook his head. “Or would you rather we tell the Hyuga that you were tricked by Qill Uchiha into stripping in the street, and needed rescuing by the murdering demon child?”

Ishizu was taken aback. “B-but what about you? The Main House, th-they will-“

“Do nothing. I could kill them all without trying.” He stated flatly. “Now, shall we?”

“A-aren't you embarrassed?” Ishizu mouthed. “E-everyone will see you, and…well, you…”

In answer, the dome disintegrated and the sand returned to his container. “Nobody will dare look twice.” He said. “Nobody will make any comments. And NO ONE…” he warned, glaring at the people that hastily snapped their gazes to other matters, “will have seen anything here today. Right?”

There was a sudden vacancy around the bath house.

 

The walk to the Neji household was quiet and undisturbed. One person actually dared to stare at the pair, but the consequences were nothing that surgery and therapy couldn't fix.

 

* * *

 

When they arrived on the grounds, Ishizu shivered. What if this didn't work? If it did, what would happen to Assatsu? She desperately wished that none of this had ever happened.

Assatsu moved her towards the door. While they were still a few feet away, the door slammed open. A very angry Neji Hyuga stood in the doorway, breathing through his nose and keeping his lips pressed tightly together. His hands were clenched, and his spine was tense and rigid. Ishizu couldn't help cringing; she had almost never seen her father this angry.

“What…do you think…you are doing…Ishizu?!!” Neji gasped between gritted teeth. Hanabi stood in the background, hands clasped in front of her and head bowed. “What are you wearing? Do you have any idea how that looks? What are you doing with HIM?!?”

Ishizu tried to speak, but her lips closed whenever she opened them. She couldn't bring herself to look into her fathers eyes, though she could see him just the same. Assatsu stared up at Neji, a bemused look on his face.

“You ungrateful little witch! Do you realize they can kill you for this? You IDIOT!” Neji screamed, swinging an open palm. The blow struck Ishizu in the lower jaw, knocking her off her feet. She lay on the ground, gasping back tears and rubbing her jaw.

Neji gasped, flying back into his house. Assatsu pulled the sand back into his container, grinning sadistically. “Hey, Branch-member. Pull that stick out of your butt and listen up.” He mocked. Neji glared at him furiously, standing slowly. Ishizu fearfully kept her head low, not looking to anyone.

Assatsu briefly explained the story to Neji, fending off several attacks and throwing a few of his own. He smirked as he deflected a few more strikes from Neji's lethal fingers. “Now, I might be done with my little experiment,” he said sardonically, “or I might not. But either way, if I see any more bruises on my little playmate over there, I'll make you regret it…Branch-member.” He chuckled, lifting Ishizu up off the ground with his sand. The sand quickly formed around her, yanking the clothing back off of her and wrapping it around him. The sash, however, remained on her.

Ishizu glanced tentatively towards Neji, who stood at the front door fuming. His gaze remained fixed on Assatsu's retreating back. He was breathing hard now, and his Byakuugan was active. He whipped his head around to stare at Ishizu, who dropped her head to the ground. Neji stalked over.

“Get up,” he ordered, “and go get dressed. I want you to burn that stupid sash, then go find your cell and request more training time. You are apparently too weak to even withstand a demon's advances.”

“Hai, Hyuga-sama.” Ishizu stood up, rushing quickly inside the house to get dressed. She bolted up the stairs, darting inside her room and slamming the door. She unwrapped the sash from her body, reaching into her closet and pulling out another of her outfits.

Once dressed, she picked up the long sash and moved towards the fireplace in her room. But instead of hurling the sash into the fire to burn, she pulled the Hitate from its resting place at her neck. She pulled a needle and some thread from her drawer, and began sewing the long sash into her headband.

 

* * *

 

Ishizu walked down the village streets, carefully avoiding looking around. Even with Assatsu providing an excuse for her like he did, she doubted the Main House would mind forgetting about it long enough to activate her cursed seal. After all, she was a blemish on their record, even if it wasn't her fault.

She stopped in front of the schoolhouse, sliding to a sitting position on the ground. Finally, she thought, I can relax…oh, no.

Qill Uchiha stepped slowly into her vision, glancing around with caution in her eyes. Her mouth was a thin line, and she didn't look nearly as chipper. Ishizu nearly laughed.

Appearing satisfied, Qill walked over to Ishizu. “Whew…that was close.” She whispered. “How did you get rid of that demon-kid?”

Ishizu stared at her with Byakuugan, not bothering to move her head. Who did she think she was, calling Assatsu-san demon? SHE was the demon, not…

Ishizu stopped, blushing. Why was she so protective? He had nearly killed her, nearly killed Qill…and he was well known as the psychotic mass-murderer Genin. It was incredibly rare that any mission passed that he did not kill someone. He had even killed someone on a vegetable-picking mission. So, why…?

“Earth to Ishizu!” came a voice in her ear. Ishizu jumped. She had forgotten Qill was there. “Oh, never mind. You wanna read with me?”

Qill plopped down beside her, pulling a book from her back pocket. A ribbon hung from the inside cover, and Ishizu could swear she saw…

The letters H.K. were scratched into the back of the book.

Ishizu leapt to her feet, yanking the book out of Qill's hands. “So this is it!” cried Ishizu. “You had it all along! Do you have any idea how much I wanted to find this?”

Qill's eyes widened. She got to her feet, grinning with surprise. “Well, no need to get grabby. I guess you can have it now. I already read it. I stole it from some guy named-“

“Hayate Kakashi! Oh, Qill! Thank you! This really makes my day so much better!”

But while Ishizu ran down the street to find Kakashi-sensei, she found it strange how Qill was pounding on the wall and laughing. She shrugged, continuing to run.

 

* * *

 

“Ishizu, I love you!” yelled Kakashi, pulling the book from her startled hands. He immediately cracked it open to the last page, his head moving back and forth as he read frantically.

The Genin stood staring at him. Why did they get the perverted freak for a sensei?

Kakashi closed the book. “I was on the last page when it disappeared. If I hadn't found out the ending, I don't know how I could have continued to sleep at night.”

Ishizu's fingers went together. “Umm…w-well, sensei…It…is just a b-book, after al-YEEK!!!” she cried, as Kakashi stared into her face with both eyes burning.

“Never…just…a book.” He said slowly, pronouncing each word slowly. Ishizu nodded frantically, anxious to have her personal space back.

Kakashi dug into his back pocket, pulling out 90 Yen. He handed 30 to each Genin, smiling pleasantly as he did. “Here you are,” he said, “30 Yen each for your first D-class mission.”

The Genin accepted the money. Yamaki looked towards the puppet on his back, grinning maniacally. Kikyinn checked her weapons reserves. Ishizu just…kept her fingers together.

“You have the rest of the day to yourselves.” Said Kakashi. “Later.”

He vanished in a puff of smoke. Kikyinn smiled, bounding towards her house. Yamaki smirked and headed towards the weapons shop, removing his scarecrow-doll from his back as he did.

Ishizu stood still. She used her Byakuugan to look around her, but she was alone. And feeling a large weight remove itself from her shoulders, Ishizu threw her head back and had a good, long laugh. It had been a very strange day, and now she was ready for a break. She headed over towards the training grounds, sparring with logs being one of the only ways she had learned to relax. Besides, Hyuga-sama had told her to train. And who knew…she might meet a demon in the street sometime. She would have to be prepared.

A quick smile was accompanied by a faint blush.

 

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Well, well, well…like father like son.

(Except I sincerely doubt that the original Gaara would ever have saved someone he didn't know just because they were in trouble.

I really doubt the original Gaara wouldn't have just killed Qill, Ishizu and everybody else right there on the spot.)

 

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