Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Crossing to the Other side ❯ Learning ( Chapter 6 )

Hazel eyes wide and staring meet green, blue, and black she couldn't grasp what she had witnessed it was to much and her brain had promptly shut down trying to work out the why's and what for's.

“What do you mean?” Naruto asked his blue eyes guarded, he knew people wondered that about him but he had never had the privilege of it being asked to his face by someone he considered a friend.

“Oh Kami!” Kat said looking at each of them in turn though her brain had refused to function on the raw power she had seen the part that was still working noted the betrayed look in the blondes eyes and she flinched looking away to the ground but almost as soon as that was done she looked back up this time angry.

“Katsuo-san,” Kakashi began holding his hands up in front of him but the glare she shot him stopped him in his tracks.

“I need a moment.” She stated firmly and stood on shaking legs walked over to her pack that was still by the tree where she left it and sat with her back to them. Naruto's blue eyes followed her and Sakura saw the hurt her reaction was causing him before he blanked it with a goofy grin and a negligent shrug of his shoulders.

“Sasuke why don't you and Sakura find us a good spot to camp.” He didn't have to explain they understood Kat was dealing with something she had obviously never encountered before and her feelings about that and them was now in question.

He sighed shaking his silver head it wasn't the first time he encountered some one who had never witnessed chakra use on their level before and in all likely hood she may not have ever known about chakra at all. It was mind boggling to say the lest that the girl was trained as well as she was and had such a strong chakra signature but didn't know anything about it.

“Naruto.” The Jounin called to his blonde teammate the boy nodded leaving in search of water. Kakashi watched the girl for several minutes before approaching her, the stiff line of her back told him she wasn't pleased and the hostile aura surrounding her spoke volumes.

“Ryuu-san,” he paused trying to find worlds but the girl cut him off.

“I don't know where I am but apparently my sensei was right.” Her voice was soft but held an angry edge to it.

“Huh?” was the best he could do. Kat turned around to face him a scowl marking her features.

“I'm not sure I entirely understand it myself.” She was glaring at the ground in front of his feet a small tear traveled down one cheek and dripped off her chin unnoticed.

“Kat,” she cut him off again.

“But this is what I do know,” and with that she told him everything nothing was sacred she told about growing up wishing for a chance to be a ninja training with her sensei being adopted, her sister everything. She didn't cry or scream or yell she just gave him the information she had even the strange dream where her sensei first told her why she was here and that she had family here but he didn't get to tell her who they were. By the time she was done she was exhausted her throat was dry and the sun was high over head dispelling the morning chill.

The whole time Kat spoke Kakashi listened intently a few times he asked her to repeat something or clarify what she meant and from what he could tell she was telling the truth it explained her reaction and her talents but even though the girls story rang true it didn't explain why some one was hunting the girl now in this world. If she was from another dimension then no one should know anything about the girl, of course Akatsuki had some odd balls in their organization with strange talents so her `travel' could very well have alerted them. He was mulling it over as she came to the conclusion of her tale and was looking at him expectantly.

“Well I guess you can come with us back to Konoha and the Hokage-sama can help sort this out.” His visible eye curved in a happy arch and the cloth covering his mouth twitched as he smiled at her. He stood up to move away when her hand shot out and stopped him.

“Can you explain what happened just now?” she tossed her head in the direction of the battlefield.

“I'll leave that for Sakura she can explain it better then me.” Kat nodded her head and stood with him.

“Oh yeah,” she reached into the pocket of her black pants, removing a kunai and held it out to him, “I took this from you… its yours.” Her cheeks were pink but she meet his gaze.

“Keep it for now, unless you have more that this one is to many?” her blush was more pronounced but she shook her head and replaced the weapon in her pocket. The signal from Sakura and Sasuke came and he motioned Kat to follow him as he headed off into the woods.

 

 

 

 

 

“And that is how you focus chakra to your feet.” Sakura finished. She was in full teaching mood and her student was avidly taking every thing she said storing it in her mind while rereading the scroll Sakura produced for her to read it also held hand seals on it that were very basic. `Enough for a beginner.' She thought. Sasuke was watching the girl with interest and Naruto after Kakashi explained to them what he had been told was as warm to the girl as before. She in return was acting normally again but there was something else there now in her eyes it sparked to life every now and again though Sakura's explanations, its was thirst and envy. Envy for the power the people she traveled with could do such amazing things and thirst for more knowledge.

“Oi, Katsuo-chan how about we practice some basic seals.” Naruto asked grinning at her. Sakura watched and was about to saying no not know when Sasuke beat her to it.

“Dobe, its late.” He pointed to the sky and Naruto made a face at him.

“It's a full moon isn't it?” the dry comment came from Kat.

“Yeah it's a full moon teme.” Naruto added. His grin got impossibly wider and he stood up Kat behind as they moved off to the side.

“If you get hurt I'm not carrying you ursatonchi.” He called after them. Naruto snorted yelling back.

“ASSHOLE!” he snickered glancing at the redhead beside him for her expression, the twitching of her lips told him she was amazed by the exchange.

Once they were a safe distance away as he deemed it he brought his hands up facing her into the first seal.

“Ok, this is real simple,” demonstrating the first seal Sakura had talked about the Ox.

“It gets easier the more you practice.” He smiled at her as she moved her fingers and hands though the seals. She stumbled on the seal for horse and he straightened her fingers putting them in the right place. After several minutes of reviewing the seals he had her go though them again and again until her fingers ached before looking up to the night sky.

“Well its time to rest you should go to bed we've got a long trip tomorrow then the day after we will be back in Konoha.” Kat looked up meeting his gaze his blue eyes were so bright and gentle she found herself staring at him wondering things she shouldn't even be thinking about.

“O-oh y-yeah, um, I think I'll go over this a little while longer.” She cursed her self silently for stuttering. A warm hand dropped on her shoulder, she looked up trapped in his blue eyes again.

“Don't stay up to late Kakashi-sensei can be a slave driver in travel.” He joked lightly and Kat returned the smile. “Good night Katsuo-chan.”

“Just call me Kat, Naruto-kun.” Her voice was steadier this time and she managed not to blush.

“Only if you call me Naruto.” He returned. Nodding her head she watched him walk away admiring the lines of his back though his black shirt and the way his pants rode on his… “ ` AAAAAHHHH, DAMN IT, STOP THAT!!'” she jerked her gaze back to her hands her face hot.

She stayed in the moonlit clearing away from the group for a several hours reading the scroll from Sakura and practicing hand seals, her mind recalled the seals she remembered the woman Kimiri doing and she could recall the ones Sasuke did. She was amazed she could considering it was during a fight, looking down at the scroll again she thought back to what Sakura had said about focusing her chakra. If that was true then she already knew the principles behind it from the meditation exercises her sensei made her do before the physical training.

“ `It shouldn't be that hard. I used to meditate for hours before…'” thoughts trailing off she focused her mind stilling it and pulled the energy that she always felt just before learning a new fighting technique. It bubbled in her veins an errant thought drifted, so this feeling she was experiencing now was her chakra, knowing now what it was that she had felt all those years had a usable purpose, she only wished she had known this earlier in life.

“ `Can't cry over spilled milk.'” She told herself. “ `I wonder what would happen if I applied the principles of what I know and what Sakura told me and the seals I saw that woman do?'” The thought wasn't even finished before her mind brought the remembered images to the fore and her fingers worked to perform the seals, it was the unexpected flooding of her energy filling the ground around her just before it exploded fountaining earth and tree roots that caught her off guard and the fact that she was sailing though the air. She didn't yell or call out but one minute she was traveling unchecked though the air the next a body was grabbing her holding her close for a second before dropping her to the ground.

“What the HELL are you doing?!” angry words coming from the last person she expected filled her partially deaf ears. Standing over her with a pissed off expression and arms crossed over his chest was none other then Uchiha Sasuke. His black bangs fell over his eyes as he glared down at her they both looked up as the rest of his teammates arrived.

“Kat are you alright?” Naruto knelt down in front of her his face and eyes filled with concern. Sakura wore a similar expression but her eyes said she was pissed as well, behind her Kakashi stood arms folded his eye twitching.

They were all watching her intently and for the first time in her life Kat didn't care that some one was look directly at her she was to excited. That raw power she saw them use earlier was now within her reach she had the capacity to do the same thing. Kakashi and Sakura exchanged a look they both saw what was coming before the girl spoke it was plain on her face the excitement followed swiftly by disappointment.

“Damn it, why didn't work?” grumbling Kat stood up, she was about to do the seals again when Sasuke grabbed her hands and forced them down glaring death at her.

“Oh no you don't, baka.” She jerked back from him but he followed her she would have kicked him as a matter of fact the urge to was getting overwhelming until Kakashi spoke distracting them both from the glaring contest.

“You obviously have a grasp of the basic's and we can teach you,” he held up a hand as she grinned at him, “But no more tonight your chakra control is erratic just yet, it'll be safer in the morning once we all have rested.” He turned back to their campsite leaving a fuming Uchiha still holding the girls arms down, Naruto nudged him in the ribs.

“Oi, teme, you gonna hold her all night?” Naruto's voice was jokingly light but a small sharpness barely noticeable to anyone but those close to him crept into it. Sasuke eyed the blonde shinobi before returning his attention to the redhead in front of him.

`Don't make me tie you to this tree.” He growled before releasing her. Keeping his eye on the girl for several more seconds he saw her eyes flash angrily. The mutinous look she shot him didn't faze him and he continued to glare at her in warning.

“I am not a child.” She snarled at him. Meeting his black eyes with her own death glare, silently daring him.

“Don't act like one then, baka.” .” he pointed at the bedroll laid out for her. “Now.Go.To.Bed.” The amused upturn of her lips wasn't lost on him but the words that followed the smile caught him off guard.

“Make Me.” On red eyebrow arched up as she regarded the black haired man. She didn't know what possessed her to challenge him maybe it was the way he stared at her or the holier than thou attitude but he rubbed her the wrong way all the same. Sasuke was having similar thoughts he remembered all the times he had to deal with Naruto acting childish when they were younger and now this girl, an idea formed itself and before he could reconsider he acted.

“Fine.” Ignoring his stunned teammates especially the dobe's he vanished from sight, taking hold of Kat he tied her in her sleeping bag hands a safe distance apart before straightening up and dusty his hands together over her. It all took less then a second.

“SASUKE WHAT THE HELL!!” came the irate yell from Naruto. Kakashi buried himself in his book not looking at his team struggling not to laugh at the indignant look coupled with surprise on Kat's face. He not only tied her in her bag but he gagged her as well, her anger was surfacing rapidly to be manhandled by the same guy who just saved her from possible broken bones or worse was humiliating. She rolled from side to side in the bag looking for a way out.

“Sasuke you cant leave her tied up all night.” Sakura said to him. She was looking at the struggling girl her head cocked to one side pink hair brushing her shoulders. He eyed Sakura before turning his attention to Naruto who was standing in his personal space glaring daggers at him.

“Untie her.” His voice was low and angry but the Uchiha was unfazed.

“No.” grunting he turned to walk away and just barely ducked the fist he knew was coming. Standing back up from his crouch he punched at Naruto but the other teen dodged flipping back and taking up a fighting stance. Kat watching was stunned she didn't want them fighting over this they were friends and no matter how pissed she might be at Sasuke for tying her up she knew why he did and could appreciate the reason behind it once she calmed down. Now she had to figure out a way to make them stop for her own guilty conscious for causing it as well as other reasons she wasn't able to identify yet.

“HFHD HF GYE GEBKF LF GDSHFG HsgdLF D!!!!!!!!!” Kat was yelling her words lost in the gag finally working it out of her mouth she screamed at the top of her lungs and the world around her went silent.

“KAMI!! You don't have to fight about it I promise not to do anything tonight other then sleep so,” She took a deep breath closing her eyes and reduced her volume several decibels, “Will you please untie me?” she smiled sincerely at the dark haired shinobi hoping he would take her seriously. For minutes they all stared at them the one tied in her bag and Sasuke, after what seemed like an eternity he walked back to her and removed the wire huffing in annoyance.

“Thank you.” She gritted her teeth as he smirked at her, he had known what he was doing he had no intention of leaving her tied he just wanted to force her to say what she had just promised them, standing up he looked at his teammates then turned to go back to his post on watch calling back over his shoulder.

“It'll be day soon.” Naruto grinned after his teammate all anger forgotten.

“Your right teme, I'll kick your ass later then.” He laughed hysterical jumping out of the way of the flying kunai launched in his direction and returned to his bedroll, within several minutes he was snoring. Sakura glanced at the girl who was now released from restraint, the angry pout on her face for having been caught in the Uchiha's ploy written all over her. Laying down Sakura stared up into the branches above her to say this was going to be interesting was an understatement of major proportions but to be honest she was looking forward to tomorrow if only because she was truly enjoying teaching someone who paid such avid attention to her words.

 

The rest of the trip was uneventful for the Konoha ninja anyway; Kat however was absorbing information like a sponge. Sakura was pleased when at one point she asked Kat what the basic principles where for charka use and the girl responded without once opening her scroll, Naruto helped her with her seals and by the second day she was able to create a clone with a minimum of effort. He did however refrain from showing her the Taju Kage bushin at Sasuke's insistence stating that one fool doing that particular jutsu was enough.

It was when the group reached the outskirts of the village that Kakashi left them to go on ahead Sasuke grunted, Sakura waved and Naruto told him to inform the old Hag that he was due his ramen from a previous arrangement.

“So what else can you show me?” Kat's enthusiasm was slightly diminished when Sasuke answered.

“For now we just head to Hokage tower once we get to the village.” His voice had lost some of its iciness towards her and she in turn mellowed in her approached to him, but never the less being cut off from more information irched instead of rising to the bait she turned back to Sakura and Naruto.

“I saw on the scroll you gave a reference to Shinobi Laws.” She waited for one of them to answer and not surprisingly it was Sakura.

“Well there are several sayings and laws for shinobi and each genin is expected to know them and live by them to become stronger ninja for the village. Its one of the things we are tested on at the academy before you can graduate.” Sakura studied Kat for several minutes as they walked. “You could pass those tests if you can learn all that's on that scroll and perform a henge.” Kat continued walking beside the two thinking hard she already had the skills and training to be a genin which from what she remembered was the beginner level ninja so all she needed now was to pass this test and she could final have what she had always wanted.

“How do I perform a henge?”

 

 

 

 

“So you're telling me Kakashi, that you found a stray girl in the woods in Sound territory no less, and brought her back here?” Tsunade was sitting behind her immense desk fingers folded in front of her and her brown eyes flashing repressed anger.

“Hai, Hokage-sama. It's like I was telling you the possibility that what she says is true could be the reason she was attacked she wasn't in the bingo book or on any of the sounds papers. On top of that..” the Godamine arched a blonde eyebrow at him silencing him. When ever she did that it made him nervous and the fact that the insanely strong woman hadn't thrown anything out the window was nerve-racking enough. Picking up her cup of sake she took a drink before speaking.

“I believe your team will be here any minute so I will get to meet this young woman first hand.” She motioned for him to take a seat on the couch in her office just as the doors where thrown open and Naruto's loud voice called to her.

“OI Baa-chan, you owe me ramen from last time!” He grinned at her. The vein in Tsunade's forehead throbbed as she clenched a fist at the cheeky brats nickname for her.

“Brat one of these days.” She threatened shaking her fist at him, it was at that moment a red-haired young woman shorter than Sakura stepped forward looking a little lost. The hokage's heart went out to the girl, she didn't know why but she felt sorry for the her and hoped that there was something she could do. She also noticed the way Naruto's eyes cut over to the girl briefly and a slight blush touched his cheeks before he called to her again.

“Maybe if you didn't welch on ramen with me all the time.” He grinned at her with that foxy grin and her heart melted she had a soft spot for the future Hokage even if she hadn't told him about that yet.

“Well I am glad you are all back safe,” the rest of what she was saying was lost to Kat, she was looking around the office picking up details she had memorized the way they had come out of reflex, she also noted the guards near by though they were hidden she could now thanks to Sakura's scroll and Naruto's help sense the chakra signatures of twelve people not counting themselves nearby. The Hokage was asking Sakura a question about their mission and she reviewed in her mind all they had told her about the Hokage's role as well as some of the politic's behind it grudgingly shared by Sasuke. She was in the middle of going over the hands seals in her head for a henge when the last thing the Hokage said brought her attention back to the present.

“I would like to speak to Katsuo-san alone then.” Kat stiffened she was expecting to be questioned had even been looking forward to it but not alone, her instincts screamed at her to run and would have if not at that moment a man with long spiky white hair dressed in a red vest and green undershirt and pants hopped though the window.

“ERO_SENNIN!” “YOU!” both Kat and Naruto yelled.

“Huh??” the confounded look on Naruto's face would have made anyone laugh. Jiriaya looked his former student over then looked at the young redhead beside him pointing an accusing finger in his direction. He cringed back as he felt Tsunade's angry chakra looming over him.

“YOU SENT ME HERE!!” Kat yelled at him, this time it was Tsunade's jaw that dropped.

“I don't know you.” Jiriaya complained, “Believe me if I had I would know.”