Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Firebird ❯ Chapter 3

As the door was closed behind her, Miaka found herself standing in a small, white washed, room. In front of her stood a paper covered examination table, to its side a small counter complete with sink and a variety of medical instruments. Looking around, she found that there were no other pieces of furniture within the confines of the room. Sighing, she hoisted herself up on the papered table and waited.

As she waited, Miaka found herself remembering the last time she had been in one of these rooms. Closing her eyes, she allowed the memory to resurface: She was lying on an identical table in a room that looked the same as the one she was now in. She had tripped and fallen out of a tree while training with Hatake-Sempai and he had carried her to the hospital despite her instance that she was fine. In truth, she wasn't exactly fine. There was a rather persistent, throbbing, pain in her right wrist. However, she wasn't about to admit to it. So now she was being examined from head to toe by one of the Medic Nins while Hatake-Sempai hovered in a near by corner.

It wasn't until the Medic Nin had finished his examination that Hatake-Sempai had spoken. "Well?" he had asked. The Medic Nin had smiled at him and said that she was fine, other than a rather bad sprain in her right wrist. "Will it be healed by the exam?" Hatake-Sempai spoke again. The Medic Nin answered him as he set about wrapping her wrist. "She should be. I've healed most of the damage. She's just going to need to keep to the R.I.C.E. procedure. That would be rest, ice, compression, and elevation. I'd say she'll be able to train again in about a week and a half." Finishing up, the Medic Nin had left and Hatake-Sempai had set to giving her a rather long lecture about admitting when she was hurt and immediately seeking propped medical care. He had also lectured her about being more careful then up in trees.

Miaka was torn away from her memories by a soft knock on the door. A moment later, Shimara Nariko entered the room. Smiling softly, Nariko walked over to Miaka and began the exam immediately. Nariko was always thorough and well aware of the fact that Miaka wasn't fond of conversations. She also knew that this was due to the fact that the girl was painfully shy. Miaka was worse than even she had been as a child.

As Nariko poked and prodded her, Miaka simply sat on the table, patiently waiting for the Medic Nin to finish. "I didn't recognize you at first," Nariko's voice broke through the silence of the room. "You've grown quite a bit." Miaka simply nodded in response. Nariko didn't speak again until she was finished. "Well, everything looks to be in working order. I'd say your fine. Why don't you go to the market or the training grounds and see if anyone you know is there." Once again, Miaka nodded. Standing, she smoothed out the wrinkles in her jacket. "Domo arigatou gozai masu Shimara-Sempai," the read headed kunoichi said with a bow. She then turned on heal and left, leaving the door open behind her for Nariko.

Miaka made her way out of the hospital as quickly as she possibly could. She had originally intended on doing as Akio-Onii-San had told her, however, Shimara-Sempai's idea of going to the market was much more appealing. Making her way through the crowded streets, she soon discovered that she seemed to be drawing a good deal of attention from those around her. 'Anou... nanda? Have I grown another head that I'm not aware of?' she wondered to herself. In actuality, it was due to the fact that no one could figure out where the little kunoichi, who was so casually walking down the road, had come from.

The attention she was receiving was starting to make her rather uncomfortable. Ducking into an ally, Miaka jumped to the nearest roof top and proceeded to make her way along the roofs of the various homes in Konoha's residential district. Nearing her destination, she jumped down into another ally and made her entrance into Konoha's busy Market district. The people here were so busy that they paid virtually no attention to the new comer amongst them. Miaka felt far more comfortable now that she wasn't being openly gawked at and proceeded to make her way to a near by dango stand. Miaka didn't go completely unnoticed however. As she walked by a book stand, she managed to catch the eye of two shinobi.

 

*POV Switch*

 

It was Asuma that noticed her first. He had been in the market due to a lunch date with his team, Korean BBQ as usual. He had run into Kakashi as he was leaving the restaurant. Which was the reason, twenty minutes later, he found himself standing in front of a bookstand selling the newest volume in the Icha Icha series - Icha Icha Wonders. He was currently staring at a young woman whom he could swear he had never seen before.

Nudging Kakashi with his elbow, Asuma continued to stare at the Kunoichi. "Maaa... Nani?" Came the somewhat annoyed voice of one Hatake Kakashi. Pointing at the girl, who was patiently waiting in line behind a not so patient Anko, Asuma spoke. "That girl... who is she?" Glancing up for a moment, Kakashi frowned, and then went back to reading his new book as he answered. "That... would be Anko."

Frustrated, Asuma replied, "I know who Anko is! What I want to know is who the red head behind her is. She's a Konoha kunoichi going by the hitae ate around arm, but I could swear I've never seen her before." Finishing, Asuma noticed that Kakashi's attention was no longer on his book. He was not staring intently at the kunoichi in question. "She looks... familiar," Kakashi said. "Demo, I can't place a name with her face." Asuma snorted, "Aren't you supposed to be some kind of genius?"

Snapping his book shut, Kakashi grinned at the other. "I never said that," he answered in his usual lazy manner. Asuma's jaw dropped, "Yes you have!" The silver haired nin thought this over for a moment. "I suppose I have," he replied with a shrug.

Looking back to the Kunoichi in question, Kakashi examined her, speaking aloud as he did so. "Red hair, petite, very feminine build... Who else do we know with that color hair?" Asuma frowned in thought for a moment, and then spoke. " Namini... could she be from his family?" "Iie... I've met Namini's entire family. She isn't one of them." Kakashi shook his head as he answered. Asuma gave this some thought then spoke again, "Well, that coloration is pretty rare. Hmmm... did Shakaku have another kid?" Asuma immediately regretted voicing this question when he saw the shoulders of the smaller man tense slightly. He wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't been standing slightly behind the other and almost half a foot taller. With a mental sigh, Asuma reminded himself that there was a reason that for the last year and a half, Kakashi had been spending even more time at the memorial.

News of the death of Kakashi's first protégée and her team had come shortly after the Uchiha's betrayal. Kakashi had already been blaming himself for that. Then he, Shakaku Musha , the Shingo's, and the remaining Gekkou's had been summoned into the office of the head of ANBU, Morino Ibiki himself. It was there that he had stoically informed them that their children, student in Kakashi's case, were now officially pronounced dead. Ibiki's words constantly replayed in Kakashi's mind every morning as he stood before the cenotaph memorial, "It has been six months since we have lost contact with team 10 - Gekkou Kaida, Shingo Akio, and Shakaku Miaka. Because there has been no contact made with us or any of our allies in the for mentioned time period, we can assume that they have been killed in the line of duty. It was an honorable way to go, serving their village. Their sacrifices shall not be forgotten." The next day, three new names appeared on the memorial. Normally, the Hokage would have handled such a matter and there would have been a public funeral... however the village was still in ruins and the Tsunade had only been Hokage for a short time. Because of this, the sacrifice of team 10 had been forgotten. Save for a few who still held on to their memory.

Asuma knew that Kakashi was probably the only one to hold on to Shakaku Miaka's memory. Her parents were... interesting people and while she had been living with the Shingo's, they had their own child to mourn. And now, Asuma had managed to bring up the most recent of his comrade's painful memories. With another sigh, Asuma turned his attention back to the young woman. The two shinobi watched as she ordered. "Well... I'm at a loss. You got a clue?" Kakashi broke the silence with his question. "Nope," Asuma replied.

A few moments later, both men played witness to a rather amusing spectacle. They watched and listened to a Dango high Anko playfully berate the other girl, who had been behind her, for ordering so little. " Konoha dango's are the best in the world!" she declared. "Anou..." The two shinobi had to strain to hear the red head's soft voice over the buzz of the crowd. "Anou... gomen nasai sempai." "Damn right!" Anko practically yelled. "Ounji-San, Up that order!" "C-c-c-chotto matte, onegai ishimasen! I do not have enough." The smaller Kunoichi answered, extremely flustered. "This, is most amusing." Asuma found himself saying with a laugh . "I feel kinda sorry for the poor... yo! Kakashi, genki desu?" Asuma noticed that the other man had completely tensed. There was a slightly stricken look in his visible eye as well. Following Kakashi's gaze, Asuma realized that they had been caught staring by their subject.

Normally, such a thing would have no effect on Kakashi. The Copy Nin would usually just give the person a lazy wave and go back to his book. 'What's so different about this girl?' Asuma wondered. He then noticed her eyes. They were large, framed in thick lashes, and... magenta. Eyes, that were currently, locked on to Kakaishi's black one. The girl seemed surprised at first, then made her way toward the silver haired nin. "Hatake-Sempai," she said with a smile. Kakashi seemed lost for a moment, then his visable eye widened. There had only ever been one person who called him by that name, Kakashi realized. "Miaka?" He asked in shock.

 

*Author's Notes*

Domo arigatou gouzai masu = The Politest form of thanking someone

Onii-San: Big brother

Anou = Um....

Nanda = Less polite version of 'Why'

Sempai = A term of respect. Used for someone who is your senior in a job or at
school. Miaka uses it because the older ninja are her seniors.

Gomen nasai = I'm sorry, please forgive me - more formal

Chotto Matte = Wait, Stop... more formal

Onegai ishimasu = A more formal and polite way of say please

Demo = But , However

Kunoichi: Female ninja(s)

Shinobi: Male ninja(s)

I hope everyone is enjoying "Firebird" so far! Please remember to R&R.