Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Leaf in the Desert ❯ Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 

Aikou had never been kissed before. Well, truth be told, she'd never even been touched by anyone other than a family member in her entire life, being extremely shy as a child and wary of outsiders. So when Kohaku's lips pressed against hers, her first thoughts, such as they were, were of complete shock and even amazement.

 

Of course, another's were of slaughter and mayhem. Gaara stood up, sand already swirling around him and a look of pure murder on his face, from his hiding place in the brush with Naruto. “I'll rip him apart,” he snarled in his age-old hiss. “I'll hang him upside down by his-!”

 

“Gaara!” Naruto whispered loudly, interrupting the Kazekage's tirade of mutilation threats.

 

“I do not care if he is your son, Naruto,” Gaara growled, his aquamarine eyes nearly glowing and his chin-length red hair fairly lifting up in fatherly fury. “He kissed my daughter!”

 

In truth, the kiss had lasted only five seconds, if that. As Kohaku leaned back from Aikou, he opened his eyes in amazed wonder to gaze at her lovely face…

 

And proceeded to get punched squarely in the eye.

 

Gaara and Naruto, standing somewhat bewilderedly in the street nearby, watched as the orange-haired youth was knocked out of the ramen booth, across the plaza, and into a building across the way. A shower of timber, rocks, and debris cascaded down upon his prone and undoubtedly unconscious form.

 

The two men turned as one to look at the livid kunoichi standing just outside the ramen shop, standing as still as a statue as waves of fury radiated off of her. Her pale blue eyes were staring icicles at the knocked-out boy despite the bright red flush to her cheeks. Her sand slithered out of her gourd and hovered around her, reacting to her silent internal war.

 

Naruto and Gaara, decided to wisely turn around at this point and walk swiftly away, as if they had never been heading there.

 

“I think I'll go ask Sakura what's for dinner instead,” Naruto mused, his hands folded comfortably behind his blonde head.

 

“Sounds logical,” Gaara added, his voice rather calm considering his daughter was seething in anger in front of a ramen shop. “I think I will find Safaia and join you.”

 

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Haru sighed in contentment as he gazed up at the clear night sky. Leaning back against the trunk of the tree whose limb he was currently lounging upon, he had to admit- he liked Konoha. They had plants.

 

Not like Suna. Despite the now-expanded greenhouses, courtesy of his mother and her ability to grow plants out of the arid sand, it still was so… dry.

 

But here in Konoha- there were trees, flowers, bushes, grass, vines...

 

A soft sound brought to him on the wind had him smiling slightly. He turned his aquamarine eyes to the source of the sound- a young woman, apparently unaware of his presence in the tree as she quietly sang to herself.

 

…Girls… he mentally added to his list with a faint masculine smirk.

 

Her hair, the color indiscernible in the faint starlight, was pulled up in a ponytail on the crown of her head, with the long tail trailing almost to her well-rounded behind. The female moving slowly and carefully in a well-practiced manner behaved as if she had done this countless times before; her actions were sure and precise, with no wasted movements. He nodded slightly to himself, impressed with her small display of skill.

 

As she sang, she floated her hands around her, looking very much like a dancer moving in her own little world, coming together every few seconds in a hand seal. Haru watched in mute fascination as the terrain around him abruptly shifted, becoming bright as midday. The tree he sat in now appeared to be a wall of stone and all the vegetation around him vanished, becoming a vast meadow filled with a rainbow of wildflowers.

 

His eyes locked on the dancing female, he could now see that her clothes- which, he had been certain, had been normal kunoichi clothes- were now a long, formal pure white kimono, complete with white obi. Her hair had changed as well, now hanging loose down her back: a chocolate-colored waterfall curling well past her waist.

 

A strange sound resounded in this world, blending in a strange way with the maiden's singing- that of a horse neighing. Haru shifted his eyes away from his dancing angel and watched as a white horse galloped over the meadow toward her.

 

What the hell? He thought in surprise. Where did the horse come from? Completely bewildered now- a sensation he was neither familiar with nor comfortable experiencing- he watched as the horse slowed to a trot, then stopped beside his white angel, nickering in equine delight as she gently stroked his velvety nose.

 

Haru dropped silently off the wall where he had been observing her from. He walked slowly, almost against his will, toward the lovely maiden and her horse, his eyes filled with the compelling sight.

 

“Gin! Gin, are you out here again?” interrupted a rather irritated-sounding female voice. Abruptly the meadow, the horse, the daylight- everything that had changed- was dark and woodsy again as Haru's angel turned, startled.

 

The female- dressed once again in simple kunoichi garb of mid-calf length grey pants and a matching grey tank top over a short-sleeve mesh shirt- rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly as an identical female approached, dressed in almost the exact same clothes, except that they were a goldish-tan color. Haru dropped to a crouch and blinked. Was he seeing double? Was he still caught in that technique?

 

“Sorry, Kin,” Gin- the female in grey- replied sheepishly. “I was… just practicing. Father always says we should look for opportunities to improve.”

 

Kin- the one in tan- scowled prettily, her chocolate-brown hair pulled up into the same high ponytail. “If Father knew that you were practicing genjutsu and not the ninjutsu and taijutsu passed down from him and Mother for generations…”

 

Immediately Gin looked alarmed. “No- don't! You can't tell him! Or Mother!”

 

Kin shook her head. “I won't… but you should. They need to know that your preference lies in illusions, or else Father will continue to give you those looks of his…”

 

Gin hung her head in defeat. “I know. But… he'll be so upset. And Mother- she's so proud of you for your ability to combine her hidden weapons method with Father's Byakugan. She's already disappointed because I can't do all the things you and Haishen can.”

 

Kin snorted and turned around, heading back toward the main part of Konoha. “Then give them something to be proud of,” she informed her twin as she walked away.

 

Pearly eyes watched her “golden” sister walk away. If only I weren't such a disappointment to my family… if only I were more like Kin, or Haishen, or even Mimi or Teiru…

 

A soft whoosh caught her ears and she glanced at the ground at her feet, startled. She blinked her large white eyes at the perfect white rose jutting out of the ground. Slowly, she reached down and plucked the delicate flower from its grassy target.

 

As she straightened, she looked around, but could see no one. She lifted her hands in a familiar seal and the veins around her eyes became more pronounced. “Byakugan!”

 

Gin searched the nearby area with her specialized vision, but still found no one. She released the technique with a sigh and looked back at the perfect rose. Where did this come from? Who did this? flowed through her mind as she examined the thorn-free stem and the flawless petals, the same shade as her eyes. Her heart beat faster as she pondered the possibilities. Was it Kohaku? Could he have done this?

 

The girl sighed again, shaking her head slightly. No… of course not. It was silly and rather foolish of me to even consider him. Kohaku never really noticed her- she was just one of the “gold-and-silver” Hyuuga twins. It seemed to her as if he hung around with them simply because they were identical girls, and Kohaku certainly enjoyed female company.

 

Her father, Neji Hyuuga and head of the clan, never actually said anything, but she knew that he did not approve of the Hokage's son as a potential suitor for one of his precious daughters. As one of the few with the Byakugan Bloodline Limit, it was her responsibility, as it was her siblings', to marry well and intelligently, so that their strength could be continued through their children. It was a tradition- one dating back countless generations. No matter how much she wished it, Gin and her twin and her brother would not be able to marry for love.

 

She sighed. Sadly, most of her generation had turned out to be female, not a completely unusual occurrence, but one that made it especially difficult now that that generation was approaching the age where other urges and instincts and desires surfaced. That was partly the reason why so many girls in the village were so attracted to Kohaku- not only was he stunningly handsome and charming to boot, not to mention the Hokage's only son, but he was one of only a handful of males in their age group.

 

Thinking back to a conversation she had overheard her mother and father having when she was up for a late-night call of nature, Gin's pretty face turned sad. Her father had actually suggested Tenten take the girls on a training excursion in an attempt to broaden their horizons- a.k.a.: introduce them to potentially eligible shinobi in allied countries. Tenten had given her husband an unreadable look but had agreed nonetheless. Thus she had taken the twins away for three weeks to train. And to visit a few nearby villages as well.

 

Kin had loved the trip. Not only had she mastered the Byakugan with their mother's techniques of hidden weapons scrolls, but she had even captured a few hearts along the way. Gin, on the other hand, had not managed to grasp the knack of either technique, and stayed in the background whenever they visited the villages. On the outside, she and Kin were exactly the same, but on the inside… they were complete opposites.

 

Turning her white eyes to the velvet blue sky above, she wished, not for the first time, that she had been born anyone else but a Hyuuga.

 

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Shourai walked around the corner and stopped abruptly, his eyes were greeted by a most bizarre scene: that lovely kunoichi, Aikou of the Desert, glaring at a pile of rubble, her face almost as red as her hair. Following her gaze, he blinked in surprise at the orange head of hair that belonged to Kohaku- who appeared to be out for the count.

 

Ignoring the fact that the young woman looked extremely unapproachable- especially surrounded by floating sand- he nonchalantly walked up to her, concern evident in his soft tone. “Are you okay?”

 

Ice blue eyes snapped to him. He took half a step back at the mixture of emotions evident within them: fury, indignation… embarrassment? “He… he…” was all she was able to mutter, her face turning even redder.

 

Immediately he was on edge. “Did he try something?” he demanded. “I swear, I'll neuter him with his own kunai if he-“

 

“He kissed me,” she whispered, the fury dying in her eyes and replaced by complete and utter confusion. “Why?”

 

Shourai's expression went blank. “He… kissed… you?”

 

Aikou turned toward him as her sand slipped back inside the gourd at her hip. “Why? I have told him over and over that… I only want to be a ninja! But… he still…” Slender fingers lifted to her lips and touched them lightly, almost in wonder. “Why?”

 

He flushed and looked away. “Is there… something wrong… with kissing you?” he asked awkwardly.

 

She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Ice blue eyes blinked several times as she closed her mouth again. She appeared to be pondering that for a moment. “Yes,” she decided. “I am a kunoichi. I do not have time for silly romantic gestures. I am here to become a Jounin and better protect my country.”

 

Shourai glanced at her, quickly turning away before meeting her gaze. “I understand that,” he replied softly. “But there is more to life- even a ninja's life- than just training and fighting. My father…” He lifted his eyes to look at the night sky. “My father was an avenger. He lived only to take revenge for the slaughter of our clan. He didn't care if he lived or died afterwards- he only had that goal in mind.”

 

He smiled slightly. “Then he met my mother… and living took on a whole new meaning. If he had kept to that path of death and revenge, I wouldn't be here.” He took a deep, bracing breath and turned back to her and met her gaze, unwaveringly. “If your father decided that being Kazekage was the only thing he needed to concern himself with, you and your brothers wouldn't be here either. And what about your father? Do you think he would be happy with a life without you and them? Or without your mother?”

 

Taken aback by that bit of insight, Aikou blinked, her eyes wide. “So duty… does not need to be abandoned…? It can coexist alongside emotions?”

 

Shourai gave a slight laugh. “Of course! How do you think villages carry on from generation from generation? If there wasn't at least a little affection, the villages would die out!”

 

Aikou turned and looked at the unconscious boy lying amidst the rubble, the ramen lady waving a fan rapidly over his face. Affection, huh? She blinked and mentally snorted. Impossible. Not with this orange-haired buffoon.

 

 

.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.

 

-crawls out of the dungeon that is her basement- GASP! I LIIIIIIVE!!!

 

Sorry this is so late, everyone, but I've been buried in homework, housework, child-rearing, and Geek Squad hours. They doubled my hours at work, so I'm either there or in front of my machine working on web pages for my Senior Project or writing reports for my Career Development class. So be happy you're getting anything at all!!!

 

And thank you to ye few who have reviewed. I appreciate every one of you! -hugs!-

 

…. Does anyone else feel that Pink's song “U + Ur Hand” should be Aikou's theme song?