Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Little Spark: Intro to Fire Hound ❯ What's Best for You... ( Chapter 10 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Spark: Intro to Fire Hound

ACT III: Decisions

CH. 2: “What’s Best for You…”

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Later that Day

“Ah, Sarutobi. There you are.” Kakashi approached the Hokage from behind.

He turned and smiled, his withered face creasing up with the grin. “Hello, Kakashi. Here to speak to me about your mission to the Land of Snow?”

“Actually, no. I’m here about my niece.” Kakashi stated simply. “Kaliana told me that you passed her.”

“You are told correct.”

“May I ask why?” Kakashi pressed.

“She deserved it.” Sarutobi answered simply. “Why, don’t you think so?”

“Not really.” Kakashi admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “She doesn’t follow orders very well at all…she doesn’t fight anyone, and to be quite honest, she’s only been here for a year and a half. How could you possibly justify her passing?”

Sarutobi closed his eyes and sighed.

“Kakashi, your niece is incredibly gifted. I’ve never in all my years seen a child as young as Kaliana have such amazing Chakra control.”

“We ARE talking about the same little girl who thinks Homo-milk comes from Lesbian cows, right?” Kakashi double-checked, completely astounded that the Hokage himself felt so strongly that Kaliana deserved to pass.

Sarutobi chuckled lightly before continuing. “Yes, but that very same little girl can manipulate her chakra at an advanced level, and I think she’s ready to be placed with a Sensei to hone her skills in Taijutsu, as that seems to be her point of interest…according to Gai at least. She’s always spying on his private training sessions, you know.”

“See? That’s what I’m talking about…her lack of respect and stubbornness alone should be good enough reasons to leave her back; not to mention her lack of common sense. Remember last year when she handcuffed herself to my ceiling fan in an attempt to prevent me from replacing it with an air conditioner? She kicked the chair out from under herself, broke the cord, and spun around the room for 4 hours until I came home and freed her! You know what she said afterwards? She insisted that I buy a new air conditioner because she thought the ceiling fan was possessed!”

Sarutobi laughed again, but harder this time. “Give her a break! She’s only a child! Her strengths outweigh her weaknesses, Kakashi.” Sarutobi offered his wisdom.

“What strengths!?” Kakashi finally exploded. “Please share them with me! Is it her ability to out-stubborn a mule?”

“Are you going to tell me you were any less stubborn when you were a Genin?” Sarutobi challenged.

Kakashi chuckled lightly. “Look, that may be true, but think about it. Her mother…” He paused for a moment, as he always found it difficult to talk about his sister. “Her mother was a Professional school teacher, and her father was a Professional…idiot…Kaliana doesn’t exactly have the background to be considered a ninja progeny.”

Sarutobi narrowed his eyes and turned away.

“Come with me, Kakashi. It’s time you knew the truth about something…”

Reluctantly, Kakashi followed the old man into his office. Sarutobi took a seat behind his desk. Kakashi, too, seated himself. The Hokage leaned over, looking at the white-haired Jounin with great concentration.

“What can you tell me, Kakashi, about the Black Ninja Knight?”

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That Night…

Kakashi rubbed his eyes tiredly. Of all things to be informed of…Kamachi was the Black Ninja Knight; the man of Legend, and Kakashi’s personal hero. The white-haired Jounin couldn’t believe it. All the times he’d beaten up Kamachi just for the fun of it…that man could’ve killed him at any time, yet he didn’t even fight back. Kakashi felt terrible. All those mean and hurtful things he’d said about Kamachi were beginning to haunt him. The truth of the matter was…Kamachi was a better ninja then Kakashi could ever hope to be…and Akita never even suspected a thing. And Kaliana was just like her father…

Kakashi peered at the box in the corner that Sarutobi had given him that afternoon. It held Kamachi’s Black Ninja suit; complete with an array of concealed weaponry, and a pair of boots loaded with hidden knives. There were some scrolls of forbidden jutsus as well as a small pendent on a chain, which Kakashi dismissed as a mere trinket. He had placed the box in a corner, lost in the oblivion of the shadows. Kaliana didn’t need to know about it now. But, he knew he’d have to tell his niece someday about her elite father.

Well, if not now, he thought to himself, then when?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the click of the door.

“Kaliana?” He called, his head turned.

“Yes?” She answered from directly in front of him.

He jumped back a little and groaned.

“I know, I know.” Kaliana mumbled. “Don’t sneak up on you like that.”

“Yes. And I know…you didn’t sneak.” His eyes wandered to the fresh wound on his niece’s face. “What happened to your cheek?”

“Nothing. It’s just a scratch.”

“You were twirling something sharp again, weren’t you?” Kakashi asked sternly.

“Why bother asking questions that you already know the answer to?” Kaliana asked, crawling into her uncle’s lap. “So, what’d the Old Man have to say?” She quickly changed the subject.

“Well, he firmly believes you deserve to pass…He even thinks I should take you on my next mission with me.” He answered, comfortably wrapping one arm around his niece’s waist.

“Yes!” Kaliana shouted.

“…But, I firmly believe that you’re not ready.”

“Oh.” She groaned. “Uncle Kakashi…”

“Here, look at this. I got it in the mail a week ago.” Kakashi cut her off and handed her a Cloud Village Kunoichi Academy brochure he’d pulled from his pocket.

She took it and began looking through it while her uncle continued to talk.

“The Hokage boasts about your great skills and split-second chakra manipulation, though at the same time, he thinks your Kunoichi skills are atrocious.”

“Psh…I don’t need to learn how to gather pretty flowers to be a great ninja.” She groaned with distaste.

“That’s not the point.”

“Now, if the flowers had concealed biological weapons in them, that’d be a different story…”

“Kaliana!”

“Sorry&# 8230;you were saying?” She giggled as she continued skimming through the brochure.

“There were also a few complaints from Gai. You were caught spying on his training sessions again. Maybe one day you’ll be one of his students, but you can’t go around watching people train like that. It’s irritating as well as creepy.”

“I woulda gotten away with it if it weren’t for that bushy-browed rat that keeps tattling on me. What’s this word?”

“’Academic’.”

“ ;Oh. Okay, go on.”

“The point is, your Kunoichi skills need a lot of work. And, well, I decided…”

Kaliana leapt off her uncle’s lap upon the realization of his actions. “You decided to send me here!?” She shouted, pointing to the pamphlet.

“Kaliana, it’ll boost your skills to a higher level and they specialize in weaponry. You like that kind of stuff.”

“Yeah, but why can’t I do that here? With you?”

“Because your kunoichi teacher here made me sign a restraining order! Kali, this school would be best for you and me. I mean, at least there, you won’t have to worry about me holding you back because I’m afraid you’ll hurt yourself, and I won’t have to worry about you every time I go on a mission. You should consider yourself lucky to even be involved in any ninja academy. If you mother were alive she’d…”

“Don’t…talk…abou t…her.” Kaliana interrupted, her eyes building up with tears.

Kakashi stopped for a moment, knowing he hit a nerve.

“All I’m saying is, this school is huge, it has the most students of any ninja school, and you’ll get lots of help.”

“I don’t need help. I need to stay here with Kiba Cub, Shikamaru and you!”

“Kaliana, try and understand…”

“You understand! I need to be with my friends! I’m NOT going!”

“I’ve…already signed you up.” Kakashi said quietly.

Kaliana stood shocked upon hearing the words fall from his lips. “You what?”

“I signed you up last week. They’re sending a few Chunin to pick you up tomorrow morning. I already packed for you.”

Kaliana shook her head; the tears beginning to flow from her large, jade-colored eyes.

“How could you?” She whimpered, crinkling the paper in her hand.

‘Kaliana…”

“No! No! I hate you!”

That said, she turned and stomped to her room, throwing the crumpled up brochure on the floor. Kakashi flinched when he heard a slam…then a snap, then a crash, followed by a low, ‘crap’. Kaliana stomped out of her room, walked past Kakashi and reached into a drawer. She pulled out a screwdriver then trampled back towards her room.

“Door fall off the hinges again?” Kakashi asked, face buried in his hands.

“Duh.” She grumbled. “I still hate you.”

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The next day, a group of 3 Kunoichi in matching uniforms knocked on Kakashi’s door. He answered with an exhausted look on his face. It had obviously been a long night.

“Kakashi Hatake. We are here to retrieve Kaliana Inuzuka and escort her to the Hidden Cloud Village’s Kunoichi Academy.” The tallest girl said, handing him a uniform that matched her own.

Kakashi took it slowly, as though he weren’t sure if he wanted to go through with this at all. “Yes. Give me a minute. I just need…”

“Step aside, Uncle Kakashi.”

Kakashi turned to see Kaliana, her luggage in hand. The kunoichi quietly commented among themselves.

“That’s her?” One whispered.

“She’s so puny!” Another answered, eyeing the little girl.

“She sure doesn’t look like much.” The last one mumbled. “Maybe we should’ve brought a smaller uniform.”

Kakashi knelt near his niece and handed her the outfit, which she snatched without a second thought only to disappear behind the door to change.

“I thought about it, Kaliana. You can return in a few months with your assigned team to take the Chunin exams here.” Kakashi offered.

“No.” She replied coldly.

“What? Why not?”

She stepped outside suddenly, adorned in her new uniform that was about 3 sizes too big, and glared at her uncle, her eyes glazed and emotionless.

“I will NOT return to take the Chunin exams. You will not see me again until I am a full-fledged Ninja. The next time I return, it will be as a Jounin. I refuse to come home until I am worthy in your eyes.” Her voice was mature for her young age, and her eyes were focused and stern. Kakashi could tell already that she had abandoned her childish behavior and donned a new, adult personality.

“Oh, Kaliana. You are worth…”

Kakashi stopped when he noticed his niece remove her precious Genin headband. She dropped it at his feet.

“Keep it.” She whispered. “You can give it back when you feel I deserve it.”

Kakashi picked up the headband, shocked and hurt. “Kaliana…” He tried to whimper out, reaching slowly for her face.

“Good bye.” She interrupted, pulling away.

That said, Kaliana walked away and joined the Kunoichi Chunin down the road towards the Lightening Country and the Village Hidden in the Clouds. She wanted so badly to turn back and throw her arms around her uncle. She wanted him to comfort her. But she stayed stubborn as always and disappeared from sight amongst the tall shinobi. Try as she might, there was no hiding the hot tears streaming down her face.

Kakashi held back his own tears and retreated into his house, clutching the headband to his chest. He shut the door and, with an exasperated sigh, he dropped himself into his sofa and covered his face.

I wish there were some way of knowing that what I’m doing is really the right thing…




Kaliana looked up at her new peers as they passed the “Leaving Konoha” sign at the edge of the village.

“So, what kind of styles and techniques are taught at this Kunoichi Academy anyway?”

Her question went ignored. She tried asking a different one, hoping to engage someone in conversation, as the awkward silence was too much for her to bear. “Are all the Sensei’s female?”

Again, her question went unanswered. Kaliana growled in her throat. “HEY!” She shouted. “I’m NOT talkin’ to myself here!”

The Kunoichi stopped walking. They looked down on Kaliana with malice in their eyes. The 3 girls Kaliana was walking with a moment ago suddenly disappeared in clouds of smoke. In their places, stood hooded ninjas, only one of them being a girl.

“Silence.” The girl hissed.

“From now on, you will speak ONLY when spoken to.” The next voice belonged to a man.

Kaliana felt a twinge of fear. Her eyes traveled over all the ninjas that accompanied her. She noticed the headbands that they wore around their waists…the symbol of the Sand Village boldly shimmering in the sun. She winced as she looked up at the man who ordered this new ‘no-talking’ rule.

“…Does that rule apply if I talk to myself?” She grinned sheepishly at her own inquiry.

The shinobi who accompanied her didn’t find her antics amusing, and one of the men showed his distaste by punching the 7-year-old in the face without warning. The sudden blow sent her hurdling into a large rock, the back of her head cracking against it with incredible force.

Kaliana lay on the ground, distraught and motionless. She wearily watched as the group moved towards her vulnerable body, snickering menacingly.

“Sleep tight, Little Hound.” The second man chuckled.

The last things she saw were the sandals of the ninjas standing over her. Then, Kaliana lost consciousness.