Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Mokushita Hyuuga ❯ Chapter 7
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Moghedian 
Disclaimer: Naruto and all related characters belong to Kishimoto, not me.
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.23.2006 | Updated On: 02.11.2007 | Pages: 4 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 819 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: Naruto and all related characters belong to Kishimoto, not me.
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.23.2006 | Updated On: 02.11.2007 | Pages: 4 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 819 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter 7
Kouden felt himself blushing as Sasami continued to stare at him.
"Can I help you?" He said. Sasami opened her mouth, but paused before speaking.
"Why?" Kouden blinked.
"Why what?"
"Why, why everything? Why can't we mention your Kaa-san? Why are your eyes green? Why is your family name Hyuuga now?" Sasami said, her brown eyes wide and wanting answers.
"Uh, well, why are you here? How did you get into my grade?" Sasami blinked this time. She then gave Kouden a sly smile and said,
"I see. We will have to meet somewhere and disscuss this. Meet me at Ichiraku's at 3?"
"Ichiraku? Where is that?" Kouden asked. Sasami pointed to her right.
"Right there, see? It's the ramen bar with the paper lanterns." Kouden looked, and saw. He nodded and said,
"Ahh, I have to turn here. I'll see you at 3 then. Bye, Sasami-chan." Sasami waved and Kouden continued down towards his cousin's house.
Opening the front door, he took his sandals off and stowed them in the closet. He walked into the living room part of the first floor and saw Aiko seated at the table watched the small TV set in the corner.
"Okaeri, Nii-chan!" Aiko said, "Ka-chan left a list of chores on the fridge. I already did mine." Kouden nodded and Aiko returned to her TV.
Kouden made his way to the fridge and pulled of the small note. He read:
Kouden:
Please put all your dirty clothes in hamper
If you have homework, do twenty minutes of it.
Dry the dishes that Aiko should have washed. If she hasn't washed them, boot her to do it.
That's all for today, use your spare time to practice your taijutsu, or if you want, I have
some spare old kunai and shruikan in a red bag by the front door. You can take it to the nearest training area...I think its area 34.
Have a nice day, Neji might be home before me.
~Ka-chan<3
Kouden smiled and tucked the note in his pocket. He tromped up the stairs to the first room on the left. Opening his door, he nudged his pallet aside and dropped his bag in the corner. He picked a few shirts off the floor and ran them to the hamper in the spare room. He pulled his assignment out of his bag and stared at it.
He decided he would wait untill Neji came home before he started. Tucking the paper under his arm, he stuck it on the table that Aiko was sitting at, and looked to see the small pile of dishes. Grabbing a cloth from the drawer Tenten showed him, he dried them, and put them away. Looking at the clock, he saw that it was 2:48.
"Ahh, Aiko-chan, I'm gonna go train at area 34, if Neji-nii-san or Ka-chan asks, that's where I am." Aiko mindlessly nodded and Kouden moved to the front door. He opened the closet to grab his shoes, and found the red bag as well.
He tugged his sandals on and slung the bag around his shoulder. Sliding the door open, he casually walked to Ichiraku, trying to keep his eyes off the other villagers who were still radiating hate and killer intent.
Coming upon Ichiraku, Kouden slipped inside and sat on a stool. He looked at the store owner, who was making a batch of ramen, and sighed.
"Wah! Kami-sama! I thought the dead had risen!" The owner said, particularily loud. Kouden jumped and looked at the owner with a surprised look.
"Uhh..." was all that Kouden could manage. The owner laughed and said,
"Sorry there, little one. It's just that you look alot like my best customer. He would come here at least once a day, unless he was on a mission. Kept my shop open that one did. Now of course, his friends are the ones keeping me open." Kouden blinked.
"Naruto-sama right?" The owner smiled and nodded. He then reached his old hand down to Kouden. Kouden grasped it and the old man shook it hard.
"You can call me Ichiraku. Or Ichiraku-jii-chan if you must." Ichiraku said, his smile so big that his eyes closed.
"H-hai. I'm Kouden." Ichiraku's smile turned a little sympathetic, and he said,
"A funeral gift? Did someone die when you were born? Not that it matters, Kouden is a fine name." Kouden opened his mouth, but he didn't quite know how to answer. Is that what my name means?
"Uhn...I think, I think I may be named that because Otou-sama died before I was born." Kouden said, sadly. Ichiraku nodded and finished drying a bowl.
"So, Kouden-san, do you want some ramen? No better in Konoha." Kouden almost nodded, but then said,
"Ahh! How I wish I could! I love ramen, but I'm meeting a friend to train with."
"Shinobi, eh? Are you a genin or a chuunin." Kouden wrinkled his nose.
"I'm still in the academy, Ichiraku-jii-sama." Ichiraku opened his mouth, but a flying pale pink object flew threw the curtains at Kouden, and latched itself around his waist.
"Ah!? Sasami-chan?" The pink hair girl laughed and hugged him harder. Painfully harder.
"Uhn, good bye Ichiraku-jii-sama!" Kouden said, and dragged Sasami out into the street. She stood up and dusted herself off before saying in a calm and cool manner,
"Shall we go?" Kouden gaped and nodded. Girls are weird.
Kouden lead Sasami on a ten minute journey to find area 34, and two genin and one chuunin later, they found it. It was a small feild with three logs that looked like they had seen better days in the middle.
After a minute of looking around, Sasami sat down and broke the silence. Motioning Kouden to sit beside her.
"So, will you tell me why now?" She said, fiddling with a peice of grass.
"Well, I guess, long story short, and in order, Ka-san was a missing nin for a day, but was hunted down."
"Missing nin? Hunted down? Isn't she still alive?" Kouden nodded.
"I dont know the whole story, but aparently the person who hunted her down must have let her live, and marked her as dead. But no one will tell me why she was a missing nin." Sasami looked at Kouden and nudged him.
"What? O yea, my eyes. Uhn, Ka-san said that my eyes are very unusal, and that the only people who have them are a bunch of people im related to, but she said that If I show them off, they will start to hunt her again. I don't want that. And Hyuuga is Neji-ni-san's family name." Sasami nodded and looked up at the sky. Kouden looked up too and played with a cloud using only his eyes.
"What about you? Cough up pinky-chan." Sasami faked offence and said,
"Pinky-chan? Why I never." Kouden nudge her, and she rubbed her arm, shooting him a look.
"My Oka-san and my Aniki and Aneue were all shinobi. All of them from the cloud, where I was born. After my Oka-san died in battle, and my Aneue disapeared, Tou-chan moved me and Aniki to the village we met. Oka-san had taught me how to fight since I could walk. Aniki continued after she died, but he disapeared a year after we moved to the village. He told me that he was going to join Konohagakure, make a fortune and come back for me. I dont know if he forgot, or died." Sasami looked down, and Kouden put his arm around her and pulled her closer.
After a minute or two, Sasami looked up at Kouden, and said,
"Wanna spar? I've been wanting to fight for a while, after Aniki left, it was all logs and trees for me." Kouden grinned and stood up.
"What are your rules, Sasami-chan." Sasami stood up and put her finger to her lips.
"Uh...shall we make it strictly taijutsu? No chakra?" Kouden nodded and took the jyuuken stance.
"My style is the best style. I'll have to go easy on you." Sasami laughed and said,
"You better go easy on me. I'm rusty. But you bruise me in any visable areas...well, I wouldnt sleep to soundly if I were you." Kouden gulped and readied his stance, as he saw Sasami fall into a slightly different stance than basic taijutsu. Her hand was faced at a different angle, and her legs were slightly farther apart.
"You need to work on your stance, Pinky-chan." Sasami gritted her teeth and rushed forward.
Thrusting her arm out towards Kouden's collarbone Kouden smacked it away. A kick at his knee, a kick at his ankle, a fist at his elbow... Kouden deflected them all.
Sasami stole a glimpse at his face, and saw that he had his tongue stuck out at her. He isn't even trying!Sasami thought. Anger started to rise, and her hits became faster and harder.
His shoulder! Sasami saw an opening and went for it. Kouden saw where her hand was going, but couldnt stop it in time. Sasami connected with his shoulder, and a small 'click' was heard. Kouden froze, as did Sasami.Kouden made a face and rolled his shoulders. Sasami stepped back into her unusual stance, and Kouden did the same.
Except, when he tried to lift his arm where Sasami struck, he found that he couldnt. Looking up at Sasami, she was holding two of her fingers out.
"Ha! Did you think that my messy stance was because im unused to fighting? Naw, this is my stance. Oka-san taught me the art of pressure points." Kouden gaped and frantically tried to get his arm moving again. After a few minutes of frantically waving his arm back and forth, the feeling came back, and Kouden slipped into an uneasy Jyuuken stance. Sasami slipped into hers.
Sasami rushed again, but Kouden thrusted an open palm out at her chest, towards her heart. He swung his left leg around and pulled his right palm back. Sasami had one fist out to hit, and one down at her side.
Kouden swung his hand. It sailed right past Sasami's first fist, but was caught by her second one. A pause in the fighting happened, but after half a second, Sasami placed her hand atop of Kouden's fist and swung up.Fake green eyes widened as he watched his pink-haired friend flung her self over his head and pointing her extended leg, he saw that she meant to get him in the small of his back.
Thinking fast, Kouden moved his fist, and his left leg again. Sasami shook a little bit, and gave a small cry as her foot, instead of connecting with his back, connected with the edge of his back. The force of her body swing back made her ankle bend at an odd angle, and she slid right past him, making sure to elbow him in the ribs. Sasami landed ungracefully on her rear and slid a few feet in the grass.
She turned back to look at Kouden and saw him in pain. She must have elbowed him in the same place she kicked him. Standing up, Sasami looked at Kouden, and then promptly fell down.
"Ah, kuso, what happened, Sasami-chan?" Kouden said, still holding his side he made his way over to Sasami. She was holding her ankle with one hand, and wiping away a few tears with the other.
"I think I broke my ankle." She said. Kouden sat back and rubbed the back of his head with his hands.
He helped Sasami stand up on one foot, and squatted down in front of her.
"Here, I'll carry you back to my house. I think we have some ice." Sasami nodded and climbed onto his back. Kouden bent down and picked up the red bag full of Tenten's kunai and shruikan, handing it to Sasami, he started off towards his house.
"...Intresting." A voice from the shadow of a nearby tree said, as it watched the young blonde carry the pink haired girl away. "Very intresting."
And with a whirl of black, and a quiet whoosh, it dissapeared.
Sliding open the door to his house, Kouden put Sasami down and helped her slide her shoes off. After taking his own off, he shoved them both, and the kunai bag, back into the closet. Looking at the clock he saw that he hadn't even been out an hour. Aiko was still drooling in front of the TV.
"Aiko-chan. Aiko-chan!" Aiko slowly turned her head to look at Kouden.
"Hai?" she said, her eyes flickering back to the TV. Kouden sighed.
"Do we have any ice?" Aiko paused and said,
"I uh, I think we might....compress in the freezer...yea..." Aiko slowly became glued back to the TV. Kouden looked at Sasami. She had a look on her face that suggested slight disgust. Kouden shrugged and opened the top part of the fridge. Rifling around he didnt find any ice, or cold compresses. Sighing he turned to Sasami.
"Do you know where the hospital is? I can't quite remember." Sasami sighed and nodded.
She climbed back on Kouden's back, and gripped his orange and black jacket. Kouden waved at Aiko, but she wasnt paying attention.
Half an hour later found Kouden and Sasami still wandering around Konoha.
"This place is really big!" Kouden said, a tinge of awe in his voice. Sasami shifted and said,
"I think it might be just around that corner." Indicating said corner with her finger.
"...Sasami-chan, we just came from that corner." Sasami sighed.
"Ask someone. We aren't getting anywhere." Kouden sighed louder.
Rounding a random corner, Kouden looked up and saw a big white sign.
'Konohagakure Hospital'
Both Kouden and Sasami's right eye twitched. Walking inside, he turned back to talk to Sasami.
"You alright still?" Sasami just said,
"Kouden-kun, Kouden-kun! Watch where you're go--" She was cut off as Kouden smacked into another person. He fell backwards, and landed on Sasami, who in turned landed on her ankle. Sasami let out a loud cry and a few people looked at them.
"Kouden-chan? Why are you here?" the person he bumped into said. Kouden looked up and saw Tsunade standing with her hands on her hips. Slightly behind her was someone with short black hair that Kouden didn't recognize.
Tsunade looked at Sasami.
"You are Ditama's daughter, right?" Sasami nodded. "So what brings you to the hospital?" Kouden felt like sweatdropping.
"Sasami-chan broke her ankle, Hokage-sama." He stood up and helped Sasami up onto one foot. Tsunade leaned down to look at her ankle. Poking it, Sasami winced, and Tsunade stood up again.
"Go stick her on a chair, Kouden-chan. I'll be there in a second." Kouden nodded and carried Sasami bridal style to a blue plastic chair in the waiting room.
There were a few others in the room nursing broken bones. In one case a nasty looking cut. Kouden sat down beside Sasami and tried not to stare at anyone.
"Now then, let's see that ankle." Tsunade said, kneeling down in front of Sasami. Holding her leg up gently, she moved it from side to side. Sasami sucked her breath in through her teeth.
"Yea, that's busted alright." Tsunade said. She lifted her hand to Sasami's foot and her hand lit up in the familiar green fire of medic ninjutsu.
After the healing was said and done, Sasami twisted her foot around with a look of awe on her face.
"Amazing! Can you teach me?" Sasami said, enthusiam laced her voice. Tsunade laughed a loud hearty laugh.
"Maybe when your older kid. Maybe. Medic ninjutsus require precise chakra control. Way beyond normal. Come see me when you're a genin." She patted the pink girl's head and looked around. Sighing she started to heal the waiting room patients one by one, with her assistant at tow, prattling on about unfinished paperwork.
"Did you hear that Kouden? I wanna be a medic nin like Tsunade-sama when I get older!" Sasami was practically bouncing. Kouden laughed and tugged Sasami out of her chair. Walking out with their arms linked, Kouden said,
"Ne, Pinky-chan, wanna come over for dinner? I think Ka-chan would be glad to meet you." Sasami wrinkled her nose.
"Ka-chan, what about Hinata-sama?" She asked. Kouden grimaced.
"Shh, don't say her name. And Tenten-ne-san demanded that I call her that. It doesnt matter." Sasami noted that Kouden refused to meet her eyes.
Kouden and Sasami sat at the table quietly disscussing their school assignment, when the front door slid open. Neji slid his black bag off his shoulders and took his sandals off. Sighing he walked up the stairs, his free hand rubbing the bridge of his nose. Kouden and Sasami continued to watch him walk up the stairs. Then looking at each other, they decided to just see how long it took for him to notice them.
Aiko was in her room, Kouden presumed. She wasn't glued to the TV anymore, at any rate.
The soft shivving noise of the old fashioned doors sliding was heard from the stairs, and Neji plodded down the stairs, donning a dark aquamarine and yellow robe.
"Okaerinasai, Neji-ni-san." Kouden said in a cheerful voice. Neji glanced at him, his white eyes lingering on Sasami for a second before raising an eyebrow and kneeling down beside Kouden.
"Ah, this is Ditama Sasami, a friend from the academy. Can she stay for dinner?" Sasami murmured a hello and bowed, her pink hair brushing the table. Neji raised his eyebrow again.
"A friend on the first day of school?" He smirked and nudged Kouden tiredly. Kouden rolled his eyes.
"You'll have to wait until Tenten gets back. She's the cook." Kouden gave a small grunt in response.
He opened his mouth, but shut it again as Neji picked up the remote for the small TV. Flicking it on, he stopped on a random show and put the remote back down.
"Finish please." Neji said. Kouden blinked and said,
"Uhn...how to explain this. Well...you see, Sasami-chan and I kinda...kinda grew up together." Kouden moved his head back, and Neji swung his around. Sasami's brown eyes widened and she nudged Kouden.
"What?" Neji said, his white eyes alternating between the two almost-nine year olds.
"Ano...Yes. I met her when we were five years old, when Ka-san bought fish from her Otou-san." Sasami bowed to the table again, and said,
"Forgive Kouden please. He told me to not mention Hinata-sama to anyone. Although it seems he can't follow his own rules." Neji blinked at Sasami's tone, and did the thing both children least expected.
He laughed. Loud and hard.
This startled both Kouden and Sasami to the point that Sasami nearly cried.
"Why should you be sorry? So you say your last name is Ditama? I've heard that before. In the Cloud Country. Do you have any relatives?" Neji said, patting Kouden and Sasami on the shoulder. Kouden let out a nervous laugh that sound more like a high pitched breath of releif. Sasami's shoulder's dropped and she smiled.
"I was born there, Tou-chan moved me and Aniki, who is a shinobi here in Konoha, after my Oka-san's death, and Aneue's dissapearance, to the village that Kouden-kun lived in." Neji made a thoughful face, bringing his hand to his chin before he said,
"Your Aniki? What was his name? I might be able to track him down for you. I'm guessing that's why you wanted to be a shinobi here, right?" Sasami nodded and said with sparkling eyes,
"You can track him down? Honto?" Neji grinned and nodded.
Kouden's hand brushed the paper on the table and he changed his thought line so fast, he scared himself.
Holding out the papers to Neji, he said,
"Neji-ni-san, I need help with my homework. Iruka-sensei gave us homework already." Neji took hold of the papers and scimmed the first page. He looked at Kouden and ruffled his blonde hair.
"Gaki, you are too nosy for your own good. I suppose Iruka-sensei told you to ask me to take you to the Hyuuga library?" Kouden nodded and Neji smiled.
"I bet your Aunt Hanabi would love to meet you." Kouden was grinning so hard it hurt, Neji started to laugh again, and Sasami felt awkward, not knowing what to do.
And that's how Tenten, who graceiously took the request of Sasami's company to make the best food Kouden had had of hers yet, found her husband and step-son, as she walked into the door of her small out-of-the-way house.
end chapter 7
Kouden felt himself blushing as Sasami continued to stare at him.
"Can I help you?" He said. Sasami opened her mouth, but paused before speaking.
"Why?" Kouden blinked.
"Why what?"
"Why, why everything? Why can't we mention your Kaa-san? Why are your eyes green? Why is your family name Hyuuga now?" Sasami said, her brown eyes wide and wanting answers.
"Uh, well, why are you here? How did you get into my grade?" Sasami blinked this time. She then gave Kouden a sly smile and said,
"I see. We will have to meet somewhere and disscuss this. Meet me at Ichiraku's at 3?"
"Ichiraku? Where is that?" Kouden asked. Sasami pointed to her right.
"Right there, see? It's the ramen bar with the paper lanterns." Kouden looked, and saw. He nodded and said,
"Ahh, I have to turn here. I'll see you at 3 then. Bye, Sasami-chan." Sasami waved and Kouden continued down towards his cousin's house.
Opening the front door, he took his sandals off and stowed them in the closet. He walked into the living room part of the first floor and saw Aiko seated at the table watched the small TV set in the corner.
"Okaeri, Nii-chan!" Aiko said, "Ka-chan left a list of chores on the fridge. I already did mine." Kouden nodded and Aiko returned to her TV.
Kouden made his way to the fridge and pulled of the small note. He read:
Kouden:
Please put all your dirty clothes in hamper
If you have homework, do twenty minutes of it.
Dry the dishes that Aiko should have washed. If she hasn't washed them, boot her to do it.
That's all for today, use your spare time to practice your taijutsu, or if you want, I have
some spare old kunai and shruikan in a red bag by the front door. You can take it to the nearest training area...I think its area 34.
Have a nice day, Neji might be home before me.
~Ka-chan<3
Kouden smiled and tucked the note in his pocket. He tromped up the stairs to the first room on the left. Opening his door, he nudged his pallet aside and dropped his bag in the corner. He picked a few shirts off the floor and ran them to the hamper in the spare room. He pulled his assignment out of his bag and stared at it.
He decided he would wait untill Neji came home before he started. Tucking the paper under his arm, he stuck it on the table that Aiko was sitting at, and looked to see the small pile of dishes. Grabbing a cloth from the drawer Tenten showed him, he dried them, and put them away. Looking at the clock, he saw that it was 2:48.
"Ahh, Aiko-chan, I'm gonna go train at area 34, if Neji-nii-san or Ka-chan asks, that's where I am." Aiko mindlessly nodded and Kouden moved to the front door. He opened the closet to grab his shoes, and found the red bag as well.
He tugged his sandals on and slung the bag around his shoulder. Sliding the door open, he casually walked to Ichiraku, trying to keep his eyes off the other villagers who were still radiating hate and killer intent.
Coming upon Ichiraku, Kouden slipped inside and sat on a stool. He looked at the store owner, who was making a batch of ramen, and sighed.
"Wah! Kami-sama! I thought the dead had risen!" The owner said, particularily loud. Kouden jumped and looked at the owner with a surprised look.
"Uhh..." was all that Kouden could manage. The owner laughed and said,
"Sorry there, little one. It's just that you look alot like my best customer. He would come here at least once a day, unless he was on a mission. Kept my shop open that one did. Now of course, his friends are the ones keeping me open." Kouden blinked.
"Naruto-sama right?" The owner smiled and nodded. He then reached his old hand down to Kouden. Kouden grasped it and the old man shook it hard.
"You can call me Ichiraku. Or Ichiraku-jii-chan if you must." Ichiraku said, his smile so big that his eyes closed.
"H-hai. I'm Kouden." Ichiraku's smile turned a little sympathetic, and he said,
"A funeral gift? Did someone die when you were born? Not that it matters, Kouden is a fine name." Kouden opened his mouth, but he didn't quite know how to answer. Is that what my name means?
"Uhn...I think, I think I may be named that because Otou-sama died before I was born." Kouden said, sadly. Ichiraku nodded and finished drying a bowl.
"So, Kouden-san, do you want some ramen? No better in Konoha." Kouden almost nodded, but then said,
"Ahh! How I wish I could! I love ramen, but I'm meeting a friend to train with."
"Shinobi, eh? Are you a genin or a chuunin." Kouden wrinkled his nose.
"I'm still in the academy, Ichiraku-jii-sama." Ichiraku opened his mouth, but a flying pale pink object flew threw the curtains at Kouden, and latched itself around his waist.
"Ah!? Sasami-chan?" The pink hair girl laughed and hugged him harder. Painfully harder.
"Uhn, good bye Ichiraku-jii-sama!" Kouden said, and dragged Sasami out into the street. She stood up and dusted herself off before saying in a calm and cool manner,
"Shall we go?" Kouden gaped and nodded. Girls are weird.
Kouden lead Sasami on a ten minute journey to find area 34, and two genin and one chuunin later, they found it. It was a small feild with three logs that looked like they had seen better days in the middle.
After a minute of looking around, Sasami sat down and broke the silence. Motioning Kouden to sit beside her.
"So, will you tell me why now?" She said, fiddling with a peice of grass.
"Well, I guess, long story short, and in order, Ka-san was a missing nin for a day, but was hunted down."
"Missing nin? Hunted down? Isn't she still alive?" Kouden nodded.
"I dont know the whole story, but aparently the person who hunted her down must have let her live, and marked her as dead. But no one will tell me why she was a missing nin." Sasami looked at Kouden and nudged him.
"What? O yea, my eyes. Uhn, Ka-san said that my eyes are very unusal, and that the only people who have them are a bunch of people im related to, but she said that If I show them off, they will start to hunt her again. I don't want that. And Hyuuga is Neji-ni-san's family name." Sasami nodded and looked up at the sky. Kouden looked up too and played with a cloud using only his eyes.
"What about you? Cough up pinky-chan." Sasami faked offence and said,
"Pinky-chan? Why I never." Kouden nudge her, and she rubbed her arm, shooting him a look.
"My Oka-san and my Aniki and Aneue were all shinobi. All of them from the cloud, where I was born. After my Oka-san died in battle, and my Aneue disapeared, Tou-chan moved me and Aniki to the village we met. Oka-san had taught me how to fight since I could walk. Aniki continued after she died, but he disapeared a year after we moved to the village. He told me that he was going to join Konohagakure, make a fortune and come back for me. I dont know if he forgot, or died." Sasami looked down, and Kouden put his arm around her and pulled her closer.
After a minute or two, Sasami looked up at Kouden, and said,
"Wanna spar? I've been wanting to fight for a while, after Aniki left, it was all logs and trees for me." Kouden grinned and stood up.
"What are your rules, Sasami-chan." Sasami stood up and put her finger to her lips.
"Uh...shall we make it strictly taijutsu? No chakra?" Kouden nodded and took the jyuuken stance.
"My style is the best style. I'll have to go easy on you." Sasami laughed and said,
"You better go easy on me. I'm rusty. But you bruise me in any visable areas...well, I wouldnt sleep to soundly if I were you." Kouden gulped and readied his stance, as he saw Sasami fall into a slightly different stance than basic taijutsu. Her hand was faced at a different angle, and her legs were slightly farther apart.
"You need to work on your stance, Pinky-chan." Sasami gritted her teeth and rushed forward.
Thrusting her arm out towards Kouden's collarbone Kouden smacked it away. A kick at his knee, a kick at his ankle, a fist at his elbow... Kouden deflected them all.
Sasami stole a glimpse at his face, and saw that he had his tongue stuck out at her. He isn't even trying!Sasami thought. Anger started to rise, and her hits became faster and harder.
His shoulder! Sasami saw an opening and went for it. Kouden saw where her hand was going, but couldnt stop it in time. Sasami connected with his shoulder, and a small 'click' was heard. Kouden froze, as did Sasami.Kouden made a face and rolled his shoulders. Sasami stepped back into her unusual stance, and Kouden did the same.
Except, when he tried to lift his arm where Sasami struck, he found that he couldnt. Looking up at Sasami, she was holding two of her fingers out.
"Ha! Did you think that my messy stance was because im unused to fighting? Naw, this is my stance. Oka-san taught me the art of pressure points." Kouden gaped and frantically tried to get his arm moving again. After a few minutes of frantically waving his arm back and forth, the feeling came back, and Kouden slipped into an uneasy Jyuuken stance. Sasami slipped into hers.
Sasami rushed again, but Kouden thrusted an open palm out at her chest, towards her heart. He swung his left leg around and pulled his right palm back. Sasami had one fist out to hit, and one down at her side.
Kouden swung his hand. It sailed right past Sasami's first fist, but was caught by her second one. A pause in the fighting happened, but after half a second, Sasami placed her hand atop of Kouden's fist and swung up.Fake green eyes widened as he watched his pink-haired friend flung her self over his head and pointing her extended leg, he saw that she meant to get him in the small of his back.
Thinking fast, Kouden moved his fist, and his left leg again. Sasami shook a little bit, and gave a small cry as her foot, instead of connecting with his back, connected with the edge of his back. The force of her body swing back made her ankle bend at an odd angle, and she slid right past him, making sure to elbow him in the ribs. Sasami landed ungracefully on her rear and slid a few feet in the grass.
She turned back to look at Kouden and saw him in pain. She must have elbowed him in the same place she kicked him. Standing up, Sasami looked at Kouden, and then promptly fell down.
"Ah, kuso, what happened, Sasami-chan?" Kouden said, still holding his side he made his way over to Sasami. She was holding her ankle with one hand, and wiping away a few tears with the other.
"I think I broke my ankle." She said. Kouden sat back and rubbed the back of his head with his hands.
He helped Sasami stand up on one foot, and squatted down in front of her.
"Here, I'll carry you back to my house. I think we have some ice." Sasami nodded and climbed onto his back. Kouden bent down and picked up the red bag full of Tenten's kunai and shruikan, handing it to Sasami, he started off towards his house.
"...Intresting." A voice from the shadow of a nearby tree said, as it watched the young blonde carry the pink haired girl away. "Very intresting."
And with a whirl of black, and a quiet whoosh, it dissapeared.
Sliding open the door to his house, Kouden put Sasami down and helped her slide her shoes off. After taking his own off, he shoved them both, and the kunai bag, back into the closet. Looking at the clock he saw that he hadn't even been out an hour. Aiko was still drooling in front of the TV.
"Aiko-chan. Aiko-chan!" Aiko slowly turned her head to look at Kouden.
"Hai?" she said, her eyes flickering back to the TV. Kouden sighed.
"Do we have any ice?" Aiko paused and said,
"I uh, I think we might....compress in the freezer...yea..." Aiko slowly became glued back to the TV. Kouden looked at Sasami. She had a look on her face that suggested slight disgust. Kouden shrugged and opened the top part of the fridge. Rifling around he didnt find any ice, or cold compresses. Sighing he turned to Sasami.
"Do you know where the hospital is? I can't quite remember." Sasami sighed and nodded.
She climbed back on Kouden's back, and gripped his orange and black jacket. Kouden waved at Aiko, but she wasnt paying attention.
Half an hour later found Kouden and Sasami still wandering around Konoha.
"This place is really big!" Kouden said, a tinge of awe in his voice. Sasami shifted and said,
"I think it might be just around that corner." Indicating said corner with her finger.
"...Sasami-chan, we just came from that corner." Sasami sighed.
"Ask someone. We aren't getting anywhere." Kouden sighed louder.
Rounding a random corner, Kouden looked up and saw a big white sign.
'Konohagakure Hospital'
Both Kouden and Sasami's right eye twitched. Walking inside, he turned back to talk to Sasami.
"You alright still?" Sasami just said,
"Kouden-kun, Kouden-kun! Watch where you're go--" She was cut off as Kouden smacked into another person. He fell backwards, and landed on Sasami, who in turned landed on her ankle. Sasami let out a loud cry and a few people looked at them.
"Kouden-chan? Why are you here?" the person he bumped into said. Kouden looked up and saw Tsunade standing with her hands on her hips. Slightly behind her was someone with short black hair that Kouden didn't recognize.
Tsunade looked at Sasami.
"You are Ditama's daughter, right?" Sasami nodded. "So what brings you to the hospital?" Kouden felt like sweatdropping.
"Sasami-chan broke her ankle, Hokage-sama." He stood up and helped Sasami up onto one foot. Tsunade leaned down to look at her ankle. Poking it, Sasami winced, and Tsunade stood up again.
"Go stick her on a chair, Kouden-chan. I'll be there in a second." Kouden nodded and carried Sasami bridal style to a blue plastic chair in the waiting room.
There were a few others in the room nursing broken bones. In one case a nasty looking cut. Kouden sat down beside Sasami and tried not to stare at anyone.
"Now then, let's see that ankle." Tsunade said, kneeling down in front of Sasami. Holding her leg up gently, she moved it from side to side. Sasami sucked her breath in through her teeth.
"Yea, that's busted alright." Tsunade said. She lifted her hand to Sasami's foot and her hand lit up in the familiar green fire of medic ninjutsu.
After the healing was said and done, Sasami twisted her foot around with a look of awe on her face.
"Amazing! Can you teach me?" Sasami said, enthusiam laced her voice. Tsunade laughed a loud hearty laugh.
"Maybe when your older kid. Maybe. Medic ninjutsus require precise chakra control. Way beyond normal. Come see me when you're a genin." She patted the pink girl's head and looked around. Sighing she started to heal the waiting room patients one by one, with her assistant at tow, prattling on about unfinished paperwork.
"Did you hear that Kouden? I wanna be a medic nin like Tsunade-sama when I get older!" Sasami was practically bouncing. Kouden laughed and tugged Sasami out of her chair. Walking out with their arms linked, Kouden said,
"Ne, Pinky-chan, wanna come over for dinner? I think Ka-chan would be glad to meet you." Sasami wrinkled her nose.
"Ka-chan, what about Hinata-sama?" She asked. Kouden grimaced.
"Shh, don't say her name. And Tenten-ne-san demanded that I call her that. It doesnt matter." Sasami noted that Kouden refused to meet her eyes.
Kouden and Sasami sat at the table quietly disscussing their school assignment, when the front door slid open. Neji slid his black bag off his shoulders and took his sandals off. Sighing he walked up the stairs, his free hand rubbing the bridge of his nose. Kouden and Sasami continued to watch him walk up the stairs. Then looking at each other, they decided to just see how long it took for him to notice them.
Aiko was in her room, Kouden presumed. She wasn't glued to the TV anymore, at any rate.
The soft shivving noise of the old fashioned doors sliding was heard from the stairs, and Neji plodded down the stairs, donning a dark aquamarine and yellow robe.
"Okaerinasai, Neji-ni-san." Kouden said in a cheerful voice. Neji glanced at him, his white eyes lingering on Sasami for a second before raising an eyebrow and kneeling down beside Kouden.
"Ah, this is Ditama Sasami, a friend from the academy. Can she stay for dinner?" Sasami murmured a hello and bowed, her pink hair brushing the table. Neji raised his eyebrow again.
"A friend on the first day of school?" He smirked and nudged Kouden tiredly. Kouden rolled his eyes.
"You'll have to wait until Tenten gets back. She's the cook." Kouden gave a small grunt in response.
He opened his mouth, but shut it again as Neji picked up the remote for the small TV. Flicking it on, he stopped on a random show and put the remote back down.
"Finish please." Neji said. Kouden blinked and said,
"Uhn...how to explain this. Well...you see, Sasami-chan and I kinda...kinda grew up together." Kouden moved his head back, and Neji swung his around. Sasami's brown eyes widened and she nudged Kouden.
"What?" Neji said, his white eyes alternating between the two almost-nine year olds.
"Ano...Yes. I met her when we were five years old, when Ka-san bought fish from her Otou-san." Sasami bowed to the table again, and said,
"Forgive Kouden please. He told me to not mention Hinata-sama to anyone. Although it seems he can't follow his own rules." Neji blinked at Sasami's tone, and did the thing both children least expected.
He laughed. Loud and hard.
This startled both Kouden and Sasami to the point that Sasami nearly cried.
"Why should you be sorry? So you say your last name is Ditama? I've heard that before. In the Cloud Country. Do you have any relatives?" Neji said, patting Kouden and Sasami on the shoulder. Kouden let out a nervous laugh that sound more like a high pitched breath of releif. Sasami's shoulder's dropped and she smiled.
"I was born there, Tou-chan moved me and Aniki, who is a shinobi here in Konoha, after my Oka-san's death, and Aneue's dissapearance, to the village that Kouden-kun lived in." Neji made a thoughful face, bringing his hand to his chin before he said,
"Your Aniki? What was his name? I might be able to track him down for you. I'm guessing that's why you wanted to be a shinobi here, right?" Sasami nodded and said with sparkling eyes,
"You can track him down? Honto?" Neji grinned and nodded.
Kouden's hand brushed the paper on the table and he changed his thought line so fast, he scared himself.
Holding out the papers to Neji, he said,
"Neji-ni-san, I need help with my homework. Iruka-sensei gave us homework already." Neji took hold of the papers and scimmed the first page. He looked at Kouden and ruffled his blonde hair.
"Gaki, you are too nosy for your own good. I suppose Iruka-sensei told you to ask me to take you to the Hyuuga library?" Kouden nodded and Neji smiled.
"I bet your Aunt Hanabi would love to meet you." Kouden was grinning so hard it hurt, Neji started to laugh again, and Sasami felt awkward, not knowing what to do.
And that's how Tenten, who graceiously took the request of Sasami's company to make the best food Kouden had had of hers yet, found her husband and step-son, as she walked into the door of her small out-of-the-way house.
end chapter 7