Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Mokushita Hyuuga ❯ Chapter 14
[ 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: 12.02.2006 | Updated On: 02.11.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 680 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: Naruto and all related characters belong to Kishimoto, not me.
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 12.02.2006 | Updated On: 02.11.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 680 | Status: Completed
Chapter 14
Flicking her fire-red hair back, Tatari caught it skillfully with her other hand and gracefully tied it up so it sat high on her head. Swiveling her head from side to side and gazing into the dirty mirror, Tatari sighed and smoothed the few stray hairs her ribbon hadn't caught.
Rising from her seat on an uncomfortable bench seat, Tatari spied her long black cloak and threw it around her shoulders. The door to the cramped room opened as Tatari pinned the front of her cloak, and closed just as she fastened the last pin.
"Are you ready?" The man who had just entered the room said. Tatari nodded and grabbed a large sand coloured bag. Handing it to her partner, he sighed and ran his hand through his tan coloured hair. Gazing on his red headed friend, he gave a weary smile as she winked one of her green eyes suggestively.
"Well, we might as well leave now...I'm sure that the ANBU are on our trail." Tatari said, brushing past the tan haired man.
"What? ANBU? Why do you suppose that? Surely not already. It's only been 2 hours." Tatari slowed and said,
"Uh...well, you see, I was spotted...and I might have...you know, murdered the poor boy. I don't think I got all the blood cleaned up." Tatari finished with a large grin, and the man just sighed loudly and drooped his shoulders.
"Cheer up, Satoshi-kun. Measly ANBU can't finish us off. Why, we are the next Akatsuki, except we wont be letting children kill us, now will we?" Satoshi just stared at Tatari and pushed her through the door. Slamming it on his way out.
We have a lot of running to do. He thought, his mouth turning into a half grimace. Still pushing Tatari, he gave her one last shove towards a window on the side of the hall. Hoisting the bag over his shoulder, Satoshi followed Tatari and flew to the rooftops like all shinobi know how.
"BOY!" a loud yell echoed across the great hall, and into the courtyard where a man in his 20's was teaching a younger boy how to spar. The younger boy's head flew in the direction of the call, and his teacher took this opportunity to kick his feet out from under him. Falling in a heap on the very well cared grass, the boy's teacher grimaced. Sticking his index finger up, the teacher said,
"Never get distracted. Especially if some one calls your name. It's the perfect opportunity to tag an opening. Now go run along to the Raikage." The teacher said, hoisting his student up by the arm. Without so much as a word, the boy ran off in the direction of the voice. His teacher chuckled as he watched him try to pick grass and leaves out of his pale blonde hair.
The man looked around the courtyard, and sighed. With his student gone he had nothing to do. Scratching the back of his head, he decided to practice stealth and try to eavesdrop on his student's affair.
Sliding around a pillar in the great hall, he stole a glance at the receiving throne. Upon it sat an old man, the Raikage. His face was friendly, but tired. In front of him kneeled his student.
"Sa, Jii-sama, I heard your...summons." The boy said. His spying teacher had to shove a gloved fist into his mouth to stop himself from laughing. The Raikage was sitting straight, a frown threatened to show as he struggled to keep his face straight.
"Keii, how is your new sensei? He's reputed to be very good." The boy smiled at the old man.
"Sensei's style is...unpredictable. I find myself learning it easier than the style of my last Sensei." Keii paused, "But I somehow doubt that you would call me here, interrupting that very same practice, just to ask me how my Sensei was treating me. Please tell me what it is you want of me." The Raikage smiled.
"Ahh. Just like my grandson to pick up on what was underneath the underneath. Hitomi-san taught you well. But yes, you were right. It's the queen of the Hoku region." Keii stiffened. Prepping himself for what he sorely did not want to hear.
"She's been assassinated." Keiis mouth opened slightly, and his teacher, still eavesdropping, barely caught him say,
"...Aneue..." Keii lowered his head, and brought his hands together, giving a silent prayer for his elder sister.
"What will happen now?" Keii asked.
"We select a new queen. Your sister." Keii's head dropped slightly.
"No one has heard of her in over 5 years...What happens if she is already dead as well?" Keii asked.
"Rumiko's closet female relative will take the throne. But here lies the problem." The old man said.
"Why? What's wrong with Keiko-ne-san?" Keii said, he knew his cousin was always jealous of Keii's older sister, but she was usually very sweet to him. The Raikage sighed.
"Your cousin was assassinated as well." Keii's mouth gaped, and the great hall was so quiet, that a pin drop could be heard.
"If my last granddaughter is indeed dead, then the Sekihito reign will end, and the Hoku region will elect a new queen, and her family will serve until her line has been extinguished, just as it has since the Shodaime Raikage." Keii sat back on his heels.
"Ah, I see. Well, I suppose that is all? I’d really like to finish my lesson." Keii said, inclining his head slightly. The old man just gave a dry chuckle.
"It is. But I'm afraid your lesson will have to wait. Your Sensei is going to be in the retrieval mission for your sister. So you can come out now." He said, the man behind the pillars sweat dropped, and dusted his black sleeveless sweater off before stepping out from behind the pillar. Keii looked bewildered.
"Sensei! Did you listen in on the entire thing?" He said, his light brown eyes were widened in surprise. Keii's teacher just shrugged.
"I, >ahem< Just happened to overhear that I am to partake in a mission?" Keii's teacher said. The Raikage rolled his dark eyes and said,
"No playing games this time. You heard how serious this is. Find Ganjou-san and report to the mission's office in 15 minutes." Keii's teacher saluted roughly before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
"Ganjou-san!" A voice carried down the moderately populated street, into the ears of an average man, in every way. He was average height, had brown hair and brown eyes. He prided himself on his ability to blend in anywhere. Ganjou was hanging out in front of a small dango stand, chatting with a kunoichi known for her 'badass' attitude. Upon hearing his name called, Ganjou looked up and saw who was coming.
"Oh great. Listen, Kumiko-san, I have to go. Probably for a mission. I'll see ya when I get back...maybe we can go out to a real place to eat?" He said, adding a wink that made the kunoichi blush slightly as an evil smirk crawled onto her face.
"I’d like that. I'll hold it to you as well. Go an come back safely." She said before Ganjou waved at the oncoming shinobi.
"Let me guess, mission?" Ganjou said. The Raikages messenger grinned so wide the scars on his face crinkled.
"We get to travel this time. Hope you didn't make any plans. We might be gone a while." Ganjou rolled his eyes, and both him and his fellow nin raced by rooftop to the Raikages office.
"Enter." A tired voice called from the confines of the surprisingly small mission's office. Ganjou and his partner entered, and kneeled in front of the Raikage.
"Yukigama Ganjou, reporting." Ganjou said, rising from his bow.
"Katoki, reporting." His new partner followed.
"As Katoki here already knows, the queen of the Hoku region has been assassinated, as has her nearest relative, Keiko. Your mission is to retrieve my youngest grand daughter. Here." The Raikage leaned over his desk and handed Katoki a scroll.
Katoki unrolled the scroll to reveal a picture, and personal information on the girl. Ganjou glanced at it.
"Her information says she is 12...but her picture is that of a younger child, why?" Katoki scrunched his nose.
"Don’t you remember? After the previous Hoku-hime died, both her youngest son and daughter were kidnapped? But Keii returned after a year, stating his sister was in good hands." Katoki said. That had been one of his last A rank missions as a chuunin.
"Oh....Oh yea! I remember, I had just become Jounin then, but I was out on a mission in grass when that happened."
Cough. Both men turned back to the Raikage.
"Ah, Gomenasai, Yondaime-sama." Katoki said, bowing. Ganjou didn't say anything, but bowed just as deep as Katoki.
"Well, as I was saying...Her brother had left her in a fishing village some where along the coast of the Fire Country. Start there, and find this girl. She is important not only to the Hoku region, but to me as well." Katoki and Ganjou both bowed again, and withdrew.
Walking down a fairly empty road, Katoki turned a corner, and waved at Ganjou.
"Pack for two weeks. I'll meet you at the southern gates in an hour." Ganjou rolled his eyes and continued to walk past his shouting partner.
Katoki walked up the stairs to his small apartment, and unlocked his door. Grabbing the large travel pack painted in camouflage, Katoki started to fill it with a few sets of spare clothes, a few sets of small weapons, and rations. He stuffed his supply of soldier pills in one of the side pockets, and zipped it shut.
Throwing his travel bag at his door, it collided with a dull thump, as Katoki slid his closet door open. He pulled out his largest cloak, and swung it around his shoulders. Patting his chest, Katoki made sure his necklace was still hanging around his neck before picking his duffle bag up, and dashing down the stairs.
Glancing at the clock that was in the entrance, he saw that he still had another hour and a half to waste. Smirking, Katoki headed for the dango stand nearest the southern gates.
Ducking under the hanging fabric, Katoki sat down at a stool and tucked his bag under his feet. He stared at a short woman with dark gray-green hair. Waiting for her to turn around, Katoki playfully tossed a toothpick from finger to finger, keeping it straight with minimal amounts of chakra.
"Oh! Katoki-san! I'm sorry, I didn't see you. The usual?" Katoki smiled at the woman. He nodded, and waited until after she started to prepare his dango before speaking, he opened his mouth, but the woman beat him to it.
"Katoki-san, I see you are wearing your cloak, is it going to rain soon?" She asked. It was the middle of summer, and while it was sunny and dry out at the moment, usually, living up to its name, the village hidden in the clouds, Kumogakure, was rainy and stormy.
"Ah. Chi-san. I don't think it's going to rain soon, but I'm leaving on an extended mission." Chi visibly drooped, but covered it up by leaning down to get a plate for Katokis dango.
"I see. How long will you be gone?" Chi asked. Her cheeks gave away a very light blush, and she avoided looking into Katokis blue eyes.
"Uhn...I'm not sure...ah! Arigato! You make the best dango." Katoki said, as Chi gave him his plate.
Leaning on her elbows, Chi tucked a stray hair behind her ears, and stared up at Katoki with her pale gray-blue eyes.
"So what's this mission about?" She said. Katoki smiled. Something about her hair made a little voice in the back of his head try to speak. But all Katoki heard was a muted buzz.
"That's classified information, miss. If I told you, I’d have to kill you." He said with a sly smile, flashing his longer than normal canines. Chi blushed quite noticeably and looked away, biting her hand and holding back a grin.
Glancing at the clock on the side of the shop, Katoki hissed.
"Saaa....I have to go. I promise that as soon as I get back, I'll come and get more of your delicious dango." Chi sighed, and Katoki paused. After a moment of hesitation, he leaned over the counter and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.
"I'll be back. Don't worry." And flashing another canine enhanced grin, Katoki ran off in the direction of the south gates, leaving a pale Chi holding her cheek behind.
"...Go and come back safely, Katoki-kun..." She whispered.
"Ha! I beat that idiot here!" Katoki said, causing a few civilians to look in his direction.
"Not quite. You're late." Came a voice from behind Katoki. Katoki turned and saw a Ganjou wearing a slightly shorter version of his cloak, and an equally large pack slung over his shoulders.
"Ah! Kuso! I got distracted by sweet things." Ganjou rolled his dark eyes.
"What, the Dango, or Chi-san?" He said, Katoki just laughed.
"Let's go. I see clouds in the distance. It will rain tomorrow. We might be able to cross the Fire Country's border by then, if we hurry." Ganjou nodded and the pair jumped into the treetops, occasionally waving at a few returning nin's they knew.
"Here. I'm gonna teach you a new jutsu." A tall man wearing wooden sandals said to a much younger boy. The boy started to get excited and loud.
"Reallyreallyreallly? What jutsu!!!" The tall man stood up straight and smiled. This new apprentice of his reminded him too much of his previous two apprentices. The man held out his hand and started to gather chakra into it, swirling it as he went. When he was finished, the man had a small ball of chakra rotating at wild speeds in his hand. The boy oo-ed and aw-ed at the sight. He even clapped excitedly when the tall man shoved this ball of chakra through a tree, damaging the front, and completely exploding the back of it off.
"That, my boy, is called the Rasengan!" The jaw of the boy in front of him dropped.
"That's the Yondaime and Naruto-sama's technique!" The boy said. The man, smiled, showing his age, and said,
"Ah. So you've heard of it. Can you tell me all you know of it?" The boy grinned as wide as he could. His white pupil less eyes closed, and his hand scrubbed the back of his blonde mop.
"Ano...The Yondaime created it, and it took him a few years to master it...and then Naruto-sama learnt it in a month!" The boy said, pleased with his knowledge of the legendary blondes' signature technique.
"Oh ho! We have ourselves a smart one! I say, how old are you, 12 right?" The boy nodded.
"You were the same age as Naruto when I taught him this one. Hmm...Has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like him?" the boy's smiled slipped a fraction.
"So many times, I'm getting sick of it. I swear, everyday for the past 4 years." The man laughed, and took out two water balloons. Tossing one to his new apprentice, the boy caught it with ease and grace.
"First step. Use your chakra to rotate the water inside the balloon, to pop it. Like this." The man held out his balloon and the boy watched with vivid attention as the balloon started to spike out at raw angles before bursting all over the blonde haired boy.
"Hey!" The boy yelled, dismayed that his black and orange jacket was soaked through.
Up in a tree some distance away, Hinata was perched on a branch, eating fried squid, and spying on her blonde son with her byakugan. Giggling when she saw the old man drench her son, Hinata poked her cheek with the sharp stick.
"Saa...Kuso! That hurt!" Dropping her empty stick, she quickly healed her cut and brushed the crumbs off of her beige and blue hoodie.
Once Hinata found out her son was taking a three-year apprentice ship with Jiraiya, Hinata dropped the disguise, although her hair was still mostly black, and decided to be her son's 'guardian angel'.
Kouden must think her dead by now. She hadn't visited him since that one time over 3 years prior. Whereas 'Kasumi' often had tea with Neji, Kouden knew nothing. Ino told Hinata that Kouden complained to her once, when buying flowers for Sasami.
"Yea, man, Hinata, your kid came in my store today." Ino said, sitting in a booth at the barbeque restaurant. Hinata glanced at Ino, and continued to eat.
"He told me that he missed his mother...well, more he told the flowers, but I overheard him. I pretended to ignore him, but he seemed to realize his slip, because he stiffened up, and stinted me on the money for the flowers he took." Hinata stopped eating at gazed at Ino's slightly red face. She was heavily pregnant with her third child, and this one was taking a toll on her.
"But I let him get away with it, cuz you know, he's all we have of our hero." Ino sighed and looked out the window beside them. Hinata followed her gaze and popped another bit of meat from the small barbeque into her mouth.
"You told Sai-san." Hinata said, not taking her gaze from the window. Ino stiffened.
"Ah..." She said. Hinata continued.
"He came up to me in here once, when I was working, and greeted me. He said, 'Ohayou, Hin-ah...Kasumi-san.'" Ino started to give a nervous laugh.
"I'm sorry. Apparently I talk in my sleep when I'm knocked up. He told me that I mentioned you, and one thing led to another. He said he had his suspicions anyway." Hinata turned to look Ino right in her aqua eyes and said,
"Suspicious?" Tilting her head, Hinata appeared deadly to Ino.
"Heheh...Yea, He said that you looked strangely like that weird dark haired girl that died with Naruto." Hinata gave a dry and quiet laugh. She focused back on her food and munched quietly.
Coming out of her memories, Hinata scanned again for Kouden and saw that he was yelling at a retreating Jiraiya. Squinting, she read Kouden's lips.
He was yelling...Ero-sennin! Why don't you stop peeping on girls and teach me like you said you would!
This time Hinata fell out of the tree she was sitting in laughing. Hitting a branch on the way down broke her fall, and Hinata had to nurse her wounds through fits of laughter. Naruto told her a lot of Jiraiya's perverted adventures. Those stories then were followed by an intense tickle session, which ended in kissing.
Hinata blushed, and glad no one was around. Picking her things up from her fall, Hinata walked back to the inn she was staying at with a smile on her face. She hadn't had a good laugh in a while.
End Chapter 14
Flicking her fire-red hair back, Tatari caught it skillfully with her other hand and gracefully tied it up so it sat high on her head. Swiveling her head from side to side and gazing into the dirty mirror, Tatari sighed and smoothed the few stray hairs her ribbon hadn't caught.
Rising from her seat on an uncomfortable bench seat, Tatari spied her long black cloak and threw it around her shoulders. The door to the cramped room opened as Tatari pinned the front of her cloak, and closed just as she fastened the last pin.
"Are you ready?" The man who had just entered the room said. Tatari nodded and grabbed a large sand coloured bag. Handing it to her partner, he sighed and ran his hand through his tan coloured hair. Gazing on his red headed friend, he gave a weary smile as she winked one of her green eyes suggestively.
"Well, we might as well leave now...I'm sure that the ANBU are on our trail." Tatari said, brushing past the tan haired man.
"What? ANBU? Why do you suppose that? Surely not already. It's only been 2 hours." Tatari slowed and said,
"Uh...well, you see, I was spotted...and I might have...you know, murdered the poor boy. I don't think I got all the blood cleaned up." Tatari finished with a large grin, and the man just sighed loudly and drooped his shoulders.
"Cheer up, Satoshi-kun. Measly ANBU can't finish us off. Why, we are the next Akatsuki, except we wont be letting children kill us, now will we?" Satoshi just stared at Tatari and pushed her through the door. Slamming it on his way out.
We have a lot of running to do. He thought, his mouth turning into a half grimace. Still pushing Tatari, he gave her one last shove towards a window on the side of the hall. Hoisting the bag over his shoulder, Satoshi followed Tatari and flew to the rooftops like all shinobi know how.
"BOY!" a loud yell echoed across the great hall, and into the courtyard where a man in his 20's was teaching a younger boy how to spar. The younger boy's head flew in the direction of the call, and his teacher took this opportunity to kick his feet out from under him. Falling in a heap on the very well cared grass, the boy's teacher grimaced. Sticking his index finger up, the teacher said,
"Never get distracted. Especially if some one calls your name. It's the perfect opportunity to tag an opening. Now go run along to the Raikage." The teacher said, hoisting his student up by the arm. Without so much as a word, the boy ran off in the direction of the voice. His teacher chuckled as he watched him try to pick grass and leaves out of his pale blonde hair.
The man looked around the courtyard, and sighed. With his student gone he had nothing to do. Scratching the back of his head, he decided to practice stealth and try to eavesdrop on his student's affair.
Sliding around a pillar in the great hall, he stole a glance at the receiving throne. Upon it sat an old man, the Raikage. His face was friendly, but tired. In front of him kneeled his student.
"Sa, Jii-sama, I heard your...summons." The boy said. His spying teacher had to shove a gloved fist into his mouth to stop himself from laughing. The Raikage was sitting straight, a frown threatened to show as he struggled to keep his face straight.
"Keii, how is your new sensei? He's reputed to be very good." The boy smiled at the old man.
"Sensei's style is...unpredictable. I find myself learning it easier than the style of my last Sensei." Keii paused, "But I somehow doubt that you would call me here, interrupting that very same practice, just to ask me how my Sensei was treating me. Please tell me what it is you want of me." The Raikage smiled.
"Ahh. Just like my grandson to pick up on what was underneath the underneath. Hitomi-san taught you well. But yes, you were right. It's the queen of the Hoku region." Keii stiffened. Prepping himself for what he sorely did not want to hear.
"She's been assassinated." Keiis mouth opened slightly, and his teacher, still eavesdropping, barely caught him say,
"...Aneue..." Keii lowered his head, and brought his hands together, giving a silent prayer for his elder sister.
"What will happen now?" Keii asked.
"We select a new queen. Your sister." Keii's head dropped slightly.
"No one has heard of her in over 5 years...What happens if she is already dead as well?" Keii asked.
"Rumiko's closet female relative will take the throne. But here lies the problem." The old man said.
"Why? What's wrong with Keiko-ne-san?" Keii said, he knew his cousin was always jealous of Keii's older sister, but she was usually very sweet to him. The Raikage sighed.
"Your cousin was assassinated as well." Keii's mouth gaped, and the great hall was so quiet, that a pin drop could be heard.
"If my last granddaughter is indeed dead, then the Sekihito reign will end, and the Hoku region will elect a new queen, and her family will serve until her line has been extinguished, just as it has since the Shodaime Raikage." Keii sat back on his heels.
"Ah, I see. Well, I suppose that is all? I’d really like to finish my lesson." Keii said, inclining his head slightly. The old man just gave a dry chuckle.
"It is. But I'm afraid your lesson will have to wait. Your Sensei is going to be in the retrieval mission for your sister. So you can come out now." He said, the man behind the pillars sweat dropped, and dusted his black sleeveless sweater off before stepping out from behind the pillar. Keii looked bewildered.
"Sensei! Did you listen in on the entire thing?" He said, his light brown eyes were widened in surprise. Keii's teacher just shrugged.
"I, >ahem< Just happened to overhear that I am to partake in a mission?" Keii's teacher said. The Raikage rolled his dark eyes and said,
"No playing games this time. You heard how serious this is. Find Ganjou-san and report to the mission's office in 15 minutes." Keii's teacher saluted roughly before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
"Ganjou-san!" A voice carried down the moderately populated street, into the ears of an average man, in every way. He was average height, had brown hair and brown eyes. He prided himself on his ability to blend in anywhere. Ganjou was hanging out in front of a small dango stand, chatting with a kunoichi known for her 'badass' attitude. Upon hearing his name called, Ganjou looked up and saw who was coming.
"Oh great. Listen, Kumiko-san, I have to go. Probably for a mission. I'll see ya when I get back...maybe we can go out to a real place to eat?" He said, adding a wink that made the kunoichi blush slightly as an evil smirk crawled onto her face.
"I’d like that. I'll hold it to you as well. Go an come back safely." She said before Ganjou waved at the oncoming shinobi.
"Let me guess, mission?" Ganjou said. The Raikages messenger grinned so wide the scars on his face crinkled.
"We get to travel this time. Hope you didn't make any plans. We might be gone a while." Ganjou rolled his eyes, and both him and his fellow nin raced by rooftop to the Raikages office.
"Enter." A tired voice called from the confines of the surprisingly small mission's office. Ganjou and his partner entered, and kneeled in front of the Raikage.
"Yukigama Ganjou, reporting." Ganjou said, rising from his bow.
"Katoki, reporting." His new partner followed.
"As Katoki here already knows, the queen of the Hoku region has been assassinated, as has her nearest relative, Keiko. Your mission is to retrieve my youngest grand daughter. Here." The Raikage leaned over his desk and handed Katoki a scroll.
Katoki unrolled the scroll to reveal a picture, and personal information on the girl. Ganjou glanced at it.
"Her information says she is 12...but her picture is that of a younger child, why?" Katoki scrunched his nose.
"Don’t you remember? After the previous Hoku-hime died, both her youngest son and daughter were kidnapped? But Keii returned after a year, stating his sister was in good hands." Katoki said. That had been one of his last A rank missions as a chuunin.
"Oh....Oh yea! I remember, I had just become Jounin then, but I was out on a mission in grass when that happened."
Cough. Both men turned back to the Raikage.
"Ah, Gomenasai, Yondaime-sama." Katoki said, bowing. Ganjou didn't say anything, but bowed just as deep as Katoki.
"Well, as I was saying...Her brother had left her in a fishing village some where along the coast of the Fire Country. Start there, and find this girl. She is important not only to the Hoku region, but to me as well." Katoki and Ganjou both bowed again, and withdrew.
Walking down a fairly empty road, Katoki turned a corner, and waved at Ganjou.
"Pack for two weeks. I'll meet you at the southern gates in an hour." Ganjou rolled his eyes and continued to walk past his shouting partner.
Katoki walked up the stairs to his small apartment, and unlocked his door. Grabbing the large travel pack painted in camouflage, Katoki started to fill it with a few sets of spare clothes, a few sets of small weapons, and rations. He stuffed his supply of soldier pills in one of the side pockets, and zipped it shut.
Throwing his travel bag at his door, it collided with a dull thump, as Katoki slid his closet door open. He pulled out his largest cloak, and swung it around his shoulders. Patting his chest, Katoki made sure his necklace was still hanging around his neck before picking his duffle bag up, and dashing down the stairs.
Glancing at the clock that was in the entrance, he saw that he still had another hour and a half to waste. Smirking, Katoki headed for the dango stand nearest the southern gates.
Ducking under the hanging fabric, Katoki sat down at a stool and tucked his bag under his feet. He stared at a short woman with dark gray-green hair. Waiting for her to turn around, Katoki playfully tossed a toothpick from finger to finger, keeping it straight with minimal amounts of chakra.
"Oh! Katoki-san! I'm sorry, I didn't see you. The usual?" Katoki smiled at the woman. He nodded, and waited until after she started to prepare his dango before speaking, he opened his mouth, but the woman beat him to it.
"Katoki-san, I see you are wearing your cloak, is it going to rain soon?" She asked. It was the middle of summer, and while it was sunny and dry out at the moment, usually, living up to its name, the village hidden in the clouds, Kumogakure, was rainy and stormy.
"Ah. Chi-san. I don't think it's going to rain soon, but I'm leaving on an extended mission." Chi visibly drooped, but covered it up by leaning down to get a plate for Katokis dango.
"I see. How long will you be gone?" Chi asked. Her cheeks gave away a very light blush, and she avoided looking into Katokis blue eyes.
"Uhn...I'm not sure...ah! Arigato! You make the best dango." Katoki said, as Chi gave him his plate.
Leaning on her elbows, Chi tucked a stray hair behind her ears, and stared up at Katoki with her pale gray-blue eyes.
"So what's this mission about?" She said. Katoki smiled. Something about her hair made a little voice in the back of his head try to speak. But all Katoki heard was a muted buzz.
"That's classified information, miss. If I told you, I’d have to kill you." He said with a sly smile, flashing his longer than normal canines. Chi blushed quite noticeably and looked away, biting her hand and holding back a grin.
Glancing at the clock on the side of the shop, Katoki hissed.
"Saaa....I have to go. I promise that as soon as I get back, I'll come and get more of your delicious dango." Chi sighed, and Katoki paused. After a moment of hesitation, he leaned over the counter and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.
"I'll be back. Don't worry." And flashing another canine enhanced grin, Katoki ran off in the direction of the south gates, leaving a pale Chi holding her cheek behind.
"...Go and come back safely, Katoki-kun..." She whispered.
"Ha! I beat that idiot here!" Katoki said, causing a few civilians to look in his direction.
"Not quite. You're late." Came a voice from behind Katoki. Katoki turned and saw a Ganjou wearing a slightly shorter version of his cloak, and an equally large pack slung over his shoulders.
"Ah! Kuso! I got distracted by sweet things." Ganjou rolled his dark eyes.
"What, the Dango, or Chi-san?" He said, Katoki just laughed.
"Let's go. I see clouds in the distance. It will rain tomorrow. We might be able to cross the Fire Country's border by then, if we hurry." Ganjou nodded and the pair jumped into the treetops, occasionally waving at a few returning nin's they knew.
"Here. I'm gonna teach you a new jutsu." A tall man wearing wooden sandals said to a much younger boy. The boy started to get excited and loud.
"Reallyreallyreallly? What jutsu!!!" The tall man stood up straight and smiled. This new apprentice of his reminded him too much of his previous two apprentices. The man held out his hand and started to gather chakra into it, swirling it as he went. When he was finished, the man had a small ball of chakra rotating at wild speeds in his hand. The boy oo-ed and aw-ed at the sight. He even clapped excitedly when the tall man shoved this ball of chakra through a tree, damaging the front, and completely exploding the back of it off.
"That, my boy, is called the Rasengan!" The jaw of the boy in front of him dropped.
"That's the Yondaime and Naruto-sama's technique!" The boy said. The man, smiled, showing his age, and said,
"Ah. So you've heard of it. Can you tell me all you know of it?" The boy grinned as wide as he could. His white pupil less eyes closed, and his hand scrubbed the back of his blonde mop.
"Ano...The Yondaime created it, and it took him a few years to master it...and then Naruto-sama learnt it in a month!" The boy said, pleased with his knowledge of the legendary blondes' signature technique.
"Oh ho! We have ourselves a smart one! I say, how old are you, 12 right?" The boy nodded.
"You were the same age as Naruto when I taught him this one. Hmm...Has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like him?" the boy's smiled slipped a fraction.
"So many times, I'm getting sick of it. I swear, everyday for the past 4 years." The man laughed, and took out two water balloons. Tossing one to his new apprentice, the boy caught it with ease and grace.
"First step. Use your chakra to rotate the water inside the balloon, to pop it. Like this." The man held out his balloon and the boy watched with vivid attention as the balloon started to spike out at raw angles before bursting all over the blonde haired boy.
"Hey!" The boy yelled, dismayed that his black and orange jacket was soaked through.
Up in a tree some distance away, Hinata was perched on a branch, eating fried squid, and spying on her blonde son with her byakugan. Giggling when she saw the old man drench her son, Hinata poked her cheek with the sharp stick.
"Saa...Kuso! That hurt!" Dropping her empty stick, she quickly healed her cut and brushed the crumbs off of her beige and blue hoodie.
Once Hinata found out her son was taking a three-year apprentice ship with Jiraiya, Hinata dropped the disguise, although her hair was still mostly black, and decided to be her son's 'guardian angel'.
Kouden must think her dead by now. She hadn't visited him since that one time over 3 years prior. Whereas 'Kasumi' often had tea with Neji, Kouden knew nothing. Ino told Hinata that Kouden complained to her once, when buying flowers for Sasami.
"Yea, man, Hinata, your kid came in my store today." Ino said, sitting in a booth at the barbeque restaurant. Hinata glanced at Ino, and continued to eat.
"He told me that he missed his mother...well, more he told the flowers, but I overheard him. I pretended to ignore him, but he seemed to realize his slip, because he stiffened up, and stinted me on the money for the flowers he took." Hinata stopped eating at gazed at Ino's slightly red face. She was heavily pregnant with her third child, and this one was taking a toll on her.
"But I let him get away with it, cuz you know, he's all we have of our hero." Ino sighed and looked out the window beside them. Hinata followed her gaze and popped another bit of meat from the small barbeque into her mouth.
"You told Sai-san." Hinata said, not taking her gaze from the window. Ino stiffened.
"Ah..." She said. Hinata continued.
"He came up to me in here once, when I was working, and greeted me. He said, 'Ohayou, Hin-ah...Kasumi-san.'" Ino started to give a nervous laugh.
"I'm sorry. Apparently I talk in my sleep when I'm knocked up. He told me that I mentioned you, and one thing led to another. He said he had his suspicions anyway." Hinata turned to look Ino right in her aqua eyes and said,
"Suspicious?" Tilting her head, Hinata appeared deadly to Ino.
"Heheh...Yea, He said that you looked strangely like that weird dark haired girl that died with Naruto." Hinata gave a dry and quiet laugh. She focused back on her food and munched quietly.
Coming out of her memories, Hinata scanned again for Kouden and saw that he was yelling at a retreating Jiraiya. Squinting, she read Kouden's lips.
He was yelling...Ero-sennin! Why don't you stop peeping on girls and teach me like you said you would!
This time Hinata fell out of the tree she was sitting in laughing. Hitting a branch on the way down broke her fall, and Hinata had to nurse her wounds through fits of laughter. Naruto told her a lot of Jiraiya's perverted adventures. Those stories then were followed by an intense tickle session, which ended in kissing.
Hinata blushed, and glad no one was around. Picking her things up from her fall, Hinata walked back to the inn she was staying at with a smile on her face. She hadn't had a good laugh in a while.
End Chapter 14