Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Reading Totems ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Author's Notes: Shino entrance countdown: Shino will appear in 4 more chapters!

A cookie of an extra chapter for this week!

 

Title: Reading Totems

By: GrizzlyTeddyBear

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and this makes me sad. I do own Paige Stone, my OC! All information regarding totem animals was taken from Dancing the Wheel by Sun Bear and Animal Speak by Ted Andrews.

Main Pairings: Eventual ShinoxOC, NaruxHina, SasuxSaku

Rating: M for mentioned adult themes

Warning: AU, Post-series start time. Rookie 9 is 23-24 years old. Fic mentions pagan religions, if you can't handle it, don't read! Also is OC-centric. Hold your pants, all will be revealed as the story progresses.

 

Chapter Summary: Saying `Thank you' can take many forms.

 

***Chapter 4***

 

The next day was similar. Overall there was less conversation, but that was understandable since Paige did most of the sharing her first night and the first day she joined what she learned was Team Kakashi. She continued to enjoy her piggyback ride, but made a request of Kakashi after a few hours of traveling by tree branches.

 

Paige still wasn't sure how Kakashi managed to navigate leaping on tree branches with that book in front of his face, but she figured being a ninja had some strange perks. Risking collision with a tree by fracturing his attention further, she tapped him on the shoulder. “Um, Kakashi?”

 

He turned his head slightly to the side to indicate he was listening.

 

“I'm guessing as a ninja you have some sharp pointy things on you.”

 

Kakashi chuckled, “I think I have a few things on me fitting that description. Why do you ask?”

 

“I'd like to borrow one to cut a lock of my hair off.” Paige could almost picture that single eyebrow raised at her again.

 

“Isn't it short enough?”

 

“Yeah.” She looked up as if she could actually look at her short blonde hair that probably looked really interesting after a few days without washing it. She probably smelled a little off too. “But I wanted to use the hair to make an offering and do some light meditation while I was hanging out back here.” Paige sighed. “Now that everyone is done asking me questions, I've got nothing to do. I figured I'd test out the mental waters and see what happens. And I kinda promised an offering after running into you guys as a thank you for the directions.” There was a slight pause after this statement.

 

“As long as you don't strain yourself….or scalp yourself.”

 

Paige rolled her eyes. After practicing Native American traditions, she heard a lot of scalping jokes. But Kakashi didn't know this, so she didn't say anything to him.

 

“We're due for a break soon. And you're probably cramping up too. I'll let you have some supervised kunai time to give yourself a haircut when we stop.”

 

“Kunai?” Kakashi had returned to his book after his previous statement, but Paige was curious about the word she hadn't heard before. She was just a nerd at heart. She loved reading and learning new things.

 

“Hold my book for a moment, but don't lose my page, Paige”

 

She rolled her eyes again at the lame joke. “OK.” Paige accepted the book, and used her index finger as a place holder.

 

“This is a kunai.” Kakashi held up what appeared to be some sort of fighting knife. It was double edged, not very long of a blade, the handle appeared to be metal wrapped in cloth, and it had a ring on the end. “You really aren't from around here are you?”

 

“Nope. Thanks for the show and tell.” She handed his book back over when a hand appeared in front of her face.

 

Paige guessed another hour, or so, of travel went by before Kakashi lead the team to a halt. This time Sakura made her way over to her for their stretching session since it was obvious she was cramping up really badly. Paige groaned, grunted, and then eventually sighed as her muscles were coaxed back into proper working order.

 

“Thanks. You have no idea how nice it is to move without pain for me.” Paige flopped onto her back and just enjoyed her newly relaxed muscles.

 

Sakura giggled. “I think I have an idea from all of those noises you were making.”

 

“Yeah, and they were some pretty interesting noises, too!” Naruto exclaimed. “If I didn't know any better, or if I didn't already have Hinata, I'd be really hot for two girls going through strange positions while one was moaning really loudly.” He turned teasingly to Sasuke, “Teme, you might have some competition!” Naruto was blushing, snickering, and pointing at the sprawled out Paige.

 

Paige couldn't help it. She started to crack up! She was laughing so hard that the unthinkable happened…she started to snort while laughing! Paige's amusement from Naruto just doubled after she saw the group's expressions when she let out the first snort. Her eyes were tearing by the time she was able to calm herself back down. “Naruto, you have no idea how much I needed that!” Smiles and a happy eye crease were shared as Paige sat up and dried her eyes.

 

“You can have your sharp and pointy kunai now that you've come back to sanity,” Kakashi joked while handing over the object.

 

“Sakura gets to supervise. As a woman she's the official authority responsible for not letting me make a bald spot.” Paige then grabbed at a lock of her hair on the back of her head, trying not to grab too much. “Would that look noticeable to you?” she questioned.

 

“Nope, that should be good.” Sakura responded.

 

Closing her eyes, Paige cut the lock of hair and handed the kunai back to Kakashi. “Thanks. But I have a question for everyone.” She continued once she noticed she had everyone's attention. “I can do this on the move since I know our break is over. But since I'm in a group, I'd like to include everyone when I make the offering to the spirits of the six directions.” She received a blank stare, a raised eye brow, and two confused looks. “There wouldn't be anything for you to do, I don't need more hair. Hair is kind of like giving a piece of you to the spirits—kinda intimate and only used when you have nothing else to give. And you can say no…it's just generally polite to ask anyone else if they want to participate.”

 

The four ninjas looked at each other for a few moments. Paige was surprised by Sasuke's response. He calmly shrugged, reached for his own kunai, and cut off some of his own hair and handed it over. Before she knew it, she was holding locks of hair from everyone. Her eyes began to tear again, but they were still happy tears. Paige had no idea if they understood how much it meant to her that they were willing to take part in the offering with her. She was still looking down at the hair with tears in her eyes when Kakashi offered her a hand to help her stand.

 

“Don't look so surprised.” Blinking she stood up, with Kakashi's help. He smiled down at her for a moment then turned around. “All aboard!” Paige was a little awkward in resuming her ride since she was clutching the bundle of hair in one hand. But with barely any effort that she could notice, the group resumed their trek through the tree tops.

 

She took a moment to visualize drawing some of her life force into the bundle of hair in her hand. “Which way is North?” she questioned. Kakashi's hand pointed to her left. “Please don't be behind me. When I'm done I'm going to release the hair into the wind, and you probably don't want it in your face.” The three younger ninja's obliged her and moved to flanking positions. “Ok, I'm going to start now.”

 

For once, Kakashi put away his book. It was a nice gesture.

 

Paige began the offering ritual. She didn't have some of her tools, so she improvised. She started off with some soft chanting to center and cleanse herself—a simple one. It told of Wakan Tanka and his love for all things. After feeling centered and grounded, Paige turned her attention to the bundle of hair again. She held it up above her head to Father Sun and Wakan Tanka. She held it as far down as she could to Mother Earth. She held it to the North to Waboose. She held it to the East for Wabun. She held it to the South for Shawnodese. She held it to the West for Mudjekeewis. For each of the six directions she offered a small chant thanking the spirit of the direction and the energy they represented. She then held it to her heart and again concentrated on feeling some of her energy go into the bundle. And then, Paige held the bundle of hair above her head, and let it go into the world. For the second time since coming to this strange new place, she felt another answer to her prayers. Satisfaction. Gratitude. Warmth. Encouragement. She relaxed into Kakashi and sighed contentedly. Paige noticed more of her nagging migraine pain had lessened.

 

“Are you OK?” Kakashi asked. “You gasped before.”

 

“Fine. I'm pretty sure I got a `thank you' for the offering and encouragement that I'm going in the right direction.” Paige took the silence in stride. Well, what was he supposed to say to that anyway? The rest of the group seemed to be wondering what to say too. She opted to smile encouragingly at them and pat Kakashi on the shoulder to reassure him. “I'm gonna do some meditation exercises now.”

 

Kakashi nodded. Paige absently noticed the book didn't reappear during the day's journey.

 

***

 

Before she realized it, night had approached. It was time to set up camp for the night. She had passed the traveling time with some visualization exercises. She had peaked into the part of her mind a little bit to see what would happen. There wasn't pain, but it was definitely overwhelming, so after only opening it up a fraction, she closed it. More heavy meditation with all of her tools was needed to work with that new development. Maybe some work with her personal totem as well. A vision lead her into this, maybe it could help her out again?

 

“We'll be at Konoha by mid-day tomorrow,” Kakashi informed them.

 

Paige and Sakura were doing their stretches while Naruto made suggestive comments to Sasuke. “Not that I haven't enjoyed the ride, but I think I'll be glad to be able to move around again on my own two feet. These cramps are going to be the end of me!” Paige complained, then groan as Sakura tried to coax her legs to move normally again.

 

“I think I'll enjoy not having a humpback,” Kakashi joked at Paige.

 

She stuck her tongue out at him. Then she got two ideas that made her giggle. She decided to inform Kakashi of one when her ultimate piggyback ride, as she had come to call it, was going to end. “Are we going to meet the Hokage tomorrow too?”

 

Kakashi nodded.

 

“Does she have a sense of humor?”

 

Naruto's eyes lit up. She was pretty sure the grin he was wearing mirrored her own. “What do you have in mind?”

 

“A surprise. It'd be mostly harmless. If you don't mention my abilities to her at first, but instead I just tell her things about any totems she has, I think it'd be fun to watch the expression on her face…as long as she doesn't react like you did, Naruto. No hard feelings, but no more sharp and pointy directed at me either.”

 

“I think we can manage a dramatic unveiling,” Kakashi's one eye gleamed while he stroked his chin through his mask. It appeared he had an inner prankster, too. She wondered about his mask a little. He never seemed to take it off. She knew he ate, but it appeared he ate at supersonic speeds because she would blink and the food was gone, mask firmly in place.

 

“Think you could manage a shower for me too? I feel kinda ripe,” Paige confessed.

 

“Standard procedure is debriefing first, hygiene later.”

 

She sighed and felt like pouting.

 

Naruto chuckled, “I think Ba-chan has gotten used to the smell of ripened ninja. Ripened civilian with strange abilities can't be too much different.”

 

Paige stuck her tongue out at Naruto and then set about arranging her borrowed bedroll for the night.

 

***

 

AN: Review Please!