Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Reflection of Oneself ❯ Recherch� ( Chapter 26 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

The Reflection of Oneself

Chapter 26: Recherché

Strength.

How do you measure strength? Is it by physical endurance, or by mental prowess? One can be strong in many different ways, which is why you should never judge a person as weak simply by appearance alone. It is the experiences we face in life that give us the power to make or break - the many diverging paths that lead to beyond our earthly confines.

Fire consumes, earth crushes, waves clash, lightning strikes, winds roar and the spirit with us all lives to fight another day. Perhaps we do the many things to be strong because we feel the need to more then just an insignificant part of the bigger picture. And in doing so, we fail to realize we are not insignificant, because without our experiences - no matter how short our time in this world may be - that bigger picture would not exist.

So how do you measure strength? Look at the world around you for a while and you will find many examples of strength, and what it means to those who wield it.

Hyuuga Hanabi yawned and flipped to the next page of the murder mystery novel she was reading. It had become a habit when she wasn't busy with other things, like training or partaking in missions or tormenting her annoying genin. She had decided a week ago that her team would take a brake from missions and focus on honing their various skills. They were sorely lacking in many departments, which meant that some training wasn't a bad idea.

After only a week, they were already showing considerable improvement, which only made her job easier. At the moment, Toboe and her dog were currently busy working trying to prefect their own variations of adding a Raiton jutsu to her clan's jutsu while Kozue tore up the immediate vacantly with various Fuuton jutsu using his battle fan. Nanikato on the other hand was lounging under a tree, multitasking; reviving a new kenjutsu style and writing out a detailed report as to why the Uchiha and the flute wielder Tayuya should be set free. When it was finished, he would be giving it to Shikamaru so that the Hokage could present to the village council.

What the boy didn't know, however, was the council the pushing for duo's execution by the middle of next month. He was going to be furious when he found out.

Shaking away those stray thoughts, Hanabi returned to her book. The main characters, Kouichi and Kouji had finally made a breakthrough in the mystery surrounding the murder of their father. Breakthrough or not, however, it was still impossible to tell which of the five suspects was the true murderer. After having read this far - and she wasn't a Hyuuga for nothing - Hanabi had a hunch that was their younger brother, Sanjirou, who had masterminded the murder.

Ten minutes and many pages later when she was finally going to learn who the real killer was once and for all, Hanabi sensed the presence of an approaching shinobi.

Muttering to here, she marking the page and slipped the book into her hip pouch, tapping her foot as she waited. A few moments later, a young man - whom she faintly recognized from the Chuunin Exams, though she couldn't remember his name - dropped out of the trees several feet away and move toward her position.

“Hyuuga-sama.” he bowed.

Raising an eyebrow, she nodded.

“Yes?”

“The Hokage asked me to deliver this to you.” the chuunin replied as he handed her a piece of paper, bowed again, and disappearing in a small puff of smoke.

`Brief and too the point…' she though idly.`It seems that my reputation precedes me.'

Looking down at the note, she began to read its contents with frown. Scowling in frustration, she crumpled the piece of paper into a ball and stuffed it in her pocket. Bringing her forefingers to her lips, Hanabi let loose a shrill whistle that caused her students to freeze and look up from their respective tasks. Without a word, the foursome made they're way to her and stood waiting for orders, albeit the younger two didn't look thrilled.

“I want to three to continue what your doing until I get back.”

Kozue blinked. “Where are you going?”

“To speak with the Hokage. Apparently he has a mission for us.”

“But didn't you request the next two and half weeks of to give us time to train?” Toboe protested, Yukimaru yapping in unison.

“I did, but that doesn't mean we can't be called back to duty if needed.”

Nanikato nodded, understanding her perfectly.

“Come on guys, let's get back to work,” he said, drawing them along with him as he turned and began walking back into the field. “Oh and Kozue, I think I have jutsu that would go perfectly with training.”

Hanabi smirked.

Slipping into a rudimentary shunshin, the indigo haired woman vanished in a puff of smoke. A few minutes later, she reappeared outside Hokage Tower and proceeded to enter the building with same frown she had worn when she read Shikamaru's note. Seeing the scowl, everyone else in the tower say fit to avoid her like the plague, knowing that crossing an angry Hyuuga was the last thing they wanted to do.

Half a dozen pleasantries later, she found herself in the Hokage's office, his pearl eyes trained on the brown haired man with the pineapple hairstyle seated behind the desk.

“You summoned me.”

It wasn't a question.

“Yes. I have a mission for you and your team.”

Her eyebrow twitched.

“I requested two weeks uninterrupted time to allow my students to train, or have you forgot.”

Shikamaru laughed. To some, that would have been an insult. For him, it was simply hollow banter. “Of course I haven't, but the mission that requires the serves of your team bypasses such granted requests.”

“Oh? And what would that be?”

“I need your team, along with Team Four, is to participate in a joint-undercover mission to protect Kazekage's fiancée during the upcoming festival.”

“Nani?”

Hanabi's pale eyes widened, then turned icy at the mere mention of Team Four.

Konohamaru's team.

Shikamaru didn't bother to acknowledge her surprise. “I have recently discussed the information received about the assassination plot with Gaara,” he continued. “He agrees as I do that too much effort has been put into preparing for this festival to cancel it now. If we were to do that, then it would not be possible to catch the traitors in the act. There also stands the fact that Koharu, Homura and Danzo are three of the village's oldest and most respected elders - they cannot charge with treason without creditable proof. It means taking a hefty risk, but I will not allow those senile old fools to ruin this village.”

She considered what he had told her, mulling it over in her head to hopefully find some loophole in which she could use to get out of it seeing as her Hyuuga pride wouldn't let her refuse the mission outright.

“Matsuri-sama is a jounin, is she not?”

The lazy Hokage nodded, but did not concede to her point.

“Matsuri-san may be an accomplished Jounin, yes, but she is also heavily pregnant. Seeing as she will be participating in the pageant, there will be times when she will be vulnerable. Due to the fact that she is, of course, a jounin, she also refuses to accept a personal bodyguard. Gaara and I were hoping that if you and Konohamaru were to send your students in undercover, then the Unholy Trinity would be less inclined to sniff out our plans to turn their plot upside-down. Do you understand?”

“I understand completely,” Hanabi replied curtly, a demanding glare blooming on her pale features as her hands remained on her hips. “But why Konohamaru?”

Shikamaru leaned backward, sighing. In all honesty, he should have expect this

“Its simple, really. When it was decided who would teach the newest batch of genin, Sarutobi Konohamaru was given this generation's espionage and reconnaissance specialists. In turn, Hoshizora Tsukiyo was given this generation's interrogation and apprehension specialists, and Sugi Kenzai was given this generation's combat specialists. Konohamaru-kun's team complements your own, as your students are a hybrid of the three. Each of your students possess exceptional espionage skills perfectly suited for this mission and on top of that, Kozue-kun has the qualifications of low ranking field medic while Nanikato has the powers of his unique bloodline at his disposal.”

“And what about the two Inuzuka? They remind me of how Neji-itoko was with Hinata-neesan before his enlightenment; only the hate is perfectly mutual. That could cause problems…”

“Knowing you, Hanabi-san,” the Nara laughed lazily. “Those two wouldn't dare run the risk involving you in their family feud.”

She smirked. “You would be correct. Those two would receive the beating of a lifetime for crossing me and then they would locked up in the same room together for seventy-two hours until they could repent properly.”

“So you'll do it?”

“Of course. Have if refused an order from you yet, Hokage-sama?”

“Well… there was the time you disobeyed that directive I gave you back when I was still commander of the Oinin.”

Hanabi couldn't help but scowl as that particular memory resurfaced.

“That filthy bastard had the nerve to feel me up and I was well within my rights to castrate him. He was alive as ordered, simply delivered with a few missing pieces.”

“Very well then.” he sighed, crossing his legs ever so slightly while changing the topic. “You may go now. I still need to brief Konohamaru on this mission. He and team will find you as soon as we're finished.”

Resigned to her cruel fate, the young Hyuuga bowed and briskly left the office.

-.ooOoo.-

“No, no, no - you're getting it all wrong.”

Kozue sighed, shrugging off his red jacket and tossing it to the side. Whipping sweat from his brow and sitting down with his arms crossed, he gazed up at Nanikato like nothing more then a huffy child who wasn't getting his way. The blonde, of course, ignored him, proceeding to explain why it was important to focus on the timing when performing the B-rank wind/sound jutsu hybrid Mansakebigoe.

“If you execute this attack too soon,” Nanikato lectured. “Then it rendered partially ineffective. You have to have your target respectable range - the farther they are away from you, the less likely it will be to keep them paralyzed enough for the finishing blow. You also have to take into account the speed in which your target is moving at; if you aren't quick enough, then they'll be out of range by the time you execute the attack.”

The crimson-eyed boy began to mutter darkly, which received him a smack upside the head.

“And don't you mutter at me! I might have been no better then you when I started, but you don't have Tayuya-oneesama repeatedly pummeling you until you learn the proper way of doing it. Count yourself blessed.”

So once that was all said and done, Kozue when back to practicing. While Nanikato was his temporary teacher, he was also acting as his practice target. But that also meant the blonde was inclined to use new kenjutsu style on him as well…

“Raiton: Inazuma Ya!”

Kozue let out a yelp as a lightning bolt suddenly stun his behind and left his right butt cheek feeling like it had been attacked by a swam of bees. Whirling around, he faced a smirking Toboe who was her lightning bow as the read as she charged it up for another attack.

“No fair!” he cried, rubbing he wounded rump. “That's two against one!”

“Three against one - don't forget about Yukimaru!”

“Who could forget about that little fleabag…” Kozue muttered.

“What did you say!?”

He screamed, his pretty features screwing up in fear as began dodging multiple bolts of lighting and Nanikato's blade. Pretty soon the blonde and the silver haired girl were side by side, preparing to launch and attack on Kozue when the sudden sound of laughter that caused the two teammates to cease their assault. While they were distracted, it gave Kozue the chance to catch Toboe off guard and sweep her off her feet with a single swing of his battle fan.

“Kegawa! How are you doing!?”

Toboe scowled as Nanikato dodge past her, not even bothering to help her to her feet as he racing across the field to greet her loathed cousin. She had to control the urge to pout as she brushed off Kozue helping hand and stalked off after the blonde, Yukimaru at her heals.

At the other end of the training grounds, three kids their age and small white puppy that Nanikato was heading towards.

The first was Inuzuka Kegawa, deadlast of the graduating class. His burgundy hair was cut short, falling straight rather then spiking like a typical Inuzuka. He wore a blue and white camouflage jacket with fur-lined color along a white undershirt, a pair of black pants and basic blue sandals. Around his neck hung his hitai-ate and a silver pendant bearing the kanji for `loyal protector'. The white puppy by his side was Akiyo, an albino husky that had survived a cruel fate thanks to Kegawa's mercy.

The second was Aburame Hotaru, the second smarted female their age and younger sister of Aburame Shino. She had short black hair, which tied in a side ponytail with a pair of large blue bobbles and her hitai-ate on her forehead. She also wore a pair of dark green shorts, basic blue sandals, and a high collared baggy dark green and purple jacket that that covered the lower half of her face with dark blue sunglasses hiding her eyes.

The third was Hyuuga Kazaan, the second smartest male their age and a member of the Main Branch. His long indigo hair fell loosely around his shoulders rather then held back like most his clan and pale eyes stared coolly ahead from under his hitai-ate. His cloths consisted of loose black pants, a tight black shirt, black gauntlets and a dark blue high collared cloak with silver buckles.

“What are you guys doing here?” Kozue asked while the blonde and the redhead started laughing about something.

The Aburame shrugged.

“Sensei sent us on ahead,” Hotaru replied. “And told us to wait here. Apparently Hokage-sama had something very important to discuss with him.”

“How fortunate for us…” the female Inuzuka muttered, glaring at her cousin's back.

“Anyway,” Kegawa said, turning around and waving in the direction of his teammates. “These are my teammates - the one wearing the sunglasses is Aburame Hotaru and the brooder is Hyuuga Kazaan.”

Nanikato turned towards his friend's teammates and froze. His eyes widened in dawning realization as he stared at the blue clad Hyuuga while a grin split his face and he burst out laughing.

“What?” Kazaan demanded indignantly, not liking being laughed at.

“Do you realize that you totally look like Vincent Valentine from Final Fantasy VII?”

The Hyuuga's left eyebrow twitched and his pale cheeks colored.

“I do not!”

A chorus of muffled chuckles said otherwise.

“Now that you mention it,” Toboe sniggered as she realized that the older boy's comparison was spot on. “You really do look like Vincent, Kazaan - except your cloak is blue instead of red. Are trying to cosplay him?”

“Do I look like I am cosplaying?”

The whole scenario, of course, was just too good for Kegawa to pass up - even if he was inadvertently aiding Toboe in burning Kazaan - and began grinning like a small child that had consumed way too much sugar.

“You know what!?” he laughed. “How about we form a cosplay group? Nanikato can be Cloud, Hotaru can be Yuffie, Kazaan-teme can be Vincent, Kozue can be Tifa...”

“NANI! WHY THE HELL DO I HAVE TO BE A FEMALE CHARACTER!?”

The Inuzuka smiled matter-of-factly. “`Cause you look like Tifa.”

The Sarutobi trembled with anger for a few moments before returning Kegawa's jib with a sneer.

“Really now? And what about you? Oh I know! You can be Kairi from Kingdom Hearts! You look just like her, you know.”

“I do not!”

The four spectators sweatdropped, sharing silent glances. Ironic as it was, the same thought went through their minds at the same time.

`Scary… he really doeslooks like Kairi.'

Kegawa growled. “Fine! Then if I'm Kairi, who is Toboe!?”

Kozue shrugged.

“Toboe can be Sephiroth.”

“NANI!” Toboe suddenly shrieked indignantly. “I AM SO NOT THE VILLAIN!”

Both boys looked at her and snorted. “You could have fooled me…”

“WHY YOU - ”

“Enough!”

The silver haired Inuzuka froze a hair's width away from punching the two boys. The six gathered genin and two canines turned in the direction that the voice had come from to see Hanabi - and Konohamaru trailing fearfully behind her - stalking angrily towards them.

The elder Hyuuga didn't look happy. Maybe it had something to do with the reason why Konohamaru was sporting a black eye that hadn't been there this morning…

Nanikato took in the older man's appearance, remembering that he had seen the man once during that meeting the Hokages after arriving in Konoha. His dark brown hair was cropped short and stood out with an disarray of spikes while forever laughing brown eyes twinkled stared down at them. He was dressed in dark blue pants, blue sandals and a white shirt that's sleeves ended at the elbows with a customized yellow and brown jounin's vest overtop. He also had a dark blow scarf wrapped around his neck and his hitai-ate on his forehead.

“So Konohamaru-sensei,” Hotaru asked, raising an eyebrow inquiringly. “Why are we here?”

Hanabi shot the older Sarutobi glare. “You didn't tell them?”

He flinched.

“No. We had been arrived at Hokage Tower for another mission when Shikamaru told me that he had a special one in mind. When he told me that it would involve your students as well, I sent them on ahead.”

“Fine.” the Hyuuga conceded, then turned her attention back on the six genin. “Now listen closely twerps, because I won't be repeating myself. As of today, the six of you will be participating a joint-undercover mission. Your objective is to protect Kazeno Matsuri, the Kazekage's fiancée during the festival. You will cooperate with everything I tell you, and I will not accept complaints about these arrangements. Do I make myself clear?”

Clearly intimidated, six compliant nods followed.

“Excellent. Now if you don't mind, would you please stop spying and get your perverted ass over here… Jiraiya-sama.”

“You're wish is my command, Hyuuga-chan.”

The six genin's eyes widened as the voice, turning just in time to see a familiar white haired man slip out of the nearest shadows and walk forward to join them. All but Nanikato bowed to the former Rokudaime, who opted on scowling at the pervert instead (he might be on good terms with old codger because of his deal with the Nanadaime, but that didn't mean he had to like him).

“You mean if I wished for permission to kill you,” she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You wouldn't fight back? I'm so flattered.”

Jiraiya waved his hands hastily.

“Of course not, my dear.”

“If you wish to leave with the parts that make you man still in tacked, I would suggest that you never call me your `dear' again.

“Right...” he sweatdropped, turning back to the genin. “Now, here are the details that you will all need to know in order to perform this mission to the best of your abilities.” he began. “Not long ago we received information from our of spies about a plot to assassinate key individuals during the festival. The conspirators plan to use the assassination as a way to usurp power over Konoha and in order to do this; they are going to need someone to blame. They will try to pin blame on the Kazekage for the simple reason that he was one a Jinchuuriki and their bias knows no bounds.”

He paused a moment, allowing the information to sink in before continuing.

“Because of this, we believe that they will target the Kazekage's fiancée, Matsuri. If she dies, then who would believe that he wasn't the killer, out for revenge? However, we have a few problems. Matsuri-sama is a proud woman and a strong jounin - pregnant to boot - which makes for a very dangerous combo. Since she refuses bodyguards, the only option left is to have some of own infiltrate the event in which she is partaking and watch over her. Now the event that Matsuri-sama will be participating in will be the beauty pageant - which I will be one of the judges for! In order to do so, you will have to get close to her without her knowing that you're there to protect her. ”

There were a few moments of silence while the six children absorbed the last of the information.

“So…” Kozue dared to question. “Toboe-chan and Hotaru-san will dressing like geisha or something?”

“No, no - we have a different job in store for the two of them.”

“Then how are you…”

The question slowly trailed off as they caught the wicked grin that was slowly creeping across the former Rokudaime's face.

“What I mean,” the Toad Sennin said with a perverted chuckle. “Is that thefour of you will be taking part in the pageant… and I have just the thing that will turn you fine young men in lovely young ladies!”

“NANI!?”

-.ooOoo.-

It was so ingenious that only a prankster the likes Uzumaki Naruto could create, and the blonde had taught his young disciple well.

After his idol had died, Sarutobi Konohamaru had made it his personal mission in life to uphold his late friend's legacy by becoming Konoha's next prankster extraordinaire and to help his memory live on.

He had been fourteen and, like any other boy his age, a pervert. It wasn't like it could be helped, being in his genetics of course - his grandfather had been one too, after all. He had been trying for months to perfect Naruto's Oiroke no Jutsu. All he wanted in the whole world was to be able sneak into the women's hot springs and steal a peek at his beloved Hanabi-chan without being slaughtered at the same time. Due to the fact that Hanabi had seen his henged female form numerous times and she also had a pair of eyes capable of seeing through any illusion. With that in mind, he had to create something that would bamboozle even the legendary eyes the Hyuuga clan.

So it couldn't be a henge. Rather, it had to be an actually transformation.

On a few occasions, Konohamaru was actually thankful he had Tsunade as an adoptive aunt. He always made sure that the old boozehound was unconscious when he raided her medical supplies and various chemical compounds, knowing that she'd kill him stealing if she was awake. Once he had squirreled enough supplies away for a couple test runs, the brunette had set to work reading up on human anatomy and basic biology.

And after numerous failed attempts, he had finally succeeded. The compound he had invented caused the drinker's genetic code to temporary rewrite itself, revealing to the world what a person would have been like if they had been born the opposite sex. His discovery, of course, was pure chance seeing as his foolhardy attempts at playing god could have killed him a hundred times over; it had been the panicle of his prankster career.

Alas, Tsunade had caught him.

Although she was impressed by the knowledge, hard work and ingenuity that had been employed to successfully create such a revolutionary idea, the fact remained that a pervert had created it. For that reason, he had received the beating a lifetime. As the first part of his punishment, she classified his concoction - which he had called the Oiroke Elixir - a SS-rank medical compound and forbid him to make more on the pain of death. However, the second part of his punishment was to force him to drink enough of the elixir to last a year, then sent him on an undercover mission in Kirigakure… where he was grabbed and fondled - and thankfully not rapped - by the Mist's most notorious perverts.

Despite being created for a pervert's intentions, Tsunade had allowed the production of his elixir for only the most important of undercover missions where only woman were needed. And although she hadn't said a word, every man ever to be involved in these `little missions' knew Tsunade liked the fact that she now had a way to make men truly suffer…

“So…” Konohamaru ventured softly, looking down at his young female student. “How do you think it's going to turn out?”

The Aburame snorted and gazed up at him blandly. “Its painfully obvious that their going to kill you when this is all over.”

He laughed, but it was strained.

Sighing, the chocolate haired young man turned back towards the four occupied change rooms.

Thankfully Jiraiya was currently hospitalized and unable to torment the boys further by trying to peek on them or something. As fate would have it, as soon as he learned that he was going to have to become a girl for this mission, Kozue had outright attacked the old letch - former Hokage and honorary uncle be damned. Armed with his mother's righteous fury, the crimson-eyed boy had become nothing short of a juggernaut as he launched himself with hands like claws seeking to strangle the man who had doomed him. One blood pulp later, Kozue was finally pried off of Jiraiya. Sulking, the boy was unable to salvage already wounded male pride.

There was jingle from the doors at the other end of the room, in which Hanabi and Toboe were admitted back into the store.

“We're back.” the Hyuuga said, grinning savagely as she held up a disposable camera; Toboe behind her holding two shopping begs full of disposable cameras. “These little babies are going to give us enough blackmail to last five lifetimes.”

Konohamaru and Hotaru shivered, pitying the boys even more when Toboe started bragging about how she was going to put all the pictures she took in her scrapbook and then threaten to put them on public display as soon as their mission was over.

“So… what twerp took which outfit?” Hanabi asked, gazing towards the silent doors at other end of the store.

“We wouldn't know.” Hotaru replied. “Konohamaru-sensei put them into separate boxes and then mixed up. He then made the boys choose one without knowing which outfit was inside.”

Toboe pouted. “Well damn. I hope Kegawa gets - ”

Suddenly, the first of the four change room doors slowly opened and Kazaan stepped out.

In Hanabi's opinion, her young cousin didn't looked anything like his parents, though all Hyuuga in general tended to look a lot alike. He looked like their great grandfather, who had earned him a special place among the adults that remembered the great man. Now, he looked surprisingly like her mother - and thus like Hinata. Since many married inside the clan to keep the bloodline strong - although marring outside the clan everyone once and awhile help to avoid incest - and that meant there was only three generations separating her parents. As such, her mother would have been Kazaan's aunt if she had lived.

She was lucky to have unknowingly picked the outfit perfect for a Hyuuga with a not so liberal sense of fashion. Dressed in a simple white kimono with dark pink patches, puberty's defining curves were well hidden; a dark green sarong wrapped around her waist. Her long blue black hair fell loosely to mid back where the last several inches was tied with a plain white ribbon and large pearl colored eyes were stared out from under long lashes - the full lips drawn out in a thin, displeased line.

“Wow…” Toboe commented, clapping. “You don't look half bad Kazaan.”

The newly transformed girl glared back at her.

Hanabi clicked her tongue. “You're going to need a new name - something upholds Hyuuga tradition, but won't give it way.”

“Ruri.”

Four sets of eyes turned to Hotaru. The bug-girl straightened her sunglasses and barest smile could be seen from behind her high collar.

“Ruri - a girl's name meaning lapis lazuli. It matches closely with the color of her hair and the rigid elegancy know of the Hyuuga clan.”

Kazaan nodded approvingly.

“That is what my mother had been planning on naming me if I had been born a girl. Good choice.”

Small talk ensued, as no one could find the right words to say to that wouldn't seem out of place, while Toboe took pictures.

A minute late, the second door opened and Kozue emerged.

To Konohamaru's amazement, the girl standing before them wasn't the chibi clone of Kurenai that he had been expecting. Although she retained the large doe-like crimson eyes, Kozue's once wavy midnight hair had become a stiff chocolate brown that fell just short of her shoulders like a shag carpet. Along with an even more petite figure and the defining curves of a female, she had fuller lips and darker skin. All in all, if Kozue had been born a girl, he would have looked more like his father rather then his mother.

She waved nervously. “H - hi…”

She was dressed in a pair of black short shorts and a white halter-top with pink lace trim and a pink hood. A pale blue and white ruffled, three-layered half skirt was tied around his waist, its tassels dangling loosely.

“Hmmm…” Konohamaru pondered, then smiled. “You can be Shizuka.”

Kozue smiled.

“Thanks itoko. Kaa-san's favorite perfume is `Shizuka'.”

Kazaan snorted. “Pansy…”

“This is so not fair!” a feminine suddenly voice shrieked, which kept Kozue from attacking the feminized Hyuuga.

They turned towards Kegawa's stall and sighed - or in Toboe's case, a smirk. If anyone of the boys aside from Kozue was most attached to his male pride, it was Kegawa. The change room door slammed open to admit a girl that made they're eyes go wide. While her close cropped red hair stayed relatively the same, it seemed to have taken on a shine and her tri-colored eyes had become large and deceptively innocent - hiding the fire behind them. Even Toboe, who hated his - her - guts, couldn't help but gape at her cousin - as a girl, he was cute! Sure Kazaan and Kozue had their own charm, true, but nothing could outdo the sheer cuteness that was completely Kairi.

To her utter dismay, Kegawa had unwitting chosen the outfit that was intended for him - a cosplay costume fit for someone dressing up like Kingdom Hearts' leading lady. Like Kozue, she was wearing a pair of short shorts, although her's being a light purple and doubled as a short skirt and was held in place by a dark purple belt. She also wore a pair of tank tops - white with purple trim over black with white trim.

Kozue smirked - sweet revenge never tasted so good.

“Why, now don't you look cute… Kairi.”

“My name isn't going to be Kairi!” the girl snapped. “It's going to be Mio!”

“Mio? You really want to be called `beautiful cheery'?”

“It's what kaa-san would want if she knew about this - its tradition.” Kagawa harrumphed turned and look at Kazaan. “How come you get the better outfit?”

Kazaan only glared.

Now that there was only one person left to torment, Toboe pushed past the trio of feminized males and proceeded to bang loudly on Nanikato's change room door.

“Hey blondie! Hurry it up in there already!”

When no answer followed, the other wandered over and knocked on the door again.

“Nanikato… are you alright in there?”

A muffled sob could be heard from the other side. “K-Kami-sama h-hates me. Why doom me so?”

“Nanikato?”

Another sob followed.

Hotaru shock her head sadly. “It would appear that Nanikato-san is suffering from premenstrual syndrome.”

Hanabi and Toboe nodded knowing while the three other boys turned girl stared to her with confused expressions; Konohamaru shuddered in remembrance of those cruel times.

Toboe snorted.

“Three letters girls - P.M.S.”

The looks of confusion soon turned to looks of seer terror.

“Y-you mean we're going to g-go through that too!?” Kegawa yelped.

Konohamaru sighed; leading the three transformed boys aside and began telling them he had learned to deal with during his own time as a woman - things that they themselves would undoubtedly learn. While he did that, the three natural born females were busy trying to sooth the weeping girl on the other side of the change room door. And although they tried, it was hard to help since no one had seen her yet and thus did not know the reason to her misery.

And during the same moment that experience and common sense had deserted him, Konohamaru spoke without thinking. “Oh come on - if I could survived it, so can you.”

Hanabi, Toboe and Hotaru grimaced, looking at the man with something akin to pity as the door was nearly blasted off its hinges, catching the brunette by surprise as it slammed into him. It only took a second of disorientation to spell doom for the man with the loose lips. The mood of girl that had once been inside had done a complete 360, as mourning turned to rage. And to the six pairs of eyes watching as she pummeled Konohamaru for his utter lack of sympathy, could only be explained with one word:

Gorgeous.

“MY HAIR IS PINK!!” Nanikato was screaming, forgotten tears still clinging to her eyelashes as murky greenish blue eyes flashed with rage as her hands locked on the scarf around the older Sarutobi's neck and began to throttle him.

She was dressed in a pair of tight black pants and white undershirt with black sleeves and a thigh length lavender vest that revealed some cleavage. An ankle length pink obi with thin red cord tied in a bow around her waist while a pair of lavender gauntlets the matched her vest covered her arms. But what really had their attentions weren't her clothes, but her hair. Like the original spiky blonde she had as a male, her hair was shoulder length, though it had lost the majority of its oomph. Instead of blonde though, it was pale, carnation pink with a few streaks of dark pink and red framing her face.

“Wha! Gomen! I didn't mean it - have mercy!”

“Liar!”

“Please! I'm too young to die!”

“Do you really think I care!? If onee-sama wasn't locked up in the dungeon, I'd have her decapitate your `mini me', sympathy or no!”

“But pink's not that bad. Its actually - gah!”

The rosette tightened her grip, causing Konohamaru to choke.

“Pink is the most hideous color in existence!” she snapped. “Any woman with it growing from their heads is insane - Sakura-san is proof enough of that! You even look at her cross-eyed and she thumps you! Oh, I bet she'll try to get me to join her club. And lets not forget about Karin-baba! I mean hell - she likes to smash in Suigetsu-san's face because it always turns into water and reforms! That bitch is psycho! Now what have you got to say for yourself, huh?”

Silence followed.

She looked down at him and it suddenly became apparent why he wasn't answering - Konohamaru had blacked out from asphyxiation. With a sigh, the rosette let the bruised and bloodied man drop with a resounding thump, disgusted.

“…I need chocolate - lots and lots of chocolate.”

-.ooOoo.-

Translations/Original Jutsu:

Kouichi - a name meaning `happiness and one'

Kouji - a name meaning `abundance and two'

Sanjirou - a name meaning `third reigning son'

Hoshizora - Starry sky

Tsukiyo - Moonlit night

Sugi - Cedar

Kenzai - Hardwood

Ruri - a name meaning `lapis lazuli'

Shizuka - a name meaning `quiet perfume'

Mio - a name meaning `beautiful cheery'

Raiton: Inazuma Ya/Lightning Release: Lightning Arrow - a lower to mid C-rank ninjutsu. Compatible only when used in unison with a specialized lightning bow, this technique allows multiple bolts of electricity to be discharged. The power behind the bolts lays in how much charka the user puts into them - the stronger the bolt, the quicker one beings to run out of chakra. Most noticeable effect is the burning sensation much like that of a bee sting. Note: the less charka feed into a bolt, the better - more chance of causing damage if the attack can be spread out.