Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Things Taught and The Things Learned ❯ The Things Taught and the Things Learned. ( One-Shot )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Who reads this block anyway? I could basically say anything here and nobody would notice, huh? Hey wanna hear a secret? No! Because you're not reading this! Hahah! *flashes you* This is fun. ^^
Anyway, I don't own Naruto, he owns me. XD

Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Martial Arts / | Type: One Shot | Uploaded On: 05.28.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.5K | Visits: 549 | Status: Completed

<<Hanabi-jou- Meh, I don't like one shots that much. I like long stories. Nonetheless, this was some thing that I had to get down on paper. It's from a picture that I saw on DeviantArt. So…whatever…>>

Note:

Kakashi: Age 18 (Also in ANBU)

Sakura: Age 4 (Hard to believe, ne?)

The Things Taught and the Things Learned

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. :: Fog laid like a blanket over the land. The void of emptiness seemed to go on for days, exploiting a sense of loneliness and melancholy. Kakashi tread through the thick foliage of the forest. His sandals were soaked through, emanating the squishing sound as he walked. He held two swords by his side. Though his mission was only to patrol the grounds just outside of Konoha, the mist created a paranoia in his mind. And being paranoid meant that he would live another day, and so on and so forth. Refocusing his mind back onto the task at hand, he heard a rustle just beyond the trees to the northwest. Kakashi immediately readied his open hand with a kunai. Jumping from branch to branch, he relied on his senses to find out where the noise was coming from. He heard another sound, this time it being a small cry. He stopped next to a small clearing, in a branch, and crouched readying himself for an ambush. However, his eyes widened at the scene before him. In the clearing by a small pond, sat a small girl. Her hair was pink, like the cherry blossoms in the spring, and mussed. Her face was slightly dirty. She wore a red kimono dress and small blue sandals. She looked as if she was only four, and she seemed to be crying. Kakashi sat in the branch for a few moments, trying to decide what he was going to do, when suddenly, frightened, emerald -sparkling eyes shifted quickly to exactly where Kakashi crouched. Kakashi stood, alarmed at this girl's unbelievably accurate senses, but his shift in weight caused the branch to crack and give out. Cursing, he crashed through the brush and plummeted to the ground.

Kakashi pulled himself out of the brush, his ANBU mask dislodged. Pulling that mask up on one side, the other half still covering his left eye. He shook some leaves out of his loose hair and opened his eyes to find tear-filled eyes staring at him. There was a long moment of tense silence and though Kakashi would never admit it he was slightly embarrassed from being spotted by a mere child. The pink-haired girl slowly backed away from Kakashi but stopped in front of a tree. Kakashi stood up and brushed himself off.

“ Where are your parents, little one?” He said as gently as possible. He knew how kids could be around strangers and he didn't want to frighten her.

The child didn't respond. Kakashi inched closer to her. “ Are you lost?” He asked quietly. The girl didn't respond, but her eyes filled with unshed tears and she bit her lip, scrunching up her face.

“ Now,” Kakashi walked over to her and bent down, “ What's wrong?”

Tears fell out of the girl`s eyes. Then, standing up, she said, “ Mommy says that if I want to be a k-kunoichi, then I shouldn't cry…,” she said bringing up her small hands to wipe her eyes, only making more tears fall out.

Surprised yet again by her words, Kakashi thought well before choosing his words, “ You mother is right,” he stated silently, “ …but kunoichi as well as other ninja have feelings as well. It's only bad when a ninja shows their tears in battle,” he talked as he reached up with his kunai and cut a small, flower filled branch from the tree behind the girl and handed it to her, grinning under his mask. The flowers on the branch were the same color as her hair, except each flower glimmered with a different shade. The girl stared wide-eyed at the flower-filled branch and back up at Kakashi, wiping her eyes again.

“ What's your name?” Kakashi asked suddenly.

The girl hesitated, “ S-sakura.”

“ A very pretty name,” he told her.

Sakura grinned, blushing.

“ Sakura, remember, it's always important to protect everything that you love, even if you have to show your tears,” he whispered to her taking her hand and tucking the flower-filled branch into it, grinning once more.

Sakura suddenly latched onto Kakashi, holding her arms around his waist and not letting go. Kakashi stood up, a bit flustered, but laughing. Pulling her up into his arms, he jumped into the tree and jumped from branch to branch towards the village. To his dismay, Sakura wiggled out of his hold and jumped over his shoulder. His eyes widened at her actions and he stopped abruptly, but, let out a relieved sigh as felt her weight on his back. He looked over his shoulder to find her, now ambitious, face looking ahead of him. He pulled her legs around his torso and continued on. Once they got to the gates of the village, he let her down and she ran through them.

“ Do you know where your home is?” He called to her running form.

She turned around and grinned at him, nodding vigorously.

“ Don't go wandering into the forest again! It's dangerous there!” he called just as she turned onto a street. Kakashi sighed, rubbing the side of his head. “Note to self: Never have children…” he muttered, turning around and returning to the post that he had abandoned.:: .

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TBC -- Sequel to this Story: Currently Untitled. (Coming soon!)