Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Written In Ink ❯ Chapter 18
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Desiree Dee 
After finding out Naruto's secret, Sumi must leave and begin her training with Tsunade.
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Shounen / Martial Arts / Drama / Comedy / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 03.22.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.9K | Visits: 392 | Status: Work In Progress
After finding out Naruto's secret, Sumi must leave and begin her training with Tsunade.
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Shounen / Martial Arts / Drama / Comedy / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 03.22.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.9K | Visits: 392 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter 18
Sumi stared sullenly at the bowl in front of her. She had no idea what to do. She couldn’t tell Naruto, she had promised Tsunade, but as a friend she didn’t like to keep secrets from him. She was suddenly jerked out of her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder.
“Sumi? Are you feeling ok?” Naruto asked. “You’re only on your third bowl.” She just blinked at him for a moment. Trying to think of what she could say without blindly blurting out her dark secret.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know how to put this, but” She fumbled for how to put this bit of information. “I won’t be able to see you for awhile,” The statement caused Naruto to drop his chopsticks.
“What?” He wasn’t sure what she was saying. “Why?”
Upon finding out about Naruto’s father, Tsunade told Sumi that she needed to keep away from Naruto until she had learned enough control to not let it slip out by accident. She was permitted the last meeting so that she could give him an explanation. Knowing that she would not be able to lie to him, they came up with one that would also be a truth.
“Tsunade wants me to start some intense training.” She turned her head back towards her bowl and stirred the contents as she spoke. “Apparently, she has a very important mission for me, but won’t tell me what it is until she feels I’m ready to handle it. So, she putting me through some specialized training. I won’t see anybody while I’m doing it. She wants me to put my full concentration into it.”
“I guess I understand.” He squinted at her a bit. Then turned back to his bowl. Suddenly he wasn’t as hungry as he thought he was. “You have to promise me something.” She took a moment to look over at him.
“What is it?”
“You have to teach me whatever cool new technique she shows you.” A big grin came over his face that caused her to smile back.
“I’ll do my best.” She felt bad leading him on like that, but she liked him better when he was happy.
“You’ll have to fight me too.” He added. “If your gonna be my bodyguard, you’re better be able to protect me from myself.” He meant it as a joke, but it gave Sumi a bit of a shock. The off-handed comment reminded her of some of the finer details she had read in that text the night before.
“Sure.” She said, trying to keep the shock from her face. Then, she turned and they finished their meal in companionable silence.
88888888
“Who’s going to run things while you’re gone?” Shizune asked.
“You are of course.” Tsunade responded. “You practically do it now, only difference will be that you won’t be going on any missions.”
“What about appearances? You know you’ve got the…”
“That’s two months away, and I will be back in plenty of time for that.” Tsunade cut her assistant off.
“Do you really think this girl is worth it? Even you said..” Shizune let the sentence hang this time.
“Were you worth it, Shizune?” Tsunade asked. “Besides, I think there’s more to this girl than even she knows, and I’m going to find out what it is.”
“What about the hospital? I may be able to handle one job or the other, but I can’t do all of your normal duties, plus your tour with the patients.”
“Use Sakura.” Tsunade responded. “What she can’t handle, you can do and she can take care of paperwork. If you still have problems, consult the elders. Sometimes you have to rely on many people to get work done. There’s no shame in it.”
“I just want to make sure this isn’t an excuse to fall back to your old ways.” Shizune chided. “If I couldn’t keep you from making all of those bets, Sumi doesn’t stand a chance.”
“Don’t worry.” Tsunade confirmed. “We won’t be near any villages for this training. She’ll be kept in complete isolation.”
“Then why are you packing all of those books?”
“I made a promise that I intend to keep.”
88888888
“We need to keep far enough away the group doesn’t notice us.” Temari said.
“And the other ninja’s have been informed of our presence.” Shikamaru said.
“I’m going too.” A calm voice interrupted their preparations.
“Gaara.” Temari stared at him with an open mouth.
“I’ll be walking with the circus themselves. It only makes sense, since you followed them here from your village.” He directed his statement towards Shikamaru. “It will be a long journey, and it is their final stop before they head back to wherever it is they came from.”
“So, this Is our last chance to find out what happened all those years ago.” Shikamaru shifted into his thinking position. “This truly is troublesome.” Temari placed her hand on Gaara’s shoulder and pulled him to the side.
“Why Gaara?” she asked.
“Her father apparently loved her.” His voice never showed any level of emotion. “No one had the right to take that love away from her.” He walked away leaving Shikamaru and Temari alone once more.
“Love seems very important to him.” Shikamaru observed.
“He didn’t have very much of it growing up, and even though he tried to have him killed, I still think the murder of his father affected him.” She stated.
“I think in a way this might be a chance for him to avenge his own father’s death.” He never moved from his position. “Since Orichimaru is out of reach at the moment.”
“That’s what bothers me.” She sat down next to him. “He hasn’t even met Sumi. He may not be as cold-hearted as he once was, but he hasn’t shown anyone any form of kindness since he was very young. Even if he’s trying to change, nobody does it overnight.”
“We have bigger concerns at the moment.” He reminded her. “Let him do as he wishes. Our biggest concern is figuring out what’s really going on with that circus.”
88888888
“I can’t wait for Shikamaru to get back.” Kakashi sighed.
“You were the one that decided to cut your vacation short, besides, I thought you liked working with me.” Iruka teased.
“Only when you’re not so damn cheerful.” He replied. At that moment, one of the children passed as he was doing laps. Her eyes grew wide and a grin spread across her face.
“Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn.” She shouted as she giggled and ran past.
“Now you’ve done it, Kakashi.” Iruka stated before he ran over to quiet the child before the others started to imitate.
“What?” He shrugged and muttered under his breath. “Doesn’t matter anyway, they always end up using it on a daily basis by the time they graduate.”
88888888
“I’m wary of the red-headed boy.” Methuselah commented.
“What does it matter?” Dmitrii replied as he prepped his horse. “The last village had one of their own follow us.”
“Yes, but we had never been to that village before. We’ve been here, and they didn’t have anyone escort us ten years ago.”
“That was ten years ago.” Dmitri mounted his horse and looked down on the other man. “Besides, there’s barely anyone here that remembers us still around. Even their leader is different. No one can suspect us for what we have done.”
“I highly doubt that has been what’s bothering me.” Methuselah answered.
“You have nothing to worry about, you didn’t kill the man.” The ringmaster reigned in the horse to get him walking. “My only regret is that we haven’t replaced our main attraction. I would have been sure that she’d come after us by now.”
“I told him we should never have returned to this place.” The hypnotist walked over to his own wagon to get it on its way.
88888888
“I did what you asked me to do.” Sumi replied lowly. Tsunade brought her hand to the girl’s chin and gently lifted it so she could look her in the eye.
“I know it’s hard, but the only way he can find out is if he becomes Hokage himself.” She replied. A tear welled in Sumi’s eye.
“He said that I’d have to fight him when I got back.” Sumi pulled out of Tsunade’s grasp. “He smiled and said that I’d have to get strong enough to protect him from himself.” She looked down as she wiped her eyes. “I know he meant it as a joke, but knowing what I know…..”
“And that’s why we can’t tell him. Only by becoming Hokage will he have gained the strength needed to handle the news. Otherwise, it might be his undoing.”
“I can understand, it would tear me apart inside if I found out both my parents died because of my birth.” Sumi stared at her feet.
“They didn’t die because of him.” Tsunade told her. “You read it just as I did. They both sacrificed themselves to save the village and allow him to live. In a situation such as his, a cursed existence is better than no existence at all.”
“It’s just so sad.”
“It’s also a part of life, now grab your stuff, we have a lot of ground to cover before we reach our destination.”
88888888
“Oh, hi Shizune.” Sakura greeted. “Have you seen Sumi?”
“Tsunade has taken her for training, why?”
“Oh, no reason, I just wanted to ask her something.” Sakura turned to leave.
“Sakura, hold on.” Shizune came over to her. “Tsunade asked if you could cover her hospital shifts in her absence.”
“Sure, how long will they be gone?” She asked.
“From what Tsunade was saying, about two months.”
“Two months?” Sakura was crestfallen. “By then it would be too late.”
77777
I’m bringing this to you a little early thanks to the following people!
Crimson Edge and Raven_Thornheart!
Thank you so much for your support, hope you enjoy this chapter.
Sumi stared sullenly at the bowl in front of her. She had no idea what to do. She couldn’t tell Naruto, she had promised Tsunade, but as a friend she didn’t like to keep secrets from him. She was suddenly jerked out of her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder.
“Sumi? Are you feeling ok?” Naruto asked. “You’re only on your third bowl.” She just blinked at him for a moment. Trying to think of what she could say without blindly blurting out her dark secret.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know how to put this, but” She fumbled for how to put this bit of information. “I won’t be able to see you for awhile,” The statement caused Naruto to drop his chopsticks.
“What?” He wasn’t sure what she was saying. “Why?”
Upon finding out about Naruto’s father, Tsunade told Sumi that she needed to keep away from Naruto until she had learned enough control to not let it slip out by accident. She was permitted the last meeting so that she could give him an explanation. Knowing that she would not be able to lie to him, they came up with one that would also be a truth.
“Tsunade wants me to start some intense training.” She turned her head back towards her bowl and stirred the contents as she spoke. “Apparently, she has a very important mission for me, but won’t tell me what it is until she feels I’m ready to handle it. So, she putting me through some specialized training. I won’t see anybody while I’m doing it. She wants me to put my full concentration into it.”
“I guess I understand.” He squinted at her a bit. Then turned back to his bowl. Suddenly he wasn’t as hungry as he thought he was. “You have to promise me something.” She took a moment to look over at him.
“What is it?”
“You have to teach me whatever cool new technique she shows you.” A big grin came over his face that caused her to smile back.
“I’ll do my best.” She felt bad leading him on like that, but she liked him better when he was happy.
“You’ll have to fight me too.” He added. “If your gonna be my bodyguard, you’re better be able to protect me from myself.” He meant it as a joke, but it gave Sumi a bit of a shock. The off-handed comment reminded her of some of the finer details she had read in that text the night before.
“Sure.” She said, trying to keep the shock from her face. Then, she turned and they finished their meal in companionable silence.
88888888
“Who’s going to run things while you’re gone?” Shizune asked.
“You are of course.” Tsunade responded. “You practically do it now, only difference will be that you won’t be going on any missions.”
“What about appearances? You know you’ve got the…”
“That’s two months away, and I will be back in plenty of time for that.” Tsunade cut her assistant off.
“Do you really think this girl is worth it? Even you said..” Shizune let the sentence hang this time.
“Were you worth it, Shizune?” Tsunade asked. “Besides, I think there’s more to this girl than even she knows, and I’m going to find out what it is.”
“What about the hospital? I may be able to handle one job or the other, but I can’t do all of your normal duties, plus your tour with the patients.”
“Use Sakura.” Tsunade responded. “What she can’t handle, you can do and she can take care of paperwork. If you still have problems, consult the elders. Sometimes you have to rely on many people to get work done. There’s no shame in it.”
“I just want to make sure this isn’t an excuse to fall back to your old ways.” Shizune chided. “If I couldn’t keep you from making all of those bets, Sumi doesn’t stand a chance.”
“Don’t worry.” Tsunade confirmed. “We won’t be near any villages for this training. She’ll be kept in complete isolation.”
“Then why are you packing all of those books?”
“I made a promise that I intend to keep.”
88888888
“We need to keep far enough away the group doesn’t notice us.” Temari said.
“And the other ninja’s have been informed of our presence.” Shikamaru said.
“I’m going too.” A calm voice interrupted their preparations.
“Gaara.” Temari stared at him with an open mouth.
“I’ll be walking with the circus themselves. It only makes sense, since you followed them here from your village.” He directed his statement towards Shikamaru. “It will be a long journey, and it is their final stop before they head back to wherever it is they came from.”
“So, this Is our last chance to find out what happened all those years ago.” Shikamaru shifted into his thinking position. “This truly is troublesome.” Temari placed her hand on Gaara’s shoulder and pulled him to the side.
“Why Gaara?” she asked.
“Her father apparently loved her.” His voice never showed any level of emotion. “No one had the right to take that love away from her.” He walked away leaving Shikamaru and Temari alone once more.
“Love seems very important to him.” Shikamaru observed.
“He didn’t have very much of it growing up, and even though he tried to have him killed, I still think the murder of his father affected him.” She stated.
“I think in a way this might be a chance for him to avenge his own father’s death.” He never moved from his position. “Since Orichimaru is out of reach at the moment.”
“That’s what bothers me.” She sat down next to him. “He hasn’t even met Sumi. He may not be as cold-hearted as he once was, but he hasn’t shown anyone any form of kindness since he was very young. Even if he’s trying to change, nobody does it overnight.”
“We have bigger concerns at the moment.” He reminded her. “Let him do as he wishes. Our biggest concern is figuring out what’s really going on with that circus.”
88888888
“I can’t wait for Shikamaru to get back.” Kakashi sighed.
“You were the one that decided to cut your vacation short, besides, I thought you liked working with me.” Iruka teased.
“Only when you’re not so damn cheerful.” He replied. At that moment, one of the children passed as he was doing laps. Her eyes grew wide and a grin spread across her face.
“Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn.” She shouted as she giggled and ran past.
“Now you’ve done it, Kakashi.” Iruka stated before he ran over to quiet the child before the others started to imitate.
“What?” He shrugged and muttered under his breath. “Doesn’t matter anyway, they always end up using it on a daily basis by the time they graduate.”
88888888
“I’m wary of the red-headed boy.” Methuselah commented.
“What does it matter?” Dmitrii replied as he prepped his horse. “The last village had one of their own follow us.”
“Yes, but we had never been to that village before. We’ve been here, and they didn’t have anyone escort us ten years ago.”
“That was ten years ago.” Dmitri mounted his horse and looked down on the other man. “Besides, there’s barely anyone here that remembers us still around. Even their leader is different. No one can suspect us for what we have done.”
“I highly doubt that has been what’s bothering me.” Methuselah answered.
“You have nothing to worry about, you didn’t kill the man.” The ringmaster reigned in the horse to get him walking. “My only regret is that we haven’t replaced our main attraction. I would have been sure that she’d come after us by now.”
“I told him we should never have returned to this place.” The hypnotist walked over to his own wagon to get it on its way.
88888888
“I did what you asked me to do.” Sumi replied lowly. Tsunade brought her hand to the girl’s chin and gently lifted it so she could look her in the eye.
“I know it’s hard, but the only way he can find out is if he becomes Hokage himself.” She replied. A tear welled in Sumi’s eye.
“He said that I’d have to fight him when I got back.” Sumi pulled out of Tsunade’s grasp. “He smiled and said that I’d have to get strong enough to protect him from himself.” She looked down as she wiped her eyes. “I know he meant it as a joke, but knowing what I know…..”
“And that’s why we can’t tell him. Only by becoming Hokage will he have gained the strength needed to handle the news. Otherwise, it might be his undoing.”
“I can understand, it would tear me apart inside if I found out both my parents died because of my birth.” Sumi stared at her feet.
“They didn’t die because of him.” Tsunade told her. “You read it just as I did. They both sacrificed themselves to save the village and allow him to live. In a situation such as his, a cursed existence is better than no existence at all.”
“It’s just so sad.”
“It’s also a part of life, now grab your stuff, we have a lot of ground to cover before we reach our destination.”
88888888
“Oh, hi Shizune.” Sakura greeted. “Have you seen Sumi?”
“Tsunade has taken her for training, why?”
“Oh, no reason, I just wanted to ask her something.” Sakura turned to leave.
“Sakura, hold on.” Shizune came over to her. “Tsunade asked if you could cover her hospital shifts in her absence.”
“Sure, how long will they be gone?” She asked.
“From what Tsunade was saying, about two months.”
“Two months?” Sakura was crestfallen. “By then it would be too late.”
77777
I’m bringing this to you a little early thanks to the following people!
Crimson Edge and Raven_Thornheart!
Thank you so much for your support, hope you enjoy this chapter.