I spend one more day under Kakashi’s surveillance, Eri’s husband was back from his mission, so she wanted to spend time with him. But I was finally able to train again, I practiced on my water nature again, but when Kakashi wasn’t looking, I practiced my earth chakra. The snow has lighten, but it still fell slowly. Kakashi thought some hot chocolate from the booth on the corner would warm us up. His flame kept me warm as we walk side by side, I’m not afraid that I’ll turn into an icicle anymore. I felt really sure of myself, and I guess its because I no longer have leisure to fall. I have to be strong for the future. I smile at the passing villagers. There is a small line at the hot chocolate booth, we wait in silence. I tug at my scarf, I was warm, but my feet were freezing.
“It looks like you’re back to the peek of you health. I’m glad, I’m sure Lady Tsunade will have a mission for us,” Kakashi says, his hands in his pockets.
“Its finally beginning to feel like before. My water jutsus are back to their best.” Kakashi pays for the cups of hot chocolate, I hold them while he pays.
“You know once I have money, I’m going to pay every cent back,” I sip the warm drink. Kakashi holds his cup up, and takes a sip. We walk around the village for a while, until we decide a place to eat dinner. I was walking, when someone bumps me from behind, making my hot chocolate spill all over the snow. I turn to a see a drunk man standing over us. He looks very angry, and his height reminds me of my father.
“Watch where you’re going bitch,” he grunts. Kakashi shoves his hot chocolate in my hands. He grabs the front of the drunk man’s shirt. They were both about the same height, I could see the anger pass through their stares. A few villagers have stopped and watched.
“I suggest you apologize to her,” Kakashi gives him a good jolt.
“You think you’re so great, Kakashi Hatake. Ninja are nothing more than weapons and sacrifice. Don’t think you or this hussy are better than me,” the man is smirking. I squeeze the cup in anger, weapons, huh. I have been seen as a weapon for all of my life and this drunk wasn’t going to throw the pride of being a ninja in my face.
“Ninja have courage, and if you do not have courage then you are nothing. You can waste your life in a bar for all I care, I on the other hand will not let ninja be bad spoken of. You’ll remember me, and there will come a day where you will need ninja, then you’ll appreciate our hard work, and courage.” I speak. I touch Kakashi’s arm, he finally lets him go. The spectators leave as quickly as they come. The drunk screams something, but I am still too angry to really listen. We walk away from that arse, before we finally sit at a park bench over looking the river. I gave Kakashi his drink.
“You have it,” he says. It wasn’t so hot anymore, but I still took sips. We don’t talk about the drunk. The river still flows beneath the frozen surface. You can see the fishes swimming in the frigid water.
“I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. Being a ninja is all I know, and there will come a day where I won’t be able to be a ninja anymore, and I don’t know what I will do.” Kakashi looks up to the cloudy sky.
“Hmm,” I agree. The future is given to me, it seems like it has. I will do so many grand things, but I don’t really have a choice do I. It’s my destiny. I finish my cold hot chocolate, there is a hoot that comes from behind me. I expect to see Tomoko behind me, but she’s not there. I’m must have been so angry that I have been imagining things.
“I think its time to buy your own pack for missions, I have a feeling we’ll be assigned a mission pretty soon,” Kakashi stands, forgetting the incident. I throw the cup away, following him to the post with many different backpacks hanging there. There are plenty of different colors.
“Pick which ever you want,” Kakashi says besides me. I smile, looking at the purple pack that looked like a large pouch. It pulled at the top, and the straps were thick and sturdy. There were plenty of pockets for smaller things. Purple, it must be my favorite color.
Five more days past before I finally dissolve the lead into dirt. I have spent all of my free time training, and I’ve finally done it. I throw the dirt in the air, I was getting there. Its much more tiring than using water nature, but thats to be expected I am strong in water nature. I have to use earth jutsus to even them out. I think its wise to let Tomoko know. I find a space to summon her. I remember the sign seals, and call out to her. My thumb throbs as Tomoko appears before me.
“I was beginning to think you would never be able to get the leaf to dissolve.”
“Its a lot harder than it looks. Earth and water are complete opposite, its hard to have the yin and yang of an element in one person,” I defend myself.
“It seems like you finally realize just how hard wood technique is. That is why no one since the first hokage has been able to go this far. They think this technique has a shortcut, it disgusts me what that Orochimaru did to so many innocent people. For the next part, we’ll have you learn some earth nature jutsus. Alright-” Tomoko is interrupted by Sakura, running towards me. I stand taller, hiding Tomoko behind me the best I could. Its been a while since I’ve spoken to Sakura. She gets to me quickly, a smile on her face.
“Kiyoko! Lady Tsunade has summon you, we’re going on a mission,” She takes my hand, pulling me. I look back for Tomoko but she isn’t there anymore. I run home, grabbing everything I needed for the mission. Sakura helps me gather the small medical kit I’ve assembled. I fill my canteen with water, and filled my pack. I was finally putting it to use. After I restock with kunai and shurikens, I follow Sakura to Lady Tsunade’s office.
I was beaming with excitement, and my heart was racing. Sakura opens the door for us, Kakashi and Sai are there already. Packs ready and waiting for the mission.
“Everyone is here, honestly I wish Kurenai’s team was back for this mission, but I think Kiyoko would do just fine for this mission. Team seven is in charge of guarding these two children to the Land hidden behind the Waterfall. Unfortunately their father has fallen in battle, and their mother is gone too. She died at childbirth. Their grandmother will be waiting at the village entrance. The boy, Akio, is four, and the infant is Chizuru. If it was any other case I wouldn’t have to assign ninja to do this, but their Father Teruo, the great shadow, had many enemies. They must arrive safely.”
I turn to see the small boy hide behind Shizune’s legs, but moves when Shizune walks over to me. She hands me the infant, she is asleep, and light. Her skin is light, and her hair is honey brown. Shizune helps me wrap the cloth around my body, so it’ll be easier to move and secure her to me.
My first mission is to take care of a baby, I have no maternal instinct. Why Kurenai, why couldn’t you do this instead. Shizune puts all of the things I need to tend to the baby in my pack, making it heavier. My pack pulled me back, and the baby pulled my forward. I know by the end of the day my back is going to hurt.
Sakura takes hold of the boy’s hand, but he refuses to let her carry his pack. He was a chubby boy, and his cheeks were rosy from the cold wind. He wore thick clothes and a hat that kept his head warm. His eyes were sad, and afraid. He didn’t know us, of course he was afraid of us. Lady Tsunade gives Kakashi some papers. I make Chizuru is bundled up, and sheltered from the cold wind that awaits us outside.
This will be a lengthy trip, we have to cross most of the Land of Fire to get there. We leave shortly after, making our way out the front gate. Chizuru keep me warm, while we make our way down the road, the snow was barely visible now, the ice of the season seemed to be going, and new flowers were beginning to bloom.
“Since this is no ordinary guarding mission, lets get into formation. Sai you’re at the rear, make one of your beast art to cover your back if you need one. Sakura you’re third, you are a short distant fighter, so you can protect Chizuru and Akio if enemies do manage to slip behind us or in front of us. Kiyoko you’re second, your wild wave comes in handy with my lightning, so I’ll be at the front,” Kakashi says. I follow order and step behind him. Akio is right in front of Sakura, close enough for either of us to grab him to safety. We walk silently, making sure nothing gets too close to us. I make personally spend extra time to look for chakra that I recognize. I’m sure the Moon will take action while I am outside the village.
We were about three hours away from the village when Chizuru began to stir in my arms. I hopefully thought she would stay asleep the entire way, but I knew it wouldn’t last long. She finally opens her eyes, they are the deepest blue I have ever seen. It was then that she began to cry, kicking her feet in the sack. They hit my side. What do I do? Maybe she’s hungry, or hot, or in a need of a diaper change. That’s what you check for, right?
We stop for a bit, while I look through my pack for the things Shizune gave me.
“Check if she needs a diaper change,” Sakura peeks over my shoulder. I lay Chizuru over the blanket on the ground, while I undress her. I could smell it right as I undid her pants. Oh god, this is horrible. The stench made my eyes water.
“You look like you know what you are doing Sakura, how about you do it,” I step away. Chizuru cries louder.
“What, no way. I’m in charge of Akio, Shizune gave Chizuru to you.” I see Sakura step closer to Akio. Akio was always close to his little sister. He always has his eyes on her, there wasn’t anything more precious than the love they share. They no longer had their parents, but they had each other, and that lifts my spirits. I hold my breath as I undo the dirty mess, I can hear the rest chuckle at my misery. Even if I will become a godmother soon, there is no way I will change Yasuko’s diaper. Chizuru still kicks and screams even after she is changed.
“Maybe she’s hungry,” Sakura says. I scavenge the pack for food. Shizune has packed pureed fruits and vegetables for Chizuru. She even included a spoon, she sure does think of everything. I give Chizuru applesauce, and she eats happily, but causes a mess. She doesn’t cry anymore, so I pack everything back in my pack and we keep going. Chizuru moves to much for me to put er back in the cloth hanger, so I hold her the best I could.
As the afternoon left, Chizuru played with my hair, pulling and twisting. She even gave me smiles that made me feel less tired. She was a beautiful baby, and Akio was protective of her, he would walk closer to me every now and then, just to see Chizuru’s face. Night fell quickly, and Kakashi led us to a small place in the forest by the road.My back ached, and so did my arms, holding a baby all day sure was an excersise. Chizuru was as energized as ever. I eat while Chizuru bounced in my arms. Akio sat right beside me, nibbling in a sandwich. Before I got too tired, I fed Chizuru again, and changed her diaper. I hoped she would fall asleep quickly, but she didn’t. Sakura and Sai take a rest first, while Kakashi and I stay awake on guard.
“You need to call her name to get her to sleep. And you- you need to wrap her up and bounce her really slow,” Akio says from my side. He was falling asleep quickly, his head resting on my shoulder. I take my blanket and pull it over him. I do what he says, wrapping her to me and bouncing her body slowly so she can rock to sleep. Akio is right, Chizuru is off like a light in seconds. I was finally beginning to feel the fatigue myself.
“Go to sleep, I’ll wake you if I sense anything,” Kakashi says. I don’t argue, taking care of a baby is tiring. I wake up a few hours before dawn, Sakura is the only one who is awake at this hour. I should have been on guard a while ago, but they let me sleep. Kakashi has his blanket over him, and I notice Akio’s head is resting on my thigh. Chizuru is sleeping soundly, and I want it to stay that way. I don’t move, but I don’t go back to sleep either. Akio wakes minutes later.
“I really have to go to the bathroom, really bad,” He says. He gets up and runs to the bushes behind us.
“Akio don’t go on your own,” I say. Who knows what it out there. I stop Sakura with my hand, telling her I’ll go get him myself. She stays put, guarding Kakashi and Sai. I walk quickly to Akio, keeping an arm around Chizuru to minimize the movement that might wake her. I see Akio’s head behind a bush.
“Don’t peek. I can do it by myself, dad taught me.” I stay close enough, but I stay put. A few seconds later, Akio walks towards me, sleep was still visible in his eyes, he rubbed it away. I wait for him, but he doesn’t move forward, he holds onto my hand. His hand can only go around my four fingers, but he held on tight.
“I miss dad,” he whimpers. I try to smooth his hair to comfort him, but I don’t know what to say.
“I couldn’t protect him. He died. I have to keep Chizuru safe, forever,” He tries to wipe the tears away. It tore my heart to see him like this. I bend down, so he can see his sleeping sister.
“Don’t cry, you’ll-” I begin, but stop when I hear a twig crack. I look that way and see Shurikens flying our way. I grab Akio and tuck him beneath me. I feel the pain, stab my back, I regret taking off my pack now. I pull back, just to check if Chizuru or Akip have been hit, but the only blood I see is my own. A shuriken must have cut my forehead because blood fell onto Akio’s cheek.
“You’re okay,” I reassure him. Wiping the blood away, it was then that Chizuru began to cry. I make a couple shadow clones to cover us, while I cover Akio and Chizuru on our way back to camp. Kakashi and Sakura meet us halfway, while I see Sai riding a bird above us. He glides down to grab Akio and Chizuru from my arms. My back ached, but I will heal, I sense the chakra to my right, so I throw a kunai in that direction, hearing an ooph to know i hit something. I am so furious that they intent to harm young children, there is no way I’ll let them live to harm them. They’ll have to kill me to get to them.
“Kiyoko, are you okay?” Sakura says as she sees the blood running down my back.
“Not really okay, but I’ll manage,” I say as the pulling on my back worsened as I grab more shurikens from my pouch. I see them jump out of the shadows, six of them all together, and none of them had a forehead protector. They were mercenaries. Their faces were contorted with anger, and they held large weapons. Three of them come after me, but one of my shadow clones grabs one with a water whip. I make a whip as well, I’ve been modifying the jutsu a bit. One of the ninja comes directly at me, I take the opportunity to wrap my water whip around him, her struggles but I tighten my grip. I use the modification, water spikes pierces him. The whip is like a stem full of thorns. The more you struggle the more damage it causes.
He goes limp and the other comes after me, only to end with the same result. They are too slow to catch me off guard. I see Sakura give her opponent a life dimming punch right in the head. Her strength is deadly. Kakashi finishes his battle quickly, and quickly rushes to me. My back still bled, I could feel the warm liquid run down my legs. Sakura comes to my aid too, she tugs my jacket off, and begins to apply first aid. The bleeding stops quickly, and she begins to wrap my wounds in bandages. Sai’s bird lands close by and liquefies. Akio holds onto Chizuru as best as he could. My blood is smeared on his cheek.
Sakura helps him with Chizuru, I won’t be able to carry a lot of weight anytime soon. Kakashi helps me back to our packs. Akio helps carry my own pack and his own, a brave smile on his face makes the pain disappear a bit. We go back into formation.
It takes us the rest of the day to reach the Land of Fire border. We stopped after crossing so I can rest, and so Sakura can feed and change Chizuru. It seems like all of the danger is behind us now. The next morning we make it to the Waterfall Village, and the pain in my back has almost disappeared. I carried my own pack today. For the last ten minutes of our journey I hold Chizuru, her hands pull my hair. Akio walks besides me, like he promised, he’ll protect her. I see an old woman standing in front of the gate, the sounds of multiple waterfalls filled the air. She looked a lot like Chizuru, and she smiled when she saw us.
“Oh thank you so much for escorting my grandchildren. I am forever in debt,” she says as she takes Akio in her arms. I take Chizuru in one more time before I hand her over, and give her the rest of the care pack.
“You seem hurt. Please let me tend to your wounds,”
“No I’m fine really. It was a pleasure escorting Akio and Chizuru,” I tell her. We part ways, I felt a little part of me inside Akio, he was the same as me. He protects his little sister, and I will protect my precious ones.
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Chapter notes: Here is another chapter. Hope you guys like it!!
Chapter end notes: Let me know what you think! I'm thinking about not going into detail when she's learning earth jutsu. Leave your comments. Detail or brief?
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