--2--

The smokes cleared and Dad had a proud smile on his face, maybe I’d pulled it off! The Sensei’s sitting next to him looked pretty pleased too. I glanced to each side of me and saw two prefect shadow clones. I grinned to myself and waited to see if I’d passed. The Sensei’s turned to Dad and began talking. Finally they came to a decision.

‘Kasumi, Lord Hokage has made his decision,’

Dad smiled and stood up.

‘Well done, Kasumi, you pass,’ he grinned. I wanted to give my Dad a big hug but in public, he was the Forth Hokage, and I didn’t want to embarrass him. I nodded and walked over to the table, my eyes on the shiny, new Leaf-Ninja Headbands. Inside, I was jumping up and down and screaming for joy but I kept my cool and was handed my head band.

‘Thank you, Lord Hokage,’ I said to Dad, again not wanting to embarrass or disgrace him. He smiled and nodded. I looked down at the Shinobi headband, my eyes watered slightly and my heart leapt. I bowed and left the room, when the door was closed I jumped up and down and cheered.

‘I can’t believe it! I actually passed!’ I smiled to myself. I headed towards the exit and ran outside. I took a seat on the swing and waited for Dad to come along, school was pretty much over, it had been a long day of exams and I couldn’t wait to get home and show Mom my new Shinobi headband. She’d be so proud of me. I fiddled with my headband, finally deciding to put it in my pocket. I knelt down on the grass and began to pick daisies and make daisy chains. I sighed in boredom.

I waited and waited, reassuring myself that Dad would be along soon, he was the Hokage so he’d have lots of work to do before he could pick me up. I waited for another hour, bored to death. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of my Father. I jumped up. All the others had gone home long ago. I ran towards him but as I got closer, he made a run for it. I stopped, confused. What was he doing? I ran after him.

‘Dad! Wait up!’ I called, following him. He glanced over his shoulder, then chucked a different turn in. I stopped and rolled my eyes. I wasn’t in the mood for tag right now. I pouted and broke into a run again. I ran and ran, turning this way and that way, following Dad. Finally he disappeared, and that’s when I noticed I was nowhere near home. I started to panic. What was going on?

‘Daddy? Where are you?’ I called out, by now it was getting dark. I stood still, calling out to him when finally; Dad emerged from behind a tree. He had a smirk on his face, something I wasn’t used to seeing. I noticed something different about his eyes. I stared for a few seconds and then my eyes widened in horror. As my father came closer, smoke began to appear around him and I watched as he transformed into a masked man in a black cloak with red clouds on it. A transformation jutsu, how could I have been so stupid. I started to back away as the masked man edged closer.

‘S-S-Stay away!’ I squeaked. I kept walking backwards, until my foot got caught on a tree root sticking out of the ground, making me fall flat on my back. I rubbed my back, whilst trying to move back when finally the masked man caught up.

‘So, you’re Minato’s other little brat, hmm?’ the masked man asked, snickering. My eyes widened. What did he mean other? I bit back my fear and spoke.

‘What do you mean other?’ I demanded. The masked man chuckled to himself. I reached down to my right thigh, to pull out a kunai, only to realise I had no weapons on me, I was defenceless, this guy could do anything to me, the worst he could do would probably be to kill me. I shivered as a cold breeze blew. I tried to be strong, like my parents were. I swung a shaking fist at him, which he easily dodged. I couldn’t fight sitting down. I tried to plan an attack in my head but it was no use. I couldn’t think when I was under pressure, not a good quality for a ninja. I tried to focus, when I realised something obviously. I flicked my left leg out and kicked the masked man where he...um well I kicked him there. He cried out in pain and dropped to his knees. I took my chance. I jumped up and ran into the woods, leading back to the village.

‘Help! Somebody! Anybody!’ I screamed as I ran deeper into the woods. It was dark and the moon was high in the sky. I ran for what seemed like forever. I pushed on forward, I had to get back to the village, get back home. I wanted my Mom and Dad; I wanted to wake up from this nightmare. I noticed that log; I swear I’d seen it before...

‘Genjutsu!?’ I gasped. I performed a hand sign.

‘Release!’ I whispered. Nothing happened. I felt my instincts tell me to go on forward, so I ran on. I felt something grab me and I fell back. Pain shot through my left foot. I gasped and fell, clutching my left ankle. It must be twisted.

‘Damn!’ I yelled. I put my head on my knee and began to cry. I bit my lip and looked up. There had to be a way out! I wiped my tears away and tried to stand up. I used a nearby tree stump to help pull myself up. I hope about on one leg, trying to keep my balance when I found myself face to face with the masked man again.

‘You little brat!’ he yelled, pushing me over. I clutched my ankle again, trying to protect it from any further damage.

‘I’m going to make you a deal,’ the masked man sneered. ‘I won’t kill your family or your precious village, if you bring me the Nine-tails, got it?’ he growled. I shook my head. The masked man drew a kunai.

‘W-W-What is the Nine-tails?’ I stammered, shaking.

‘You’re a smart girl, I think you’ll figure it out, I’m giving you two years, no more, to bring me the Nine-tails or I’ll kill your family in front of you,’ he laughed evilly. I gasped.

‘Stay away from my home, my family!’ I growled. The masked man crouched to my height.

‘Your Father wouldn’t be able to stop me, you’d have no chance if you tried,’ he chuckled to himself. My eyes widened. My Father was probably the most powerful ninja alive, but if this guy reckoned he was more powerful, then we were all screwed. The only way to protect my village and family was to bring him the Nine Tails, that’s all I could do.

‘Okay, I’ll do it, but swear you’ll leave my family, friends, home, village, everything alone!’ I growled. The masked man sighed.

‘Very well, but you have two years, and only two years, or your family and village gets it,’

I bowed my head sadly. I felt the wind pick up a bit. My head shot up and I found myself in a huge cloud of smoke. I couldn’t see the masked man anywhere. The wind blew harder and the smoke blew in a continuous circle. I glanced down at the ground and noticed it was starting to glow bright white. The masked man had written a giant seal. I had to get out of here! I tried crawling out but then suddenly, the ground started to cave in. I screamed as I felt the ground collapse beneath me. I felt myself falling; all I could see was bright white. I looked up and saw the starry night sky fading away, then the masked man reappeared over the hole.

‘Bring me the Nine Tails or else!’ he laughed evilly. I growled at him as he faded away. I felt my tears rolling down my cheeks then flying up because I was still falling. Suddenly, everything turned dark and I landed in the middle of Konoha. I landed flat on my back, but it didn’t hurt as much as it should have done. I tried to stand up but then remembered my ankle. It was probably the middle of the night, everyone must be in bed. I looked around puzzled, why am I here? I shrugged n=and tried to get up, I used a nearby bench to hoist myself up. I hopped along, back home. Mom and Dad would be happy to see me, they’re probably worried sick. But I’d tell them about what happened and then Dad would go find the masked man and stop him before he could do anything bad. Everything would be fine.

I froze when I couldn’t find my home, where had everything and everyone gone? I dropped to my knees, probably grazing my knees. I let my tears fall, my parents were gone! I crawled back to the side of the road. I found a stone bench to sleep on. I shivered as a cold draft blew. I closed my eyes and cried silently to myself. Why was this happening? Why me?

---Morning---

‘Hey, are you alright?’ a voice asked. I flickered my eyes open and saw a boy, about my age, with dark blue/blackish hair. He wore a blue t-shirt, white shorts and bandages on his legs, staring at me. His face looked emotionless but his black eyes showed concern. I sat up slowly and nodded sadly.

He rolled his eyes and put his hands in his pockets.

‘You’re clearly not alright, you look like crap and your ankle’s twisted,’ he grunted. Gee thanks, you don’t think I already know how bad I must look? I looked down and closed my eyes sadly. Suddenly I felt myself being lifted off the bench. I opened my eyes and found myself over the boy’s shoulder.

‘Put me down!’ I said, struggling. The boy grunted again.

‘Quit it, you’re making a scene!’ he grumbled. I stopped struggling and noticed everyone in the village. I had no idea who any of them were, what is this place? It’s definitely not home.

‘I’ve never seen you round here before, who are you?’ the boy asked, casually walking through the village. I shrugged, I didn’t know anymore.

‘I’m Kasumi, Kasumi-Akane Namikaze. Who are you?’ I asked. I left out my mother’s surname; I didn’t want to be known by two, just one. People don’t normally have very long names like mine, so I’d keep it simple.

‘Brilliant red, huh? Well I can see why,’ the boy chuckled. I clenched my fists.

‘What’s that supposed to mean!?’ I demanded. The boy chuckled again and then went back to serious mode.

‘I’m Sasuke Uchiha,’ he muttered. My eyes widened. I knew the Uchiha clan very well, but funny, I’d never seen him before...

‘So, where you from?’ Sasuke asked. I shrugged. I didn’t know how to answer.

‘Umm, I travel a lot so I uh, forgot cos I’ve been so many places,’ I lied. Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes.

‘I’m not gonna lie, you really suck at lying. Really suck,’ he chuckled to himself. I sighed. I already knew that, too well. Sasuke carried me through the streets and eventually we made it to an area I vaguely recognised. An Uchiha Clan symbol was painted onto a post just ahead. We wandered in and soon I found myself in Sasuke’s apartment. He sat me down on his couch. I looked around, it was quite big.

‘Nice place you got,’ I grinned. Sasuke entered with some bandages and pieces of wood. I watched him as he made a splint for my foot. I clenched my fists, determined not to scream or cry out in pain. When he’d done he rolled up my trouser legs and cleaned the grazes on my knees.

‘Arigatou, Sasuke,’ I smiled when he’d finished. He nodded and went into the kitchen. I stared at my feet and then reached into my pocket. I took out my forehead protector and clutched it to my chest. Sasuke came back in and saw me clutching my Hitai-ate (forehead protector). He walked over and held out his hand.

‘Can I see?’ he asked. I nodded and placed it into his hands. He examined it and compared it with his own.

‘You graduated here?’ he asked raising an eyebrow. I rubbed the back of my head nervously.

‘Yeah, long story,’ I replied. Sasuke nodded.

‘Well, I just graduated today, tomorrow we’re put into our squads, so you should come along so you can find out which squad you’re in,’ he said looking out of the window. I nodded. He handed it back to me and I put it back in my pocket.

‘Thanks for everything Sasuke,’ I grinned standing up. I limped towards the door, when Sasuke blocked my path. I looked at him puzzled.

‘Where are you going?’ he asked. I mentally face palmed. I had nowhere to go.

‘Oh, don’t worry about me, I’ll find somewhere. Arigatou Sasuke-kun,’ I said, putting on a fake smile. I gently pushed past Sasuke but he took hold of my arm. I looked back at him.

‘I’ve got a spare room, it’s yours until you find a home,’ he said. I smiled and turned back to face him.

‘Your parents won’t mind will they?’ I asked. Sasuke stiffened.

‘Up the stairs, third door on the left,’ Sasuke said, returning to his calm emotionless self. I blinked and nodded. I limped towards the stairs, and then hopped up them. Maybe his parents weren’t together anymore or something, I could tell that his parents were a touchy subject; just by the way he tensed like that. I made a mental note to stay away from that topic and to respect his space. The last thing I wanted was to upset Sasuke, after everything he’d done for me. I already owed him a great deal, by him just acknowledging me. I made it to the top of the stairs.

‘You like ramen?’ Sasuke called from downstairs. My eyes widened.

‘I FREAKING LOVE RAMEN!’ I yelled excitedly. I heard him chuckle to himself.

‘I’ll take that as a yes, then,’ he called back. I grinned and made my way into my new room. It was quite small, but that was fine by me. The bed was ready and made, a few towels were placed on the quilt. I smiled and hobbled over to a door near the bed and found a small bathroom. I grinned to myself. Does he run a hotel or something? I thought, giggling to myself. I sat on my bed and heard Sasuke coming up the stairs. I heard a knock on my door.

‘Come in,’ I answered. Sasuke entered, carrying a small tray with a bowl of ramen and chopsticks. He placed it down on the small table in front of me and grinned.

‘I figured it would be pointless for you to keep hoping up and down those stairs so I brought it up to make it easier,’ he mumbled. I smiled and picked up the chopsticks.

‘Arigatou!’ I grinned. Sasuke nodded. I dug into the ramen and finished it quickly. Sasuke blinked.

‘Yeah, I haven’t eaten in a while,’ I blushed, embarrassed. I probably just looked like an animal eating all that ramen so fast, not very attractive. Sasuke nodded, smiling.

‘Yeah, I can see that,’ he chuckled. I blushed again. I had to admit, Sasuke looked really hot when he smiled. I mentally slapped myself across the face. No! You just met him! You can’t just like somebody in that way after knowing them for barley two hours! Shame on you Kasumi!

‘Sorry about that, I probably just looked like a total animal, scoffing all that food down, sorry,’ I apologised. Sasuke laughed.

‘You said sorry twice,’ he pointed out.

‘Sorry, sorry! I do that a lot, sorry,’ I mumbled again. I’d probably gone the same colour as my hair. Sasuke laughed harder.

‘It’s okay, it’s kinda...cute,’ he grinned. I blinked. I must’ve looked like a proper tomato then. I took a lock of my long red hair and fiddled with it.

‘You don’t have to act nervous,’ he said. I glared at him.

‘Who said I was acting nervous!?’ I demanded. He pointed at me playing with my hair. I blushed again and let go of my hair. I sat on my hands to stop myself doing anything else embarrassing. Sasuke stood up and took the tray down. I heard him going downstairs. I let out a loud sigh and flopped back on my bed. Oh that was awful! He probably thinks I’m a right idiot! I face palmed and stared at the ceiling. I started to feel really home sick, considering I was basically home, but with no one I knew. I wished I was at home, with my Mom and Dad. I wished I’d never met that jerk in the mask. He could ruin my whole life. But I’d have to find the Nine-tails and bring it to him before he could. I had two years. And the more I thought about it, the more I realised I had barely any time. Maybe Sasuke could help me... No, I had to do this alone.

I heard Sasuke coming up the stairs again. Instead of knocking or coming in, he just called to me.

‘I’m going out for a walk, do you wanna come Kasumi?’ I sat up and limped over to the door, I came out grinning.

‘Sure, I’d love to!’ I grinned. I limped out and made my way to the stairs, Sasuke behind me. I hopped down the stairs. Sasuke put my arm around his shoulder and helped me walk. We walked slowly through the streets and eventually into the training fields.

‘So Kasumi, tell me a bit about yourself,’ Sasuke said as we stopped under an apple tree. I sat down and looked up.

‘There’s not much to tell,’ I sighed, watching the clouds drift by. Sasuke followed my gaze.

‘Go on,’ he urged. I sighed, he wasn’t gonna let this go.

‘I had a good life. I was someone important from where I came from, because of my Father, but I didn’t want to be important because of him, I wanted to be known for me and my own achievements, not my Father’s,’ I sighed. Sasuke sat up.

‘Your Father?’ he asked. I nodded.

‘Yeah, the Hokage,’ I sighed. Sasuke’s jaw dropped.

‘The Third’s your father?’ he asked raising an eyebrow. I glared at him and he burst out laughing. I punched him playfully on the shoulder.

‘Okay I’m just messing,’ he chuckled. I returned my gaze back to the clouds.

‘Tell me a bit about yourself Sasuke,’ I smiled. He tensed beside me.

‘You don’t have to,’ I added quickly. Sasuke relaxed and changed the subject.

‘So, I wonder what team you’ll be in,’ he sighed.

‘Yeah,’

‘I hope you’re in my team, at least then I’ll have one sane person besides myself,’ he grunted. I laughed. Sasuke turned to me a serious look on his face.

‘No seriously, but I think you’re normal enough,’ he chuckled to himself. I took that as a compliment.

‘Gee, thanks Sasuke,’ I laughed. We sat watching the clouds until it got dark. Sasuke stood up.

‘Let’s head back before it gets too dark. Come on,’ he said helping me up. He let me put my arm around his shoulder to support myself and we slowly headed back to his apartment. For the last ten minutes, Sasuke threw me over his shoulder and carried me again. We made it back to his apartment before it began to rain.

I waited in my room for Sasuke. He knocked on the door before coming in. He threw me a baggy t-shirt. I looked at him puzzled.

‘I’ll see you in the morning, Kasumi,’ he smiled before closing the door. I smiled to myself and got changed into the t-shirt Sasuke had given me. I crawled into bed, careful of my ankle and closed my eyes. Tomorrow would be a good day, especially if I get put into Sasuke’s group. I opened one eye and then closed it again.

‘Don’t worry Mom and Dad, I’ll be home soon!’ I whispered.

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Hope you guys liked it, next chapter to folllow soon! Arigatou!

A/N- Pic of Kasumi on the side ^^