thewanderingwomanofnaruto

[thewanderingwomanofnaruto]

The Call to the living, The Call home

Akiko stared at the massive seal. She had an inkling on what this would do, the only thing she hoped was that she had the strength to follow through with the summoning. And meeting the Uzumaki Ancestors.

“You don’t have to do this dear,” Hasiko murmured to her, holding Akiko’s calloused hands in her frail ones.

“I do, if I don’t we won’t survive any longer. We’re barely holding on as it. And if we die, so does the history and my son will never learn of his past and of his clan and I want this to be here for him” Akiko explained just as quietly. The old woman smiled.

“I would be honoured to meet your son. What is his name?” She asked with hope.

“Naruto Uzumaki, and I would be honoured for you to teach him about his family” Akiko bowed to her elder.

“Oh, my dear, I would be more than happy to teach him!” Hasiko assured with the happiness of teaching a new generation.

Akiko withdrew and took an affirming breath. Now was the time.

She strode with purpose to the circle. She had to protect these people, they had to survive and so did she. By the gods, Akiko wanted to see her son again, and even see her anchor. As prickly as the man can be.

X

With the elders gathered to watch, Akiko stepped in the circle and the sealing script started to glow.

“I call upon the dead and the dying. I call upon those who have fallen long ago to rise once more to protect your beloved home and to protect those few left behind. I call you to rise again and protect this heritage that shall be passed on to the future. I call upon the dead and dying, RISE.”

The glow of the script intensified and soon the room was blinded by the light.

X

Akiko stared at the blackness around her. She knew where she was. This was where the dead had gone, back to the promised land. And this is where she would meet the ancestors. She sat down to wait. And wait long, she did not have to do.

“Who are you to call on the resting?” A voice spoke from the darkness and echoed all around.

“I am one who is trying to save what little is left of the living elders. So that they may pass on their knowledge and their history to other Uzumaki.” She retuned confidently.

“And who is there left to teach? We are scattered amongst the wind.”

“There are many refuges and their children and then there is also my adopted son, Naruto Uzumaki. The son of Kushina.” Akiko answered confidently, even though she didn’t feel it.

“Her son lived?” The voice asked, surprise evident in its tone.

“He did and he has flourished. I also know that he longs to know about his culture and his clan since nothing was taught to him in that blasted village.” Akiko spat, her hatred for the village showing.

“you do not like the village?” it question, the conversation moving elsewhere.

“I would have taken Naruto away from there years ago, if he didn’t see hope for it. The village has treated him worse than dirt and can go hang.” Her anger coming out and sharpening her words.

There was a pause before the voice spoke again.

“Is this why you wish to rise the dead? To get back at Khonoa?” Akiko could hear the accusation in the voice

“No!” She denied fiercely, “I wish to raise the dead to protect the survivors of this clan! We had to run when rouge ninja found us and bombarded the village! They are my patients and I’m going to every damn thing in my powers to save them!

They are what remains of the clan of My son! They are his history and his legacy! If they die, I lose my friends and family! I lose my chance for Naruto to learn where he comes from! I lose the chance at saving the decedents of the Reko! And I refuse to let that happen! If you will not help me raise these fallen warriors, I will do it without!” She roared into the darkness, letting her massive amount of spiritual chakra to amass and grow.

She pulled it from deep within, pulling more and more and more and aiming at the dark.

“I CALL YOU BACK TO THE LIVING TO HELP THE UZUMAKI ONCE MORE, TO SAVE THE FEW ELDERS AND DECEDNTS LEFT WHO SURVIED THE WAR. WE ARE DYING AND I BEG FOR YOUR HELP” Her chakra surged forward, following her wish.

“I see your conviction and I am moved and We will help.” This time it was many voices that spoke. Akiko turned around and saw the sea of determined faces, all with hair as bright as vibrant as a living flame. Akiko stared at them dumbstruck, she could feel her tears swell and fall.

They were saved.

The promised Land started to glow an Akiko knew she was being sent back to the living plane. However, before it had gotten too bright Akiko performed a deep bow.

“Thank you.” Her voice choked with gratitude was all she could say before she was returned, before they were all returned to the land of the living.

X

Outside, where the ninja fought to keep the people they cared about safe, the earth began to rumble and the skies began to darken. The atmosphere turned heavy and ominous. In the distance the Uzukage tower began to glow like a beacon of hope, it’s light and power spreading out all across the island and reaching even further.

The streets and half broken buildings too began to light up as the power surged forward, finding every body that had fallen. It urged them to rise and to protect.

Skeletons and decomposed bodies rose from their fallen positions, their headband shining bright with power. In the graveyards, embalmed and cold corpses too began to rise. They had been called to rise and they headed that call. Uzu would stand tall once more. Taller and stronger than before.

They would not lie down and with a Reko at the centre, they could rebuild.

The rogue ninja were startled, thinking Genjutsu at first, until the first of them had been stabbed clean through with a rusty kuni. They fought back, jutsus destroying skeletons that just put themselves back together, bodies that just kept walking, kept fighting. The rouge ninja stared at the masses in fear.

“We have to run! The dead have risen!” One called to the others. They fled the city, running into the dead on the outskirts and dying one by one by the hands of the dead, ensuring that no news escaped.

X

The elders watched as Akiko Spiritual charka began to gather and become visible. They watched as the wind was generated from the sheer power of it and they wondered, how could she have that much spiritual chakra only. They had seen her physical component and it was what a normal civilian had. Her spiritual amount was what the elders have, from all their years of experience.

Her chakra floated in the air, aimless. Then, by silent command, it surged into the sealing array, lighting up all the arrays and continuing outwards. The elders could feel the dead’s acceptance of their plea and gave a collective sigh of relief. They would be safe and Uzu would rise again.

X

Far away, throughout the elemental nations. People with the blood of the Uzumaki felt the call. The call to return home.

Heads turned, and hearts yearned. All in the direction of home.

[thewanderingwomanofnaruto]

Akiko watched the family interact, something about the daughter reminded her of someone from a long, long time ago. She stared as discretely as possible as she studied her.

Was it the way she held herself? Was it the way she looked at her family? Her mother? Was it the way she treated her mother? Her father?

The way she held herself was both guarded and open. a paradox that reminded Akiko of an old wound or an aching tooth that had been removed.

What was it?

The girl wore her happiness freely and openly, inviting in the warmth of others and giving in equal measure, if not more.

The family moved and interacted with the easy of years and yet, there was something beneath the girl, something that had her shoulders tense and coiled under the guise of laughter. Like a bad thought in the back of her mind that never truly let itself be forgotten.

X

Akiko stayed in her room that night and thought. Why did the girl remind her of something that she felt she should know.

With a hefty sigh, the woman pulled herself from the bed, with the intent of answering the call of nature. As she treads over the wooden panels that refused to creek no matter how old they are, did she hear it.

"Not to worry, you'll break up with him first." Came the mother's voice, drifting up from the stairs. Akiko froze, those words had opened a whole lot of memory.

She felt the flash of her other life from years ago. Of the hurt, anger, and love.

Akiko looked down the hall and saw herself from all those years ago.

She saw the hurt from the mother's flippant comment, the tightly controlled anger that would burn for years, the determination and defiance to prove her wrong, the love for her mother and for ...him. All things Akiko had once experienced herself when she was ...younger.

She had seen the daughter's face and knew that this hurt would leave a scar. And that the anger she harboured would burn like fire. It wouldn't be short and hot, this would be an anger that would burn slowly but last for years.

Akiko felt her heart give off a pang of hurt as she thought about her husband in another life. Just as she did now, Akiko loved him fiercely and completely and while it had been years since his death, that didn't mean it stopped hurting. Instead, it had faded to a dull jab.

She abandoned her quest for the toilet and returned to her room. This was something that would need to be worked out between themselves, outside interference would be met with equal parts gratitude and disdain.

As Akiko lay back in the bed, she remembered the hurt that she had felt when her mother had said those words all those years ago and repeated them even when she asked her to stop.

She remembered the hurt, the tightly coiled anger that slithered around each other in her heart like angry snakes just waiting for the opportunity to bite back. She remembered having to endure through the years of disapproving looks and sly comments only making her fight harder and want the relationship to work even more and more. Until one day, 7 years later, she married him.

Her mother was filled with both joy and sadness. One that took Akiko years more to understand but once she did, all leftover anger and the resenting hurt dulled even more. They weren't gone, they couldn't be for they had been her driving factor for years. So much so that they had become part of her, there was no ridding herself of them, instead, they had fallen into a deep sleep.

Akiko suspected that they were still with her today. And perhaps, should they awaken, they would be something fierce to behold.

X

The orange-haired woman fell into a restless sleep, dreaming of years long forgotten and faces that she longed to see again but knew she never would, except in her dreams.

That night, she cried in her sleep as her heart yearned for the presence of someone who had long passed on.

[thewanderingwomanofnaruto]

Akiko grit her teeth, the pain from the slash was bearable but what was coming next would test her, that she knew.

"Hurry up! You needed to cauterise the wound!" She snapped at the resident ninja who was staring at her like she had lost her mind.

Then his face turned grim before nodding and walking closer with the superheated iron.

"Here." He offers a leather strip to place in her mouth, it a nice enough gesture but Akiko doubts it will muffle her screams.

Akiko nods to show she is ready, there is so much doubt and trepidation but all of that is washed away in the wake of the intense heat and pain.

She can't block it out and her jaw clamps down hard on the leather strip and all she wants to do is scream.

All thoughts leave her mind and there is just pain.

X

Guki flinches as Akiko screams right through the leather, the smell of burning flesh is stagnant and vomit-inducing.

She trashes against the other men and the bonds. Eventually and somehow in the ensuing thrashing and jerking, the leather strip falls loose and Akiko screams cut clear through the night.

Those from the village flinch at the sound of the usually strong woman. Children cry, mothers and elder sisters and brothers do their best to tune out the sound and calm their siblings.

The screams eventually stop but the memory and the ice-cold fear remains.

X

Akiko stares at the villages who have followed her through the ordeal and through Water and she feels proud. They have been on the move ever since their village was burnt down by an attack from a rouge ninja but they have been strong.

Stronger than before, they have endured and thrived.

And she is so Proud.

X

Kakashi stares uncomprehendingly as the woman who seemed quite kind and mellow snaps sharply, demanding respect throwing the civilians into motion and following her orders without complaint.

He had heard of this side of her but had never the chance to witness it for himself.

There were tales that were whispered about her sharp eyes and keen mind. The way her voice would get civilians moving even if they didn't know why.

The ninjas applauded her for it, Akiko can get the most stubborn civilians to move when even the threat of an angry shinobi couldn't. According to the gossip floating around the jounin station, it was a wonder on its own.

X

Akiko breathed a sigh of relief as finally, the village people she had helped for the year settled down. The civil war wasn't over yet but it was nearing its end.

It seemed that her bet on Mei had been the right one after all.

Akiko looked in the direction of the mainland, her heart constricted as she thought about Naruto and Kakashi.

It was almost time for her son to come home.

And for her to return too.

X

Kakashi stared in shock from his position on the tree as Akiko stripped off her clothes.

It wasn't the fact that she was naked that had caught his attention, it was the jagged scar that stretched from her thigh to her stomach.

He swallowed.

'What the hell happened in Water?' Kakashi thought as his keen eyes picked up on other smaller scars. Each seemed to have a story behind them of sweat and pain.

Maybe one day he'll ask. Maybe once he can ignore the guilt that made itself known in its full glory. Maybe once he can push it aside or bury it deep. After all, she only left for water after he had pushed her away.

[thewanderingwomanofnaruto]

The Village Burns

The village burned under the force of the surprise bombs from the renegade ninja, still fighting for the third Mizukage's reign. Akiko had evacuated everyone as soon as she heard them start to fall. There were casualties, some didn't make.

Akiko stood under the cover of the trees that were too wet to burn, where the others of the village hid. She watched the lives of the people she had gotten to know burn, the lives of the people she had grown close to, to the people she'd saved. She had learned so much from them and about them. Now, all that history and memory was gone. She clenched her teeth, they needed to move otherwise they would be found by the ninja who sent that bomb.

She turned around, her face stinging from the cold.

The villagers watched their homes burn but when the woman that saved them turned around, they stilled. Even though she was gravely injured, this woman still stood tall. She still had that spark of defiance and determination clear in her eyes. They, the remnants of the Uzumaki clan, recognised her chakra, they recognised the hair. She was the predecessor of their clan, and she would lead them to salvation.

"Let's go. We don't have time to waste. Hide your presence." Akiko ordered as she strode forward, Scar, the ninja who had been so against her staying in the village, immediately followed behind her.  He had grown to trust her when she had saved his life and life of the people in his village.

They all followed.

[thewanderingwomanofnaruto]

A conversation between Tsunade and Akiko, After Naruto leaves the village with the Toad Sage

Tsunade turned to look at Akiko who was still staring out of her office's window. Her expression was one of wistful sorrow and hidden love, something that she had seen in her own face when she thought about Jiraiya and all the possibilities that could have been.

"You miss him don't you?" The fifth Hokage asked. Tsunade heard a tired sigh in return.

"Of course I do, he's my son," Akiko answered her eyes still turned outwards, searching for someone who has long gone.

"That's not who I'm talking about," Tsunade says, staring intently at Akiko's facial expression.

"I know." was the soft reply.

"I...do miss him so very much. But there isn't much that I can do about that." Akiko spoke up again, her voice thickening as she spoke.

"Why haven't you told him?" Tsunade asks, she has an idea, after all, she is the head medic and does have access to the psych evaluations files as Hokage.

"I can't. I won't." A deep breath.

"I won't put that pressure on his shoulders. He's...not ready. I don't think he ever will be. He just needs someone who is just there." Akiko says sadly and resigned to her place in life.

"So you're never going to tell him that you love him," Tsunade states as she too looks out the windows and over the village.

There is no answer to her statement, only the silence of mutual understanding as the two women think on the regrets of the past and the days of the future to come.

[thewanderingwomanofnaruto]

Sooo...

Hi. It’s been ages. 

Things have been hectic at home and now I have a bunch of dabbles. Things got in the way but I’m hoping now I can get back into the swing of things.

Thanks for sticking around for so so so long! Expect dabbles soon!

[thewanderingwomanofnaruto]

Do you have an update schedule?

I really want to say yes, but at the moment I don’t. I am trying to hammer one out that works with my schedule!

[thewanderingwomanofnaruto]

Who's going get more hell? Kakashi for getting frisky with akiko or genma for drugging kakashi and losing him?

Haha!!! Well, that’s if Genma ever gets caught for it! Or who Akiko runs into! Check out chapter 18 to fuel the imagination!

Thanks again for reading!!

[thewanderingwomanofnaruto]

So i abosolutely adore your story and have been waiting patiently for chapter 18. Im just curious if you have that in the works and are going to be publishing it anytime soon?

I’m so sorry! Uni started and I forgot to check the tumblr page! But not to worry! Chapter 18 has just been published and I hope to update more often now, I want to try and find a way to work it in with my schedule! 

Enjoy Chapter 18!

[thewanderingwomanofnaruto]

Oh my goodness I love your fic! I found it last night while I was scouting the internet for my next obsession, and I'm telling you I just couldn't stop reading once I started. Thank you for writing it, and congrats on all the traffic you've gotten on it. I do hope your continuing it and haven't lost your urge to write it (I know I have, sadly. Good luck!!!

Oh my goodness! I haven’t checked this in a while!! I’m so sorry!! 

I’m so happy that you like the story! Hang in there, cause it’s going to be even more interesting! The latest chapter is up! And I think you’ll love it!

Thanks again!

[thewanderingwomanofnaruto]

CHAPTER 18~~

I completely forgot to post ch 18 here, but don’t worry guys it’s only been a couple of days since I’ve posted it on ff.net and A03!

XX

That wasn’t the last time I saw the Uchiha trio, but it was the last time I saw them happy together. Sushi, such a sweet soul and caring soul, especially for his cousin, Itachi. I wish he could have lived longer than burden Itachi with his death. Though I had the feeling that there was more to it than just a simple suicide. I asked Kakashi after the war and I was right. It was so, so much more complicated than I had assumed.

The days after I had learned of what had happened, I wished that Danzo was still alive so that I could have my turn with him. And there are days were I wished I still had the chance to give the Uchiha clan a piece of my mind for what they had put the poor boys through. Still, time passes and waits for no one, leaving me with only wishes and regrets.

If I’m honest with myself, that night was both the most memorable and the most mortifying night of my life. There were several reasons for that. The main one being that I wanted nothing to do with the plot and Kakashi played a major part in it, the second being that he was drunk. Plain and simple.

I didn’t want to have sex with a partner who was drunk. Just no. But at the same time I felt…wistful at what I thought at the time was a, possibility of something that was never going to happen in the future.

Though none of that saved me from the embarrassment at the hands of Hisako.

Except from the memories of Akiko Reko ne Hatake Page 189

X

Akiko, even though only getting snatches of sleep, still felt well rested. The first rays of light filtered through the window. She stared at it and released a small sigh, somewhat regretful at the knowledge that she would have to leave the warm embrace of Kakashi’s arms. Regardless of her own want to stay, she could not. She would not allow herself too.

Casting one more glance to his sleep, she gently traced his features with a feather light touch. Her chest constricted in sorrow as she remembered her four years with Mamaru and at the same time feeling guilty of thinking of him as she lay with Kakashi.

Kakashi breathed slow and steady with sleep gracing his face, making it seem younger, much younger without all the grief, self-doubt and regret on it. Akiko could just feel her own smile twist in sadness.

‘The past is the past and I just need to deal with it.’ She scolded herself as she carefully slipped out of Kakashi’s lax arms. As soon as she left, Kakashi let out a disgruntled sound before turning over and hugging one of the extra pillows that she had been sleeping on, and promptly buried his face in it. Akiko felt her heart warm at the adorable sight before her. With a gently smile, she quickly gathered her meagre belongings and hurried out the door but not before throwing on the shirt she had been wearing last night.

She wanted to be long gone before Kakashi woke up. Akiko hoped the hangover would keep him asleep long enough for her to get away.

The door clicked shut as quietly as she could make it, and still cautious, Akiko continued to tiptoe down the hall and only allowed herself to walk normally. She hurried over to the desk where Hisako sat, and Akiko wondered if the woman ever went home.

“So, how was he?” Hisako asked with a lecherous grin that had Akiko flushing again.

“Nothing happened!” Akiko hissed to the older woman, her voice slightly raised but she kept the volume down, remembering that Kakashi was still asleep and she didn’t know if he was a heavy sleeper under the influence of alcohol, not to mention that Kakashi probably wouldn’t hear her but she didn’t want to risk it.

Hisako just drew out this week’s rate, having already figured that Akiko would do a runner.

“You are amazing!” Akiko cried happily as most of everything she had already to go. Akiko hurriedly to finish the last of the paper work and was just about ready to leave. However, there was still something holding her back, she wanted to leave a note for Kakashi. It felt wrong of her to just leave without saying anything.

Akiko signed on the last page and handed the clipboard back but she didn’t move. She stood there, staring at the stairs she had come down from as she thought. It seemed her conflict was clear as day on her face because her attention was brought back to Hisako who gently pushed forward a pen and a small wad of paper.

Akiko gave the woman a gently and grateful smile. The other woman snorted but her eyes softened.

Akiko has a strange relationship with the inn keeper. She passed the silent woman every day and sometimes Akiko would stop for a small chat which was entirely one sided since Hisako rare talked. Akiko would talk and gush about the various things she had done that day and speticals she had seen and Hisako would answer with either a look, a smile or a raised eyebrow, all holding many meanings.

Akiko promised herself that if she ever found her way back to Konoha, she would stay here.

Pulling herself away from her reflections, the debatably young woman focused her mind on her next challenge.

What to write.

‘Dear Kakashi?’ Akiko tilted her head to the left before scrunching her face, ‘Nah, he never told me his name and it would be pretty suspicious if I used it. So, no Kakashi but what about the rest?’

She huffed as the words continued to evade her. Akiko stood there thinking, still stuck on what to write, much to Hisako’s amusement, and she continued to stand there a little longer before the inspiration finally stuck.

With a slight exaggerated flourish, Akiko let the pen come to life as she wrote down her message and finished it quickly.

“Please give this to the man I came in with? And don’t mention my name, please?” Akiko asked with a pleading smile. She didn’t want Kakashi to know that they had met again and she hoped that this second time would be the last time.

(Something in her gut told her otherwise but that didn’t stop her from hoping.)

Hisako smiled softly and nodded once. Akiko new that all would be well.

With a short goodbye and a promise to return, Akiko walked out the door of the inn ‘Destined Paths with no Paths’ without looking back.

X

The crisp morning air prickled sharply into her face, most of the street shops were closed, the sky held the barest hints of daylight which was slowly but surely creeping across the horizon.

Akiko scrubbed at her face in an attempt to warm it but gave up when the chill attacked her hands too. The woman took in the sights of the still sleeping civilian sector. Akiko wasn’t sure of the exact time but of the two bakeries that she had passed, both were closed and had no light or movement in them.  She supposed it was probably before 5 am and with this revelation, Akiko let out a wide yawn, suddenly feeling even more tired.

‘Tired or not, I’m getting out before Kakashi wakes up.’ Akiko picked up the pace as she felt her resolve strengthen.

She didn’t know how Kakashi found her and she wasn’t going to stick around to find out! Akiko lengthened her strides and forced her eyes to open, her steps matching an unheard beat. With her fear and determination as her driving force, Akiko moved swiftly through the streets.

Soon, Akiko could see the gates of the village and with her escape in sight, she slowed her steps to a pleasant walk. It seemed that the closer she got to a normal walking pace, the more she panted in execration.

As she approached the gates, she noticed two humanoid figures and then remembered the fact that the gates were guarded at all times. Akiko only hopes that whoever was guarding them today didn’t give her much grief and she certainly hoped they wouldn’t keep her around when Kakashi wakes up.

To Akiko’s relief, it was Izumo and Kotetsu. Both had seen and helped her before.

“Why are you in such a hurry to leave?” Kotetsu asked, a frown pulling at his lips.

Akiko gently gnawed on her lips, trying to come up with a way to phrase her complete and utter avoidance of Kakashi and the plot.

“I’m running from a drunk and Handsy ninja?” Came blurting out of her mouth. Both ninja opposite her tensed and suddenly Akiko could taste something heavy and a metallic tang in the air.

“Can you tell me who?” Izumo asked with a strained smile, that hinted to something more. Akiko shivered when she saw it.

‘How do I do this? I’m not going to say Kakashi because I doubt in that situation he would say his name…’ Akiko though quickly.

“He had white or silver hair and wore a half mask.” Akiko described Kakashi instead of answering Izumo’s question.

‘they’d probably ask if I knew him before if I answered with his name and if I say ‘no’ I would be lying, which I’m sure they could pick up and if I said ‘yes’ they would ask where I knew him from and that would open a can of worms!’ So caught up in her thoughts, Akiko missed the dark look exchanged between the two ninja.

X

It seemed Kakashi had just made it to their shit list, renowned and famous ninja or not.

They wouldn’t let this slight go unpunished.

X

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright?” Izumo asked with a worry and while Kotetsu echoed it with a worried frown.

“I’ll be fine but I’d rather not be here in the morning when he wakes up.” Akiko waved away their worry with a smile that had some tenseness to it.  

The longer she stayed, the more edgy she started to feel, she didn’t want to stay too long. In fact, she has already stayed longer than she felt was safe. Akiko needed to leave and it had to be now.

It seemed that the two ninja picked up on her need to leave, that or they could see the panic in her movements.

“Please don’t tell them you saw me or that you know me?” Akiko asked of the two ninja, appearing as desperate as she felt in that moment.

She saw them both exchange looks before turning to her nodding.

“Don’t worry, we won’t say a word!” Izumo grinned at Akiko, who felt a ridiculous amount of relief sweep through here. There was the most miniscule disappointment, but it was drowned by her relief.

“Thank you.” She breathed to them and started into the motion of a hug before stopping herself short, remembering her own revelation that ninja’s didn’t quite like physical contact with people they didn’t trust or didn’t know.

Both smiled at here, though there was some awkwardness chasing at the edges.

“Pass us your card and we’ll let you through.” Kotetsu motioned with his hand and Akiko couldn’t have complied fast enough.

“I’ll come back sometime, hopefully when He’s forgotten all about me!” Akiko promised, with a small smile as she walked out the gates.

“Bring us a souvenir when you do!” Kotetsu called out after her, making Akiko laugh as she turned while walking backwards.

“YOU CAN COUNT ON IT!”

X

Once Akiko was out of sight of the village, she took a moment to breath before reaching inside and pushing her presence all the way down. She hadn’t thought she needed to use this skill so soon. Plus she was getting pretty rusty.

It was something that she had picked up from a passing hunter from Iron country. He had been in the ninja hunting business until he lost an eye. Yato had stayed in her village for a month, and it had taken most of that month to get him to teach her. He had been the toughest nut to crack but he was a great teacher since she had managed to get the skill down in the week he had left at her village.

While it had occurred to her to use it on her travels, Akiko always dismissed it as she couldn’t really see the point seeing as she hadn’t really encountered any ninja, well living ninja any way. Neither had she seen a reason to hide until now.

Now she just didn’t want to be found by Kakashi or any Konoha ninja at this point, leaving her with her last option. Supressing her presence to the point it would come off to them as nothing more than a small squirrel. Hopefully, any ninja passing by that had not seen here would just keep moving.

And to keep to the unseen part of the plan, Akiko moved off the main road and walked straight into the surrounding forests and then walked parallel to the road. As she walked, Akiko began cataloguing the various plants she could dry and use, however she rarely picked any as her urge to leave was stronger.

Only when the sun had started to dip on the horizon did Akiko slow down her pace from a very brisk walk to one of leisure.  When the sun’s rays that had filtered through the leaves vanished did Akiko set up camp for the night.

With the tree leaves overhead and the left over heat from the day on the leaf litter, Akiko settled down to sleep.

X

Akiko groggily woke, it was still dark but she felt uneasy. Something was wrong. With great effort, the orange-haired woman forced her eyes open and herself into a more awake state. While she had, what she believed to be slightly above average night vision, there still wasn’t much she could see so instead she listened.

And listened.

As the time passed, Akiko could just hear it. The sound of a child crying.

Quiet sobs echoed in the dark.

Akiko frowned, ‘what the hell is a child doing out in the woods? And alone at that?’. Taking note that her presence was still suppressed, she moved as silently as she could over the grass, only stopping to re-orient herself to the sounds of the tears.

She got closer and closer until Akiko was right on top of the sound but the dark made it hard to see, even with her vision adjusted to the night. All she could see was a dirty mop of yellow. Nothing more.

With this in mind, Akiko chose not to approach the child lest she scare them. Instead. She made her presence known.

“Hello?” She called out gently and as soon as she had, Akiko heard the tiny gasp as the child stopped crying in shock. They didn’t answer back but she could hear the occasional hiccupping.

“Why are you crying?” She with a gentle tone.

The kid doesn’t answer but Akiko can see the wary look in his eyes as well as the sadness. Akiko knew she won’t be able to comfort him but she tries anyway and reaches an arm out and the boy flinches. Her mind stalls as she processes what she just witnessed. At the movement of her hand reaching out, this Child flinched as if something worse was coming. Her anger at whoever was supposed to look after this child rose. She had seen this kind of reaction before, in children scared by the war and in …Sayuri. There were times when, even the comforts of home and a family could not stop the instinctive reactions that came with the fear of starving or being beaten to an inch of your life.

But that was Rain, one of the many countries recovering from the third war. ‘This? This is fire Country where the coffers were fat and the only thing in short supply were ninja.’ Her thoughts churned as the minor details of the village came to her mind.

Slowly Akiko pulled her arm back and forced herself not to think further on those thoughts and instead on the boy before her who needed help. Her opening came in the form of a very loud stomach growl. Akiko reaches for her bag and the boy tenses. She slows her arm to a crawl as it enters the bag. She tugs out some recently acquired dried food she had prepared in her later days in Konoha.

She pulled out the whole bag and felt for the fish, that one, she knew had the most flavour and the most smell. Akiko kept her eyes on the boy before as she found the right package and opened it with one hand. She watched the boy’s nose flare as the smell wafted in the air and his eyes focus on the morsel in her hand.

Akiko brought the food to her mouth and took a bite, chewed and swallowed before once again moving slowly, holding out the food to him. She watched as his eyes darted between her. Akiko watched as the boy slowly reached out and gently grasped the fish as if it were the most precious thing he had. Instead of devouring it all at one, he took a small bite and stowed the food away.

Akiko felt her anger rise, if she ever found out who was responsible for hurting this boy, she would find a way to make them pay. The boy before her cowered slightly and her eyes widened as she immediately felt regret for make him fear her.

The boy stopped cowering, and Akiko noticed. Was he feeling her emotions? She pushed aside her curiosity, right now this boy needed her help and it was something she was going to give him. When Akiko spoke, she made sure to lower her voice and without her realizing it, it took on a motherly tone.

“Hey, it’s pretty cold. How come you’re out here alone?”

The boy looked at her carefully. “cause I got lost. Can’t find m’y class.” He answered in barely a whisper.

“Where you on an excursion?” Akiko continued to coax, feeling her compassion for the boy rise as he nodded shyly.

“What were they trying to teach you?” She asked with a kind smile.

“ ’ow to live wi’h out stuff. Like seeds and stuff.” He tried to explain while gesturing to the floor.

Akiko knew what he meant, survival training. He was in the shinobi academy. But that left the question, how did a shinobi lose a child when they are trained to notice all the details?

“Well I know how to do that. I can teach you if you want. I could teach you all that and more.” Akiko offered, feeling that it was the right thing to do. The boy looked at her curiously, as if wondering why she was offering to help him.

“D’you know more than sensei?” He asked as he regarded her with different eyes.

Akiko felt her lips shape them in a mischievous smile.

“About plants, yeah.” Something told her that this was right and her gut hadn’t led her wrong yet.

“Okay. I wanna learn.” The kid said quietly.

“First things first. Sleep. D-.“

“I can sleep on the floor!” The boy declared with a childish enthusiasm and then boldly walked to her and plopped on the floor and looked up at the stars.

Akiko raised an eye brow before once again reaching slowly into her bag, she could still see his form tense, and pulled out one of her shirts, it looked like a blanket compared to the size of the kid. She draped it on him and met his startled eyes.

Pure surprise gleamed back at her and Akiko felt her heart melt. She was going to look after this boy, consequences be damned.  

She smiled at him before bidding him a good night.

X

Morning came with an unusual restriction, there seemed to be something or someone wrapped around her like an octopus. Akiko cracked an eye open and found that she had an attachment in the form of a small boy with dirty blond hair and an equally grimy face. Nevertheless, he had such a peaceful look on his face that she found it hard to wake the boy up.

The day called, and even if she wanted to leave the boy sleeping while she does her usually, and short routine, Akiko couldn’t even do that. He was just wrapped around her too tightly. Akiko sighed internally before freeing one of her limbs and tried to untangle him.

It turned out to be a half success, he was only tangled halfway when the boy started to wake up.

Akiko watched him with keen eyes as the boy mumbled his way into the conscious world. She could feel the fond smile sneak on to her lips as he blearily opened his eyes. Slits of the bluest blue she could imagine peaked beneath the lips and she grinned.

He yawned and Akiko got a rather firsthand view of the of some rather sharp canines. She was always proud that her canines were sharp, however it looked that she had been beaten in that department by the boy.

“Good morning.” She spoke softly, as he squinted to see her face and Akiko could see the moment he realised where he was and what he was doing. The boy squawked in surprise as he jumped back, releasing Akiko like she was lava.

She couldn’t help it, Akiko started giggling.

“H-hey! Whatcha laughfen for?” He damned hotly as he glared at her indignantly, hands on hips.

“That has to be the cutest thing that I’ve seen so far!” Akiko exclaimed through her giggles.

“I am not!” The boy puffed his cheeks and stomped his foot.

That just made Akiko laugh harder. But when she saw the tears collect in his eyes, Akiko stopped laughing immediately.

“Hey, hey, I wasn’t laughing at you, I just found what you were doing completely adorable.” She gently explained, “there no need to cry.”

“I’m not cryin!” He sniffed, valiantly holding back the tears that gathered dangerously.

Akiko nodded solemnly and nodded, “Of course you’re not. You’re too brave and strong. The Great…,” She trailed off letting the boy answer.

“My names Naruto.” Akiko’s heart skipped a beat but she kept going, she couldn’t do anything with him looking at her like that, not with that shy innocent smile just hiding behind the clouds. She’d just have to freak out later. And find out why he was alone. In the woods. By himself.

“The Great Naruto is too great to cry!” Akiko continued without missing a beat and it was worth it, because it got him to smile.

“THAT’S RIGHT!” He cheered and Akiko was suddenly struck with how he seemed to trust her enough to play like this, wasn’t just this morning he was so wary, like a cautioned animal? What had caused the sudden change? Not only that, but he reminded her of Sayuri and…her- her son…

Akiko’s heart suddenly hurt, pain sharp and clear. It had been so long since she had thought about her past family, even though she was fine with their passing and hers, that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

“Alright-y then! Naruto, can I ask why aren’t you scared of me anymore?” Akiko went straight to the point.

“Cause you feel warm and, and right! And the old man didn’t wake up!” Akiko stared at the boy, surely, he didn’t mean…? And what was that with being ‘right’?

“Well, in any case! My name is Akiko and What are you doing in the woods alone?” She asked with a quirked eyebrow, now was not the time to panic, she’d do that later. Preferably when she was alone and when the bo- When Naruto was asleep.

It seemed that Naruto suddenly wilted and muttered something.

Akiko frowned at the sudden change in mood.

“Naruto?” She leaned closer to hear what he said.

“…got lost…” Akiko could see the tears start to build up again. She couldn’t help it, she hugged the boy. He stiffened and Akiko was strongly reminded the possible childhood he might have had. She had to retrain the urge to asked him and hurt people if he answered what she thought.

“That’s okay buddy. Everyone gets a little lost sometimes! I mean, I’m still lost!” Akiko tried to make him feel better.

“How are you lost?” The boy peaked through his hair.

“Well, I don’t know where I’m going! I’m just going where the road takes me! And I have no idea where I am!” Akiko explained with over dramatics, just to cheer the boy up.

“We’re in da big bushes of Konoha!” Naruto proclaimed and Akiko grinned!

“Now I’m not lost! I have a guide! Now what were you doing in the big bushes?” She quickly redirected the question back to him.

“Im gonna be a ninja! And we was doing some training! Learn’en some stuff bout plants and stuff. How they help and its really boring.” Naruto trailed off morosely.

Akiko raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I’m an expert in plants and stuff and I bet I could make it funn!” She teased out the last word as she watched him perk again.

‘I swear his moods are like a bouncing ball!’

“Can ya?” his tone was sceptical and Akiko smiled before leaning in and whispered conspiringly.

“And I bet I can do it in 30 days.”

“Prove it.” Naruto stared at her stubbornly.

She grinned.

‘Famous last words kid. I’ll think about why this is so easy with you later. And who ‘Old man’ is…’

[thewanderingwomanofnaruto]

The Wandering Woman: Chapter 17

Hey! The long awaited chapter 17 of TWW! Well here it is! Thanks to by Beta for stick with me for this long! Bleeding-roses-16 on FF.net!

Links are:

FF.net

AO3 

Without further Adu!

Chapter 17

 Throughout my journeys, I had the good fortune of weather. Of course that didn’t always hold but it was plenty when travelling without much of a destination in mind. The rain wasn’t too bad so much as my reckless decision of climbing those damn trees but then again that wasn’t the last time I climbed them.

Sometimes one has to do reckless acts like that out of necessity, necessity that we can’t explain or the necessity to save lives.

It was a miracle that I found that small borehole in that tree. If I hadn’t, well I would probably have fallen again and might not have been so lucky to catch on some random branch on the way down, then all the wonderful things that was to come would never be, all the people I met, the hardships, the things I did. Erased in the blink of an eye.

But I digress… An old woman’s rambling is something that can go on forever. Atsu became a dear friend of mine, and still is to this very day. Though I do feel some sadness on my part as I know that she will outlive me by years.

It’s funny, most times a person remembers the small details rather than the big. I guess because it’s the small things that make what you fight for worth it. The smells, the creak in the door, Kakashi’s hate of tempura, Naruto’s love of ramen and hate of Menna, all the small things…

Anyway, stepping in to Konoha was something else. My memory is a bit fuzzy and I’m pretty sure I still had some of that lingering delirium that comes with fevers when I met Izumo and Kotetsu. The two of them became great friends, especially since I passed the gates so often over the years. And still to this day, Kotetsu has never let me live down what I said to him in the hospital and I don’t think I would let myself live it down either…

Come to think of it, I never saw Dr Ohori again after that second check-up. I had wondered where she had gone but there was that sinking doubt that came to mind when every time I asked about her and was told she was ‘indisposed’.

Ahh… Those days were always something else.

An excerpt from the memoirs of Akiko Hatake nee Reko

Page 140

XX

Akiko stood at the stone gates of the hospital as she folded her appointment notification in to a neat rectangle and slipped into her travel-worn back pack.

Once it was again where it belonged, Akiko took to the streets intent on both getting some food and finding that hotel that Kotetsu had told her about.

The streets were made of tightly packed dirt which held the characteristics of being walking on for years by so many different people, the young, the old, the soldiers, the healers and the civilians all walked on these paths.

‘How poetic.’ Akiko mused with a soft smile as she took in the architecture of the building along the road which she walked.

Most of the houses and shops built so close together that it looked, at a first glance, that they were on top of each other or one large and long continuous building. Most of them were quite colourful and there were even a few that looked to be three stories tall, the tallest she had seen in the hidden village.

‘And to be honest, this place is a bit daunting.’ Akiko thought to herself as she walked the streets, still in search of food.

Many of the shops that she passes were similar to boutiques, selling furniture, masks, flowers, lights, paintings and so on however none of them were selling food. The one thing that Akiko wanted to find the most. Not just that but Akiko could smell the food.

‘Not only that but I need a map of this place!’ feeling helpless and lost was not new to her but it still left Akiko disturbed. Breathing out through her nose in a heavy sigh, Akiko continued to walk forward and if she still can’t find food at the end of this street she’ll ask someone for directions.

‘Well it looks like my luck held out!’ Akiko thought excitedly as she arrived in a street full of foods and just seeing the stalls had her salivating because she is hungry.

With a mouth that is slightly agape, she hurries down the street and stops at the first food stall she sees.

Without paying much attention to her surrounds, Akiko lines up to the counter and orders a set of 16 crab takoyaki balls.

As soon they were in her hands, Akiko immediately puts one in her mouth and savours the taste. It’s an explosion of taste on her tongue, a wonderful change from all the nuts and herbs she had been easting on the road.

Her hunger gets the better of her as she wolfs down the rest leaving Akiko with a full belly. Releasing one sigh of utter satisfaction with eyes closed to etch the moment in to her memory, full of food, content and surrounded by people.

Opening her eyes, Akiko for the first time takes in the sight of the stall where she had bought her food.

It’s different to the ones she had passed by in Gufu where they were actual stores however the one before her was a shop that had an indent where a ‘breakfast’ bar sat and the people sat on small round stools along with a set of six sheets of cloth with wave patterns that covered the customers back and head.

With a small shake of her head, Akiko turns her attention to the rest of the street, which was full of food stalls and restaurants. The smells alone had her mouth-watering even though she just ate however, she does have limited money and Akiko doesn’t think she can get a job here, not with all the paper work and she is fairly sure that it’s a condition of her staying in the leaf village.

‘I do need to find that hotel that Kotetsu had told me about buutt, I guess I could have some snacks on the go’ Akiko convinces herself as she wanders further up the street looking for small and cheap snacks.

Once Akiko reaches the end of the street, she has bought two deep fired radish cakes, one of which is now being nibbled on, and a box of chocolate pocky.

She slows as she reaches an intersection, staring at the three options in front of her.

‘Now, left, right or straight ahead?’ she muses as looks down the streets. Akiko still isn’t sure where to go and she hasn’t passed by any convenience stores yet leaving her to do what she had been doing for the past 4 years.

With that Akiko turns right and meanders down the dirt road leisurely.

X

Akiko watches the shops pass her by with a sharp eye, noting which restaurant to avoid, those that have ninja, which ones are cheap, a good ramen shop, and anything else that caught her attention.

Mentally noting down where the shops were, Akiko continued on her wanderings down a few more streets before deciding it was time to find that hotel.

X

Akiko stood in the shadows of one of the many buildings of the village as she searched for a person that looked kind enough to approach and hopefully direct her to 有缘没份 also known as ‘Destined with No Paths’.

The name itself sounded like a cruel joke to any couple that understood that ancient Chinese idiom Akiko had remembered from her own mother so long ago. It meant To have the fate to love someone and yet have no path to live their lives together.  

With a sigh full of sadness and regret for the characters in those stories, Akiko shakes her head and continues looking for that kind person.

Her eye is caught by a gently smiling woman, with raven hair, who appears to be buying groceries and chatting amiably with the baker that seemed to have followed her out of his store. And by her side is a small child with hair just as dark.

To Akiko it almost looked like the dark blue of the night sky.

Akiko takes quick steps to reach the pair before they vanish into the crowd.

“Excuse me?” Akiko asks tentatively, looking embarrassed as she speaks. And it’s not just because she’s asking a total stranger for directions.

‘This woman is beautiful…’ Akiko thought in stunned realisation.

The woman across from her looks at Akiko surprised, her black bangs framing her face in such a way the woman has the look of a youthful teen and the gentle look that she had seen from afar far enhances her beauty more.

“Yes?” The unknown woman responds, her voice soft and clear, matching her completely.

“Ah, sorry to bother you but I was hoping you could point me in the direction of a hotel called ‘Destined with no paths’?” Akiko asks, her voice soft and shy around the flawlessly skinned woman before her.

There was some movement that had Akiko directing her eyes down to the boy, who had hair that was beginning to take the shape of a duck’s butt, that stood by the woman. Akiko could see him shift with impatience and had an utterly adorable pout on his face.

Just as quickly as she had looked, Akiko’s eyes returned to the mother in front of her as she started to speak.

“It’s no bother at all.” The woman speaks, and Akiko sees the vanishing of shadows that she didn’t even know were there…or at least until they vanished. Akiko felt a flash of sadness for the woman in front of her. While she didn’t know what caused them, there was the irrational urge to try and banish them forever.

There was something about her that reminded Akiko of her first life, of being on guard for the sake of her children and her family. Akiko forced herself to remain in the present.

“If you go down this street and take a left at Takeshita street, walk down until you reach Otome road. Turn right onto Otome road and the Inn should be on the left of the street.” The woman directs kindly.

Akiko smiles brightly at the woman, her gratitude shown as clear as day on her face.

“Thank you so much!” Akiko beams at the woman who smiles in such a ladylike manner that almost makes Akiko jealous of her skill and demeanour.

Flashing one last smile to the woman with one of the prettiest faces she’s ever seen and to that woman’s child, Akiko turns away and begins to look for the street signs that will lead her to an inn where she wants to spend the next four weeks.

X

Once the strange woman with hair similar to that of a friend that she had lost had left, Mikoto Uchiha let her smile fall, an expression of puzzlement and old grief taking its place.

Her brows furrowed, for a second, she had mistaken the stranger for a ninja with a ridiculous amount of spiritual energy. Her hair certainly hadn’t help. While it wasn’t that blood red of the Uzumaki, the colour was still deep enough for Mikoto to mistake her for Kushina.

But she wasn’t.

Then there was her spiritual energy, Mikoto was sure that the woman wasn’t a ninja but even so she had never met anyone, let alone a civilian with that much spiritual energy.

Not only that but, for a second when the stranger fearlessly looked her in the eyes, there was a flicker of age, grief and wisdom. Her eyes looked so old, as old as her grandfather, when he was alive, or the elders as they are now but at the same time they held the energy of children, that joy, hope and spirit.

Mikoto stood where she was as she watched the vanishing back of the stranger who slowly disappeared into the crowd.

“Mother?” Mikoto looked behind her, surprised as her eldest son Itachi made himself known. He had a small frown that was only enhanced by the stress lines.

Mikoto wasn’t blind to her husband’s actions on her children. But she was trying, there was only so much she could do when Fugaku listened more to the elders than to her.

(She still loved her husband, she couldn’t just leave him.)

Her son stood there, holding a bag of fresh tomatoes, Mikoto couldn’t stop the smile spreading at the sight of Sasuke’s favourite food. At least there was Itachi, who would always watch over Sasuke.

“Come on, let’s go home.” Mikoto gently herded her sons home, every now and then looking back at where the stranger vanished.

XX

Itachi had seen the strange woman who had spoken with his mother and he felt the power of her spiritual chakra but even a glance couldn’t answer the question of how she had such power, especially since she was a civilian.

And neither was he blind to the sad grief and guilt in his mother’s eyes or the fact that she kept looking back, as if expecting someone to return.

Even though he could see the possible paths of his clan, he still cared about his mother. Itachi didn’t like seeing the shadows in her eyes.

Itachi follows his mother and little brother, intent on cherishing these small moments and dreading the storm he could see coming.

XX

X

Following the directions of the pretty woman had led Akiko to a wooden building that stood three stories high. There were some lights that she could just see on, if the moving shadows in the window were anything to go by.

There wasn’t really a porch or a place to stand the separated the motel from the road, something she would have expected from a place spoken so highly of by Kotetsu. Instead, the dirt road went all the way up to the door which then abruptly became the hotel.

Akiko stares at the door hesitantly, she knows that it would take time to find another hotel and not only that but she didn’t know her way around the village. But the thought of entering someplace new still held her back, it wasn’t the place but…something else she wasn’t entirely sure of.

Akiko frown, she wasn’t sure of her apprehension or the reason why she was feeling it. With a deep breath, she pushed these small pebble of fear and anxiety away and opened with as little reluctance as she could muster.

Perhaps it was because she was in Konoha? After all, every one she has been hoping to avoid was in this very village.

X

The interior of inn was just as sparse and bare as the outside. There was nothing to indicate comfort or luxury. There were tables where there sat people who are either staying at the inn or are simply there for the food.

They sat at two long continuous wooden tables with seats being the same, just like the kind found in cafeterias. Food was being eaten off flat metal plates with wooden chopsticks. Akiko counted five people on the table, two women and three men all with varying shades of brown to back hair. None of them had even looked in her direction when she had entered and Akiko found herself thankful for that.

To the right, opposite of the tables, stood a reverse ‘L’ shape stood a stern faced woman who seemed to have an expressionless face. Akiko could feel the hair on the back of her neck rise from the stare. The stare wasn’t emotionless and nor did it see her but through her. Akiko couldn’t stop her shiver as she approached the desk.

The woman didn’t even smile. Her face didn’t even twitch and this unnerved Akiko a little bit more.

“How much is one bed for a month?” Akiko asked as naturally she could but it still sounded strained to her own ears.

The woman kept staring at her flatly.

“150 a night.” Even the woman’s voice was flat.

‘Er….’ Akiko though incredulously as she attempted to look at her with a neutral face. There was honestly something about this woman that set her on edge.

“That would come to 4,500 for the month. How do you want to pay?”

‘She’s certainly been educated. Then again, I doubt this place isn’t under surveillance. After all it was Kotetsu who recommended the place, A leaf ninja.’ Akiko sighed internally at her own thoughts.

‘Well she certainly has the flat look down pat.’ Akiko thought sarcastically as the woman continued to stare her down.

“Can I pay on a weekly basis?” A single eyebrow rose in response to her question and Akiko suddenly felt like she was a scolded child again.

The woman just looked at her with that same vision that she had felt with Eiko, like she was under a microscope. It was an unnerving feeling and not one she enjoyed.

“1,050 for this week.” The woman’s voice was as dry as her disposition. With a strained smile, Akiko counts the right amount from her small purse and hand over the money.

The woman grunted as she took the cash with one hand and passed over a clip board with a form in the other.

“Fill this up.” If anything it seemed like her tone got harsher. Akiko didn’t want to mention that it was Kotetsu who had recommended this place to her. No way. Akiko didn’t care if she was being a bit of a scaredy cat, this woman made her not want to mention it at all. Then again it was an inn recommended by a ninja, what was she supposed to expect?

Akiko wasn’t even sure of that herself. She never really had much interaction with the ninja of the leaf, let alone ninja from any other village for that matter.

And for all she knew, this lady in-front of her was a ninja too!

Akiko gingerly took the clipboard from her the woman’s hand and started to fill up the form. It asked the same question as the entrance form to the village had except there more fine print at the end.

“I accept that any damages that have been caused by the customer will be paid by the customer.” And “The inn ‘Destined with no Paths’ are not liable for any injuries that are inflicted onto the customer and the inn accepts no responsibility if the customer has been injured or their belongings have been stolen, damaged or destroyed by the ninja of the village.’

‘Well I suppose the exclusions clauses are valid…considering the place I’m currently in.’ Akiko thought considering as she weighed up the chances of her running into a ninja battle on the streets or even having one break in just to steal her stuff.

‘Then again, I can’t really rule anything out.’ Akiko corrected, because she really couldn’t. As a foreign person in a military run village, there really was a chance that her room might be broken into and her stuff would be stolen just to see if she was a spy.

Akiko read the terms over again and double checked that she had filled out all the needed sections before she signed her name at the bottom. She handed the clip board back to the woman and waited for her key.

As Akiko waited for the woman to finish checking her form, she searched the woman as discreetly as possible, looking for a name tag just so she can match a name to the middle-aged browned haired woman with the flattest expression she has ever seen.

‘I don’t even think I can pull this one off.’ Akiko thought in disbelief as she stared at the woman’s face.

Her eyes continued to roam the woman’s clothing but couldn’t find a name tag anywhere. Akiko frowned in consideration. If the name tag wasn’t on her person, then perhaps it was elsewhere?

With that in mind, Akiko started to look in the most ridiculous places as inconspicuously as possible. She leaned back gently to look at the wooden beam above the counter, pretending to crack her neck to see the ceiling above the woman’s head. And just as she leaned over to look at the floor, the woman spoke again.

“Are you finished?” Akiko flushed in embarrassment at the amusement in the woman’s voice. She hadn’t wanted to be caught look for her name.

“Em…yes?” Akiko answered uncertainly as she slowly met the eyes of the woman. While she wasn’t exactly smiling, there was an amused twinkle in her eye.

“The name is on the desk.” The woman pointed.

And there it was, on the desk, engraved in a small wooden pieces. “Hisako”.

Akiko stared at the name plate. It had been right in front of her this whole time. Just there.

Akiko could feel the heat in her cheeks and the urge to smack her face into a wall for how stupid she was, looking everywhere but the most obvious place on the whole desk!

In an attempt to dodge the awkward silence, Akiko let out a small laugh while she could see Hisako shake her head.

“Room 5, down the end of the hall.” Hisako points at the stair case right at the end of the hall.

 X

 With a heavy sigh, Akiko falls on the bed and stares up at the ceiling.

‘Well I’m here now.’ She smiles but it feels sad.

‘Mamaru…’ Her mind drifts to him and the family that they could have been. Even though it’s been months, the wounds on her heart are still raw. It still hurts.

Akiko closes her eyes to fight off the tears she can feel building up with sadness proceeding it with great waves.

Though most of her tears do not fall, a few slipped through.

‘Right! I need to distract myself!’ Akiko sat up suddenly as she pushed away her feelings. She wasn’t going to deal with them now, she couldn’t.

Not yet.

‘I’ll see what the village is like!’ She thought as the rush of excitement of being somewhere new flowed over her, though somewhat damped.

The orange-haired woman rifled through her bag, intent on taking only her money purse and leaving everything else behind in the room. After all, she wasn’t here to work but merely to see and then move on.

Akiko would continue as she had been until she finds her ache and then...

‘I’ll see where I go from there.’ She reflected with a wry smile as she gently closed and locked the brown wooden door with the key Hisako had given her.

As she descended the stairs, her thoughts wandered to what she would be doing in Konoha during her stay.

And as she walked past the tables where the five still sat, her eyes rested on one of the women who had hair that had been cut to her ears.

‘Maybe I’ll get a haircut.’ Akiko pondered as she came to the realisation that it had been years since someone had cut her hair. She had always done it herself and in the crudest of ways. Simply getting her knife and chopping it off. Of course more times than not, her hair would have this uneven slant and even though the only mirror she looked into was the water, the mere thought of it still left herself conscious enough to wear her in such ways that a person could never tell.

‘Hmm…I’ll make this a treat for myself.’ She thought resolute.

However, it appeared she had another obstacle before her.

‘Where can I find a hairdresser?’ That thought had her walking backwards since in her musing she had walked right past Hisako.

“Do you know where the nearest hairdresser is?” Akiko asked as politely as possible since for some reason this woman still made her want to blush from her previous embarrassment, which Akiko was trying to ignore as much as possible.

It’s almost as if Hisako could read her because the stern woman quirks her mouth in what seems to be the start of a smile.

“Turn right and it’s the last shop on the left at the end of the street.” Her voice is to the point and even though it’s sounds completely neutral, Akiko can’t help but feel that the woman is secretly amused with her in general.

“Thanks!” Akiko gives one of her brighter smiles as she walks out of the inn and back on the road and the people on it.

Akiko follows Hisako’s directions and it leads her straight to the hairdressers.

A place that was both familiar and foreign at the same time. It has been decades since she’s last been to the hairdressers. For every instance in her current life, it had always been her or her mother who had cut her hair and even then it crudely done.

Without mirrors and done with a simple knife.

It would be a treat for herself and something she would gladly indulge herself with, especially since…

Akiko shook her head to dispel the memories, both the pleasant and the unpleasant.

This was something that is going to be for her and that is how she intended it to be.

The shop had that same open window design, letting both the patron and the people on the street see though the glass, though their chairs looked different. They didn’t look as cushioned as the ones from her first life but Akiko wasn’t going to condemn them yet.

Akiko approached the door and gently pushed it open, listening to the gentle tinkling of the bell that had been attached to the back.

When the bell chimed, Akiko saw how there was a subtle twitch in many of who she assumed to be employers while there was also a man at a small podium who stood there and his already wide smile somehow got even larger.

‘That is…kinda creepy…’ She observed with a subtle shiver. The smile seemed plastic, fake.

Regardless, if she wanted a haircut, Akiko would have to talk with the smiling person. And so she approached with cautiously.

“Welcome to the Green Star! How may I help you today?” The man spoke first with a cheer in his voice that had Akiko’s insides quiver, and not in the nice way.

“Hi, I’d like to have a haircut?” Akiko stated and hated how she could hear the tremor in her voice.

“Of course! What kind would you like?” Akiko really wasn’t feeling the cheer here and if all shop keepers in Konoha were like this, then she would be happy to leave sooner than her intended month here.

Akiko glanced behind the man at the counter to the sign board on the wall, detailing the kind of cuts and the price. She scanned them quickly, dismissing some for the price and other because they weren’t for her hair.

However, there was one that caught her eye.

“Could I get a cut and wash?” Akiko asked quickly, pushing down her discomfort in favour for excitement.

“Sure! That would be 50 ryo.” The man said politely.

Akiko smiled back as nicely as she could, ignoring the plastic smile as she did so and handed over the required amount.

“Thank you! It shouldn’t be too long, please take a seat.” He gestured to the four waiting stools that lined the wall to the left of the door.

Akiko smiled again and hurried over to the stools and made herself comfortable.

She looked around the shop and noticed that there were only to hairdressers and that there were two customers, both of whole were chatting quite amiably with each other and the other barbers in conversation.

Such flowing conversation that had Akiko thinking the barbers wouldn’t finish if only to prolong the conversation.

Akiko braced herself for a long wait.

Around five minutes late, she was presently surprised when the one of the customers stood and brushed off the loose hair and waved at the remaining customer and the hairdressers and left, shoot her a quick smile.

It was a man, with light stubble and what looked to be smile lines.

‘Well, he looks like a happy person.’ Akiko though with small smile.

“Please follow me” Akiko smiled up at the aged face of one of the hairdressers and did just that.

 X

 Throughout the haircut, Akiko stared at the mirror in front of her. She stared at her reflection, something she hadn’t really paid attention to.

Akiko is an average looking woman, that's what she's always thought.

She smiled at the mirror and studied it. Her smile is crooked with her left side always being slightly higher the right and it makes it look like she’s always smirking. It isn’t a feature that she’s happy with. It doesn't help that her eyes reinforce the matter.

Then there are her eyes. They aren't small but they aren't exactly large either. The one thing she is happy with is the fact that they're more expressive than her face is.

Ignoring the man behind her, Akiko takes her hands and squishes them against her cheeks, pouting as she did so, she wasn't fat, and even though she spent a good 4 years wandering the elemental nations, somehow, her face always retained their slight chubbiness. Her face lacked the sharp cheek bones of or the stark definition of other beautiful women. Rather her face has the soft curves and the gentleness that she always reminds her of a caring mother.

But out of all her features, the one that she was the happiest with, is her hair. Despite the hassle to take care of it due to its length, since she only asked it to be layered, she does love the smooth gentle curves she inherited from her mother. The shortest parts frame her face, with the small curls at the end.

Her hair has always been her proudest feature, it's a gift from her mother and a legacy from her father. Something she wears with pride for she is a part of a dying clan.

X

 When Akiko left the hairdresser, she had noticed the difference in weight on her head. And as frivolous as it was, the difference in weight was something that made her giddy. It kept her smiling throughout the afternoon as she wandered around the streets, shops and stalls that are in the general vicinity of her hotel. She’d rather not get lost on her first night here.

X

 As it was already late in the evening when Akiko arrived at the hotel. She retired early back to her rooms, unable to dodge the amusement from Hisako but it had her smiling too and thus Akiko’s first night in the Hidden Leaf Village passed without fanfare.

X

 Akiko’s week passed much the same way, with gradual exploration of the civilian sector, as she had later discovered with some small talk with the various shop keepers she’d met as she searched for various activities and foods to eat.

However, that wasn’t the only thing she had learnt through her interactions. Akiko had also learnt that the native village people didn’t like strangers, or rather foreigners. While the store keepers, were kind enough there was still some feeling of…distance and cold dislike that sent tendrils of uncertainty and discomfort down Akiko’s spine and nestled at the back of her mind.

It left her feeling odd after every reaction and only deepened her impression that she wasn’t welcome with every interaction.

It was something that she could easily push away.

 X

 During that week, Akiko had also followed up on her appointment time with Dr Ohori, who while still being as friendly as she was when Akiko first met her, was somewhat distracted. And while Akiko was thankful to the Doctor, she didn’t feel that she as close enough to her ask.

Dr Ohori had informed Akiko that all the muscles had healed properly and she had the green light to continue with her travelling. But Dr Ohori had given stern warning for her not to repeat or do the acts that had led to her strained muscles in the first place.

Akiko sheepishly agreed.

Though she did have her fingers crossed behind her back.

(But Akiko had the feeling that Dr Ohori knew anyway, if that knowing look was anything to go by.)

 X

 It was in the second week that things started to become a lot more…involved.

 X

 As Akiko had seen all of the market district, which did put quite a dent in her pocket, she had taken to wandering to the outskirts of the areas she was legally allowed to visit.

On that particular Tuesday, Akiko had decided to veer away from the market districts and follow a path that she hoped to lead her to some peace. She came across an open field which had a nice grassy hill that she liked the look of and promptly walked to.

It was a small hill and she couldn’t see much of the village, and that was fine. What it did have was the tranquillity and the sense of clam that Akiko had started to miss.

It was on her way down from the hill after spending a few hours there, that everything had begun.  

Akiko came across a strange patch of ground that had her curiously circling it. It appeared that a section of grass had been sewn to the ground.

Akiko could see a flap and she, being extremely curious, reached out to touch it and just as her fingers brushed the edge of the strange flap, Akiko was tackled away by a body that felt smaller then hers. And practically immediately after, an explosion occurred at the very same place where the small square had been sewn into the ground.

Akiko stared up at the body that had covered her in surprise, her heart pounding at the scare. Her gaze travelled up a black cloth to a young and youthful face that looked down to her with a grin and Akiko’s heart stopped pounding.

‘A child.’ Her mind echoed as she sat up, forcing the boy to move off.

“Woah, that was a close one!” He exclaimed in excitement and joy! The child wasn’t even fazed that he was singed and that there was smoke still wafting off of him!

Akiko is less amused.

She immediately turned on the boy and started to examine where the smoke was coming off.

She runs her hands over the smoking clothing, looking for burns or injuries, ignoring the boy’s reaction.

“Hey, Hey, Hey! What are you doing?!” The boy cried out as he pushed her hands away. Akiko raises her eyes and levels the boy with a flat and unimpressed look and watches him flinch.

“Are you alright?” Akiko finally asks, her tone as serious as her face.

The boy smiles at her, a soft, kind thing that leaves Akiko with a warm heart and a pool of dread.

“Nothing I can’t handle!” His smile changed to a megawatt grin and something about that made her chest constrict.

Akiko didn’t understand and she wasn’t sure she wanted to either.

“You just saved me from being blown up! And you’re charred! There is no way that you’re fine!” Akiko exclaimed, gesturing to the still smoking blast-site for emphasis.

The boy just chuckled and waved her hand away.

 X

 Akiko missed his glance of calculation.

 X

“Well, if it makes you feel better you can come me to meet my friends. That should prove I’m fine.”

Akiko studied him, looking for anything that would say otherwise about his condition.

She pursed her lips in thought.

“What’s your name?” Akiko asked as she stood up and offered her hand to the boy. He seemed to hesitate before putting his hand in hers.

‘He must be a ninja and at such a young age too.’ Akiko thought in almost sadness.

“It’s Shisui. And yours is?” He left the end of the question open. Akiko smiled.

“I’m Akiko. It’s nice to meet you Shisui.” By now both of them were standing up right and facing each other. Akiko did notice the difference in height be said nothing of it. It might be considered rude if she did. Instead she spoke.

“Please, do lead the way.” Shisui smiled and did just that. Akiko fell into step with him.

 X

 The awkward silence between the two was something that Akiko didn’t know how to break. She didn’t really know this person and the only thing that rang bell in her mind was that he had something to do with the main plot.

When she looked at him, there as a sense of…sadness. For reasons, she wasn’t quite sure.

“So, why were you in a ninja training field?” Shisui’s voice startled her out of her thoughts, his tone curious and teasing.

Akiko looked at him.

“This is a ninja training field?!” She asked in shock.

“Yup!” He answered with glee at her reaction.

“But...! There weren’t any markings saying it was a training field!” Akiko protested She had expected fields like these to have a sign somewhere saying that it was a training field!

“We’re ninjas!”  he pointed out as if it answered all her questions.

Akiko opened her mouth to retort but stopped because it Did answer her questions. They were ninjas and not only that, this was also their own turf. Why would the name things? Things that only ninjas would use?

“…. You have a point.” She conceded after a pause.

Shisui let a few chuckles escape as they continued to walk.

“So what’s a civilian doing in a ninja training field?” The boy tries again, the laughter still carrying in his voice.

“I didn’t know it was a ninja training field.” Akiko muttered petulantly. “I came here because it was peaceful, empty.”  Akiko continued, her voice calmer as she gave her reasons.

“Calm eh? What don’t like the hustle and bustle?” Shisui pried some more.

“It’s not that I don’t like it but I was born in forest Country and when you’ve spent as much time as I have on the road, going to a big city with a lot of people, after a while you begin to miss the calm and quiet.” Akiko explained, unaware of his sudden stiffness.

“Forest Country?” He asked, still keeping his tone light and playful.

“Yeah, I left when I turned sixteen. Been on my own ever since.” Akiko spoke quietly, not wanting to mention the times she spent in Rain. It was still to fresh, too soon.

“Why’d you leave?” Shisui asked and Akiko felt that he was genuinely curious.

“Clan traditions.” Akiko told him. She didn’t elaborate any further. She knew that clan secrets of the Reko were sacred and were only shared with your life partner. And it seemed that it extends to other clans in here too and that Shisui knew of this as well.

“Oh.” He nodded and the conversation seemed to die there.

Akiko was sure how to pick it up either, instead she busied herself with observing the area around her.

It seemed that during their short conversation, Shisui had left her out of the training and were well on the way to civilisation.

 X

 Due to the silence between Shisui and her, Akiko paid close attention to her surroundings. She could feel the eyes on her and the hair on the back of her neck standing up.

‘Why are they staring?’ Akiko thought on edge, the hate and the fear from the civilians around her was almost palpable. It was different to when she was on her own, so why was it more noticeable now?

It took her more than half the time they were in the civilian sector for Akiko to realise that the looks weren’t directed at her, well there were a few but the majority of the distain was directed at Shisui.

Akiko didn’t quit understand until she slowed her pace slightly and her eyes caught sight of the red and white fan on his back.

There was this nagging at the back of her mind, like she should know the meaning of that fan. But every time she grasped at the memory, it easily slipped through her fingers. She knew it was a clan emblem, but which one?

‘And I’m pretty sure the reason that everyone here is scared of him is also because of that fan on his back.’ Akiko continued to ponder the problem of the white and red fan.

‘Why can’t I remember!’ Akiko thought frustrated. She hated it when she forgot bits of her past life or information that could be important.

“Problem with being old.” She muttered to herself.

“Hmm?” Shisui hummed his question to her and Akiko blushed, she hadn’t meant for him to hear.

“It’s nothing!” Akiko replied mildly.

“Well, we’re almost there!” Shisui pointed ahead and Akiko’s eyes followed his finger which had led her gaze to a fruit stall where there appeared to be two short boys waiting.

Akiko nodded her acknowledgement but kept quiet, as she studied one of the boys with squinted eyes.

‘I think I know that hair from somewhere…’ She had seen that strangely shaped hair before? Where had she seen hair that had the strangest angle at the end?

The closer they got, the clearer the two became to her until it got to the point where Akiko and Shisui were face to face.

There were no words that were exchanged between the Shisui and the other older boy but the first one to speak wasn’t her.

“It’s you!” Shouted the small kid with the strange hair, pointing at Akiko as he did so.

She stared at him, confused.

‘Me?’ Akiko mouthed to herself as she stared at Shisui with puzzlement.

“You made mummy sad!” The kid shouted again with righteous anger in his voice. Instead of clearing up the confusion, it only made it worse.

“Have you met the little tyke before?” Shisui asked, slight suspicion colouring his voice. Akiko couldn’t fault him on it, especially if they were related and it certainly looked like they were.

“I don’t know, I’ve been here two weeks and I’ve said ‘Hello’ to a lot of people.” Akiko explained with a small shrug of her shoulders.

“But I have seen that hair from somewhere…” Akiko muttered as she stared intensely in to the cross eyes of the boy.

Her eyes widened as the sudden realisation hit.

“You’re the kid who was with the really pretty lady!” Akiko practically shouted in her shock. Then her words came back to her.

‘Oh god, I sound like a child.’ The orange haired woman could feel the blush on her cheeks as she saw Shisui raise an eyebrow at her choice of words. It didn’t help that she could feel the other boy’s judgemental stare boring into her.

“She’s my mummy! Not yours!” The small child said quite possessively, something that didn’t surprise her given his age, but it was still slightly insulting, insinuating that she was going to steal someone else to be her mother when she already has one and doesn’t need another, there was also the tiny fact that Akiko was most likely over than the woman anyway.

“I have my mum too!” Akiko glared at the kid as she bent over, stooping to the level of the child in terms of arguments. She knew she shouldn’t but Akiko couldn’t help it, it was nice to feel young again, even if it meant arguing with a child.

“Good! You stay with your mummy and stay away from mine!” The boy folded his arms in triumph that had Akiko smiling softly with an eyebrow raised.

Akiko kept smiling as she stretched her back and made eye contact with the other two more…mature children.

The still unnamed boy said nothing and simply raised a single eyebrow at Akiko but she carefully kept her eyes away from the judging stare.

Akiko turned to stare at Shisui, it was better than facing head on that stare coming from the boy with really long hair and a shine that many girls would kill for.

Shisui, as it turns out, was attempting to hold his laughter, which he was doing pretty well until Akiko raised an eyebrow at him.

And then he lost it.

The boy collapsed into gales of laughter, he was laughing so hard that tears were squeezed from the corner of his eyes.

Akiko knew that what had transpired wasn’t that funny, not by a long shot but something told her that Shisui needed this.

Laughing was about as contagious as yawning and it wasn’t long before Akiko joined Shisui in laughter.

When the two had finally recovered their bearings, both were faced with the indignant pout of the small boy and the exasperated aura of the older boy.

“Hah, so guys, this is Akiko. A civilian I found.” Shisui introduced her and Akiko felt playful indignation at the statement that he had ‘found her’.

“More like saved from being blown up.” She muttered under her breath. She caught the flicker of his eyes, indication that she had been heard. Akiko wasn’t if the other one had heard but then again, ninja.

“Akiko, this guys are my family. The small tyke with the hair is Sasuke.” Shisui gestured to the small boy before whispering in her ear.

“Careful, he has the cute brother complex.” Sasuke saw the motion and frowned at the two.

“Hey! What did you say to her!” The small boy demanded, obviously knowing that it was about him. Shisui just grinned at the boy and ruffled his hair. Sasuke sulked, arms crossed and an adorable pout on his lips.

“And this is my favourite younger cousin, Itachi!” Itachi remained impassive but there was the aura of exasperation and annoyance that seemed to radiate from him, which had Akiko smile slightly. She had seen this brotherly behaviour before.

At a guess, Shisui was probably the one that bugged Itachi and seeing how he had been conveying all emotion with a blank face, Akiko could see the older boy attempting to pry Itachi out of his shell.

The care between then warmed her heart, something that happened often when she sees familial bonds.

“It is a please to meet you.” Akiko greeted formally, her lips twitching at the scene before her.

��And you.” Itachi muttered back smoothly, his voice rich and low.

‘This boy, well I can just tell that he’s going to be a heart breaker with those looks and that voice!’ Akiko felt almost sorry for the boy, she was sure that he would garner many, many fangirls by the time he reaches 16. Maybe even sooner.

“Well since I’ve seen you to your family, I’ll be taking my leave.” Akiko bowed slightly before taking a step back.

“Wait! Why don’t you come with us?” Shisui had a hand on her shoulder, not an attempt to stop her but something to get her attention.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude on family time.” The orange haired woman rebutted.

“You wouldn’t be intruding! The more the merrier!” Shisui seamlessly deflected the weak reason.

Akiko studied his face, and looked. His eyes were tired and haunted. He had seen death, and while she could recognise the same look in her own eyes, his were darker.

She had lost patients but they were always people she had not really connection to but Akiko suspected that Shisui had lost close friends. In battle.

‘He is a ninja, after all.’ Came her own sardonic reasoning.

“Fine,” She caved to his request and walked with them, “but where are we going?”

“We’re going to…” Akiko listened with diligence to the youngest member of this small group, smiling and nodding and asking question of boy. Akiko would continue to ignore the eyes of accusation and fear and instead enjoy her time with some new friends. Even if they were a bit younger than her.

 X

As it turned out, they were heading to the stores to some grocery shopping, nothing too big. Shisui kept much of the conversation going with Akiko throwing in a story of her travels every now and then just to add to the richness of what was being spoken. Sasuke had stars in his eyes when he heard that Akiko had travelled all the way from Forest Country to the Leaf village.

“Where are you gonna go next?” Shisui asked with a causal grin as Akiko shifted the bags she was carrying.

“Hm, I’m not too sure honestly. I just going where ever the road takes me. I don’t do much planning.” Akiko answered with a shrug.

“Really? Just where ever? What if you hit a cross road?” Shisui asked, both fascinated and slightly disturbed with her way of travel.

“I toss a coin.” A lazy grin spread on her lips. Akiko didn’t like making plans when she travelled. Even though it was against common sense.

“That’s crazy! What if you get caught in bad weather!” This time it was Sasuke who asked.

“Well then I just deal with it! I improvise!” Akiko shot a grin at the small boy whose face scrunched at the word.

She could see him mumbled the word under his breath before turning to Itachi who seemed to watch the conversation from the corner of his eyes, never really joining in. ‘Though to be fair, he seemed to have more fun listening than talking’ Akiko concluded as Sasuke asked his older brother what the word meant.

Akiko, noticing that she was nearing her hotel, figured that it was time to say her farewells.

“Hey guys, this is my stop.” She stopped and waved at Sasuke and Itachi. Shisui pouted at her words.

“Aww! Why don’t you come with us?” Sasuke asked with a cute foot stomp.

“Sasuke, Mother wants as home soon and Akiko is most likely tired from today’s events.” Itachi, being the diplomat, explained to his brother.

“Sasuke, tell you what, if you see me in the streets, you can run over and say ‘hi’! Even come at me with a running hug!” Akiko smiled at the boy, giving gentle encouragement.

“Fine then.” The small boy crossed his arms and pouted.

‘He’s so adorable!’ Akiko gushed in her mind.

“I’ll see you around Shisui!” Akiko called as she turned down Otome street and headed to her hotel.

Not before passing a stall with several items that Akiko thought would be good parting gifts for the trio when she left the village.

X

It seems that Akiko’s luck had changed, since throughout that second week she had continuously run into the Uchiha trio. Akiko had the nagging suspicion that Sasuke had gotten Itachi to track her down simply so the small boy could tackle hug her.

Not only that but the other two were just as good company, alternating between endless chattering and story share and comfortable silence. It was quiet the experience, something that Akiko was glad for. There were a few times that Akiko had seen either Shisui or Itachi stare down civilians that had felt brave enough to approach them and sometimes just her, with less than pleasant intentions.

However, in the middle of her third week, Itachi and Shisui informed her that they could no longer meet up as they had a mission come up. Akiko told them that it was fine and then handed them three gifts she had gotten them earlier.

She had gotten Sasuke a book on the ninjutsu of the elements, Shisui a baby blue scarf and for Itachi, an empty journal. It was a small gesture but one of friendship but one that she meant completely.

Akiko felt a pang of sadness and regret at their retreating backs. She wishes she had more time with them.

X

Akiko sat in the common room of her hotel, somewhat at a loss of what to do. She felt restless but the same time, she didn’t know what she could be doing. Akiko had already walked everywhere she could, seen the sights and tried the foods. What else was there to do?

She stared at the window and continued to watch as the night took old. Akiko stared in a trance like state, watching the dark spread slowly and softly over the street. Her eyes snapped into focus as she came to a decision. Akiko stood with wobbly purpose and made her way out the door, following a faint call in her heart.

X

Akiko didn’t think, she just let her feet take her where ever. Her eyes passed over shops and landmarks without them registering in her mind. She simply wandered through the streets of the Leaf village.

The lights of the village and the people on the streets blurred together as she continued to move through them like water. Just as sudden as her revere had begun, it had also ended. Akiko stopped suddenly as she felt her mind focus on where she was. She blinked a few times to clear her head as she looked around. It seemed that her wandering had gotten her to the side of town that had all the pubs.

It wasn’t a place she was too keen on staying in. With a light shrug, Akiko continued down the street she was on, this tome more aware of her surrounds. She looked around and took in the sights and sounds of roaring laughter, hoots and drunken civilians. As Akiko continued to walk, she noticed the atmosphere change and the patrons too.

It seemed that the people where she was now were sombre and quiet. There were some parties but they seem to be celebrating survival not an occasion like a birthday. Akiko frowned, if she was where drunk ninjas were then it would be in her best interest to not stay. Who knows what they could be capable of! Akiko didn’t know when they were sober, but at least then they would have control over their mental facilities. But if they were drunk…Akiko shook her head, not wanting to think about it. Instead, she increased her pace and tried not to look like she was hurrying out of the area.

Akiko continued on, taking note of how the number of bars dwindled down until she was out of the area. With a sigh, she relaxed and resumed her leisurely pace.

‘Maybe I should start to head back to the inn?’ Akiko pondered as she walked.

She suddenly stilled as Akiko felt two arms wrap around her midsection and a face nuzzle into the side of her neck. Akiko felt her heart stop and at the same time felt her blood grow cold. She didn’t think this would happen to her, not here either!

With her heart increasing in speed as her fear grew, Akiko braved looking at the person who made themselves overly friendly with her body. If it was a civilian she could take them but…if it was a ninja? Then she, in very apt terms, was screwed.

Her head turned slightly and her eyes widened in shock for another reason. The face that is nuzzling into her neck like some kind of dog, was a masked faced.

‘Please not him…’ Akiko pleaded as she turned her head further and caught sight of a shock of white hair and his face.

‘No! It can’t be!’ She thought frantically but the deep timber voice rumbling in the man’s chest said otherwise.

“Mine.” Kakashi almost growled.

(Akiko stubbornly ignored her thing for deep voices.)

‘Meeting Kakashi once was enough but meeting him again?! What the hell kind of luck do I even have? Did I piss off some all-powerful being? Seriously! Out of everyone here! In the whole damn village! Why did it have to be him?!’ She ranted in the safety of her mind as she forced her body to remain still.

So far, all Kakashi had done was holder her tenderly like a lover and declare that she belonged to him.  Akiko felt her face flush with colour at the pleased growl in Kakashi’s chest.

(And maybe deep, deep in her heart, she did enjoy the sound of it.)

‘I really didn’t need this happening to me, right now.’ She though embarrassedly as her…other parts started to react. However, there was another thing, Akiko could smell the stench of alcohol that hung on him like a cape of a jealous woman.

“Smells nice.” Kakashi rumbled out again, this time clutching her closer. Kakashi is clearly drunk and also a ninja, who seems pretty happy with her around and Akiko wasn’t heartless enough to set a drunk Kakashi loose on the village. Not the mention, she didn’t think anyone would be able to pry him off her without some form of grievous bodily harm. Akiko sighed as she tried to pull herself out of his grasp.

It didn’t work, he just growled threateningly before making his grip on her person even stronger. Akiko heaved a sigh.

“alright then, let’s get you to bed.” Akiko huffed gently at the drunken man.

“Okay!” He sings cheerfully but doesn’t let go.

“You aren’t going to let go. Are you?” She muttered rhetorically.

“Nope!” Kakashi answers cheerfully anyway.

“Right.” The woman sighs tiredly before taking a few experimental steps forward. Kakashi mirrored them perfectly. Taking this as a success. Akiko begins her walk back to the inn, with Kakashi attached to her back like a leach.

 X

The resulting walk was a surprising nice and languid one, that is one Akiko disregarded her own heart rate and the various stares of disbelief from the people who seemed to recognise Kakashi. Anyone that had tried to even come near the pair ended up backing off in the face of an audibly growling Kakashi. Something that every didn’t want to face.

“So, why were you drinking?” Akiko asked, seeing as Kakashi seemed coherent enough while drunk, if just a bit animalistic.

“Celebration!” Kakashi giggles his answer in her ear. Akiko shook her head in slight disbelief. Kakashi and giggling is a weird combination.

“For what?” Akiko asks surprised. She had never pegged Kakashi as the type to drink at parties, let alone go to parties without someone else bringing them.

“Back on rosters” He crows to the sky happily and Akiko turns her head to look at him, she smiles fondly at the childish grin that she could see from the outline on his mask. Akiko assumed that ‘back on roster’ meant back on mission roster.

“Why were you taken off?” Akiko questions with surprise but she didn’t think she’d get an answer.

“Can’t tell! It’s a secret! Shhh.” He sang back gleeful at the idea of a secret, like a little kid who knew where their parents had hidden all the sweets.

‘Should have expected that.’ Akiko thought with a face fall, not entirely sure why she had some faith that he would tell her. They did literally just meet…technically this was the first meeting with him being semi lucid.

“Alright then, who set the party up?” Akiko askes without losing heart. He is a ninja and she highly doubts Kakashi is the type to throw a party for himself. Period. Instead he is more the type to be dragged against his will.

“My teammate! Beeeaver!” Kakashi drawls with drunk happiness.

“Beaver?” Akiko asks sceptically. She is aware that ANBU exists and that they wore masks to hide their identity, and that Kakashi was also part of the secret force of ninja. But that still begs the question, why is Kakashi’s teammate called beaver? Is…that the name for his mask? Akiko wasn’t sure and decided to just let it go, she figured more thing would make sense that way too.

“Yep! Beeaverrr” He sang this time.

When he didn’t elaborate further, Akiko sighed and left it alone. There really wasn’t anything else she could get out of him without Kakashi being cryptic, even though he is drunk.

The rest of the walk was silent but with a strange sort of comfort. The amount of people on the street had also lessened to the occasional couple or person who didn’t give them a second glance. Of course there was the sniffing and dace rubbing, which made Akiko’s face heat up, especially when accompanied with a low growl in Kakashi’s chest.

By the time the two of them had gotten back to Akiko’s inn, she was a bit aroused and very, very red. Hisako, the woman who had checked her in the first time and since then taken the night shift for the last three weeks, looked at her with a raised eyebrow and a very amused smirk. The suggestive wink was something else.

Akiko didn’t think she could blush any harder. She was wrong.

Somehow, the implication was worse than what was currently happening. So with a red face, Akiko ran or rather walked quickly to the stairs and hurriedly entered her room.

This must have been some sort of signal for Kakashi as she could feel could feel the shoots of pleasure from him nibbling on her neck. He had taken off his mask.

Akiko couldn’t stop the aroused most that slipped past her lips as Kakashi’s hands took to wandering her body, seeking out pleasure spots.

‘I can’t let this continue, especially since he’s drunk!’ Akiko thought frantically and with slight difficulty as Kakashi is very talented with his hands and his mouth. Her body responded with a gusto to Kakashi’s menstruations on her breasts and Akiko could feel the smirk on his lips as let out a particularly loud moan.

Akiko isn’t going to give him any hers since he had alcohol and she didn’t think he would be drinking them at all, since his attention was elsewhere. So that left Akiko with pressure points and a drunk’s natural propensity to fall asleep.

‘Kakashi falling asl-ah-sleep doesn’t look like it’s happening anytime soon.’ Akiko’s mind stuttered as Kakashi had somehow managed to get his hands under her clothes without her noticing. That just left her with pressure points.

Akiko needed to act soon because Kakashi was hitting all sorts of buttons and his hands were getting dangerously close to one in particular. She turned abruptly to face him.

“Shirt off” She commanded breathlessly and as if by magic, the vest and the shirt were on the floor. And so was hers. She could feel his bare chest on hers and it sent tingles down her spine. Akiko let one hand trace down his exposed muscles and while Kakashi didn’t make a sound, Akiko could feel him shudder with pleasure.

The heat that she felt in her belly, intensified. She felt it rush downwards, making her regret her next move.

Akiko rammed two fingers into the pressure point over Kakashi’s heart and with a small sigh of regret and wistfulness, she caught the now sleeping man. Akiko slowly dragged him to the bed and gently dropped him on it, grunting from the effort.

“Definitely not lighter, if anything, you’ve gotten heavier.” Akiko said to the unconscious figure.

Her only response was a snore.

Akiko wasn’t sure what to do next. Hightail it out of here? Right now or stay in case Kakashi vomits and chokes on it and then leave. She must have spent too long standing there contemplating her options next to Kakashi because suddenly she was in bed with said ninja’s arms firmly around her.

‘A drunk ninja is still a ninja.’ She remembered the words of Shisui when she had asked about ninjas after seeing some stumble out of a bar earlier in the day. Completely true and her own fault for forgetting it.

“Damn it.” Akiko whispered, she should have remembered! There was also another thing, this was even similar to the last encounter Akiko had with Kakashi. She tried to wiggle her way out but Kakashi’s arms just tightened their grip. Sighing her surrender and pointedly ignoring the warmth spreading from her heart, she needed to plan her next step.

Her next best bet of escape is tomorrow morning, when hopefully, Kakashi’s arms would be loose enough for her to escape but until then, she needed sleep.

X

Akiko gave in to her guilty want as she snuggled into Kakashi’s arms and fell asleep.

-------------------------------------

OMAKE

Genma scoured the rooftops for Kakashi.

‘All I gave him was one damn pill!’ He thought as he continued to search frantically, nerviously chewing on a sebon.

He knew that Kakashi always drank on the anniversary of Obito and Rin’s death but never his Sensei’s, ‘probably because of Naruto’ he admitted to himself.

Se Genma wanted his fellow ANBU member to have a happy experience and so he had slipped Kakashi a standard, civilian grade happy pill that he had swiped of some doctor’s office in prepreation for this. That was it! He just gave Kakashi one pill and then…maybe a few drinks after.

It was working too! And then poof! Suddenly Kakashi was gone! Genma had only turned around to get another drink off the waiter.

“Honestly where the hell could he have gone?” Genma muttered to himself as he stopped by the memorial stone to check if Kakashi had been there.

Team Ro would skewer him if they ever found out what he did or that he lost Kakashi.

“Damn it.”

Genma continued his search.

[thewanderingwomanofnaruto]

AU Semi futuristic where Kakashi was the friend but also a plant and Akiko is the protective mother that had Naruto taken from her

Base line for this AU is that from this pic from this song [Of which I don’t own both, they’re just giving ammo to my muse)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWZ6alTYjWY

And Kakashi is the man she trusted completely but he was also the one to betray her and take her son and gave Naruto the people who wanted to experiment on him. Akiko finds Naruto missing and something connected to Kakashi and this is after the initial fight scene so Kakashi is fleeing, injured

Akiko weaved through the streets, desperately searching for the man who had taken her son from her.

Rain poured from the heavens, hiding her own tears and bounced off her armour, blending in with the darkness around her. To think she had lost her son to the one man who she trusted with her life with.

Akiko continued to run, just seeing flashes of light from the entrance of each ally way she passed, like the lights in a subway.

She knew he was ahead of her, she could feel it and she was catching up.

That so-called black ops couldn't even outrun a desperate mother seeing as he was just hobbling up ahead.

Akiko knew the moment he heard her footsteps in the rain. He stiffened and increased his pace but instead of continuing down the maze of alleyways, he ran into a building.

'I've got you now.' A cold smirk presented itself on her lips, there was no way in hell that she was going to let him go, not when she can get revenge.

Akiko sped up and entered through the same door and stopped in the doorway. Her eyes searched the floor for evidence of where He went.

The water from the rain indicated that he had gone up the stairs. Akiko could see that on the floor, there were flecks and smears of blood from the gunshot that she had managed to got on him. She refused to feel guilty for injuring the man she had grown so close to. She refused.

Akiko powered up the stairs, taking two at a time. She wanted to catch up to him, she didn't want the trail to go cold.

She wouldn't let it. She wouldn't let him.

XX

Akiko could hear him now as he grunted with each step and when she heard the rattling of a door handle, Akiko floored it.

It didn't take her long to get there but by the time she did, the rooftop door was wide open and Akiko burst back out into the rain.

She could see his back and the glow of orange from the expensive exo-armour granted by the very people who wanted her son and without a second thought drew her gun.

"Stop" Her voice was firm and cold.

He slowed his hobbling to a halt, but still didn't face her.  

Akiko could see his most striking feature in the light of the nearby city, his striking silver hair, slicked back and padded in all this rain.

"Tell me, where is my son?" It wasn't a polite question but a harsh demand.

"Akiko..." She could just hear his voice over the rain.

"Where. Is. My. Son." The gun was steady in her hands, not a single waiver.

Akiko watched the man in front turn to face her.

"Akiko, please..." He breathed again, with an arm covering one of the bullet wounds.

She didn't blink at his pleading.

"You took my son, Kakashi. Now tell me what did you do with him?" Akiko knew there was a chance she would shoot the man she loved but this was her son that was on the line, her child. It didn't matter that Naruto wasn't hers by birth but she was the one who raised that little hellion and she would stop at nothing to get him back.

Kakashi stared at her with both eyes, one red and the other black but both looked so tired.

"The Fire Cooperation have him now." He told her defeated.

Akiko felt hot fury race through her and felt her hands tighten on the gun.

"Location now." Kakashi raised his head higher.

"I don't know." He told her and without hesitation or a blink, she shot him in the leg.

Kakashi gave a grunt of pain and collapsed into a kneeling position.

"Location." Her voice as cold and clipped as her eyes.

"I can find them. I know how to." He stared at her in the eyes, but there was no pleading or begging in his voice.

"You betray me and you die." Outside she showed no change, her eyes showing that it was a promise but was internally relieved that she didn't have to kill him when he nodded in assent.

There was almost a quiet sigh of relief that Akiko just picked up.

With a gun in one hand, Akiko put forward the other, as a peace offering.

Kakashi looked at it and then her, and for some reason, she could feel a warm smile in them even though his face was covered again.

He took her hand and she pulled him up.

"What do we do now?" Kakashi asked as Akiko led him off the roof and out of the rain.

"We get you patched up and then we find my son." Akiko murmured quietly as she mapped the route to her nearest safehouse.

Kakashi nodded in agreement but didn't say anything else, he was too worn out and too tired. He just let Akiko lead the way and let her presence and conviction chase away the guilt a little longer.

[thewanderingwomanofnaruto]

Teaser!

GUESS WHO COMES BACK?????

AND GUESS WHO AKIKO MEETS????

[thewanderingwomanofnaruto]

Eiko - Contemplations

Well! Aren’t you lot lucky! This is for the ‘Upon the Open Plains: Though the eyes of watchers’

I’m posting it here early and then it’s going to the other main sites. Hope you all enjoy!

Eiko watched as Akiko walked down the well-travelled road, her steps taking her further away from the small inconspicuous tea house on the edge of fire country.

Eiko stares into the distance, Akiko's form long gone, stuck in the contemplation that this young child has brought before her.  Something...different.

Eiko is no spring chicken, she's old, tired and cracked around the edges. She's lived through two of the great Shinobi wars and hopes never to see a third. And with all she's seen, there is still a bounce in her step though it is much smaller than when she was younger. She's had her children, she is currently looking after her only grandchild, she-devil though Fumiko can be.

But even so, she's lived a long life. Eiko has seen the rise of Hokage's and great men like Minato and Sakumo and seen them fall too. She's seen the aftermath of the nine-tailed fox spirit's rampage through the Leaf village, seen the destruction and the grief on the faces of all the citizens, on all the ninja. They all grieved for the death of their Hokage.

She's seen the start of the third ninja war, the breaking point and the spill over where all the blame was placed needlessly on the shoulders of a single father doing his best to raise his son. She saw the guilt and the miss-placed shame, she watched as the man became a shell of himself, no matter how hard she tired. She saw the way those filthy ingrains treated Kakashi, she saw the way the villagers turned on Sakumo like rabid dogs, pointing the finger all at one man who wouldn't let his pack mates die.

Eiko saw and hated it. She hated the way Sakumo reacted, hated how he turned to suicide and left his only son alone to face his life and challenges and the villagers. She saw and hated.

Eiko tried to help Kakashi, tried to take him in but the boy was too stubborn to listen to her. He was young and stupid, Eiko snorted at her own thoughts.

'He still is.' She shook her head in exasperation as she went through the early morning motions of preparing the tea. Even though Kakashi wasn't here that damn boy could still give her a headache.

In the end, after Kakashi had been assigned to a team, Eiko had formally moved out of the Leaf village and on to the outskirts of the country. While she had told her friends and other nosy people that it was an assignment or that she was testing the waters, the reason was completely different. Eiko left because she couldn't stand to be in the same village as the people who drove Sakumo to suicide and then turned their sights to his son, both praising and insulting him in a single breath.

She couldn't do it.

If she had stayed, there would be a noticeable decrease in the numbers of the civilian population.

(To this day, she still hates them even if her hate has simmered to a cold flame.)

In the end, she had found this nice and cozy tea house just along the borders of Rain and had a steady amount of customers from everywhere and a steady amount of information flowing in both directions.

Just when she had started to get her small tea house up on its feet, Kakashi lost Obito.

Eiko hired some help from a nearby farmer and hightailed it back to the leaf village.

While the boy was devastated, he wasn't broken. He still had his other teammate Rin and his teacher Minato.

After a couple of months of staying in the leaf village, checking up on her family and Kakashi, Eiko returned to her small tea house, this time bringing with her a small pit of shame. She knew what she was doing. Eiko was running away.

Eiko wasn't sure if Fate was targeting Kakashi but it certainly had something against the poor boy, as after just a year had passed, Rin died.

Once more Eiko rushed back to the leaf village to check on the only son of one of her closest friends.

This time, Kakashi was broken. Eiko couldn't fix this. She didn't know how.

(She did try but every time she did something Kakashi would push her away. Keep her at a distance. Eventually, she respected his wish. Even so, she didn't like it. It was her own fault, she had been gone too long.)

Minato, that damned pineapple yellow head sure as hell didn't make it any better by putting the poor boy in ANBU. Eiko had been there herself and even when she was there, unbroken as Kakashi was, she had a hard time keeping herself together and sane.

If she had that much trouble as a ninja who had been declared 'sound of mind' then she dreaded how Kakashi would react.

It's been five years. Kakashi still hasn't left the shadows.

Eiko worries about Kakashi, just as she worries about her own children no matter how old they are now, no matter how old they will be.

So when Eiko saw a young woman come in with Kakashi unconscious and covered in blood though the kitchen window, her heart *stopped*.

And when this strange woman laid him down on the table, for one fleeting moment she was crushed by her guilt. She should have been taking better care of Kakashi, she should have been there for him when he truly needed it.

That moment passed as quickly as it had come as the new person demanded Eiko's attention as she worked to save Kakashi's life.

Eiko's own training as a makeshift field medic kicked in as the woman spoke in the tone of the demanding doctor and if listening to her will save Kakashi's life then Eiko will put aside her pride.

Eiko hands her the required instruments and implements as she watches on, impressed by the civilian who has such steady hands and keen eyes as she stitches up the visible vein in Kakashi's leg.

As an ex-operative of ANBU she had learnt to shy away from the blood of the dead and dying, of the corpses of her teammates but there was something about the sight of Kakashi's limp body and his blood that had sent shivers down her spine. It had caused a knot of fear to form in her chest and a weight of lead to settle in her stomach.

Even though this strange woman is a civilian, she still saved the life of the boy she thought of as her own grandchild and she is grateful.

Never had she seen a civilian so brave as to restrain and treat an injured ninja who was so clearly deep in the throws of a nightmare. Civilians were always scared of the very people that protected them, scared of their power and their abilities. Fear. Something that  could turn a peaceful country in a battleground. All because they were scared. She had seen it before and Eiko didn't that wouldn't happen again, perhaps not in her village, perhaps in another.

Eiko was old and not blind, she had seen the hits taken from Kakashi. There was also the scar that would forever remain on Akiko's face, all from her kindness. And then there was that look in her eyes. Eiko had seen that look in Akiko's eyes before, she had seen that urge to run and run and run and to never stop. Sometimes Eiko still sees it when she looks in the mirror.

'Such a young thing, what could she be running from?' Eiko wondered as she continued to watch the sunset.

The woman sighed as the sun sank and the sky was alight with the same burnt orange that coloured the young woman's hair. Eiko had a feeling that Akiko would return.

FF.NET

A03

[thewanderingwomanofnaruto]

Scrapped from Ch 11

So, this was a scene that I was going to put in but I scrapped it since it wasn’t the right fit. But since I haven’t posted a lot I figured give I’ll give you guys something to help with the wait before the next chapter!

This takes place in chapter 11 when Akiko goes to sleep!

~~

The bright blue sky stretches overhead, a calming influence on her thoughts and her emotions. Breathing deeply, Akiko takes in the surrounding scents of the earth and of the lavenders she can just see from the corner of her eye.

"You know, I'm glad I met you." a voice says from above her head. There is the presence of another person and Akiko can feel his hair tangle with hers as they both lie on the grass.

"As am I." She replies, steady and calm and full of heart warming fondness. He squeezes her hand, a small action contain so much meaning bring a warm smile to her lips.

"I remember once, you told me..." He trails off, unsure of his own words.

"The saddest people smile the brightest?" Akiko finishes off with ease.

"Yeah, that." He agrees.

"You did smile a lot, but there was always something missing. Not just in the smile but your eyes." She says in quiet contemplation.

"You saw that?" He asks, his voice fair but Akiko can sense the surprise in him.

"I did. But now, there's something different. Something more." She continues feeling the need to tell him because Akiko knows that he doubts.

He doesn't say anything but the silence is telling enough.  Both content, they simply watch as the clouds drift overhead in a lazy and unhurried manor.

"I'm glad I met you" This time she says the same words as he did first. In return, he interlaces his fingers with hers and Akiko smiles.

They both walked side by side down the path without needing to have another word spoken.

FF.NET

AO3

[thewanderingwomanofnaruto]

Eiko - That old woman

As it turns out, Eiko is a surprisingly tough character to write. Especially when it comes to inner reasoning and humanity. Also her backstory so far is prettty vague...

Through the eyes of the Watchers.

The Wandering Woman.