You shifted around anxiously from one foot to the other, glaring at the doorway where a few girls snickered. A girl with short pink hair and emerald hues was one of them; another girl with brown hair tied into buns on either side of her head and brown eyes stood squatted just a bit beneath her; and third, a girl with long blonde hair and sky-blue eyes stood at their right.
Each girl was grinning menacingly at you, which was quite frightening.
Biting your lip, you looked back at the manager of the bar. He wasn’t huge, but he was fairly built for a man in his early 40s. He had short green hair and rather narrow, black-lined eyes. He appeared cruel by appearance, but the friendly smile on his almost-pouty lips proved otherwise.
“Kyuuka, I presume?” He inquired warmly. You blinked at him as he stood in front of you, his hands behind his back. He wore a pair of casual shinobi sandals, with traditional kunai and shuriken pouches, as well as a back pouch for scrolls and the like. Various pockets were slightly bulged, indicating they had something in them. He had a simple black wife beater on with a deep, forest green short-sleeved button up over it.
You nodded your head gently, “Yes, sir.”
He smiled more, his hands coming from behind his back. He extended his hand to you warmly, “My name is Wa-Ryu,”
You blinked again, slightly taken aback by his name, but you took his hand in your gently regardless, a smile gracing your pale pink lips.
“It’s...a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
He chuckled, giving one firm squeeze to your hand before releasing it. “The pleasure is all mine, Kyuuka-san. Now, I’m to understand you were interested in dancing?”
‘Not really,’ you thought sourly. ‘I lost a bet.’
You smiled, “Yes, sir. I am.”
“Do you have any experience?”
“Yes.”
Wa-Ryu nodded his head. “I’m sorry to say, but we don’t have any openings at the moment. You can, perhaps, come by in a few weeks and audition if you’d like.”
“A-ah, alright,” you nodded gently. He grinned, “Excellent. When the time comes, you’re welcome to come by and schedule a time to come in and try out. Is that fair?”
“Yes, Wa-Ryu-san.” You smiled again. He nodded and gently ushered you to the door.
“Wonderful. I’ll see you in a few weeks, Kyuuka-san.”
As you bid your farewells, you hastily turned and trotted to the door, glaring darkly at your small cluster of friends. They laughed giddily and dragged you closer, nearly swinging you into the outside wall when they did. “So? What did he say?!” The blonde asked excitedly.
Yamanaka Ino, one of the more eccentric girls of the group. She was intelligent and sharp-tongued, but also brave for the endless dangers she and her squad faced.
She was also very attractive, to say the least.
“Well,” you started, but you didn’t get to finish, as the pink-haired girl butted in.
“Did he say you could try out?” She asked urgently.
Ah, Haruno Sakura. She was an obsessive fangirl of a certain Uchiha male; or, at least, she used to be. Now she was simply obsessive over the male who blatantly ignored her attempts to win his black heart time and again.
She was fairly attractive, but not someone you enjoyed mingling with too much – mostly because of the way she treated Naruto. Her eyes were a bright, wide green, reminding you of emeralds in some ways. Her hair was short now, a lot shorter than it used to be, and it stayed that way after the incident in the forest at the Chuunin Exams.
“I uh...” You wanted to talk, but the girls didn’t seem too keen on that, as the brunette butted in this time.
“When do you get to try out, Kyuuka-chan?” She asked excitedly, clasping her hands together tightly and smiling warmly.
Now, Tenten was probably your favourite of the three girls; she was talented, smart, had compassion for her friends, and one hell of a shinobi.
Each girl had blossomed quite beautifully, overall.
“In a few weeks,” you sighed. “Why are you making me do this?”
“You lost a bet,” they spoke simultaneously, grinning darkly at you.
You cringed. “...Okay. Can I go home now?” They glanced at each other, then you. “Sure, but remember that we’re going shopping later!” Ino reminded you pointedly. Shivering, you nodded and smiled, quietly bidding your farewells to the girls before you left with a resounding ‘Pop!’
**
As soon as you arrived at your apartment, you unlocked the door and walked inside, kicking it shut behind you with a booted foot. You sighed audibly, tossing your small ring of keys onto the coffee table.
The apartment was simple, but nice. Mahogany wood floors, which never had a speck of dust on them, which would seem quite odd were it not for the fact that you were a neat-freak. The walls were painted either maroon or white, with unique Japanese scrolls of old proverbs hanging here or there, as well as paintings of nature with unique quotes scrawled in beneath them.
The couch was simple and black, with a mahogany coffee table in front of it. A lamp with water lilies sat on a small end table beside it, and a few books lie stacked on top of one another. The kitchen was nice and simple; nothing spectacular.
You had your table, fridge, stove; the usual, really. The bedroom was also simple; wood mahogany floors, a white bed with a down comforter, and maroon and white walls. The bathroom was... well, a bathroom fit for a girl.
You stalked down the hallway and pushed the door open, turning on the water and bending over the sink. You cupped the water in your hands and splashed your face, ignoring the strands of hair you got wet.
Heaving a sigh, you stood semi-erect, your hands clutching the porcelain counter’s edge as your eyes, glazed over, stared into your reflection.
Eight years had passed. Eight long, agonizing years had passed since you had last seen Gaara, Temari, Kankurou, or even your home. You never received a letter; you never received a call, nothing. It broke your heart, but that was no surprise, really. Gaara must have brainwashed them or threatened to throw them out or execute them, too.
Those eight years, while mentally shattering, did you some good, too.
Your hair, as Jiraiya had so pointed out so long ago, had turned stark silver. It grew so long it was easily at your backside in length, and it was quite straight, but it had a lot of body to it.
Your eyes were no longer their murky sea storm blue; now they were a vivid, deep, dark blue, yet as clear as crystals.
In all truth, you hadn’t grown much; you reached the precious height of 5’5” and stopped there. It wasn’t short, but the other girls were taller than you.
You had them in other ways, however. A fine example would be your hourglass figure, which you obtained with so many years of excruciating shinobi exercises and missions.
Your chest was a modest size, not over-bearing, but fair most certainly; roughly in the C-cup, if you got technical about it. Nowadays, you wore less frustrating clothing. Now it was a short, mid-thigh black dress with a red hemline. It had no sleeves, but it covered the important parts, while also offering a little bit of cleavage. It was a halter-like dress, so the strap wrapped around the base of your slender neck and clipped into a slot, keeping it in place.
Fishnet adorned your upper right arm over your elbow, and your forearm on your left arm. One noticeable trait about the dress was that, on the right side, the symbol for Sunagakure was cut in, red bordering it as well. The dress had a slit below it, which offered some of your thigh; but of course, you also had some shorts underneath.
A black cat’s collar was wrapped around your throat, concealing the clip to the dress. A tag with your name on it was burnt into the shiny silver fish tag.
Your feet were covered by a pair of boots with open toes, similar to Sakura’s; these ended just a little above your knees. As for your tail, the long, thinned out appendage now simply carried a red bow on the end.
Your large, pointy silver ears were pierced with several small hoops, each one a plain silver colour. Overall, you thought you had done pretty well and blossomed quite beautifully, but you still tended to be shy. Granted, you were bolder now, but you were still kind of clammed up from time to time.
Blowing your bangs out of your eyes, you shifted your gaze from the mirror as you heard a knock on your door. Arching an eyebrow, you turned and exited the bathroom, heading to the front door and opening it without bothering to ask who it was.
Kakashi stood in the doorway, his head cocked at you, and a small smile beneath his mask. “Kyuuka-chan,” he greeted warmly. You grinned at him, grabbing his wrist and yanking him inside, your arms enveloping his waist. You buried your face into his chest, purring. “Konnichiwa, otousan!”
**
It had taken a few minutes of embracing, purring, cuddling, and head-patting before you finally relinquished your cobra grip on your otousan, a charming smile marred across your face.
If it was one person you always knew you could look to, it was your father. Now, one might wonder how you came about this revelation.
It was quite simple, really.
A few weeks after Gaara had banished you from the village for life, you had finally made residence in Konoha, deciding that this was the closest thing to home that you could get.
Kakashi had, after some help from the Hokage, convinced you to live with him. Why? You weren’t sure, either, until about a month or two of settling in. During that time, he had began to get to know you on a more personal basis; while, granted, he did watch over you from a distance, he still didn’t know much about your personal life.
The previous Kazekage of Sunagakure was very... subtle with his reports. It was over tea that Kakashi had finally confessed why he wanted you to live with him. He explained how he and your mother met on a mission (and, allegedly, he claimed he was supposed to assassinate her, but he never went through with it), then went on to explain that they had fallen in love. They were both teenagers, but that was beside the point.
She was about seventeen when she died; he informed you that you were still a mere youngster at the time; no more than 18 months old.
Kakashi went on to admit that he felt horrible for years, and he became frightened for your life, because he suspected it was some of the villagers of Konoha that had ordered your mother’s assassination.
Why you survived, it was still a mystery. Those who were convicted for her murder were put to death immediately, but whether or not it was them or someone they hired, it was still shrouded in mystery.
He explained that he made a bargain with the Kazekage to have you live there under their watchful eyes, away from Konoha. He was nearly killed on site, according to his tale, because of the ongoing hatred that Suna had for Konoha.
After he had apologized profusely and sincerely for abandoning you for all of those years, and never once contacting you, he committed himself and said he would, very honourably, love to be able to be a part of your life and make up for all of the years he missed out on.
He said he was more than willing and able to raise you as a real father should... if you were willing to let him.
You had been quiet for a while, staring at your tea, thinking about your options. He gave you the option to leave if you wanted, if you hated him, since he would understand.
On the contrary; when you finally absorbed the information, you nearly threw your tea across the room when you jumped from your seat and pounced into his lap. And from there, you cried your eyes out and confessed everything to him.
From thinking about him, to admitting that – no matter what – you would always love him, to the inexplicable pain, regret, spite, love, and just how betrayed you felt. With him, with Gaara, with everyone and everything; you just felt so alone. After you showered him with hugs, purrs, and kisses, you also admitted that now you could keep each other company. Now neither of you were alone; you had each other, and that was good enough for you.
Kakashi sat with you on your black couch, his legs crossed comfortably. He focused his one black eye on you, a smile still present beneath his mask. “Kyuuka-chan, I came by to let you know about an upcoming mission,” he explained.
“It’s an A-rank mission, and it involves the Wind Country.” You cringed noticeably. He gave you a sympathetic look.
“You would only be required to pick up some time-sensitive materials and a message, and then deliver it to the Earth Country. I suggested you because you are the most familiar with Suna’s customs and the quickest routes in and out of the country.”
Furrowing your brow, you looked up at him. “...I guess...”
He sighed, his arm wrapping comfortingly around your shoulders, drawing you closer. You whined, turning on your side and nuzzling into his shoulder, your arms embracing him. “I miss him, Otousan...”
“I know, I know...” He soothed, petting your long, soft silver hair, his eyes cast up toward the ceiling.
For once, the pervert wasn’t reading one of his books.
**
A few hours later, after you and Kakashi had eaten dinner and caught up some more, you went to your room and changed into your mission clothing. A snow-white haori draped across your shoulders and torso, and it was cinched in the middle by a deep red bow; it tied off in the back. Underneath, a black muscle shirt clung snugly to your torso, stretching down the length of your arms.
White wrappings covered your breasts and ribs. Your hips were covered by a pair of shorts of a similar material, and they ended several inches above your mid-thigh. Kunai, shuriken, and scroll pouches adorned your legs and hips, with hidden knives tucked underneath the long sleeves of the haori, the blades pressing against your inner arm, but the handles within reach to slash a throat with a mere flick of your wrist.
Your feet were covered by a pair of plain wooden geta sandals and plain white straps.
Finally, to top it all off, a black mask concealed half of your face, only exposing your eyes; your bangs did well to cover your forehead. Of course, your red bow never left your tail, and your long hair was tied off three inches from the tips to prevent it from getting in your face.
Passing a sigh through your mask, you grabbed your hitai-ate and tied it loosely around your neck, making up for the absence of your collar. After doing a full 360° turn and looking at yourself, you disappeared from your apartment and went to the Hokage’s office.
**
“I just don’t know, Kakashi,” Tsunade frowned at the silver-haired elite in front of her, her elbows propped up on her desk and her eyes focused on him.
“Come now, Tsunade-sama,” he coaxed. “This will give Kyuuka-chan a chance to see her home at least one last time.”
“She’s banned from that village, Kakashi,” she advised, her brow furrowing. “If Gaara finds out it’s her, he may very well live up to his word and have her executed for breaking the law of the Kazekage.”
“I know,” he sighed. “But you must understand, that’s Kyuuka’s home, her real home. She was raised there.”
“I doubt the village itself has any real significance to the real reason why she misses it so badly,” Tsunade arched an eyebrow at him suggestively. Kakashi laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head.
“Well, you caught me,” he smiled, lowering his arm and staring at her with all seriousness. “Yes, it’s Gaara she misses so dearly. I thought it was just puppy-love,” he winced on the inside, knowing how insulted you might be with the ‘puppy’ reference, “but after a while, it occurred to me that she might truly love him.”
“She was a child,” Tsunade argued. “Thirteen, if I’m not mistaken. That isn’t love; that’s her hormones.”
He grinned faintly. “Perhaps,”
“Have you discussed this with her?”
“Indirectly, yes.”
“...What do you mean “indirectly”? Just what did you say to her?”
“I informed her of where the mission would lead her and what obstacles she may encounter. But no, I haven’t directly asked her if she still has feelings for him.” He paused before he continued. “She misses “him,” but she didn’t say who. For all we know...”
Before Kakashi could finish his sentence, they both heard a knock on the door, ending their conversation immediately. “Enter,” Tsunade said firmly, her honey brown eyes focusing on the door.
Shizune entered the room, with you tailing along behind her. “Kyuuka-san is here and ready for the details of her mission, Tsunade-sama.” Tsunade nodded, her focus falling onto you. Her eyes appeared weary, as though she hadn’t caught much sleep in the past week or two, and she looked stressed. “Ah, Kyuuka. Come in.” She gestured for you to come over, and, digging into her drawers, she extracted a plain scroll with a wax seal and red emblem on it. She offered it to you.
Plucking it delicately from her fingers, you took the wax seal off, while your ears perked forward, listening to her as she spoke.
“This mission could last a few weeks; from what I understand, the weather in Suna has been blistering, and the winds have been fierce. The travel through the Earth Country should not pose a problem to you, however, do be advised that there are sightings of rogue ninja roaming the plains. Keep a watchful eye and ear open at all times.”
You nodded your head, looking up only briefly from your scroll. “Is there any particular detail I should know before leaving, Hokage-sama?”
“Yes...” She closed her eyes, took a breath, and looked back at you.
“Do not, under any circumstances, let anyone of Suna know who you are. Your identity must be top secret. Gaara, Temari, Kankurou, the grocer, a homeless man – I don’t care, no one can know who you are. If someone finds out, they’ll likely report you, and they will come after you, Kyuuka. Don’t open your mouth.”
You nodded, “I know.”
She arched a slender eyebrow at you. “Other than that, I would recommend eating heartily before you leave and bringing extra money with you, and perhaps a few snacks to hold you over. The journey will be perilous, and time will be of the essence. Are we clear?”
“Hai, Hokage-sama.”
“Good. You are dismissed.”
With a wave of her hand, she had dismissed you both. Or you, as far as you knew. You bowed down to her deeply, and then looked up at your otousan, smiling.
“I’ll see you in a few weeks, otousan. Take care!” Before he could utter a single word, never mind a syllable, you had disappeared in a whirl of wind and water.
