• "I guess thats a good thing," I said. There was a silent moment and then I pulled out my small red wallet. "Um, are we splitting the bill, or..."
    He looked shocked by the possibilty. "Let a lady pay for a meal?" he smiled endearingly. "Never."
    I blushed furiously. "A-are you sure? I could pay my share-"
    He held up a hand. "I have it covered." he smiled again, turning to rest his elbows on the counter. "So, why did you invite me on this date?"
    I opened my mouth to answer, but I suddenly heard Kakashi call, "Oh, hello, Matsuo!"
    I blushed again, almost choking on the glass of water I had just started to sip out. Kabuto was about to hit me on the back, but I waved him away and twisted around to see Kakashi approached. "Um, hi, Kakashi Sensei." I laughed nervously. Kakashi moved to sit down, but paused, seeing Kabuto. He then raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Oh, I see." he said, grinning. He turned away cheerily. "I'll leave you two to your date! Have fun, you lovebirds!"
    When he left, I turned back to the counter and buried my head in my hands.. Kabuto looked at me curiously. "Something wrong?"
    "Fate hates me."
    He laughed and, turning away, ordered our meal. I sighed and leaned my cheek against one hand. As we waited, he folded his arms on the table. "So that was your sensei?
    "Unfortunately so."
    He smiled again. He then leaned forward, glasses flashing. "Now, to get back to the subject at hand, why did you invite me on this date?"
    My heart skipped a beat. I turned away, to try and hide my red face. "Um....uh...w-would you believe me if I said I was interested in...um.... learning more about the Sound village?"
    "No." When he said this, I looked at him, surprised. He winked. "But for your sake, I'll pretend I'm really gullible."


    Opening the door while still talking to Kankuro we heard hissing, from where the kitchen counter was. It was both my ferrets hissing at Kankuro for no reason. "What's wrong guys?" I asked them while scooping both in my arms. I pet them while Kankuro came up, and tried to pet Miki also.
    "Maybe they don't remember me Akane," Kankuro was just about to pet Miki when she bit him. "Ow! What was that for Michi?" He said saying the wrong name.
    "What did you call her?" I questioned.
    "Michi of course that's her name," I starred at him for a moment, when I got this odd feeling to punch him like he wasn't himself. I then, smiled sweetly like I was my normal self, and then gave him a right hook into the stomach. His form then poofed in to smoke, and I gaped. Now in front of me was a blonde hair woman wearing the same cloak as my brother, and the other Akatsuki members. "How could you tell?" The voice seemed oddly deep, only for me to find out that it was a man.
    "Kankuro knows my pets names you slightly didn't," I answered backing away. I examined him closer so if he was near me again I would be able to tell he was close. He's not bad looking, I thought. No don't think that way about some person who's out for evil for all you know! I told myself as I began to bicker inside my head.
    "Well well Juro didn't say anything about you being so cute," He said. Does he think I'm just gonna get happy for him saying that. I glared, while grabbing a kunai I ran at him with the intention of maybe stabbing him.



    We began to eat, then, with me too nervous to eat anything, and Kabuto eating almost all of his ramen within two minutes. After a while I cleared my throat and asked, "Um...so what is the Sound Village like?" when he looked up at me I laughed nervously. "Just to back up my lame excuse."
    He smiled, and set down his utensils. "Otagakure isn't much of anything, really. A few buildings here and there... it isn't anything like Konohagakure, that's for sure."
    "I take it you like the city?"
    "It's very nice." he said, nodding. He tugged at the neck of his sweater. "Mm....would you like to take a walk? It's so crowded in here."
    I blushed lightly. "Sure. I was just thinking the same thing."
    After paying the waiter, Kabuto and I left the ramn shop, heading to the park. And then I decided to show him the Hokage's head formation, and led him to the top of the observatory thing. He surveyed them with faint interest, arms folded. "So, he's your Hokage?" he asked, nodding at the fourth head.
    "No. Actually the Third Hokage is our hokage."
    Kabuto's eyes widened slightly. "Really. That's...hm."
    I nodded. "I don't know the whole story. But he died only a year or so after he became Hokage. So the Third took over."
    "I see." He drummed his fingers on his arms. "So, any plans for the future?"
    I raised an eyebrow at him. "Why do you suddenly sound like an adult?"
    He laughed quietly. "Just curious. Sorry for sounding like your father."
    Ignoring the small twinge in my stomach, I smiled.


    Right before the kunai hit him, he dodged it with his speed, and ended up behind me holding the same kunai to my throat.
    "I wouldn't attack someone who's more skilled, than you are un," He said from behind me. I just stood as still as possible, waiting for the kunai to move when I remembered Miki and Sho. Clicking my tongue twice I commanded them to attack this Akatsuki member. I heard the little squeaks come from them when they jumped on him and he dropped the kunai. It was kind of funny actually to watch, he was running around the kitchen when, he took out some clay like substance from his pocket. He then molded it into a little creature, and was about to toss it at me when my brother came running out of my room.
    "Diedara what did we tell you about using your explosives here?!" Juro then threw the clay back into his pouch while, grabbing Sho and Miki. "Leave now!" Juro started getting angry at Diedara, and I could tell because his eyes grew redder with his anger.

    "You don't, really." I said, smiling up at the Hokage's faces. As usual I was "drawn" to the face of the first Hokage. "I don't really know what I want to do in the future. I kind of wanted to be a medic nin, but I had to give up the training."
    "Why?"
    "Because it was too much. I'm training with Kakashi Sensei for Taijutsu, and Kurenai Sensei for Genjutsu and...everything else, seeing as how she's my squad leader..." I shook my head. "And now I'm training under Jiraiya Sensei for Ninjutsu...well, not really Ninjutsu ninjutsu but like, studying scrolls and stuff." suddenly i blushed, seeing him staring at me. "Sorry. I'm rambling, aren't I? I ramble when I'm nervous, I don't mean it..."
    He smiled, and to save myself from further embaressment, I clamped a hand over my mouth. He turned and started to guide me from the tower, setting a hand on the small of my back. "You know, I'm a medic nin myself," he said, as we went through the doorway, back out onto the street.
    "Really?" I gaped at him. "That's....wow. That's pretty neat. You must be old." he was quiet, and then I realized what I said and sputtered, "N-no, I don't mean...I meant like, you must not be like 14 or something like I am." I slammed a hand into my forehead. "Oh my gosh. Ugh, I'll be halfway normal next time I see you, I swear."
    Kabuto laughed. "No worries. I am nineteen , so you were right. And maybe, I could teach you medical ninjutsu. But I agree...you have way to much training on your plate already." He looked down at me, moonlight glinting off of his glasses. "If you drop one of them, then maybe I would be more inclined..."
    I nodded slowly. "I'll...i'll consider it. Here, my house is down this way." I pointed down the nearby street and Kabuto led me down until we were standing at my doorstep. He rapped on the wood before stooping and kissing my forehead lightly.
    "This was fun, Matsuo." As the door creaked open, he smiled. "Hopefully we can do this again." he glanced up then, at an iruka straining to look polite. "Hello, Mr. Arata. Nice to meet you. I have to be going, but maybe we can talk sometime."
    Iruka smiled, arms folded tightly. "Maybe. Nice to meet you as well, by the way." i stepped inside, closing the door quietly and watching Kabuto's figure grow smaller on the horizon. I turned to iruka, who set a hand on my shoulder.
    "Matsuo, there's someone here to see you."


    "Why? Leader told us to watch her," This Diedara person said while my brother took a step forward intimidating him.
    "I know that, but without harming her, or having the Leaf know about us!" Juro said. "Now get out!" Juro yelled at Diedara. I never knew how protective he could get over me. It was so brotherly of him to do this!
    "I don't want to leave though!" Diedara whined. "She offered me tea!" He said that and Juro turned his head to look at me.
    "You offered an S-ranked criminal tea," Juro said it so bluntly.
    "Well well," I said trying to think of some words. "He had transformed into Kankuro! I didn't know at the time he was a criminal!" I said back, while watching Diedara take a seat at my table.
    "Get to it then, uhm..........." Diedara looked a bit confused. Then he said what I think was his equivalent to my name. "Red!" I glared at him for a moment. Watching my brother advance on Diedara, he grabbed him by the back or the collar and a leg, then threw him out the window.
    "Well now that he's gone! How's my baby sister?!" He said while shutting the window and turning to look at me.
    I didn't say anything, just kept starring at him, till he opened his mouth I didn't give him the chance to speak.
    "You in an organization that hunts tailed beasts! And two of them of my friends! What do you have to say about yourself being an evil person for all I know?!" I yelled back at him. Watching his expression it changed from happy, to grave, then serious.
    "When did you find this out?" Juro said head down, looking at the floor.
    "Yesterday from the Hokage, since you wouldn't tell me I went to do research about ninja organizations," I said answering him. " Also why have their been your friends, or members of this Akatsuki coming to watch me?" His face popped up quickly to look at me surprised. "Yep I know about it. I'm not totally blonde," I said to him.


    I didn't say anything as Iruka led me into the living room. As we entered, Iruka stopped, halting me in the doorway. Heart hammering I looked at the couch where a man was leaning against his knees. He looked up, and then stood, towering over me at some six foot seven. I gazed at him, shocked. He wasn't the same man from the photo....not the smiling, happy man at his wedding. This was a frenzied man, with shoulder length, mussed, dark brown hair and tanned skin marred with long white scars. One scar went from the tip of his left eye down to his collarbone, where his necklace - most likely my mother's - rested.
    "Matsuo," he breathed. His brown eyes softened. "You're so grown up."
    I opened and closed my mouth once, twice before words would come. "D-dad." A deep, shaky breath. "Um..."
    Suddenly he stepped forward and pulled me into a hug, trembling as he buried his head in my hair. I wriggled uncomfortably until he let go, planting his huge hands on my shoulders. "You look like her, you know. Your mother. I never understood where you got your blond hair from -" at this, he began to twirl a strand of my hair between his fingers, making me tremble slightly. "But you have her eyes."
    My heart felt like it was going to wrench completely free my my chest. Tears welled in my eyes and I jerked away from him, backing up so that I was aside of Iruka. He moved to set a hand on my shoulder, but stopped.
    My dad raised his hands, smiling weakly. "So...um...are you going to say anything? We have a lot to catch up on..."
    "Just tell her," Iruka suddenly said sharply. I glanced from him to my dad.
    "What? Tell me what?"
    Iruka's gaze slid to the floor. My dad took a step over to me, taking my hand and pulling me close. "Matsuo, now that I'm back, well....I know I haven't been a great dad. But...but I want you to move in with me."
    I gaped at him. "W-where? Back to where? I don't want to leave the Leaf Village!'
    "Shhh," he crooned, brushing a thumb along my cheek. "No, you won't have to leave. I bought an apartment at the edge of town. we can be a real family." his voice dropped to a whisper. "Do you...do you want to be?"
    i opened and closed my mouth again. I didn't glance at Iruka. "Um...yes. I do."
    He pulled me into a hug again, and I closed my eyes tightly, trying to pretend that everything was normal.