• After our meal I left Iruka's. There was no overdramatic goodbye, which was good, and when I got to the apartment, my dad was hurriedly trying to assemble the now crooked bookshelf. The new couch was a plush gray and was shoved up against the wall, and now there were pictures of fields and mountains and peaceful rivers and things. The new lamp brightened the room. "Wow," I remarked. "You did this all in an hour?"
    "Two hours. And yeah, you'd be amazed what you can do when you're in a hurry." he turned to look at me over his shoulder. "You didn't even notice the carpet?"
    "What? I-" i looked down. The carpet was gone! Now there were only the ratty floorboards underneath. "Whoa! Wow! if you could do this in two hours, imagine what you could do to an enemy fortress!" I nudged a dust bunny with my toe. "You must be like...a super ninja."
    Takashi laughed. He slid a shlf into place and the bookshelf was now assembled. He started to transfer the books to it. "There's the kitchen still, but it's progress, eh?" He stood and set his hands on his hips. "Hey, I want to spar with you later. Figure out what skills I passed down to my daughter." he winked and grinned crookedly. "See what you got for the Chunin exams."
    "Oh, yeah. When are those?"
    "Two weeks away, if that." he scratched his nose. "I think."
    I nodded. "I'd better start training again tomorow. I'm glad Kurenai gave me today off, though. This shopping trip was...fun."
    He grinned. "You're the worst liar."
    "How do you know if I was lying or not?" I waved my hands in front of my face. "That could all be some super cool mind trick of mine." I started backing into the kitchen. "You'd never knowwwww...."
    I turned and left. I heard him snort and return to work.




    I woke to find a really bad cramp in my back, and both ferrets on top of my head and face. Groaning I got up carefully making sure that both Miki and Sho stayed asleep. Standing up my back had cracked three times as I made my way to the kitchen, after it I felt way better. Looking down I saw a piece of paper just lying on the floor. Trying to pick it up my fingers brushed it only to see it moved by like a breeze. I kept following seeing as it was super early in the morning. It had gotten all the way to my front door, when it slid underneath it to the other side. Opening it I found a woman standing there. She was beautiful, with blue hair, maybe even a piercing that was going through her bottom. What caught me by surprise was the Akatsuki outfit she was wearing. I glared fro about ten seconds thinking what I should do, till finally I slammed the door in her face, and walked back to my room. Not being in the mood I just went and sat on the couch deciding she'd find a way in one way or another. I saw more paper come into the living room, when it came into the shape of a woman, and back to the blue haired woman I slammed the door infront of.
    "It's rude to slam doors in peoples faces," I heard her say.
    "Well it's rude to visit people at," I looked at the clock quickly. " Four- thirty in the morning," I told her threateningly. I wasn't such of a morning person anyways so I didn't really care if I was being rude to one powerful ninja at the moment. "Now get out of my apartment please," Kind of begging I stood up and opened the door not really in the mood for fitting seeing as I had been woken by a stupid back cramp    .



    The next day, after training with Kurenai, I went to train with my dad instead of Kakashi (telling him, first - I'm not that rude!) and we took offensive crouches about twenty feet from eachother. "Okay," he said. "No holding back. Use any jutsu you want." He glanced at me, and then Momoko, before nodding sharply. "Go."
    He lunged at me, trying to land a punch in the face. I ducked, and spun around him, facing him directly. He whipped out some shuriken and sent them flying - in the same moment I had pulled out my kurenai and blocked them. I glanced around him. There were a few plants scattered around nearby...I needed some time to think. I tucked my kurenai away and made the quick handsigns for the Tanuki Swap, and soon I was surveying the scene at my heigh from the ground, having to crane my head all the way up to see into Takashi's face. He dove at "Momoko" and tried to plant a high kick at his chest, but he ducked and sidestepped, moving to attack Takashi from the side. The Jonin grabbed his arms...well, my arms...and, with unbelievably strength, swung the other around and let go. Momoko/me hit a tree with a loud cry and slumped to the ground. I stiffened. He was so strong!
    Before any other thoughts could register I was flying through the air, and hit the ground with a loud bang, tumbling to a stop nearby. With a puff of smoke that hadn't been present in the original transition, I was myself again, and Momoko was slumped at the bottom of the tree, dazed, struggling to get up. I narrowed my eyes at my father, who stood quietly in the center of the training area. "How-"
    "Your eyes," he said. "Aren't brown."
    He started walking towards me. I stood and pulled out my fans, and as they snapped open, saw that my father had drawn out two scythes, brown with emerald colored blades, and was holding them in a stance mimicking mine.
    Oh, cr-ap.




    The woman had left last night and now I was walking around the Village looking for something to do. I can to a little toy shop nearby where I had seen dolls, which reminded me of Kankuro. I touched my chained blades, that were hanging off from a belt on my hips. The Akatsuki had been visiting so often I thought it be best to bring weapons anyways. Turning around I met a glaring face, across the street till I noticed it was Gaara. Looking next to him stood Temari, and Kankuro. Walking up to them it must have been the real deal since all three siblings were together this time.
    Temari saw me, and she grinned. "Oh Akane!" She exclaimed. "It's been so long. How's life in the Leaf?" She asked looking at me for changes. "And I see you've became a ninja too," Her grin grew even wider.
    "Hey Temari, Kankuro, Gaara," I said naming them off, till I got to Gaara. I looked at him for a bit, then turned back to his sister. "Anyways yeah it's been good I've made some friends, and yes I've became a ninja!" I told them quickly.


    "So," I said casually. "You use scythes..."
    He didn't say anything, only lashed out at my head. I ducked and spun, slamming my leg into his. He fell forward and i moved to kick him into the air, to start my Dancing Leaf Shadow, but suddenly there was a log there instead. I shoved it aside with my fans and scanned the clearing, trying to find Takashi. There was a loud creak and a tree branch brushed my cheek. Not even looking, I sprinted forward, and suddenly something slammed into the ground behind me, barely missing. I turned, screeching to a stop by the tree on the other side of the clearing. A tree had fallen, now spanning the entire gap. as I watched, gaping, the tree roots started to move and sunk into the ground, pulling the tree back up. when it did I saw Takashi, standing in the center of the clearing. He started running at me.
    i can't win with Taijutsu alone! I thought frantically.
    Quickly I made a few handsigns. "Demonic Illusions - Embodied Nightmares!"
    He didn't falter in the slightest. I snapped my fans shut, jerking them to the left, and tree branches started to twist and swarm towards him. This time he stopped, as the Genjutsu began to take affect. I remembered when Kurenai had tested it on me after I tested it on her. The leaves had changed into...I shook away the thought.
    Takashi's eyes widened. He stiffened, both scythes dropping to the ground with a clatter.
    Is my jutsu this powerful? I thought faintly. Enough to cripple a Jonin?
    Takashi hit his knees. I cancelled the jutsu quickly and ran over, crouching in front of him. "Dad? You okay?"
    i touched his shoulder lightly, but he jerked away and stood. "Never use that jutsu on me again," he snapped. Before I could say anything he turned and picked up his scythes, before storming away.
    I crouched silently in the center of the clearing, mind spinning. what had just happened?"


    "Well that's great Akane!" I heard Kankuro say, when he started to ruffle my hair.
    "Hey don't touch the hair, or I'll open a can of ninja on your butt," I threatened sarcastically.
    "Whoa okay," Kankuro said holding his hands up in surrender. "I don't want to be flambéed like that one time I was trying to help you pratice," He said remembering something I had done to him with my magma jutsu.
    "Hey it was your fault," I pointed out. "I said I didn't have it under control, but noooo you didn't believe me now did you?" I continued making a point and proving him wrong.
    "Fine you win," He said.
    "Kankuro, Temari," We heard Gaara's eerie voice come next. "We need to go," I knew they wouldn't stay much longer since Gaara, ecen though he's the youngest made the decisions since he was so dangerous. He turned around to leave and started walking not even paying attention if his siblings were following him or not.
    "Bye," Temari said quickly.
    "See ya later shorty!" Kankuro then ruffled my hair again, and I hit him on the head lightly.
    I watched them leave, then I thought how the Chuunin exams might be harder than they sound. Turning in the direction I knew I'd find the two people I needed, I began to run to the training grounds to find the two of them. Or well mainly my sensei so I could see if I could practice a similar weapon.



    Shaking my head sharply, I started to follow him. "Dad!" I yelled. "Dad, wait up." I stopped to tuck my fans into my belt before running up to him. "Hey, Takashi!"
    He stiffened at this and I took the opportunity to cut in front of him, facing him with crossed arms. "What's the deal?" i asked. "What just happened?"
    He looked dazed, but then snapped back to attention. "Just don't use that jutsu on me. Ever. Got it?"
    "Why not? Don't leave me in the dark here..."
    Suddenly an accusing finger was waving back and forth in front of my face. "How would you feel if you had to watch iruka die in front of you? Huh? How would you feel?"
    My stomach lurched. I started to raise my hands in surrender. "I...why...what does this have to do with anything?"
    "Just answer the question!"
    I looked into his feverish eyes and realized that, with my jutsu, I had forced him to watch the death of my mother. Over and over again. If I had had to watch this same thing happen with Iruka, or one of my friends, or one of my senseis, or even one of my teammates...I grimaced. "I'm sorry, dad. I never meant..."
    "Why would you make such a sick, disgusting jutsu?" he demanded.
    "I never meant...it's not like I planned for that to show up, dad. It's a genjutsu. It makes people see what they're most afraid of!" I felt my resolve falter. "I..."
    Takashi's eyes narrowed. "Sometimes I wonder about you." With this he turned sharply and stormed past me.
    I let my hands drop and swing uselessly by my sides. He wondered about me? What had I even done? I thought I was being a good daughter...I was trying to be nice and polite and ladylike all the time. Suddenly bitterness swept over my self-doubt and I pursed my lips angrily, turning and going back to the clearing to gather up momoko carefully. i would take him to Kiba - he probably knew about helping animals. I doubted there was a vet in Konoha. if there was, i had never heard of it.
    Momoko chittered quietly, weakly. I stroked his head and started back to the path. "You'll be fine," I said soothingly. "You fought good, Momoko. We're going to kick butt at the Chunin Exams."
    The tanuki looked pleased. I kissed him on the nose before navigating towards Kiba's house, trying to brush away any thoughts of my father. I lived so many years without him. I could survive a day or two.