Nothing is True: Raising!

by Empress_Of_The_Sun_Writer

Summary:

... Everything is permitted.

What is real? What is not?
Is she just turning crazy, or are other powers at work?
One thing is clear: Kohana will get to the bottom of this and maybe change the whole Ninja-World at the same time.

S.I. Third Shinobi World War

NEW VERSION

Notes:

Hello, my loves!
I decided to rewrite and improve my Nothing is True FF!
For all who wanna read the old one, just click on The Legend of the Eagle Sage and it will lead you to the old version ^^

Now, please enjoy! :D

Chapter 1: Awakening

Something felt… off.

 

She couldn’t quite explain why she felt this way; it lingered at the back of her mind, just out of reach.

 

The young girl struggled to open her eyes and slowly sat up in her bed. Confused, she rubbed her face, trying to shake off the fog of sleep.

 

She felt as though she had been run over by an angry mob; every part of her ached.

 

There was a void in her head.

She knew this was her bedroom, and yet it didn't feel like it belonged to her!

 

Frusted, she looked around, trying to understand these feelings inside her as she stroked her hair from her face.

 

Green...her hair was green?

Soft and wavy and long and green.

It...it was wrong!

 

The girl knew her hair was supposed to be brown and short, like she knew how the sky had to be blue.

 

What was going on?

 

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened, and a young man with bright pink hair and blue eyes stepped inside. He wore a big, cheeky grin on his face.

 

Fear took place in her heart.

Who was this?

What did he want from her?!

 

“Wakey, Wakey, Imoto-Chan!” he hollered. “You will be late for the Academy!”

 

There were a lot of things she should have said to the pink-haired young man, beginning with if he had kidnapped her, but the words which came out of her mouth were this: “Kizashi-Nii! When did you come back from the warfront?!”

 

On the outside, she appeared surprised and happy, but inside, the girl was panicking.

She felt no control over her body; it was as if she were merely a passenger.

This was not normal!

 

Kizashi-Nii or whatever, gave her a huge grin, answering: “I just returned a few minutes ago. I had to check up on my favourite sister, Kohana!”

 

Kohana?

This name…

 

Something in her recognised and reacted to it.

An avalanche of memories swept over her young mind. Years and years worth of it.

It was so much that her head started to hurt. Hissing, she held it between her hands, rubbing the temples to ease the pain.

 

“Kohana? What’s wrong?!” Kizashi shouted worriedly…her older brother! Yes, he was her older brother, she remembered now.

He kneeled in front of her, petting her knee in worry.

“A bit of a headache,” she replied, noting how she could now speak freely.

 

What a strange awakening this was.

How could she forget Kizashi and even herself?

 

Maybe she had a fever running? You could be confused when you have one.

Yeah, Kohana decided that it was probably it, ignoring the strange feeling of calling herself Kohana.

 

Something inside her said…that this was not her normal name? Does it make sense?

Absolut not.

Will she think more about it?

No.

 

It turned out she didn’t have a fever, so their parents made her go to the Ninja Academy, and Kizashi accompanied her. He wanted to spend some time with her after being away for so long.

 

Kohana felt all warm and fuzzy inside, appreciating her loving brother, until she remembered what a stupid, teasing idiot he could be. She hissed at him to go to bed; she could walk to the Academy on her own. She didn't need his teasing right now.

 

Alas, Kizashi didn’t listen.

 

He even insisted on holding her hand while they walked to the Academy. Was she a baby? No, she was a grown woman… no, wait, she was nine.

 

Why did she think she was a grown woman?

 

The strange occurrences didn’t stop with her thoughts.

 

For a few minutes, she couldn’t recognise her parents or the home they lived in, but then her mind filled with memories.

 

Now walking with a bubbly Kizashi by her side through Konohagakure, the ninja village hidden in the leaves, Kohana recognised the place… yet something felt off. She sensed in her gut that the Konohagakure she remembered had more stone faces on Hokage Mountain.

It was also much bigger. Missing was the childish laughter of a blond-haired boy with whisker marks on his cheeks.

 

Kohana shook her head, making her ponytail swish around her back. Other than Kizashi, she had the green hair of their father, while he had the pink hair from their mother.

 

She envied Kizashi for his hair colour; pink was pretty and better than plain green. Also, her brother didn’t need stupid glasses to see. But on the other hand, the glasses comforted her. They felt familiar, something she understood… from before?

She frowned. What was that 'before'?

 

“Can you believe you will soon take your Genin Exam?” Kizashi said eagerly, squeezing her hand. “Damn, I remember mine. I was so nervous and hoped I would be with Mebuki on my team. Now my little Imoto will follow her Nii-chan.”

 

Mebuki? Who was that again?

 

In her mind, she saw an adult blond woman in a white dress with three red circles, but then the image switched to a blond woman with long hair, wearing a Chuunin vest, a standard Konoha shinobi shirt, a white battle skirt with black shorts underneath, and black ninja boots.

 

Okay, that was weird. Just ignore it.

 

“We were and are at war, Kizashi-Nii,” she reminded her brother. “Yet you only thought about being with your crush on the same team?”

“Hey, you’re still little; you wouldn’t understand. Even if we are at war, love is still important!”

“A girl is more important than winning this damned war?!”

“It’s true love! What would you understand? The boys are scared of you, and of course, I’m glad about that. No boy should get their grubby hands on you!”

 

In response, she elbowed him in the stomach, which made him grumble a bit, but her brother was a seasoned shinobi, and her little hit was nothing compared to the punches he had taken from enemy shinobi.

 

“You are not my boss,” she grumbled at him. “Also, I don’t care about boys right now!”

“Aww, you make your Nii-chan so happy, Imoto!” He leaned down and rubbed their cheeks together. Kohana's left eye twitched.

 

The youngest Haruno decided that her older brother was not only an idiot but also a fanboy. He was 19; didn’t he know any shame? Strangely, a pink-haired girl in a red battle dress and a blond girl in purple came to her mind.

Huh?

Why did the pink-haired girl look like she could be the love child of her idiot brother and Mebuki?

 

The green-haired girl was fed up with these… flashbacks or whatever she was experiencing.

 

It was going to be a long day; she felt it in her bones.

 

(*)

 

Everywhere Kohana looked, she saw dead people.

No, this wasn’t right...she saw how they would die.

It didn’t make any sense!

 

As she entered the classroom, a cute girl with lilac stripes on her cheeks and brunette hair greeted her.

Rin...her name was Nohara Rin...she remembered. The girl was her friend and study buddy.

 

And doomed to die at the hands of the protege Hatake Kakashi! A fist of lightning pierced through sweet Rin’s heart!

 

Kohana had nearly puked as she saw this...scene.

It had felt so real. Like she was there, rain hitting her body and the sounds of a thousand birds in the air.

 

Nothing made sense!

 

Worried, Rin had asked if she was okay since she was as white as a sheet.

Kohana didn't know how she should respond.

So she mumbled something.

 

Thankfully, she didn’t need to say anything since their Sensei, a woman by the name of Mai, started the lesson for the day.

 

The green-haired could not follow.

When she looked at her classmates, she got these visions!

It was not always death; it seemed to show the future!

 

Sarotobi Asuma, dying in the arms of a teenager who looked like a Nara.

Yuhi Kurenai, with a child, a photo of an adult Asuma watching over them.

Gekko Hayate, killed by a Suna Ninja with a Wind-Jutsu.

Hatake Kakashi, the arrogant protege, alone before a memorial, seeming to mourn.

Death here.

Death there.

Alone in the world.

Killed to save their teammates.

So much death, so much grief!

 

Then her eyes fell on Uchiha Obito...what she saw...it made the last of sense...dying under a boulder...in a cave with an old man, barely alive...witnessing Rin's death and killing hundreds of enemy ninjas with Wood-Release!

Wearing a mask, letting the legendary Ninetails attack Konoha!

Forming a group of dangerous people wearing black cloaks with red clouds!

Hunting down people who had Tailed Beasts in them.

Then this strange statue absorbed them.

A war!

Bigger than the current one.

On his side, Uchiha Madara! How was this possible? He was decades dead!

And a terrible beast with 10 tails killing thousands and thousands!

 

This was too much!

Kohana formally begged Mai-Sensei to go to the restroom.

There she puked all her guts out.

It seemed like hours she spent over the toilet, but it was probably only a few minutes.

 

Anyway, Konoha was done. She didn’t feel her legs anymore. She was sweaty and shivering at the same time.

With a tired groan, she took her hairband out and stroked her green hair.

 

What was happening with her?

What kind of powers were here at work?

Was she going crazy?

Turning crazy sounded better than whatever future she saw.

 

These were her friends and comrades; none of them deserved this fate.

It seemed Obito was the key to all this.

But how?

Everybody knew that the Uchiha loved Rin, even Rin herself, yet could her death really turn Obito into this...monster, who killed thousands?

Who awakens something that should stay where it was?

 

That was ridiculous!

She may not be Obito’s best friend, but they were friends. Kohana knew the boy.

Someone who wanted to be Hokage and change the life of the shinobi of the Hidden Leaf for the better couldn't turn...so evil.

 

Or could he?

For Rin?

Did he really love her that much?

So much that he would burn down the world and anybody in it to avenge her?

Without caring anymore for his family and friends?

The green-haired girl was sure she had missed something.

She hadn’t seen all.

 

Nonetheless, one thing was clear...Nohara Rin couldn’t die if the world was to be saved.

How could Kohana save her friend?

And yes, she decided that she couldn’t imagine this all; it had to be visions from the future, maybe even a Kekkai Genkai she awoke.

 

Konoha wouldn’t take any changes. Better to be extra careful and keep Rin alive, than ignore it for her own sanity and just say this all was crazy.

Too much was at stake for that.

 

“Kohana-Chan.”, she heard Rin calling for her. In the next second, she felt a soft hand stroking her hair. “You puked a lot. Want me to escort you to the nurse's office?”

 

Like a cat, she leaned into Rin’s touch.

She had always liked Rin. She was such a pure and good soul.

Maybe it was also for her own selfish reason that she didn’t want her friend to die.

 

“I don’t know Rin-Chan. I can barely feel my legs.”

Rin’s hand moved to her forehead.

“Mhm, you don’t seem to have a fever. This is at least good, but I would feel better if Nurse Rinka looked at you.”

 “Can you help me up?”

 

What could Konoha say? She was weak for Rin.

 

Of course, this was not a problem, and Rin threw Konoha’s arm over her shoulder and led her to the Nurse's Office.

There, the young Nurse Rinka gave Konoha something for her stomach and told her to rest in one of the beds.

Rin, the sweetheart, gave her a tiny get-well kiss on her forehead and returned to the classroom.

 

Tired Konoha falls asleep.

 

She was running.

Demanding that her legs go faster.

She jumped from the rooftop and landed on another.

For a second, she looked to see if her pursuers were behind her.

She heard their shouts.

“A ssasin! Get back here !”

Yeah sure.

She huffed, fixed her hood and then slid down the pole on the house.

Now she was on the streets.

People were still out.

Good, she could hide there in plain sight.

With a deep breath, she joined the mass.

The artefact in her pocket burned her.

 

Slowly, Konoha opened her eyes.

Absentminded, she rubbed her left leg where, in her dream, she had felt the burning.

One thing was for sure: this day was getting crazier.

 

“Ah, you are awake.” Nurse Rinka chirped. The young blonde gave her a glass of water. “You slept for two good hours, Kohana-San.”

 

With big gulps, Kohana drank the whole glass. Her tongue felt like sandpaper, and the water was balm on it.

 

“I’m much better now. You think I can return to class, Rinka-San?” she asked.

“Let me run a few tests, then you can go.”

 

Rinka did just that, and Kohana was then free to go.

 

On her way to her classroom, Kohana thought about her dream.

This was probably the most normal thing of all the future visions she had today, and yet it had been super bizarre too.

In her dream, all had seemed...more futuristic.

For example, there were strange metallic things on the street with people in them.

People were even dressed much differently than she had ever seen in the 5 Shinobi Nations.

And why would her brain call her in her dream an assasin and not a ninja, kunoichi or shinobi?

 

Bah, more questions than answers.

Kohana decided that her dream was a minor priority.

Her main mission was now to keep Rin somehow alive to avoid this future where Obito would go totally bananas.

 

And for that, she decided, she needed to get even closer to Rin and Obito.

 

Heh, not even a Genin and already trying to change the world for the better.

 

Like Kohana had thought earlier, she wouldn’t take any changes.

If it turned out to be just some crazy hallucinations because she had been sick, then she had only deepened her friendships with Rin and Obito.

 

That was far from being bad.

 

With a deep breath, she knocked on her classroom door till Sensei Mai called her back in.

 

No turning back.

Mission: Save the future was a go!

Chapter 2: Planning and Research

Kohana was scolding herself.

She KNEW Rin and Obito. This wasn’t the first time she had talked and interacted with them.

For what was she so nervous?!

Did her strange visions shake her up that badly?

Apparently, yes, since she can’t walk over to her friends and join them for lunch.

 

“THIS is ridiculous.”, she mumbled, holding in an iron grip the Bento-Box her mother had prepared for her. “You are a Ninja! Well, soon. Get a grip!”

She took a deep breath, planted a friendly smile on her lips and walked over to the stone bench where the two friends were sitting, enjoying their lunch.

“Hey Rin-Chan, Obito-Kun, you have room for one more?”

 

Obito had his cheeks stuffed with food, but he seemed to greet her back, while Rin smiled warmly at her, making room for her on the bench.

The green-haired girl thanked them and sat down beside Rin, who was now boxed between Obito and Kohana.

“You look much better, Kohana-Chan,” Rin said, relieved.

“I feel better, Rin-Chan.”, she answered and took a bite out of her Bento. “Did I miss something interesting while I was in the nurse's office?”

Here, the Uchiha groaned, and Rin giggled cutely.

Oho, that must be a good story then!

“Spill!”

 

“No!” Obito wailed, putting his hands in a prayer position. “Please, Rin-Chan, don’t tell Kohana-Chan that!”

The brunette smiled angelically at her best friend, which made him blush, and Kohana rolled her blue eyes before Rin turned to her.

“Mai-Sensei had Kakashi-Kun and Obito-Kun here spar against each other…Kakashi-Kun threw him out of the ring in less than 10 seconds.”

A loud laugh escaped Kohana; she couldn’t help it. It got worse as Obito dramatically asked Rin how she could betray him like that?!

Rin just patted his head and ate her own bento like nothing happened.

 

“Stupid Bakashi…”, the Uchiha mumbled, crossing his arms with a cute blush. “I will show him next time!”

“You sure will.”

“Rin, can you say this with any more sarcasm?”

“I can try!”

“Stop!” Kohana hollered, whipping away her laughing tears. “I can’t anymore, guys. I’m dying over her.”

“Look what you did, Rin-Chan, Kohana-Chan is dying!”

“I think she is dying because of you. Maybe you should help her.”

 

Huh?

What did Rin mean by that?

Her female friend turned to Kohana and winked.

What…?

 

Suddenly, a rush of memories floated through her brain, which made Kohana blush furiously.

 

It was strange to explain…there were these memories which she called from Before, whatever that was , where she remembered sitting before a screen looking at adult Obito pictures, which would make Kizashi have an aneurysm if he knew his Imoto-Chan looked at such scandalous pics and how she read something called Reader-Insert with Obito as the love interest.

Her blush burned hotter as she remembered the… raunchy ones.

Forget aneurysm, Kizashi would straight up die. Two times over, as Kohana remembered how she pleasured-

No, stop!

She was nine!

Yet in Before memories, it was an adult body.

The fuck?

 

Then came the memories from here. Was that a good way to explain it?

She remembers her first day at the academy, how Obito had been late , and Rin gave him the homework. His happy smile was so bright that Kohana thought for the first time in her life that a boy could be pretty cute.

 

In the following years, she had more such moments with Obito, but one was her most precious memory.

 

Kohana had never liked her green hair. She had wished for pink hair like Kizashi and her Kaa-Chan.

So one day she cried under a cheery blossom tree because her parents had forbidden her to dye her hair. Out of nowhere, Obito appeared and cheered her up. He didn’t like one of his friends being sad.

Then he said these words: “I like your hair. It’s green like mint and unique; you should be proud of it. But if you want to change it that bad, one day, when I’m Hokage, I will say for a mission you have to dye your hair, sounds good?”

She had laughed tearfully and thanked Obito.

 

Oh, yes, Haruno Kohana had a big fat crush on Uchiha Obito , wrote even in her diary, Uchiha Kohana!

And Rin knew it!

And tried to play matchmaker since she found out!

 

That alone was reason enough to pray for a quick death; however, there were these feelings from before.

Longing, Sadness, Unreachable…

This emotion was so strong that Kohana gasped for a second.

It really was heartbreaking and sad.

 

Well, at least she got her blush under control.

 

Kohana frowned at Rin, poking discreetly at her side in warning. Helping her with Obito was nice, but the Uchiha didn’t even register other lifeforms as possible mates, since he was so fixed on Rin.

You couldn’t even call it a love triangle since Kohana liked Obito, Obito liked Rin, Rin liked Kakashi, and the Hatake was too cool for human emotions.

This was going to end in a disaster, Kohana just knew it.

 

“Eh, girls? All good with you two?” Obito wondered with a freaked-out look on his face.

Whenever Rin and Kohana were together, they got still at one point and started to glare at each other. That it only happened when he was around, he didn’t connect.

To his relief, Rin heard him and gave him a smile: “Don’t worry, Obito-Kun, just girls' things.”

Wisely, he didn’t ask more. He learned pretty early that he didn’t want to know what girls' things were.

Kohana was also glad for the ending of the staring contest. Her crush on Obito can’t stop her from her mission.

 

“So guys.”, she began. “I thought maybe we could get together these days and have a training spar. Our Genin Exam is coming soon. Wouldn’t hurt to train more for it.”

“Oh, that’s a great idea. Kohana-Chan. Are you in it, Obito-Kun?”

“Sure, sounds awesome!”

“Maybe after training, we could get something to eat?” Kohana suggested, hopeful.

Both her friends were on board.

 

They decided they would start their training after school today. None of them had anything to do this afternoon.

Where they should eat was another discussion. Rin wanted something sweet with strawberries, Obito wanted dango, and Kohana herself voted for Ichiraku Ramen.

This earned her strange looks from her friends.

“What’s wrong? Something on my face?” Kohana asked, rubbing her cheek.

“No…but-”

“Since when do you like Ramen?!” Obito said, astonished.

 

Confused, Kohana blinked. She remembers eating and loving Tonkotsu Ramen; it was one of her favourite foods.

 

There was a tiny Japanese restaurant near her apartment-

No, wait…this is again from Before.

So she normally didn’t like Ramen?

Blasphemy! She could imagine a blond-haired boy with whisker marks on his cheeks nodding approvingly at her.

And what is Japanese?

Uurgh, she feels a headache starting.

 

“Meh, I tried it again and started to like it.”, she lied cleverly. “Also, Ichiraku is amazing!”

“I was telling you this the whole time!” Obito shouted and pointed with his chopsticks at her. “Listen to your future Hokage! I know what’s best for my people.”

This made Rin giggle cutely. “We bow before your wisdom, Hokage-Sama.”

“Geeh, thanks, Rin!”

Kohana didn’t know what drove her to say this, but she heard herself proclaim: “Hey, you are not the only one gunning for the hat! Maybe I want to try!”

Then she sent him what could only be a flirtatious smile, which not only made Obito blush with wide black eyes but also Rin.

 

Meanwhile, inside her, a part that was an adult danced in victory because she always wanted to say this and do that if she ever met Obito.

Okay, this Before memories and now sensations will give her a whiplash.

 

Somehow, she needs to regain control over herself.

 

But…who was Haruno Kohana? She didn’t even know herself anymore.

 

“You know what, guys. Just forget what I said. I think I’m still a bit sick. I will go to Rinka-San. See you guys later.” With a sigh, she stood up and threw away her food.

 

At least she managed to arrange a training session with Obito and Rin.

So, success?

 

(*)

 

 

It was a blatant lie that she was going to Nurse Rinka. Whatever was going on with her, Kohana knew if she told others about it, they would lock her up.

What she experienced was just too crazy.

 

So she did something she never did...skipping school! Hopeful her family wouldn't find out.

 

Lost, she walked the streets of Konoha, her blue sailor skirt swishing around her knees and her ponytail dancing in the warm wind. It was a nice day, perfect to just enjoy it, and yet she couldn't.

 

I need some kind of answers, about myself, about what I'm experiencing! The young girl thought, kicking a little pebble away. She watched it fly, till it landed before...

"The Library!" Kohana gasped and made a facepalm. "Why didn't I think about it?! If what I'm going through is a kind of Kekkai Genkai...then the Library has documents about it!"

 

For hours, she read books about the subject of future vision. A lot of them were crap or invented stories. Since this was going nowhere, she picked a big, dusty book titled The Genealogy of Konohagakure's Shinobi.

 

Her family wasn't a Ninja Clan, but one of the Founding Families of the village, so that meant if she awoke a forgotten Kekkai Genkai, it would be noted in her family tree.

 

Excited, she read the section about the Haruno Family, when a name formally sprang into her face.

 

Haruno Sakuya.

 

According to the book, Haruno Sakuya was the clan head of the Haruno family during the Warring States period.

She wasn’t a ninja, but a Miko who was rumoured to see the future?!

Kohana couldn't believe what she was reading.

 

There it was! Finally, a trace, which could explain what was going on with her!

 

Kohana continued to read about her ancestor. Apparently, Haruno Sakuya was rumoured to have high-spirited energy and could seek Nature Chakra without Sage Mode, which gave her the power to see into the future. She had aided the First and Second Hokage with her visions and had even foreseen Uchiha Madara's betrayal and the battle between him and Senju Hashirama.

 

But despite her knowledge, she couldn't prevent these events from happening.

 

This was it, wasn't it?! Maybe she had inherited this quirk from Sakuya! It made sense. Some Genes passed a few generations before they became active again.

 

Furthermore, the book quoted Sakuya herself as saying that some things happened and couldn’t be changed, even if you tried hard enough.

 

That didn’t sit well with Kohana. She felt like her ancestor told her she couldn’t change faith.

“Oh, we will see!” she grumbled to the book.

Kohana would be damned if this terrible future happened!

 

Then came a part of the book that was supposed to be written by Sakuya herself. A part of a diary was found, yet the scholars couldn’t make sense of it.

With a beating heart, Kohana read the passage.

 

(*)

 

>>I tried my best, yet I failed. I thought our love was strong enough to not make Madara walk the same path he did in canon, but I was mistaken. Black Zetsu's influence is way stronger than shown in the manga. Why did I not connect earlier that the Ōtsutsuki are Isu’s! One part of the Isu managed not to get killed or banished into the Nexus, because they eat the God Fruits of the planets they come across. If I were still in my homeworld, my assassin’s brother and sisters needed to hear this. Juno in her spectral form is already dangerous enough, but Isu, who are flesh and blood? I’m beyond feeling scared, I’m terrified. Blasted artefact who sent me to this world! This Piece of Eden is more trouble than it’s worth, but if I can’t change history now, I will do it again, and the Piece of Eden will help me!<<

 

(*)

 

Quietly, Kohana sat in the library, staring at the passage until the words began to blur before her eyes.

 

What? What on earth had she just read?

 

Was it really possible that her ancestor, Haruno Sakuya, had come from a different world? And what was all this talk about the Isu and the Pieces of Eden? It all sounded like something out of a fantasy novel.

 

But if what she had read was true, then it meant there was far more to the world than she had ever imagined. She needed to investigate further and learn everything she could about the Isu and their connection to the Ōtsutsuki.

 

Perhaps there were clues hidden in the village archives or in ancient texts that had been forgotten over time. With a renewed sense of purpose, Kohana closed the book and stood up from her seat in the library.

 

She knew that her quest for answers was far from over, but now she had a new direction to follow—one that could change everything.

Chapter 3: Ancestor

Notes:

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT, AND FEED THE BEAST AKA. ME WITH COMMENTS! :D
PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT, AND FEED THE BEAST AKA. ME WITH COMMENTS! :D
PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT, AND FEED THE BEAST AKA. ME WITH COMMENTS! :D
PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT, AND FEED THE BEAST AKA. ME WITH COMMENTS! :D
PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT, AND FEED THE BEAST AKA. ME WITH COMMENTS! :D

Luckily, Kohana's little research in the library didn’t make her late for the training session with her friends.

While Obito warmed himself up, Rin checked on her.

“Kohana-Chan, are you sure you are up for training?” asked Rin, worried.

“I know today was weird.”, Kohana admitted. “But I’m fine, Rin-Chan, really. I promise I will stop if I feel sick.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

“Hey, girls, are you ready now?!” Obito called eagerly over.

 

The three of them began their training session, but Kohana struggled to focus on the task at hand.

Her mind was still spinning from everything she had learned in the library. She couldn't shake the feeling that something big and dangerous was lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike. As they practised their jutsus, she kept an eye out for any signs of danger or unusual activity. She knew she couldn't let her guard down now—too much was at stake.

 

Yet despite her vigilance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Maybe she was a bit paranoid?

 

The training session went smoothly, and before she knew it, it was over.

 

As they walked back towards the village, Rin turned to her with a smile. "You did great today, Kohana-chan! You're really improving."

 

Kohana smiled weakly, still lost in her thoughts about what she had learned in the library. She felt the need to talk to someone—someone who might have more knowledge about the Isu and their connection to the Ōtsutsuki.

But who could she turn to?

 

Perhaps the best first step would be to learn more about Haruno Sakuya. Her parents might have kept some of Sakuya’s diaries or other belongings left behind by her ancestors.

 

Yes, that seemed like the most logical approach. Haruno Sakuya was something real—well, more real than whatever she had read in the snippet from the book.

 

Kohana made up her mind to talk to her parents about Haruno Sakuya and see if they had any information or belongings left behind by their ancestors.

She knew that it was a long shot, but she had to try.

 

 

Entering her home, she was greeted warmly by her mother. "Welcome home, Kohana-chan. How was your day?"

"It was good," Kohana replied with a little smile. "Where is Kizashi-Nii?”

“Your brother is with his team, aka. Mooning over Mebuki-Chan.” Father chortled.

The young girl couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

 

Of course, her Nii-Chan would try to court his longtime crush now that they were back in the village for break, till they got out to the war front again.

Kohana sat down with her parents on the couch and explained everything she had learned about Haruno Sakuya.

For the time being, she left out Isu, Ōtsutsuki, and whatever the Piece of Eden was.

Her parents listened intently, but they didn't seem to know much more than what was already written in the book.

 

However, they did mention that there might be some family heirlooms stored away in their attic that belonged to Haruno Sakuya.

 

Excited by this new lead, Kohana rushed up to the attic with her parents' permission. As she rummaged through old trunks and boxes, she finally found a small wooden box tucked away in a corner. With trembling hands, she opened it up and found an old diary inside.

She recognised the elegant handwriting as belonging to Haruno Sakuya. She knew that this diary could hold the key to unlocking even more secrets about her ancestor's past and the Isu.

 

Nervously, she looked down at the diary.

This was a lead. Why did she hesitate so much?

What made her so scared?

Maybe she had a feeling that whatever was written in the diary would flip her whole world upside down.

 

Taking a deep breath, she began to read.

 

(*)

 

Ever since Sakuya woke up in the Shinobi World, she had loathed her fragile body and yearned for her original, strong, and agile one. She had earned that body after years of training and hard work as a skilled assassin. However, she was now stuck in this weak body due to a Piece of Eden prototype created by the Isu Hermes, which had transported her soul into the body that existed in a fictional world.

 

In her world, the Five Shinobi Nations were fictional, part of the Naruto manga series she had read during her free time. Being one of the last descendants of the Auditore family, through Claudia Auditore, Ezio Auditore's sister, Sakuya couldn't help but blame William Miles for her predicament. Even though he was the Mentor, she felt she should have refused the mission that led her to this foreign world. Although she had lived as Haruno Sakuya, a shrine maiden, for years, she longed for her old self.

 

Despite many attempts to strengthen herself and improve her chakra control, it seemed like an impossible task. Sakuya refused to accept that this was her fate and resolved to find a way to regain her former strength and agility. She spent countless hours training every day, pushing herself beyond her limits until she began to see progress—stronger muscles, faster reflexes, and better chakra control.

 

There were moments when doubt crept into her mind and made her want to give up. However, Sakuya remembered all the people who depended on Carina Auditore's assassin skills and couldn't let them down. With determination and hard work, she honed her skills until they were sharper than ever before .

 

One day, while she sat under a cherryblossom tree, Sakuya realised that although her body had changed drastically, nothing could break her spirit. She accepted that she would never be the same person again, but she knew that didn't mean she couldn't be just as deadly in this new world. With newfound purpose driving her forward, she was ready to face any challenges that came her way.

 

(*)

 

With a gasp, Kohana awoke from her slumber. She fumbled in the dark for her bedside lamp until she found it and turned it on.

 

Blinking a few times at the light now illuminating her room, she quickly grabbed her glasses and put them on.

 

The young girl never imagined that after reading Haruno Sakuya's diary, she would experience the scenes vividly described within its pages. And while the situation seemed harmless, the reality of it was anything but clear.

 

Kohana hadn’t yet reached the part where Sakuya would meet Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara. Well, if she was being honest, "harmless" was a relative term. A lot about this didn’t make sense to her.

 

Most baffling was the revelation that her ancestor was apparently born in a different world named Carina Auditore, or perhaps it was just her soul. The idea was that her soul had been transported to the Five Shinobi Nations, occupying the body of Haruno Sakuya—only possible, it seemed, because it was still her, albeit in an alternate life. The green-haired girl felt a headache coming on just thinking about it.

 

How could her world be a manga in another universe? And how could a soul from that world slip into its alternate self? It was too much to absorb. After that, she had stopped reading; it was overwhelming.

 

Kohana sat there, staring at the diary on her bedside table. The thought of having an alternative self in another world was confusing enough, but to have that self's soul transported into her own body? It was almost impossible to comprehend!

 

Yet, as she looked around her room, everything seemed perfectly normal. The same posters adorned the walls, and the same books lined the shelves. It was difficult to believe that entire worlds existed out there with people and places she’d never imagined.

 

Kohana couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this story than mere diary entries. She knew she needed to keep reading, even if it initially didn’t make sense. After all, who knew what other secrets and mysteries lay hidden within those pages? With determination on her face, Kohana picked up the diary and began to read once more. She was ready for whatever new revelations awaited her in the world of Haruno Sakuya.

 

As she delved deeper into the diary, Kohana felt a sense of admiration for Sakuya. Despite being thrust into an entirely foreign world with a body that was weak and unfamiliar, Sakuya refused to give up on herself or her abilities. She pushed herself to the limit every day and never lost sight of her goal to regain her former strength and agility. It was inspiring to see someone with such determination and willpower.

 

Kohana also couldn’t help but wonder about the Piece of Eden prototype that had caused all of this. What kind of technology could transport someone's soul from one body to another, especially across different worlds? It sounded more like science fiction than reality.

 

However, as she continued reading, Kohana realised there were more questions than answers. Who was William Miles, and why did Sakuya blame him for her situation? What was so special about being descended from Claudia Auditore? And most importantly, how did all of this tie into the Naruto manga series that Sakuya had mentioned?

 

Kohana knew that she needed more information to fully understand everything.

 

She made a mental note to research the Isu Hermes and Piece of Eden prototype further, as well as any possible connections between the Naruto universe and Sakuya's world.

 

Maybe by piecing together these clues, she could uncover the truth behind Sakuya's story and what it meant for her own life. With renewed curiosity and determination, Kohana turned back to the diary and continued reading until the early hours of the morning.

 

As she finally drifted off to sleep, she couldn’t help but wonder what other secrets lay hidden within those pages, waiting to be uncovered.

 

(*)

 

Sakuya wanders the streets of Konohagakure in search of Madara.

Stupid, she had been stupid!

 

Drunk in love and thought loving the Uchiha Clan Head would have been enough to rewrite the whole Naruto story.

She was better than this!

 

In her former life as an assassin, she had learned that some people never changed their minds when it was discussed how to create true peace.

That's why the Assassins and Templars fought against each other for centuries.

An idea didn't die; it took root in another person.

A bitter laugh left her lips.

 

If they were in her birthplace, Madara surely would have been a Templar.

It reminds her too much of the story of the French assassin Arno Dorian, who had loved the Templar Elise de la Serre.

And how did it end?

In death for Elise and heartbreak for Arno.

 

No, Sakuya wouldn't let that turn out the same for Madara and herself.

She needed to convince him that Black Zetsu was not his creation but the will of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya and that the black mass was using Madara as a puppet for his own plan to revive "his mother".

The question was how?

Could she use her ruse so that she could see the future and tell him she saw all this?

 

The problem was that Madara didn't believe that she could see the future.

He was right, of course; she only knew what happened in this world because it had been a story in her birthplace.

When it diverted, she was just as clueless as anybody else.

 

Sakuya walked through the crowded streets, her mind racing with thoughts and plans. She knew that convincing Madara would be no easy task, but she was determined to try. After all, she had come this far and had worked too hard to give up now.

As she made her way towards the Uchiha District, Sakuya couldn't help but think about how different things were in this world compared to her own.

 

In her birthplace, the Assassin-Templar conflict was a constant battle for power and control. But here in the Shinobi World, it was a battle between different nations and clans.

 

Sakuya also couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt for allowing herself to fall in love with Madara. It was foolish of her to think that their love could change everything. But now she knew better - true peace could only be achieved through understanding and compromise.

Finally reaching Madara's chamber, Sakuya took a deep breath before entering. The room was dark and silent except for Madara's heavy breathing as he slept.

 

Sakuya approached him cautiously, not wanting to startle him awake. She gently touched his shoulder, causing him to stir slightly.

"Madara," she whispered softly. "We need to talk."

Madara opened his eyes slowly and looked at Sakuya with confusion.

"What is it?" he asked groggily.

Sakuya took a deep breath before speaking. "Black Zetsu is not your creation," she said firmly. "It is the will of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, using you as a puppet for its own plan."

The black-haired man sat up quickly, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief.

"How do you know this?" he demanded to know.

She hesitated for a moment before replying confidently, "I have seen it in my visions of the future."

He looked at her sceptically but seemed intrigued by what she had said.

"Tell me more," he said eagerly.

 

And so Sakuya began to explain everything she knew about Black Zetsu and Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's plan. As she spoke, Madara listened intently and asked questions when needed.

By the end of their conversation, Madara seemed convinced that what Sakuya had told him was true.

"I never thought I would say this," he said slowly. "But perhaps you are right."

Sakuya smiled inwardly at his words but kept her composure on the outside.

"Thank you for listening," she replied simply before turning to leave.

 

As she walked away from Madara's chamber, Sakuya couldn't help but feel relieved that their conversation had gone well.

But there was still much work to be done if they were going to stop Black Zetsu's plan once and for all.

With renewed determination burning within her heart, Sakuya continued on her path towards true peace - whatever that may entail...........

 

(*)

 

............Uzumaki Mito leaned heavily on her after she sealed the Kyuubi into herself, but Sakuya didn't mind that her dear friend needed her help standing.

She needed someone to lean on, too.

Here, it was the freshly created Valley of the End.

Where Hashirama and Madara fought over their ideals.

 

Tears streamed down the shrine maiden/assassin's cheeks. She thought Madara had understood...had changed his mind...how could canon happen after their talk?

 

Hashirama looked sadly at her.

"I'm sorry, Saku-Chan.", he mumbled and dried his own tears with a hand. "I tried to speak to Madara, I tried to convince him not to leave us...he didn't give me any choice."

"Husband, he sent the Kyuubi No Yokai after you, he intended to destroy Konoha, you did right to kill him." Mito reminded.

Both Hashirama and Sakuya winced.

"I know you both loved Madara in your own ways, but he was beyond saving because he didn't want to be saved.", the Uzumaki continued.

 

Sakuya nodded silently, her heart heavy with grief and regret. She had hoped that her talk with Madara would have changed things, but it seemed like he was too far gone to be saved.

The fact that he had resorted to such extreme measures as sending the Kyuubi after Hashirama only proved that he was beyond redemption.

As she looked out at the valley where Hashirama and Madara had fought, Sakuya couldn't help but wonder if things could have been different. If only they had found a way to understand each other's perspectives and work towards a common goal. But now it was too late for regrets - all she could do was honour Madara's memory in her own way.

 

"I will make sure that your sacrifice was not in vain," she whispered softly to herself.

Hashirama placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, his eyes filled with compassion.

"We will always remember him," he said solemnly. "And we will continue to strive for peace in his honour."

 

Sakuya nodded, feeling grateful for the support of her friends during this difficult time. Although she knew that there would be more challenges ahead, she felt stronger knowing that they were by her side.

Together, they stood in silence at the Valley of the End, honouring the legacy of those who had fought for their beliefs and paving the way for a brighter future.

 

(*)

 

This time, when Kohana woke up, it was with tears in her eyes. She had felt the heartbreak of Sakuya like it was her own.

It saddened her that her ancestor had to go through this.

How devastating that Sakuya couldn't have changed destiny's course, but maybe Kohana could do it.

Her vision had shown anybody much older than they were now...she had more time.

 

Kohana wouldn't waste it.

Protecting Rin.

Helping Obito to stay on the right path.

Taking care of Madara Uchiha...she didn't know why, but she knew he was still alive...searching for someone who would complete his Eye of the Moon Plan.

The one being Obito.

Madara wouldn't get him in his greedy hands!

Then she needed to destroy this Black Zetsu and this strange Statue, which ate Tailed Beasts for breakfast.

 

The goal was clear...become the greatest Ninja that she could.

She would need to be extremely powerful if she wanted to succeed.

Kohana wiped away her tears and sat up in bed, feeling a newfound determination burning within her.

She would train every day, push herself beyond her limits, and never give up on her goals.

The future may be uncertain, but she was ready to shape it into something better, not just for herself, but for all those who came before her and those who would come after.

 

And that was when she felt a burning in her eyes.

 

Pained, she closed and rubbed them softly.

What was that now?

As the pain stopped, she opened her eyes and had to gasp for air.

All was black around her, her things, like her bed, in white colours.

She looked around more and noted how Sakuya's diary shimmered in gold.

Like it was something important.

What was this all about?

 

"Eagle-Vision...", came out the words, before she even thought of them. "This is Eagle-Vision!"

It was a strange sensation, but one that she knew deep down could be incredibly useful in her training as a ninja. She looked around her room again, noting how different everything looked through the lens of Eagle Vision.

 

The diary on her side table seemed to glow with otherworldly energy, and even the posters on her walls had a faint aura surrounding them.

She closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to focus on the world around her through this new perspective.

As she did so, she could feel her senses sharpening and becoming more attuned to the environment.

She opened her eyes again and felt a surge of excitement - this was going to be a game-changer in her journey towards becoming the greatest ninja she could be.

 

With newfound determination and confidence, Kohana began to plan out her training regimen for the coming weeks and months.

She knew that there would be many challenges ahead, but with Eagle Vision at her disposal, there was nothing that she couldn't overcome.

And who knows - maybe someday she would even be able to use this newfound ability to uncover more secrets about Sakuya's story and the mysteries that lay hidden within its pages.

 

For now, though, Kohana was content knowing that she had taken another step forward on her path towards greatness and true peace.

Notes:

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Chapter 4: Team Seven

Notes:

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT, AND FEED THE BEAST AKA. ME WITH COMMENTS! :D
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The next few weeks, Kohana trained rigorously, honing her skills and pushing herself to the limit. She practised her Chakra control, improved her physical strength and speed, and worked on perfecting her jutsu techniques.

With each passing day, she could feel herself growing stronger and more confident in her abilities.

 

She tested out her Eagle Vision to understand it better and was surprised. It seemed to show the Aura of persons, animals and things.

Already, she learned that blue meant allies, gold was important or a target, and white was mostly neutral.

 

Also , she spent as much time with Obito and Rin as she could . If they went training together, ate something, or just enjoyed a fun afternoon at the movie theatre, the bond between the three depended, which pleased the green-haired girl greatly.

 

For that, she took Rin’s blatant and nearly shameless matchmaking between her and Obito.

Kohana loved Rin, she really did, but she wanted to strangle her sometimes.

Obito didn’t even seem to SEE Kohana as a girl. For him, only Rin matters.

Perhaps she had screamed into her pillow a few times for it. She had read in Sakuya's diary that the Uchiha-Clan was famous for loving long and passionately, which meant she probably would never have a chance with the Uchiha.

Sign.

 

Anyway, their Genin Exam was up in a few days, so the trio decided to get some more training in.

They would first study for the writing exam in the library and then train their jutsu in a free training field.

As Kohana entered the library and only saw Obito reading with a frown over the books, she got a bad feeling.

Rin had made strange comments throughout the whole day.

Like that , her mother had said she needed her to help with their shop. Rin didn’t know how long that would take. They should get started without her.

The brunette wouldn’t, wouldn’t she?

She wouldn’t leave Kohana alone with her crush.

 

Then Kohana thought it over and groaned.

Of course, Rin would do that!

Her best friend, and after weeks of bonding, she could say that without a doubt, was even more invested in her love life with Obito than her own.

Urgh.

 

What should Kohana do?

They were scheduled to learn together, and she couldn’t leave Obito.

Kohana took a deep breath and decided to focus on the task at hand. She approached Obito and sat down next to him, opening her own book. They studied in silence for a while until Kohana couldn't take it anymore.

"Is something bothering you, Obito?" she asked softly.

He looked up from his book and sighed heavily. "It's just that I'm having trouble understanding this concept," he admitted, pointing to a paragraph in the book.

The glass-wearing girl smiled reassuringly and began explaining the concept to him in simpler terms.

 

As they continued studying together, she couldn't help but feel a tiny bit grateful for Rin's matchmaking attempts. Without them, she never would have gotten so close to Obito and been able to help him like this.

 

After finishing their study session, they headed out to the training field where Rin was waiting for them with a mischievous grin on her face.

"What's going on?" Kohana asked warily as Rin handed each of them a blindfold.

"We're going to practice our sensory skills," Rin explained excitedly. "One person will be blindfolded and the other two will try to sneak up on them without making any noise."

Kohana nodded eagerly and put on her blindfold as Obito and Rin took turns sneaking up on her.

As they continued training, Kohana couldn't help but feel grateful for both Rin's matchmaking attempts and their upcoming Genin Exam. It had given her something positive to focus on instead of worrying about whether or not she could stop the end of the world.

 

Okay, it was a bit dramatic, but the future wasn’t as bright as it should have been.

 

Nonetheless, Kohana was sure that she was doing everything in her power to avoid a terrible future.

Keep Rin alive.

Don’t let Uchiha Madara get Obito in his hands.

Get rid of the old Uchiha.

Kill Black Zetsu and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Space, yeah, she finally learned the name of the creepy thing, thanks to a vision.

Also, Danzo had to go too, because ordering the near annihilation of the Uchiha-Clan was not happening!

 

The kunoichi was going to have her hands full for the next years, that was clear.

 

(*)

 

Proudly, Kohana caressed her forehead protector, which she wore as a bracelet on her left arm.

A week ago, she had taken the Genin Exam and passed it with flying colours.

Mai-Sensei even congratulated her on being the kunoichi of the year. This had pleased her greatly. It showed that her hard work had paid off.

 

Now she was sitting in her classroom, for the last time, between Rin and Obito.

Rin gripped her hand and squeezed.

“We really did it!” the brunette whispered excitedly.

“Of course we did it, Rin-Chan!” Obito told proudly, fiddling with the forehead protector he wore in the intended way. “We three are the best!”

This made the girls giggle.

“You mean, because Hatake-San already is a Genin, so he can’t be Rookie of the Year again, didn’t you pass by sheer dumb luck, since you got the clone jutsu down, the day before our exam?” Kohana reminded him playfully.

 

She may be crushing on the Uchiha, but he was first and foremost her friend, and what kind of friends didn’t tease each other in good humour?

 

“Kohana-Chan, don’t remind me!” the Uchiha whined, which made Rin giggle harder. “Ah, Rin-Chan, come on!”

More complaining the boy couldn’t do, because Mai-Sensei finally entered the classroom.

 

All brand new Genin fall into silence.

The woman smiled at them all, congratulating them on becoming Genin. She explained how now they would go out on a mission for the village and help in the war.

 

This sobered all up.

The Third Shinobi World War was still going on and seemed not to end. That’s why their class was promoted to Genin at nine years old. Konoha and her allies needed Shinobi forces.

 

“As you know, a normal team is made up of one Jonin and three Genin.”, Mai-Sensei began in her explanation. “However, due to a few drop-outs these years, we are now an uneven number. So one team will be a Jonin with four Genin.”

The classroom erupted into whispers and excited chatter at the news. Kohana's heart raced with anticipation. She exchanged nervous glances with Rin and Obito. They had become such a close-knit group over the past few weeks that she couldn't bear the thought of being separated from them.

Also, it was better for the future if she stayed with them.

Hopefully, the three were a team.

 

Mai-Sensei began to read aloud the first team. Automatically, Kohana gripped Rin and Obito's hands. Both her friends squeezed back.

 

All three of them wished to stay together but were scared they wouldn’t.

“Now Team 7 under Namikaze Minato, Hatake Kakashi, Nohara Rin.”, Mai-Sensei read aloud. Sweat broke out all over Kohana's body. One of her friends was already away in another team. She was happy Rin could be with her crush Kakashi, but how should she protect her now? “Uchiha Obito and Haruno Kohana. You will be our five-member squad.”

 

....Did she hear right?!

Obito let out a happy yelp and hugged herself and Rin to him.

“At least we are together!” he celebrated. “Even with stupid Bakashi!”

That earned him laughs around the classroom and even more as Kakashi deadpanned at him and declared: “I'd rather have Haruno, the kunoichi of the year and Nohara, the second best in my team, than be with you, dead last!”

Immediately, Obito stopped his hug and waved a fist in Kakashi's direction.

“What was that asshole?! Who is here last, you stupid protege! Only because you became a Genin at six, doesn’t mean you are better than us!”

Kohana and Rin couldn't help but laugh at the banter between Obito and Kakashi.

 

It seemed like things were going to be okay after all.

 

As Mai-Sensei continued to assign teams, Kohana felt a sense of relief wash over her. She was grateful that she would still be with Rin and Obito, even if they were now part of a larger team.

With Kakashi.

The protege.

Come to think of it, was not Namikaze Minato his mentor?

So they just joined them, huh?

Well, whatever, at least she would have Rin and Obito by her side.

 

(*)

 

After the lunch break, the Jonin Senseis came to pick up their Genin.

 

Both girls blushed as they saw their Sensei. Namikaze Minato was a young, beautiful man, probably Kizashi's age, with golden spiky hair and blue eyes like the sky.

 

With a gentle voice, he greeted them, made them feel welcome and led the four Genin to a free training field.

There, the kids sat down on the ground, while Minato sat on a stump.

“As you probably know, I’m Kakashi-Kun's mentor, so I know him quite well, but I would like to get to know you,” he said with a smile.

You could clearly see how Kakashi didn’t want to. “Is this really necessary, Sensei? The three are friends and I know them, no need for that.”

“That may be true, but I don’t know the other kids.”, Minato reminded gently. “I will even start. My name is Namikaze Minato, a proud Jonin of Konohagakure. I like creating new jutsu and the food my girlfriend cooks, and I dislike blind hatred. My hobbies are reading and training. My dream for the future is to help you all become great ninjas and one day be Hokage and serve our village.”

 

The blond-haired young man couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the little awed faces of his three new charges.

“How about you now?” he pointed at Obito.

“I’m Uchiha Obito! I like dango and spending time with my friends, mostly Rin-Chan and Kohana-Chan. I dislike arrogant assholes and people who leave their friends behind. My dream for the future is also to become Hokage! I wanna make the world better for all of us and end all wars.”

 

Minato smiled at him. “Then we have something in common, how about the brunette lady, now?”

“Hello, I’m Nohara Rin,” the girl began. “I love anything with strawberries, cake, sweets, you name it. I like training and having sleepovers with Kohana-Chan. I hate to mean people and suffering. I would like to become a medical ninja, as great as Senju Tsunade and help where I can.”

 

“An admirable dream. Now, how about you with the cool glasses?”

This made Kohana giggle. No one ever said her glasses were cool and said: “My name is Haruno Kohana. Maybe you know my older brother Kizashi? Anyway, I like my best friends Rin-Chan and Obito-Kun and would kill for the Tonkotsu Ramen of Ichiraku and my Kaa-Chan Okonomiyaki. I also like learning new things and history. I dislike ignorance. For my dream of the future...I just want to be the best kunoichi I can be and help create a better world.”

 

This earned her a nod from her Sensei, till he turned to Kakashi.

Both mentor and protege stared at each other, till Kakashi spoke. “I’m Hatake Kakashi. I have no intention of telling you my likes and dislikes. As for my dream…hobbies are a waste of time you could use to train.”

 

The three other Genin deadpanned at this.

“He only told us his name.”, Obito hissed to his two female friends.

The girls nodded, still in disbelief.

 

Minato just rubbed his forehead. He should have known that Kakashi would pull something like that.

His protege hadn’t been happy that he suddenly had to work with a team.

 

“I can see in all of you a great potential.” Minato found. “So we will do a training exercise to see how good you all really are.”

Under the curious eyes of his Genin, Minato showed them four bells.

“Now, your object is to get these bells from me. Come with me with anything you've got, or you won’t get a bell. Understood? If you aren’t ready to use all means, you can go straight back to the academy.”

This shocked all four, even if Kakashi hid it the best.

“Now, on my go, get ready. Alright?”

The four Genin stood up and nodded as one.

“Ready! Go!”

 

With that, all jumped into a safe location to assert the assignment.

Kakashi was already in the trees, observing his new team.

Let’s see if you can keep up with me..., he thought.

 

Kohana could feel her heart racing with excitement and anticipation. She had heard stories about Kakashi's legendary skills and was eager to see them in action. Rin looked just as excited, while Obito seemed a bit nervous.

As they began their attack, Minato proved to be a formidable opponent.

 

He moved quickly and effortlessly, dodging all of their attacks with ease. Kohana tried using her Chakra control to create illusions, but Minato saw through them immediately. Rin attempted to sneak up on him from behind, but he sensed her presence and knocked her away with a swift kick.

Obito tried using his fire jutsu, but Minato countered it easily with his own wind jutsu. Kakashi remained hidden in the trees, watching silently as the battle raged on.

Despite their best efforts, none of them were able to get even close to the bells.

As Kohana, Obito and Rin sat on the ground to catch their breath, was when Kakashi made his move.

The Hatake attacked their Sensei with such force and precision that it was impressive.

Even more impressive, he got all bells!

 

“Oh, come on!” Obito whined and let himself fall on the ground fully.

Rin was blushing and admiring her crush, while Kohana realised that she was far from being a protege like Kakashi.

This meant she had to train even harder.

Oh, kami!

 

Kakashi stood in front of them, holding the bells triumphantly. “See, Minato-Sensei, I don’t need a team. We work fine together.”

Kohana couldn't help but feel disappointed in herself. She had hoped to at least get close to one of the bells.

Minato walked over.

“Kakashi, we talked about this, let’s not have this discussion again.”, the blond-haired man reminds, then he turns to the other three with a smile. "You all did well. Remember, teamwork is key in any mission. And don't worry about not getting the bells today, it was just a test to assess your strengths and weaknesses."

 

Rin nodded eagerly while Obito grumbled under his breath about wanting another chance to get those bells. Kohana smiled at her Sensei's words and made a mental note to work even harder in their training sessions.

“Tomorrow we will have our first mission as Team 7, so off you go, kids. Have a healthy dinner and then go to bed early. We will meet each other here at 7 p.m., sounds good?”

“Yes, Minato-Sensei.”, the kids chorused together.

 

Thus ended the first day as a Ninja for Konoha.

Kohana hoped she was ready for the real-life ninja work starting tomorrow.

Notes:

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Chapter 5: Hidden Blade, Hidden Feelings

Notes:

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Kizashi was eating with gusto one of the fresh peaches their Kaa-Chan had bought at the market that day, while he watched as his little sister Kohana turned their basement upside down.

 

“Again, explain to me what you are searching for, Imoto-Chan.”, he asked, amused.

His little sister looked really funny, full of cobwebs and dust.

“A family heirloom.”, was her short answer, opening another chest.

“What kind of family heirloom?”

“A weapon.”

“A weapon, interesting.” The pink-haired young man bit into his peach. “What kind of weapon?”

Kohana stopped, and a little frown formed on her face.

“A...Hidden Blade.”

The older boy couldn’t help but snort.

“What, by Kami, is a Hidden Blade?”

 “I will know when I see it.”, she barked at him, closing the chest and opening the next one.

 

Kizashi raised an eyebrow. Someone was grumpy.

“Imoto-Chan, what gave you even the idea that we have something like that?”

She paused and sent him a look. “Can’t you annoy anyone else?”

“No, I wanna annoy you.”, he grinned cheekily, which made Kohana huff well annoyed.

She would rather wish her brother were far away. This was something important; she didn’t need his stupid commentary.

 

A few weeks had passed since she had become a Genin.

To her utter disappointment, the Ninja Life wasn't as glamorous as she imagined.

Besides training with Minato-Sensei and her teammates, which was awesome, the daily D-Rank Missions were absolutely horrible!

Painting fences, ripping out weeds, babysitting, cleaning the Inuzuka kennels!

These were glorified chores, nothing more!

Obito and her were ready to burst, Rin tried to keep them calm, and Kakashi seemed to have a sick satisfaction seeing them nearly lose it.

But the worst was the damn Tora-Mission!

If they had to catch that hellcat one more time, Kohana would kill it, she swore!

 

The only thing good was, like she said, the training Minato-Sensei made them go through.

Already, Kohana felt much stronger. Obito and Rin also made great progress; Rin even started to learn medical jutsu. Sure, none of them were on Kakashi-level, but one had to celebrate the little victories in life.

 

Anyway, besides this, Kohana had found more diaries of Haruno Sakuya, her mysterious world-jumping ancestor and had learned quite a bit more about the Assassin Way of Life.

It was still difficult to wrap her head around that Sakuya had been in another world as an assassin named Carina Auditore, coming from a long line of assassins; however, with any more pages she read, Kohana believed it more.

There was also the fact that she still got visions.

 

It was like she relived Carina/Sakuya's life.

 

Carina Auditore had lived in such a modern world, full of strange devices, yet was part of an order that protected humankind for centuries.

Haruno Sakuya was a weak Miko who had trained hard to become a semi-passable Ninja during the Warring States Era and had been Uchiha Madara’s lover.

What the soul who had inhabited these two women had in common was their dedication to the assassin order.

 

Sakuya had tried and succeeded in recreating the Assassin Brotherhood's most prized weapon.

The symbol of the Brotherhood, you could say.

The Hidden Blade.

 

On the page Kohana had read last night, it was written that Sakuya had placed her Hidden Blade in a chest, in the hope someone in the Haruno Clan would pick it up again.

Kohana was determined to be this one.

 

Reading all these stories about being an assassin and living them in her vision...Kohana felt closer to being an assassin than a ninja.

Strangely, it fit her like a glove.

The assassination techniques Sakuya had written down in her diaries, the green-haired girl learned them fast.

It was like her body already knew them, remembered them.

This gave her an edge against other ninjas.

She fought in a way that had not been seen since Sakuya, so her teammates had trouble countering it. Even Kakashi had struggled in the beginning, but the Hatake wasn’t a protege for nothing.

He was the only one who could give her a fight.

 

However, Kohana missed the Hidden Blade.

She already lived out the Credo of the Assassin Brotherhood, yet without the Hidden Blade, she couldn’t call herself an assassin.

Kunai could only work so much. They didn’t feel right when she tried out her assassination techniques.

No, she needed Sakuya's Hidden Blade.

If only she could find it in one of these chests.

 

And if only her stupid older brother would leave her alone!

 

Kohana continued to rummage through the chests, hoping to find the Hidden Blade that her ancestor had left for her.

She couldn't shake off the feeling that it was somewhere in their basement, hidden away from prying eyes.

As she opened another chest, she saw a glint of metal and her heart skipped a beat.

Could it be?

Carefully lifting out the object, she gasped in awe as she held the Hidden Blade in her hands.

It was bigger than she imagined, built in an arm-guard with intricate designs.

She recognised the Assassin's Brotherhood Symbol, which Sakuya had drawn in her diary.

 

The green-haired girl felt a surge of excitement course through her veins as she examined it closely.

This was it!

The prized possession of the Assassin Brotherhood.

 

Kizashi watched as his little sister's face lit up with joy and couldn't help but wonder what was so special about this strange weapon.

For sure, he never saw anything like that, for what was this thing good for?

 

Kohana felt Kizashi's eyes on her, but ignored it and put the arm guard on her right arm.

She tried to make the Blade flip out like she had read in the diary, but sadly, nothing happened.

“What?!” she exclaimed, surprised.

“Seems like your new toy is broken,” her brother guessed. “You need to fix it.”

“Just awesome!” Kohana grumbled. “Of course, it’s broken. I have to find the schematics for it now.”

“And a smith who understands this strange weapon,” her brother reminds gleefully.

 

For that, Kohana threw an old pillow in his face. Her brother just let himself get hit. Not like the pillow could hurt him.

 

Meanwhile, Kohana sighed in frustration.

Finding a smith who could fix the Hidden Blade was going to be a challenge. She didn't know anyone in the village who had experience with such an intricate weapon. However, she wasn't going to give up that easily.

She was determined to make it work, no matter what it took.

 

As she continued to search through the chests, her mind raced with possibilities of where she could find a smith.

Perhaps she could ask Minato-Sensei for help.

 

Kizashi watched as his sister's determination grew stronger and couldn't help but feel proud of her. He may not understand the importance of the Hidden Blade, yet he knew how much it meant to Kohana.

 

"Imoto-Chan," he said softly, "I'll help you find a smith. We'll figure this out together."

Surprised, Kohana looked at him and smiled gratefully.

“Thanks, Nii-Chan.”

 

(*)

 

Well, Kohana had found the schematics, but every time Kizashi and her visited a smith, they were totally clueless.

Just awesome!

 

“This is the only one remaining.”, she groaned at Kizashi.

The smith stall belonged to Aito Takamaru. He was known in Konoha for his excellent weapons; the only problem was that he was really young.

It seemed impossible that he would understand the Hidden Blade.

 

Kizashi patted her head.

“Now, now, Ko-Chan, let’s ask and see. If I remember right, the Aito’s been a smith family since the Warring States Era. If he can’t help, maybe his father or grandfather.”

Kohana reluctantly followed Kizashi to Aito Takamaru's stall.

As they approached, she noticed that the young man was busy working on a Katana. He looked up as they approached and greeted them with a smile.

"Hello there! How can I help you today?"

 

Kizashi stepped forward and explained their dilemma to Aito-San.

The young smith listened carefully and nodded thoughtfully as he examined the Hidden Blade.

"This is quite an interesting piece," he said, "I've never seen anything like it before."

Kohana felt her heart sink. She had been hoping that Aito-San would be able to fix it, but now it seemed like all hope was lost.

However, much to her surprise, Aito-San continued speaking.

"But I think I might be able to figure it out," he said with a grin. "My grandfather told me often the story of how he made a special blade for a Miko named Haruno Sakuya. I bet it's this one, right?”

“Yeah, it is. Haruno Sakuya is our ancestor.”, Kohana confirmed with hope in her heart.

Aito-San nodded.

“Good thing you have the schematics too. I think with what my grandfather told me and these, I will be successful in repairing the Hidden Blade.”

 

Kohana couldn't believe her ears.

 

Was this really happening? Could Aito-San really fix the Hidden Blade?

She watched in amazement as the young smith got to work, meticulously examining each part of the arm guard and studying the schematics that Kohana had brought with her.

For hours, he worked on the blade.

 

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Aito-San stood up and held out the Hidden Blade to Kohana.

"It's done," he proclaimed with a smile.

The glass-wearing girl took the arm-guard from him and examined it closely.

 

Sure enough, when she flicked her wrist just right, the blade sprang out from its hiding place with a satisfying snap.

"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I don't know what I would have done without your help."

Aito-San just smiled modestly in response.

"It was my pleasure.”

 

(*)

 

“Alright, kids, who wants to spar today first?” Minato-Sensei asked the next day, his Genin.

After a good morning workout, it was now time for it.

Eagerly, Kohana raised her hand. “I would like to, Minato-Sensei.”

She so wanted to try out her Hidden Blade!

 

“Good, Kakashi-Kun, are you up to spar with Kohana-Chan?”

The Hatake just gave a nod.

“Yeah, kick his ass, Kohana-Chan!” Obito rooted for her, which made the girl blush a little.

Sweet Rin gave them both a smile: “Do your best, Kohana-Chan and Kakashi-Kun.”

“Aww, Rin-Chan, why do you have to be on his side too?” Obito groaned.

She just giggled.

 

Kakashi and Kohana stood before each other, waiting for Minato-Sensei to go.

Minato-Sensei gave the signal, and Kohana immediately went on the offensive, her Hidden Blade at the ready.

Kakashi was quick to dodge her attacks, yet he couldn't help but be impressed by her skill with the strange weapon.

She moved with a grace and fluidity that he had never seen before.

As they continued to spar, Kohana began to incorporate more of Sakuya's assassination techniques into her fighting style.

Her movements became even more unpredictable, making it difficult for Kakashi to keep up.

 

Obito was cheering loudly for her, and even Rin clapped her hands.

“Yes, you rock, Kohana-Chan!” Obito shouted.

However, just as Kohana thought she had the upper hand, Kakashi suddenly disappeared from view.

She looked around frantically, trying to find him, yet he was nowhere in sight.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her back and realised too late that Kakashi had attacked one of the weak spots of her body.

She fell to the ground with a thud, feeling defeated.

And she had been doing so well!

Kakashi walked over to her with an outstretched hand and helped her up.

"Good job," he said calmly.

The green-haired girl smiled back at him, feeling proud of herself for holding her own against one of Konoha's most talented ninjas.

 

They made the Seal of Reconciliation.

 

“Good spar, you two.”, Minato-Sensei congratulated them. “Kohana, you really improved, and this new weapon of yours is amazing. Kakashi as always impressive. Now, Obito and Rin, you spar, and the winner of that spar goes against Kakashi.”

 

Obito won the spar against Rin, and so the two boys fought against each other. Of course, Kakashi won, but Obito had given him a good fight too.

 

Then, Minato-Sensei told Kohana and Rin that they should spar against each other.

 

Ready to spar, the two females faced each other.

Kohana flipped her Hidden Blade in and out, eager to test it out once again.

They circled each other warily, both waiting for the other to make the first move.

Finally, Rin lunged forward, aiming a punch at Kohana's face.

The green-haired girl easily dodged it and countered with a swift kick to Rin's stomach. She stumbled back, but quickly regained her footing and launched another attack.

 

The two girls traded blows back and forth, neither one gaining the upper hand for long. Kohana was impressed by Rin's speed and agility, but she knew that she had something that Rin didn't - the Hidden Blade.

As they continued to spar, Kohana began to incorporate Sakuya's assassination techniques into her fighting style once again.

She moved in quick bursts of speed, striking at Rin from unexpected angles with her weapon. The brunette struggled to keep up with her movements, and then there was finally an opening.

With elegance, Kohana flipped herself over Rin, pierced her Hidden Blade into Rin's shirt and could flick her opponent like this away from her.

Rin fell down, and Kohana was over her, Hidden Blade at her pulse.

 

“Kohana wins!” Minato-Sensei called over.

The green-haired girl was panting  as she lowered her weapon and smiled at Rin: “You did great!”

Her best friend smiled back at her: “So did you! That Hidden Blade is amazing.”

Smiling, she thanked Rin, helped her up, and they made the Seal of Reconciliation.

 

Minato-Sensei came over to them: “I'm really impressed with your progress lately, Kohana-Chan.”

“Thank you, Sensei,” Kohana replied gratefully. “I couldn't have done it without your training.”

“Now, who is ready for a D-Rank Mission?”

 

Three loud groans could be heard.

 

(*)

 

 

After the  D-Rank mission, they had to walk the Inuzuka Ninken, Minato-Sensei called it a day.

Kakashi left with a lazy wave, while Rin said she had to help her parents in their shop.

That left Obito and Kohana.

 

Alone!

 

If she hadn’t taken this chance to spend some time with her crush, Kohana would never progress in their relationship.

“Hey, do you want to hang out for a bit?” she asked him.

Obito's face lit up with excitement: “Sure! What do you want to do?”

“How about we go get some ice cream at the new shop that just opened up?” Kohana suggested, after a moment.

“Sounds great!”

 

As they walked towards the ice cream shop, Kohana couldn't help but feel nervous.

This was the first time that she had hung out alone with Obito since becoming a Genin. She wasn't sure what to say or how to act around him.

Thankfully, Obito seemed oblivious to her nervousness and was busy chatting away about his latest manga. Kohana listened intently; she read the series too.

That was something they had in common.

They discussed plot points and why this character sucked and another was just amazing as they arrived at the ice cream shop.

 

Kohana ordered a chocolate milkshake while Obito got a strawberry sundae. They sat down at one of the tables outside and enjoyed their treats in comfortable silence. After finishing their desserts, they decided to take a walk around the village.

 

As they strolled through the streets, Obito and her talked about the sparring matches today. The Uchiha was giddy that she gave Kakashi a run for his money, even if she lost in the end.

“Maybe that will show stupid Bakashi that we all can be amazing ninjas!” he told her.

“You really hate Hatake-San, mmh?”

“Hate is a strong word. I mean, he goes on my nerves, but I don’t hate him. I just hate his I'm-better-than-anyone-spiel he has going on!”

With that, Obito, frustrated, kicked a stone away.

 

The Haruno bit her lip. She had a feeling, no, she was sure that Obito also hated Kakashi because Rin was in love with the protege.

It was so sad, Kohana liked Obito, Obito liked Rin, Rin liked Kakashi, and Kakashi didn’t seem to have a crush on anyone.

No one was a winner here.

 

Only if someone had new feelings for another and they liked them back.

 

How Kohana wished she could make Obito fall in love with her, but sadly, Obito was too fixed on Rin.

What could she do to impress him so that he would finally see her? Kicking Kakashi's ass maybe?

Obito seemed to like it when Kohana gave Kakashi a challenge, but maybe anyone who gave his rival a challenge was cool in the Uchiha's eyes.

 

As they continued their walk, Kohana couldn't help but feel a bit down. She had hoped that this outing would bring her and Obito closer together; however, if your name wasn’t Nohara Rin, you weren’t even a girl in Obito's eyes.

 

Sighing inwardly, she tried to push those thoughts aside. Maybe she could just be happy with being friends with Obito for now.

 

However, as they turned a corner, something caught her eye. It was a small flower shop that she had never noticed before.

Curious, she tugged on Obito's sleeve and pointed at the shop. "Hey, do you want to take a look in there?"

Obito looked sceptical at first, but then shrugged his shoulders: "Why not?"

 

They entered the shop, and Kohana was immediately hit by the sweet scent of flowers. The walls were lined with vases of all different colours and shapes, each one filled with beautiful blossoms.

 

Kohana felt herself relaxing as she took in the tranquil atmosphere of the shop. Even Obito seemed to be enjoying himself as he examined some of the more exotic blooms.

 

Suddenly, Kohana spotted a small pot of delicate blue flowers tucked away in a corner of the shop.

Forget-me-nots.

Her Kaa-Chan had taught her the Flower Language; if she remembered right, Forget-me-not meant True love.

 

She gulped.

Well, if she couldn’t say with words what she felt, maybe the flower would do.

 

Kohana walked over to the pot of forget-me-nots and picked one.

Turning to Obito, who was still examining the other flowers, she said softly: "Hey, Obito. Do you know what these flowers mean?"

Obito shook his head: "No, what do they mean?"

Kohana took a deep breath before answering: "They mean true love."

She handed him the flower and looked into his beautiful black eyes.

 

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

 

Then Obito smiled at her: "I didn't know that."

The girl felt her heart swell with hope. Maybe this was a sign that Obito would finally see her as more than just a friend.

 

The hope was crushed not a second later as the boy curiously pointed at the yellow flowers.

“What do they mean?”

Kohana felt like crying.

“These are Primroses...they mean Desperate.”

That had to be a cruel joke of faith!

Obito pouted and tucked the Forget-me-not behind his ear.

“Aww, I like the Forget-me-not more. Hey, do you think I should buy some for Rin?”

The girl felt a pang of disappointment at Obito's suggestion.

 

Of course, he would want to give the Forget-me-nots to Rin, the girl he had a crush on. She forced a smile and nodded her head, trying to hide her true feelings.

"Sure, that's a great idea."

 

When they left the flower shop, Kohana couldn't help but feel like she was stuck in a never-ending cycle of unrequited love.

 

But she refused to give up hope.

 

Maybe one day Obito would see her as more than just a friend.

 

Until then, she would continue to cherish their friendship and hold onto the small moments like this one where she felt like maybe, just maybe, there was something more between them.

Notes:

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Chapter 6: The First C-Rank

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“I’m sorry, I’m late!” Obito hollered as he ran towards his team standing at the gate of Konoha. “An old lady needed help-”

“Just stop with your excuses.” Kakashi snapped.

Minato-Sensei shook his head at him. “Obito, we need to work on your punctuality.”

The Uchiha whined and looked at his two female teammates. Rin gave him a small smile, which made him happy, while Kohana just stared at him deadpan.

“Obito, you are even late for our first mission out of the village. Weren’t you all excited about it yesterday?”, the Haruno wondered.

Obito sighed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I know, I know. I messed up. I'll do better next time, I promise."

 

Minato-Sensei nodded, but his expression was serious. "We can't afford to have any more delays, especially on a mission like this."

Rin spoke up, her voice gentle. "It's okay, Obito. We all make mistakes sometimes."

"Next time, I'm gonna pick you up. Maybe then you won’t be tardy.”, Kohana promised.

Kakashi remained quiet, but the disapproving look on his face said enough.

“That is a good idea, Kohana-Chan.” Minato-Sensei agreed. “If one of you would pick up Obito for missions till he fixes his tardiness problem, it would be great.”

“I’m not a baby...”Obito mumbled, offended. He just liked helping people; it was not his fault that it often took time to do so.

The Hatake's disapproving look got denser. “Then stop acting like one.”

“What did you say, Bakashi?!”

“Guys, stop!” the girls shouted.

They didn’t need a fight to break out.

“Children, I know you are all high on nerves. Calm all down.” Minato-Sensei said.

The Genin chorused a 'Yes, Sensei' together.

 

It was also nerves that caused them to lash out at each other. This was their first C-Rank mission, even outside of Konoha! It would contribute to the war effort, and it was nerve-wracking.

 

“Let’s get over the mission details again before we go.” Minato-Sensei began. “A Bandit-Camp has made their home on the Konohagakure border. They disturb our supply line and even manage to steal some precious cargo. Our job is to eliminate the threat. It means you all will probably kill for the first time in your life. Are you ready?”

Obito nodded, a determined look on his face. "I'm ready, sensei."

Rin took a deep breath and nodded as well. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect my village."

 

Kohana stroked with one hand her armguard.

This was it.

Today, she would kill for the first time with the Hidden Blade.

Today, it would reveal whether she truly learned the lessons from the academy about being a Ninja and the lessons from Sakuya’s diary about being an assassin.

“I’m ready, Minato-Sensei.”

 

Kakashi simply gave a small nod, but there was a glint in his eye that showed he was ready for action.

 

Minato-Sensei smiled at them, his team, proud of their determination and bravery. "Alright then, let's go take care of those bandits and protect our village!"

 

The team made their way towards the Konoha border, keeping a keen eye out for any signs of the bandit camp.

 

As they walked, Konoha couldn't help but feel a little anxious about what was to come. Killing someone was something that was part of the ninja and also the assasin way of life. Some people didn’t see reason and could only be taken care of this way.

It was far from perfect, but in their line of work, it was kill or be killed.

Especially now in wartime.

And if Konoha had to choose her life and the lives of her team against some bandits, she would always pick the first option.

 

Rin noticed her unease and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's okay to be scared, Kohana-Chan." She murmured softly. "But we're all in this together."

Obito chimed in, his voice confident and unwavering. "We've trained for this moment; we know what we're doing."

Kakashi remained silent as usual, but the others could sense his readiness to take action at any moment.

 

Finally, they reached the outskirts of the bandit camp and took cover behind some trees to observe their surroundings.

 

Minato-Sensei whispered instructions to his team, outlining their plan of attack and assigning roles to each member.

Obito was tasked with creating a diversion using his fire jutsu while Kohana and Rin snuck around the back of the camp to take out any guards there. Kakashi and he would lead the charge straight through the front entrance.

 

With a nod from Minato-Sensei, they sprang into action.

 

As planned, Obito created a fiery distraction that drew most of the bandits away from their posts.

Kohana and Rin swiftly took out any remaining guards at the back of the camp.

As her Hidden Blade sank into the guard's neck, the Haruno felt uneasy, but it was a quick death. The bandit didn’t suffer.

She would think about this when his death would haunt her.

 

The girls hide the bodies in some bushes, and Kohana says for the first time in her life, the words assasin spoke when they killed a target: “Requiescat in pace.”

 

Surprised, Rin looked over her.

“Konoha-Chan.”, she whispered. “What kind of language was that? I never heard it.”

 

This made Konoha frown.

It was a different language?

For her, it was natural to speak it. Strange that she never picked it up.

“It’s a language my ancestors spoke.”, she explained to Rin. “You say it after you kill. It means Rest in Peace.”

The brunette nodded.

“I guess this is a good way to alleviate this death. I mean, I’m still under adrenaline, but I will probably cry after I realise what I just did. Killing is never fun. Even if they are our enemies, we can wish them to Rest in Peace.”

Now the green-haired girl nodded.

“You are right, Rin-Chan.”

 

After Rin wished her victim Rest in Peace, the girls joined Kakashi and Minato-Sensei in charging headfirst through the front entrance.

The bandits were caught off guard by their sudden attack and were quickly overpowered by them.

 

Within minutes, they had eliminated all threats and secured any stolen cargo that had been taken from Konoha's supply lines.

 

Exhausted but triumphant, they made their way back towards Konoha with pride in their hearts, knowing that they had protected their village once again from harm's way and had even secured the stolen cargo.

 

As they made their way to the Hokage Tower, it was then that it sank in what the four Genin did.

Kohana threw up, Rin started to cry hysterically, and Obito fell down to the ground hyperventilating. Only Kakashi seemed calm, but his tight fist spoke another language.

 

They had just killed people.

It was something that they knew might happen in their line of work, but doing it was a different story.

Kohana couldn't shake off the feeling of unease and guilt that washed over her. She wondered if this was what being an assassin meant - taking lives without remorse or hesitation.

Rin's tears and Obito's panic attack clearly indicated that they were struggling with what they had just done.

Even Kakashi's clenched fist spoke volumes about his inner turmoil.

“It’s okay, kids, come here.”, Minato-Sensei cooed.

 

The green-haired girl didn’t know how he did it, but Minato-Sensei managed to hug all of them to himself and whisper comforting words to them.

She gripped his flack jacket, crying in it in earnest. Rin and Obito joined her with their wails.

“It will never be easy. Killing is never easy.” Minato-Sensei shared with them. “But with time, you learn to better elaborate it. But never lose the respect of the lives you take. That makes us human. If killing were easy, we would be monsters.”

 

The team nodded in agreement, feeling comforted by Minato-Sensei's words.

They knew that what they had done was necessary to protect their village and loved ones, but it didn't make it any easier to cope with the aftermath.

 

After the genin had calmed down, they started again to walk towards the Hokage Tower.

Kohana couldn't help but feel grateful for her amazing team, who had supported her through this difficult experience.

They may have taken lives, but they had done it to protect their village and its people.

It was a necessary evil, yet one that came at a great cost.

 

(*)

 

Nothing is True. Everything is permitted.

 

This is the central credo of the Assassin Brotherhood.

But what does it mean?

 

Well, my great-great-I-don’t-know-many-times-uncle, the legendary Ezio Auditore, Mentor of the Italian Brotherhood, once explained it like this: To say that nothing is true is to realise that the foundations of society are fragile and that we must be the shepherds of our civilisation. To say that everything is permitted is to understand that we are the architects of our actions and that we must live with their consequences, whether glorious or tragic.

 

I always repeat this to myself after every kill I have done and have to do.

 

Those who choose the assasin way of life must realise what responsibility it is.

Not only do we decide if someone should be allowed to live, but we also have to protect the peace.

 

A paradox, isn’t it?

But all our lives are made out of paradoxes.

 

How can we want peace if we kill?

We want peace because we believe that every life is precious.

We kill only when it is necessary to protect the innocent and preserve the greater good.

 

This is the burden of being an assassin: to carry the weight of life and death on our shoulders.

 

It is not a choice for the faint of heart, but for those who are willing to make the hard decisions when no one else can.

We are not murderers, but guardians of humanity.

 

And in this way, we live by the creed: Nothing is true, everything is permitted.

 

(*)

 

With a deep shuddering breath, Kohana hugged the diary of Sakuya to her chest.

The written words of her ancestor gave her the calm of mind she so desperately needed. She knew that being an assassin was not an easy path to take, but it was one that she had chosen for herself.

 

The burden of taking lives weighed heavily on her shoulders; however, she was reminded that it was necessary to protect those she loved and cared for.

 

As she closed Sakuya's diary and looked out her window up at the stars, Kohana couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in herself and her team.

They had faced their fears and conquered them together, and in doing so, they had protected their village from harm's way.

It was a difficult journey ahead of them, yet Konoha felt confident knowing that they would face it together as a team.

 

At this moment, she saw someone she knew pass by her house, seeming deep in thought.

“Obito?”, she mumbled to herself.

Shouldn’t he be in bed, well, like herself?

What was he doing out this late, walking the village streets?

 

Kohana didn’t think long, gripped a jacket she could put over her nightgown and put her ninja shoes on. Silent as she could, she opened her window and then jumped down the street.

 

“Obito.”, she called out softly to him. “Are you okay?”

Surprised, the Uchiha turned to her.

“Huh, Kohana-Chan? What are you doing here?”

“Here is my house. The question is, what are you doing out so late and far away from the Uchiha District?”

 

Obito looked down at his feet, a pained expression on his face.

"I couldn't sleep," he admitted. "The weight of what we did today is just too much to bear."

Kohana nodded in understanding, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I know how you feel," she said softly. "But we have to remember that what we did was necessary to protect our village and its people."

Obito looked up at her, gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you, Kohana-Chan. It's good to know that I'm not alone in feeling this way."

 

Kohana smiled back at him, feeling a sense of camaraderie between them.

They may have taken lives today, but they had done it together as a team and had each other's backs through the aftermath.

 

"Come on," she said, gesturing towards the Uchiha District. "Let's get some rest before tomorrow's mission."

Cutely, Obito turned red. “I’m not a little girl. I can walk alone.”

“Are you implying girls are weak?”

Kohana's voice promised pain if he said the wrong thing, something Obito could hear loud and clear.

 

The Uchiha quickly backtracked, realising his mistake.

"No, no, of course not! I didn't mean it like that," he said, flustered. "I just meant that I don't want to be a burden on you."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "You're not a burden, Obito. We're a team and we stick together through thick and thin."

 

With that settled, they walked back towards the Uchiha District together, chatting about nothing and all.

It was calm and peaceful.

The moon shone down on them.

Did Kohana say that it was quite romantic?

She did feel a bit flustered to walk with her crush to his home.

 

“ The moon is beautiful, isn’t it ?”, she heard herself say to Obito.

 

What the heck?!

When did she get so daring?!

Everybody and their mother know that this was a code for: I love you!

And she just said it to Obito!

 

Obito looked up at the moon, a small smile on his face.

"Yeah, it is," he agreed softly. "I used to come out here and watch it with Rin when we were younger."

 

OF COURSE!

What else did she expect?

He would take it literally and not think about the hidden meaning.

Kohana felt a pang of jealousy at the mention of Rin's name, but quickly pushed it aside. It was not Rin's fault how obsessed Obito was with her.

 

"Maybe we can all watch it together sometime," she suggested, trying to keep her voice casual.

Obito turned to her, surprise written all over his face. "Really? You'd want to do that?"

Kohana nodded, feeling a blush creeping up her cheeks. "Sure, why not? We're friends and teammates after all."

Obito smiled back at her, a warmth in his eyes that made Konoha's heart skip a beat.

"Thanks, Kohana-Chan," he said gratefully. "That means a lot to me."

 

As they reached the entrance of the Uchiha District, Kohana bid Obito goodnight and watched as he disappeared into his house.

 

She couldn't help but feel grateful for their friendship and hopeful for what the future might hold for them both as ninjas and as friends....

Yeah, right.

 

“Uchiha Obito, you are so stupid!” she hissed quietly and had to stop the tears that sprang into her eyes.

Dear Kami, what does she need to do when Obito finally takes note of her?!

 

Walking back to her house, Kohana couldn't help but feel a sense of longing in her heart.

She had always admired and loved Obito from afar, yet it seemed like he only saw her as a teammate/friend and nothing more.

Would it ever change?

 

(*)

 

“Carina, you need to get under people or you're gonna die an old virgin.”

“When I die, I will take some Templars with me, Rebecca. I have not exactly planned to die peacefully.”

“Still, you only read fanfictions, you know what I mean, and that’s not healthy.”

“And coming from our computer expert, it must be true. Why don’t you check the Animus again? Desmond seems a bit unwell.”

“Haha, so funny. All is good with my baby.”

“Girls, what are you discussing?”

“Sorry, Lucy, Bec wants me to go out with some guy she knows, but I don’t think it's the time for it.”

“We will not stay hidden here away from ABSTERGO forever. I’m just planning for the future.”

“Bec’s leave Cari alone, okay? She knows what is best for her.”

“You are only on her side because you have a crush on her, Lucy, since Cari is a real-life Auditore!”

“That’s not true, Rebecca. I just think it’s important for Carina to focus on her safety and well-being before worrying about romantic relationships.”

“Well, I think it’s important for all of us to have some fun and enjoy life while we still can. But don’t worry, Carina. If you’re not interested in my friend, I won’t force you.”

Carina made it clear again that she was fine the way she was.

Besides, they had to first save the world, and well, her dream man was fictional.

No one could reach Uchiha Obito's level.

 

(*)

 

“So...”

“Yes, Mito?”

“Uchiha. Uchiha Madara?”

“ Are you judging me, my friend?”

“A tiny bit.”

“Mito!”

“Don’t use that tone on me, Sakuya. I mean, there are Uchiha who are not so...intense as Madara.”

“Love finds you in the strangest of places. Or what is with you and Hashirama? Hashi is my friend, but he is a blubbering mess.”

“I...I have nothing to say against it.”

“Pardon, ladies, I didn’t think this room was occupied.”

“Tobirama, good! Tell Sakuya that her liaison with Madara is...erm...”

“A horrible decision? Yes, it is.”

“Tobirama, I thought you were my friend!”

“And as your friend, I have to ask, have you lost your mind, Sakuya? Madara is the worst of the Uchiha Clan. Why don't you go out with Kagami's father?”

“The man is married?”

“Polyamory is not frowned upon in the Uchiha-Clan.”

“You are joking, Tobirama.”

“I’m not joking, Sakuya. And besides, Kagami's father is a much better match for you than Madara ever could be.”

“I’ll...I’ll think about it.”

 

To hell with thinking about it.

Sakuya loved Madara, and Madara loved her.

When she was Carina, she never thought of finding love and then even in Uchiha Madara!

She was an Obito-Fangirl, but truly getting to know Madara had changed her.

The Mito/assassin was sure she could change the future and build a life with the Uchiha Clanhead.

 

(*)

 

Kohana opened her eyes and blinked up at her room ceiling.

What the heck?

Did...did she just live out the love life of Carina/Sakuya?

What was this supposed to mean?

 

Her ancestor from another world had loved Obito too, but then, when she met Madara for real, she truly fell in love.

Wanted her brain to show Kohana how ironic it was that the descendant of Carina/Sakuya was also in love with Obito.

 

Kohana couldn't shake off the strange feeling that lingered in her mind.

She wondered if there was a deeper meaning to her dream.

Was it a message from her ancestor? Or was it just a random occurrence of her subconscious mind playing tricks on her? Or was there something more to it?

 

Why was she so connected to Carina/Sakuya?

 

It was like...like in the Animus!

 

Yes, the strange device from Carina's world, which lets you live out the memories of your ancestors!

And Kohana experienced it naturally?

 

How was this possible?

 

The green-haired girl had a feeling that Sakuya's diary was the answer to it, but there were so many. It would take time to find it.

 

Suddenly, she had an idea.

There was another source she could maybe check.

 

Maybe it could shine a new light on Sakuya!

Notes:

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Chapter 7: Discoveries

Notes:

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The next day, before it was time to meet with her team, Kohana walked into the Uchiha District.

Where else could she find information about Uchiha Madara and hopefully his lover, her ancestor, Haruno Sakuya?

 

Soon she reached Obito's house and knocked on the door. Her teammate opened it after a few seconds.

“Yes, hello?” he yawned cutely, still sleepy and in his sleepwear.

Kohana wished to have a camera to immortalise this moment.

Obito was adorable!

 

But she was here on business.

 

“Morning, Obito-Kun. Shouldn’t you get ready to meet up with our team?” she couldn’t help but tease.

It was like lightning struck him, waking the Uchiha full up.

“Huah! Kohana-Chan?! Aww, don’t tell me you really will pick me up till I get my tardiness under control.”, he whined.

 

Gosh, he was so cute.

The urge to kiss his cheeks was strong in the green-haired girl.

Why was her crush so cute?

So unfair!

 

“I’m also here for that.”, she told him and hid a giggle as he groaned. “But I need your help with something.”

“Huh? What is it, Kohana-Chan?”

 

She took a deep breath.

What she was going to ask could get Obito in trouble, and that’s the last thing she wanted.

Needless, she said: “Uchiha Madara. I recently learned that my ancestor, Haruno Sakuya, was his lover. Did you know this?”

Obito's eyes widened at the mention of Uchiha Madara and Haruno Sakuya.

 

So he knows something!

That was surprising.

 

He quickly composed himself and replied, "Yes, I've heard about it. But it's not something we talk about openly in the district. It’s all hush-hush...Uchiha’s don’t normally date or marry outside the clan. But..."

The boy waved her over. Kohana stepped closer so that he could whisper in her ear. She ignored the warm shower over her body as his hot breath stroked her skin.

“But...My Grandma told me that Sakuya was a special case. She was a welcome guest in our clan since she was a Miko devoted to Amaterasu, our patron goddess. So as she and Uchiha Madara courted, the clan was okay with it. Even the Elders, and they were always a pain in the ass.”

 

Huh, that was interesting.

 

“Sorry, but wasn’t Madara the Clan Head? Couldn’t he marry whoever he wanted?” Kohana wonder.

The Uchiha shook his head. “If you want to bring an outsider into the clan, you need the permission of the Elders. Whatever, just a normal shinobi or the clanhead.”

 

Double huh.

 

“Kohana-Chan, do you wanna come in? Grandma knows more about this stuff than I do. She met Sakuya when she was a little girl.”

Well, if Obito's grandma personally knew her ancestor, who was she to say no?

 

So she thanked Obito for inviting her in and followed him into the kitchen.

His grandma, Uchiha Keika, was sitting on the kitchen table drinking a cup of tea.

 

“Obito-Chan, who was it on the door?” the elderly lady asked.

“Gran, you remember my friend Kohana?” Obito asked, putting a hand on Kohana's shoulder. “She wants to ask you something.”

The Haruno bowed down. “I hope I don’t disturb.”

 

That’s when Keika looked at her and blinked owlishly.

“Incredible...you look exactly like her! Aren’t you a Haruno, child?”

“Yes I’m Uchiha-San.”

“Aww, any friend of my Obito can call me grandma, sweetheart.”

 

Now Kohana was awed in her head. Obito's grandma was as sweet as she remembers.

“Alright, grandma, I look like who?”

“I met her when I was a child and she a grown woman, but you're the spitting image of Sakuya-Sama. You could be her twin.”

 

Kohana couldn't believe it. She looked like her ancestor, Haruno Sakuya.

That was unbelievable and also strange. Not only was she reliving the life of her ancestor, but she also looked like her.

 

Something was definitely not normal about that.

 

"Grandma, I'm so grateful for your time. I've been trying to learn more about my ancestor and her connection to Uchiha Madara for months," Kohana confessed.

"Of course, dear. It's always nice to see young people taking an interest in their family history." Keika smiled kindly to her and then turned to Obito. “Take an example from your friend Obito-Chan.”

“Gran!” the boy whined.

“Obito-Chan, go make some tea for Kohana-Chan, while we talk. Sit down, dear.”

 

Both kids did as Keika asked them. So while Obito heated up the tea again, Kohana sat in front of the older Uchiha.

"Can you tell me more about Sakuya's relationship with Uchiha Madara? How did they meet?" She asked, leaning forward.

 

The old woman took a sip of her tea before answering. "Sakuya-Sama was a Miko devoted to Amaterasu, which is our patron goddess. She often visited our clan to perform purification rituals and offer blessings. That's how she first met Madara."

The old woman giggled.

“Sakuya-Sama was a real beauty. A lot of men and women in our clan crushed on her. When I saw her the first time, I thought she was some nature deity herself. I bet you will grow up to be just as beautiful.”

 

This made Kohana bashful, looking into the teacup Obito placed in front of her as the boy joined them at the kitchen table.

 

“Really, Gran?” Obito gasped. “Some of our clansmen were crushing on Sakuya?”

Keika nodded. "Yes, but ironically, it wasn’t Madara who first caught her eye. It was Izuna, Madara's younger brother. They were inseparable from the moment they met. They became quite good friends; their relationship resembled the one siblings had . Madara was quite jealous that a woman was spending so much time with his beloved brother, and he felt like Izuna was favouring a stranger over him. Actually, Sakuya and Madara butted heads on more than one occasion; they were like cat and dog."

 

The elderly Uchiha took another sip of her tea before continuing. "But eventually Madara saw the error in his ways, after a lot of shouting matches between him and Sakuya and between Izuna and himself. It’s said that Izuna told his brother he would always be his most precious person, but he was allowed to have others , too . Madara accepted their friendship, but then Izuna died at the hands of Senju Tobirama. You both truly know the story."

Both kids nodded.

“I know that Sakuya was also friends with Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama. I can’t imagine how it felt to hear your friend killed your other friend.” Kohana signed.

 

"It was a devastating time for her and Madara. But this was the Warring States Era for you. Friends could become foes in one second; foes could become your friends.” Keika shared. “In their grief for Izuna, they became friends, and eventually, in time, Madara and Sakuya fell in love with each other. Their love was a forbidden one, as Uchihas were not allowed to marry outside the clan. But Madara was the Clan Head and had some leverage, so he went against the Elders' wishes and married Sakuya in secret. They kept their marriage hidden from everyone, even their closest friends and family members."

 

Kohana's blue eyes widened in surprise. "They got married? I had no idea."

"Yes, my dear," Keika said with a smile. "Their love was strong enough to overcome any obstacle. But unfortunately, it was short-lived. Madara became consumed by hate and his desire for power. He never could forgive Senju Tobirama for killing his brother, even if it was war back then , and it was to kill or to be killed ; then h e didn ’t become Hokage, and our clan was tired of the fightin g. Sakuya had found in her heart the power to forgive Senju Tobirama and worked with Senju Hashirama , Senju Tobirama and Uzumaki Mito to create a peaceful village and a better life for all of us . Sakuya couldn't bear to see Madara become someone she didn't recognise anymore. She tried to save him from himself, but you know it was fruitless.”

 

A sad sign left Keika's lips. "It was a tragic end to their love story. Madara and Sakuya parted ways, with Madara going down a dark path that ultimately led to his downfall. Sakuya continued to work towards peace and prosperity for the village until her death. She married a civilian man, and had a son and a daughter with him. Her son, Haruno Oga, is your great-grandfather, right?"

Kohana simply nodded.

 

Keika took a deep breath and continued, "But you know, Kohana-Chan, I always felt that Madara regretted his actions towards the end. He realised too late what he had lost in Sakuya and how much she meant to him. It's a tragedy that their love couldn't survive the turmoil of those times."

 

The Haruno listened intently to Keika's words, feeling a sense of sadness wash over her. She couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like if Madara had chosen differently.

 

Would the Harunos be part of the Uchiha Clan?

Would she even be born?

 

Obito cleared his throat, breaking the sombre mood in the room. "So, Kohana-chan, did you find out everything you wanted to know?"

"Yes, thank you both for sharing your knowledge with me. It means a lot."

"Anytime, dear. It was lovely having you over. And Obito-Chan," Keika turned to her grandson with a stern expression. "Make sure you're not late for your team meeting again."

 

The Uchiha boy groaned playfully as Kohana stood up from the table.

"I'll wait for you outside then, Obito-Kun," she said with a small smile.

 

As they walked towards their meeting spot, Kohana couldn't help but think about the tragic love story of her ancestor.

It was both beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.

She wondered if such a forbidden love could exist in today's world, where people were more accepting of different cultures and backgrounds.

 

Her thoughts wander over to her own love for Obito.

 

Would the Uchiha Clan even accept an outsider like her as Obito's Bride? She knew Obito belonged to the Main Branch of the clan; they surely were stricter than with the Side Branches.

Keeping the bloodline pure , to keep the Sharigan powerful , Uchiha normal married other Uchiha.

 

Which was actually counterproductive. They learned in school how genetic diversity brought forth stronger shinobis. The Uchiha Clan could use some new blood.

 

When they approached their team, Obito turned to her with a serious expression. "Kohana-chan, I hope you won't tell anyone about what my grandma told us. It's a sensitive topic in our clan."

"Of course, Obito-kun. Your secret is safe with me."

 

Then Kohana was reminded again why thinking about being with Obito was useless, since as soon as his eyes landed on Rin, he left her side to talk to his crush.

Something like a dying whale's sound left her lips.

 

“I don’t get what you see in this idiot.”

Shocked, Kohana turned to a deadpanning Kakashi beside her. She didn’t even hear how he had approached her.

“I-I don’t know what you mean...”

The Hatake just deadpanned harder.

“Of course.”

 

Her cheeks heat up as she tries to compose herself. She couldn't believe she had just made such a sound in front of Kakashi. But the truth was, she couldn't help it.

Watching Obito fawn over Rin was like a punch to the gut every time.

She sighed and looked away, trying to hide her embarrassment from Kakashi.

However, he seemed unfazed by her outburst, almost amused even.

 

“Good morning, kids.” Minato-Sensei greeted them. Surprised, Kohana blinked at the beautiful red-haired woman on his side.

She seemed familiar...

 

Suddenly, she got one of her visions!

 

Minato-Sensei and the woman, Kushina, were her name, throwing themselves at the claws of the Kyuubi to protect a little blond baby on an altar. In their last moments, Kushina talks to the baby, Naruto, their son, giving him advice to become a good man...

 

With a little hiss, Kohana massaged her hurting temple.

God, this was a heartbreaking vision!

What would happen if she didn’t manage to change the future?

In no way in hell would she let Minato-Sensei and Kushina get killed, leaving little precious Naruto alone in the world!

 

As the team gathered curiously around Minato-Sensei and his guest, Kohana tried to keep her composure and focus at hand.

Sadly, her mind kept drifting back to the vision she had just experienced. She couldn't let it become a reality!

 

“Kids, I want you to meet someone. This is Uzumaki Kushina.” Minato-Sensei presented the grinning red-haired woman. “She is one of Konoha's best Fuin Jutsu and Kenjutsu Masters. Also, she is my girlfriend.”

“Nice meeting, Minato-Kun, cute little Genin.”, Kushina cooed at them. “He told me a lot about you. Let’s see.”

 

The red-haired person started to point at them.

“Cute brunette with lilac stripes and already a prodigy in medical Jutsu, you must be Rin.”

This made Rin giggle cutely.

“Charming black-haired boy with goggles who is really good with his fire jutsu, you are Obito from the Uchiha Clan.”

The boy rubbed his nose shyly.

“Adorable green-haired girl with cool glasses, a prodigy in assassination techniques and has this cool weapon named Hidden Blade. You must be Kohana.”

She couldn’t help but blush at the praise.

“And the last of you....” Dramatically, Kushina stopped before she grinned even brighter. “Kashi-Kun, we already know each other.”

Kakashi ignored that Obito seemed to die of laughter, hearing Kushina's nickname for him and just deadpanned at her.

“Hello Kushina-San.”

 

Minato-Sensei also had an amused smile on his face. “Kushina here wanted to see for herself how good you guys already are. So today you will spar against her.”

Why did Kohana have a bad feeling about this? Kushina smiled at them, promising a world of hurt and pain.

“So we four against Kushina-San?” Rin asked to clarify.

 

“That’s right, Rin-Chan.” Kushina got her Katana out , heaving now an evil look on her face. “You four need to work together to get me, Dattebane!”

 

Then she started her attack!

 

The four Genin were no match for Kushina's skills. She moved with such speed and grace that they could barely keep up. Also, she threw at them Fuin Jutsu traps like no tomorrow!

 

Kakashi tried his best to coordinate their attacks since he had already fought Kushina in several meetings. Sadly, it seemed like they were just getting in each other's way. Kushina was enjoying herself immensely, laughing as she dodged their attacks effortlessly.

It was clear that she wasn't taking the fight seriously at all.

 

This was so frustrating.

Suddenly, Kohana had an idea. She signalled to the others to give her room. She activated her Eagle Vision, turning the world into the familiar black space, highlighting the persons in a blue Aura.

Since Kushina was their opponent, she was tinted in red.

And in gold were the weak points of the Fuin Jutsu's Traps!

 

Perfect.

 

A little smirk formed on Kohana's face. She totally ignored Kushina's sword slash and concentrated on hitting with her Hidden Blade the weak points.

 

The Fuin Jutsu Trap destroyed itself with satisfied pops.

 

“What, Dattebane?!” Kushina shouted, shocked.

Not only was she shocked. Anyone was.

How did Konoha do this?!

 

Grappling with the change, Kushina was distracted. Kohana made fast hand signs.

She thanked her brother Kizashi mentally for showing her this Jutsu.

“Earth Style! Headhunter Jutsu!”

Thanks to the Jutsu, Kushina was buried into the ground.

 

The other Genin rushed forward to help Kohana finish the job; however, Kushina just laughed and broke free from the ground with ease.

"Not bad," she said approvingly. "You kids have some potential."

Minato-Sensei clapped his hands together in admiration. "Well done! I'm impressed by your teamwork."

The Genin beamed at them.

 

“I’m impressed by you, Konoha-Chan. How do you find the weak spots of the Fuin Jutsu Trap and disable them like that...Are you interested in Fuin Jutsu?” Kushina chirps.

Before Kohana could say something, Obito shouted: “What the heck?! Kohana, since when do you have golden eyes?!”

 

Oh shit, she had forgotten to deactivate Eagle Vision.

 

Now all looked at her with interest.

 

“Kohana.” Minato-Sensei began calmly. “Do you need to tell me something important...like how a new Kekkai Genkai, especially a Dojutsu, awakened in you?”

 

Oh shit, what should she do now?!

Notes:

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Chapter 8: Time goes by

Notes:

Naruto timeline doesn't make any sense, trying to make it logical is the true endboss!
Also, the song we hear in this chapter is the first opening of the Apothecary Diaries: Be A Flower.

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It was early morning.

A fresh breeze was entering Kohana's room from her half-open window.

The nine-year-old girl lies half-awake, half-asleep, on the cover of her bed.

She heard from somewhere in the house a radio playing.

Probably Kizashi, who listens to his music.

The song was good, she had to admit.

Its melody was catchy and rocked.

 

I guess it's okay to hide in the shadows

You know, there are flowers like buds

I guess it's good to keep it secret to protect

Undisturbed by anyone, it's blooming brilliantly

 

Kohana hummed along to the tune, feeling a sense of comfort in the music.

She slowly sat up and stretched her arms, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face.

As she looked out the window, she noticed a group of birds flying in formation. She wondered what kind of birds these were.

The birds continued to fly in formation, their wings flapping in unison. She watched them until they disappeared from her sight.

 

Don't get caught in sweet or bitter

The judgment itself is trifling

Don't let it worry you and lower your head

 

Deciding it was time to get out of bed, Kohana walked over to her window. Her simple pink nightgown swayed in the light summer breeze.

She leaned out the window and took a deep breath of the fresh morning air.

The sun was now fully risen, casting a warm glow over everything it touched.

Kohana felt grateful for this moment of peace and tranquillity before the hustle and bustle of the day began.

 

Not used to being in love, no adorning to waste

No need for prettily garnished vases, fertilizers, nothing

You are beautiful the way you are

 

She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds around her: the lyrics of the song, the chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves in the wind, and in the distant talking of people.

The moment felt like it could last forever, but Kohana knew that it wouldn't. She reluctantly let go of the windowsill and turned to face her room.

 

Be a flower and show me a cool smile

The look on your face is thrilling and I can't get my eyes off of it

Let me taste it; your poison is my medicine

I will wrap you with love, so smile

 

The song continued on as she looked at the mess of her room.

Her new room.

It was still hard to grasp that the Harunos had been moved to this little clan compound.

And that's all because Kohana had awoken a Kekkai Genkai.

 

Weeks ago, as Minato-Sensei and the rest of her team had discovered her Eagle Vision, Kohana didn’t know what to do. Every ninja knows that if you awoke a new Kekkai Genkai, you had to tell the Hokage.

Something she had missed on purpose. She didn’t want the world to know that Eagle Vision had returned.

 

The first and last one in her family who had this gift was her ancestor, Haruno Sakuya. A mysterious Miko, who was actually an assassin named Carina Auditore from a different world.

 

She still grappled long with all this, and yes, she wanted to keep it as long a secret as she could, till she could make more sense of it.

 

In the end, after she had been caught in the act of using it, she admitted to Minato-Sensei that she had awakened the Kekkai Genkai of her family.

Minato-Sensei had been understanding, but he had insisted that they inform the Hokage. Kohana had been nervous about it, but when she met with the Hokage, she found that he was also understanding.

 

Actually, he was more prepared than she was.

 

Hokage-Sama had known Sakuya since she had been a close friend of his senseis, the first and the second Hokage.

He had seen Eagle Vision in action when he was a young boy.

 

Also , Sakuya had prepared something for her family if one of them would someday awaken Eagle Vision. The diary and Hidden Blade that Kohana had already found were only a part. Sakuya had arranged that her family would be given clan status and a clan compound when a descendant would awaken her Kekkai Genkai.

That her parents and her brother had been shocked was the understatement of the century.

 

From a normal ninja family to being raised in a clan was...mindblowing. Even Kohana herself was still reeling.

 

She had thought that it would cause problems if someone found out she had Eagle Vision, and in the end, her ancestor had them all set already .

So they had lived at the Haruno Clan Compound for a few weeks now.

 

It was probably the smallest one in all of Konohagakure. It had one main house, where Kohana, her parents and brother lived, and two other houses. The rest was still forest, but when the clan would get bigger one day, they would be cut down, and new houses would be built.

 

Their symbol was that of the Assassin Brotherhood.

Kohana would lie if she said it was not weird to wear a clan symbol on all her clothes.

The white circle her family had used before was a family crest, nothing special; however, a clan symbol was something else.

 

Kohana found it surreal to think about her family being a clan. She couldn't help but wonder what the future held for them. Would they grow into a large, powerful clan, or would they remain small and unknown? Regardless, she was grateful for the new opportunities that had come their way.

 

However, she understood that with this newfound status came great responsibility. They would need to work hard to maintain their reputation as a strong and honourable clan. Kohana vowed to play her part in upholding their legacy and making her ancestors proud.

 

(*)

 

Time is a fragile construct. A moment can feel like an eternity, and an eternity can pass in the blink of an eye.

 

Her first year as a Ninja, more specifically as a Genin, was filled with many amazing memories.

Not only awaken her family's Kekkai Genkai and slowly find out about her heredity, but Kohana also had a wonderful team and outstanding mentors.

 

Any day was a new adventure, filled with laughter, camaraderie and yes, also danger.

Being a shinobi in war times was not a walk in the park.

 

The green-haired girl was so grateful and honoured for how Kushina had offered her a mentorship.

Eagle Vision made Kohana understand Fuin Jutsu in an outstanding way that Kushina and Minato-Sensei had started teaching her.

It was the highest honour one could give another, sharing with them their clan jutsus and learning the legendary Fuin Jutsus of the Uzumaki was thrilling.

Also, the Haruno really liked Kushina.

She was like a fun older sister. When they were alone, Kohana called her Kushina-Nee.

 

Months passed, where Team 7 learned and grew, and before anyone could look, a whole year passed.

 

(*)

 

“Chuunin-Exams?!” Obito shouted, surprised.

 

Team 7 was done with their mission for the day, guarding the borders of Konohagakure, and had gone to their training field to enjoy lunch together with Kushina joining them.

 

“Chuunin-Exams,” Minato-Sensei repeated with a smile at his flabbergasted Genin, well, all but Kakashi. The Hatake seemed calm. “In the last months, all four of you have made incredible progress. In my eyes, you are more than ready to take on the next Chuunin Exams in Konoha.”

“You are gonna wipe the floor with the others, Dattebane!” Kushina encouraged with a fist bump.

Rin made a little bow.

“Thank you for having such faith in us, Minato-Sensei.”

“Yeah, thanks!” Obito and Kohana chorused, also bowing too.

“So I can assume you all want to join up,” Minato-Sensei asked.

Of course, the Genin wanted to.

 

Kohana felt excitement bubble up in her. If she managed to pass the Chuunin Exam the first time, she would be the first in her family to do it on the first try and be so young.

That would make a great start for the legacy of the Haruno Clan.

So this meant to train before the Exams in a mont h!

 

(*)

 

Kohana's Eagle Vision burned in her eyes, her Hidden Blade was sharp and ready, and her senses were awake and alert.

Whatever her brother Kizashi would throw at her, she would overcome it.

 

Kizashi grinned at Kohana. “Are you sure you want to fight me, Imoto-Chan? I’m 20, you are 10 years old. There is a gap between us.”

“And I will surpass it!” Kohana hissed.

 

With that, both siblings run up to each other, trading punches. Kohana dodged Kizashi's first punch and countered with a swift kick to his side. Kizashi stumbled back, but quickly regained his footing and lunged forward with a series of jabs. She blocked each one with ease; her training in the assassination technique of Sakuya had made her faster and more flexible. As Kizashi went in for another attack, Kohana saw an opening and used her Hidden Blade to disarm him.

Her brother looked surprised but impressed as he retrieved his weapon from the ground and resumed their sparring match.

 

The two siblings continued to trade blows, each pushing themselves to their limits to become stronger and better ninjas.

 

Kohana felt grateful for this opportunity to train with her brother, knowing that it would only make her more prepared for the upcoming Chuunin Exams.

 

As their training session came to an end, both siblings were exhausted but satisfied with their progress.

 

(*)

 

Careful, Kohana painted the Kanji for her Fuin Jutsu traps under Kushina's watchful eyes.

 

"Good, Kohana-Chan." Kushina chirped. "But try to not cramp up. This is the worst which can happen while making a Fuin Jutsu."

She nodded and relaxed her hand more. Just like Kushina had taught her, graceful and flowing, Fuin Justus was art.

 

When she was happy with her result, she showed it to her mentor, who nodded and patted her head. "Good, good, Kohana-Chan. Soon you will make Fuin Jutsu in your sleep."

The Haruno beamed at the praise.

 

(*)

 

“I’m so happy we found time for a sleepover.” Rin signed, relaxed, while Kohana was sitting behind her, combing her brown hair.

Both girls were in their sleepwear on Kohana’s bed, enjoying time only real best friends could have during a sleepover.

“Me too, Rin-Chan.” Kohana agreed. “It seems like we are only training, training, training and training these past weeks for the Chuunin Exams. It’s like we forgot being just girls, too, and not only ninjas.”

Rin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's nice to just relax and have fun sometimes. We should do this more often."

Kohana smiled and continued to comb Rin's hair. She enjoyed these quiet moments with her friends, where they could just be themselves without any pressure or expectations.

 

As they chatted about their favourite things and shared stories from their childhood, Kohana felt a sense of warmth and contentment wash over her. She knew that no matter what happened in the future, she would always have Rin by her side.

 

“Sooo, how is it going with Obito?” Rin asked a while later as they ate ice cream.

Rin had strawberry and Kohana chocolate, both with a massive amount of cream and sprinkles on them.

As an answer, Kohana just took a massive spoonful in her mouth.

 

The brunette winced. “That bad, mmh?”

“Rin, he is obsessed with you!” Kohana hollered, raising her arms up. “Like I try to flirt or do something sweet for him, and his mind goes to you and how he should do it to YOU! I think he thinks I’m trying to help him to get you, aargh!”

Rin laughed, "Oh, Kohana. You know Obito is just clueless when it comes to these things. He probably doesn't even realise that you're interested in him."

Kohana rolled her eyes, "I know, but it's frustrating. I don't want to come off as desperate or anything."

"Don't worry about it too much.” "The Nohara patted her friend's hand reassuringly. “Just be yourself, and if he's meant to notice you, he will."

 

Kohana smiled at Rin's words of wisdom.

She knew that her friend was right and that she shouldn't stress out too much about Obito. She decided to just enjoy their sleepover and not think about ninja stuff for a while.

After all, they were still just girls who wanted to have fun.

So in that case.

 

“You and Kakashi seem to get a bit more chummy, or did I hear wrong how you both talked about a book you both read?” Kohana wiggled her eyebrows at her blushing friend.

“I think it’s too far to say that Kakashi-Kun likes me this way.” Rin mumbles. “But I have a feeling we are forming a good friendship with each other, and this makes me really happy.”

Kohana smiled at Rin's response. She was happy for her friend and glad that she was forming a good friendship with Kakashi.

The two of them seemed to have a lot in common, especially when it came to their love of reading.

"I'm glad you have someone else besides me to talk about books with."

"Yeah, it's nice to have someone who shares my interests."

 

The two girls continued their conversation, talking about everything and anything that came to mind. They laughed and joked around, enjoying each other's company. As the night wore on, they eventually drifted off to sleep with smiles on their faces.

 

The green-haired girl felt grateful for this moment of peace and happiness, knowing that she would need these memories to hold onto during the tough times ahead.

 

But for now, she was content just being a girl having fun with her best friend.

Notes:

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Chapter 9: The Chuunin-Exams

Notes:

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Finally, the day Kohana and her teammates had waited for in anticipation arrived.

The Chuunin-Exams took place.

 

Kohana stood before the Haruno Clan compound, being fussed over by her mother. At the same time, her father gave her an encouraging smile.

“Do you have enough Kunai?” Mother asked. “How about Shuriken? Did you have your Fuin Jutsu Traps from Kushina-San?”

“Yes, Kaa-Chan!”

“Now, Tamiko, let her breathe.” Father chuckled, gripping the shoulders of his wife. “Let our little blossom breathe.”

“I’m just worried, Aoi. Ten years old and already taking the Chuunin Exams...”

 

The girl in question made a fist and gave her mother a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, Kaa-Chan, I got this. Obito, Rin, Kakashi and I trained like obsessed with Minato-Sensei and Kushina-Sensei to be ready for them. Nothing will happen!”

“Now, Ko-Chan, don’t promise something like that. A ninja can never know when something goes wrong.” Tou-San reminded.

“Then I will promise I will only break a bone and not die!”

“KOHANA!” Kaa-Chan yelled, while Tou-San laughed.

“Now that’s better.”

“AOI!”

 

After Kohana left herself getting nearly hugged to death by her mother and her father kissing her forehead in good luck, she made her way over to the Uchiha District.

She would be damned if her crush would be late today. That wouldn’t shine a good light on their team.

 

Soon she reached Obito's house.

Grandma Keika let her in with a smile, telling her that Obito was going crazy in his room since he didn’t know what he should bring with him to the Exams.

A tiny laugh left Kohana. Typical Obito.

 

She knocked on Obito's door, announcing her arrival.

"Come in!" he shouted from inside. Kohana opened the door to find Obito pacing back and forth.

"Hey, what's going on? It looks like a tornado wasted your room," she asked curiously.

"I don't know what to bring with me! I feel like I'm forgetting something important," Obito replied frantically.

 

The kunoichi walked over to the bed, where the ninja tools were laid out.

"You've got your Kunai, Shuriken, and Paper Bombs," she said as she checked each item off on her fingers. "You're good to go."

Obito let out a sigh of relief and smiled at Kohana gratefully.

"Thanks for checking, Kohana-Chan,"

“Don’t sweat it, Obito-Kun.

He put his ninja tools in his bags and followed her out the door.

 

As they made their way towards the exam location, Kohana couldn't help but feel confident in their team's preparation for the Chuunin Exams.

They meet up with Rin and Kakashi, who seem to be talking with each other.

“You are early.”Kakashi deadpanned at Obito. “Thank the Kami’s for Kohana-San, or you would be late again.”

“Shut up, Bakashi! Kohana-Chan was just nice!”

“No, I literally picked you up.”

Obito's groan drowned out Rin's playful: “Oh, you didn’t take him home?”

 

Rin was like them, only ten years old, but sometimes she had a perverted sense of humour. It’s always the cute, calm ones.

 

For that, Kohana sent her best friend a deadly glare with her Eagle-Vision activated, to intimidate her; however, the brunette just laughed.

“Are we all ready?”Kakashi asked his teammates. “It may be only the written exam part of the Chuunin-Exams, but it is important.”

The girls shouted an energetic agreement, while Obito gave a thumbs-up.

 

So Team 7 walked into the Ninja Academy, where the writing exam was held.

The exam room was filled with eager young ninjas of Konohagakure, all hoping to pass the first stage of the Chuunin Exams.

Kohana's team found a spot near the front and settled in, ready to tackle whatever challenges lay ahead.

As they waited for the exam to begin, Kohana couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement mixed with nervousness.

This was her chance to prove herself as a skilled ninja and make her family proud.

 

She remembered how Kizashi encouraged her last night. He couldn’t send her off today, since he was sent back to the war front with his own team, but he had some wise words for his younger sister.

“I know, you want to become a Chuunin on your first try, Imoto, because you want to start our family legacy with a boom, but Ko-Chan, don’t stress yourself. You already have Kekkai Genkai, who hadn’t been seen since the Warring States Era, you are a Fuin Jutsu Genius, and you are the youngest in our family who has ever taken the exams. This is enough to be proud of.”

 

Kohana took a big breath and adjusted her silver glasses. She would try to think about her brother's wise words if she got too reckless in reaching Chuunin. She didn’t want to be brought home...in a body bag.

The written exam proved to be challenging, but Kohana's team managed to answer most of the questions correctly.

After the written exam, the team was relieved to have completed it without any major issues.

 

They were confident in their abilities and felt that they had done well.

As they left the exam room, they were greeted by a group of other young ninjas who had also completed the first stage of the Chuunin Exams.

The atmosphere was tense as everyone waited for the results to be announced.

Kohana's team stood together, waiting anxiously for their names to be called.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the promoter announced that they had all passed the first stage of the exams.

 

The team let out a collective sigh of relief and exchanged high-fives.

Even Kakashi!

As they walked out of the Ninja Academy, Kohana couldn't help but feel proud of herself and her teammates.

They had worked hard, and it had paid off. She knew that there was still a long way to go before becoming a Chuunin, but she was ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.

With renewed determination, Kohana and her team set off towards their next challenge – the second stage of the Chuunin Exams.

They were ready to face whatever obstacles came their way and prove themselves as true shinobis.

 

(*)

 

The second half of the Chuunin Exams was held in the Forest of Death.

It was Team vs. Team.

Nearly Kohana and Obito were late because her crush wanted to help an old lady with her groceries. Since they were two, they managed to wrap it up faster. The nice old granny gave them both a bonbon as thanks.

Kohana decides to eat it later, while Obito had already sucked on it.

 

“Come on, Obito-Kun. We must hurry or we will be late!”

“Right behind you, Kohana-Chan!”

When they meet their other two teammates at the front gate of the Forest of Death, Kakashi just says. “One minute more and you would have been late.”

Before Obito could verbally shoot something at Kakashi, Kohana asked: “Do we know which team we have to fight?”

Even with wearing a mask, Kohana could tell that Kakashi was making a face, while Rin giggled: “It’s Gai’s team.”

 

Oh...!

 

Now, Kohana understood Kakashi's face. She and Obito had shit-eating grins on their face.

“Your eternal rival.”, they sang together.

“You both...”, Kakashi began with a twitchy eye. “Are a match made in hell!”

“Hell yeah, and Kohana-Chan are a great team.”

Behind Obito Kohana, pretending to get stabbed in the heart, Rin was beside her and hugged her best friend in comfort.

Kakashi just rolled his eyes. Why was everyone he knew so dramatic? Obito, of course, didn’t catch anything.

 

The promoter let them enter the forest, and now they stood face-to-face with the Gai team. He, Genma and the closet pervert Ebisu. Kohana knows this because she had a vision a while ago of Naruto, who used his Sexy-No-Jutsu on an older Ebiso and had knocked him out fully with it.

Yeah, her visions weren’t always doom and gloom.

Thankfully, or she would turn crazy.

 

“We will begin now with the second part of the Chuunin Exams,” the proctor said. “The Teamwork Exam. Pre-Qualification. Start!”

Everybody got ready.

Kohana activated her Eagle Vision, taking a Kunai out of her holder. Kakashi and Rin got into a fighting stage, while Gai ran up to Team 7.

 

Because she had activated her Kekkei-Genkai, Kohana saw at first how Obito ran up to Gai, Fire-Chakra curling in his coils and Gai ready to kick the living daylights out of him!

“Obito! Wait!” she shouted.

It was too late.

 

Gai kicked Obito in the face before he could unleash his Fire Jutsu. The Uchiha was knocked out cold.

 

“Dammit! Rin, take care of Obito. Kakashi, follow me!” Kohana shouted.

Kakashi and Kohana ran towards Gai, who was now standing in front of them with a smirk on his face. Genma and Ebiso were standing behind him, ready to attack.

Gai charged towards them with his fists ready to strike. Kakashi dodged his attack and countered with a swift kick to Gai's stomach.

Kohana followed up by throwing her kunai at Genma and Ebiso, who barely managed to dodge it.

 

Meanwhile, Obito was healed by Rin and woke up.

“What?!”

“Obito, let’s help our teammates!” Rin told him and started to make handsigns. “ Water Release: Gunshot! ”

The Water Jutsu swept over Gai’s Team, drenching them. Kakashi followed up with Lightning Bolt Jutsu , electrocuting them.

Ebiso was out cold, and Gai and Genma were barely standing.

 

Kohana gave them no chance to move as she threw one of her Fuin Jutsu Traps at them, practically glueing them to the forest floor.

“Obito, Great Fireball now!”Kohana barkee to her crush, while she made her handsigns. The Uchiha nodded and sent the Fireball after the two trapped ninjas. Kohana used Wind Release: Great Breakthrough to make the fireball bigger and hotter, and well, Gai and Genma were nicely roasted.

They fall on the ground out cold.

“Team 5 can’t fight anymore, Team 7 wins!” the proctor declared.

 

(*)

 

“Come here.” Kohana cooed softly, cleaning Obito's wound on his cheek. The boy hissed at the sting from the disinfectant. Rin had only used her medical jutsu to wake him up. Now that they had passed the second part of their Exam, they had time to treat their wounds.

 

Old Matchmaker and self-proclaimed captain of the ship ObiHana (that Rin gave them even a shipname was worrying and funny at the same time) had handed Kohana her little medical kit and said such a superficial wound can wrap up someone without medical jutsu.

She and Kakashi had gone together to get them something for lunch, so it was only Kohana and Obito on the stone bench.

 

Kohana knew that Obito was sad that Rin didn’t treat him and was away with Kakashi, but she would try her best to take care of his wounds and make him think something different.

“Our combined attack worked even better than when we trained it.”, she mused at Obito.

The boy made an agreeing sound.

“Well, Minato-Sensei did say your Wind Nature complements my Fire Nature.” Then he crossed his arms with a frown on his face. “Like Rin's Water Nature Kakashi's Lighting...”

 

The glass-wearing girl felt a stab in her heart.

She knew what Obito was thinking.

 

He was jealous of Rin's close bond with Kakashi and how their elemental natures complemented each other. It hurt her that he couldn’t see how she and he complemented each other.

Would she ever have a chance to win Obito's heart?

There was no competition, which Kohana was glad about, but didn’t understand at the same time because Obito was amazing, yet Obito always chased after Rin.

Always Rin.

Never her.

No matter how close, they had become.

 

“Hey.”, she heard Obito whisper and felt how he gently wiped a tear from her cheek.

Damn it.

She was crying.

“What’s wrong, Kohana-Chan? Did you get hurt in the fight? You shouldn’t hide wounds!”

Kohana shook her head, trying to compose herself. "No, it's not that. It's just... I don't know if we can ever be as good as Rin and Kakashi. They have such a strong bond, and their elemental natures complement each other perfectly."

Obito frowned at her words. "That's not true, Kohana-Chan. We have our strengths, and we work well together."

"But you always seem to admire Rin so much, Obito-Kun.” Kohana looked up at him with teary eyes. “It makes me feel like I'm not good enough."

 

In silence, Obito looked at his friend and felt... bad.

His heart was hurting.

He never wanted to make some of his important people feel like that.

A great friend that he was!

Gently, Obito cupped her face in his hands and wiped away another tear. "Don't say that, Kohana-Chan. You're amazing in your way, and I admire you too."

 

The girl felt her heart skip a beat at his words.

Did he mean it?

Could there be a chance for them after all?

Kohana's heart was pounding in her chest as she gazed into his black eyes, feeling a rush of emotions overwhelm her.

 

She wanted to kiss him so badly, to show him that someone loved him, that he was perfect the way he was.

 

Quick as lightning, she pecked his unwounded cheek.

Not only was she blushing like a tomato, but Obito had wide eyes and a soft blush on his cheeks, rubbing the kissed spot in wonder.

“Thank you...for your words.”, the Haruno mumbled. “They made me happy, Obito-Kun.”

Like a deer in headlights, Obito stared at her, still blushing cutly and nodded slowly.

 

He didn’t get why he felt all flattered and clammy all of a sudden. Where Kohana had kissed him, it burned warm and tingly.

It was...a nice feeling...

“Erm, of course, Kohana-Chan.”

 

Suddenly, they were interrupted by the return of Rin and Kakashi with lunch in hand.

"Hey lovebirds," Rin teased with a smirk on her face, which made them blush harder and Obito spluttering nonsense.

Kakashi rolled his eyes at the two of them before handing out lunches to everyone.

 

As they ate together, Kohana couldn't help but steal glances at Obito, wondering if what he said earlier was true.

Maybe there was hope for them after all.

 

(*)

 

The final stage of the Chuunin Exam was one-on-one battles.

The further you came into the ranking, the higher your chance of becoming a Chuunin.

 

Of their little team, Rin was the first to enter the arena. Their Medical-Nin won two fights, till she was beaten by Anko.

 

Then it was Kohana's turn. She managed to reach the final!

Rin and Obito hugged her in congratulations, and even Kakashi gave her a regonising nod.

 

Next up was Obito. He had to fight Gai and wanted to get revenge for the kick in the face, but sadly, Gai again kicked his ass.

 

Then it was Kakashi's turn. Kakashi rushed through his opponents even faster than Kohana had. As he faced Gai, of course, the Hatake won.

 

Rin cheered for her crush, while Obito looked at her sadly with a defeated look.

He would never be like Kakashi in Rin's eyes, would he?

That’s when he felt Kohana lay her hand on his shoulder and gave him an understanding smile.

Huh?

He wondered who hurt his friend like that. Were they stupid not to see what an amazing girl Kohana was?

The world was full of idiots.

 

Since Kakashi won against Gai, he was now in the final.

 

This meant Kohana had to fight her teammate.

One of her friends.

 

Rin and Obito gave her encouraging smiles as she stepped down into the arena where Kakashi waited.

 

Both teammates looked at each other.

 

This would be it. This would show if a natural-born genius or a hardworking genius was the best.

“Kakashi-San,” Kohana said. “Before we begin...I want to say it’s an honour to fight against you. Whoever wins this fight, shall not be angry at the other.”

The silver-haired boy nodded in agreement.

“Of all the competitors here...you are the one I wanted to fight most. You made incredible progress, even awakened a Kekkei Genkai since we became Team 7. I can’t wait to see how good you are, Kohana-San.”

They both smiled at each other.

 

Meanwhile, Obito whispered to Rin: “For whom are you cheering?”

“For both, silly.”

“Huh, what? Kohana-Chan will wipe the floor with Kakashi. I will cheer for her! She deserves to be a Chuunin, she trained a lot for it!”

 

The proctor stood between Kohana and Kakashi.

“This is now the final fight of the Chuunin Exams.”, he reminded. “Remember, even if you have lost or you will lose, now you could still make Chuunin. Strength alone isn’t what we search for in a Chuunin. Now, without further ado, the final fight of the Chuunin Exams: Haruno Kohana VS Hatake Kakashi...Begin!”

 

Kohana and Kakashi faced each other, both with serious expressions on their faces.

Kohana activated her Eagle Vision, taking in every detail of the world and her opponent. She knew that he was a formidable opponent, and she couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

 

Kakashi charged towards her, and Kohana dodged his attack and countered with a series of quick punches.

The boy blocked her attacks with ease, but Kohana didn't let up. She continued to attack him relentlessly, using her speed and agility to keep him off balance.

Kakashi was impressed by Kohana's skills. He had trained with her for a year now and had seen how much she had improved since they first met.

 

But he also knew that he couldn't hold back against her. This was the final stage of the Chuunin-Exams after all.

Kakashi used his Lightning Bolt technique, aiming for Kohana's body. She retaliated with a Wind Release: Great Breakthrough , sending a powerful gust of wind towards Kakashi and his lightning.

 

The Hatake dodged it easily and countered with a Fireball Jutsu .

The two ninjas continued to exchange attacks, neither one giving an inch. It was clear that they were evenly matched.

 

Then something unexpected happened.

 

As Kohana tried to land a punch on Kakashi's face, he suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What?" Kohana looked around confusedly as the crowd gasped in surprise.

 

Suddenly, she felt something hit her from behind, and she fell forward onto the ground.

Kakashi appeared behind her, ready to put a Kunai to her throat, as Kohana replaced herself with a log.

And not any log.

“A Fuin Jutsu-Trap!”, Kakashi hissed as the marking bound him on the ground.

He heard how the crowd again gasped, shocked and turned around.

 

High in the air were two Kohanas making rapid hand seals.

“What? Kushina-San thought her Kage-Bushin? When?” he wonders, surprised.

“ Wind Release: Great Breakthrough! ” shouted one Kohana, while the other shouted: “ Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire! ”

The wind and fire mixed, creating large fireballs that rushed and engulfed Kakashi.

 

“YEAH! AWESOME KOHANA-CHAN!” Obito yelled, proud of his friend.

Kakashi lost, surely!

Rin smiled happily.

Of course, she was a bit sad that Kakashi lost, but Kohana showed amazing skills. She deserved the win.

 

The two Kohana’a landed on the ground. One was bending over, catching her breath, while the other vanished in a puff of smoke.

Damn it, this took out a lot of her. She was thankful that Kushina-Sensei taught her Kagebushin, but it seemed her Chakra-Pools were still a bit too small for it.

If she had to continue fighting, she would lose.

 

As the proctor wanted to call her out as the winner, the ground under her suddenly shook.

“What, no!” she shrieked and looked where a defeated Kakashi should lie. She saw a burn to the crip log as she was pulled into the ground.

“ Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu! ”Kakashi gritted out, breathing heavily, but he seemed alright.

Kohana tried to get out of the ground, yet she didn’t have any force anymore. Defeated, she shook her head.

“Haruno Kohana can’t fight anymore, the winner of the Chuunin Exams is Hatake Kakashi!”

 

(*)

 

After a good two hours, the remaining Genin of Kohnoha were in the Academy looking at the list of those made Chuunin, besides Kakashi, who had been congratulated and promoted after his win against Kohana.

The three remaining members of Team 7 searched for their names on the list.

“I’m not in it.”, Rin sighed sadly.

“You will be next time, Rin-Chan.”, Obito tried to lift her spirits.

 

The brunette nodded and looked with Obito at their other teammate. Kohana had her blue eyes closed, sweating nervously.

“Kohana-Chan...”, Rin said, worried for her.

She wanted to encourage her best friend to look at the list, but surprisingly, Obito was faster.

 

Gently, he took Kohana's hand in his and squeezed. Rin wanted to fangirl so bad seeing this.

“Kohana-Chan, do you trust me?” he asked the green-haired girl.

“What’s that for a question?” she answered wobbly. “Of course I do.”

“Then...look at the list.”

Slowly, Kohana opened her eyes.

Obito put a hand on her cheek, Rin in the background could barely keep her fangirl scream at bay, and turned Kohana's head in a direction.

The Haruno read with a breath in her lungs: Qualified Chuunin’s...Haruno Kohana.

“I, I, I made it!” she shouted happily.

 

She threw herself in Obito's arms, and the Uchiha swung her grinning around.

“You made it!” Obito repeated. “I told you, you are amazing, Kohana-Chan!”

Kohana just laughed brightly like she was a sunshine personification.

While the two hugged each other, Rin had a happy smile on her face, her hands on her chest.

 

She was proud of Kohana that she made Chuunin, but she noted how both her friends were blushing and smiling softly at each other.

Maybe they didn’t realise it; however, Rin saw it.

The blossom of a new love.

It was beautiful.

Aww.

 

They meet up with Kakashi, and the two new Chuunin hold proudly their certification and Chuunin Vests in their hands.

“You two have made Chuunin on the first try! Kakashi-Kun and Kohana-Chan, you are amazing!” Rin gushed, happy for them. “Isn’t it true, Obito-Kun?”

The Uchiha had his arms crossed and stared away from them.

“Kohana-Chan deserved it.”, he said shortly.

“Obito-Kun, don’t be like that.” Rin scolded.

“It’s okay, Rin-Chan,” Kakashi reassured, which made her blush.

 

That...that was the first time that he called her Rin-Chan...! Kohana noted this too and mouthed to Rin: Oh my kami, Rin!

The Haruno wasn’t far from fangirling now.

Yeah, both best friends were the captains of the ships of their best friend, so Kohana shouldn’t find it creepy that Rin had a ship name for her and Obito.

She wasn’t better

 

“Kohana-San, you earned this promotion.” Kakashi turned to her, which made her smile at him. “You too, Kakashi-San.”

No one, besides Rin, saw how Obito made a face as Kohana smiled at Kakashi.

 

He...he didn’t know...but it pissed him off!

Kohana normally only smiled at him and Rin.

Not wanting to see this, Obito turned around and walked away.

His three teammates looked at him, surprised, till Kohana decided to go after him.

 

She found him lying on a stone bench, looking at the setting sun. The Haruno put her Chuunin Vest on and her certification in one of her bags before she leaned over him.

“What's on your mind?” she nearly whispered.

It didn’t stop Obito from freacking out and sitting up.

“Come on, Kohana-Chan, don’t scare me like that!”

“Sorry.”

She sat down beside him and both stared at the ground.

 

“The Chuunin Vest looks good on you...”, Obito told her after a while.

This made her snort and twirl one of her green hair strands. “I don’t think green on green is a good idea. I will look like puke.”

“Ah, don’t say that,” Obito whined and put a hand on her shoulder. “I like your green hair, it’s so minty in colour.”

A little giggle escaped Kohana.

“You told me that when we were little. When you promised me that one day, when you would be Hokage, you would say for a mission I have to dye my hair.”

“I will keep my promise, but I don’t get why you don’t like your hair; it’s so pretty,” Obito grumbled.

 

They sat there in silence for a while longer, watching the sun dip below the horizon. Kohana could feel the tension radiating off of Obito, and she knew that something was bothering him. She didn't want to push him, but she also didn't want to leave things unsaid.

 

"Obito-kun, is everything okay?" she asked softly, turning to face him.

He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know...it's just...seeing you smile at Kakashi like that..."

Her blue eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean? I was just happy for him."

"I know, I know," Obito said quickly, waving his hands in front of him. "It's just...I don't like it when he looks at you like that."

"Like what?" Kohana asked, genuinely confused now.

Obito hesitated for a moment before answering. "Like...like he likes you or something."

The laugh that Kohana left was big. "Obito-kun, you're being silly! Kakashi and I are just friends."

"But what if he wants more than that?" Obito pressed, looking up at her with worried eyes.

"He doesn't trust me." She paused for a moment before adding softly, "Besides, even if he did...I only have eyes for one person."

Obito turned to look at her fully now, his expression hopeful yet cautious all at once. "Who?"

Kohana smiled gently and took his hand in hers. "One day...I will tell you, I’m scared. I need time."

“Way to let me down, Kohana-Chan!”

“Come on, future Hokage, let’s go to the others to celebrate!”

Still holding onto Obito's hand, she dragged him along, towards their friends.

 

And towards a new chapter in their life.

Notes:

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Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of The Legend of the Eagle Sage