CTG 6

CTG 6

Part Six… Aftermath of the Lesson

Several minutes later, she woke to the tying of rope several yards away. Turning on her side, she peered through the leaves to see Naruto being tied to a tree stump. The alarm was just turned off moments ago. She rolled lazily onto her stomach to watch the commencing events. Kakashi got up and brushed off his knees.
“Well, now, I suppose that that’s taken care of. Michiyo, come down from there.”
She hesitated, but decided to go on down. She crawled over to the trunk of the tree and slid down the bark like a slide. There was no hard landing, however. Just the ‘whoosh’ of air as she seemed to float and then appear at Kakashi’s side.
“Yeah, sensei?”
Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke all looked at Michiyo in a weird way. She couldn’t quite place it.
“Let’s see it.”
Naruto looked back and forth between Michiyo and Kakashi as Sakura looked at Michiyo suspiciously. Now, SASUKE, he whipped his head to Michiyo with sudden attentiveness. His eyes would’ve burned her if such things were possible; it was such that she instinctively put up her guard. With deliberate slowness, she pulled out a bell from her pocket. It jingled.
A collective gasp followed from her teammates.
‘When did that happen?!’ Sasuke fumed.
‘How did she…?’Naruto wondered.
‘I wonder if she IS working with Kakashi…’
‘…she’s good. This isn’t normal.’
“Now, Michiyo, if you would…?” Kakashi gestured toward his bells.
Michiyo’s teammates now noticed there were FOUR and not three bells. Naruto and Sakura gasped again.
‘What is this, a showcase? Cut it with the oohs and aahs already!!’
Michiyo’s thoughts were as rumbling as bubbling lava. Mimicking a hand gesture along with a single thought she released the illusion. She’d seen the shinobi do this when concentrating their chakra. It was kind of late to act normal when she had a bell stolen from an elite ninja in her hand, but… hey, no sense in upping the ante, right? The second bell disappeared from Kakashi’s belt in a puff of smoke. With a flutter, a leaf drifted by Kakashi’s leg.
‘…oh…geez. This whole thing has been and is BEING watched in utter silence.’

“With that assured…” Kakashi turned to the gaping faces of his students. “All of you…” He paused for effect. “…WILL NEVER BECOME SHINOBI!”
Michiyo winced as she looked at her teammates’ crestfallen faces.
“WHAAAAAAT?!?” Naruto looked at Kakashi in a confused outrage.
‘I knew it… anyway; I’ve definitely failed this… thank goodness…’
“All of you are clearly incompetent to become shinobi!”
Sasuke grimaced, and dashed toward Kakashi with kunai in hand. He was quickly trapped under Kakashi. Sasuke growled lightly.
“What do you think you’re doing to Sasuke?! Get off of him!!” Sakura shrieked.
Kakashi leveled his sight to the genin.
“Are you trying to make fun of the shinobi with your behavior? Are you? Did you even stop to wonder for a moment… why you were all divided into teams?” His glare was deadly.
“What on earth did the three of you think this whole exercise was about? It’s the same reason you were all divided into teams!”
The others were thinking of any possible reasons for so long it made Michiyo sigh inwardly.
“It had a point?!...” Naruto complained.
She felt like it, but… oh, crap. Was Kakashi looking at her funny? Oh, great. He was. But he turned his attention to the three before they could notice.
“It’s so simple… TEAMWORK!” he answered.
Shock and understanding registered so clearly on her teammates’ faces that Michiyo tilted her head to the sky and took a deep breath.
“If all of you had come at me at once, you would have had a chance of getting the bells. Instead, Naruto tried to do what all three of you should have done. Sakura!”
Sakura looked up startled.
“You continued to obsess over Sasuke, and you didn’t have a clue where Sasuke was even though Naruto was right in front of you!”
Sakura looked away.
‘She did WHAT!!??’
Michiyo looked over at the girl with disbelief painted all over her face.
“Sasuke, you had already decided that the others were beneath you, and you spurned Michiyo to be weak and make you do all the work… though she was the only one who actually GOT a bell!” Kakashi pushed Sasuke’s head into the dirt.
‘Isn’t he cynical?’ Michiyo resisted the urge to yank that black spiky head out from under Kakashi and show him HER idea of a WEAK ATTACK. It was hard-fought battle.
“OH, and Michiyo?” Kakashi nodded to her.
“Yes sensei?”
“Good job.” He smiled.
‘…wait, what?’
“HUH?”
“HUH?!?” Naruto exclaimed.
“What did he…?” Sakura was disbelieving as well.
“!!!” Sasuke stayed quietly disbelieving.
“I’m quite impressed that you got the bell so fast. I didn’t even realize it until Sasuke tried to get one.”
“…um.”
“I’m also impressed that you knew what this whole exercise was about. You ate breakfast, didn’t you?”
“Uh, yeah…”
‘She did?!!’
‘Oh, wow…’ Naruto drooped in his sarcasm.
‘I can’t believe this…’ Sasuke ‘tch’ed in the grass.
“So I can see why you spent your time getting a little rest. You wanted this trio of brats to understand it themselves, not feed it to them. Too bad it seems like they’re not any closer to being a team, huh? …Anyway. You three are getting one last chance. You can eat, but Naruto doesn’t get any. It’s his punishment for trying to sneak the food… My WORD IS LAW. Understand? I’ll go much harder on you.”
“No problem! We’ve got Michiyo on our side!” Naruto shot back.
“And this time, I’ll be taking Michiyo with me. She’s my hostage.” Kakashi added.
‘Naruto, you really need to shut your big mouth.’
Naruto’s mouth fell open.
“What!!”
“You all need to learn something. You let the enemy have a hostage; you may as well kill your teammates. For instance…” Kakashi rummaged in his pack.
“Sakura! Kill Naruto now! Or Sasuke dies.” A kunai glinted next to Sasuke’s neck in the noon sun.
“!!!” Sakura’s face became horrified.
“Is- is this a JOKE!!??” Naruto panicked.
“You must never let such things happen,” Kakashi continued as he put the knife away.
The others breathed out; it looked like Sasuke was holding his too.
“It won’t be a joke, Naruto, if it does indeed happen.”
Kakashi got off Sasuke and walked to a small stone memorial.
“Look at this memorial. There are names on this stone. They’re heroes of the village.”
“That’s it!! I’ve made up my mind! I want to be a hero too! I’m going to have my name on there! I’m not going to throw my life away!!” Naruto burst out excitedly.
‘What did… what did that buffoon just say...?’
“*ahem*… but the ones listed here aren’t just any heroes…” Kakashi said awkwardly.
Michiyo’s fists tightened. She tried to suppress her feelings, but it was hard. She was always taught to think of her studies if she needed guidance in something. But she couldn’t remember how to put a mask on right for some reason. Why was that…? Always, she was a good student, and had paid such attention in class. So, why… why?
‘Perhaps it’s because I wouldn’t pay attention sometimes when me and Fujiko…’
A whirlwind of memories blew past Michiyo, sweeping her up into her past.

{She was laughing with Fujiko, as they discussed the day’s events, and quizzed each other on their knowledge of herbs and poison. Their fighting skills complemented each other; their classmates held them to be an unbreakable duo.
She and Fujiko were poking fun of a boy in love with one of the either of them. Occasionally it was both. Their bond was eternal, their skill was unrivaled, and they were unstoppable. Then… that night, that horrible night… There were flames, everywhere, hungrily licking at everything. Nearly everyone, gone… Fujiko had stood to a foe that was too strong… if only Michiyo had been there; she could have saved her, and worked together with her. But… things don’t always go according to plan, do they?

Not one. Nothing was left. There wasn’t even a proper memorial to remember them by except for…}

“This is a memorial. The names of my best friends are listed on it.” Kakashi walked next to the memorial. Michiyo didn’t bother to look at her team. She was much more concerned in hiding her face.

{“She’s my best friend!” Fujika laughed, yanking her next to her shoulder. “Always been that way! Always will!”
She rolled her eyes as she was being buried in her friend’s hair. ‘She’s so carefree sometimes.’}

‘Kakashi, just get on with it already…!’
“…Alright, Michiyo, let’s go.” Kakashi jumped into thin air. “By the way, there’s no need to hide your abilities with me. Come on now.” His voice echoed through the trees. Michiyo took one more look at her teammates’ slightly amazed faces before taking off after Kakashi.
“Sorry guys. Naruto, I’ll buy you ramen afterwards… is that okay?”
Naruto eyes widened in surprise. His face yielded a big grin.
“Yeah!! Thanks Michiyo! A bunch!”
Michiyo smiled a little as she turned in one direction, lifted a leg… and was gone, just like Kakashi.
“Whoa!!”

Part Six cont. … Kakashi’s Offer

Using her eyes, she scanned the trees as she flew past them. Where was he… wait.
‘That flash of white!’
She headed toward that color when she felt breath on her neck. With lightning-fast realization, she saw it was a small bundle of Kakashi’s own hair.
She could feel the whistle of wind on the blade’s edge before it was even at her shoulder. Faster than even a jounin could perceive, she grabbed two gloved wrists and ducked as she flung her load over her. Slamming down the pursuer on the ground, she climbed on top of him, used chakra to quickly bind his joints with vines and took his kunai to put it to his neck.
“Hi.”
“Hey.”
“What’cha doin’?”
“Being trapped under you. Please let me go.”
“Nope. Master, you’re going to have to answer my questions first so I know you won’t run off.”
“With a kunai at my neck?”
“Standard procedure.”
Kakashi lifted his head, and looked at the girl who had rendered him immobile in the span of a second. Man, that yank had nearly pulled his arms off…
‘I seriously think that Third Hokage had planned on something like this happening. I wondered why he wanted me so badly…’ Kakashi could feel the chakra flow from Michiyo to the vines which held him.
‘This is inhuman. I may be out of my league…’
“Standard procedure? Of what?” He figured he’d better find out what he could before he started answering. There was no doubt in his mind that she would ask key questions. A sweat drop appeared.
“History.” She answered.
“What on earth does that mean?”
“…What I said. It’s how others treat others. At least, those who are threats.” She replied vaguely. He thought he saw her eyes glaze over for a moment.
“Threat…?” He asked idly.
Michiyo glared at him.
“Don’t you DARE play dumb.” Her grip on the kunai was not relaxed. “I don’t like it when people attack me for little reason, such as testing my skills.” Her glare was nearly menacing.
“But what skills they are!” Kakashi threw lightheartedly.
“Thank you… By the way, you’re fast. There aren’t many people who can sneak that close to me. But, we’re wasting time. I have questions for you.”
‘Here it comes…’
“First, what was that ‘beginning to like you three’ crack about?!” demanded Michiyo.
Kakashi’s eyes widened in uncertainty. He actually blinked. Tis’ certainly not what he was expecting…
Michiyo continued glower the demand at him.
‘What does she want??’
“I suppose the answer to that would be that I was beginning to like your teammates. You’re quite easy to like, when put next to these genin… a mystery is always interesting. Also, it’s more exciting when you have someone to compete with. I don’t really have any of those.” He finished.
“Really…?”
“Yes.”
“Okay then.” She obviously wasn’t going to get a better answer. “Here’s another: why applaud me when I already failed the exercise? It makes no sense!”
He really had no idea why she asking these questions. Maybe… wait.
‘She IS a cool, calm-headed person. So maybe she’s doing all this for a reason…? Wait… that, that’s it! She’s hiding something! So that means… she’s nipping a problem in the bud. …This could be a problem…’
“Why? Because it’s most likely that you DON’T need this exercise. And that’s because you are much different than people could ever know, am I right?” Kakashi let the question hang in the air. He knew he was going out on a limb, but it was probably the only way to get information out of her and convince the Hokage…
“Yes… you’re right. I guess you’re not elite for nothing, huh? What are you playing at?”
Kakashi knew he had to talk carefully. He knew she wouldn’t kill him, as that would bring her nothing BUT problems. But she could clam up. Therein lay the problem.
“You’re beyond your years, Michiyo. It would be a waste to keep you a genin.”
The blade next to Kakashi’s neck wavered.
“What?” Her answering question was soft.
“I’m of mind to make you a jounin. But I can’t do that unless you tell me and the Hokage about yourself. You need to prove your loyalty to the village as well.”
“PROVE MY LOYALTY?” An edge accented her voice.
“Well, you can start by trusting the village. And letting me go.”
Michiyo sighed and got off him, releasing the vines’ hold. Kakashi got up and returned his proper blood flow.
“Thank you.”
Michiyo glumly sat down in front of a tree to support her.
“Talk. I won’t have patience forever.”
“Michiyo, I realize that you are about to become my equal in rank, and are better when it comes to sparring. But that’s impolite, and I’m no kiss-up. After all, I’m still your Master, and you’re still a genin,” He reminded her.
‘Happy, isn’t he…?’
“Now let’s begin with where you were born.”
Michiyo frosted him with an icy glare.
“If you really are a jounin, then you should know all the questions and answers from that first night. Right?!”
“Yes. I do know.”
“Then you should know that I DON’T KNOW. I don’t remember that part of my life, thank you very much.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know why!” Michiyo snapped.
“Aren’t we touchy? Is your past a touchy subject?”
“Yes, damn it!”
“Language.”
“Shut up! What would you know, dumb kid?!”
‘This conversation has just taken an interesting turn.’ Kakashi thought surprised.
“What SHOULD I know, little girl!?”
“At least YOU’LL die someday!!”
‘WHA-!!!?’
Michiyo backhanded Kakashi so hard he was knocked off his feet and was thrown four feet away. Blood from his mouth speckled that area and flew towards Michiyo’s enraged face. Kakashi didn’t even have time to finish his thought, much less react. He skidded on the ground.
‘Oh… I can’t believe I just…’
Kakashi lay still.
‘Dammit!’ Michiyo readied her chakra in her hand, and converted it quickly to heal wounds. It was how the textbook had shown they had given her…
She crawled toward Kakashi.

“That’s quite a backhand.”
Michiyo froze. Kakashi stood behind her.
“I wouldn’t have thought it possible to actually immobilize me and then easily knock myself out… by a twelve-year-old girl.”
The Kakashi in front of Michiyo disappeared in a puff of smoke.
“Your teammates passed, by the way.”

Slowly, she turned around.

“‘When a shadow clone disappears, all of its knowledge and experience will transfer to the owner,’” Michiyo recited.
“That’s right. You’re very knowledgeable.”
“Anything else you need to know?”
“Just when you were born.”
“…Kakashi?”
“Yes?”
“I’ll need the library before I can answer that.”
“Does it have anything to do with your memory lapse?”
“Yes; it has everything to do with that.”
“Alright. But answer this before we all pummel you with questions.”
She winced.
“How far does your memory go until that lapse?”
“I was about 17 until that gap.”
‘…Really?’
“…Lets go. We had better make you a jounin.”
“Wait, Kakashi!”
“Yeah?”
“What will happen after that? Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke…”
Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow.

“I’m planning on making you co-captain…”

Michiyo’s mouth fell open.

“Say what?”