The Plant Kunoichi (Rock Lee x OC)

An Afternoon on the Town

Opening her eyes the sun was blinding, yet beautiful. The birds were singing, and Kaia felt like a new woman. Her wound was still aching, but it was feeling much better after the good nights sleep she had.

For the first time in years, she had slept soundly. She was usually haunted with nightmares about her past, and her fears of the future, but not last night. She couldn't explain it, but Kaia felt like she was where she needed to be right now. She began to think about the last time she felt safe like this. With her Mother.

Her Mother always had a way of comforting her, even before they escaped the life her Father tried building them. He was always so hard on her. Training her every day, teaching her, and punishing her if she failed.

Kaia got up and made her way to the window to look at the view of the village. While looking as far as she could, she happened to catch a glimpse of a familiar green jumpsuit running up the streets of the town.

From where Kaia was standing she could see he was carrying three large blocks on his back. They looked like concrete.

"Sheesh, this guy doesn't quit." She said aloud.

Kakashi had unknowingly come up behind her, seeing what she was talking about he said, "You have no idea."

Kaia jumped and turned around with a frightened look on her face.

Kakashi looked guilty but smiled and apologized for scaring her.

"Thank you.. For letting me stay here." She said, giving him a respectful bow.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, surprised at her formal gratitude.

"I could use the company," he said.

"I can go outside, right? Like to see the village?" Kaia asked.

Kakashi gave her a nod and she was out the door.

Curious to explore, she grabbed her wallet and left. Odd jobs from village to village add up when you can grow your own food and build your own shelter, so Kaia had a small fortune on her hands that would surprise most.

Money never meant much to her, despite her Father's weakness for it, so she always just tucked it away and forgot about it.

Today however, she was happy to have plenty. She had never been to one of the hidden villages, having avoided them to keep a low profile, and the leaf was legendary. She felt like a normal kid. Perhaps out for some shopping. "I can pretend, right?" She convinced herself.

The thought of the training grounds they surely had popped into her mind.

She wanted to stay sharp, but her chakra network felt too damaged to even try today. She wasn't ready. It felt disconnected from her somehow.

Flashing back to when the kunai pierced her side, and how the wound blackened as she removed the blade, she couldn't forget the searing pain. At first she thought it was a new kind of poison, one that would overcome the toxin resistance in her bloodline.

Now, thanks to Tsunade's knowledge she knew what it was a forbidden jutsu. Kaia assumed at the time it was to keep her subdued to take her somewhere, but now she had a feeling he didn't care whether she would've lived or died, so long as her body was delivered to Orochimaru.

His face burned in her mind. Silver hair pulled back, an arrogant smirk, and round glasses he continuously adjusted through their battle.

Kaia put up a good fight, but he was going to win. Kabuto must have sensed the leaf ninja when they were approaching, as he reluctantly fled before his jutsu had time to fully set in.