Child of the Moon

Little Brother

The next morning, Tsukiko sat on the roof in the middle of her meditations. It seemed that Kakashi was recovering nicely, over the time they'd spent here, and the genin were improving. Naruto hadn't come back in, but her clone would've done something if there was something wrong, so she wasn't too bothered.

She was, on the other hand, getting ticked off with the comments coming from the kitchen.

"He's gone completely crazy," Sakura's voice carried, and that was what brought Tsukiko down off the roof. "He's climbing trees in the dark. He could be dead for all we know, you know, from using too much chakra?"

"I certainly hope not!" Tsunami said. "A child spending the night alone in the forest..."

"Naruto's a goofy kid, but he's also a full-fledged ninja," Kakashi said calmly. "He can take care of himself."

"Sakura's right," Sasuke cut in. "Naruto's such a loser, he's probably lying out there dead somewhere."

"Alright, knock it off both of you," Tsukiko said, swatting them both over the head. "Naruto is not dead or dying. I've been keeping an eye on him all night. He passed out about an hour ago though, so someone needs to go get him."

"Why didn't you bring him back with you?" Sakura demanded.

"Shadow clones, honey," Tsukiko answered, settling down to eat. "It poofed when he landed on it."

"Bet that hurt," Kakashi commented.

"Like a hoe."

Sasuke got up and wordlessly started to make his way to the door.

"Sasuke?" Sakura called.

"I'm going for a walk," Sasuke grumbled.

"Sure you are," Tsukiko answered. "Tell Naruto to watch where he falls when you find him."

Sasuke glared over his shoulder at her but otherwise didn't acknowledge her.

"You seem to be in a better mood," Kakashi commented.

"Ah, shut up your face," she snapped. "I know what you're gonna say, so stop."

"Maybe I just wanted to comment on your brighter mood."

"No, you were going to apologise because Kaiza's fate sounds familiar," Tsukiko glared at Kakashi. "So stop."

"Sensei?" Sakura glanced between them.

"Sorry, I can be childish," Tsukiko said, putting her empty bowl aside. "I don't like being stared at."

"Or poked, so quit it."

Kakashi shrugged and leaned back against the wall.

Eventually, when all the eating and cleaning was done, Naruto and Sasuke still hadn't returned, so the rest of them decided to track the two down.

Of course, Sakura chose to complain the entire way, so Tsukiko had shadow clones throw sponges at her. Training, obviously.

Tsukiko eventually got bored with that though, and while Sakura was loudly complaining about the sponges and having to find Naruto, a kunai whistled through the air. Tsukiko caught it, inches from passing her head, and looked up at the tree it came from.

"Try and aim a little better Naruto," she huffed.

He grinned, and while Sakura commented on that, Tsukiko spun the kunai on her finger.

"What do you think? High enough for you guys?" Naruto called down. He jumped up, then slipped, scaring Kakashi and Sakura silly, before catching himself and hanging upside down from the branch, laughing madly.

"Geez, you little show-off," Tsukiko smiled, then glared at Kakashi. "This is your influence."

Kakashi gave an exhausted sigh. "Sorry..."

"Naruto you idiot!" Sakura screamed at him.

"I have a feeling this is going to end badly," Kakashi sighed again.

"Probably," Tsukiko sighed back.

At that moment, his feet really did slip. Tsukiko reacted quickly, her and Sasuke both catching a foot, while Sakura and Kakashi blinked in surprise. She looked over at the surprised Sasuke and burst out laughing.

"Looks like we had the same idea," she grinned.

Sasuke tried to hide his own grin, but she whispered to him. "Loosen up, they can't tell from here, and I won't tell."

He relented, and a genuine grin spread on his face before it disappeared.

"There you are, little brother," she thought to herself, smiling warmly at the Uchiha boy.