The Masked Girl (Naruto Story)

Ch. Three- Settling In Konoha

"Can I...visit my friend?"

"Fine. I'll go with you so I'll know where you are."

"Okay." Kumiko began to search for Gaara, ignoring all the hateful glares. Natsumi followed, glaring back at the villagers.

Kumiko ran to the back of the Kazekage's sand mansion.

There was Gaara, sitting sullenly on the ground.

"Everyone always dies..... always..."

"Gaara-kun! Kumiko panted, out of breath.

He turned with a surprised look.

"K-Kumi-chan?"

Kumiko nodded, as Natsumi left.

"I thought you died. Or left me."

"W-well, Natsumi said that I wasn't safe anymore in the Sand village, so she brought me with her." Kumiko explained. "I can't stay...."

Gaara turned away. "Whatever." he muttered angrily.

"Gaara-kun?"

"......"

Kumiko frowned. "I'm going to the Leaf village..... we can still visit each other..."

Gaara frowned. "Promise?"

"Uh-huh!" She smiled sweetly. "Pinky promise!" Kumiko stuck out her pinky.

Gaara hesitated. "Okay."

They hooked their pinkies together, and Kumiko hugged Gaara just as Natsumi appeared.

"You can go to your house now, Kumi-chan."

Kumiko smiled at Gaara. "Bye Gaara-kun! Visit me, m'kay?"

"Yeah." Gaara smiled.

***********

Kumiko already packed everything. She went to her house, and said goodbye to her family's headstones. She put fresh flowers around the graves. As she was leaving, she felt something like a hand touch her. When she whirled around, there was nothing but a falling leaf. "Strange..." she murmured as she picked up the leaf and put it into her pouch. "Why would there be a tree leaf in Suna?" she questioned the air. She shrugged. Then, she started to run back.

"Ready?" shouted Natsumi.

"Ready!" replied Kumiko to Natsumi who had been so kind to her for the past two weeks since her family died. They set off to Kohona.

***End of Kumiko's (long) flashback***

Kumiko's P.O.V.

What the- the village is so large! I have never expected so large a village, even with Mom and Natsumi telling me about its size! I looked in surprise at my surroundings.

"Heh., said Natsumi "You still surprised, even after I told you about the size and such?"

I nodded at her.

"Well, here the third Hokage. Let's talk to him about where you're going to live and such, shall we?"

I was getting anxious, but I managed to squeak out a "yes" to her. I saw a old man walking towards us. "How did he know about us so fast?" I wondered.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, I sent a letter to him telling him about you, so don't worry." laughed Natsumi.

The old man -excuse me -third Hokage said "Hello young lady." to me and smiled. Then he and Natsumi started to talk, and I let my mind drift a bit. Then I heard:

"Kumiko-chan? Kumiko-chan?" asked Natsumi. "The third Hokage has been trying to talk to you!"

I snapped out of my thoughts and quickly apologized " Sorry, Hokage, I was lost in my thoughts." I said, embarrassed.

"Don't worry, it's okay." he chuckled.

"Thank you, Hokage." I told him. I was relieved that he wasn't too mad!

"Hmm, let's see. Please follow me to your apartment." he told me. I waved good bye enthusiastically at Natsumi, "Goodbye! See you later!" I yelled.

She was grinning at me and said, "Yeah, later!".

The Hokage was telling me as we were walking, "You should know this. There are two other ninja orphans living here too."

I was in shock. To hear being called a orphan... I quickly pulled myself together. Come on Kumiko! He's not going to like a ninja in his village with such a terrible impression!

"Okay. Maybe I'll see them later." I replied to him. "No worries." I looked up to see him looking with concern at me, as if he was looking for any feeling of sadness in me, which I had masked. He was actually worried! Well, maybe because my mother used to live here.

"Well, here we are." He finally said. I looked up, and saw a three floor building. The outside was made out of bricks, and had a small balcony on the second floor and a small backyard. There were also withered plants in the garden in front of the place. This is going to be my home? Well, it's different then my house in Suna, but I'll get used to it.

"The first two floors are already taken, so you have the third floor." He spoke as we walked up the stairs.

"Okay." I told him.

When we got up to the third floor, he opened the door. "Someone cleaned up this place yesterday. What do you think of it? He asked me.

I looked around. Everything was beige, except for a spot of color, coming from some roses in water on the kitchen table. There was a fridge, a small kitchen, a few chairs, tables, etc. To tell the truth, even though everything was plain, I liked it because of its small size, and that's what I told him. "It's lovely. It feels...homely."

He nodded as he smiled. "Well, I'll leave you to get unpacked and relax. You can walk around the village, if you like. Just don't go outside of the village, it may be dangerous." Then he left, and I started to unpack.

Then I strolled around the village, and saw Natsumi. "Hey Natsumi-san! Uh, chan!" I yelled to her.

She came over and hugged me. "So, how was it?"

"It was a nice apartment. The Hokage here is very friendly." I told her.

"I have to tell you something. I wanted to see how you were settling in first, but.... I am going to train to become a jounin, so I would have to leave here tomorrow and will come back in two years. Okay?"

"Okay." I said sadly. Why couldn't she stay longer? But she wanted to become a jounin, and I wasn't going to stop her. I yawned while thinking this.

"Hmm..., you seem tired. Why don't you go back to sleep, and meet me at the village gates at 8 am tomorrow?"

"Okay." I said. Then, I went home, waving goodbye, and fell asleep. I was so tired......

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-Kuro Neko (Bloody_Moon)