Beyond The Stars (Naruto Fanfiction)

Chapter 2 ~Leaf Village

"Stop here, now is the time we use to rest." I commanded to the white wolf. "Understood princess."

I dismounted Karliah and looked towards a river we had stopped at. "Do you think he'll find me?"

Karliah seemed to sigh and wrapped her soft fur around my back. "Do you want him to find you?"

"No, never in a million years would I want that!" I somewhat shouted, she seemed to chuckle as she spoke. "Then you won't be going anywhere with him."

I let my emotionless face falter slightly, she's right I won't be going anywhere with that man. I cuddled up to the warmth of the fur, I heard a branch snap, somebody's coming.

"Show yourself!" I shouted into the now dark woods. My demeanor remained strong, however my guts told me to run, could this be Orchimaru?

"No need to start a fuss, I just thought I sensed something." A girl with black hair, and red eyes said. "Who are you?"

"My name is Kurenai Yuhi, may I ask who you are?" I examined the so called shinobi, or so I think. Genjutsu is her specialty, new jonin. I analyzed her as much as possible, learning new information. "Kritanta Astara."

For a split second her eyes widened, quickly she regained her composure. "Okay Kritanta how old are you."

Something about her voice pissed me off, it was if she was speaking to a newborn baby. "I am eleven, no need to speak to me in that tone."

"What are you doing out here by yourself? Surely your parents must be worried sick." I almost scoffed at her statement. In this world not everybody has parents. "I don't know, where they are."

"Would you like to come to the village with me?" I now noticed her headband that was tied loosely around her neck. Village hidden in the leaves, must mean I am in the land of fire.

"Go with her, we are nowhere near the compounds anyway. We need more supplies than we have." Karliah spoke softly, however to Yuki it sounded as barks.

"I accept, on what conditions?" I looked her in the eyes, this seems all too good to be true. "Conditions?"

"Yes, what are the conditions I must follow?" My glare hardened in her direction. "None, unless the Hokage declares some."

"Then take me there." I stood up, my brown cascades of hair blowing in the wind. "Follow me."

I nodded and followed the jonin, I think, through the seemingly never ending woods. We walked for what seemed like half an hour, arriving to the village around midnight. Orchimaru must have noticed my absence by now, it is past the time I was to return by.

"We are going straight for the hokage tower he will debat what to do from there." She spoke, her voice laced with kindness, the opposite of mine.

She knocked on the two doors, we heard a faint come in from the other side. She pushed the doors open and bowed slightly. "Hokage-Sama."

He flashed a smile before his brown eyes looked into my gold ones. "Who is this you brought with you Kurenai?"

"This is Kr-" I stopped her mid sentence and started to speak. "Name is Kritanta Astara, Hiruzen Sarutobi."

"Educated I see, how old are you?" I looked into his eyes, why is he so nice to me. For all they know I could be a rouge serial killer. "Eleven years old, I was out because I don't have a home. My parents to my knowledge are gone or missing. I have answered all of these questions earlier from her."

I looked back at Kurenai who gave a sheepish smile. "I see, very well then, what brings you to the hidden leaf village?"

"Were you not listening? I was dragged in like a corpse by her." I spoke the truth, I had no real intenion for being here, other than it got me away from the damn snake. "I understand, you may have an apartment here in the village if you wish."

"What conditions, I can tell you want something from me." I shot a small glare towards him unsure of what his motives are. "Smart girl, I just want your word, you will never betray the leaf. You must treat everybody here as your family, I can tell you are distant from the world."

"You have my word, I will protect the village. However, I can't guarntee that I will treat them like family." Should I tell him about Orchimaru? No he will just send me away. "That is a start. Your apartment is on the outskirts of town, Kurenai, do you mind taking her?"

"Not at all Lord Hokage, it will be my pleasure." She smiled at the old man sitting in the chair. "Oh and Kritanta, get some sleep you have an exam to pass tomorrow."

Leaf Shinobi Kritanta, I like it, it means more than a test subject. I followed Kurenai all the way to the apartment. "Here you are."

She dropped a key into my hand and pointed towards the door. "He's a smart old man, keeping a potential risk like me on the outskirts, with six, is there? ANBU's surrounding the perimiter."

"Observant, you would make a fine shinobi. I wish to have you on my team." She giggled and held out her hand. "How do you know I will pass?"

"Simple, have faith in yourself, we could sense power outside the village, that's how we found you." Shit, had I forgotten to conceal my chakra, I gripped the girls hand, could that mean he could also sense me? "That isn't how I work."

"Anyway, have a good night, Astara-san." I let go of her grasp and walked into the dimly lit apartment, I whistled once and Karliah was by my side. "Staying here for awhile it seems."

"Indeed it does." I observed the apartment, three rooms. A bathroom, bedroom, and a living area.