The Unknown Goddess: A Naruto Fan-fic

Chapter 10

Hiruzen found himself staring down at a mess of paperwork again. He had finished his last batch and received new complaints and problems. His dilemma was that everything was disorderly. His days of blissful paperwork had returned to the frustrating state it once was. He sighed, wishing Athena would arrange her system for him again.

A knock at his door broke his focus. He gave his verbal permission of entrance and waited. He was relieved someone came to distract him from his work. He would have to ask Athena to help with his papers the next he saw her. When was the last time they saw each other? Three days ago? He has been getting regular briefings on Athena's training progress from Kakashi. He has informed him of all her gained abilities and the talents she showed. Each time he was even more impressed than the last. Athena was a prodigy. It wasn't very difficult to see. She had almost perfect control of her chakra despite how unbelievably massive it was. She performed any learned jutsu with practiced ease. For some reason she can copy any move a person makes by just watching. There was a list of impressive brilliance she boasted.

"Lord Hokage"

Tenzo stood in front of him looking worried.

"What is it? "

"I lost Athena"

The old man sighed. Of course. What is it with that child? She always disappears for a long period of time and and just randomly appears. Hiruzen remembered why she left on her own the first two times. Worry washed over him as he envisioned the possibility. Could she be experiencing any negative emotions again? He was hoping that wasn't the case.

"Was something bothering her? "He aseked the ANBU in front of him. She tends to visit the KIA stone or the forest when she dived into her depression.

"I'm not sure" Tenzo frowned as he thought back to his time with the child. "I can never tell what she's thinking. Her eyes are always void of any emotion, or at least most of the time. When I can see emotion in her eyes it's difficult to tell what she's feeling" Tenzo looked uncomfortable at the memory

Hiruzen took a puff of his smoke. He understood Tenzo's discomfort. He's an ANBU and a master of reading and evaluating individuals demeanors. To have his match met in a child is unnerving to say the least. For a child to be such an expert in concealing their emotion. Athena was clearly suffering from emotional trauma. The thought angered the old man. For how many years did she suffer? What had she went through? What is she feeling? When will she tell him of her past? Will she ever reveal it?

"How long ago did you lose sight of her? "

"Not five minutes earlier"

Hiruzen sighed. Should he send ANBU in search of her? Should he send just Kakashi? Should he even send anyone in search of the young girl? When she uped and left like this the last times she understandably wanted some solitude. Should he rob her of her time to think?

In the end he sighed.

"She'll come back when she's ready. For now we just wait"

"Are you sure, lord Hokage? "

In all honesty he wasn't. Athena is a fragile child and needed to be handled delicately. He wasn't sure what sending anyone after her would situate.

"For now" he looked at his pipe just as he was about to take another puff. "Tell me, how's her training going? "

"Splendidly. She succeeds in everything  I demonstrate, advise or suggest. She does everything seemingly naturally and after only three or four tries she demonstrates such skill that its hard to believe she only practiced less than five times" Tenzo was amazed by the feats the child could achieve so easily. "She's a prodigy. Her performance surpasses what Itachi achieved at that age"