|| P.O.V. Ren ||
I stood with my back up against my front door, my heart trying to leap out of my chest.
She.... Said yes.
A smile broke out across my face. She really said yes?
Akamaru suddenly apeared out of no where. He crocked his head to the side and let out a small bark.
I sighed and opened my mind to him.
"I'm sorry Akamaru, what was that?" I asked.
"where's Cuan" he asked.
I shrugged and started towards my room not wanting him to see me blush, "he went out with one of my teammates."
I shut the my bedroom door before Akumaru could answer. I closed off my mind before collapsing onto my bed.
Akumaru let out an annoyed growl before I heard him walking away, his nails clicking against the wooden floor.
I smirked. Everyone in my clan thought it was weird that I could break the mental connection with our pack mates at will, but I always considered it a blessing. Some people even went as far as to say I could do it because I wasn't loyal.
A growl slid threw my teeth. I was more loyal to my family and pack then any of them.
The Inuzuka Clan was growing rapidly lately and our techniques were growing more powerful. From what my father told me our clan had more then doubled after the months following the destruction of the village by Pain. Before the attack the number of people wearing the name 'Inuzuka' was roughly around thirty to fourty, but then our numbers jumped to about a hundred in a three year time span.
Hokage-Sama had agreed to let us build our own compound so we could all live near one another. Shortly after that I was born.
Dad prided himself in the fact I was a natural born pure-blood. Most of the babbies born into our clan are mutts. But there still Inuzuka none the less. The clans elders ushally proform a weird cleaning ritual on the newborns. After the cleansing there deamed "pure-blooded"
A couple of the people marrying into the clan also had the ritual done so they could claim to be 'Inuzuka-blooded'
My aunt Hana's husband had it done. His last name was originally Kin. I honestly think he had it done so Hana wouldn't have to change her last name....
I opened my mind and reached out to Cuan. I closed my eyes and focused. I felt my thoughts slip away as Cuan's mind filled mine.
He was running along side Saya-chan. She was giggling and a light blush stained her skin.
"what's going on?" I thought to Cuan.
Cuan let out a small surpised bark. Saya-chan eyed him strangly.
"is everything ok, Cuan-Kun?" she asked nicely.
Cuan nodded his head and mentally growled at me.
"what is it Ren?" he growled.
I let out a soft chuckle, "Akumaru was asking for you.''
"Papa did?" he thought back surpised.
It was kind of funny how that turned out. Akumaru was mated to my moms partner named Rin. That's how mom and dad met. Mom had me and my three sisters after a while. A couple months after my youngest sister was born Rin had a litter of four puppies. Each took a liking to a different child.
Cuan just so happened to choose me.
"what did he want?" he thought.
I mentally shrugged. "I didn't listen long enough to find out."
Cuan sighed and picked up the pase, Saya-chan following closely.
"who are you looking for anyway?" I questioned.
" Hatake Kakashi "
"hmm, have fun" I told him before closeing my mind again.
Kakashi huh? I wonder what she wanted him for... Not that it really mattered. I had more pressing matters anyway..... Like where I was bringing Saya-chan for the date..
I didn't want to just do some everyday kind of date... I wanted to surpise her with something specal...
That's it! I grinned to myself and burried my face into my pillow. I knew exactly where we'd go.
--- | flash back |----
~many years before on Ren's fourth birthday~
"Ren!" Cuans thoughts called threw my mind. "Ren your papas looking for you!"
The little dog came running up, tripping slightly over his own feet.
I smiled and ran back towards the house. Today I was four which ment my father was going to start training me and Cuan to work as a team. I was also getting our familys trade mark, two red streaks on my cheaks.
When I got to the house I threw the door open panting slightly.
"Hai dad?!"
I paused and noticed there where strange people in the house with dad. One I knew well as the Hokage. Next to her was a man I had seen hanging around father before but I'd never learned his name. He was blonde and wore a weird orange outfit. He smiled down at me his blue eyes held a lot of what I now knew to be kindness. Next to him was a girl my age.
The girl was holding the blonde mans hand and didn't take a genius to figure out she was his daughter. Even as a four year old I found her pleasurable to look at, kind of how I liked watching my mom.
The girls hair was the same golden color as the mans and pulled up into pigtails. Her face was round like a dolls, her skin the same shade of porcilen. Blush stained her cheaks and her lips were the same color as a rose petals. She had eyes that reminded me of summer moss and long beautiful lashes. The girl was like a pretty doll who had gotten up and walked off her shelf.
I'm not entirely sure what it was about the girl that fasinated me so much, but something about her drew me in.
"Ren-Kun" dad smiled a toothy grin at me before turning back to the man. "I don't think I ever properly introduced you to my son, Naruto."
The man grinned and scratched the back of his head. "that's alright Kiba." he turned towards me and smiled. "it's nice to meet you Ren I'm Naruto and this is Saya" he pulled the girl forward a little.
Saya... That was such an odd name for a girl that looked so angelic. Swift arrow...
I shook my head slightly and smiled at Naruto-San and Saya.
"nice to meet you to Naruto-San and Saya"
Dad smiled and ruffled my hair.
"I know it's your birthday, but I have to step out with Naruto and Hokage-Sama for a few hours. But Saya-chans mother is away on a mission... Do you think you can watch out for her and protect her for a little while?" dad asked.
Hokage-Sama laughed lightly and smiled at me. "it would be your first official mission, do you think he's ready?"
I huffed and stood up tall trying to look strong.
"HAI!" I smiled at Saya.
The girl didn't smile back. Infact she was glaring at me...
"I don't need a protecter!" she whined, "I'm tougher then him I bet!"
"am not!" I inturpted her conplains, sticking my tougue out at her.
Back then I was so sure I was stronger then her just because I was a boy.
Naruto-San laughed and gestured over to me. "go play Saya-chan it's good to make friends your own age." he ruffled the girls hair fondly, "and if your stronger then you protect him, ok?"
Saya beamed and stomped her way over to me.
I signed and grabbed her hand, dragging her into the back yard. "let's go. I want to practice with Cuan!"
I could tell Saya was trying to pull her hand free, but she was so small it was easy to drag her away.
"no!" she growled and yanked at her hand. "I don't know who that is!"
Big alligator tears formed in her eyes. Her cheaks puffed out and a blush rose across them.
I hmped and continued to drag her to the training feild. "CUAN!" I called out loudly.
The little dog responded after a minute or so and ran full speed after us. Saya saw the little white bundle running and squeeled in delight.
"oh it's a puppy!" she dropped to her knees and yanked her hand free, welcoming the puppy into her lap.
Cuan had always been an attenion whore and gladly lept into the girls lap, licking at her face.
"he's not a just a puppy! He's going to grow up and be a ninja hound!" I corrected.
Saya tilted her head to the side and inspected the pup. " this cute little thing?"
Cuan wagged his tail and barked in agreement.
I snatched the puppy away from Saya and glared. "yes that cute little thing" I mocked her voice before spinning around and turning my back on the girl.
"now come on we have to train!"
I took off without a second glance back at the girl. She scrambled up and followed me, keeping an easy pase with me.
Every time I sped up slightly, she would increase her speed too. She wasn't even paying attension to me as she ran!
After a while I started to get frustrated and took off at full speed, but Saya matched my sprint and gave me a curious glance.
Speeding arrow huh?
I glared back and pushes myself forward again just to have the same results. My breathing started to grow irregular, but not Saya's she hadn't even broken a sweat yet.
Maybe she just liked running?
"are you trying to race?" she asked after a while. I glared and shook my head.
"no if I wanted to race I'd be going a million times faster then this!" I bluffed.
Saya smiled and grabbed my arm yanking me to a stop. "then let's race!"
I felt my cheeks drain but I smirked anyway.
"I don't want to leave you in the dirt, you'd never find your way home."
The girl glared at me before rolling her eyes.
"scared I'll win?" she mocked
"no!" yes....
"then what's the problem! If I get lost have the puppy sniff me out! You said he was a ninja hound right?"
"...... Fine! But don't cry when I win! The finish line is the big open feild, if you keep going streight you can't miss it."
"ok" she grinned and positioned herself next to me." ready?"
"set..."
"GO" we both cryed out together before launching ourselves forward. Kicking up a cloud of dirt.
For the first couple minutes I was able to keep pace with Saya, but I was starting to relize that her name matched her personaity and abilities perfectly. Saya wasn't just fast, she was lightning speed! And I was almost certain she was holding back...
I started to trail behind a little. I wondered what made her so fast... What was she running from that had trained her feet to move so quickly?
Years later I had learned she'd cheated. Well... Technically she had. Saya was taught at an early age to run quickly using chakra . It was the only training her parents allowed her to have, a precaution against kidnaps and hostage situations considering her father was to be hokage. It made a lot of Sence after I thought about it, but then again that was years later. In that time all my four year old brain could comprehend was the fact I was loosing to a younger girl.
In the end Saya had murdered me in the race. She had made to the field a good minute or so before I had. Her breaths were even and she hadn't broken a sweat... I had collapsed to the ground panting and sweat poured off my hair like rain water. It was humiliating.
"I win!" she chirped when I busted threw the tree line.
"how. Did. You. Run. That. Fast?!" I asked inbetween mouthfuls of air.
She just shrugged and looked around.
The clearing was a place only me and my mother and father knew about. We had stumbled apon it one day when Cuan had run away. My mother called it 'Rens Clearing' and because it was named after me I went there often to train. The clearing its self was located in the middle of a white birtch forest seperating the Inuzuka compound from the regular Acadamys training fields. I'd never seen any other people there.
Saya stood still and smiled. " it's pretty here..."
I blinked at the girl like she was crazy. Pretty?
Saya rolled her eyes. "Your part of a pack of dogs! How could you not notice!"
"I don't have time for a nature walk. I have to train" I grumbled.
Saya crossed her arms. "why don't you try it? Look around... Listen, smell..."
I remember just blinking at her before closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. The air smelled like autumn. The scent of crisp leaves and chilling air filled my nose... Opening my eyes I looked at the forest in a completly new point of view. One that changed the way a four year old thinks. Before when I'd looked at the trees, I'd only saw targets... Something I'd learned from my father.
But now I saw the beautiful plant it really was. The trees all reached towards the sun who, in turn, dyed there leaves yellow for autumn. The bark was smooth and a weird shade of gray. The wind blew and the yellow leaves would jump from there places on the trees and dance down to the grass.
Some of the leaves got caught in Saya's hair. She'd laugh and pick them out, closing her eyes for a moment before throwing them back to the wind.
The rest of the day Saya showed me her favorite things about nature. She showed me how autumn streams had the best water to dip your feet in, and how to climb pine trees to peak into hawk nests without scarring the mother. Cuan chased leaves, jumping up and catching them easily in his mouth.
"why do you know this stuff anyway?" I'd asked her while we headed back to my house. "dont you train with your father?"
Saya shook her head her eyes grew sad. "no my dad spends all his time with the Hokage. Plus I'm not allowed to train..."
"why?" I'd asked.
She'd shrugged and stayed silant.
When we got back to the house mom prepared tea and ramen for us. We ate our lunch and played with Cuan and my sisters.
-end of flashback-
I'd never really seen Saya again after that. She was always with her father or disapeared entirely. I stopped trying to be her friend by the time she joined our class at the Acadamy, it was the first time I'd seen her in months. When she'd scanned the crowd for people she new her eyes just passed right over me.
"she forgot us" Cuan whimpered in my head.
"I know...." I'd whispered back. But by then we'd almost completly forgot about her too.
It was kind of sad really.
I signed and turned over in my bed. I was glad we where on the same team now though. It was like fate was giving us another chance.
I smiled and closed my eyes, drifting into sleep... Dreaming of the beautiful doll that came to life.
___________________________
Hey... It's been awhile hasnt it? I never got my second comment on the last chapter but it was sad watching the story just sit there so I disided to update anyway.
So question. What do you guys think of Ren?
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:) I'll update again by tonight I feel like I owe it to you guys xD