I blocked Kakashi's attacks by flipping back to gain some distance. " I think that's enough for today, Kakashi." I said with a smirk seeing him panting.
He straightened up, relaxed and smiled at me, then he made a sad face. " It seems I'm not as young as I used to be." He said it dramatically, sulking.
I laughed and went over to him, "oh you're still very young, Kakashi." I winked up at him. I heard someone approaching and I turned toward them.
Shika and Gaara were walking this way, " Hey Kakashi sensei, Naruko." Shika said it with a wave.
I waved back and we waited for them to reach us. " What's up? Want to train?" I asked.
He nodded, folding his arms. " I don't think we have ever even seen each other's fighting style. " he mumbled, shaking his head. " I don't think you have ever even met Gaara." He shook his head.
I looked at Gaara, " well not in this world... But you're right. How would you like to begin?" I asked, looking back at Shika.
He rubbed his chin, " show me all you know how to do..."
-----
The days moved by like minutes it seemed. I was pumped for this mission and felt ready even. All of us had done nothing but trained together. I would agree we could have used more time together to train.
Me and Shika the most, since we had to be a sort of mini team. Kakashi and Gaara then decided to practice. Gaara and I had spared one time... But we ended up destroying the whole training area. He could seem to hit me which made me laugh and I never could stop moving.
" Ready?" Shika asked me as I refocused on him.
I nodded as I followed through the gate with the others, " the land of time is near by isn't it? " I asked as he started running with the others.
Shika thought for a moment, "yes and no... We can't reach it by foot." He told me and I looked at Kakashi to explain.
" We have to go through a portal in a way." He said it sounded unsure.
I blinked, "a portal? Oh and we are going to said portal?" I asked.
Gaara nodded, "yes... It is near here. " Answered jumping past me.
I nodded, jumping from branch to branch. So how did Lady Hokage get this intel? From a land that's not even here... Who knows.
-----
"This is is." Shika said landing behind some bushes and we followed.
We sat there silently staring at a whirlpool in a pond. What an odd place to put a portal... I frowned, a feeling of dread filling my chest and turned to Shika. " So we just jump in?" I asked unsure.
He nodded, " just don't get caught going through, getting through honestly, is easy but once we are on the other side.... There will be the time ninja so be careful. '' He said it looking at all of us. "Lets go." He said it and shot from the bushes.
I let out a breath and followed after him. I focused chakra to my feet before I landed on the water. I suddenly had a bad feeling about this... I shook my head and chased after the others. Kakashi looked back at me at the opening. Once I reached him I panicked as I watched them dive in.
I looked at Kakashi, " this may not be the best time to mention this... But I can't swim." I said, panicked. My eyes went between the water and Kakashi. I hadn't needed to fix that yet...
Kakashi looked disturbed, I knew what he was thinking... of all things THAT? He shook his head and swept me up as we dove in. " Well guess that's something we will have to work on later." He grumbled it in disbelief, swung me onto his back as we hit the water.
When we dove in I held my breath, I knew that much. The water was powerful, much more than I think even Kakashi was ready for. I couldn't help but doubt whether I should have come along now. I was just in the way it felt like. I was ashamed that I was a shinobi but couldn't swim. I held onto Kakashi as tight as I could but the water seemed to separate us anyway, throwing us apart.. My mind felt like it was cut in two and suddenly everything went dark.
-----
"Hn, of all the places." I heard a familiar sassy voice. Sasuke?
I opened my eyes looking up at a starry sky... It was so pretty it looked like I was staring at the galaxy as a whole. Then I felt something touching my feet and sat up staring at Sasuke putting my shoes on? I was very confused to say the least.... "Uh... Sasuke?" I asked, raising a brow.
He looked up at me with his onyx eyes annoyed, " what are YOU doing here?" He asked, standing up and reaching his hand out.
I shrugged, " well I decided to go swimming and low and behold I fell in a magic whirlpool." I joked when he glared at me I sighed. " we are on a mission to get information on your plans here and if your even here." I told him as I took his hand.
He pulled me up and shook his head, " you're all a bunch of idiots. '' He grumbled, he was taking in the area. Then he looked confused, "where are the others?" He asked, looking down at me.
I looked around and saw that they were nowhere in sight. I hope the others are okay, I hope Kakashi is... I swallowed, feeling a lump in my throat. " I got pulled away from Kakashi... I can't swim so he was carrying me." I said it shamefully. If anything had happened to Kakashi, I would never forgive myself. I needed to fix this soon.
Sasuke looked at me like I was an idiot, which he was right. " How do you not know how to swim?!" He asked in disbelief.
I frowned, " you seem to forget that I grew up alone? No one ever paid attention to me..." I snapped then calmed down. " I haven't had to face it until now, don't worry I'll be fixing it if we live through this." I grumbled stretching out my muscles.
"Naruko.... You're in the land of time?!" Kun said it into my head.
I sighed, kun.... I looked around and there was nothing but clocks. " This place looks weird." I told Sasuke as I realized I was standing on a giant one. The glass clicked under my feet.
He shrugged following my every move, " this is the land of time, what did you expect? This place is dangerous... It spikes. " He warned, his glanced up at the sky unsure. He looked back at me trying to point me toward a direction. " you are in even more danger since your presence in this world is not nor-" there was shaking, cutting him off. He looked up at the sky then I was struck by lightning.
I screamed out in pain and tried desperately to keep my eyes open as I was pulled into the void once again, the last thing was him grabbing hold of my arms and yanking me up. He looked like he was yelling....
-------
"Naruko... Wake up..." Sasuke's voice cried out, he sounded almost desperate. He shook me, rattled my brain even more.
I groaned and batted at his hands trying to get him to stop shaking me. " Why are you always yelling Sasuke?" I asked but then froze in horror. My voice!! I looked at Sasuke.... He was a lot bigger than I remember from a moment ago.
He shook his head, " this is what I meant." He growled and picked me up.
I sounded like my young self... I looked at my tiny hands and wanted to scream. " a-am I a child?!" I yelled in horror. I glanced at the blurred reflection of us in the glass clock. How the hell did this happen? My mind was almost in pieces trying to understand.
Sasuke winced, " shh! Someone is coming." He jumped down from the clock tower and landed behind another. He looked down at me, he held me to his chest protectively. I suppose with my size it was easy to do. "Yes, you're a child... Now calm down." He peeked around the clock and I did too.
It was Gaara!! I gasped, "it's Gaara! Let me go Sasuke and run!" I told him. I shook his arm and was surprised to still be pretty strong.
He sighed and sat me down, " Hurry up... I'll go see if this is curable..." He mumbled. He said it crouched down then he smirked, " although your kind of cute like this." He commented, he patted my head then frowned looking up. He glanced back down at me once more before jumping off.
I glared at him then turned running off toward Gaara, " Gaara!!" I called out and dodged as he shot sand at me. I just barely managed with my legs being shorter.
He turned to me, " uh... Naruko?" He looked at me shocked. His blue eyes took in my small frame still in a fighting stance.
I nodded, " I got struck by lightning and this happened!" I gestured to myself. I was a bit confused by it, my outfit was different. But it was an outfit I used to wear when I was younger.
He reached out his hand, sand slid across the ground going underneath me. I fell forward into the soft sand. "At least you're alive... We have to get going." He said and started to run with me on his floating cloud of sand. I dug my hands into the sand sitting up and held on.
We reached the others in no time. Kakashi looked troubled, " did you find her?" He rushed over, not seeming to notice me on Gaara's cloud of sand. He sat down on a log looking a bit ill himself.
Gaara grunted, " in a way." He pushed me toward kakashi. I jumped down and landed on his lap.
He looked down at me, completely thrown off... " You're a child?" He gasped. He looked almost like he was going to pass out, his hands hovered over me unsure what to do.
I smiled, " ya... Got struck by lightning and this happened." Then I tapped my chin, " maybe it's part of the land?" I tried not to give Sasuke away.
He let out a breath and patted my head, " at least you're alive..." He hugged me close, he was very careful. I wasn't sure if he thought I was even more fragile or if he was weirded out that I was suddenly a small child.
I sighed looking at Shika and Gaara. They looked at us sadly, then looked away. I climbed off of him, " Alrighty... Even if I'm in this form we have a mission." I said it folding my arms and nodding. I jumped from Kakashi's lap and checked myself out in the clearer reflection. I looked like I was 5 years old, maybe 6... I was wearing my old play clothes from my youth. I looked like a true Orphan in them, it made me think of the hard childhood I had.
I pushed the thoughts away and focused on the present moment, "I need a few Kunai if anyone has some? My weapons seemed to disappear." I said it stretching my palms out toward them hoping to get at least one.
Kakashi looked at me worried and placed two kunai in my hands. My hands appeared much smaller compared to the adult weapons now in my hands. I placed them on my sides, tucked into my belt. I felt so off like this, I sat on the log away from Kakashi.
Shika sighed, " yes well... Seeming so." He cleared his throat. " When we landed there was no sign of time ninja... They haven't even approached, I've almost seen no signs of them. Which means something is wrong here." Shika said, pulling out a map. We stood around it. " We have to get to the center of the map, that is where they live. It seems from my scouting earlier. '' He glanced at me. " Gaara will stay far away, Kakashi and Naruko will come with me since we have no idea what's wrong with Naruko." He looked down at me, he smiled at me unsure.
I nodded, " yes... There may be a cure for this or something. " I said it and leaned over the map. I point with my tiny hand across the map at a route. "We should take this route since it is the fastest but safest. " I suggested trailing my finger across the map to show them.
Shika nodded with a smirk, " exactly what I was thinking." He rolled up the map. " Let's go." Gaara nodded to us as we took off.
I ran hard and fast staying on their heels even at the size I was, I was a bit confused. It was like my body only shrank, I still felt strong and fast, just tiny. I would say, my shorter legs did make a difference...
Kakashi was in the lead, as if the thought crossed his mind. His head snapped back to me just as I flung myself with all my might across a jump they did with ease. I was using so much energy, I huffed as I rolled into a run to keep up. Kakashi's eyes flashed with something? Love? He dropped back suddenly swooping me up into his arms, he slung me into his back. Hanging onto him was easier than running at full speed in this body. My hair shot back into a streak as he ran. "There you go, Love." He said it in an amused voice.
As I held on to the back of his vest, tucking my head down to keep the hair from whipping into my face. I felt despair for a moment, " this fucking sucks." I mumbled in a half broken voice.
Kakashi chuckled dryly, it was like he wanted everything to work out...but he was worried as well. " It's not so bad as long as we can fix it... You were an adorable child, Naruko." He said it with such sadness in his voice. "This is what you looked like as a child?" He questioned.
I nodded into his back, "Yes.. it's the same outfit and everything. But I still feel strong like normal, just this body still has limits it seems. And you really think I was a cute kid?" I asked him in return, then gasped. "Look out!" I cried out as I felt a surge of energy from the sky. The lightning shot down fast and hard, it was like it was drawn to us... maybe to me?
Kakashi managed to dodge it successfully. "Right..." He mumbled. "Of course." He said it softly as he zig-zagged through the storm. He focused on survival which was important at the moment.
He went up to Shika, " I sense the village up ahead." He said it holding onto my legs tighter.
I closed my eyes feeling nothing, I couldn't feel the village yet. " damn" I frowned, maybe I wasn't up to where I was before.... Then I felt it and sighed in relief. "Oh good I still have my skills." I said it laughing nervously.
Kakashi chuckled, " good -" kunai flew toward us but kakashi blocked them. Then we threw some back and we heard the grunts of men being hit. " We should check it out." He told Shika who nodded back to him.
We landed where they had been, I jumped down from Kakashi going over to one. "They are time ninja?" I asked Shika and he nodded. The one I was over grunted I grabbed some rope and tied him up as he woke up. "Who are you and how are you associated with the Akatsuki? " I ordered seriously, I tried to sound angry like my old self.
He blinked at me, "a child?" He asked, confused.
Kakashi chuckled, pulling me back then stepping in front of the guy. " I suggest you answer her questions." He threatened in a much scarier voice than I had.
I tilted my head. After a moment he began to answer, " they attacked our village and stole our sacred clock." He said it faintly.
" really a clock?" I grumbled looking at Shika. "I wonder if there are any survivors." I looked back at the dying man.
He grunted and coughed up blood, " leave while you can... Without that clock the land would implode on itself." He said with his last dying breath. How nice of him to warn us, maybe it's because he thought I really was a child.
I frowned looking up at Shika, " we need to check that village." I said, going to Kakashi who was closing the man's eyes. He stood up and I laughed nervously, " and I thought you were tall before..." I said looking up at him. I just barely came to his hip.
He looked down at me and picked me up, " awe.... I think you're very useful like this... You could fool the enemy. You're so young no one would dream you're a full fledged ninja that can go toe to toe with me." He pointed out and put me on his back again. "You're pocket size, Naruko." He said, amused. I suppose he was choosing to keep the topic light instead of dreading it.
I sighed, " I guess... Let's go, if what he said is true we are running out of time." I said it in a serious voice. "We need to search the temple-like buildings, check for any scrolls that may have survived. Anything that will bring information." I said it pointing to the main buildings that looked important.
Shika looked back at me and shook his head, " sounds so odd coming from a 6 year old." He then nodded, " you're right though." He added.
We headed to the village as fast as we could. We landed in burning debris... Sasuke.... I closed my eyes. He really did this? Or was it even him?
I jumped from Kakashi's back and walked a little ahead. I jumped back when I spotted a paper talisman. " duck and cover!" I yelled and dove for cover. I dove behind a building and covered my head with my arms as everything exploded. I looked around after it grew quiet. I jumped up and looked around again. Kakashi and Shika rose from their spots. They frantically looked for me but spotted me quickly as I looked around unsure.
" There is no one here..." Shika said it while looking around. " They slaughtered everyone then put up a trap just to be sure." He spat it. He was upset by all this. I could understand why...
I nodded, I ran into the building looking around carefully. Everything was destroyed. I spotted only one scroll grabbing it tucking it into my shirt. I went to the exit, hoping the others found more than that.
I heard thunder crackling and it began to rain. The earth shook, knocking me to the ground, "ah!" The earth and sky began to crack, A great split across the sky appeared. It was amazingly terrifying. "W-we have to go!" I cried out pointing over their heads. They both looked back in horror.
I climbed to my feet, slipping a little in the mud. I ran toward the others and Kakashi flashed to me, grabbing me yanking out of the mud. He held me under his arm as they ran.
" We have to get to the whirl pool." Shika yelled it over the thunder and rain. He pointed in a direction and they ran hard. I stared back as the land seemed to be falling to pieces behind us.
Still I worried, if we made it... Would I be like this forever? Would we even live to worry? I grunted as we jumped and jumped from tree to tree. No, we will make it... I tried to breathe as anxiety started to flood through me as I thought about it all.
Gaara joined us in our run for our lives which was good, it meant the portal was close by. " Gaara the portal now-"Kakashi yelled as we all jumped in just as lightning struck both me and Kakashi. We both screamed as we fell into the pool. It swirled around us and I held onto his hand as tight as I could but just like before we got ripped away from each other.