Two weeks after.
"You can not got on any missions outside the village. I will not repeat myself anymore this week. Your job is too watch and train the children that you saved. You know how dangerous it is for you to leave the village." Lady Tsunade explained for the hundredth time.
"Everyone else is going out on missions to help rebuild the village, I want to help!" Rei demanded.
Lady Tsunade shook her head, and replied, "you're helping by staying here Rei. We need you safe. You're also still learning how to manifest these powers you ended up with."
Rei sighed. She wasn't going to win this argument. She nodded her head at her Aunt, and walked out the Hokage's office.
Everyone has been treating her like a little kid, and being overprotective. The only people who haven't were Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Naruto.
Tsunade was were right though. She had to learn how to control her new powers. Rei could now move things with her mind, or she could use her hand, she could read people's mind if she focused on that person's chakra. She could freeze time, the more chakra she used the longer she could freeze time, she could also create force fields. It was pretty cool but it also requires a lot of chakra.
She had a huge amount of chakra reserve since her mom was a senju, but these new powers needed a lot of chakra with using them so she wouldn't use them a lot.
Rei smiled as Sorah ran up to her. Sorah was one of the little kids she had rescued. She reminded her of a little Naruto because she had blonde hair and blue eyes too except her hair was a lighter blonde. Sorah was eight years old. "Rei-sensei, am I going to join the academy tomorrow too?" She asked.
Sorah was the second oldest, Kantsu the oldest was 11, and Nora the one who looks like Rei was 6. They were all going to start at the academy.
Rei ruffled Sorah's hair and said, "Yup little one! And you guys are going to be the strongest as long as I'm training you!"
"Kantsu took Nora and I to the park but I felt you near so I ran all the way here, I have to get back or Kantsu is going to kill me!" Sorah declared as she ran off back to the park.
Rei and Naruto were the three orphans guardians, Rei had to beg Lady Tsunade and even now she was still weary that Rei and Naruto could take care of the kids.
The kids were as normal as they could be, except for Kantsu. He was a little bit like Sasuke, personality wise but he cared a lot for Nora and Sorah since they all went through the same thing with Orochimaru.
"Don't forget to be home before dark, you don't want me to come looking for you!" Rei shouted behind the running Sorah.
Rei shook her head at the little blonde girl, and turned around since she felt Shikamaru getting closer.
"You're turning into a mom more and more every day." Shikamaru said, as he made it to her. "I don't know if that's a good thing or not because moms are scary."
Rei slightly punched Shikamaru and glared at him. "I'm scary without having to be a mom, better believe it Shikamaru." She stated.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at Rei, and smirked. "If you punch me again, Nothing will hold me back from being aggressive. Not that you wouldn't like it."
Rei's eyes widened, as she started blush all kinds of shades of red. "You just can't say that our loud Shikamaru!!" She stuttered out.
Even though Shikamaru was right... Once Rei was recovered after getting to the Leaf village, Shikamaru had showed her just how much he missed her, and was happy that she was safe. He told her he had to show her how much he loved her, and that he did.
Shikamaru chuckled as he grabbed his girlfriend's hand, and started walking to their usual spot. Rei was still trying to calm her face down, when they laid down to look at the clouds.
"I didn't say anything that bad Rei. Do you want me to give you a real reason to be red?" He said, lowly.
"Shikamaru!" Rei exclaimed again. "I'm going to pound you!"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes, and then closed them.
Rei closed her eyes, but visions of those other kids and teens in Orochimaru's labs kept haunting her. She wanted to rescue them so bad, she had to figure out how to get out of the village and save those kids.
"I want to save those kids. They shouldn't be there, being tortured by Orochimaru and Kabuto. They don't deserve it." Rei spoke out loud after awhile.
She opened her eyes, she stared at the clouds. "I have to do something. I can't sit here while knowing this. That'll make me inhuman."
"Then let's do something about it."
"What the!" Both Shikamaru and Rei turned around to see Kantsu, behind them.
How did he sneak up on them like that without Rei noticing his chakra or hear him? She could sense people from miles away.
"I have the ability to hide my chakra to not even the best sensory type can sense me. And my stealth is the same. This happened because of Orchimaru." Kantsu explained, noticing their confused faces.
"That's pretty neat." Rei said.
"Rei, I'm showing you this Ability now because I want to help defeat Kabuto, Orochimaru. But more importantly I want to rescue those kids too. I was stuck there for 6 years. I wouldn't want anyone to endure what I had to." Kantsu explained.
Shikamaru could see the determination growing in both pair of eyes. He could see also that Rei admired the young boy.
"Then we'll have to think this throughly." Shikamaru finally spoke up. He knew Rei was going to find a way to save the kids no matter what, he might well think of a good strategy to get them out of Konoha, to the hideout, get the kids, and back to Konoha without confronting Tsunade nor Orochimaru. They'll have to defeat Orochimaru on a different occasion. Not when their were victims around that he could use against them.
Rei jumped on Shikamaru, hugging him. "Yes! Thanks Shika!"
She whispered in his ear, before letting him go. "I owe you something special tonight."
Shikamaru smirked as he shook his head. Rei was innocent but not that innocent.
Gross. Kantsu thought. His hearing was better than most hearing, it was heightened to where it was better than The Inuzuka's hearing. He could hear all the way up to five to ten miles away. Depending on how focused he was.
"Let's wait till Naruto, and Sasuke are back from their mission to discuss the plan." Rei suggested.
Shikamaru and Kantsu nodded their heads in agreement.
Rei then noticed something. She pointed her finger at Kantsu. "If you're here, where's Sorah and Nora?!"
Kantsu simply answered, "With a shadow clone. I'm going to go get them and head home. See you there Rei."
Shikamaru waited till Kantsu was a few feet away, and turned to Rei. "He's going to be a great Shinobi one day. I'm pretty sure he'll be Chunin soon."
Rei nodded her head. "He's good at everything I teach him. He sucks at Genjutsu tho. He can get out of one but he can't make one. It's too bad he doesn't remember who his parents are. I wonder if he's from a clan."
Kantsu stuffed his hands in his pocket as he walked. He wondered who his parents were too. Were they alive? Were they still looking for him? Have they given up? Kantsu knew one thing. When he gets older, he was going to go searching for who he was.
*****
"Are you ok Rei-chan?" asked Nora. Sorah was holding Rei's hair for her. Nora had brought Rei a cup of tea.
Rei was sitting next to the toilet, groaning. This was her third time this week throwing up. She blamed it on the curry contest she had with Lee Senpai. She lost again, but only because the curry tasted off.
She took the tea from Nora, thanking her. "Yes, I'm fine but if Lee Senpai ever asked you to have a curry contest with him, run the other way." She told them.
Norah giggled. "Lee Senpai is funny!" She shouted.
Rei felt better as she stood up. She smiled at the two younger girls, and ruffled their hair. "Thanks you two! We have some mini medical ninjas in the house."
Sorah gasped and exclaimed, "I do want to be a medical ninja!"
Rei walked out the bathroom, and back into the living room. "Then go for it. You'll be able to do it with me as your teacher, believe it!"
Rei sweat dropped, realizing she sounded like younger Naruto.
Nora followed behind Rei, and sat as close to Rei that she could. She loved Rei so much already, she looked just like her too! She wanted to be like Rei when she grew up.
"Nora-Chan, can you be my sister?" She asked, staring up at Rei with wide innocent eyes.
Rei squinted down at the six year old, heck they could actually pass for sisters if nobody knew.
Rei bit down on her thumb, then summoned up Sanaa, one of the younger fairies.
Nora mouth dropped open as she stared at the fairy.
"Hey Sanaa, can you make me two bracelets with with a toad charm on each of them, and a necklace with a toad charm. Please." Rei begged the fairy.
Sanaa scoffed, "Do I look like a jewelry store to you? The nerve!"
Rei pointed her finger at the fairy, glaring at her. "If you don't do it then I'll tell your teacher that you summoned yourself here for an hour acting like you were doing stuff for me but you were really avoiding the meeting you guys were suppose to have."
Sanaa glared back at Rei, with Sorah and Nora watching in amusement. Kantsu was at Naruto's apartment. He stayed there since it wasn't enough room at Rei's apartment.
"Fine! I'll do it. But I won't be happy about it." Sanaa declared.
Rei high fived Nora in victory. "That's how you do it guys."
Sanaa made the bracelets, and necklace, she left without even saying bye.
"Here's a bracelet for the both of you. I'm giving you these because it means you're my students, and I'm your sensei. It also means we're family now. You're part of the toad sage's family. You'll always be protected by me, and my father in spirit when I'm gone, and physically while I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you, Kantsu, and Sorah again." Rei determinedly said. She hugged the overly emotional Norah, who started crying at her words, which was starting to make Rei tear up.
Sorah took a step back, not wanting to end up crying either since it seems contagious.
"Hehe. I'm just gonna go get ready for bed while you two have your little moment." She said, as she turned around, walking away fast.
She squeezed the necklace, and smiled to herself. Sorah finally had someone she could trust in her life. When Sorah was six, her mom willingly gave her to Orochimaru, saying she was a curse to the village. But not anymore, Sorah was rescued and now she was safe and accepted by someone.
Nora was orphan, she never had anyone to begin with. Her mom died giving birth to her, and she didn't know who her father was. Nobody knew who her father was. All she know is she looked like her mom because of a picture she use to have of her. She wondered if Rei's sensei knew who her mother was, or knew anything about her because when Nora first met Kakashi, he stared at her like he saw a ghost. Nobody else caught that except Nora, and Kantsu. Nora wanted to ask him, but she was slightly intimidated by the man. He was pretty darn tall compared to Nora, and he looked strong and mean.
****
Rei made sure the little girls were sleep before she left her apartment. Rei and Yamato helped rebuild a few apartments with their wood style. Naruto and Rei moved into their apartments right away. They weren't far from each other either. She walked over to Naruto's apartment, Naruto still wasn't home yet. She went in and sat the necklace next to Kantsu's bedpost.
She smiled at how peaceful he looked when he was sleep, but her smile slowly dropped when he started squirming in his sleep, and a frown appeared on his face. It looked like he was having a nightmare. He looked terrified.
"Stop! No! Leave me alone, please!" He started yelling in his sleep.
Rei hurried and shook him awake. "Kantsu, wake up!" She exclaimed.
Kantsu eyes popped opened with tears at the corner of them. He grabbed Rei, and hugged her tightly. Rei swallowed the lump in her throat, as she hugged him back.
"I promise I won't let Orochimaru hurt you anymore Kantsu." She gently said to him, as she wiped her eyes with her hand.
Kantsu hated his nightmares about the torturing he went through with Orochimaru. He had them almost every night. He wished they would go away. He didn't know how to stop them.
Rei being there right now made him feel slightly better. She had a warm aura around her, that made everything feel good, and calming.
"Thank you Rei." He quietly said, falling back asleep in her warm embrace.
Rei declared that night that she would make Orochimaru pay for everything he did to those kids. It wasn't about revenge this time, it was about Kantsu, Nora, and Sorah's sanity and safety.