I knocked on the door twice, "It's Hatake, may I come in?"
"Yes you may," the door opened from the inside and I got in to the office.
"What brings you here, little Hatake?" The hokage asked playfully, with his chin rested on his hands crosses under his chin. I pulled up the cat that I hid behind me holding him at his back by his skin, showing him the cat.
"Where did you found that?" He asked.
"On my way here, I found this stray cat somewhere rampaging randomly on the streets. The villagers got annoyed by it so I thought I could bring it here having the thought you somehow know who's it's owner of this cat. And by that, this cat won't annoy anyone again."
"Hmm.." he hummed before picking up a scroll for lost pets, I guess.
"Nobody's searching for a cat who is like that."
"So that means, I could keep him instead, right?"
The hokage reached for his chin and rubbed it by his hand as a chuckle escaped from his mouth.
"It's a good idea that you're keeping a pet as your new playmate so you'll never feel alone in your home when your father's out. But you should ask for his approval first."
"Then that means I could keep it?" I asked again without any excitement about the decision, keeping my look away from him as I also keep the bored cat hanging in the air that I was holding. "I'll keep it or not, it's my call. Kakashi won't say anything to it anyway. Maybe he'll say hi if he met him."
He took a pen out of the tube, "Lets give your pet a license then."
I turns my face to him, "A License?" a permit from an authority to own or use something?
"If your cat got lost, we'll be able find it immediately and no one will attempt to claim your cat as their own. So, what will you name for your cat?" He asked.
Name? I didn't thought of anything like that might be needed. But it's part if basic human rights to have a name of their own.
Let's see, I'll name him to one of the character in the manga I just wread yesterday. The guy in blue shirt and the pet mouse he has named.
"I want to name him, Pikachu!"
"hmm?" He hummed in question, "That was long, Miki. Think some other name. Animals can only remember its name in two syllables," the hokage informed.
"Eh? Is that so? but I still want my cat to be named pikachu."
"Why not name your cat 'chuchu'?" suggested one of the Hokage's adviser who's sitting on the left hand of the hokage, the one with her hair pulled back in a bun locked with a traditional style hairpin.
"Well, Chuchu wasn't that bad," I thought over, "Okay it's decided, that'll be his name."
The three of them laughed upon my sudden decision.
"Doesn't need a tons of words. She's easy to be convinced," stated the one who's eyes were behind glasses, also sitting next to the hokage.
The hokage was done with his laughing, "Okay, I'll hereby name him chuchu," he says as he writes something on his table.
I carried Chuchu in my arms from just holding him on his back, single handed. "Anyway, what do you want from me?" I asked, recalling from my real reason why I went all the way here alone.
"I'll talk to your dad about this and he agrees to it, but as you can see, I'm a very busy man. I miscalculated the time that I think I could have that's why I called you up. I'll send two or three shinobi to pick you up on your home. Don't go anywhere, just stay inside your house."
I nodded. "Got it."
The door opened in force all of a sudden, I turned to look back to who just entered with such an entrance.
"Tora!!" She calls happily.
I tilts my head in question with a question mark pops out of my head, same do to Chuchu who's in my arms.
The lady ran to me and she snatched Chuchu from me and me was like, I just quietly looked at my arms that carries chuchu recently in wonder like where the hell did he gone. I shook my head reluctantly then look at the woman who grabbed my cat.
Don't tell me, she's the owner? But that can't be! The hokage said, nobody owns him. (｡ •́︿ •̀｡)
"Bring back my cat!" I shouted demandingly, as loud as possible so she could hear me. If she's the owner of Chuchu, I think that his life must be that hard, he's been crushed to death by her arms. No wonder why he ran away from her.
I feel a little pity of him since on the second there, I was his owner.
"But Lord third," I robotically turned my body to face the hokage, "I thought you told me he was a stay cat." ( ; ω ; )
I turned to the door when it opened, the opened door showed Dad with Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto with a cat on his arms.
Dad spotted me here and gave me an eye smile, I just raise my hand in response as a greeting even though I was on the verge of crying, but holding it back.
The fat lady, absentmindedly gave back my cat into my arms. I held Chuchu immediately, then she ran and get the cat to Naruto.
"Ohh my poor little tora, Mommy got worried about you, yes~" she says as she hugs her cat. She must have missed her cat so much, huh?
"Stupid cat, he deserves to be squashed," says Naruto laughing.
"No wonder he ran away," says Sakura.
"Miki?"
I turned my attention to my father who's calling me, "Yes?" I asked.
"Who gave you the cat?" He asked.
"The hokage," I answered. "You don't want me to keep him?" I asked, direct to the point.
"I just wanted to say it kinda looks like you."
"Yeah, I think so too," I simply replied then I walked out of the office.
"Miki seems not in the mood."
"Maybe she skipped to eat ramen like I advised her to."
I'm going back home, I sighs to myself and completely gone out of the office.
Well, I just don't feel like this is the day to have fun like what happened on the previous days of my life that I could still recall.
I stopped by on a dumpling shop and bought a box of it to take home. Father is leaving an allowance for me each time he leaves and here, I bought a dumplings. He could have a share of it.
As soon as I arrived home, there are three shinobi waiting in front of the apartment, just like the hokage said.
When they noticed my presence, they turned and look at me standing behind them.
"You must be Miki, right?"
"What do you want?" I asked nonchalantly.
"Pack up your things now."
I think all my senses woke up hearing that, "Huh?" I asked in question, they just wiped their hand in their faces.
"Why would I? Where am I going?" I asked again.
"Kakashi is your guardian, right?"
"Kakashi Hatake is going on a mission in the land of waves."
"So we're here to help you carry your baggage."
They all said, one by one.
I see, he'll be gone again without knowing it earlier, "How long he'll be gone?" I asked.
"It depends on how long they'll finished building a bridge in the land of waves. That's the scope of the mission," one of them answered.
"Maybe they'll take a month to stay there, expect the unexpected."
I put down Chuchu on the ground and faced them once again, "Okay, I got it. why won't you get in and wait for me down stairs? It's quite hot out here, don't you think?" I said in suggestion to which they simply make way for me to open the locked door. I put down the dumplings that I bought on the little table on the living room and I went in to the kitchen, putting three tea cups, a teapot and a thermos on a tray then bring everything back on the living room. I place the tray on the table and opened the box of dumplings that I bought.
"I'll take time to pack things, please help yourself."
"You shouldn't have bother preparing it," One of them says.
"I would be rude if I didn't showed even a little hospitality on the guest," I bowed in respect then take my leave.
I walked in to my room to pack up things like they've said.
My father taught me this, just in case there's a visitor. Well, Uncle Gai is the one mostly visits us which I couldn't practice that stuff called hospitality like Dad was trying to teach me because he's focusing on playing with me or challenge Dad.
I went in to my room and laid down my bed.
Three ninjas went to fetch me here? One is enough. That Hokage was sure is strict not letting me to go anywhere. It's not like I'm going to sneak out and go somewhere. What am I? Someone who's desperate to obtain freedom?
A knock heard from the door of my room.
"Come in," I said, not interested on who's knocking, its probably those shinobi downstairs. The door opened, "Miki?"
I sat up from the bed to look at him, knowing that it's my father who is here. He gave me a playful look again in his face, "You sure is taking your time to keep them wait like forever for you."
My lips formed in a duckbill pout on my face subconsciously, "Says the one who passed down this as a family trait," I commented and he just laughed at it with sweat a drop.
"Why you didn't tell me that you're going on somewhere out there over the rainbow earlier, Dad?"
"I'm sorry," he said as he scratch the back of his head. "It's like a coincidence actually."
"And why am I packing things? Where am I going? where am I going to stay?" I asked.
"That's the hokage's problem."
Huh? (￣_￣)・・・
"Are you done packing now? If you need help, we could give you a hand!" A yell from downstairs.
"She's done packing her things, she'll be down there for a moment," replied dad.
"Hmm? Who did it?" I asked in question. I still haven't did anything on packing up my things so how could it be? He eye smiled at me, "I did." He proudly announces showing me a peace sign.
"Wow, for the first time you did─ouch, what now?" I asked interrupting me on my sentence as he poked my forehead with his finger.
"I won't receive any thanks from you then?"
"Thanks, dad," I said and hugged him.
"Go on now or you'll be late."
"Think of yourself, Dad. You're the one who's late."
I picked up my bag then my hello kitty plushy then I ran downstairs.
"You forgot your cat!" yelled dad from upstairs.
As dad said that, the cat was already down here.
"I can't carry you, chuchu. Can you walk all by yourself?"
"I'll carry your cat," says one of the shinobi, then carry him up.
As we were about to leave, Dad was already with us out of the house. "Are we going the same way?" I asked.
"Yeah, but I still have something to do first so we're still parting ways here."
"I see," I said with a slight nod, "We're off then." The four of us quietly left the apartment and as we're on the way, we went to such places that I don't even know where and what are we doing there, but I didn't said anything and just quietly walked with them following them from everywhere.
"This is the last place, are you still able to keep up, Miki?" asked one of the three shinobi. "I could carry you on my back if you want."
"I'm fine, thanks," I looked around the surrounding "It's kinda fun actually, tagging along with you guys, I've seen some places I've never been before."
"Hey! You're late!" Somebody shouted.
It got my attention so I turned my head to look at where that came from. It's Dad and his team with a drunk old man, they're in the konoha's main gate. They're must be really leaving out of the country like they told me.
We passed by behind them, and I heard Dad answered them.
"A black cat just crossed my path so I had to get the long way."
"That's the same excuse you said yesterday!" scolds Naruto and Sakura.
Dad's excuse? Yesterday? that's why he's late? I stopped walking having a puzzle solved at the back of my mind.
"What's wrong? Is there something you forgot?" one of the shinobi asked me.
I shook my head then I pointed to the direction of Dad's squad.
I look at my Hello Kitty plushy, it was dressed in black kimono. It can't be a coincidence. I was hugging it yesterday when dad was about to leave me on the house. I bowed my head slightly, hiding my eyes in the shadow of my fringe.
"What about them?" one of those shinobi asked.
I bit my lower lip for a bit then finally lift my face to them, they took a step back in surprise.
"Please tell me, it wasn't my fault."
"H-huh??" They all gasped in unison. They stared at me for a moment before gradually turned their eyes to where Kakashi and his team going in a mission then turned their attention back at me, getting a little closer to me.
"Neh, Miki-chan. It wasn't your fault."
"Yeah, their problem doesn't have anything to do with you."
"Yeah, so please don't cry."
"But he did, instead of leaving me behind, he walked me to Uncle Gai's house, because I asked him to. Is it my fault, right? Then today, because he helped me to pack my things, that's why he's late right?" I asked, I couldn't see them clearly anymore because of my tears clouding my vision, but I could tell that they were somewhat screwed up and didn't know what to do. "Am I a burden to you too?"
"Of course not!" They all said in unison.
"Hontou ni?"
[Translation: Hontou ni?: Really?]
"Un!" They nodded, "so please don't cry, stop crying please. Do you like ice cream? We'll buy some later so please don't cry." They said in their panic.
I laughed and wiped the tears that clouding my sights, "You guys are funny." I commented in a teasing way and they just sigh in relief.
"We made it, guys."
"I thought she'll cry forever."
"Let's ask the ice cream shops not to let his product ran out. For emergency cases like this."
I just laughed at them as I watch them in their tiny conversation feeling relived after what just happened. Seriously, nobody cries forever.
Besides, my reasonings in my head was just created by my mind.
It's kinda my thing now to make dramas for attention. And I should probably stop doing it.
My father was leaving, and he didn't even said a proper goodbye to me.
.･ﾟﾟ･(／ω＼)･ﾟﾟ･.
"Oi, Miki!"
I was snapped out of my thoughts then turned to the person who's calling my attention, it's Naruto waving his hand in the air as he happily laughs
"Yoh!" I greeted back and waves my hand, I can still hear his laughs, but a split second passed.
"A-A a b-b-black cat!"
"Huh?" (・・ ) ?
"The black cat was behind you!" he yelled frantically, he stopped when he received a head punch from Sakura, because of it.
"That's her bag, loser," informed Sasuke shortly.
"Mattaku...I'm starting to think that you had a serious problem with your eye sight, Naruto," commented Sakura with a face palm.
[Translation: Seriously.. or Really..]
But he isn't wrong. I had a black cat with me, and it serves as my bag. (・ω・)
"Guess what, Miki? I'm going on a real ninja mission!" Naruto gladly informs me, ignoring everything what his teammates says.
"Hai, Hai.." I nodded and answers at him. I raised my hand again waves goodbye at them. "You guys be careful out there!"
"We will!" Responded Sakura.
"Don't worry about us, we'll be fine!" Yelled back Naruto to me.
"Don't let your body get separated in many pieces out there! Make sure the four of you get back here without a scratch, okay? If you won't I'm the one who'll deliver the final blow called 'your death!' so be prepared of theses consequences! Ja nah~!"
"Uhh, Miki? Giving them death threats won't help them. Not to mention, it's not necessary to give a death threat."
"I couldn't believe that as young as you, could say that very formally like it's nothing. Aren't you scared in your own language?"
"You're starting to scare me, seriously."
I turned at them, "Don't worry, I'm just trying to joke around. You actually believed I will do that? Seriously, what could I do to do that?" I smiled to them before turning my attention back to the five leaving here. "If they did die out there, I couldn't do anything yet. They'll have to wait for me to grow up and be like them first, before letting themselves killed, so somehow I could avenged their deaths. That is if they die of course."
They also watched them leave with me, "don't worry about them. The three genins are safe as long as they're with Kakashi. He is not an ordinary ninja."
"And about the three, they may be newbies but they're still a ninja of the hidden leaf."
I was waiting for the last person to say his something inspirational, but never comes. Haven't you noticed that they take turns when they talk to me? Like first, second, third?
The three of us went to look to where the last time he is, he wasn't there.
We all look at each other in question, "We just took off our sights for two seconds and he wasn't here anymore?"
"What are you guys talking about gathering around like that? Hope that your little meeting isn't about me."
We all turned to look at the person who just talk, standing in front of us, raising an eyebrow with his right hand leaned on his hips.
"Since you guys were having a great time, I finished the work myself," he says, showing us a paper, "now, what are you talking about?"
"It's nothing, Ojisan."
His head kinda like somebody knocked him, he look at me with a quite complicated expression of his face, he's smiling but it looks somewhat it's forceful with his right eyebrow raised and it's twitching. "Ojisan?" He asked.
"Hmm?" I asked in a hum, tilting my head.
and the two of his comrades tries to hide their laughter with their backs turned on the corner.
[Translation: Ojisan: Mister/Uncle or Grandpa]