Over the next week the bridge was finished. With Gato being gone, all of the workers who quit came back to help again. Production skyrocketed. True to his word, Tazuna got a plaque with all four of our names engraved on it. He even got one for each end of the bridge! Thus the newly named Bridge of Hope is open for business!
The dreaded C-rank from hell is finally over. Currently we are going back to Konoha, moving at shinobi speeds and making excellent time.
Once Konoha's walls are in sight, Kakashi breaks our silence.
"Alright team, we need to report directly to the Hokage while the events are still fresh in our minds. After that is done, you all have a week off. Do whatever you want with it. Let's go."
We all get ushered into the Hokage's office. Huh, usually we would have to wait. Perks of Kakashi being one of the top jonin?
"Kakashi-kun and Team 7! How nice it is to see you back safely. How was your first C-rank mission?" The Hokage warmly greets us.
"It was a grade A cluster fuck." Shit was that out loud? Judging by the stern looks I am getting, it was. "Sorry?"
"That is not how I would word it, but my cute little gennin is correct."
Kakashi tells the Hokage all about the mission with Sasuke, Sakura and I filling in the empty holes that he wasn't there for. I tactfully left out the Kakashi puppet part, I really don't want him to seek revenge. Unfortunately, I had to talk about what happened in the Ice Dome.
"YOU ALMOST DIED AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME!?"
"Ow, Sakura can you be any louder? I don't think the Raikage heard you clearly."
"Alvarcus." I wince. That is Kakashi's disapproving tone. "Same question. I order you to respond." Ouch, low blow sensei.
I'm suddenly very interested in the floor. "Haku did the same fake death trick that she used on Zabuza. Sasuke thought I died. I didn't. I woke up to you shoving your hand through his chest. What was that by the way? It sounded like birds." Please get distracted.
"Chidori. Why didn't you tell me? Did you think it was unimportant?"
"Well, it was over and done with. I didn't die, and I didn't want to worry you and Sakura any more than you already were."
"Not a good enough reason. Next time something like this happens you tell your teammates. What if the senbon were poisoned? We would have had no idea until you really did die."
"You're right. Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-san, I apologize for my actions. I will not repeat them."
"Good."
"As nice as this... team bonding session is, we should get back to the debrief." The Hokage reprimands us.
In the end we have an A-rank mission on our records, and a nice fat paycheck. Once my parents hear about this, they are going to freak.
"Kaa-san! Tou-san! I'm home!" I call out into our house.
"Alvarcus! You're back! Tell us all about your mission. I want to know everything! Did my baby do well? You didn't slow your teammates down did you? My son will not be a slacker!"
"Jeez kaa-san! If anything I did the most work. After Kakashi-sensei of course."
"That's my boy! So. Let's hear about it. What did you do?" Tou-san ruffles my hair. It falls perfectly back in place. Dammit Sakura is right, I do have ridiculously nice hair.
"We had to protect this sleaze ball named Tazuna. He is supposed to be some big shot bridge builder for the Land of Waves. The first thing he did was insult my team!"
Tou-san chuckles.
"It's okay though, he turned out to be alright. Anyways when we left we were attacked by two missing nin!"
My parents sharply inhale.
"It was really scary, we thought they got Kakashi-sensei. Then... they attacked us. We won."
"You're not telling us something." I wince. Kaa-san notices. "What happened?"
"I... I killed one of them." I mutter out.
My parents recoil in shock. "You..." Kaa-san whispers, "you killed someone?"
I hang my head in shame. "Yes. He was going to kill my whole team if I didn't do something. I had to. I didn't have a choice. I just reacted on instinct."
"Alvarcus." Tou-san's voice cuts through the silence. "Did you... have you killed anyone else?" He sounds so defeated, almost as if he failed me. He looks like his heart shattered.
"I... Yes. I have killed others." I knew this conversation would be difficult.
With a choked back sob kaa-san asks, "How many?"
"At least two." I cringe, I may have killed some of the mercenaries back on that bridge. I wasn't exactly gentle when I was throwing rocks at them. "Probably more. I also helped cause the death of at least three others." Haku, and the two henchmen. Technically Sasuke killed them, but without my help he never would have.
Kaa-san starts sobbing. Gut wrenchingly loud sobbing, tears flow freely down her face. "My baby is a killer. My baby is a killer."
I recoil away from her. How is this that big of a surprise? They had to know that shinobi will have to kill. That's what they called us, lying, cheating, brutal, murderers. I guess they are right. I am a murderer now.
"Alvarcus. I'll take care of Namika." Tou-san does not call her my kaa-san, and it hurts. It hurts so much. "Why don't you... spend the day outside? Go tell your friends you are back in town."
I tear my eyes away from my crying kaa-san to see tou-san with a disappointed frown on his face. He wants me to go visit my friends? My only two friends are Sasuke and Sakura. He has to know that.
"O-okay. I'll uh... be back later tonight?"
Tou-san shakes his head.
"Tomorrow?"
He nods.
"Okay. I'll just go now." My head held in shame, I exit my house.
My parents just kicked me out on my first day back from a month long mission. Where can I go? I have no where to go. Maybe I'll take tou-san's advice and visit my friends? Sakura is probably with her family. I don't want to dump my problems on her and ruin the day for her. I have absolutely 0% chance of finding Kakashi. That leaves Sasuke.
I start heading to the Uchiha district. Wow, this place is seriously creepy. How can Sasuke stand to live here? I walk up to the biggest house and knock on the door.
"Sasuke? You in there?"
"If you are here to invite me to one of those team dinners, the answer is the same as the last fifteen times. No." Yep, that is definitely Sasuke.
"That's not what I am here for." I take a deep breath. "I need a favor."
Slowly, the door creaks open. Sasuke pins me with a cold stare. "I am not doing anymore team bonding today. I want to relax alone."
"Oh... uh... this isn't about team bonding." Here we go. Just be blunt, there is no need to beat around the bush. "I need a place to crash tonight. I told my parents about the Demon Brothers. They kicked me out and said don't come back until tomorrow."
I hold my breath. Sasuke doesn't say anything.
"It's alright, I can camp out in a training ground or something. I haven't unpacked yet so everything is good to go." This is just great. "Thanks anyways Sasuke." I turn around and start aimlessly walking away.
"Wait." I look back a Sasuke. "Your parents kicked you out?"
"Yeah." That's all I can say. I don't trust my voice right now, there's a massive lump in my throat. Who kicks out their own child?
"Get inside." Sasuke disappears into his house. Relief surges through my body. Oh thank Kami. "Hurry up and get in here before I change my mind!"
"Right!" I enter the house. It is surprisingly clean. I thought for sure Sasuke would be a slob with no parental supervision. I know I was in my past life. "Thank you Sasuke. Really. I owe you big time."
"You can repay me by staying quiet. Just because you are here doesn't mean I want to talk. Take the couch in the living room. Bums like you don't get to use the spare bedroom."
Smug prick. "Whatever you say."
The rest of the day passes in a companionable silence. Sasuke goes about his business and I stay out of his way. I knew that deep down he really is a good guy.
The Next Morning
"HOW DID YOU GET INTO MY HOUSE!?"
I'm yanked out of my sleep, I leap off the couch, grab a kunai and haul ass to Sasuke's room.
Don't be dead! Don't be dead! Don't be dead!
I kick the door open and take stock of the situation.
"Yo." It's Kakashi.
Kakashi broke into Sasuke's house. I glance at the clock. Correction: Kakashi broke into Sasuke's house at 4:45 in the morning. What the hell is going on?
"Oi. Kakashi-sensei." The other males turn to me. "I thought we were on leave. Why are you here?"
"Oh I decided we need to have a team meeting. I've already told Sakura, and I was going to get you next Alvarcus, but I don't need to. How was the slumber party?"
"It was brilliant. We painted each other's nails and talked about how my parents kicked me out of the house!" Huh, I may have some unresolved anger.
Kakashi goes deathly still. "They did what?"
I refuse to elaborate.
"Alvarcus told his parents about the Demon Brothers." Sasuke blurts out. "They told him to not come back until tonight. He crashed here."
"It's not important." I am not talking about this. Kakashi let the subject drop, for now. I can tell he wants to say more. "What was this about a team meeting?"
"I want you to be at training ground seven at 6am. I'll tell you about it then." Kakashi vanishes in a swirl of leaves.
"Well we better get going. I'd hate to be late after all."
Training Ground 7
At 9:00 Kakashi finally shows up.
"YOU'RE LATE!" Sakura yells at Kakashi. "You can't call a team meeting like this and then be late to it! You're a jonin! Act like it!"
"Today is Pakkun's monthly grooming day, and I just couldn't leave him half groomed."
"Of course, grooming is very important. I'm glad you finished it, I know if my hair was half combed I would be in a hissy fit the entire day." Wait a moment, I know that name.
"Who is Pakkun?" Sasuke asks.
"He's one of my summons. I'll introduce you all eventually."
Ah that is where I know that name from. He's the cute pug summon with the soft paws.
"I've decided to enter you three into the Chunin Exams." Kakashi casually tells us.
Oh shit that is happening now?
"Here, take these forms. If you want to take the exams, fill it out and report to the Academy building one week from today."
Seven days. The Chunin Exams are in seven days.
That means Orochimaru is going to attack in seven days.
Goodbye life, it was nice while it lasted.
"Well now you know!" Kakashi is was too chipper with our imminent demise coming. That's right, he doesn't know. "Do you three want help training over the next week? It is your leave time, I can't force you to."
"Teach me more fire ninjutsu." Sasuke demands.
"I think I'll be fine. I'll be there next week!" Sakura adds.
"Fire whips. I need help on my fire whips." I need more offense than my floating kunai trick. As cool as that is, it won't work on Orochimaru. Who am I trying to fool, my fire whips won't work on him either. He is a damn Sannin! He beats the Hokage! A lowly gennin like me has no hope for survival.
"Alright. Sasuke stay here. Alvarcus come back here at noon. Sakura, enjoy your week off." Kakashi vanishes.
"Well. I'm hungry." Sakura sates. "Do you two want to get some food?"
"No. I am going to train." Sasuke leaves us.
"I'm going to have to decline as well. I'm going to do some research into past Chunin Exams. Maybe it'll give us an edge if we know what to expect." Plus there is the off chance that the exams will not be the same as cannon. It won't hurt to be prepared.
"Alright. I'll see you around."
Noon at Training Ground 7
"Yo." Kakashi shunshins into the training ground.
"Who the hell are you?" I demand, instantly going on guard. "You're not Kakashi-sensei. He is never on time."
"Very funny Alvarcus. I can be on time if I want to."
I don't buy it. This is too strange. "Prove to me that you are Kakashi."
Kakashi shrugs, and pulls out a familiar orange book. He starts reading it.
"On our last mission you had your first kill." He turns a page.
"Not good enough. Anyone could check mission records and find that information." I am 90% sure this is Kakashi. No one else would have the audacity to start reading porn in this situation.
"It was Sasuke that helped you through your first kill. Not me." Damn. I can't refute that one.
"Alright, you're Kakashi-sensei. So! Fire whips. I need help with them. Either I need to make them more chakra efficient or I need to increase my reserves. What would be easier?"
"Hold on Alvarcus. I have something for you." He does? What could it be? Kami forbid an Icha Icha book, I already have my own. Kakashi reaches into his hip pouch, and pulls out an envelope. "Catch." I catch it, and look at him questioningly. "It's a key to my house."
"What? I don't think I heard you right."
"I said," Kakashi speaks very slowly, "it's a key to my house."
"Yep, that's what I thought I heard. I hate to break it to you, Kakashi-kun," I flutter my eyelashes at him, "but we will never work out."
"Ha ha. Hilarious." Kakashi turns a page. "The address is in there too. If you ever need a place to stay, use it."
This is him being there for me. He never was good with words, Kakashi let his actions speak for him.
"Kakashi, I can't take this."
"After what your parents said," He talked to my parents? "you better take the damn key."
I wince. "Were they really that bad?"
"You want the honest truth?"
"Yes. How bad were they?"
He snaps shut his book. "I am surprised they are letting you come back at all."
Ouch. "That's bad." I pocket the envelope. Its better to not make it a big deal. "So. My fire whips. What will be more effective, increasing my control or supply?"
Kakashi is okay with letting my change the subject. "Neither. It is out or your reach right now. You won't be able to wield them properly in time. Your chakra supply can't keep up with the amount of training you would need to do."
No. I need this. I need something, anything to combat Orochimaru!
"Although, I do have an idea for your chakra strings." This better be a damn good idea.
"Let's hear it."
"It's based off of your kunai trap idea. The logic behind it is that you attach strings to a heavy object and a light object, and by making your strings elastic you launch the lighter object, usually a kunai, at a high velocity. That is how it works, correct?" I nod. "My question for you: can you be the kunai?"
"You want me to launch myself at the enemy? That is a terrible idea. Did you get hit in the head?"
"Ha ha. Very funny. I haven't been anyone's puppet recently." He is still mad about that. "I don't want you to launch at an enemy. I want you to launch away from an enemy."
That is a brilliant idea. How have I never thought of that? Imagine, fighting an opponent and suddenly I launch in a random direction, like upwards.
Not upwards, I have no desire to ever be high up in the air again. Any other direction is fine. Besides, how do you counter that? There is no muscle tension, no visible way to see that move coming, unless you have a doujutsu or are a crazy accurate sensor.
That thought must have shown on my face, because Kakashi looks smug. I think so, I'm getting better at reading him through his mask.
"Good idea, isn't it? Well hop to it! I'll be here to make sure you don't hurt yourself."
"Alright, alright. This can't be that hard. I already know how to do it and everything." I attach a string from my wrist to a nearby tree. "See? It's exactly like my kunai trap." Without a care in the world, I let the elastic string pull me to the tree.
POP
"Oh sweet mother of Kami it hurts! Fuck, fuck fuck fuck! My shoulder!" I dislocated my shoulder. I ripped it right out of it's socket.
Kakashi rushed over to me. "Alvarcus! Calm down. I know how to fix this. Look at me. I'm going to put it back in on three. Okay?"
With teary eyes I nod. He grips my arm firmly.
"One."
POP
"Ow! That fucking hurt you filthy asshat! You said three!"
THWACK
He smacked me in the back of the head. "Bad Alvarcus. You do not insult your sensei, especially when he just popped your shoulder back in place. Now, what did we learn and how do you fix it?"
"Fine." I grumble while experimentally moving my shoulder around, "One string is a bad idea. Having the string come from a limb is also a bad idea, as seen by me dislocating my shoulder. I'll make them from the torso, chest or back. At least four, more if possible. Spread the force out, don't have it all in one spot. And for the love of Kami do not pull myself in two directions! Death by ripping yourself in half would be a very stupid way to die."
"I don't think anyone has done that before. You might start a new trend."
"Oh shut up Kakashi-sensei. I'm going to try this again."
From the torso this time, I connect multiple strings to the tree.
"Here we go."
SLAM
"Alvarcus?" Kakashi looks up from his book.
"Shut up Kakashi-sensei."
"You just threw yourself into a tree." He says factually.
"I said SHUT UP Kakashi-sensei!"
This will take a lot of work to get right. At least I have a week.
Alvarcus's House, Later that Night
I am standing outside my front door. I don't want to go inside. I don't want to face my parents.
After five minutes of mustering my courage, I open the door. I walk into the living room and see my parents on the couch.
"Kaa-san, tou-san." I greet them.
"Alvarcus." Tou-san replies, acknowledging my existence. Kaa-san says nothing at all.
No one says anything. After standing in the doorway awkwardly for another five minutes, I head to my room. My parents don't want to talk to me.
That night the nightmares were bad. I looked on as I killed the Demon Brother again, only this time there was an audience. My parents watched me kill him, and then they walked away in silence. It was the worst nightmare yet.
A week flies by when you keep yourself busy. Especially if you have an awesome new power to learn how to use! All week I have been practicing my string leaping. After the first day I stopped slamming into trees. After the second day I perfected my landings. On the third day, I added another string to launch me in a direction instead of at an object. The fourth day I had the crazy idea to use 3 strings to make myself hang suspended in the air. That was by far the coolest thing ever. I took the fifth and sixth days to practice everything else in my shinobi toolkit, it wouldn't be a good idea to work on one skill so much my others deteriorate.
Now it is the seventh day, my rest day. The day before the Chunin Exams. I am nervous as hell. So much could go wrong, so much could change from cannon. I can't rely on my knowledge. It could be wrong and acting like I know what will happen will only get me killed. I can't even trust that the exams will be the same. That is why I researched past exams. Konoha favors team based exams, and usually has three exams. A form of a mental test, a form of a physical test, and a tournament.
I need to unwind, so I wander around Konoha by myself. I don't want to be at home, not with my parents being so hostile to me. I can't train either, I need to rest and recuperate for tomorrow. I could use some ice cream. With a new goal in mind, I start heading to a small store that specializes in cold foods. What kind should I get? Chocolate? Vanilla? Fudge Volcano Explosions Version Three?
"You do not belong here."
I freeze in the middle of the street.
"This is not your home."
Someone knows my secret. Someone knows my secret!
Slowly, I turn to the voice. It can't be, that's Gaara. Red hair. Gourd. Kanji of love on his forehead. How the hell would Gaara know I'm not of this world?
"Explain." I demand.
"Not here." A new voice, a female voice, interjects. I glance over to the source and see blonde hair in double pigtails and a giant fan. Temari?
"Take us somewhere we can talk alone." A third voice adds. Kankuro. Even Kankuro knows? Does the Kazekage know? When does Orochimaru replace the Kazekage?
I collect my thoughts. Freaking out now won't change anything. I need more information.
"I know a place." I lead the Sand Siblings through the village to an empty training ground. I'm confident that I can run away if they start something, especially since I have strings set up to pull me to safety at a moments notice. "No one will disturb us here. Explain. Now!"
"Whoa, calm down dude." Kankuro replies, "We ain't gonna hurt ya. I'm Kankuro. "
"Forgive me if I don't believe you. Three on one is not the most peaceful way to start talking." I make sure to keep a healthy distance away from them, just in case.
"Don't be daft!" Temari snaps. "You're safe. I'm Temari, and we're not here to kill you."
"Then explain why you sought me out! Why you said those things! TELL ME! NOW!"
In Gaara's monotonous voice I hear, "You are family. A half brother. We are to bring you home to Suna after the Chunin Exams."
My jaw hits the floor. "I'm what?"
Temari takes over talking. "It's like Gaara said. You're family. We want you to come to Suna with us."
"What drugs are you three on? I am not your family." This is ridiculous. How could I possibly be their family? What gave them that crazy idea?
"Now you listen here pipsqueak!" Oh my Kami, is Temari going all big sister on me? Today is supposes to be stress free! Not spiral out of control in some freaky way! "Only our family has the magnet release!"
"No shit? I didn't realize that was a bloodline, I just thought it was a weird mutation of chakra." Actually that does make sense. If Gaara has traits of that bloodline, it could explain how natural his command over sand is. "Good for you, but what does that have to do with me?"
"You have the magnet release." Gaara drones out.
"Uh... no I don't." All three Sand Siblings fall still.
"Yes, you do." Temari states bluntly.
"Nope. I have no bloodlines, least of all the magnet release." So they don't know about my origins. Good. "Who told you I have the magnet release? If they are part of Suna's information gathering network you need to fire that guy."
Kankuro speaks up, "We have multiple eye witness reports of you moving multiple kunai without touching them in the Land of Waves. Rumors travel fast, especially yours. A jonin and three gennin save a country from a business tyrant? When I first heard that I didn't believe it. Then I heard that it was the Copy Nin, one of Konoha's best, that was the jonin. And the gennin? They weren't just any gennin. The last of the Uchiha, a pink haired kunoichi, and a pale black haired kid with the magnet release. Suddenly a jonin and three gennin saving a country sounds doable, with a stacked team like that you could do a lot more than save a third rate country."
"Oh. Wow. Rumors sure travel quickly." That wasn't very long ago. I'm surprised news of it has reached Suna already.
"Don't stall." Dammit Temari! "You're family. Accept it. Our father had an affair, and the woman settled in Konoha. You belong in Suna. With us."
"No I don't. I truly don't have the magnet release. If anything you'd have better luck saying I am your best puppet master's kid. I use chakra strings."
All three siblings twitch.
"Chakra strings? Bullshit." Kankuro steps forward. "I'm a puppet user, I know chakra strings. They don't work like that."
"I'll prove it." I offer.
"How?" Gaara barks out. A small amount of bloodlust starts flowing off him. Uh oh. That's not good.
"Well, I could move a kunai, to prove that the stories were true, then I can move something non metal. Like a stick. There's plenty of those around here."
"How do we know you didn't rig this up?" Temari demands.
"When would I have had the time? You sought me out! Remember? I just wanted to get some ice cream, but no! It's national 'let's fuck with Alvarcus' day!" Gaara's bloodlust spikes. Oops, cursing around Gaara is not healthy for my survival. "You know what? You have a kunai on you right? I'll move yours. Then pick something nonmetal you brought with you. I'll move them both."
With a shrug, Kankuro draws a kunai and... a sock out of his pack.
"Dude. Gross. A sock?"
Kankuro shrugs again. "It was the first thing I could grab."
"Fine. Whatever. If I use chakra is the redhead going to kill me?" I glance at Gaara. "Cuz that is some serious killing intent you have there. Not as good as Zabuza, mind you he was a monster. You're more like a disgruntled puppy. You try to look intimidating and menacing, but all I see when I look at you is 'awww soooo cute!'"
Temari and Kankuro recoil away from me like they were punched.
"You're not afraid of me?" Gaara sounds so confused.
"Uh no?" Lies. Total lies. Afraid isn't a strong enough descriptor for how scared I am of Gaara. I just don't want him to have a reason to kill me later on. I want to take the neutral path, the one that let's me fly under his radar. "If I was scared of people stronger than me I would shit myself whenever I saw my sensei. Your killer intent is like a refreshing breeze compared to his."
"What is your name?" Gaara demands. Oh goodie, my plan backfired. My plan severely backfired.
"Alvarcus Mar." I boldly say. I need to act confident even if I am secretly planning my escape if things turn sour.
"I will remember that name. I look forward to making you fear me." I've become interesting to Gaara. That is not good.
Temari interrupts, "Weren't you going to prove something Mr. I-don't-have-the-magnet-release?" Gesturing at the kunai and the sock, "Move them. If you move both we will leave you alone."
"Deal." I stretch a string out from my finger and pick up the kunai. "See? Looks like the magnet release right?" I send the kunai flying over my shoulder into a tree. I pick up the sock with the same string. "It's not."
Silence. Kankuro and Temari go pale. Gaara is staring at me with... a curious look on his face?
Finally Kankuro speaks up. "Well this is embarrassing. It could be chakra strings. I've never seen them used for something so... mundane before." He just insulted me. Prick.
With a sigh I say, "I vote we never speak of this day again."
"I agree." Temari says.
"Seconded." Kankuro adds.
"Agreed. We will see you in the Chunin Exams." Gaara is fixating on me. I messed up big time.
"Yeah, yeah." Suddenly a crazy thought occurs to me. "Say, when you are not insisting I'm your family you guys are pretty nice. I was heading to get some ice cream before you decided to confront me. Want to get some together after the Chunin Exams? I doubt you have many cold things in Suna." I pause. "Well, if we all survive. If we do I can take you all to the best ice cream shop in Konoha!"
The Sand Siblings look very confused.
"Ice cream? What is ice cream?" Temari asks in confusion.
"No. I refuse. I can't believe it. Do all three of you not know the glory that is ice cream?" They all shake their heads. "It's settled! After the Chunin Exams we are getting ice cream. I'll even bring my team along, you'll like them! Sasuke is quiet and broody like Gaara, Sakura is obnoxious and loud like Temari and I... uh... Am nothing like Kankuro. Sorry buddy."
"Whatever." Kankuro waves off my comment. "You don't know me. I'm sure we will find something in common over this... Ice cream."
"I am NOT OBNOXIOUS!" Temari yells.
I snicker.
"I'm not!" Temari huffs.
"You are." Gaara states.
"Cool. On that note, I'm leaving." I exit the training field.
Today was supposed to be a stress free day. Why did it all go wrong? I just wanted some ice cream!