Chapter 4 

"Listen up, Ko-chan. I'm gonna impart some wise knowledge on ya, okay?" 

Kimiko didn't halt her movement as she followed quietly behind Kushina, staring up curiously at the older woman. The two walked the streets of Konoha, no longer the empty night like she viewed it with Minato, or the near silent backstreets she walked with Kushina a day prior — no this time it was different.

The streets were live with people, bustling about, rushing to get places and sometimes no places at all. Salesmen and women announced their various goods from stalls, people shoved their way through the packed crowd, pushing Kimiko around in the process.

There was a barely a foot of distance between each person and Kimiko found it no were near enough, so she walked a little faster to stay closer to Kushina, listening as the woman continued.

"This place is called Main Street, got it? It leads up to Town Square, not far ahead. Now what ya wanna know is..." 

They lined them up in the middle of town square, one by one they were shouted at questions that she couldn't understand — and then they started dropping one after the other.

She may have been young but she wasn't stupid, she knew what it meant. And not even Haruka's soothing words seemed to calm the raging guilt that burned deep inside her — this was her fault.

This was all her fault.

"Ko-chan!"

Kimiko felt her world shake before she was brought back into reality, two strong hands gripped her shoulders and shook her gently. Looking up she could make out the worried looking Kushina who took a sigh of relief when Kimiko blinked.

"You almost scared me half to death!" Kushina told her, placing her hands back beside her. "What's wrong, Ko-chan?"

Kimiko took one look around the busy street in which they stood, people paid them no mind, simply shoving pass like always. She just looked up to Kushina and reassured her. "It's nothing...I'm just a bit tired."

If Kushina knew it was a lie, which she most likely did, she didn't comment on it. Instead she placed a hand on Kimiko's shoulder and guided the child forward.

"Anyway, like I was saying." Kushina proceeded to launch right back into her speech.

The run down was this; the main streets were always packed, even at night, and it was best not to stop or accept anything they offer you — not unless you know what you're buying into.

Kimiko took those words to heart, knowing it would do the small town girl wonders. However when she thought about it, she was more than just a small town girl. Kimiko rarely entered the village that the orphanage was stationed near, due to a mixture of the stares that followed her and the restrictions placed upon them by the adults in charge.

Adults like Haruka.

"I'm gonna head off." Kimiko looked up, blue-green eyes blankly staring at the woman above her. Kushina continued. "I've got some stuff to do, grown-up stuff. I gotta leave you alone for a bit, kay?."

Kimiko just nodded.

"Good, now it closes early so I don't have time to guide ya 'round, but I trust someone as cute as Ko-chan will do just fine." Kushina grinned down at her and Kimiko failed to see how cuteness factored into a sense of direction.

But like always, she didn't comment on it.

"Ya just gotta look for a shop with a big sign on it, should say 'Jules' along the top. That'll be where ya get some new clothes, after all ya can't keep wearing Minato's old stuff, can ya?" Kushina smiled in amusement, gesturing to the attire Kimiko currently wore.

It seemed Kushina threw out all her old clothes while Minato seemed to keep almost all of his. A few sizes too big, the blue long-sleeved turtleneck she wore was more like a dress than a shirt, but Kushina reassured her that it complemented well with the worn and torn black pants held up by a belt — baggy pants that Kimiko was sure were originally leggings. 

Equipped with Minato's run-down blue sandals, Kimiko certainly looked...odd. Kushina gushed that she was simply adorable and Minato, well Minato didn't know yet and Kimiko wasn't supposed to tell.

Though Kushina told her Minato wouldn't mind, still Kimiko couldn't help but worry.

"I'll meet ya out the front in an hour, kay?" Kushina asked her, Kimiko just nodded. "But if I ain't there after ten minutes than just head back without me, might get held up."

Kimiko nodded again and the redheaded woman grinned, grabbing Kimiko's open palm and placing down small money bag. Waving energetically, Kushina walked off, a skip in her step as she disappeared into the crowd. 

Kimiko stared at the spot Kushina once stood a second longer before turning and walking away.

Later the small redhead found herself staring up at a shop, not the fashion store Kushina had told her to head to, but rather a small little shop — the sign painted sloppily above the entrance caught her eye, 'Weapons Mania!' was splatted across in different shades of green and gold — that apparently sold weapons and other basic ninja tools.

Kimiko entered the store without a moment's hesitation. 

::

"Kushina-san."

The Uzumaki woman lowered her head and didn't dare look up no matter how much she craved to. She could sense their presence in the room, strong and intense, but that didn't settle her urge to belt them then and there.

The traditional slamming of a certain councilmen's cane against the tiled floor meant for Kushina to raise her head, and she did.

Glaring her violet eyes straight at the irritating face of Danzō Shimura, she frowned.

"Let the meeting begin."

Kushina took her place amongst the people and knew it was going to be a long night.

::

"Like it?"

Kimiko barely lifted her head, eyes grazing over the figure looming above her for a moment before they refocused on the blade gripped tight in her hand. She nodded.

The figure, a smiling young man, nodding in acceptance. "Beautiful, isn't she? Hundred year crafted, got it cheap from some smuggler."

"She?" Kimiko asked aloud to which the man smiled wider, blushing a bit. "It's kind of my thing to address them all as females, you know, like boats and ships."

"I...don't know that." Kimiko admitted and the man looked a little awkward, scratching the back of his mousy brown hair.

"Ah, well, they do." He told her, green eyes fixing back on the dagger in her hand. "Any who, it's called Excalibur. Cool right?"

Kimiko stared down at the blade a second longer before shrugging. "Not really, sounds like something out of a lame fairy tale."

"But that's the beauty of it! Uh.." He paused when he realised he didn't know her name, Kimiko didn't catch on for a moment but when she did she answered.

"Kimiko."

"No last name?"

"Problem?"

The man just smiled. "I haven't got one either, Kimiko-chan. Names Hanae by the way, and this is my shop."

"Hanae?" Kimiko blinked and the shopkeepers face contorted into one of annoyance.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, get it out of your system. Guy, who owns shop full of pointy knives and bombs, has a name that means flower." Hanae's did not look amused.

Kimiko turned to face him completely. "Hanae also means favour your sexist pig." Hanae's face fell.

"...what?"

"You heard me, dickward." Kimiko placed her hands on her hips, dagger still in hand. "I called ya a sexist pig, problem?"

"...are you serious right now?" Hanae held his hands up. "Like genuinely serious."

Kimiko was quiet for a moment before holding out her arm, dagger in hand. "Course not, dumbass. Jeez, didn't think you were so fuckin' thick."

Hanae slowly took back the dagger, still completely confused. "I, ah...what?"

"Names Kimiko," He stared down at her outstretched hand. "Kimiko Uzumaki."

He used his free hand to take her's and shake, and then looked back at her for answers. "I wanted to know if ya were a dickhead or not, it's kind of a game i've got going, Konoha isn't exactly as entertaining as the brochures said it'd be."

"Konoha? Brochures? Game?" Hanae seemed to be on an endless loop of confusion before he sighed. "How'd I do?"

"Eh, half way between a cunt and a skin doctor." She told him to which he burst out laughing.

"You're not like most little girls, are you?" He smiled, bemused. "Clearly." Came her blunt reply to which he just laughed once more.

"It's a good blade, though." Kimiko looked back up at him, blue-green eyes seeming to stare straight through him. "Even if it's name is shit."

Hanae shook his head in amusement. "I like you, kid." He told her. "Uzumaki huh? I suppose that's the real reason you were testing me."

"Kushina says I outta be careful."

"Kushina-san? Ah, that makes sense." Hanae smiled. "She's reckless in nature but family comes first. Worry not, Kimiko-chan. Konoha is a safe place...even if it's not like the brochures said it'd be."

Kimiko found his smile infection, even if her own was only small, but it spoke a thousand words to which Hanae smiled brighter in reply.

"Um, excuse me?"

Both looked up, heads snapping in the direction of a silky sweet voice, calling out with caution. Kimiko caught the way Hanae practically lit up at the sight of a dark haired woman, and he was quickly waving the little redhead off.

"Excuse me, Kimiko-chan." And then he was off, tending to the new arrival of this woman.

Dark hair and blue eyes was all Kimiko caught before Hanae had ushered her off into the back, to which the redhead raised a brow before looking back to the shelves, returning to her browsing.

Kimiko found her eyes gliding back over the dagger from before as if some unknown force drew her to it, she frowned at the thought, and yet still picked it up. She imagined what it'd be like wielding such a dagger in real life, the golden engravings glistening under the sun, against the black blade as sweat dripped down Kimiko's forehead — she'd let out a fierce battlecry as she charged.

'Shinobi huh...' Kimiko frowned at the thought.

She'd already expressed to Kushina that she didn't want to be like those Iwa-nin, and she meant it, but Kushina told her that she didn't have to be like them, and Kushina meant it. That being a shinobi was so much more than orphaning children.

Kimiko sighed, she went to place the dagger back and a glint of someone's reflection in the blade was the only warning she got before someone jumped in front of her.

"Sup! What's with the princess knife, stony?"

Kimiko found a thousand things wrong with the first word alone. 

Before her stood a boy, the same height as her, with ink black curls bouncing off his head and a pair of round, obsidian black eyes. His skin was fairer than she thought possible and his smile was so bright that Kimiko thought she'd go blind by a mere glance.

Fastened in his expensive, and formal, blue robes. He swayed his hips with more femininity than her and Kushina combined and his smile held more cheek than a toddler on a sugar high.

Kimiko didn't know what to say but it didn't matter, before she could even open her mouth the little boy had snatched the dagger and held it up to the light, examining it.

"Eh, little rusty, don't you think?" He glanced back at her. "Are you too poor for something better, ha stony?"

Kimiko found a million things more wrong with this sentence, but knew if she focused on it too much he'd spout out some more bullshit for her to swallow so she crinkled her brow.

"Stony?" She chose this to be her first question. 

"Yeah, you know, stony!" The little boy held out his hands, handling the dagger rather carelessly she noted, and began to ramble on. "Cause you're so stone faced! Least that's what Bito-nii calls it, can't be sure with him, but he's pretty cool."

'Bito-nii?' Kimiko furrowed her eyebrows but he had continued on before she could ask.

"Say, stony, you gonna be a shinobi?" He asked, hands on his hips. "Cause this is a pretty lame knife, if you ask me."

Kimiko frowned. She didn't like the dagger per say but Hanae seemed to really admire it and she didn't care for the little boy's way of treating it, as well as addressing it as a 'knife' like it was some everyday kitchen utensil. 

It seemed she didn't even need to answer as he answered his own question. "Nah, you can't be, too weird."

'I'm the weird one?'

"No, i'm not going to become a shinobi." Kimiko finally got a word out, only for the boy to laugh in her face.

"Ha! Even your voice is weird!" He grinned. "All gloomy, what's the matter with you? Is it your hair? Why have you got such freak hair anyway? It's really weird, but so are you so, oh well!"

The dark haired boy just continued to grin like he hadn't just insulted nearly everything about her.

"Say, I haven't seen you before.." He tilted his head. "You new?"

"Yes, i'm-"

"Cool, where you from?"

Kimiko didn't answer, just staring up blankly at the strange boy. Even more strangely, he didn't seem to care.

"Are you visiting or do you live here?" Again, there was no room for her to answer, not that she would. "What are you like anyway? You don't talk much, I mean it's been ages and you-oh! I know you!"

Kimiko again, didn't answer. And again, the boy didn't care.

"You're the cool type!" He clicked his fingers, grinning as if he discovered some great revelation. "You know, that super mysterious and quiet guy whose actually super sensitive and is just dying for someone to understand him!"

'Sounds like the plot to some lame manga..' Kimiko thought dully, choosing to have a conversation with herself rather than talk to him.

"Bito-nii got a friend like that! He's super weird and quiet like you, but all the girls like him, don't know if they like you though, doesn't seem like it." He trailed off, before shrugging. "Ah well, loner types are always the first to bite the bullet.

Kimiko was genuinely curious if he knew what that phrase meant or if he was just copying what he'd heard from others. She was betting on the latter.

"So, weirdo-chan." He began. "Where is your family? Do you have one?"

That was it. She was done. Done with the boy's arrogance, his insults and his overall obliviousness to how uncomfortable he was making her.

"Are they-"

"Fuck off ya little shit before I smash ya head in!" 

The boy blinked, surprised, before it fluttered away to be taken by pure amusement. Kimiko's dark brows had furrowed and her face gave away her frustration, as did her scrunched fists, but it didn't seemed to bother him.

"Oh? Weido-chan~" His tone of voice caused a wave of dread to wash over her. "So you're one of those people Bito-nii told me 'bout? I never knew they started so young, the kinky ones."

Kimiko swore she heard Hanae drop something in the backroom, but didn't react to it. She instead stared straight at the boy and asked.

"What's a kinky?"

The boy burst out laughing and Kimiko found herself growing more and more annoyed. The surprise of his name calling quickly faded as she scrunched up her fists, eyes burning holes in his head.

"You're so innocent, weirdo-chan!" 

Kimiko's cool composure melted away for good, and she snapped in his face. "I'm not the weird one, ya are! Fuckin' dick, who the heck do ya think ya are? Calling me weird, fuck off!"

But he seemed to eat it up, retorting with his own comments. "But weirdo-chan, you have the weird hair, weird voice, and now, to top it off, you're the kinky loner!"

It took everything in Kimiko's power not to reach out and strangle the boy, instead she couldn't to snap in his face, and he replied as calm as ever. But it continued to escalate, the other customers having stopped to peer at the two judgingly, and so Hanae decided to step in.

"That's it!" The mousy haired man shouted, arms crossed against his blue vest. "Out! Get out of my shop the both of you! You too, Kimiko!"

There was no room for protest as he picked them both up by the backs of their collars and threw them outside, both skidded into the dirt, both unhurt. The door slammed shut behind him and Kimiko was left dusting herself off.

"Your name is Kimiko, weirdo-chan?"

She looked over to him, rubbing the dirt off her cheek as she nodded.

"Pretty~" He grinned and she felt a little bad for yelling. "Too bad it doesn't really fit a boyish girl like you."

Kimiko regretted even bothering to feel a simmer of regret for the boy who just smiled. "I mean, you aren't very cute, Ki-chan."

She didn't bat an eye at the nickname, too tired to care, although she did believe it was unusual to only use the first syllable of her name as a way of addressing her. She didn't voice her thoughts however.

Kimiko slowly climbed to her feet, wishing to just return home and take a long bath, already dirty and done with today.

"What's wrong, Ki-chan?" The boy tilted his head, genuinely curious. "You don't like being called not cute?"

Kimiko couldn't take his idiotic nature anymore, once up on her feet she ran forward, hands outstretched to push him onto the ground. However he easily sidestepped her, smiling as she fell face first into a muddied puddle bellow.

"Whoops! Sorry 'bout that, Ki-chan."

She heard his voice call out above her, along with the muffled chuckles of people around her; most around her age. Minato's clothes were ruined and her hair was streaked with mud, smeared across her face; her cheeks burned red at the humiliation and anger.

"No wonder you ain't gonna be a shinobi, Ki-chan." He said behind her, giggling. "You wouldn't be a very good one, would you?"

Kimiko refused to look up, even at the sound of the boy knelling down beside her, the redhead's face just hovering above the puddle, eyes fixed on her reflection.

"I never told you my name, whoops." He admitted sheepishly before introducing himself.

Kimiko stared down at her reflection, blue-green eyes locked with each other, she studied the mud smeared across her face and listened to the laughter that had just begun to die down.

She frowned.

"So, Ki-chan, do you-Wait, where are you going?"

Kimiko said nothing as she picked herself up off the ground and ran off, refusing to look back no matter how loud he called out.

::

Kimiko brushed back her red hair, sticking to her forehead, as she walked down the halls of the Namikaze residence, not caring if she tread mud or water through.

As she walked the halls, the boy's words ingrained into her mind, she scrunched up her fists.

"No wonder you ain't gonna be a shinobi, Ki-chan. You wouldn't be a very good one, would you?"

She grit her teeth. 'Fuck you!'

"I'm gonna be a shinobi!"

Kushina tried, and failed to hide her smile, peering up from her place sprawled across the couch with her scrolls. "Oh, why the sudden change in mind? I thought ya decided not to?" The older woman asked, teasingly.

Kimiko was in no mood to deal with Kushina so she simply huffed. "Reasons!"

The water in her sandals squished every time she took a step, red hair not swaying behind her, stuck to the back of her already drenched to the bone clothes.

"Hey! At least tell me something!" She heard Kushina yell out. Kimiko was already halfway through opening the door to her room and didn't think she could wait another second, if she did; she feared what would happen.

The little boy was just a little boy but what he said seemed to play almost on repeat, reminding her of what she already knew.

Konoha wasn't her home.

"I never told you my name, whoops."

Kimiko tightened her hold on the door handle.

"Names Shisui, Shisui Uchiha."

"I hate Shisui Uchiha!"

She slammed the door behind her, just in time for when her eyes begun to burn and her vision blurred. Kimiko sunk to her knees and cupped her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut.

She didn't belong in Konoha.

And long after the sun had set, Kimiko picked herself up off the ground and found the strength to crawl under the covers of her head; the image of the Uchiha crest burned into her mind.

::

At this point it may seem as if Kimiko is overreacting but she is 1. not in the best place right now, and 2. feeling like an outsider and Shisui didn't exactly help that.

Poor little Shisui. He's a complete brat in the beginning but so is little Kimiko — making them two peas in a pod. For all the Shisui fans, don't worry, he won't stay like this for long — he needs a little development before hand.

Thoughts?