Rabbit Princess [Gaara] [2]

☾ 35 ☽

Tsukiko stood in front of Naruto with her hand held up in the same manner as Yamato's Wood Style: Foo Dog Head. Naruto was practising with his last two clones now, attempting to finally nail his new Jutsu. The sky had cleared out and Sakura had a while ago to help out her mother. Yamato had taken a break and Tsukiko had gladly taken over his duty to get some experience under her belt.

"Yes!" Naruto exclaimed. "I think I'm getting it!" He had one of his clones help him make the Rasengan while the other one provided with the Wind Chakra.

"So, that's what you meant," Kakashi said as he looked at Naruto. "Makes sense... You learned Rasengan by using a clone to take care of the shape manipulation while you released the chakra,"

"Yep, I just need a second clone to hand the Wind nature manipulation!" Naruto replied. "I can't look left and right at the same time by myself, but I can have two clones each look one way! All you have to do is split the job into smaller pieces!"

"No less from Konoha's Number One Unpredictable Ninja, eh Naruto?" Kakashi said. Tsukiko chuckled. "I got to say... I'm really starting to like you!"

A disturbed look came over Naruto's face and he flew back from Kakashi, his clones disappearing.

"Don't say weird shit like that, you freak!" Naruto shouted. "I finally got the Jutsu and your creepy talk threw me off!"

"I didn't mean it like that!" Kakashi said, walking over to him. Tsukiko sighed and lowered her hand from her Jutsu, watching them being idiots.

"Back off!" Naruto shouted.

"You see, I, uh..." Kakashi said.

"No!" Naruto screamed, trying to crawl away.

"Captain Yamato?" Tsukiko asked when she turned around to see him return. "You can rest a bit longer, Usa. I've got the control down!" She noticed his expression. "Naruto! Kakashi Sensei!"

"What's up?" Naruto asked, standing up and looking over and stopped when he saw Yamato coming over to them.

"Kakashi Senpai," Yamato said. "We've got to stop training and return to the village right now," Tsukiko furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked as Yamato came to a stop in front of them.

"Sarutobi Asuma-San..." Yamato muttered as he lowered his head. Tsukiko and Naruto stared at him. "Has passed away..."

Tsukiko's eyes widened.

"Kakashi Sensei?" Tsukiko asked as she turned to look at Kakashi in shock. But her Sensei was himself too surprised to form words.

☾

"Tsukiko-Chan," Naruto said as the white-haired girl joined him and Sakura at their designated meeting point, all three of them clad in the black funeral garb. "Kakashi Sensei said he'll be with Captain Yamato and Bushier Brows,"

"Okay," Tsukiko muttered, looking away from them. She had started to dislike the black clothing she used for funerals. She put her hair back in a plain braid, leaving her bangs to cover her face.

"Come on, we should go to the graveyard," Sakura said, noticing the gloomy looks in the blue eyes of her two friends. "It's almost time for the funeral..."

Tsukiko stared at the desolate grey clouds covering the summery blue skies, drenching the surroundings with a depressive atmosphere that made her feel even sicker. She let out a low sigh and shivered slightly, not liking the direction she was heading in. Everyone around them were going with their daily lives as per usual but Tsukiko didn't want to fathom that at the moment.