Chapter 0 - Naruko's Debt
The Fourth Raikage was a strapping man by all accounts, even one-armed and middle-aged. He was tall and broad, pronouncedly muscular, fair of hair and exotically swarthy. One did not usually see men like him in Konoha, neither so dark nor so visibly powerfully built, and his firm, commanding manner and bold, forceful presence much contrasted him with the Sixth Lord Hokage.
Ay was in many ways the opposite of Kakashi, as a man and a shinobi, and also as a leader. Ay was heavily muscled and usually bare-chested, while Kakashi was lean and covered even his mouth. Ay spoke proudly and forcefully and carried himself with absolute confidence, while Kakashi was quiet and casual and inclined to slouch. Ay prided himself on a rather narrow mastery, using almost exclusively his lightning armor and Cloud-style taijutsu, while Kakashi was famed as a generalist proficient in a little of everything.
Watching these two men stand opposite each other and shake hands, Naruko was struck by just how different they were. Yet there was also a certain understanding between them, as allies and equals in the international community. They could each sympathize with the other's burdens, and they each respected the other's abilities. Between them was an air of—not friendship, no, nothing quite so soft or trusting as that, but they were comrades, fellow Gokage who worked to organize their own villages as well as the new Shinobi Union.
Naruko had nothing but respect for these two men. Oh, she fully intended to stand on their level one day, and as far as combat ability she was there already, but she was still technically just a genin. The most famous kunoichi of her generation, renowned throughout the land as the vanquisher of Madara and hero of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, but still only a genin. She admired these two men, each in their own ways.
Kakashi was her captain and jounin sensei. He'd taught her many important things, and she had taken to heart many a valuable lesson on life and loyalty from the man. At one time she might have had a bit of a crush on him, a little while after she first graduated the academy. That was many years ago, now. She knew enough of Kakashi to recognize his flaws and his true character. While he was a good man, by all accounts, he was not the sort she could really love.
Not that Naruko was particularly romantic of inclination. She could enjoy a happily married ending, and she could appreciate a sweet and precious romance, but she didn't seek such things out. She had always been rather more concerned with getting stronger—with getting acknowledged by the village. Only now that she had both those things did she really, earnestly begin to think about love and eros in a serious way.
Somehow, it seemed like most of the guys she knew had been taken. Admittedly her circle of acquaintances wasn't the widest, outside of her mentors and immediate peers. She was friendly with many people, but she didn't know most of them that well, nor did she feel particularly attracted to many of them.
Of her peers, Sasuke was away from the village most of the time, and anyways was pretty obviously in with Sakura. Naruko had never entirely seen what the other girls had seen in him, either—he was cute enough, and once she'd gotten to know him, she could say that he was a good friend and a decent person, whatever the shit he'd done in the past—but she couldn't quite see herself in a relationship with him.
Kiba was okay, she supposed. He was a bit annoying, maybe a little too much like herself for them to get along. He wasn't unattractive, at least. But he seemed to be going out with that one girl—Tama something, wasn't it? And as for Shino... no, just... no. Naruko wasn't as squeamish as some of the other girls she knew, but the Aburame's kikaichu were simply too gross for her. Also, she didn't feel like they might get along all that well. They were too dissimilar.
Shikamaru was one she might have seriously considered. He'd turned out nicely, by all accounts, and now that he wasn't quite so lazy she found that she rather enjoyed his company. They weren't the closest, but he was a fairly good friend, pus he was one of the more handsome guys in their age group, after Sasuke. But he was taken by Temari, and Naruko did not wish to get on her bad side.
