Kiyomi Uzumaki-Kitan

Gift of Memory

"Princess!" I was enveloped in a large hug as Toshiaki crushed me to him.

"Shit. Im so sorry. I dont even know what happened. Your body just got unbearably hot in like seconds as I took the leap to cross the crevice. I swear I didn't drop you on purpose." I pushed back from his hold and gasped for more air, glaring at him.

"W-what'd I do?" He took a couple steps away from me as my hair flared up.

Racing forward I knocked him on the head.

"Moron!" I yelled.

He gave a cry, jumped back and grabbed at his head in pain.

"Don't jump after someone if they fall! Just stay at the top and prey that they make it!" Yes, this moron jumped after me as I fell but caught himself before he fell into the never ending darkness when he saw my hair light up like a flare.

"Sorry Princess. I was just worried and had to try and save you. I wasn't going to lose you right after finding you." Before I could even answer, he scooped me up and took off again.

"TOSHIAKI!!" I cried out in fright as he sped up.
I tightened my grip around his neck and buried my head in his chest as the wind whipped at my now raven black hair.

He made a long and high jump that had my insides fly upwards. When his feet hit the ground, he came to a complete stop.

"Its alright Princess, we're here." I could hear the smirk in his words and I had to restrain myself from clobbering him into the ground.

Instead, I clambered to my feet and found that I was on a tree branch. A branch of a special tree.

I placed my hand on the trunk of the tree fondly.

"This is a fair way from the Village Toshiaki." I told him as my hand traced the markings left by a group of 5 young children.

5 little brats who had run off from the base they had been inside under lock down.

Laughing and playing like they weren't in the top 100 of the worst killers of Bingo book history. Just normal kids doing normal things.

5 kids who fell asleep in one big pile under their infinite art masterpiece. Done in the spur of the moment, only to last a lifetime.

"Yeah, I figured since it was closer then all the other locations I've been at. I'd come visit. As a good luck gift for when you fight in The Final Rounds.
A reminder of who you're really fighting for." I traced the markings, underneath were the names of the 5 little brats who escaped and ran from lock down.

4 names of important figures in my life.

Kinan Kitan

Toshiaki Hideki

Jin Takahiro

Noriko Takahiro.

Of course my name being the fifth little brat.

"Figured you could add to it. Like a memory tree."
He was holding out a kunai for me to take.

Before adding any names, I delineated a box around Kinan's name.

"There you go Ki-ni." I smiled lightly.

My brother was dead.
He died saving me.
He believed in me.

There was another Kinan in the world. He's not my brother. He is a fake.

With a satisfied smile, I began to etch some more names into the bark of my Memory Tree.

To remind me who I'm really fighting for.

Itachi Uchiha.

Tobi Boy.

The first people I bonded with after my brother. The ones who were like big brothers.

Kisame.

Nagato.

Konan.

The people who cared for me when I was alone in the Akatsuki base.

Haku.

Zabuza Momochi.

The men who were like 'distant family'. Cousin or Brother Haku and Uncle Zabuza.

Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Yukio Sora.

Minuro Sho.

Kakashi Hatake.

The ones who rescued me from the dark and from myself. Who took me in when I had nowhere to go. Treated me like a fellow comrade at first glance.

Naruto Uzumaki.

Sasuke Uchiha.

Konohamaru Sarutobi.

My self appointed brothers. The ones who give me the will to even wake up everyday. The ones who gave purpose to my life.

Rock Lee.

Neji Hyuuga.

Shikamaru Nara.

Choji Akamichi.

Kiba Inuzuka.

The boys. No explanation needed. I also fight for them.

Maite Gai.

Asuma Sarutobi.

Kurenai.

My Sensei, the ones who have been passing their knowledge down. Helping me to reach any and all goals I could possibly have.

And Finally.

The Hidden Leaf Village.

I fight for the Hidden Leaf. It is my home. My Village.

"That's a hellava lot of people to be fighting for Princess." I heard Toshiaki mutter.

I simply kept my eyes on the markings.

Lifting the kunai to another name. I delineated a box around his name.

"Thank you Yukio-sempai." I did a silent prayer for the man who, only after knowing me for a few months, sacrificed his life and saved my own.

I looked over the names I had inscribed into the bark of this tree.

My Memory Tree.

I placed my hand on the trunk and closed my eyes.
Pushing chakra into the centre of this special tree and cloaking it with my energy.
Gathering nature energy, I let that power mold in with my own chakra and a little chakra of the Kyuubi.

I felt a shift in my blood, and the chakra and bloodline of the Senju clan molded perfectly into the blend.

The healing abilities known by the Senju clan, the chakra of the Great Nine Tailed Fox and of course, my own source of chakra seeped into the roots of the tree and embedded deep within.

My Memory Tree.

To remind myself who I'm Really fighting for.
Because I fight for more then just myself now.