Hidden Villages

I: Laid Plans

Training was in fact difficult, but Kurotsuchi found herself thriving on the tasks her new teacher gave her. She found herself bothered by Chikako and Satoko ignoring her simply because she graduated early, for when she had time off she found she now had nobody to spend this time with. She wondered why the three of them were friends in the first place, but brushed it aside.

Roshi decided she could have the rest of day off a lot and Kurotsuchi thus found herself wandering around the village with nothing to do. Her young muscles ached slightly form all of the heavy training, but she continued walking around. One of the women saw her. "It's such a pity you'll make such a lovely bride when you get older."

The young kunoichi stopped in her tracks before turning towards the woman. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about..." The woman paused looking her in the eye. "Never mind. Don't worry your little head over matters which are yet to come."

The child let out a sigh before moving on, but in the back of her mind the woman's words bothered her. She didn't think anything of the conversation until she ran into her friends Chikako and Satoko again. Despite the cold shoulder they'd given her she still attempted acting in a friendly manner towards them.

"Chikako! Satoko! How was classes at the academy today?"

"Why would you care?" Chikako said giving her a rather cold look. "You got to graduate early."

Satoko shook her head. "Chikako, you know the only reason she graduated early is because the Tsuchikage is preparing her to marry the son of the Kazekage."

"What..." Kurotsuchi swallowed. The idea of marriage never crossed her mind as she'd always focused on her studies, but she also wasn't that old.

Chikako's smile widened. "Oh, you didn't hear that the current Kazekage walked out on an arrange marriage with your mother and the previous Kazekage let him? I heard that she'd already had sex with him and that's why the only person who would marry him is your daddy, meaning your mother is a slut."

"That isn't true."

Satoko looked at the ground. "My mom says the Kazekage did refuse to marry your mother."

"Despite this there is still a marriage contract which is meant to be fulfilled between us and Suna, which means you're going to be married off as soon as possible to the Kazekage's oldest son."

"That's not true."

"Oh wait." Chikako lifted a hand to her mouth. "I heard that you're actually going to be married to the Kazekage, but your marriage is to occur at the next chunin exams which are to be held here. It's why he was in such a rush to get you graduated, because graduating means you're an adult. Am I not right Satoko?"

"Um, yeah."

"Do you know what else I heard? I heard the Kazekage is really old, but he made his wife pop out babies until she died. That's why they're working on your strength training, so you won't die in childbirth."

Kurotsuchi felt hot tears begin to well in the corner of her eyes, but her hands balled into fists. Her mouth pushed together in frustration, but she found herself wanting to hit her former friends. A familiar voice from behind, however, stopped her from doing so.

"Stop it." The sound of her older brother's voice made Kurotsuchi relax. She turned and saw Deidra was quite angry, but was carrying a package under his arm. His friend Akatsuchi was with him.

"But it's true," Chikako remained persistent.

Deidra stormed forward and his fist pounded into the stone wall behind Chikako. "It's not true. The Tsuchikage would never marry my sister off like that. If you keep this up, I'll seriously hurt you. Do you understand me?"

The two girls looked at him in fright before running off. Chikako grabbed onto the other girls arm and pulled her after her. What her two friends said still upset Kurotsuchi and the tears began running down her face. Akatsuchi turned to look at her. "Oh, oh. Kurotsuchi never cries."

Deidra watched her with a rather irritated look on his face. He held the package he carried out for his friend to take. "Here. Don't break this."

The blond-haired shinobi reached out and pulled his younger sister in a hug. One of his hands reached up and touched the back of her head gently, but he calmed his tone of voice down. "Grandfather would never, ever do that to you Kurotsuchi. You are his pride and joy. He constantly brags about you, but that's the real reason you graduated early. You made him proud."

Instead of steaming her flow of tears as he hoped he found Kurostuchi crying as she buried her face into his chest. Akatsuki frowned. "Oh dear."

Deidra patted her back. "There, there. I won't let any of those creepy Suna shinobi ever touch you, okay."

A laugh escaped from Kurotsuchi's mouth. She leaned back and wiped a tear away from her face. "You could have stopped when you called him grandfather you know."

Deidra's blue eyes widened before he glanced away. A slight blush spread across his cheeks. "Yeah, well, it's only going to happen this once, but don't tell the old man I did. He'd never let me live it down."

"But he wants you to call him grandfather."

"Exactly. He'll never let me live it down."

Akatsuchi held out the package. "You going to give Kurotsuchi the graduation present you made her?"

"Oh, yeah." Deidra reached for the package and handed it to Kurotsuchi. He watched her gleefully open up the package revealing the sculpture revealing the three of them.

"I love it! It's the three of us, friends forever."

"Family forever." Akatsuchi rubbed a finger under his nose as he smiled at her.

Kurotsuchi suddenly leaped at Deidra wrapping her arms around his neck while still holding onto the sculpture he made her. "Thank you. You are the best big brother ever. I doubt anyone else has such an amazing big sibling, or I should say siblings as Akatsuchi is included as the most amazing big brother whose not related."

"Ah. I want in on this." Akatsuchi opened his arms up.

Deidra's eyes went wide as his arms started moving slightly in agitation. "Hey! Hey! It's bad enough she's in a huggy mood! Not you too!"