Chrysanthemum Blooming

Hokage Vs. Kiku

Kiku watched as Naruto and Sasuke argued back and forth over the last cookie in the box yet again. She rolled her eyes and smacked both of them on the back of their heads, fed up with the two of them bickering. "I swear you two are like a married couple, I might as well start planning the wedding!" They opened their mouth to argue but the moment she turned her eyes of doom on them their mouths closed, instantly shutting them up before they could make a peep. "I'm gonna have to start trying to find you girlfriends earlier than I though if I want any chance of having nieces and nephews to spoil. " She mumbled to herself, eyes on the ground, before looking at them. "I'll be right back, I left the cookies in the classroom."

~~*~~

"Ahh, Kiku-san!" She looked up to find Iruka, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei?"

"Ano, Kiku have you thought about what we discussed the other day?" Kiku pursed her lips and her eyes narrowed slightly.

"No." She turned away from him and quickly walked to her seat pulling out the extra cookies from her bag as his eyes blinked away in shock.

"Kiku, you really should be think-"

"No, I meant my answer is no." She made her way back to the door.

"Kiku!" He placed his hand at her shoulder stopping her and she turned around to look at him. "This is serious. We are talking about your future as a kunoichi. You're bored in class, don't deny it! You finish your tests easily and always have a perfect score. You aim never misses and you hold back in tai-jutsu. You could have graduated from the academy a year ago, maybe more, but you haven't." He sighed. "As hard as it is to admit, I doubt there is much if anything else I could teach you as an academy student. Kiku just tell me why. Why do you want to stay in the academy so badly?"

"Am I holding back? Yes. Could I have graduated already? Yes. Does Konoha need anymore dead children to its name? No."

"Kiku!"

"Don't Iruka-sensei! I am a child soldier, I know that! It is our culture despite Konoha being formed to end that need. Naruto and I are not even allowed to know the names of our parents! I know he questions whether or not they were traitors and if that is the reason the villagers treat us the way they do! I also know that Hokage-dono had lied to our faces repeatedly when asked and that he is listening in on this conversation now!" Iruka's face went slack. "As smart as you know I am and how much you know I have hidden about my own talents, did you really think I wouldn't? I know many things. I know what Naruto and I are. I know who our parents were and so will Naruto once he becomes a genin."

"And should I forbid it?" Hiruzen's voice came from behind her. She turned to look at him eyes meeting, neither breaking away.

"I have already ensured that should I go missing or mysteriously die Naruto will not only know the truth but so will the Daimyo. In fact, he is already aware of our existence. He's quite the fan of my books you know and if he asked about me personally during that private meeting you had set up for him well, who was I to lie to our Daimyo?" Her emerald eyes were glowing.

"Do you have any idea what you have done?" Hiruzen glared down at her.

"Of course, Hokage-dono. I've ensured the protection of my inheritance through our mother Uzumaki Kushina, the Red Hot Habanero and previous jinchuriki to the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. Along with Naruto's inheritance through our father Namikaze Minato, the Yellow Flash and Fourth Hokage." They stared at each other.

"What? That can't" Iruka's shocked voice broke the silence. "Your blood red hair and Naruto's bright blonde, your calm personality until your temper come out and Naruto's pranking, you both have that verbal tick "

"Hey!" Kiku twirled around, eyes narrowed. "I told you not to mention that!" Iruka could see her hair flowing with her chakra in her anger and the image of flames burning behind her and gulped.

"How do you know, Uzumaki-san."

"Don't you mean Uzumaki-hime, Hokage-dono." She looked turned halfway so as to be able to see them both.

"So you know of that too."

"I didn't hear a question there." Her eyes glinted. "I have this little thing called an eidetic memory. I remember everything I have ever seen and even most of what I've heard. The face of my mother after my birth, the mask my kidnapper and your wife's murderer wore, even my parent's last words. So yes, I do know that too. I know a lot of things. Like the fact one Hatake Kakashi was supposed to be our guardian but you forbid it." She only knew it through her memories as Kushina but by the way his eyes widened she knew he had mentioned it at some point.

"You were supposed to have been asleep."

"Supposed to but wasn't." She lied and he sighed a hand dragging across his tired face only for his eyes to fill with something like regret. She didn't buy it at least not completely. She knew he might have felt regret for his actions but he wouldn't have changed them.

"You have to understand, he was barely a man."

"Shinobi's are adults the moment they receive their hitai-ate."

"That may be but he was still not old enough to take care of newborns." He scowled at her.

"What about Naruto's godfather? Jiraiya?"

"He holds duties that could not be managed within the village." He said vaguely.

"You mean you couldn't allow your jinchuriki, your weapons, outside the village without forming an absolute loyalty to Konoha. What about my godmother, Tsunade Senju?" Hiruzen sighed.

"Of course, you know about her too."

"Of course." Kiku responded with a sarcastic smile on her lips.

"She left Konoha . . . and you behind. I sent shinobi to ask her to return but she refused." He said with a sad look but she caught the hidden glint behind it. You want to play, let's play Hiruzen.

"You asked her to come back?" She asked her head slowly dropping.

"Yes."

"She didn't want to?" She focused her magic at him projecting honestly and genuineness. 

"Yes"

"Even when she was cousins with our mom?"

"Yes."

"And you mentioned us?"

"No"

"A-hah!" her head snapped up as she released the magic that surrounded him and he realized what he had admitted. "You never told her about us. You let her think we were dead too, didn't you?"

"Kiku, you need to under-"

"The hell I do!" she yelled at him. "I am Princess and heir of Uzushiogakure! Even if it is fallen and my people scattered so long as one with their blood running through their veins live so does my title and our alliance with Konoha." Kiku smirked. "However, your lies and actions could be construed as you breaking the alliance and if so that means the protection afforded to you through the fuin-jutsu carved into the very walls of Konoha have begun if not already failed depending on the severity of things I am not aware of."

"What do you mean they can fail?" Hiruzen's shocked appearance was all she needed to know he was not aware.

"The fuin only works so long as the alliance is held after all if Konoha decided to attack Uzu it should not benefit from their mastery. Honestly, Hokage-dono have you not bothered to read the original agreement made which details the creation of the wall. So long as the alliance between the villages was held so too would that which was given however should once not hold to it the alliance and all the trespasser gained will be null and void." Check-mate.