She had cared for everyone. And then she didn't. He didn't care for anyone. And then he did. The Avatar meets Konoha. [OC Fem. Avatar]
A somewhat chaotic neutral story.
IKIGAI: A reason for being. The thing that gets you up in the morning.
A/N:
*A...
"If you say that again, I'm gonna stab you with a rusty knife," he whispered menacingly.
Kintsugi twirled a butter knife in her hand, suddenly pointing it in his direction.
It had been four full months of recon, and though she doubted she had enough information, she was itching to leave, to feel the burn of adrenaline once again.
Nana, to Kintsugi's surprise, had given her a home for far longer than she had expected, even bothering to tell Soiri to keep Kintsugi's presence a secret from all, even his parents. It was strange to not have to say anything at all and yet the old woman seemed to understand that Kintsugi was not here for pleasure.
Little Soiri, happy to comply, was now officially four years old and three inches taller. And with age and those important three inches, his life's goal had become to beat Kintsugi's way with empty threats.
Though to Nana and his oblivious parent's dismay, he was on his way to becoming the official 'weird' kid on the block.
"Fun. But you shouldn't take after me," her face was blank as she waved around the knife, setting the table for two.
"Otherwise, I may have to make you disappear. Can't have competition now, can we?"
He frowned, but as usual, dismissed her rather unnerving threat and continued to his previous activity of stabbing her arm with his blue crayon.
He quickly grew tired after she still gave no reaction.
"Lady, I'll be going now. I won't be back for a while," she shouted standing to leave the tiny home and entering the chill of the outdoor.
Perhaps, just maybe, if she had turned around she would have seen the small, old woman going to the doorway as she sniffled and lifted her hand in a small wave.
At least, that's what Kintsugi would have liked to imagine.
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----
Four months, four grueling months of planning, recon, waiting, and following. Her plan was simple, or so she thought.
The Earth Kingdom had thrown her out for someone "better", someone younger and if she were honest with herself, it brought nothing but rage and displeasure every time she thought about it for more than a second.
But here, here was a people and world who knew nothing of what she was or what she had done. Her own had expected an Avatar. Here, in a world without benders? She would be what they had hated of her.
Yes, she had willingly jumped into this world, but she would go back. She would show them power.
Just wait for me and live a little longer, she thought out to them.
Perhaps a younger Kintsugi would have stayed with Nana and Soiri, lived a tranquil life, not had to worry about much except keeping animals out of an overgrown garden.
Free.
She meandered for a bit before she stopped to sense the path before her.
The Akatsuki. She had just learned about them a month ago.
Orochimaru she had heard plenty of, and from both the rumors and the events that had happened in the Leaf Village, his was not the path she wanted to take yet, but she would take the next best thing.
---
There was a light breeze blowing that morning. It was foggy in the village and the ringing of a small bell could be heard if you listened carefully.
"The Village that was once at the height of its glory...how sad," muttered Itachi monotonously from their roof view.
He stared out at the sight below with his tired Sharingan eyes. The slums had spread further out where families once upon a time had shared warm memories. In others, it seemed as if the divide among the clans had grown more evident.
"Home" wasn't the same. Shadows of the old Uchiha strength were all that remained.
"How unlike you," Kisame Hoshigaki, the feared Monster of the Hidden Mist, and now partner-in-crime joked. "You have lingering affections for your old home?"
Itachi didn't answer. He only stared ahead, his mind focused on what they had come for, what he had come for.
----
Kintsugi felt the warmth of the sun against her thin cloak, cloth to sticky skin seeming to weigh heavier in the heat of the day.
It had taken a while to dig all the underground tunnels in the Leaf Village. Each for a purpose, some for emergencies, and others for decoys.
She had discovered quite quickly that despite sharing the same physical form, she could not be detected by most "shinobi", or so they called themselves.
This was a new world to her, in some ways, more advanced. But as far as she knew, she didn't have the chakra they spoke so much about near the academies or the abilities that came with it.
Though invisible to others in this sense, she could still be seen and in turn, still had a scent if ever tracked. Her bending would be put into play.
A bit of earth and she had managed to create a thin layer of dirt over her body beneath the cloak and mask that she wore. Her mask had no holes, she was blind, no need for her eyes to see and her limited ability in air bending was just enough to circulate oxygen through small openings in her disguise.
She stretched her feet and started to look.
There. Next to a river, she had found them. The two she had followed a month back. The Akatsuki clan members.
