Will of Fire: Kakashi Hatake

Chapter 15

Akira had received a direct summons from the Hokage. The hawk had interrupted her lunch with Ranka and Muta, dropping onto the table right in front of her. It startled all three of them, and Ranka actually spat out some of the water that he had been drinking.

"What in the world?"

Akira gently pulled the small scroll from the holster on the bird's leg. As soon as she did so, the hawk flew away.

Muta and Ranka watched her anxiously as she unrolled the scroll. She skimmed it quickly, and her eyes widened.

"What is it? What does it say?" Muta asked.

"Lord Third is summoning me to his office immediately." Akira rolled the scroll back up and started to pull money out of her wallet to pay for her meal.

"Did he say why?" Ranka asked.

Akira shook her head. She put the money on the table and took one last bite of her rice. "I'll catch up with you guys later I guess."

As she made her way to the Hokage's tower, she couldn't help but overhear some commotion from down a side street. Several bangs followed by yelling. It sounded like a child.

Akira turned and went down the alleyway. The Hokage could wait a few minutes. It sounded like someone was in trouble.

"You stupid brat, why don't you just run away like the scaredy-cat you are?"

Akira frowned. That was a child's voice. She picked up her speed, her walk almost turning into a jog.

"Oh yeah? Well, how about this, tough guy?"

There was another bang, followed by laughter.

Akira rounded the corner and was shocked at the sight. Three boys were kicking a smaller blonde boy, who was curled up in a ball with his hands over his head.

"Hey! What do you guys think you're doing?" Akira snapped. She strode forward and grabbed one of the attacking boy's arms, spinning him to face her. He looked up at her with terror in his eyes. The other two boys stopped kicking and started to back away. The boy on the ground peeked up at her from under his arms.

"We-we were just–"

Akira pulled the boy she had a grip on close to her face. "Get the hell out of here before I give you a taste of your own medicine," she snarled.

She let go of the boy and all three of them scrambled off. Akira watched them go, then knelt down next to the little boy on the ground.

"Are you alright?" She helped him sit up. He nodded sullenly. "Why were they attacking you?"

"I don't know, everybody is mean to me."

Akira reached out with her chakra to sense for his. The little boy had warm chakra, plagued by darkness and loneliness. She was about to pull away, but then she felt it. A deep, cold, harsh chakra. One that she hadn't felt in three years. It took everything in her not to recoil away from the boy.

"Wha-what's your name?" She stuttered out. The boy looked up at her. He had a bruise forming under his right eye and another one on his forearm. She had no doubt his body was probably covered in them from the boys kicking him.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki," the boy said proudly. He grinned, despite the pain that she knew he was feeling.

Akira managed to smile. But her heart had dropped into her stomach. She knew exactly who this little boy was. Uncle Minato and Aunt Kushina's son.

"I'm Akira." She gently touched his arm, and he scrambled backward. Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt sad for him. But she couldn't shake the disgust that she was also feeling. Both toward Naruto, and herself. Or more accurately, the beast inside of him. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. Can I see your arm?"