Shadow of the Night

Bonus Chapter- Team 7

*AN-

sooo I've hit some writers block and realized that I didn't write much about the whole Team7/Hikari dynamic; I kinda just threw in a timeskip of, like, a year and then described Hikari as a second mother to the kids... like how did that happen... so I've decided to add a little bonus chapter(s?) of bonding experiences. Hopefully they will show how Hikari becomes so protective and nurturing. These will all take place before the Chunin Exams. There's only a month actually (just checked) so there better be some good shit here. Anyways, on with the (bonus) chappie!

PS These types of chapters won't have anything to do with the canon plot so if you don't recognize it from the anime it's because I made it up

Jesus christ I hate this team. They are a bunch of idiots.

So far, Team 7 had not endeared themselves to me. I already didn't like children, and these genin were the most bothersome 12 year olds I had ever had the misfortune to meet;

Naruto was loud, careless, and lacked self-awareness. Sakura was distractable, mostly useless, and completely obsessed with their third member. Sasuke was arrogant, aloof, and acted like a spoiled brat. And teamwork? Forget it. Naruto and Sasuke couldn't get along if I payed them money.

I sighed in despair as I watched Sakura beat Naruto over the head again. Seriously, that girl needed to stop beating the shit out of her teammate. This was a regular occurrence. 

Kakakashi chuckled softly as my exasperation. His only visible eye watched the genin with amusement; that man had vast reserves of patience. Probably hidden somewhere in his fluffy silver hair. 

The jounin sauntered next to me as we followed the three insufferable brats through the forest. Today we were assigned a C-Ranked mission: to deliver bundles of fabric to Suna. I was stuck with these kids for six days. I had already endured two and a half. Although it would be worth this torment if I ran into a certain red-haired genin in the land of sand. He really piqued my interest at the chuunin exams. 

"OW SAKURA-CHAN WHY?!" Naruto's scream startled me, causing me to bump into Kakashi's shoulder. We looked at each other as if to say here we go again. 

Naruto seemed to have tripped over a tree root and into a small ditch while he tried to avoid Sakura's assault. He was sitting in the dirt, looking almost awed at his foot, which was bent at a slightly worrisome angle. I sighed yet again, and knelt before the shocked boy.

"Now look what you did, I think it's broken. You three should really be more careful." Naruto's big blue eyes stared up at me as I ever so gently righted his foot. He didn't scream, for which I was thankful. The genin only gritted his teeth, swallowing hard to show his discomfort. I used my medical ninjutsu to heal the fracture, trying not to think about how pathetic this little ninja was. Honestly, breaking his ankle by tripping. I suppressed an eye roll and stood, helping the small blond to his feet. The kid wobbled slightly, grimacing in pain. 

"Oh come on, I'll give you a piggy back ride. You shouldn't walk on that for about ten minutes." Naruto didn't look happy about it, but he agreed, jumping haphazardly onto my back. If I hadn't been a strong ninja this kid would've flattened me.

After that incident, the walk was much more peaceful. Sasuke and Sakura walked ahead of us, the pink haired girl trying her best to drag the Uchiha into conversation (unsuccessfully); Naruto, Kakashi, and I walked behind the two.

"-will respect me, and I will be the most powerful shinobi in the Leaf! Believe it!" Naruto was going on and on about how he was going to become Hokage, as usual. This time however, a tinge of melancholy turned the atmosphere bittersweet. This kid has really gone through a lot. Talking to him away from his teammates was certainly enlightening. Trained as I was to read people, I could easily unravel his personality based on the little I was told about his past. 

He was loud and mischievous because after receiving the cold shoulder from the entire village, Naruto figured that was the only way to gain attention. Being ignored for so long and seemingly without reason had endowed him with the determination to stand out, to be exceptional. The animosity Naruto felt from the villagers sparked his goal: Hokages were the most respected people in the village. He was the least. And from that, this stubborn dream was born.

Honestly, I was impressed with the Strength of Will the small kid on my back carried. Now if only I could figure out the other two, maybe I could get along with this team. At least for now.

**************************************

Two hours later, I was still carrying Naruto on my back. He had fallen asleep thirty minutes ago, and I hadn't the heart to wake the boy. He looked so peaceful.

Naruto, Kakashi, and I kept a conversation going for a little over an hour. The small genin really grew on me. I could tell from actually talking to the kid that he was loyal, energetic, and very friendly. He just really needed some good influences. Maybe I, the rouge ninja with history with Orochimaru and the Akatsuki, wasn't the best option for a role model. Oh well, the damage had been done. I could already feel myself becoming protective of the child riding on my back. Well shit, I thought, just what I need; to play mama bear for this loud kid.

Kakashi too was quite the character: getting along with the jounin seemed like the most natural thing in the world. We freely asked each other questions once Naruto fell asleep; they ranged from favorite leisure activities to our horrific pasts. Turns out my new friend hadn't had it easy either. He also described himself as an uptight asshole as a kid, which I found amusing, seeing how laid back he was now.

Anyways, we were walking along when Kakashi asks about my nails. "Why are they painted? I noticed both you and Asaki have painted nails."

I glanced fondly at my nails; the glossy paint was the same shade as my hair, a very dark purpleish red. Asaki had navy blue nails. "We kinda just picked this up when we were members of the Akatsuki. It's been a while, but old habits die hard I guess. We were there for seven years, I think. It also was a big part of my training, and my development as a person." I notice his slightly apprehensive glance and smiled. "Don't worry, I don't want to destroy villages and conquer the world. And I'm not a huge fan of violence or breaking the law. A bit funny, since most of the Akatsuki members grew to like Asaki and I quite a bit. Assholes and criminals they may be, but I think they have a soft spot for us."

Kakashi continued his slightly bewildered staring.

*AN

There's some team bonding, mostly Hikari, Naruto and Kakashi. Also a bit more about Hikari in the Akatsuki, which I think builds her character.

*sneak peak* There will be more of this chapter, I think I'll make a part two when they actually get to Suna

Please don't be a silent ghost reader!

-Hanna

PS right now this story has over 150 reads oh golly wow thanks frens :D