Shadowed Sun

Not You

Double update, so this will be my first A/N for both chapters.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto, that mad genius.

Warning: For this chapter and the next...? Hmm. This chapter, nothing too big. Next chapter? I will attack your feels. Muahaha.

Beta: Searching. For. Enadi.

Since meeting Kurama, my study in Fūinjutsu had taken an expected lurch skywards. I had practically given up on medical ninjutsu, deeming myself hopeless because I couldn't find any test subjects to practice on (I healed too quickly and there wasn't any way of getting fish in Konoha that wouldn't need more, illegal activities).

I couldn't tell if my genjutsu was working because, once again, I had no one to practice it on aside from my brother, and I didn't want to do that to him. Ninjutsu was too flashy and would draw attention, so I settled for the only other brain numbing topic for studying I could think of.

It helped that I had a more positive reason for doing so - not just to numb myself.

Time passed again until finally, Grandfather set up a meeting with Kakashi.

In fact, I was heading off to said meeting at this very moment. I was nervous; I wanted Naruto beside me for comfort, but class was still going on and Grandfather only took me out today to meet Kakashi.

"I thought you set up the meeting at ten," I said, holding tightly on to Grandfather's hand.

"Yes, but it's a casual meeting so he'll be late by two hours on default," Grandfather replied.

"I... see." So Kakashi was even late for the Hokage. Or at least on casual meetings with the Hokage.

"Does he, um... know about me?" I asked.

After my first meeting with Kurama, I had decided that I would go ahead and flat-out ask Grandfather about him, only telling Grandfather that I had found the seal on my stomach and came to that conclusion. The man had confirmed it, giving me a long-winded lecture on how I was still me and not Kurama and whatnot. When I asked if I could tell Naruto about it, he immediately rejected the idea, saying that if I really wanted to tell Naruto, I could tell him after graduation.

Which didn't seem fair to me, but he was the Hokage.

Besides, I trusted Grandfather. And I wanted to have someone to confide in if Kurama was ever a problem. I would rather have Grandfather know flat-out that I knew, so I could turn to him for questions - not lie to him and try to figure out questions on my own.

"Yes," Grandfather replied.

"'Kay," I murmured, ducking my head down as Grandfather entered a small tea shop. After the usual bows of respect and gushing and just plain old ass-kissing, we sat at a small booth a ways away.

"Go ahead and order, Miwako-chan," Grandfather advised.

I nodded my head, looking up at the pretty waitress. She seemed indifferent to me, which was nice, and even offered me a polite smile at my gaze. I smiled back. "Sweet tea with sweet dango, please."

Grandfather chuckled at my choice of food. "Just tea for me."

She nodded politely before heading away, intent on our orders.

"Ohaiyo, Hokage-sama."

At the sound of a familiar voice, my gaze snapped towards it. The faint smell of dogs and dew filled my nostrils as I stared at the Hatake Kakashi. Kakashi turned his gaze on me, and briefly I noticed that he was wearing his usual Jōnin attire.