Shadowed Sun

Immediately

I looked down at the calm pond, staring in frustration at the mess that was my hair. The brush that I had been using was proving most ineffective and I was getting more and more irritated. With annoyed fingers, I adjusted my outfit again. It was the same style I had been wearing for the past seven months.

I wore a black shinobi under-suit - think of it as a one piece swimsuit combined with a skin-fitting turtle neck - and long black socks that went up past my knees. I wore a dark blue, short-sleeved, kimono coat over all of that, with black lining. I wore the same black ribbon Grandfather had given me as my obi and my shinobi gloves went up past my elbows. I also wore the standard black kunoichi boots.

My hitai-ate wasn't to be seen, as I had long ago chosen not to wear it. On the lower half of my back, just below my bow, strapped horizontally, was a tanto. At each side of me, I had a pair of specialized daggers, the hilts covered in seals.

I cried in frustration as my hair refused to stay knot free.

I threw down the brush, finally choosing to just screw the whole thing and tie my hair up into two pigtails as per usual.

When I returned to the road, Kakashi was leaning lazily against a tree. He raised a single eyebrow at me. "I thought you were going to try a new hairstyle."

"That was before my hair decided to be an ass," I snapped.

Kakashi chuckled, reaching forward and patting me on the head. I gave him an annoyed look.

"Maa, maa, just calm down. We're supposed to be meeting your brother and Jiraiya here soon, after all."

I sighed, nodding my head. It had been weird going six months without my brother at first, but I had gotten used to it over time. Besides, Kakashi kept me busy enough with his sadistic training program.

"Hey, you guys!" shouted a familiar voice.

I turned my head, smiling brightly as Naruto came hurtling towards me. He stopped short of tackling me, instead standing rather tall in front of me. He was only ten centimeters taller than me, but he lorded those ten centimeters like crazy.

"Sorry if we kept you two," Jiraiya said, catching up.

"It's fine," Kakashi dismissed. "Are we ready to head back to Konoha now?"

"You bet it!" Naruto cheered. "Oh man, I can't wait to see everyone. It's one thing talking to them through letters, but it's a whole other thing actually seeing them."

I grinned, nodding in agreement. "I know, right?"

('･ω･')

"Ah... It feels like forever since we've been here," I said as the four of us wandered down the streets.

"Mn. Maybe for you," Kakashi replied.

"That's right, Kakashi-sensei, you came back to Konoha a couple times to train Sasuke," Naruto realized.

"We should probably check in with Tsunade," Jiraiya mused.

"You three go on ahead, I'll let Sasuke know we're back," Kakashi said.

"Alright," I said. "We'll see you in a little bit."

"Man, I wonder how everyone is," Naruto wondered as the now three of us made our way towards the tower.

"Everyone seemed alright in the letters," I returned.

"Yeah, but we haven't actually seen them in... how long?"

"Two and a half years," Jiraiya interjected. "Which reminds me, are you two sure you want to include them in on our secret?"

"Look, I understand why you guys didn't tell me," Naruto reasoned. "But these guys, I know we can trust and I don't want to keep any secrets from my friends."