• I spend about an hour working through the writing - deciding to edit his childish dribble and then type it up out of the niceness of my heart. I barely got through three chapters before I was frustrated and bored out of my mind, setting the papers aside and flopping dejectedly on the hospital bed. Iruka sat down aside of me.
    "What's got you bummed out, kiddo?" He asked, bumpung my shoulder with his.
    I leaned on my knees. "I want to go train."
    "I know you do. But I'm actually kind of glad you're dropping your volunteering at the hospital." He smiled weakly at me. "What use would you be fainting all the time?"
    "I guess you're right." I admitted begrudgingly. "Hey, Uncle Iruka?"
    "Mm?"
    "What were you going to tell me? Before Mizuki and his dumb friend beat you up?"
    Iruka rested his chin in his hand. "Now, see, I've been trying to remember that. I think it was something about the Chunin exams."
    "Oh." I paused. "Aren't those coming up soon?"
    "Yeah. You might be a Chunin already!" He grinned, elbowing me. "You little Genin prodigy."
    Momoko chittered, angry at being ignored. I pulled him into my lap, sticking my tongue out at Iruka. "I'm not a prodigy. And I probably won't even make it. But I'll try."
    "That's the spirit!" Iruka hopped up. "Let's go get some ice cream or something, huh? Make the most of your day off, at least."
    I sighed. "Fine. Can Momoko come?"
    "The more the merrier."


    "Why must you ruin my moments?" Juro asked while grabbing some of the dumplings I had made for him. "Mmmhhhh.......... These are good!" He exclaimed forgetting about the question he'd sent towards me.
    "Yeah I'll give you the recipe maybe," I said to him taking a bite of the food I made. It was probably the first real meal I've made for myself since I had gotten to the Leaf Village. My stomach began to growl seeming as I totally forgot to eat breakfast this morning, and I was running on low. I shoved more food into my mouth, not really caring about tasting it or not.
    "Don't choke because I'm not going to help you," Juro popped another dumpling in his mouth, and nodding.
    "And I'll do the same if you choke then," I said smiling at him, after swallowing the food in my mouth.
    "Aw," He said sweetly. "You're learning from me," He said nicely. I glared, and put another dumpling in my mouth.
    "Tell me more about the chunin exams," I said chewing.
    "Well you'll have to go through different sorts of tests, to become a chunin that's about all I can tell you about it Akane," He said seriously. "And I'm warning you about them too," We kept our eyes locked for a second, and that's when I understood the difficulty of what he was saying to me. "Well I need to be leaving soon actually," Juro said looking.
    "You leave at the weirdest times," I said taking his dishes, and setting them in the sink.
    "Yes well blame my boss," Juro made a couple hand signs, and poofed back into the same brown haired, blue eyed, guy earlier. "See ya," Juro said saluting me and then out the window he went.


    Iruka, Momoko and I were eating in the hospital cafeteria (their food was delicious!) when suddenly Iruka dropped his spoon, eyes wide, and stared at something over my shoulder. Frowning, I turned and glanced back. There was nothing - just a boring wall. Like any walls were ever exciting. I turned back around. "Uncle Iruka?" I asked, snapping my fingers. "Woo hoo. Uncle Iruka? Hello? Anyone in there?"
    He snapped back to reality and turned to me. "I remembered what I was going to tell you, Matsuo."
    "Um...okay." I glanced at momoko, who cocked his head curiously. "Shoot."
    Iruka leaned forward, towards me. "Matsuo, about the Chunin exams."
    "What about them?"
    "I got a letter the other day. It's still in my pocket, I think...these are the ones I was wearing that day when Mizuki came...thank you for washing them by the way, Matsuo. Aha! Here it is." He pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper and slid it across the table towards me. Frowning, I picked it up and unfolded it. On it, it read simply
    Coming to Konohagakure for my daughter's Chunin Exams. - Takashi Arata
    i stared at the paper. Iruka looked at me sadly. "I know its a lot to take in..."
    I took a shaky breath and stuffed the letter into my pocket. "No. It would have meant more if he remembered my name." I pulled my ice cream back towards me. "so what were we originally talking about?"



    "I give him a really good meal and then he leaves," I said still starring out the window where he left. "I didn't even get a thank you from him!" I began scrubbing the dishes when I remembered I was going to go to the library. Changing quickly into orange t-shirt and black shorts, I told Miki and Sho to stay home since animals were most likely wouldn't be allowed at the library. I locked the doors, and headed of to find the library. Since I had been here I still hadn't seen a lot of places. Asking for directions when I got lost, it took about fifteen minutes for me to find it. I had no idea where to go to, so I walked up to the information desk.
    "Oh what can I help you with Miss?" The librarian asked nicely.
    "I was wondering if you had any books on Ninja originations?" She seemed to be thinking through her mind if they actually did or not.


    Iruka turned a concerned gaze to me. "Matsuo, Takashi - your dad - loves you. He probably only worded it that way because he didn't think you'd be reading it. But hey- this is great! Your dad's coming back! for you! For your exams, to support you!"
    "Where was he in the first place?" I cried. "And why did he leave me behind?"
    Iruka looked hurt, as if my yells were directed at him, when really, they were directed at the man who had decided to abandon me when I was six. That was eight years ago! no word, no contact at all. He reached out across the table and squeezed my hand. "This is tough, Matsuo, I know it is."
    "You have no idea." I grumbled.
    he glanced away for a second, before turning back. "Matsuo, think. Ten years from now. You're a succesful Genin...god forbid, you have a husband and children-"
    I smiled weakly at this.
    "And you get a notice that Takashi - your dad - is dead. Will you look back on this moment and say, boy, I'm glad I talked to him, or, I should have talked to him when I have the chance?"
    I sighed. "I know you're right, Iruka. But...it's just wierd. I mean..."
    "it's not going to be normal. You havet't seen him in eight years."
    My anger was slowly fading. I looked up at him, beaming. "Hey, what do you think he looks like?"



    "I'm sorry but I don't believe we do," She said, a little disappointed. I nodded giving her a small smile.
    "That's fine, I'll try to find it somewhere else. Thank you for your help," I said to the librarian as I headed out the door. I went walking near the Hokage faces, when I stopped and just looked up at them. Now where else could I find the information that I needed? I thought rubbing my imaginary mustache. It's about a ninja organization so the library doesn't have it. Maybe another ninja could tell me?! I thought ecstatically. Running to the Hokage's office, I ran up the stairs to only trip on one in my hastiness. "Ow ow ow!" I complained rubbing my skinned knee. Limping instead of running the rest of the way there, I knocked on his door.
    "You can come in," I heard the voice of the older Hokage. His eyes went to meet mine for a brief moment before going back to his paper work. "Akane I'm glad to se your doing well here. What brings you here to see me?" He asked scribbling his signature to another piece of paper.
    "I uhm......." I paused becoming shy for some reason.
    "Come on say it," He said calmly.
    "I was wondering if you know about any ninja organizations?" His eyes shot up starring at me for a little longer than last time.
    "Why would you want to know about ninja organizations? They're dangerous you do know that?" He said the first question not being rhetorical.
    "I heard about one that had their members where cloaks that are black and have red clouds on them, but I went to the library and they didn't have anything on ninja's," I explained to him leaving out the part about my brother. He sighed, and looked at me seriously.


    Iruka didn't have any pictures, so I decided to see if there was a file on Takashi at the Hokage's office. Hands in pockets I strode up the Hokage's tower and up to the door, tapping on the wood. "Excuse me, Lord Hokage? It's Matsuo. I just had a question."
    "Come in then, but my time is limited.'
    I opened the door and stepped in to see Akane, standing across from the Hokage. She gave a little half wave. "Hi Akane!" I chirped. After an awkward silence I remembered my purpose for being here and turned to the Hokage. I dipped my head respectfully. "Lord Hokage, do you have any papers on, er...Takashi Arata?"
    "Who's that?" Akane asked curiously. "Your dad?"
    "Yeah."
    The hokage took a minute to think. "I should, somewhere. Why?"
    I fiddled with my shirt anxiously. "Um...I...uh...got a letter, from him."
    he raised his eyebrows. "Really. He's been gone for so long-"
    "Eight years." I said, voice cracking slightly. I was aware that akane was watching me but I tried to ignore it. "Do you have any papers?"
    He nodded. "It'll take me some time to dig them out. I'll get them to you tomorrow."
    "Thank you, Lord Hokage." I dipped my head again, before turning to leave. "Bye, Akane."
    with this, i left to go get some ramen with my uncle.