Demon's Path

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters you see featured in the anime/manga. I do own Kaishi, Ryuo, and all other OC's with the exception of Miaka, who belongs to my mei-mei, Katie, and Aoi, who belongs to my Otouto, Dan.

~*~*~*~

Chapter 10: Student

Kaishi sighed as she rolled a shoulder and turned back to her small fire. She had completed the last few missions rather easily, but it took from her time with Naruto and from her visits to her sons in Suna. Traveling there seemed easier now that Konoha and Suna were on good terms.

"Always knew Gaa-kun would be a great leader," she muttered to herself.

"What'cha say?" Genma asked from the other side of the flames.

Crimson eyes snapped to the older, senbon chewing man in front of her, and she inwardly smiled as he cringed slightly. "Nothing to you," she said sternly.

She had been sent on a mission with Genma this time, a ninja she tended to ignore, save for his friendship with Kakashi. She'd rather be on a mission with Anko, or Gai even. She got along better with them than with Genma.

"Ah heh," he laughed nervously. "Glad the mission's over? That we'll be home soon?" he asked in attempt to make small talk with the stoic kunoichi.

"Hai," she answered tersely.

Genma sighed at her monosyllabic answer. It'd been the same throughout the mission. The girl just never talked. Also, she never called him by his first name. It bugged the hell out of him. He was going to be glad when this mission was over. His stress levels would probably appreciate it too.

~*~*~*~

"You want me... to watch you train with your team?" Kaishi asked, an eyebrow raised at the man before her. "Haven't I already done this before?"

Mato Gai beamed to the slightly shorter woman. "You have no missions at this time, I hear and it would be a good experience for my students!"

Kaishi sighed. "Sure, whatever. It might be fun to beat up on the Genin again."

Gai looked ready to explode with happiness. "My joy cannot be explained by mere words! Your blossom of youth has smiled down upon me once again!" he exclaimed as he posed, a sunset and crashing waves appearing behind him.

Kaishi raised a brow again. This wasn't all that out of the ordinary for Gai, but to react to such a little thing as training with his team was a little weird, even for him. "Um... okay then, I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"HAI!" Gai shouted, still posed.

Kaishi shook her head and laughed silently. That man just knew how to make her laugh, even if he wasn't really trying at it. "I'll see you then, Maito. Ja ne!" she bid with a giggle as she left Gai to pose until his legs cramped.

~*~*~*~

Kaishi smiled as she observed the genin. Lee got nervous and darted away every time she was near, as though he had a fear of her. It was amusing. Tenten and she tended to get along, the young weapon's master taking advantage of the chance to train with a ninja of Kaishi's level and speed. Tenten seemed to also like working with such a strong kunoichi, as though being a female ninja was enough to gain respect in the girl's eyes.

It was Neiji, though, that she tended to train with the most. Her Onibashi eyes seemed able to thwart Neiji's Byakkugan, but only because she moved too fast for him to detect. She made him use his other abilities and not only rely on his bloodline traits. She also helped him with his Jyuken, her techniques based off of speed and fluid motion and working as a nice companion to his gentle fist.

She also just liked to put the boy off his guard. She put in effort to move too close to him, make him get nervous and blush, and then use his moment of distraction to put in a good throw. She supposed the boy had never really had a crush before and therefore hadn't ever really experienced how debilitating it can be if a ninja wasn't able to push those feelings aside and focus.

Neiji at the moment was lying on his back, staring at the sky with wide eyes. This had been the tenth time she had tossed him in the past few hours. She wouldn't distract him the same way twice, some times she would brush up against him lightly, others she would whisper in his ear, and even others she would just laugh. Every time, though, she managed to get him on his back, staring at the sky. '

She appeared over him and raised a brow. "You still aren't getting it, Neiji-kun," she said a smirk appearing in her gaze when he blushed, yet another distraction was how she said his name.

Gai was amused and cheered for Kaishi on her technique, making his usual pose and causing her to shake her head at his expense. "So strange," she sighed.

The training went on for several hours, Neiji ending up on his back a good five more times, the last incident with her sitting on his legs and watching as he turned bright red. Gai had laughed, Tenten had looked envious yet impressed at the same time, and Lee was hiding in a tree watching her with fear. It had been an interesting day indeed.

~*~*~*~

It was hard to believe that two years had passed since Sasuke had left. Hard to believe that Naruto was still so determined to bring him back. That her sons were five and she had kept the secret for so long. Hard to believe that Kakashi was still in love with a dead woman, that had once been his student. A dead woman she wished she had been there to save.

"Hey, kid," she greeted the stone, her eyes locked on the name of the red head. "Made you a new bento box. Some of my special gouza, secret recipe, onigiri, a little tempura, I remembered that you liked my vegetable tempura, and some donburi, those were your favorite, ne? I remember that you liked those. I'd ask you how the afterlife was treating you, demo I know you're probably still too damn skinny, not to mention that it would be a stupid question. Is it strange that I'm here again? That I'm coming to your grave when you didn't really like me, and I wasn't exactly friendly to you? I wish I had been. I wish I hadn't been so stupid and just dumped his ass when I knew he loved you and not me. He still does, you know? He loves you still. He regrets saying the things he said, pushing you away.... I should have been there, been sent to find you and your team. That was so badly planned... no hunter nin or Anbu teams sent to find you or your team. Of course, I wasn't there. I was..." her voice trailed off and she stared blankly at the name blazed against the rock. She then shook her head slightly and continued, "I was somewhere I wish I hadn't been. I wish we could have been friends, that I had been the one to train you, I wish so many things that can never be. So many regrets in our lives, ne? So many that can't be counted, so many that eat at our souls until we are nothingness. Such is the life of a ninja, ne? I'll be back tomorrow with a new box for you, kid. Until then, see you, Miaka," she spoke before leaping off into the trees.

She hadn't seen the magenta eyes watching her, hadn't seen the shock that crossed the face of the young woman. She didn't see as the red headed girl exited the trees and walked up to the rock, didn't watch as the girl trailed her fingers over her own name and then the names of her teammates. She didn't see as the girl knelt down and took the bento into her lap. Kaishi didn't see Miaka nearly cry at her gesture. The only thing she did see was the empty bento box the next afternoon.

~*~*~*~

Naruto didn't need her and it bothered her. Since she was young, he had needed her, and now that he was off on his own with Jiraiya-sama, training, she felt uneeded. Even Aoi, the young ninja that she had taken in two years ago after she had found him to be living in the forest alone, was pretty self-reliant. The blue-eyed boy had grown on her. He made her laugh with his penchant to slap an ofuda on pretty much anything in his path. Although, he had learned pretty quickly that she wouldn't really tolerate him plastering her walls in the little strips of paper.

He had been alone, a concept that she had known very well, and had an unusual way of the ninja. He specialized in elemental jutsus, something that intrigued her. She smiles softly as she approached the Academy. It had been two years since Naruto and Sasuke had graduated, and now another of her little 'strays', as the Hokage liked to call them, was going to graduate.

Tomorrow he was going to be placed on a team and get a sensei. It bothered her slightly. Aoi was unique, and none of the current jounin teachers were capable of training him. Aoi had potential to be a great ninja, and from the jounin she saw, none were even close to having the ability to bringing him to it. None of them could give him the attention and discipline he needed to become as great as he could be.

The other parents and guardians of the latest graduating class shied away from the stoic woman standing near the tree. There was a strange glint in the eyes of the red and black garbed kunoichi that just bothered them. Actually, the woman was just frightening on her own. It was rare to see an Onibashi member on a normal day, they tended to stay in their compound doing what Onibashi did. It was even more rare to see one like Kaishi Onibashi standing along with the parents waiting for their graduated child.

"She must be here for that kid she picked up off the streets," one mother muttered.

"You mean that Ofuda boy? She's been taking care of him?" another asked.

"She took care of the Kyuubi boy. Her taking in that Cloud-born brat isn't all that new," a third snickered.

"She collects weird and unwanted brats like other ninja collect rare weapons," the first added.

"I suggest that if you wish to speak about me behind my back, you do it at a distance and decibel that doesn't fit into my hearing range," Kaishi stated from behind the three mothers.

The women jumped in shock , the trio actually possessing the courtesy to look ashamed for their gossip. "G-gomen nasai, Onibashi-san," the first mother apologized.

Kaishi's gaze narrowed at the women. She didn't care for most of the people of this village, they were vacuous and cruel to those that they did not understand. She and Naruto understood that greatly, and it seemed that Aoi would suffer that as well.

The door smashed open and a barrage of students rushed out, interrupting the many conversations going on, and Kaishi's intimidation of the gossiping mothers. There was a roar of oohs and ahs from the parents as they admired their child's new hitae ate. Kaishi's sharp gaze scanned the children, a small smirk forming on her lips as she saw several kids leaving, peeling ofuda from their bodies. Within moments she spotted her young ward.

Aoi sported a mischevious smirk as he ran to Kaishi, his twin long dragontails flying behind him as he approached. His blue eyes sparkled with pride as he held up his hitae ate. "Kaishi-san! I passed!" he cheered.

Kaishi cast the boy a warm smile. "Of that, I am very proud, Ryutama. Otouto will be upset that he missed out. Demo, he'll make it up to us by treating us to dinner tonigtht, ne?"

Aoi smiled broadly. "Yosh! Sushi!"

Kaishi nodded. "Hai."

~*~*~*~

Tsunade hadn't been expecting anyone in her office. She especially hadn't expected Kaishi to just walk in. "What do you want, Onibashi?" she asked, curious as to what the stoic kunoichi could be wanting as she sipped upon some sake.

"I wish to take a Gennin student," Kaishi stated.

A spray of alcohol misted across the Godaime's desk and laughter belted forth from the blonde woman. "Right! I'll just get a tombstone ready!" she guffawed. At the silence from the younger woman, the Godaime quieted. "You're... not laughing."

Kaishi raised a brow. "What is there to laugh about? I wish to take a gennin student."

"You're serious?" Tsunade asked.

"I would not say it were I not."

The Godaime blinked in shock. "W-why do you want to take on a gennin? You're an ANBU."

Kaishi didn't move of make a sound for a while. "No one else will train him correctly."

Tsunade raised a brow, her curiosity. Who was this boy that only she was capable of training? Who would peak the interest of such a powerful ANBU. "Oh? And who is this gennin?"

Kaishi was quiet again for a moment before speaking, "Ryutama, Aoi."

Tsunade's eyes widened comically as she choked upon another drink of sake. "N-nani?!"

"I have no need, nor any desire, to repeat myself."

Tsunade gathered her breath, staring at the red and black clad woman before her. "Ofuda boy?! Really?"

Kaishi said nothing, merely stood there, her presence making its statement. This girl was hardly anything but honest. She was strong, she was talented, and she was honest. The Hokage sighed then, it would solve her the problem of assigning the boy to a team. He was wild, and mischievous. He was also hard to place. His abilities were unique and any team he would join he would inevitably overpower. The kid had strength, speed, good chakra control, and being in a team might actually slow his progress.

Tsunade smiled to the ANBU member before her. "He'll be informed tomorrow."

Kaishi bowed her head to the Hokage, a small smile in those red eyes of hers as she turned around and left the Hokage's office.

Tsunade shot back the rest of her sake in a single gulp. Somehow, she had a feeling she might end up regretting this.

~*~*~*~

Aoi was bored. The team assignments were taking an eternity and he'd gotten sick of plastering ofuda to the back of the head of the kid in front of him. He had yet to hear his name and Iruka-sensei was finishing up the last team.

"Team 11 will be Kizuna Maru, Aburame Setsuka, and Hyuuga Tatsuo. There are the final team assignments. Meet here after lunch and you'll be introduced to your instructors. Dismissed," Iruka said.

Aoi's head snapped up. His name hadn't been called. He had wanted to get placed on the team with Tatsuo, the Hyuuga boy was one of his few friends in the academy, and the only one that he could stand to train with. He watched at Tatsuo stood and moved towards him, a concerned look in those milky-white eyes. He was a beautiful boy, Aoi had to admit. His long ebony hair hanging loose down his back stark against the paleness of his skin and those pale lavender-white eyes. His hitae ate was on his brow, covering the symbol of the branch house, he was dressed in a pair of dark brown pants, tucked behind the mid-calf high shoes on his feet, while his usual black shirt hung over his lean figure. Aoi smirked as the Hyuuga lifted a hand, the extra long sleeve folding over his open hand. Aoi knew well enough that those sleeves were weighted and could hurt if Tatsuo so wished.

"Yo," Aoi greeted his friend.

Tatsuo's face remained impassive as he nodded his hello. The Hyuuga wasn't much for speaking with words. In fact, the boy was rather shy. Aoi didn't mind, though. He was used to reading body language, his guardian tended to communicate that way anyways.

"So.... you got that jackass, Maru and bug girl. Fun," Aoi said sarcastically.

Tatsuo frowned and let his shoulders drop slightly.

"I don't envy you, man. I really don't envy you," Aoi chuckled. Maru tended to be a hothead and a loudmouth, he also tended to bully others. In a word, Aoi didn't like him. He expressed that almost daily by placing small exploding tags in the boy's food when the lummox wasn't looking.

Tatsuo sighed heavily.

"At least Aburame isn't one of those fan girls that follows you around," Aoi offered.

Tatsuo's shoulders tensed. Both he and Aoi tended to be followed around by a herd of amorous girls that admired them. "True."

Aoi grinned to his friend before frowning. "Was I hearing things or did Iruka-sensei not assign me to a team?"

Tatsuo shook his head. "He clearly did not."

Aoi sighed and nodded. "That's what I thought," he said as he stood and started towards the scarred instructor, Tatsuo following him silently.

Iruka looked to the pale-haired boy standing in front of him. He feared that he would never see the boy again. Not after hearing who requested to be his instructor. "Hai, Aoi-san? Is there something you wanted?"

"You didn't assign me to a team," Aoi stated.

Iruka nodded. "That's true. You don't have a team."

Aoi's eyes flashed in fear. He didn't have a team? What did that mean? Was he not good enough to be trained? What was going on?

Iruka scribbled something down on a piece of scroll and handed it to Aoi. "You instructor said to meet them at this address. "

Aoi blinked in surprise. Instructor? He had an instructor? But he didn't have a team. Did that mean that he was going to get solo lessons? He looked down at the address on the scroll, his eyes widening. "Ano... this is in the ANBU headquarters building."

Iruka nodded. "Hai."

Tatsuo's eyes widened at the sound of his friend's outburst. ANBU? Aoi was getting trained by an ANBU?

The two boys walked away from their former instructor with looks of shock on their faces. Tatsuo stayed with his compatriot and friend until they reached the ANBU building. They hesitated, their minds sifting through the possible ANBU that would take on a gennin and coming up with nothing.

An ANBU member approached them, his face covered by a mask. "Do you boys need anything?"

Aoi nodded and handed the ANBU the paper.

The ANBU scanned it and beneath his mask, a smile grew. This boy wasn't going to last long, if at all. "I see... go on in, but your friend can't come in."

Tatsuo nodded, sending Aoi a look that said both 'see you later' and 'good luck', and turned to leave. He had to meet his own instructor.

Aoi felt a nervousness grow in his gut. Who had requested him? Why an ANBU? What was his training going to involve? And why was did it feel like that ANBU guy in front of him was laughing at him? Not one to let someone laugh at him, he gathered his nerve and stepped inside the building, and headed for the ANBU office.

After a good minute of listening to the guy at the front desk sputter and laugh, he finally got directions to the office written on the paper. As he stepped out the main assignment office doors, there had been more laughing and snickering, much to Aoi's irritation. What was so funny? Was this all a joke?

The numbers 416 were blazed in black against the door. Underneath them was a sign he did not expect to see: Captain Lounge. His instructor wasn't just an ANBU, but a captain? His stomach dropped out and nervousness gripped him as he reached for the doorknob and opened the door.

It was a large circular room with windows all around, looking over the entirety of Konoha, particularly the Hokage tower. There was a large half-circle table sitting in front of a similarly shaped grouping of couches. There was a group of ANBU captains sitting there, talking casually. Others were staying to themselves, and all of them looked up at Aoi with fierce eyes. It was clear that this was not his place to be.

"What's a gennin doing here?" one muttered.

"Isn't that the ofuda boy?" another asked.

A red head popped up at that sound and Aoi recognized the face beneath the mass of crimson. Namini Ryuo stood and moved towards Aoi. Was he going to be training him? Aoi felt a dread build in his chest. Not Ryuo.

"Oi, Ryutama! What'cha doin' here?" the loud red headed man asked.

Aoi sighed. Ryuo didn't know why he was here, so that meant he hadn't summoned him. "I was sent here by Iruka-sensei. To meet my instructor."

Ryuo laughed loudly. "Right! Oh man, and here I thought she was kidding!"

"What's up with the gennin, Ryuo?" one of the other ANBU asked.

Ryuo grinned. "This is Ryutama Aoi."

The ANBU looked at Aoi for a moment before bursting into laughter. Aoi felt his face burn with embarrassment. Among the laugher he heard outbursts of, "I can't believe she was serious!" and "Poor kid won't last a minute training with her!".

Aoi was so confused and embarrassed by their words and laughter that he almost missed the familiar presence at his back. What he didn't miss though was the sudden silence and the looks of apology and a little fear on the faces of the other captains.

"You do realize that by insulting my student, you insult me," Kaishi's dark voice sounded from behind him.

"G-gomen, Onibashi-san," one of the ANBU apologized.

"If it happens again, I'll use your bloated corpses as training bags for him."

"Aw, come on Kai!" Ryuo protested. "It's just hard to imagine you taking on a gennin. Especially this one!"

Aoi forgot to breathe. Kaishi-san was going to train him? One of the most well-known and feared ANBU captains in Konoha was going to train him?

"And what does that imply, Namini?" Kaishi asked.

"It's just that you were brutal enough as a gennin. Not to mention that you're still an ANBU captain. I thought you had to leave ANBU in order to take students?" Ryuo asked.

"Hokage-sama made an exception."

"She would. Shimatta, Kai! You're gonna kill the kid! Not to mention that he's not exactly normal for a ninja," Ryuo pointed out.

"He has potential. Unique styles and approaches to the ninja arts makes it harder for our enemies to predict us. It also brings innovation and creativity to jutsus, possibly giving us advantage over our enemies. Besides, if he can survive two years wandering from Cloud to Konoha with no means of supporting himself, then he should be able to survive my training," Kaishi countered.

Ryuo shook his head. "Whatever, Kai. I still think it's weird that you suddenly want to take on some snot-nosed kid. Is going on S-class missions not enough for you now?"

Kaishi smirked. "They are getting someone tedious. He will make things interesting."

Ryuo chuckled and shook his head. "You are such a sadistic, vindictive, bitch, Kai."

The red head dodged suddenly, a shuriken barely grazing his face as it flew past and imbedded in a wooden support beam. Aoi was looking dangerously at Ryuo.

"Never call her that again," he ordered.

Ryuo raised a brow and snorted. "On second thought, he might be just perfect for you, Kai."

Kaishi's eyes glimmered with amusement as she watched Aoi stand up to the red haired jackass that was her ex-gennin teammate. "That's why I chose him," she stated as she turned to leave. "Come, Ryutama."

Aoi nodded and spun to follow Kaishi, a huge grin on his face. He had a sensei. And he knew that with this sensei he'd become something great. "Hai Kaishi-sensei!"

~*~*~*~

Levii: Yay! My writer's block has passed. I thank my buddy, Dan, and Katie for the help. You guys rock! Alright then, ya'll know the drill. Please review and comment or else you'll make Kaishi angry... and you won't like her when she's angry... hell, I don't like it when she's angry!
Oh, and as a side note. If you all would like to see what Kaishi looks like, please go to my deviant art site @ levii.deviantart.com and take a looksee! So, until next time... Ja ne!