Previously on "Finding My Way":

"It's short for Mamoru."

'She certainly is an interesting girl.'

"We have met before, Kakashi-oji."

"Gen...jutsu?"

'I think I may have gotten too attached. But for now, welcome to your new home, Yasuko.'

Now [Chapter 4: Colours and Shadows]

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Yasuko's POV

I snuggled up into the warmth of my bed before I snapped my eyes open when I didn't feel Papa's presence. I sat up and realized I wasn't in my room, or in the Akatsuki hideout. I looked around hoping to find some clue where I was. Seeing a window, I carefully slid off the bed and pulled the curtains back. I blinked as the harsh light blinded me before a village came into view. I watched as villagers walked around, doing their daily routines and different ninja run across the buildings. Spotting the monument, I realized where I was.

Konoha.

I remembered how I got here and clenched a fist over my chest as I realized I wouldn't be able to see Papa any time soon. I bit my lip and looked down as Ru came to my side and comforted me. I smiled sadly, wrapping my arms around him as I took deep breaths, wiping away the tears. I held back the tears and chanted my usual mantra to myself when I was feeling down.

'Heads up, hearts down, steady as we go.'

I gazed out the window before straightening myself and cautiously exiting the room. Ru walked beside me as I sensed around for any presences. I could sense a familiar chakra source on the floor below me, and two ANBU watching from the distance. I made my way downstairs and into the kitchen where I saw a familiar silver-haired man as he rubbed his nape in a confused manner. He looked up as he sensed my presence and gave me an ever-familiar smile.

"Oh, you're up, Yasuko. Did you have a good rest?" Kakashi asked.

I nodded, "Thank you for your hospitality, Kakashi-oji."

"It's no problem. It would be like old times, right?"

I smiled, realizing he remembered the year we spent together when he was my babysitter. "Yes, just like back then."

Kakashi made his way to another room and motioned me to follow. Nodding, both Ru and I followed behind, and into what I assumed was the living room. He took a seat on the sofa and patted the seat beside him. Understanding, I crawled up onto the sofa and made myself comfortable as Ru hopped beside me, placing his chin on my lap. I unconsciously began to run my fingers through his fur causing him to purr.

Kakashi chuckled and joined in, causing Ru's purrs to increase in volume as he rolled onto his back at the attention.

"You two are very close," Kakashi commented.

I smiled, "He is my best friend."

Kakashi smiled. We sat in silence before I remembered my weapons and scrolls. "Ano, Kakashi-oji?"

"Hai, Yasuko?" Kakashi answered as he read his orange book.

"Will I be able to have my weapons and scrolls back?" I asked.

Kakashi blinked before placing his book in one of his weapon pouches. "Oh, that's right." Kakashi stood up, making his way out of the room. When he returned, in his hands were my weapon pouches and scrolls. My eyes lit up but I remained in my place when I remembered Ru was on my lap napping. He was always grumpy when someone woke him up.

Kakashi made his way back to his place beside me and gave me my weapon pouches, which I instantly checked over, seeing if anything was missing. I mentally checked off all of my weapons and nodded before taking the scrolls. Since Papa was the one to seal everything into it, I had no idea what was in it but decided to unseal and check it later. I frowned a bit when I saw that my katana was not with my weapons and scrolls.

Kakashi chuckled when he saw my expression and summoned my katana out of a scroll he pulled out from his pouch. "Here Yasuko. I knew you'd be wanting this back."

I grinned and grabbed my katana before holding it against my chest. My hand ran over the sheathe tracing over the quote engraved into it. 'My moon and sun, my treasure and legacy.'

"That katana seems very important to you," Kakashi noted.

I nodded as I traced over the Uchiha emblem on the hilt of the katana. "Papa gave it to me when I turned four before we left to the Akatsuki," I muttered.

Kakashi nodded before gently pushing Ru off my lap, causing the tiger to growl in annoyance before flopping his head back onto the sofa and lifting me up into his arms. I stared at the jōnin confused by his actions. He matched my gaze with his signature smile as he made his way to the front door, Ru reluctantly following behind.

"You've been asleep for a while, and it's already lunchtime. You must be hungry, ne?" Kakashi said.

Before I could say anything, my stomach decided to answer for me. I blushed and wrapped my arms around my stomach in embarrassment.

"Th-that sounds good," I whispered a bit flustered.

Kakashi chuckled, "Then let's go. I'll show you around the village while we buy take out. There are some technical difficulties with the kitchen right now."

I stared at him, tilting my head, but nodded nonetheless. Holding me in his arms, Kakashi carried me out and locked the door behind us, Ru following by our side.

Time Skip – Three Hours Later

I walked down the streets of Konoha as I gazed at everything curiously. After having lunch, Kakashi spent two hours showing me around Konoha before a messenger hawk flown above him. Seeing how we haven't finished the tour I convinced him into letting me walk around by myself for the rest of the day. He was hesitant at first but after a few more tries, he gave me a pouch of money if I wanted to buy anything and told me to be home by six.

With that, he transported away, while Ru and I explored the rest of the village, of course not without a few tails.

Konoha was a very peaceful village compared to Ame. With all the rain, not many stayed out of their homes very long and it was always so gloomy. I waved hesitantly as villagers smiled and greeted me as I passed, though many were wary of the tiger prowling next to me.

My stomach growled and I bit my lip and gazed around for somewhere to eat. I smiled seeing a teashop nearby. I carefully maneuvered myself around the crowds of shopping villagers before I came to a stop in front of the shop.

It was a quaint shop and seemed very cozy. I made my way inside; the ringing of chimes notifying my entry. As I entered my mouth dropped slightly at the beauty of the woman in front of me.

She had long, silky hair that had been pulled into a loose bun. Her pale skin was smooth and flawless, and her expression was kind and calm. The woman appeared to be in her early twenties and wore a light blue kimono with a dark blue almost black obi. Her hair was held up using two deep blue chopsticks, but her most notable feature was her eyes. They were the clearest blue eyes I have ever seen; it was like looking up at the sky on a clear day.

The woman's laugh brought me out of my stupor causing me to blush. "Go-gomen'nasai, for staring. It was just that... you... you are very beautiful miss." I mumbled.

It was the woman's turn to blush as she made her way to me. She crouched in front of me before placing a hand on my head. My eyes drooped a bit at the gentle touch as I unconsciously leaned into her hand.

"It's alright dear. My name is Hayashi Aoi, with the kanji for "forest" and "blue or green." The woman introduced.

I smiled when I noticed that her name was the same colour as her eyes. "My name is Yasuko." I bowed a bit, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Hayashi-san."

Aoi smiled before standing up, taking my hand in her own. I stared up at her shock as she pulled me further into the shop. "Please, call me Aoi, Yasuko-chan."

I nodded. "Hai, Aoi-san." Ru followed beside me carefully, watching Aoi cautiously. I ran my fingers through his fur, calming him down. Aoi saw this and carefully reached out for my friend.

Ru backed away slightly but seeing Aoi pause, he hesitantly stepped forward, allowing Aoi to pet him. She smiled as she patted Ru before pulling away and leading me again.

"What's your friend's name Yasuko?" Aoi asked as she seated me in one of the booths.

"His name is Mamoru, Ru-kun for short," I answered.

Aoi smiled before slipping on an apron and handing me a menu. "What would you like to eat Yasuko-chan?" I blinked before I remembered the reason I entered the shop in the first place. Looking down the menu and pointed to what I'd like. "May I have a cup of green tea and three sticks of dango?" I asked.

Aoi nodded, jotting down my order. "I'll be right back with your order soon, Yasuko-chan."

I sat in peace with Ru resting on my lap. Glancing down at him I raised my hand, catching the attention of one of the workers. The young man made his way to me, staring warily at Ru before directing his attention to me. "May I help you, young lady?" I nodded towards Ru. "Can I have a plate of beef and have it cooked so it is still a bit raw?"

The waiter nodded in understanding. "That's fine. It will be back with your order in 10 minutes." I smiled in thanks, the waiter returning it before making his way behind the counter. I hummed a song to myself to pass time while combing my fingers through Ru's fur. I glanced up when the sound of footsteps reached my ear. I smiled at the brunette woman as she placed a plate of dango in front of me along with a cup of tea.

"Thank you, Aoi-san." I bowed. Aoi smiled, patting my head. "You're welcome Yasuko."

I took a sip of the tea and relaxed as the soothing liquid hit my tongue. I smiled slightly and looked up noticing a waiter coming with a plate of meat. I giggled slightly when Ru's head snapped towards the waiter. The waiter froze, gulping before hesitating making his way over. I smiled at him, a nervous one is my reply.

"You know, Ru will not hurt you," I told him. The man smiled nervously, his eyes glancing at Ru every now and then. He carefully set the plate in front of Ru, who purred contentedly before digging into his meal. "That does not mean I cannot be wary."

I nodded in acceptance and looked over the waiter. He seemed to be in his late teens and had brown hair that was messily combed and indigo eyes. My eyebrows scrunched when I felt a sense of familiarity towards him, but knew it was my first time meeting him.

"Ah, I see you've met my little brother, Yasuko-chan." I turned to Aoi and nodded seeing the similarities between the two. "Hai," I answered before bowing to the waiter, "I am sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I am Yasuko, it is a pleasure to meet you." Aoi's brother waved his arms in front of him furiously a blush coating his cheeks.

"I-ie! That's fine! It's nice to meet you too Yasu-chan." He smiled sheepishly, rubbing the nape of his neck, "My name's Hayashi Ai. I know kind of girly, but our parents were never really original when it came to naming us." I grinned knowing what he meant. It was obvious that their parents named them after the colour of their eyes, Aoi for blue and Ai for indigo.

I glanced at the clock and saw that I only had around an hour left to explore the village. Wanting to see the rest of my new home, I paid for Ru and I's meal and bid the Hayashi siblings goodbye with a promise to visit soon.

I walked through the Konoha's streets with a spring in my step. I hummed along to a tune I faintly remembered along with the lyrics. My brows furrowed as I tried to recall the song and smiled when I finally got it. I stopped as pink passed my view. I looked up and saw sakura petals drifting in the winds from a nearby park. Nudging Ru to follow, we entered the park. I grinned seeing the various flowers and trees clustering around the play structure. Children ran around the park while their parents watched from the various benches placed around the area.

Not wanting to scare the kids and parents, Ru and I made our way farther into the park, where the trees became denser. We stopped at a tall sakura tree atop a small hill. I sat down, my back against the trunk of the tree. I sighed as silence surrounded my friend and I.

I closed my eyes and began humming a simple tune. I felt the wind brush against my cheeks and dance in my hair. I could hear the leaves swaying with the breeze. As I came to a familiar part of the tune, I opened my mouth and let the words flow.

https://youtu.be/RxLBEr2hzKk

(Harumonia by Rhythm – Naruto Second Ending)

As I ended the song, I felt a presence in front of me. I opened my eyes, my eyes meeting those of a 12-year-old boy. He was slouching, his hands in his pocket, and a bored expression on his face that reminded me a bit of Kakashi. He had dark brown hair tied in a spiky ponytail and narrow brown eyes.

"Nice song, kid." The boy complimented.

I smiled shyly. "Thank you, can I know your name, onii-san?"

"Nara Shikamaru." The boy introduced.

Hearing the Clan name, I sifted through my memories as I recalled writing a report on the Nara Clan.

'The Nara Clan or Family was known for their intelligence," I thought, 'Ninjutsu that entails the manipulation of shadows, and tending of deer such as Rikumaru, which graze in a large area of the Nara Clan Forest. Nara Shikaku is the most recent head of the clan.'

"It is a pleasure to meet Nara-san. My name is Yasuko." I politely bowed from my position on the ground.

"Nice to meet you too and call me Shika or something. It's too troublesome to be called so formally. I'm no one special." Shikamaru said.

My brows furrowed but nodded. "Shika-nii then?" Seeing the nod I smiled. I got up, shaking Ru awake. He growled in annoyance but complied nonetheless. I saw Shikamaru glance at Ru but saw no wariness or fear in his eyes. I bowed, catching his attention.

"It was nice to meet you, but I must be going home now. My guardian will be waiting for me." I said.

Shikamaru nodded, seeing the sky beginning to darken. "It's pretty late. Will you be alright walking home?" He asked as we walked side by side out of the park. I shook my head and looked up the passing clouds. "It is fine. My guardian's home is rather close, and I have Ru with me as well." I reassured the young teen.

Shikamaru glanced at me before placing his arms behind his head, looking up at the sky. "I see." We walked in silence before we stopped at an intersection of one of the streets. I smiled up at Shikamaru and pointed to the right street. "I will be going this way. If I remember correctly the Nara compound is in the opposite direction."

Shikamaru nodded and gazed at me. "Guess this is where we part. See you around Yasu." I smiled at the nickname and bowed politely. "See you around Shika-nii." Shikamaru turned, waving over his shoulder as he made his way to the compound. I waved before making my way to Kakashi's house.

I slipped out a key from one of my pockets and opened the door. Allowing Ru to enter first, I followed, closing and locking the door behind me. As I turned around I jumped a bit seeing Kakashi in front of me, his hands on his hips a worried and angry look in his eye.

"Where have you been? Do you know how late it is? I have been waiting for you, young lady. Do you know how worried I was? I thought you were kidnapped or attacked!" Kakashi scolded.

I sweat dropped at his mother hen mode and peeked at the clock in the hall and saw that I was in fact late.

... By 3 minutes.

"I am sorry Kakashi-oji. I seemed to have lost track of time when I was exploring. I made a new friend though. His name is Nara Shikamaru. He escorted me before he had to leave me to get home. I apologize for making you worry. I promise I will not do it again." I promised with puppy eyes.

Kakashi tried to resist but I knew that he'd give in. Konan taught me this technique and we tested it on all of the other members, which resulted in the Akatsuki playing dress up and having tea parties with me.

Konan is the only female member in the Akatsuki. She was a relatively tall woman who had short, straight blue hair, amber eyes with lavender eyeshadow, and a labret piercing. She wears a large bye paper flower in her hair, which she made using origami. 

Being the only female member, she became a sort of motherly figure as I grew up in the Akatsuki.

Sighing, Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck and nodded, giving me his forgiveness. I brightened and glomped him. Kakashi chuckled, wrapping his arms around me. After placing me back on the ground, we both cleaned up and ate the take-out ramen he had bought while I was out.

We made small talk as we ate, getting to know each other better. As we finished, he stopped me from cleaning up and instead pushing me towards my bedroom.

"Leave the mess to me. You go on upstairs and get ready for bed. The Hokage has asked for your presence at nine tomorrow morning to discuss your enrolment into the Ninja Academy." Kakashi informed me.

I bit my lip, as I looked up at him. "Can I clean up my plates first? It will not take long." I asked.

Kakashi chuckled, shaking his head. "Go to bed Yasuko. I'll clean it up."

"But-"

"No buts. Now go on." Kakashi gave one more push before turning to clean up the mess. I frowned a bit and took a step to him but was stopped by the piercing look in his eye.

"Yasuko..." Kakashi spoke.

I sighed, my head bowing a bit. "Alright then. Goodnight Kakashi-oji." I waved, making my way upstairs.

Kakashi hummed nodding. "Goodnight Yasuko."

I entered my room, switching my clothes for my pyjamas and cleaned up. I slipped under the covers of my bed, holding it up from Ru to slip under with me. We snuggled against each other. I feel asleep with one thought on my mind.

'I wonder... will I meet him?'

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Next time on "Finding My Way":

"Eh?! Kakashi-oji, that was two hours ago!"

"A medic nin come in and give you a check-up."

"There is an anomaly in her chakra network, Hokage-sama."

"But a chakra burst so close to the tenketsu points-!"

[Chapter 5: Anomoly]

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Major changes to the original storyline of "Finding My Way" begins in the next chapter. I strongly suggest that you read the edited chapters after this to see what's up. 

Btw, do I got any ARMY readers? Has anyone been to a BTS concert yet? 

Peace!

This is Lala, over and out.