Author's Notes

Last updated: 09/19/2007

This is a Naruto fanfiction. I've aged all the characters 5 years in time, from the start of the manga/anime. The story may have elements that are slightly AU (alternate universe) merely because I'd only seen the first two seasons of the anime when I started this story. I've also fiddled with a couple of the peripheral characters for the purposes of the plot (ie. Ibiki Morino, Genma, Rin) I've endeavored to stay within the outline of the original author's intent, skirting around plot lines (ie. Sasuke/Orochimaru/Itachi) where I have not actually seen the outcome (though I bet I can guess it).

www.narutofan.com/index.php/content-manga%20summaries,index

This is a good site that lists manga author Kishimoto's characters with their biographies. Photos of each character are included. It may be helpful to see the pictures of Kakashi and his mask and headband. The Sharingan eye is also pictured. If you click on character biographies, go to letter H for Hatake, Kakashi. In Japanese, the last name, or family name is given first. To avoid confusion, I have chosen not to do this in my story.

This story focuses mainly on Kakashi (because he's the coolest!). Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are present, but don't figure prominently. Because, well, I'm an adult, and teenage angst just doesn't interest me that much. There is mature content in this story because a) I like that stuff, and b) I wanted to see if I could write a decent love story. Complete with sex scenes, or, as I like to call them: “the good stuff.” This is my first creative writing attempt--outside of high school--which was many, many years ago. So please, be honest, but kind. If you would like to offer comments/constructive criticism, I can be reached by e-mail at tchula@ripton.net

Summary of the world of Naruto:

There are 5 main countries in this world, each with a Hidden Ninja village. My story focuses on Fire Country and its Hidden Leaf Village, also called Konoha. Wind Country, and the Village Hidden in Sand also figure prominently. Each country's civilian government is ruled by a Daimyo (Japanese for Lord). I decided to go with King, Prince, etc. instead of the Japanese terms for these. The ninja villages are autonomous from the civilian governments, and are each headed by the strongest ninja in the village. For Leaf, this is the Hokage Tsunade. In Sand, the Kazekage rules. Tsunade is the fifth Hokage for Leaf Village, having been in the position for a little over 4 years. She succeeded the third Hokage Sarutobi, who came out of retirement when the young fourth Hokage was killed saving the village from the nine-tailed fox demon 12 years previously. (He sacrificed his life to seal the spirit of the nine-tailed fox inside Naruto Uzumaki's infant body.) The third Hokage was killed by his former student, Orochimaru, while defending the village from that shinobi's mad plan to destroy Konoha.

This world has some technology, such as radios, cameras, televisions, small motors (like the kind on small boats). It does not have cars, planes, or guns. Guns are too easy, I guess, and these are ninja after all. Common weapons are shuriken (throwing stars), kunai (a small throwing knife with a blade probably 6-9 inches long), crossbows, swords (called katana), really big two-handed swords called zanbatou, garrotes (thin wire used to strangle people), bows, senbon (thin metal sticks like the kind used for acupuncture), and a bunch of other stuff that I won't list unless I use it in the story.

Ninja also use Taijutsu: fighting with fists and feet, the physical body.

Ninjutsu: casting spells using chakra (spirit energy combined with physical energy of the body) such as translocation (teleporting oneself from place to place); replacement jutsu (substituting one's body with an object, like a log or something, to absorb an attack; summoning jutsu (summoning an animal to fight for the ninja); elemental spells (stuff like casting fireballs, calling lightning, creating tidal waves, moving earth, etc.); shadow clone jutsu (making solid copies of oneself, usually done to fight or confuse an enemy). Some ninja are better at some types of jutsu than others.

Genjutsu: the art of illusion, involving the ability both to weave and see through them. Mesmerizing opponents, sleep or hallucination spells, and the transformation jutsu (taking someone else's form) are examples of genjutsu.

Some ninja are better at one or two of these three areas. Soriya is particularly skilled with genjutsu and ninjutsu, but has only average taijutsu skills (for a ninja, anyway). Kakashi is well balanced in all three areas, that's why he's an elite jonin, and often given the most difficult missions.

A note on spell casting: Ninjutsu and Genjutsu use chakra which is controlled and directed through the use of hand seals—a sequence of signs made with the hands. More complex spells require more hand movements, and some spells also require words or chanting as well. Most ninja have to use two hands to cast advanced jutsu, but more powerful shinobi can often use only one hand, forming a mental image of the second hand to create the seals. It requires immense skill and control to do this, especially on higher level spells, and is an uncommon ability, even among jonin.

About Kekkei Genkai: The Sharingan is a Kekkei Genkai, or inherited bloodline trait of incredible power, found only in the Uchiha clan (of which Sasuke is the last, as his older brother Itachi slaughtered everyone else). The more powerful the Sharingan, the more black flecks are present in the red iris. Kakashi has 3 flecks in his left eye, Sasuke had 1 in one eye and 2 in the other at the start of the manga (his power was developing and uneven because of his youth and inexperience). Kekkei Genkai are passed down through clans' DNA, and cannot be copied by techniques like the Sharingan. Kakashi was gifted his eye in a battlefield operation by his dying teammate, Obito Uchiha, after Kakashi's own left eye was blinded. With the Sharingan, he can perceive and even anticipate enemy movements. In addition, Kakashi can copy and replicate the ninjutsu of other ninja after a single viewing; having copied over a thousand jutsu, he's sometimes referred to as the Copy Ninja. The Sharingan also has the ability to hypnotize a target, and can entrap one in a vision/nightmare realm. This power is called the Tsukyomi (pronounced Sookeeomee). The black flecks rotate in the red iris when this skill is in use.

The most powerful KG in Leaf Village belong to the Hyuga clan. They possess the Byakuygan, a type of all-seeing eye. They can see through objects, even over great distances, and can also manipulate/shut down the chakra system of opponents through use of a specialized taijutsu called the “Gentle Fist” style that attacks the main points of chakra flow in the body. They have the ability to form a dome-shaped force field out of chakra, as well, and are rarely fooled by illusion genjutsu. It is thought that the Sharingan initially derived from an early offshoot of the Byakuygan. Soriya has a trace of Hyuga blood from her mother's side.

Ninja have ranks. Genin is a beginning level ninja, one who just graduated from Ninja Academy. Genin are placed under the instruction of a jonin sensei. At the start of the manga, Kakashi's genin were Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto. The next level up is chunin, then jonin. Testing to advance to each level is brutal, and sometimes fatal. Missions are assigned by the Hokage according to their difficulty level, and are classed as either A, B, C, or D. D level missions are the easiest, and are given to genin, while jonin receive the most dangerous A class missions. There is a special class of mission so sensitive, they are designated S and only given to the most powerful jonin. Usually they involve assassination of other powerful shinobi/leaders. Soriya's assignment in Wind Country was one such. Kakashi has completed 38 S class missions, according to his character biography.

Some commonly used Japanese terms and their meanings:

shinobi-another word for ninja

kunoichi-a female ninja

sensei-teacher, or someone considered to be a master at a particular subject

Kekkei Genkai-an inherited blood trait of incredible power, passed down in clans

sake-a potent Japanese alcohol made from fermented rice

-san-this suffix added to a person's last name functions as Mr./Mrs./Ms.

-sama-a suffix generally used for someone of much higher rank, like a lord or prince

Pronunciation hints: In Japanese, the vowels are pronounced differently than in English, as follows-- a=ah, e=ay, i=ee, o=oh, u=oo There are also consonant-yu combinations, like ryu and myu, these would be pronounced reeoo, and meeoo, as in Ryuji (Reeoojee) and Myugi (Meeoogee). There is a weird thing with the letter combination uk in a three syllable word or name, where the u is silent. Hence, Sasuke=Saskay, Itasuki=Eetaskee, Ryusuki=Reeooskee. I think it messes up the flow of the sentences if one says the names wrong, so I included this to help folks out.

Cast of Characters (ones with an * belong to me, the others are the creation of Naruto manga author Masashi Kishimoto).

Soriya (Suki) Kanzin*: female; age 24; rank-jonin; Dark red hair, gray eyes, 5'7” tall. The last of the Kanzin clan. Wielder of a mysterious and dangerous power. Our heroine.

Kakashi Hatake: male; age 31; rank-jonin; Silver hair, right eye is dark brown, left is red Sharingan eye with 3 black flecks; 5'11” tall. An elite jonin, known as the Copy Ninja; always wears a mask, with a headband slanted to cover the Sharingan unless he wants to use it; likes to read “erotic novels”; has a problem with punctuality; summons a pack of Ninja hounds headed by the pug Pakkun. Our hero.

Emiko Hagane*: female; age 23(deceased); rank-chunin; dark brown hair, hazel eyes; the medic-nin on Soriya's squad; skilled with poisons and the crossbow.

Natsu Oseki*: male; age 23(deceased); rank-chunin; short brown hair, brown eyes; a taijutsu specialist.

Naruto Uzumaki: male; age 17; rank-chunin; one of Kakashi's students; blond hair, blue eyes; Naruto holds the spirit and power of the Nine-Tailed Fox (a powerful demon) imprisoned inside his body; his goal is to become Hokage someday so everyone will have to respect him; master of the Shadow Clone jutsu; really likes ramen.

Sasuke Uchiha: male; age 17; rank-chunin; black hair, black eyes (unless Sharingan is activated); last of the Uchiha clan and wielder of the Sharingan; one of Kakashi's students; sought revenge on his elder brother Itachi for slaughtering the clan.

Sakura Haruno: female; age 18; rank-chunin; pale orange hair (I know, I know, in the anime, it looks pink), green eyes; one of Kakashi's students; had a huge crush on Sasuke, much to his annoyance; I've made her cooler and less annoying than she is in the original (I just couldn't help myself—it bugged me too much!).

Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru: male, male; age 18, age ?; rank-chunin; brown hair, black eyes; a Ninja and his white-furred Ninja hound.

Hinata Hyuga: female; age 18; rank-chunin; short black hair, opaque silver eyes; wields the Byakuygan; the eldest daughter of the Hyuga clan leader; has been in love with Naruto for years; very shy.

Shikamaru Nara: male; age 17; rank-chunin; black hair worn in a high ponytail; black eyes; a genius with an IQ testing over 200; unfortunately, Shikamaru is very lazy and apathetic; most common phrase is “what a drag!”; loves go and shogi; able to use the Shadow Possession jutsu to ensnare opponents with his shadow.

Ino Yamanaka: female; age 17; rank-chunin; long blond hair; blue eyes; Sakura's friend and one-time rival for Sasuke's attention (until she got over it); bossy; possesses the ability to send her mind into another's body (Mind-Body Transfer jutsu), controlling it briefly—her own body lies in a dormant state during use of this Possession jutsu; any damage occurring to the possessed body affects Ino's real body.

Genma Shiranui: male; age 33; chin-length brown hair, brown eyes; rank-jonin; always holding a senbon between his teeth; womanizer.

Yori Itasuki*: male; age 22; Soriya's adopted brother; auburn hair, brown eyes; his parents, Mika and Yoshi (both deceased) took Soriya in after her parents mysteriously disappeared when she was six.

Izumi Itasuki*: female; age 21; Yori's wife, and Soriya's friend; black shoulder-length hair, black eyes; at the beginning of the story, she is pregnant with Yori's second child. Iori is the firstborn, a son, age 2 1/2.

Hokage Tsunade: female; age 56; the Ninja Leader of Hidden Leaf Village; a powerful healer, able to cast the Rebirth jutsu and summon a gigantic acid-spitting snail; she usually appears wearing the illusion of a blond woman in her twenties; likes sake and gambling.

Kazekage: male; age ?; the Ninja Leader of the Village Hidden in Sand

Ibiki Morino: male; age 47 (in the manga he is only 1 year older than Kakashi. I changed this for story purposes); 6'4” tall; has two diagonal scars cross his face and wears a black scarf cap to hide the fact that he's lost all his hair from being burned and tortured; rank-jonin; Head of the Torture and Interrogation Unit; Soriya's mentor.

Enya Ryusuki*: male; age 27; short buzz-cut brown hair, blue eyes; rank-jonin; a gifted medic ninja.

King Takamori*: male; age 70; sickly king of Wind Country

Prince Kisho*: male; age 36; the eldest son and heir to the throne

Princess Shiori*: female; age 26; Kisho's wife

Prince Mujito*: male; age 33; the younger son

Princess Leko*: female; age 23; Mujito's wife

Yukio Ryuji*: male; age 47; Mujito's Chief of Security; able to sniff out chakra users; black hair, black eyes; a master at taijutsu and interrogation through torture.

Bathsheba and Ra*: female, male; ages ?; a pair of Abyssinian cat demi-gods Soriya summons from time to time; very powerful telepaths; they are my little joke for those who know my own jealous, possessive Aby, Mr. Darcy. What can I say? The cat just loves me. ;-)

ANBU: Assassination black ops unit, made up of highly skilled ninja operatives.

RU*: (Retrieval Unit) The squad that goes to “clean up” a scene and retrieve any dead bodies.

Aruka Yamota*: male; age 62; gray hair with a small, pointed beard, black eyes; a master weaponsmith for Leaf Village.

Ayame Ito*: female; age 72; a kindly blind lady who lives in the forest west of Leaf Village.

Akira Kanzin*: male; Soriya's uncle; black hair, gray eyes; a former psych-nin, died before Soriya was born.

Sumao Kanzin*: male; Soriya's father; brown hair, brown eyes; went missing when Soriya was 6.

Kurumi Kanzin*: female; Soriya's mother; red hair, opaque silver eyes of the Hyuga clan; went missing when Soriya was 6.

Sayu Kanzin*: female; Sumao and Akira's younger sister; black hair, brown eyes; died in childbirth at age 17.

Yuichigo Nakamura*: male; ANBU black ops agent; age 20; rank-jonin; short, spiky brown hair; brown eyes; favored weapon is the katana.

Takeo Matsumoto*: male; ANBU black ops agent; age 24; rank-jonin; shoulder length black hair, often worn in a ponytail, black almond-shaped eyes; trains with Soriya; resents the kunoichi for unknown reasons; a gifted ninja, particularly skilled with taijutsu and ninjutsu.