Through chaos as it swirls

It's us against the world
Through chaos as it swirls
It's us against the world

-Us Against the World; by Coldplay

11 ½ Years Earlier

The day Kanna Fujiwara found out about her pregnancy, she was terrified. She was young, inexperienced. She had no idea how to take care of a child. She could hardly take care of herself on a good day! Kanna's family tried warning her. Her family tried convincing her to stop her reckless behavior, but she wouldn't listen. When that shinobi - that damned shinobi - came into her village, she was instantly smitten. He was an ANBU, Kanna could tell that much. ANBU shinobi always had their faces concealed, but there was just something about him Kanna was attracted to. He must've felt something, too. In the time he spent in the village, the two had frequent get-togethers in secluded areas. It was in those moments Kanna saw his face for the first time. Or, at least part of his face. He always wore a mask. His face was so concealed, he only had one eye visible. His need to conceal his true identity, even outside of his ANBU uniform, didn't bother Kanna. She still found herself attracted to him in some way. As his stay in the village became longer, that was when the changes started to occur. Their relationship had been intimate, it had been for a while. But Kanna was starting to notice changes in her body. Nausea and vomiting; an increase in breast size; sensitivity to certain foods - it didn't make sense in the beginning. She tried to tell him, she wanted him to know what was going on.

When he'd been told, he froze. His attitude seemed to change. He'd started to warm up to Kanna, but still kept himself at a comfortable distance. At the news of her sickness, of her physical changes, he pressed her to check in with a doctor. He failed to tell Kanna he'd be leaving with his team later that day. But she followed his advice nonetheless. She met with a doctor; they took tests. They confirmed a pregnancy. That caused Kanna's blood to run cold. But it explained all of her symptoms. It explained everything; including his behavior. She went to their spot, hoping he'd be there so she could tell him the news. He never showed up. Kanna went to their spot, every night, for over a month. He still failed to show up. After a month and a half, it finally dawned on her - he'd abandoned them. That Konoha shinobi left Kanna and their child high and dry. Naturally, she was furious at the thought of his abandonment. But, at the same time, it made sense. He was an ANBU; his duties came before anything else. Sadly, the conflicting emotions remained in her through the duration of her pregnancy. Anger from him leaving, understanding the importance of his loyalties - it was a never-ending cycle. Kanna made herself understand she had to take care of her daughter, regardless of her mixed emotions about the shinobi. But the birth of the child did spark up a lot of controversy.

One very big issue that came with Kanna's child was the fact that she had a Konohagakure father. That ANBU, and his team, were passing through Kumogakure, the Land of Lightning. It was no secret that the two great nations had a bad history with each other. There was the instance with the Gold and Silver Brothers almost killing the Second Hokage during an attempted peace treaty with the Second Raikage. Then Kumo and Konoha opposed each other during the First Shinobi World War. The same would happen again during the Second Shinobi World War. Even when a peace treaty did form between the two nations, Kumo refused to demilitarize like Konoha wanted. The Kumo military was kept running in secret, in case of another battle or war, in which the Land of Lightning could have the upper hand. But even with the treaty in place, it didn't change the hostilities the nations felt for each other. Kumo, on many occasions, staged secret kidnappings within Konoha. One of the most infamous was the kidnapping of Kushina Uzumaki. Naturally it failed, but if it had been successful, then the Land of Lightning would not only have an Uzumaki, a supposedly powerful one at that, and another jinchuuriki, but also access to another Tailed-Beast. But, of course, that plan didn't work out.

Another very big issue that came with the baby was Kanna's family. Before the pregnancy, her family warned her against seeing a Leaf shinobi. They didn't trust him or his comrades. Kanna, of course, thought her family had no idea what they were talking about. She felt she could make her own decisions. Her ignorance and stubbornness cost her greatly in the end. Kanna's father, Akihito, claimed that his granddaughter's birth brought shame onto their family. He didn't want to accept that his daughter had been so foolish that she'd conceive a child with a Konoha ninja. The Fujiwara family, Kanna's family, were on the brink of casting her out when she came to them with an idea. Why not send the child to live with her father?

ヽ(ಠ_ಠ)ノ

The day Yuri Fujiwara was brought to Konoha, she was a little over two months old. Kanna's idea of sending her daughter away had been widely accepted by her family; and they were eager to send the newborn off. In the eyes of every Fujiwara, the sooner Yuri was out of the picture, the better. For Kanna, however, it was a little hard. Despite being such a young mother, Yuri was still her child - it wasn't an entirely easy task to carry out. Even though sending the infant away would save Kanna the embarrassment of being cast out from her family, the plan started to make her feel guilty. Yuri would grow up with no knowledge of her maternal family. She'd grow up with no knowledge of her mother. That struck an emotional chord in Kanna. Her baby girl would never know who she was. And all because the Fujiwara family was concerned about their reputation. But, in the end, sending Yuri away was probably in her best interest. Akihito would have never accepted his granddaughter if Kanna chose to keep her in Kumo. The entire Fujiwara clan would have rejected her and her mother. At least in Konoha, Yuri would have a better life. One without judgment or ridicule.

So, a little over two months after Yuri's birth, Kanna brought her to Konoha. She'd been escorted by a Kumo shinobi, personally chosen by the Raikage himself. The journey from Kumogakure to Konoha was long and treacherous - Kanna and her escort encountered bandits and a small handful of rogues, resulting in minor setbacks in their schedule. On top of that, Yuri came down with a fever and had to be examined by doctors and healers. It took a full two and a half weeks before the infant's fever was low enough to be considered healthy. Kanna had to provide medication to ensure things remained stable with her child. So, by the time mother, daughter, and escort reached the gates of the Leaf Village, they were nearly ambushed by the gatekeepers. When the Kumo shinobi requested time with the Hokage, and all the right paperwork was shown, Kanna was shown to the Hokage's building.

ヽ(ಠ_ಠ)ノ

Hiruzen Sarutobi took his role as Hokage seriously. He believed in keeping peace both within the village and with Konoha's connections and involvement with other nations. It was a Hokage's job to do that, right? To ensure stability for their home nation and for their neighboring ones? But one thing Hiruzen took very seriously were issues his shinobi caused in other lands. Moments like those were rare, but they had a habit of popping up every once in a while. One instance, however, nearly blindsided Hiruzen. It involved one of his most skilled shinobi, Kakashi. It was no surprise the young shinobi had a reputation, both in Konoha and among other nations. He was feared for his Sharingan eye, and for the sheer quickness he could copy and overpower his enemies. Kakashi Hatake was a valued shinobi and a valued member of Konoha's ANBU Black Ops. But what Hiruzen heard about his shinobi filled him with both disappointment and mild curiosity.

Kanna Fujiwara, a citizen of Kumogakure, had traveled a great distance with her infant daughter. The young mother claimed that the child belonged to a member of Konoha's ANBU, though she couldn't say who. Kanna wove a story on how her family could not financially support the newborn. Konoha was the child's only hope. Hiruzen was willing to listen, he was also willing to give Kanna a chance. It was obvious the journey left her exhausted and desperate. She'd come so far, and being turned away was probably the last thing she wanted.

Hiruzen decided to offer Kanna temporary stay within Konoha. The only thing he wanted in turn was a blood sample from Yuri. He'd test the sample with any shinobi he knew traveled through Kumo in the last couple months. Should there be a match, Yuri would be reunited with the father and granted citizenship. Only if the father allows her to live with him, though. Kanna agreed. Doctors took some blood from Yuri, and the young mother and daughter stayed in Konoha under constant supervision until any results came in. It took two weeks before a single match came in. Hiruzen was the first to be told. Afterwards, Kanna and Yuri were retrieved. In the Hokage's office, matters were discussed. Hiruzen talked about how the procedures would go down should Yuri's father accept her. He also explained the consequences should rejection occur. Kanna accepted them, but only promised that Yuri, should her father accept her, never know of her true mother. That was her only wish.

ヽ(ಠ_ಠ)ノ

"You do realize why you're here today, don't you, Kakashi?" Hiruzen looked at the young man in front of him. Kakashi Hatake stood stiffly beside Kanna, refusing to look in the young mother's direction. From the moment he stepped into the room, the atmosphere thickened. Kanna held the bundle in her arms close to her, though there was a certain stiffness about her, as well.

"I can't say I am, Lord Hokage." Kakashi's response was immediate, his tone just about as stiff as his posture.

With a hum, Hiruzen leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on the desk in front of him. "The young woman beside you is Kanna Fujiwara," he explained, "and she brought with her her two month old daughter. I believe you've met Kanna before, correct?"

There was a brief pause before Kakashi nodded. His hands curled into fists.

"Kanna requested her daughter entry to the village," Hiruzen went on, "granting the father full-custody. And of all the shinobi we've tested, your blood work was the only one that came back positive. You're this child's father, Kakashi."

There was a moment of silence. Kanna still held her daughter close to her, but she observed Kakashi out of the corner of her eyes. He seemed to have matured some since the last time they met. His face was still mostly covered, his hair still unruly and poking up. Before Yuri's birth, before even discovering she was pregnant, Kanna would have admired all of Kakashi's physical characteristics. But looking at him in that moment, with an infant in her arms, dampened any feelings the young mother had for him.*

"The Fujiwara clan is one of the wealthier clans in Kumogakure," Kakashi said. "Why would Kanna want to bring her daughter all the way here?"

Hiruzen nodded to Kanna, giving her the floor to speak.

"My family has fallen into hard times," she replied, her tone firm. "Our money is starting to run out. We won't have enough to take care of her. Sending her to Konoha seemed to be the most logical decision."

Kakashi turned to look at Kanna. She looked a bit thin, even for a woman who'd just had a baby months prior. Her reddish auburn hair was pulled back into a high-ponytail. Kanna's dark skin contrasted with the clothes she wore and her amber eyes would occasionally flicker between Kakashi and Hiruzen.

"What do you say, Kakashi?" Hiruzen asked.

(A/N):

I know it's been a ridiculously long wait for a "meh" chapter, but hopefully you guys at least tolerate it. If you've got any ideas on how to improve this chapter, don't hesitate to let me know, okay? I'd love to know what you guys have to say. Constructive criticism is always important.

With that, nothing in the Naruto franchise belongs to me. All I own are my OCs, the subplots I put in, and complete exhaustion from finals. If you've got ideas for an OC or a subplot, don't hesitate to let me know. I'll add them in as soon as possible.

Also, how many of you are excited for the Incredibles 2? It's coming out on the fifteenth, right? That's only in a couple of days, obviously. Either way, it's hard to believe that the first movie came out in 2004. That's fourteen years ago! That's so crazy. The first movie is my absolute favorite! To me, that's one of the most iconic movies of my childhood. There's Syndrome and Edna and Frozone trying to find his super suit - that whole movie made up a big part of my childhood and I'm really hoping this sequel does well. It would suck if it flopped. I digress.

Leave a random fact on something you know or recently learned.

Au revoir, my friends,

Farrah Czajkowski