Naruto The Song of Gondola

**Chapter One:**

**The Tales of the Fires Will**

* * *

><p>Her chocolate brown eyes stared at the sight ahead. Her dark hair was tied back in a single low pony tail held by two light purple ribbons – one near the top of her head while the other near just above her shoulders. She wore a yellow kimono with a dark brown hakama – printed with small cherry blossoms design at the bottom. Like many women she typically wore her hakama below the bust line.<p>

She let out a sigh as she stared up in the chilly morning sky. Her eyes were dazed as if she was staring at another world before her. Her face was abnormally pale than her usual color. If someone were to step closer to her, they could see the sleepless night she had experienced not long. Not only would they see the bags under her eyes, but the red puffiness that anyone could assume she had cried last night. Perhaps even cried herself to sleep in the late hours.

Yesterday had been one overwhelming day for the young girl standing in front of the small garden that her family – no father owns. Her mother had passed away yesterday late afternoon which devastated the young lady of the house. Her mother meant everything to her, and now she was gone to the heavens with her ancestors. That was not the only eventful thing that happened to her though. Even at the loss of her mother, more type of dramatic events took place.

She had fought with her father, and finally poured her feelings of hatred to him after her mothers passing. When she had ran out of the house after her fight with her father, she had confessed her love to her fathers good friend, Takao Osugi, whom had ran to comfort her. He had rejected her when she had professed her love. Thus she had lied, telling the older man that it was a fake confession, and hurrying him to go back home to his wife and daughter back in Tokyo.

It was indeed a disastrous day for the young maiden. Her mental stability was beginning to weaken.

* * *

><p><em>Everyone is going away… I'm always like this. Can I only say goodbye?<em>

* * *

><p>"Young lady … ?"<p>

Upon hearing the elder raspy voice, the young maiden turned around to face Baaya, her nanny since the time she was born. Baaya's expression held worry and confusion as she stared at her young lady. "My young lady… We are ready to prepare… prepare for…" Baaya choked on her words, and placed her hand to cover her lips. The nanny did not want to say anything anymore.

As the young seventeen year old placed a hand on Baaya's shoulder, the young maiden gave her a ghostly smile. "Let us go Baaya."

A nod was the response from the elder nanny. "Yes my lady…¨

When they passed the hallways of the old Morokia home, the aura of the place was not as welcoming as most members of the house hold would feel. It was as if something was missing in the house. Of course all the servants of the house knew well why the entire house felt chilly and eerie. When entering the destined room, Baaya and her young lady solemnly greeted the other two servants in the room.

The room had nothing of extra furniture or useless objects in the room besides what the servants carried in their arms. In the middle of the room was futon that was currently being used by the dead. There laid the young maidens mother lifeless form in the futon. There was a small handkerchief covering the face of the dead, so that it would not distraught the people in the room.

Finally they began to cleanse the body before putting on the rich kimono for the funeral to come in the next days. It took all the might for the young seventeen year old to do such thing at the moment. Seeing the pale face and the cool body of her mother was not something she would ever be used to.

Baaya began to complain as she placed the wooden bowl filled with water next to the young lady of the house. "Really now...no one from the village has come to help L … "

Takiko Okuda, the young lady of the house, shook her head. "It can't be helped Baaya."

Baaya gave one hesitant glance at the dark haired girl. "I-I am sorry my young lady … "

Once more, she shook her head. "We'll just have to make mothers funeral by ourselves …"

"Yes … perhaps the Mas-"

Takiko suddenly stood up which startled Baaya and the other two servants in the room. She had realized something important. Her lips formed a frown, and her eyes narrowed slightly. "Where is my father?"

"I-In his study my la – My lady!"

Takiko stormed out of the room leaving the servants to take care of the rest of the preparations. Stomping her way to her father's study, the young girl gave a scowl. She could not believe that man was her own father. To share such cold blood of his was not something she was exactly proud of. _That good for nothing … of a father! _She thought bitterly as she continued her stomping.

Finally in front of the sliding shoji doors, she clenched her fist. Sliding them open with out caring if they would break, she glared at the sight ahead. Her father was not in his study, but she saw that dirty old notebook her father clutched when he had returned home. Feeling her blood boiling, she stepped inside the study to stand in front of the wooden desk that had papers cover the surface of it. Next to the small notebook was a light brown book with dark kanji letters.

She picked up the book, and carefully read out the title. "_Hi no Ishi N__inden_."

A muscle beneath here right eye twitched. _He's working on this stupid title? Tales of the Will of Fire?_

"Takiko?"

Her head turned around to face the surprised face of her father. Without a second to lose she picked up the dirty old notebook, and dashed outside of the study pushing away her father. Holding the two books cling tightly to her chest, she ran towards the garden. Her father was behind her, crying out her name in desperation.

Before exiting the house, she placed on her black boots without much work.

"Takiko!¨

Quickly she went to the garden with her father trailing behind her. She turned her body just to face her fathers displeased expression. She gave one of her deadly glares to her own father.

"Takiko what are you doing?" he cried out as he extended his hand. "Give me the notebook and the book!"

She clutched the two objects tighter. "I don't want to!"

She has had enough of all of this. The way he ignored his wife for a measly dirty old notebook. The way he had left his wife in order to continue his dream of writing. The way he had returned home without an advance letter. The way he had selfishly called out her mother name after her death in such a caring matter.

"Such childishness… " muttered her father quite loudly. He gave a sigh before continuing. "I still have not finished translating the book. That notebook there contains all of my research that is not ordinary, I need that notebook Takiko! And that book is something precious that someone gave me!"

Takiko had enough of everything. Her mother was dead. Mr. Osugi was her unrequited love. Her father … her father did not even notice her at all. Takiko shut her eyes, trying to hold back the tears. Once opening them, she narrowed her eyes dangerously.

* * *

><p><em>Everyone I love is … gone.<em>

* * *

><p>"Research? Precious book? Are these things more important than your own family? !" she cried out desperately. "Did mother mean that little to you? !"<p>

She continued her rambling as she did not notice the small flinch her father had done. "Mother...Me...We're not important..."

Her dark chocolate orbs gave off a death glare. As she stretched her arms straight to hold the light brown book in front of her father, the brown notebook fell on the floor. "I know. From the beginning father has always wished for a son. A daughter … a daughter wasn't important! That's why you left to your travels!"

She opened the book, and motioned to rip the back cover. "Therefore just say that I'm '_not needed_'!"

There was a moment of silence between the two.

Takiko couldn't handle the long dead silence. "Why aren't you saying anything? !"

Her eyes widen as she heard the small mumbling phrase her father had said. She ripped part of the paper cover without realizing it herself. Within a second, a bright silver light appeared in the garden. Her chocolate brown eyes widen in fear as she stared at the image before her. A grand mountain with faces craved in it. Not long the world of darkness was before her eyes. All she heard before abyss took over was her father yelling out her name: "Takiko!"

* * *

><p><em>Yes … Perhaps if you had been a son I … If you were my son I … with you … more … <em>

* * *

><p>Sluggishly, Takiko was having a hard time to open her eyes. It took her a few more seconds to blink her eyes and finally being able to have a good focus of the white ceiling in front of her. She gave a questioning expression as she stared at the white ceiling. What had happened to her? Trying to recall the last event all she could really remember was having a dispute with her father, and him telling her that … she was an unnecessary human being.<p>

_If I was a boy he would have– , _she tried to push away the thought away. Right now was not the time to be thinking such thoughts. The important thing she had to do was prepare for her mothers funeral. No one in the village helped because they're afraid of such illness could be contagious. But it did not matter to her, her mother had a very important place in her heart and deserved a satisfactory funeral.

She struggled to sit up straight, but made it otherwise. Her chocolate orbs widen as she took note of the comfortable mattress beneath her. The westernized bed was foreign to her even though she knew how heavenly they were by the rumors the girls at her school would say. But wait a minute –

_We don't own a western bedding!_ Her mind cried out as she frantically looked around the room. Foreign furniture and view astounded her. Takiko concluded that she was not at home when her eyes laid on the strange westernized furniture, the odd architecture of the room, and the strange garden just outside the window screen doors. Takiko had an unreadable face as she continue to ogle the room. This was certainly not her house.

Placing her index finger on her forehead she closed her eyes and tried to recall the previous events. _Alright now, what happened after I fought with father? If I recall he said those things and then a bright silver light appeared. And then … I saw that strange mountain with faces engraved on it … Then what?_

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her cheek. She couldn't recall anything else anymore, and it was making the young Taisho era girl nervous. Her thoughts were out the door once she heard the knob of the westernized door turn. Her face paled just slightly, as she awaited for the person to enter the room.

An elderly man – perhaps near Baaya's age, stepped inside the room holding a small tray of a cup containing hot tea and side crackers. He had short spiked gray hair, and a goatee type of beard. He also had lines going down vertically under each eye. He had wrinkles – much like Baaya, and very few liver spots here and there. The elderly man wore such strange clothing that was foreign to Takiko.

He blinked his onxy eyes, and spoke. "You're awake."

Takiko mutely gave a nod as her reply. Her chocolate orbs were wide that held many types of emotions in them – confusion, shock, and most of all frightened.

He took many more steps closer to her and placed the small tray on top of the western table next to her. Takiko never took her eyes off of the older man, who was now taking a seat on a very westernized chair – much like those wooden chairs in her school. Wait weren't westernized furniture expensive in Japan? How can one villager in Morioka own such luxurious furniture? Not even her father had such possessions!

"You gave an academy student quite a surprise," he began to say as he eyed Takiko. "Not many students report that they saw a girl atthe play yard surrounded by a bright silver light."

Giving him dotted eyes, Takiko blinked a couple of times. "Eh?"

The man gave a small chuckle. "Never mind about that, how do you feel right now?"

Takiko folded her hands together on top of her lap, and stared at them. She pondered his question a little more than she should have. _How do I feel? I feel..._

* * *

><p><em>... lonely and unwanted<em>

* * *

><p>"I feel fine," she whispered out having a blank look on her face. Not long did life come back into her chocolate brown orbs. Once more she responded the elderly man. "I feel fine."<p>

The man sitting next to her carefully analyzed her. He had seen the lifeless eyes just a minute ago before life came back to them. He just nodded not questioning the odd emotion in her. "I see, well then what is your name?"

The elderly man saw that the girl was a bit hesitant to respond back, but she stated her name otherwise. "Takiko. Okuda Takiko."

Trying to see if the girl had told a lie, he saw nothing but pure honesty in her response. He nodded once more. "I am Hiruzen. Sarutobi Hiruzen. The Third Hokage of Konoha."

He took note of her confused and worried features. "Konoha?" she asked leaning a bit to get her posture the way she wanted. "I'm not in Morioka?"

There was a small frown on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face. "I am afraid not my child. Where is this Morioka you speak of?"

The girl in front of him got paler as she spoke up. "Japan. Morioka is Japan. Aren't we in Japan?"

Hiruzen shook his head, and noticed the shocked chocolate brown eyes. "I am afraid you are not in Japan anymore. You are in the Land of Fire, currently in a village called Konoha; the Hidden Village of the Leaf. I must also say that I have never heard of such country called Japan."

"No!" she cried out as her hands grabbed a fit full of the bed sheets that half of her body was covered. "I was just arguing with father back home in Morioka just moments ago, and then that book..."

* * *

><p><em>The book, <em>_a__m I … Am I inside that book?_

* * *

><p>Takiko's stomach made nervous flip-flops as she stared at the white sheet that covered her legs. What had really happened? Could she really be inside that brown book she had taken out of her fathers' study?<p>

Hiruzen cleared his throat to get the attention of Takiko. It was successful. "Although you may not be in '_Japan_' anymore, you are welcome to stay here in my house with my grandson. It seems that you literally have nowhere to go since you are new to Konoha."

A small nod was her response, but she began to ask an important question. "H-How did I get here? I mean how was I..."

"A student at the academy found you. It just happens to be my sons' luck that he had passed by when the student asked for help. So he brought you here when the boy told his tale."

Takiko gave a slow nod. "I see. Is it possible to … to thank that boy?"

Hiruzen blinked his onyx eyes, and nodded. Takiko was quite a polite and sincere girl in Hiruzen's eyes. "If you wish, you can go tomorrow with my son as an escort. The academy has let off the students hours ago, he may not be there anymore."

"Alright … I'll go tomorrow then," she said with a small smile.

"I should go now since I just took a break from work," he said as he stood up from the chair. "A Hokage's work is quite tedious mind you."

Takiko blinked her eyes. "Hokage...what is that?"

Hiruzen stared at her for several seconds before responding. "The leader of the village you could put it that way."

It took sometime for Takiko to digest the news. Within a heartbeat she lowered her back, and apologized profoundly like her Baaya had taught her – whenever she would do something wrong in front of important people. "I-I'm so sorry to be a hindrance in your home Hiruzen-sama!"

The elder man gave a hearty laugh before placing his hand on top of her head. Takiko's eyes widen from the touch. "It is fine child, you did not know, and I hope you treat me no differently than you would to a normal stranger." He removed his hand leaving Takiko to miss the comforting warmth. "I will get my grandson to keep you company. Sorry if he gets a little talkative he is only just a five year old. Anyway I must go now, please take a rest before meeting my grandson. I will come back just before dinner."

With that he left Takiko alone in the quite room. As the birds began to make singsong noises, Takiko slowly placed a hand where Hiruzen had placed it before on her head. She left her hand there for a few seconds. _This touch is …_

* * *

><p>… <em>warm. Just like mothers touch …<em>

* * *

><p><strong>A Fushigi Yuugi Genbu Kaiden and Naruto crossover. A very odd combination, but let us root for Takiko's strength that differs from those of ninjas. This is eventually Kakashi x Takiko pairing, but that won't be for quite some chapters away. <strong>

**One last point, I do not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi Genbu Kaiden.**


End file.
