• October 8th, four years later….
    “Happy birthday, Koneko!” Nekoa said. “You’ve grown up so fast. You’re already growing into a young lady.”
    Koneko blushed. “Thanks, Mom,” she said. She took a deep breath and blew out all eleven candles. “Alright!” she said. “I did it!”
    “What’s so special about Koneko’s birthday, anyway?” Inuan said. Okami turned toward him. “I’ve had about enough of your attitude, young man,” he said. “Ever since your sister turned seven, you’ve been acting like an idiot. Drop the act, Inuan; I’m sick of it!”
    Inuan snickered. “Like I care,” he said sarcastically. “I’ve been working on a new jutsu lately, so if you don’t mind, I’m leaving.” He turned and left the room.
    “That son of ours is getting to be a pain on my nerves,” Okami said. “If I knew what was on his mind….”
    “Well, dear, we can’t always tell,” Nekoa said. “Even though we sometimes wish we could.”
    Koneko looked sadly at her parents. Not even they can tell what’s going on, she thought. I wish Nii-san would go back to acting normal.
    Later, Koneko was practicing her skills when she overheard what Inuan was saying. Huh?
    “…. And then I’ll finally be rid of this stupid village. They lost to that Leaf trash, so they can no longer call themselves mighty. They didn’t even celebrate the death of the Yellow Flash nine years ago. Worthless trash! Once I’m through with them….”
    Koneko gasped. Inuan was planning something against the Stone. Oh no, she thought, what should I do? Inuan rounded the corner and saw his sister at target practice. Good, he thought, she doesn’t suspect a thing. He snickered and walked away.
    This is so not good, Koneko thought. [i[I have to let Lord Tsuchikage know, but how? She continued to practice until later that afternoon.
    Later, Koneko was walking home from a mission and decided to visit her newborn cousin, Kuriimuiro Koinu. Koneko knocked on the door.
    “Who is it?”
    “It’s your niece, Koneko.”
    Koneko’s aunt opened the door. “Oh, Koneko, my how much you’ve grown,” she said.
    “How are you feeling?” Koneko asked.
    “I still feel a little tired after Koinu’s birth,” her aunt said. “Come on in, Koneko. I have a snack waiting for you. You must be hungry after your mission.”
    Koneko’s stomach rumbled. “Yeah,” she said. “I’m starving.”
    As Koneko’s aunt got the snacks ready, Koneko went into the nursery to check on her cousin. The baby girl squealed with delight upon seeing Koneko.
    “Hey there, Koinu,” she said. She started making baby noises until her aunt called her to the kitchen.
    “Wow, Aunt, that sure smells good,” Koneko said, sniffing the air. The aroma of freshly baked oatmeal raisin cookies wafted through the air. Her aunt set a glass of milk near the plate.
    “So,” she said, “what do you think?”
    “Of the cookies? Perfect as always.”
    Her aunt laughed. “I meant, what do you think of your newborn cousin?” she said.
    Koneko took a bite of her cookies before answering. “She’s so adorable,” she said.
    “Well, I’m glad to hear that,” her aunt said.
    That night….
    Koneko was running home after a brief visit with the Tsuchikage. Oh, man, she thought, I am so late! She arrived home and couldn’t believe her eyes. I’m too late!
    She heard a crying sound coming from her aunt and uncle’s house and knew it was baby Koinu. She rushed to her location and found her, safe and sound. Unfortunately, she also found Koinu’s parents, on the ground, dead. Who could have done this?
    With baby Koinu in tow, Koneko rushed to her house and saw the same thing. Both Nekoa and Okami lie dead in front of her, and she saw a familiar silhouette. It was Inuan.
    “Nii-san! What are you doing?” Koneko asked. Instead of answering, Inuan launched an attack on Koneko, who barley managed to dodge it. “Nii-san!” she said. “Why?”
    Inuan snickered. “Foolish sister,” he said, “you call yourself a Stone Villager? Pathetic! I doubt the Tsuchikage will let you make Jonin, if you make it at all.”
    “What are you saying?”
    “Your life, foolish sister, ends today!”
    Inuan lunged at his sister, who managed to dodge it for sure. She covered baby Koinu with her body, taking the blows. She then managed to get up and start running.
    “You can run, but you can’t hide!” Inuan shouted. “I can hear your every step!”
    Koneko continued running as some of Inuan’s men chased after her. She kept running, not looking back even once, until she arrived at a place where she knew she would be safe. She didn’t know where, but the first place she headed was the Leaf. I’m a Stone Village Genin, she thought. If I can’t be safe here, then hopefully the Leaf will take me in and keep baby Koinu and I safe. Oh, Yellow Flash, why did you have to die?
    She crossed the border into the Land of Fire and kept running until she reached the gate. “Help! Let me in, please!” she yelled.
    “Who goes there?”
    “Please sir, let me in,” Koneko said. “My brother attacked my home village of the Hidden Stone, and I need a place to stay.”
    The Third Hokage, Sarutobi, ordered the guard to open the gate. “Who are you?” he asked.
    “My name is Kuriimuiro Koneko, sir,” Koneko said, “and this is my baby cousin, Koinu. My brother Inuan launched an attack on the Stone Village and tried to kill me. Please, sir, I need a place to stay.”
    Sarutobi turned toward one of his advisors. “Well?”
    “I highly suggest you turn her away,” said an older man around the Third’s age. He had bandages over his right side, including his right eye. “She’s a Stone Villager,” he said. “If you let her stay, she’ll eventually pose a threat the Leaf.”
    “Please, sir,” Koneko said, “I’m not like the other Stone ninja. My brother tried to kill me because of that. Please, let me stay! I’ll do my best not to do anything rash. I promise!”
    The man sighed. “Very well,” Sarutobi said. “You can stay. I can see you have a young child with you, so it’s easy to see that you’d want to protect her.”
    “So, you’ll let me stay?” Koneko asked hopefully.
    “Yes.”
    “Oh, thank you so much, sir,” Koneko said. “I won’t let you down.”
    _____________________________________________________________________

    “… And that’s how it happened,” Koneko said.
    “Wow,” Lee said, “excellent story, Koneko-san.”
    Koneko blushed. “Um, thanks,” she said.
    “It’s a good thing old man Third let you stay, Koneko,” Naruto said. “But who was that other guy? The one who was skeptical?”
    “I already said, I didn’t know his name,” Koneko said. “Even to this day, I have no clue what it is.”
    “Well, don’t worry about it now, Koneko,” Kare said. “I’m sure he was just some random bozo.”
    “Would you be able to recognize him if you saw him?” Naruto asked. Koneko nodded. “It depends on whether or not his appearance changed since then.”