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Reading Totems	By : GrizzlyTeddyBear Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 1242 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
Repost (from ch. 6) of response to reviewer
question for those interested:� Ox
King brought up a good point.� I�ve
announced that the eventual main pairing will be Paige x Shino, but how does
this work with Paige unable to have children and Shino as the heir of the
clan?� The answer is creative licensing
by yours truly.� Without giving too much
of the future plot away, I�ve taken the liberty of making the Aburame a bit more�unconventional than some of the other
clans.� I reasoned that because they were
small, they were forced to adapt:� Heads
of families and heirs serving as shinobi face the possibility of sudden death, disrupting
linear succession, and the Aburame have chosen to
have a (for lack of better phrasing) non-linear, line of succession.� I know this doesn�t go well with some of the
traditionalists, but this is how I resolve the issue.� Shino is allowed to choose an heir from
within the family that is not his own offspring.�
Shino Entrance Countdown:�
Shino will appear in the next chapter!�
Another Shino teaser in this chapter if you�ve been paying
attention.� ^_^

Title:� Reading Totems
By:� GrizzlyTeddyBear
Disclaimer:� I
don�t own Naruto, and this makes me sad.�
I do own Paige Stone, my OC!�
Main Pairings:�
Eventual ShinoxOC, NaruxHina, SasuxSaku
Rating:� M for
mentioned adult themes
Warning:� AU,
Post-series start time.� Rookie 9 is
23-24 years old.� Fic mentions pagan
religions, if you can�t handle it, don�t read! Also is OC-centric.� Hold your pants, all will be revealed as the
story progresses.�

Chapter Summary:� Team
Kakashi helps Paige buy the items she needs and settle in to Konoha.

***Chapter 7***

Blargh.� That was the
first thought that came to Paige�s mind as she awoke.� Last night had not been a good one.� The nightmares of her fun time with the
bandits appeared to be trying to make up for lost time.� She had that one nightmare on the morning of
her first official day with Team Kakashi, but she strangely hadn�t had any
since then.� Every time she would drift
off last night, she would only jolt awake to stare at a clock that insisted
time was moving impossibly slow.� Paige�s
head was pounding too, or was that her front door?� She decided on both since there were two
different rhythms.� Maybe her head would
explode if the rhythms synchronized?�

Not caring what she must have looked like, she stumbled out
of bed, through the living area, and jerked open the door.� On the other side of the door was Team
Kakashi holding grocery bags and shocked facial expression.� Paige squinted and waved at them.� Human conversation skills were too
complicated right now.

�I think I understand the grizzly bears now,� whispered
Naruto with wide eyes to no one in particular.

Paige stuck out her tongue at him.

�We brought breakfast, and some other groceries,� offered
Sakura.

Paige nodded and stood to the side, gesturing them in.� �Kitchen,� she replied to Sakura while
pointing in the general direction of the small kitchenette.� �Shower,� she grunted while pointing to
herself.

Team Kakashi collectively nodded.

Paige nodded back, and stumbled to the shower after picking
up her second set of borrowed clothes, towel, and shower supplies from where
she had placed them in the bedroom the night before.

She came back from the shower a little more capable of human
interaction, but not feeling more awake.�
Noticing the small kitchenette was already crowded with Sakura and
Sasuke cooking breakfast, she opted to join Kakashi and Naruto who were
currently lounging in the living area on the couch.� Paige heaved a huge sigh as she flopped into
one of the unoccupied chairs.� She sunk
into the chair and closed her eyes.

�Rough night?� asked Kakashi.

She cracked open one eye, �Nightmares.� I didn�t get much sleep.� �Kakashi looked blurry, and Naruto looked�invisible.� She had forgotten her glasses in the
bedroom.� �I should sleep wonderfully
tonight though.� Exhaustion does wonders
for lack of sleep.� Plus if I can get my
meditation supplies today, I can ask my dreams to be safe-guarded.�� Suddenly her glasses appeared before her,
held out by Naruto.� That explained the invisibility;
he had gone to her bedroom to find them for her.

�I figured you�d want them.�
They look nice by the way.� I
don�t think I told you that last night.�

�Thanks.�� The world
was more in focus.� �So what�s the
occasion for the group visit?� Not that
I�d turn away a free meal.�

�You need clothes of your own, meditation supplies, and
toiletries too.� You also need as much
time as possible to prepare for the council meeting.� We figured we�d help out so you could get
done faster,� Sakura stated while she arranged plates of food around the small
dining table.

Paige scratched her head.�
�Who�s eating standing up?� There
are only four chairs and five butts.�

Sakura handed the last plate to Kakashi.� Paige blinked�the food was gone, and the
problem of chairs was solved.� And
Kakashi�s mask hadn�t appeared to move.

While the rest ate around the table, she began to list some
of the items she needed to buy and the rest of the group offered suggestions as
to which shops she should probably look for each of the items in.� By the time the dishes had been washed and
dried, they had a plan for the day.�
Hopefully Paige would be done with the shopping by midday and get
started on her medicine wheel work.�
Sakura would take Paige shopping for clothes and toiletries and Kakashi
would walk her around the open air market to find items to build her medicine
wheel.� Sasuke and Naruto wanted to spar
that day; they had come by just to check up on her.� Apparently they didn�t want the day off from
training.�

�Just so you know, I hate shopping with a passion.� I tend to stick with the clothes I like
instead of the latest fashion trends,� Paige told Sakura as they headed into a
shop for women�s clothing.� They had just
finished with buying toiletries.�

�What do you like?�
Maybe we can narrow down the stores we visit a little more.�

Paige thought of how best to describe her usual clothes of
nice tops and peasant skirts.� �I like
long loose fitting skirts.� They are
usually gathered, divided into three tiers, and flow with you when you
walk.� Tops I�m not too picky about, I
just don�t like looking like a box or a whore.�

Sakura lead them back out of the store.� �This isn�t for you then.� Come on, I know where to find something
you�ll like.�

The next store contained what looked like peasant
skirts.� Paige walked up to one of the
racks, pick up three different sizes and headed to the changing room to figure
out how they cut their clothes in Konoha.�
Once she figured out which size she wore, she then proceeded to pick out
several colors in the same size and style�dark blue, brown, dark green, black,
yellow, red, purple, and white.� They
then headed over to where the shirts were displayed and the whole process was
repeated finding colors that complimented the skirts, but not necessarily
matching.� Comfortable sandals and her
customary sleeping clothes of T-shirts and cotton shorts also were found.

Sakura stared at Paige, �That was fast.� I don�t think I�ve known anyone to shop like
that.�

She shrugged in reply, �I find what I like and then buy a
bunch of it.�� Paige looked around the
store, trying to find the one last item of clothing she wanted.� Finding what she was looking for, she lead
Sakura over to the place where accessories were.� She added some of the larger handkerchiefs in
differing colors to the pile of clothes.

�What are those for?�

�Mainly for taming my hair.�
I don�t know where the one I was wearing before I came here went to, but
I like wearing them as an easy hair style.�
Alright, I�m all done with the clothes.��
The two made their way over to the clerk and Paige paid for her items.� She also arranged for her to be able to
change into one of the skirts, tank tops, and handkerchiefs in the store.� �I�ll give you back your clothes once I wash
them,� Paige stated as they exited the store.

�There�s no need.� I
don�t mind washing them.� In fact, I can
even take those bags back to your place while you�re out with Kakashi,� Sakura
offered while taking the shopping bags.�
Paige noticed Kakashi was standing on the other side of the street
reading his book.

�Don�t you need keys?�

�Ninja.�
Remember?�� She made weird shapes
with her hands, and with that, Sakura and Paige�s bags, disappeared in a flurry
of pink petals.

Paige was still blinking at the spot Sakura had been
occupying when a chuckle brought her back to reality.

�Now you know how we feel when you tell us things about
ourselves through totems,� Kakashi grinned at her.� �Nice outfit.�
Different, but it suits you.�

�Thanks.� I feel a
little more like myself.�� Paige gave
Kakashi an accusing look.� �How did you
know we were here?� Sakura didn�t even
know we�d end up here.�

Kakashi winked, �Ninja.�
Remember?�

�So you were following us.�

�Yup.�� He turned
around.� �Next stop is this way.�

Paige sighed, rolled her eyes, and followed the strange man
who read strange books and did strange things.�
After following him down a few streets and around a few corners Paige
decided she was a little bored.�
�Kakashi?�

�Hm?�� He hadn�t put
the book down, but at least he was paying attention.

�You know a lot about me, but I don�t know that much about
you.�

�What do you want to know?��
Kakashi slowed down so they were now walking side by side.

�What are you willing to tell me?� I know you�re not one for personal
sharing.� The mask kind of screams that
part to the world.�

Kakashi chuckled, �I guess it does.�

Paige figured she�d play 20 questions and see how far she�d
get.� �So how old are you?� I know you�re older than the rest of your
team, they told me you used to be their Sensei.�

�I�m 38, but don�t tell anyone.� It might ruin my reputation as a ladies man
if they find out I�m an old man.�

She made a face.�
�That�s not that old.� And if you
can get ladies with the weird hair you have and one eye, then I don�t think you
have much to worry about.�

Kakashi chuckled again as Paige saw the most frightening
thing appeared before her.� It had dark
hair in a strangely shiny bowl cut, and a green leotard.� It smiled, nearly blinding her already
fragile eyesight while proclaiming, �Kakashi!�
My eternal rival!� I heard rumors
of your return with a lovely lady and see now that both rumors of your return
and her loveliness are true!�� It then
struck a pose.� This guy was definitely
strange.

Paige was fighting the urge to run and flee.� She was hit with such strong emotions from
this weirdo!� It wasn�t just curious, it felt more like CURIOUS!!!� She felt her headache from the morning
reawaken.

Kakashi sighed, �Hello Gai.�
This is Paige.� She�s new.� Try not to scare her.�

The identified Gai had grabbed on to Paige�s hand in an
attempt to kiss it at Kakashi�s last statement.

Paige let out a rather girlie squeak and pulled away. �She was backing up when she backed in Kakashi.

�Gai, I said not to scare her.�� Kakashi obligingly put himself between Paige
and Gai to give her some breathing room.

Paige tugged on Kakashi�s sleeve.� �Do I even want to ask?�

�You don�t have to ask!� Gai declared.� �I am Maito Gai, Konoha�s Green Beast and
Hatake Kakashi, the copy-ninja, is my greatest rival!�� He then struck that weird pose again.

She figured she�d at least be polite, but still stayed
behind Kakashi.� �Pleased to meet
you.� Kakashi was kind enough to show me
to some shops I need to buy a few things from.�
Maybe I�ll see you later?� We�re
in a hurry.�

�But of course dear lady.��
He turned to Kakashi, �You have beaten me in number of missions
completed early, but I will regain my honor when you are not in the company of
a lady!� She should not have to witness
your downfall.� And then the strange man left them.

Kakashi steered Paige down the next few streets while she
recovered from that experience.� �He�s
shinobi?� she questioned.

�Yeah.� Don�t tell
him, but he�s one of the best jounin we have.�

�I won�t tell him. �I�m afraid of the reaction.�

Kakashi laughed until they made it to the market.� He turned to her, �Here you go.� Have fun, I�ll be around if you need me.�

Paige took her time exploring the stands at the market,
slowly going down one side and then back up the other to get a feel for what
each was selling.� She then decided on
returning to the stand which sold carrying bags of all shapes, sizes and
materials.� She bought two of the bigger
sized cloth bags�one for worldly possessions and one for otherworldly
possessions.� It wasn�t polite to the
spirits to mix the energies of the sacred with the non-sacred.� She also bought a smaller leather pouch which
was going to be solely for the items she would make her medicine wheel
from.�

She made her last medicine wheel from a variety of things,
precious stones, regular rocks, Native American fetishes, dried plants, and
they all needed to be treated with respect and care.� Gathering materials for a medicine wheel was
difficult to describe.� There were 36
positions to the wheel so she would need to buy 36 items to represent the
unique energy of each position.� What
item went with what position was largely unknown until it �called� out to
Paige.�

The next stand sold blankets.� It was true her apartment had come with a set
of sheets, but this blanket would be special.�
It would go in her bag of spiritual items for her meditations.� Paige liked to be comfortable while possibly
sitting for hours in the forest or just in her own living area.� She picked out a blue throw blanket which had
some designs on it that caught her eye.�
After paying for it, it disappeared into her new bag.

Some notebooks from a stand which specialized in stationery
were next.� She bought several.� She liked recording her meditations to think
on them later.� Plus it helped to be able
to go back when a message from the spirits manifested in her life days later
and write it in with the original message.�
She also had a habit of cross-referencing.� Everything was recorded twice:� once by totem once and by date.� It gave her writers cramp, but made
interpretation that much easier.

She then decided to visit the shop she discovered sold
stones and gems.� Paige was able to find
most of what she felt was good for her medicine wheel at that shop.� She then made her way to a stand that sold
animal shaped trinkets.� The stone and
gem place had animal carvings, but these trinkets were different.� Some were woven, some were carved, and some
were sculpted.� Paige was able to make
the rest of her purchases there, including a small decorated fan to help with
smudging and cleansing.�

Sighing she got to the difficult part�going to the food
stands to try and find materials good enough to make offerings with.� She needed something for smudging herself for
the cleansing part of the ritual, and something to offer up to the six
directions for a good medicine wheel journey.�
Paige decided she needed some help when the chaos of the market made her
head pound more, and being a head taller would let her see over the wall to
wall people she encountered.� She looked
around for Kakashi, but felt a tapping on her shoulder from behind.

�Looking for me?�

�Yeah, I�m almost done, but I need some dried plant stuff
still.� I could use your eyes to find the
stands I need to get to.� There are too
many people, and I don�t feel like wandering aimlessly.�

Kakashi nodded his assent.�
�What do you still need?�

Paige closed her eyes and mentally tested what felt
appropriate.� She groaned when her head
throbbed in response to being used spiritually again.�

�You OK?�

�Headache.� I think a
nice quiet bookstore or something after this is called for.� Then I need to look for a meditation spot,
preferably in the forest.� I rebalance
best surrounded by nature.�� Paige sighed
and got back to the business of shopping, �Alright, I need dried sage brush,
sweetgrass, unrolled tobacco, and some cornmeal.��

�You need a stand that specializes in imported plants and
food items.� Let�s go find it.�� Kakashi lead them into the throng.

Paige emerged at the other end of the market with all of the
items she needed for smudging, cleansing, and making an offering.� She had even remembered to grab some
matches.� Unfortunately she also emerged
with one killer of a migraine.� She
couldn�t afford to go home and sleep it off like she really wanted to.� She needed to find a quiet spot for setting
up her wheel, smudging it, offering it to the six directions, and doing a
little wheel walking before nightfall.�
�What time is it?� she asked as she rubbed her temples to try and ease
her headache.

�Afternoon-ish.� I�m
not good with time.� But dusk is about 3
hours away.�� Kakashi rubbed his chin
through his mask and then turned a grin at Paige through his mask, �I remember
someone mentioning a bookstore.�� He
waved his orange book at her.� �I think
the next installment of Icha Icha is out now.��
He steered Paige presumably in the direction of a bookstore.

�At least it�s quiet,� Paige thought to herself.� Kakashi hadn�t let go of her until he reached
the bookshelf he was looking for and started scouring for his precious
book.� �Um, Kakashi?�

�Hm?�

�I kinda have work I need to do�finding a spot in the
forest.�

His response was to wave at her in a shooing motion.� �I wonder what Junko is up to,� he then mused
to himself.� �Maybe he�ll find a damsel
in distress in a forest.�

Paige was getting slightly annoyed.� �Maybe, but I�m not too interested in
Junko.� I�m interested in
meditation.�� She began to tap her foot
in her annoyance.� Was he just going to
ignore her?

�Maybe he�ll run into her meditating in a forest�some place
not too far from his new hometown, about a mile east of the open market�after a
day of shopping.�

Paige smiled and walked out of the bookstore muttering to
herself, �Damned crazy ninjas and their plausible deniability.�� He had been giving her an out.� She figured this way he could honestly say he
didn�t tell her to go off on her own.�
And by keeping his back turned he could say he didn�t see her leave the
store.� Paige headed off back in the
direction of the market to head east for about a mile and find a nice quiet
spot in the forest.

***

She decided it was the small things in life that made
everything worth while.� Her headache had
lessened to a dull roar when she reached the forest�s edge away from
people.� Paige took a deep breath and
took her time appreciating all of the gifts of nature before her.� There weren�t forests like this in New Jersey.� It was simply breathtaking.� How do you put natural perfection into
words?� The trees seemed to welcome her
as she picked a path through the small amount of brush on the forest floor.� She would definitely have to come back to
this forest when she could afford to just sit against one of the trees and feel
the life of the forest and truly appreciate it as the gift it was.

Steeling herself for another wave of pain, Paige opened the
box in her mind slightly, hoping it would guide her to a spot in the forest
suitable for meditation.� Surprisingly
not much of an increase in pain occurred.�
Maybe it was just lack of sleep and the noise of the market this time
that had caused her migraine.� Shrugging
to herself, she set off further into the forest.� It was after the village had just become lost
through the trees that Paige felt it.� A
pull slightly to her right, but she was headed in the correct general
direction.� She turned so the pull was
directly in front of her.

Her breath caught again as she reached her destination.� It was a clearing where the trees parted for
about a 30 meter radius.� Walking to the
middle of the clearing Paige set her bag down, pulled out her blanket, and sat
to try and feel what had called her to this particular spot.� It was hard to put into words.� The forest as a whole was welcoming, but this
spot felt like a homecoming.� She was
actually filled with an intense feeling of joy just sitting there and listening
to the sounds of the forest.�
Surprisingly she didn�t see any larger animals this far from the village,
but maybe they were just a little frightened by her presence.�

Getting back to her task of the medicine wheel, she took out
the small leather pouch she had placed all of her items and then brought out
the plants and herbs she had purchased, her small fan, and the matches.� She decided on tackling the herbs and plants
first.� Unwrapping the sweetgrass, sage
brush, and tobacco, she carefully separated them into four piles:� three piles of mixed sweetgrass, sagebrush,
and tobacco and one pile of just tobacco.�
Carefully she bound these up using the same twine from the original
three bundles.� She put two of the mixed
bundles back in her bag and set the other two by the fan, matches, and
cornmeal.� Next she opened the leather
pouch and noticed it was the kind you could splay completely flat.� Paige decided to arrange her medicine wheel
on the splayed out pouch.

After having set up the wheel she set about the task of
cleansing herself and all of the items she had arranged around her, including
her bag.� From now on she would have to
be careful who she let touch all of these items.� If the handling is not done with proper
respect to the energies they represent, she would have to cleanse them all over
again.� She decided on a combination of
cleansing energies�chanting and smudging.�
She picked up the bundle made up of sage brush, sweetgrass, and tobacco
and lit it with one of the matches.�
Using the fan, she proceeded to waft the smoke over herself from head to
toe.� She inhaled deeply imagining any
negative energy leaving her body.� She
then used the same procedure while chanting for the rest of her gathered
items.� Carefully putting out the lit end
of the bundle by partially burying it, she then picked up the bundle of just
tobacco and lit it.� Concentrating on her
gathered materials she made an offering to the six directions declaring to the
spirits that she wished this medicine wheel to have strong energy to aid her in
the journey Mudjekeewis had sent her on for Wakan Tanka.� She made sure to snuff the tobacco after she
was finished.� She then sent a prayer up
for the safe-guarding of her dreams from nightmares that would keep her from
her journey.� Noticing she had a few more
moments before sundown, she sat quietly, asking for any messages the spirits
had for her.� Comfort.� Warmth.� Encouragement.� Satisfaction.� Those were the emotions sent in reply to her
request, but she also got another response.�
Images of insects then came to her.�
Butterflies�symbols of the elemental clan of the air, ants�symbols of strength
and wisdom, beetles�symbols of resurrection and protection, and many other
insects came to her.� Paige was puzzled
by this and asked for understanding.� She
didn�t often work with insect totems.� Patience.�
Comfort.� Love.� Encouragement.� This reply reassured her that she was still
on the right path at least.� Spirits were
known for only giving you what you need, and not what you want.� She carefully recorded everything down in her
notebook; she didn�t want to forget anything.�
She also added in her vision with Mudjekeewis and her offering during
her piggyback ride with Team Kakashi.�
Maybe tomorrow would bring further understanding.� Collecting all of her belongings, Paige
turned to walk back towards the village to think on her meditation, maybe have
some dinner with friends, and get that much needed sleep.

***

Author�s notes:�
Please review and let me know what you think.� If you reviewed this story once, Thank You!!� (OX King,
HumanInfiltrator, Lady Slave, kodama,
MsMina, eva24, Alaskantiger,
Darksteel1992, Pan12398) �And review it
again!� I feel special to have repeat
readers & reviewers who give lovely feedback.

Author�s notes 2.0:�
Ox King�*author peeks around*�I�ve got ya
covered, but I don�t want to reveal too much of the plot! �^_~
- 6
- 7
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Reading Totems