[Author's Note]: I was not planning on ever posting this story simply because I wrote it for my sake and no one else's. But... I decided to post it anyway. I probably won't post the rest unless someone absolutely demands it.
I'm actually nervous about posting the prologue (have been putting it off for days) and will probably regret it. Why am I doing this again?
Be warned, it's really long. I had to pack their whole childhood into one chapter.
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Prologue - The Early Years
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Hiruzen Sarutobi, the reinstated Hokage, stared into the crib with exhausted eyes. It had been six months, six long months, since the Kyuubi attack. The citizens of Konohagakure were currently rebuilding the last of the damaged parts of the village, but the healing of the peoples' spirit was far from complete. The Third himself was still mourning for the loss of his dear wife, his predecessor, and the countless others lost on that tragic day.
What was meant to be a joyous day for Minato and Kushina had turned into a day of catastrophe for Konoha. Hiruzen not only mourned for himself, no, he mourned for the two infants cuddling with each other in the crib before him as well. The day of their birth would never be a happy day. It would always be remembered as the day the Kyuubi laid waste to the village, the day Konoha lost one of the greatest men within the shinobi nations, the day many would remember as the day they lost their loved ones. The Uzumaki twins deserved to be hailed as heroes to the Land of Fire, but human nature would make that close to impossible.
Already the Hokage has had countless requests that the twins be 'removed' from the village by less than favorable means. Not only did those requests sicken him inside – they were only infants, after all –, but killing them would result in the Kyuubi being reborn into the world without a jinchuriki to contain it. When he firmly rejected any requests that ended in the twins' death, there were requests to move them to a different location. Hiruzen rejected these ideas as firmly as the others. Konoha was their home, their parents' home. He would not remove them from the land that belonged to them.
One of the twins made a sound, drawing the aging man out of his thoughts. The female twin was snuggled into her brother's side, gripping his sleeve like he would vanish at any moment. Naruto, the male twin, held his sister close to him with all the strength an infant could like he was protecting her from anything that dared to harm her.
Hiruzen found himself smiling at the display of sibling love before him. All of the grief in the world could not affect the love they shared for each other. The Hokage was happy for that. He wasn't naïve enough to believe their childhood was going to be easy. As a shinobi and as Hokage he knew there would be plenty of trouble the twins would be involved in.
But at least they had each other.
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Nazuna Uzumaki felt her brother's hand tighten within her own. Her eyes looked over to her left to meet Naruto's gaze. His other hand was clenching the front of his own shirt, the limb imperceptibly shaking. "Don't be nervous, Naru-kun. You want to be a ninja, right?"
Naruto blinked before lowering his eyes to the ground. It was only a moment before his head shot up with newfound determination swirling in his blue orbs. "Yeah! I'm going to be the best ninja in Konoha, dattebayo!"
Nazuna smiled a smile she only gave to her brother as they made their way into the crowd of people standing in front of the Academy. Parents dropping off their children watched the twins walk past them with hard glares that Nazuna didn't see, but felt. One look at Naruto told her that he felt them, too. The oldest Uzumaki fought the urge to twitch as she led her brother into the group of children waiting to be given a class.
The Hokage stood before the crowd with a small smile on his lips. He began his inspirational speech about how once the children entered the halls of the Academy their lives as shinobi would begin. Nazuna kept her eyes trained on the old man, but his words were pretty much lost on her ears. Instead of listening to the same speech Naruto and she had been given the day the old man had announced they would be entering the Academy, she took in every detail of the old man three times over. Anything that would keep her mind off of the hateful glares being sent her way.
Naruto flinched when the hand holding his tightened. He didn't have to look at his sister to know that her jaw was clenched, that her eyes were hard as steel, and that the hand not holding his was flexing in and out of a fist. Naruto knew his sister was becoming agitated because of the amount of unnecessary negativity being directed at them.
"Nazu-chan?"
At the sound of her brother's worried voice, Nazuna forced her growing anger to dissipate. There was no excuse for worrying Naruto on his big day. Giving her twin the smile reserved for only him, she reassured him that she was fine without the use of words. Satisfied with it, Naruto turned back to watch the Hokage.
Once the Hokage was finished, the teachers of the Academy began calling forth the students assigned to their classes. Naruto's ear perked up as each shinobi came up to the podium. This was the day he had been waiting for all week. He was finally going to become a ninja! The excited blond couldn't wait for his name to be called forth.
Nazuna watched her brother practically bounce in anticipation as the names were called. Her small smile showed him her support, but her eyes showed her hesitancy. What if her and Naruto were separated? That was unacceptable. They wouldn't take the only person she cared for in the whole world away, would they? Not if they didn't want the Academy burned to the ground they wouldn't…
A young man with brown hair, a scar across the bridge of his nose, and kind eyes that didn't belong on a shinobi took the podium next. He scratched the bridge of his nose anxiously, as if this were the first time he was given a class. "Alright, I'm Iruka Umino. The students in my class are Shino Aburame…" a boy with sunglasses on headed over to the designated spot for the next class to be led into their classroom. Iruka went on down the list. Naruto's enthusiasm was starting to wane, he wondered if his name would ever be called. "Sasuke Uchiha…" a little boy with black hair and dark eyes separated himself from the group of children. "Naruto Uzumaki…" said boy almost jumped in the air with an upraised fist. His name had finally been called! "Nazuna Uzumaki…" This time, Naruto turned to his sister with a grin that could melt the toughest of men. She smirked at him, being dragged enthusiastically to where their class was waiting.
Nazuna chose to ignore the way Iruka's voice had risen when saying their names. Nothing could affect the happiness she felt at being in the same class as her beloved twin. The hard stares followed the twins with each step they took, but they weren't paid any heed. What the young Uzumakis had done to them they didn't know, but it didn't matter at that moment.
All that mattered was the twins were still together; they were going to become shinobi together.
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"Nazu-chaaaan," Naruto whined as he poked the side of his still-sleeping sister. The female Uzumaki didn't move an inch as he increased the power put behind his pokes. She groaned at the unkind assault on her peaceful sleep, but didn't open her eyes. "Nazu-chan, it's time to get up! We're going to be late!"
Nazuna uncovered her head to give him an 'I don't care' look that only she could pull off so splendidly whilst half-asleep. Naruto thought his efforts had been a success – she was awake –, but deflated when his sister only buried herself further under the blanket. He growled before yanking the covers off of their shared bed, revealing his rumpled sister's form. This time her eyes opened completely to glare at him for removing her warmth. He yelped as he was pulled down onto the mattress, his sister snuggling into his side as if he were a teddy bear.
Nazuna wrapped her small arms tightly around his waist; one of her legs was thrown over his, making escape futile. She nuzzled her head under his jaw, breathing in his refreshing scent. Naruto lied on his back with a blush heating his cheeks. His sister was so affectionate sometimes that it completely belied the attitude she had in front of others. "Nazu-chaaan," he whined.
"Five more minutes, Naru-kun, and I promise I will get up." Nazuna sighed comfortably, already wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep.
Naruto relaxed in his sister's hold, knowing she meant it. Nazuna was a lot of things, but she always kept her word. True to her promise, five minutes later the twins began leaving the orphanage to head to the Academy.
"You could be a little friendlier, Nazu-chan. You'll never make friends with a frown!" Nazuna was being led through the streets by the hand that was grasped loosely in her brother's, not minding in the slightest that Naruto liked to lead the way. She shrugged lamely.
Naruto looked at her expectantly. "I don't need friends. I have you." Her brother sighed dramatically at her response. "What?"
"You always say that!"
"It's true. The only person I need is you."
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Kiba Inuzuka didn't know how big of an impact the simple decision to sit beside the Uzumaki twins would have on his life, but if he had known it would not have changed his mind. No one else in the class, in the entire Academy, gave them a second look and if they did it wasn't a friendly look. But the young Inuzuka could respect the love the siblings had. Every member of his clan honored the bonds of family and apparently so did the twins. Besides every other seat was full or the people behind the other desks bothered him.
He plopped down in the seat unoccupied beside the female twin, who appeared to be sleeping soundly on her desk, thinking adamantly about the puppy his mother had just given him. His own ninken! Said puppy rested upon his head with small yips escaping every now and then. Kiba patted Akamaru with a dog-like grin. Even at the young age of six, he knew that Akamaru and he would be risking their lives together in the future. The bond they made now was meant to carry on into battle; such was the way of the Inuzuka.
Nazuna watched the dog boy through the veil of her hair as he sat down. It was a very rare occurrence for anyone to willingly sit next to the two Uzumakis, which meant she analyzed anyone that dared to do so. It was a classic act she pulled off flawlessly; pretend to be asleep on her desk, using her arms as a pillow, while she observed everything around her. No one was the wiser except for her brother. Everyone simply thought she was as lazy as that Nara kid.
Suddenly a light yip made its way to her ears, which sounded awfully like a puppy. Nazuna eyed the suspicious white ball curled up on the boy's head that she now noticed was breathing. That wasn't there last year… Suddenly she sat up completely.
Naruto nearly fell out of his chair with the Inuzuka boy not far behind. Both had not expected the seemingly sleeping girl to move so quickly. When Naruto noticed his sister staring at the white lump on the other boy's head, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Nazuna didn't react to much unless it was a threat to his or her safety. Instantly on guard, he stared down the other boy.
Kiba stared right back once he got over his surprise. "What are you looking at?"
"You, idiot! What's that on your head, huh?" Naruto was ready to jump over Nazuna to pounce on the Inuzuka if the white ball turned out to be a threat.
"It's a puppy, Naruto-kun." She said blandly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Her brother's anger subsided as her words set in. No wonder she had reacted so suddenly; Nazuna loved dogs. His sister thought he didn't notice, but she was always sneaking food to the strays behind the orphanage. It was a big thing for her because the twins weren't exactly given generous amounts of food, but she still felt responsible for feeding a pack of stray dogs.
Kiba stayed alert, not knowing what to do about the situation. In a way his respect grew; the female had reacted and the brother had immediately went on guard. Teamwork. "This is Akamaru, my ninken, and I'm Kiba!" He felt it proper to introduce himself along with his dog to the two he shared a table with.
Nazuna never took her eyes off of the puppy. "Nazuna," she said simply.
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! You better remember that name, too, because I'm going to be the greatest shinobi in the village!" Naruto grinned like a madman, not one to be used to friendly introductions..
Kiba grinned back. Maybe these guys won't be so bad…
Thus a questionable and very odd friendship was born.
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It was when the twins were seven years old that Nazuna knew they were different.
Not counting the whisker marks on their cheeks, the hateful glares, the countless businesses that refused their service, the number of times they had been attacked in alleys, the amount of people that simply wanted the twins dead, and the lack of sufficient care the two received…there were signs that made the female Uzumaki come to the conclusion that her brother and her were different from the other villagers.
Once, when Nazuna had received a rather impressive cut on her forearm from the wrong end of a kitchen knife, she had begun cleansing the wound minutes later only to see that the wound was already closing. She sat there as the wound healed without any kind of treatment in mere minutes; something not even a skilled shinobi could pull off without medical jutsu.
"Naru-kun, how long does it take for your wounds to heal?"
Naruto pondered that for a good ten seconds before shrugging. "A few minutes, I guess. If it's really bad it takes a bit longer. Why?"
So Naruto heals quickly, too. That was suspicious. "It's nothing," she lied. Nazuna loved her brother very much, more than anything, but he wasn't the sharpest kunai in the weapons store. Telling him her suspicions without any clue as to what it could possibly mean would only end in him being confused.
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Hiruzen's pipe was snapped in half with a loud 'crack' that echoed throughout his office. Two ANBU members stood in front of him in uniform, both obviously trying to hide the nervous shifting of their feet. The Third Hokage was a feared shinobi, even in his old age, and he was a force to be reckoned with when he was angry.
And, oh, the Hokage was angry.
"The woman running the orphanage will be brought in for questioning before the day is over, understood?" His voice was clipped, not that far from a snarl. The nerve of some people, he thought grimly. Not only did that infuriating woman kick out the twins without informing him, she had continued to accept the checks sent for them for the current month. If not for the two ANBU sent to watch over the twins, Hiruzen wouldn't have known about the matter for weeks. Luckily it had only been three days, but the fact remained that the eight year old children had been homeless during that time.
One ANBU nodded before departing the office with a hidden frown under his boar mask. Hiruzen turned to the other. "Follow the twins like usual, I will be finding them a suitable apartment before the day is through. This is unacceptable."
"Hai, Hokage-sama."
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Hinata Hyuuga sat under a tree in the courtyard that was several feet away from the trio her eyes always seemed to linger on. The pale orbs each Hyuuga possessed glowed with longing. She desperately wanted to eat lunch with them, with Naruto, but knew it was a lost cause. After the incident in the woods a year prior, Hinata doubted she would ever be welcome in the tight-knit group composed of Kiba, his ninken, and the Uzumaki twins.
She hadn't even stayed with Naruto after he had so valiantly come to her rescue as she was bullied by a group of older boys; something the female Uzumaki had not appreciated. It would be so easy to say, "It wasn't my fault. My caretaker forced me to leave," but that would just be seen as an excuse. She knew it was her own fault for not being to stand up to anyone, much less anyone from her family. The shame she had felt after that only grew when Naruto's sister had glared at her for a week straight.
"My brother was knocked unconscious after defending you and you abandoned him." Hinata cringed at the memory. "Coward." How true those words were, she decided with tears burning the edges of her eyes. Would she have been laughing with the trio if she had stayed with Naruto against her caretaker's orders? Would she have been a part of that trio? Would she have friends now if she hadn't been held back by her own lack of courage?
With her eyes back on the group she admired from afar, she watched silently as the usual scene progressed. The boys were arguing over something trivial while the girl ignored the ruckus with Akamaru on her lap. Hinata's gaze always lingered on Naruto the longest; he was everything she wanted to be. Kiba seemed a lot like the blond boy, which made him appealing in her eyes. The female of the group, however, intimidated the Hyuuga without even trying.
Naruto's sister was not someone who set out to purposely scare people, but she just held herself in a way that said 'mess with me and you'll regret it' that belied her calm demeanor. Hinata knew the girl wouldn't start anything, but would be the one to finish it. Especially when it came to Naruto. It was clear to everyone that if you wanted to mess with the female Uzumaki's twin, you had to go through her to do it.
"Where are you going, Nazu-chan? Hey, Nazu-chan!"
"Nazuna-chan, what do you think you're doing? You kidnapped Akamaru!" The shouts from the boys of the group drew Hinata's eyes to the figure that was headed in her direction, to the eyes that met hers without a flicker of emotion. A lump of anxiety formed in her throat. Was she coming over to yell at her for watching them?
Nazuna stood over the Hyuuga girl with what she hoped was a pleasant expression. Akamaru barked happily in her arms, his tongue rolling out of his mouth. She watched the shy girl squirm under her gaze with a growing sense of agitation. This didn't feel like such a good idea anymore…but then again it never had. "Come eat with us," she said in a way that didn't allow for argument.
"Uh…" Hinata felt so stupid in that moment. She had just been given the offer of her dreams! "W-why?"
Nazuna looked at her dubiously. "It's better than just watching, isn't it?" Before the Hyuuga could offer any more argument or faint from mortification, the Uzumaki held out the puppy in her arms with a rare brightness in her eyes. Akamaru yipped before licking Hinata on the nose playfully. Said girl giggled at the feel of his tongue on her skin before blushing. "I'm Nazuna."
"Hinata," the shy girl said while she lowered her gaze to the ground.
Naruto and Kiba were obviously curious to the reasoning behind Nazuna's random decision to be social with someone other than them. Even Kiba, the boy that had been their friend for two years now, had trouble getting the antisocial girl to open up to him. Yet she was willingly bringing in another misfit to add to their small group.
Naruto, knowing his sister always had a reason for the things she did, went along with it. "Hi, Hinata-chan! You remember me, right? I'm Naruto!"
Hinata nodded, telling him that she did remember him.
"I'm Kiba and this is Akamaru!" The Inuzuka said brightly as his ninken barked from Nazuna's arms. Noticing that she was still in possession of his dog, Kiba turned to her. "Hey, don't just take Akamaru like that!"
"He wasn't complaining." Nazuna rubbed Akamaru behind the ear with a playful smirk the Hyuuga had never seen before. "Were you, Akamaru?" The puppy woofed, completely content with being in her arms.
Kiba's jaw dropped dramatically while Naruto snickered beside him. "Traitor," the Inuzuka mumbled under his breath.
Hinata mused over this for a long minute. She was being accepted into the group she had watched for so long, allowed to see a side of Nazuna not many ever saw, able to sit by Naruto every day. Was she dreaming?
"Welcome to the group, Hinata-chan!"
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It was one week after their ninth birthday that the twins began to fear what they held inside them.
The alley was dark, cutting the twins off from any light remaining in the sky. Naruto and Nazuna stood side by side with the wall of a building at their backs. Three figures soaked in the stench of alcohol loomed before them like grim reapers prepared to take them to the grave. The civilian men had deep frowns etching permanent lines into their faces as they gazed down at the twins with nothing but hate swirling in their eyes.
Naruto gripped his sister's hand tightly in his larger one, planning to never let go. His blue eyes glared at the men before them, daring them to make a move. It had been stupid to come out near nighttime, but he had begged and begged until Nazuna had relented. All he wanted was a piece of candy from the only vendor that welcomed them. Now, because of his stupidity, his sister was in danger along with him.
A scowl crossed her usually emotionless features as the hand holding hers began to shake involuntarily. Trailing her eyes up to look at Naruto, her eyes widened a millimeter. His jaw was clenched almost painfully, his eyes harder than steel, and his fist balled up ready to fight. It was the tell-tale signs that he was angry, because Nazuna did the same thing, but there was something else. Naruto's body was trembling. He was scared.
Nazuna's eyes narrowed dangerously at the men that were slowly inching closer toward their targets. Long, blunt objects dangled out of their hands that reflected what little light there was in the alley. Pipes? One man raised the arm with the weapon to strike her brother, but Nazuna was too fast. Using everything she was learning in the Academy, she blocked the man's arm. Without wasting a second, the female Uzumaki quickly broke the man's wrist without a single ounce of guilt. The man wailed in pain as the bone shattered in her grasp.
She faltered for only a second as the meaning behind her actions caught up with her mind. Had she really just done that? Yes, it was obvious she had. Nazuna felt her stomach churn as it settled in her mind that she had just broke a man's wrist and at the time hadn't felt an ounce of regret, but had actually enjoyed making the man hurt.
That felt good, didn't it? Do you want to make these weaklings feel more pain? I can help. Nazuna blinked as the man fell to the ground clutching his wounded limb. That voice…that malicious voice. Where had it come from?
A sharp pain erupted in her spine as one of the other men nailed her with his weapon. She dropped to the ground unceremoniously with a loud 'thump'. Nazuna sprung back up before the man stomped on her stomach.
Naruto watched his sister break away from him with a shout spilling from his lips. He began to run forward to stop her, to escape the alley with her in tow, but was stopped cold by the sickening snap of a bone being broken. When the thought sunk in that Nazuna, his sister, had been the cause of that bone being broken and that she had done it without a second thought Naruto felt sick.
Suddenly, the front of his mind was invaded with a guttural voice that made his blood run cold. Its words were trying to tempt him, no, not him. It was trying to tempt Nazuna. Naruto growled. What was this? What was going on?
It was only when he witnessed his sister being slammed in the back with a pipe that his mind went back into action. The youngest Uzumaki leapt into action without any hesitation. It would have been easy to run away from the sight, to try and get help, but he would not leave his sister alone to fight these men. If she wasn't afraid of them, then neither was he.
Naruto Uzumaki was no coward.
Besides…no one in this village would come to their aid.
The man with the broken wrist abandoned his friends to search for medical attention; now it was two on two and the twins weren't backing down. It was foolish; Iruka-sensei would have exploded if he could have seen it. The two children stood tall against the remaining men without a flicker of fear. Each twin was only thinking about the safety of the other, neither willing to allow harm to their sibling.
Nazuna ducked under a flying fist, narrowly missing it. These guys are nothing but weak maggots, not even shinobi. It'd be so easy to hurt them like you did that other one. What are you waiting for?
Who are you? Nazuna was distracted for a second too long, her focus shifting from the fight to the terrible voice in her head, the side of a pipe swiping over her head as she barely dodged. It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I can help you defeat these men. All you have to do is give in to me. Her heart began to beat wildly in her chest as a surge of raw power filtered through her veins. It was only a taste of what the creature in her mind could do, but it was enough to make her thoroughly consider it.
If she gave in, she'd have the power to protect Naruto.
"SHUT UP!" Naruto screamed into the alley with a low growl. His eyes stayed focused on the man slinking toward him, but she knew that wasn't the person he was talking to. "Don't listen to him, Nazu-chan!"
She blinked. How could he hear the voice, too? It was in her head. Further thought was cut off sharply as her opponent's pipe was slammed into her skull, knocking her to the ground quicker than a raindrop. Black rings were at the edges of her vision, her head throbbed in time with her heartbeat, and the functions of her limbs had all but been forgotten. She barely saw when the man lifted up the pipe to bash her over the head again, but she did see Naruto stop him.
Naruto was growling like a beast as he threw the pipe back, but didn't have a chance to stop the other man from throwing the young Uzumaki against the brick wall. His head made a sickening crack as the force behind the throw made the bricks crumble slightly behind his weight. The assailant followed up quickly enough by sending sharp stomps into his stomach, making the child groan in pain over and over. Finally, he just stopped feeling as darkness encroached upon him.
He's going to die. Are you going to lie there helplessly or are you going to make these men pay? Nazuna didn't have to be asked twice. As blood began to pool around her brother's head, drip out of his mouth, and stain his hair…she gave in. With a strangled roar, her body leapt off of the ground with speed she should not have possessed. Her once blue eyes blinked to reveal the blood red eyes of a beast; red eyes that showed nothing but hatred. The blood in her veins boiled, her body shrouded in red chakra that was definitely not her own.
There were screams of terror as the young girl launched herself onto the man that had brutally assaulted her dear brother. Shouts of 'demon' filled her ears while her body moved on its own, tearing the man away from Naruto with a speed she hadn't possessed minutes before. Nazuna growled as she threw the man onto the ground, a loud crash making her lips form a devilish smirk.
The rational part of her mind flinched when the man's leg broke under her foot, but the bloodthirsty rage that had overcome her pushed away the hesitations she was beginning to feel. She blacked out as she continued to rain punishment onto her brother's assailant. "NAZU-CHAN!" Naruto's pain-filled voice reached her ears, halting any action her body had been in the middle of. Nazuna froze as she waged war within her own mind, trying to gain control over her hatred.
She turned her head sharply to see her brother trying to sit up, clutching his stomach with a grimace highlighting his features. One of Naruto's eyes was shut tightly in pain, but the other was looking at her with fear. Not fear of her, but what she had done.
The red chakra pulsed around her like a heartbeat, her fingers twitching impatiently. Nazuna took a deep breath, forcing her eyes away from her brother to the man lying on the ground before her. The still-red orbs widened in horror at the sight of the bloody mass mere inches from her feet. The man was covered in more blood than Nazuna had ever seen; his leg alone made her stomach knot up in disgust. Said leg was mangled beyond belief with a white bone poking out amongst the red, his cheek was sliced almost all the way through.
Nazuna looked at her hands with fear, her panic rising as she saw the man's blood covering her palms and filtering out through her fingers. The red chakra pulsed one last time before vanishing completely; her rage overcome by her fear. She took several steps back with her eyes slowly turning back to their original blue; her pupils returned to circles instead of beast-like slits.
She looked back toward her brother with wide eyes. "Naru-kun, I-I didn't mean to…" Nazuna shook her head violently, trying to rid herself of the crime she had committed. They would execute her for this; she'd forever be labeled as a monster. Naruto would be all alone in the world without her. How could she have done this?
He deserved it for what he did to Naruto, a darker part of her mind thought. Nazuna's heart beat erratically in her chest, a side effect of the adrenaline that had filled her before. She shook her head again to get rid of the dark thoughts swirling in her brain. It wasn't right. He was only a civilian.
Naruto coughed, blood dribbling out of the corner of his mouth. Before he could say anything he collapsed once more. Nazuna rushed to his side, planning to hold him, but stopped suddenly. She still had the man's blood on her hands; Naruto couldn't be touched with sullied hands. Will Naruto hate me after this? That thought made her heart clench painfully. What would she do if Naruto hated her?
What if Naruto never wanted her to be near him again?
Nazuna's world began to crumble around her as images of her twin banishing her from his side crept into her mind. She bit down sharply on her lip to stop the tears threatening to fall from her eyes, the taste of blood mingling with her saliva as her canines pierced skin.
Three ANBU materialized in the dark alley without a sound. Nazuna knelt next to her twin, watching them with her earlier panic still evident in her eyes. One inspected the man with green chakra surrounding his hands, a medical jutsu. The others made a move toward the twins and she knew she was defenseless against two elite shinobi, but she still stood before her brother's unconscious body with an obvious warning in her eyes.
"This man is still alive. I'm taking him to the hospital now," one ANBU said before departing the alley. Nazuna didn't move her eyes away from the two remaining ANBU as he did so.
One held up a placating hand. "Your brother needs medical attention. We won't harm him." It was only for her benefit that they didn't just knock her out and do as they pleased; she had no doubt that they could do so without her being able to do anything about it.
Nazuna met the spot where the shinobi eyes were. "How can I trust you? No one has ever given a damn if either one of us received treatment before. You've been there the whole time, but you still let that man hurt him in the first place! You…you let me hurt that man!" Her rising hysteria stopped her from falling back into her usual stoicism.
The ANBU members felt their muscles tense. In their defense, they had just started their shift as the fight broke out. Two teams watched the twins on a daily basis. One in the daytime that was composed of two rookie ANBU members and one at night with three ANBU members. The Hokage asked for more during the night shift because most of the attacks and 'accidents' that could harm the twins occurred after the sun went down. But neither of the twins were supposed to know that, yet this girl seemed to.
"You are welcome to come with him. The Hokage will meet you there to pass judgment."
Nazuna narrowed her eyes before stepping aside to let the men take her brother away. The rest of it was a blur and before she knew it, Nazuna was sitting in a chair beside her brother's hospital bed.
Her eyes were trained on the prone form of Naruto, the only family she had, with sorrow in the deepest parts of the blue orbs. Constant worries of how her brother would react to her once he woke up bombarded her mind, making the morbid images of her crime retreat to the back of her thoughts. Nazuna wouldn't know what to do if Naruto ended up hating her or fearing her; she'd be lost without the constant comfort her twin provided. She could handle everyone else hating her, but not him. The villagers never bothered her because she had her own personal ray of sunshine in the form of her exuberant twin. Without him she would be vulnerable, weak to the overwhelming hatred of her fellow villagers.
What had possessed her to commit such a stupid crime? She knew better than anyone that once this was released to the council she'd be lined up for execution. The men and women of the Hokage's advisors would jump at the chance to rid themselves of either of the Uzumaki twins and Nazuna had just given them that chance by giving in to whatever being had been invading her mind. It was stupid, idiotic. The female Uzumaki cursed herself over and over for committing such an act that could possibly part her from her beloved Naruto forever.
That voice had been so seductive, so reasonable at the time. Where had it come from and why could Naruto hear it, too? There was more to this than met the eye and Nazuna was determined to discover the truth. Maybe the villagers have a reason to hate us. They had called her a demon, were they right? If Naruto hadn't called out to her, would Nazuna have killed that man? Yes. She knew it without a doubt. That man's life was no concern of hers, held no value in her eyes. He had hurt Naruto, which was enough to warrant his death. No one was allowed to hurt her twin.
The female Uzumaki was suffering from emotional turmoil as she once again reached out for her brother's hand, only to pull it away with uncertainty.
"He'll forgive you," the old man's voice filtered through the haze her emotions had created. Nazuna looked toward the door to see the Hokage walk in with his face appearing even older than it was. This situation had probably made him consider retirement.
Nazuna looked back at Naruto's sleeping face. "How do you know that, old man? You weren't there, didn't see his face." She watched the Hokage's eyebrow twitch at her blatant disrespect.
"If he was in your place, would you forgive him?" The Hokage watched the young girl's eyes flicker with an emotion he didn't understand. His eyes softened as they landed on the sleeping form on the bed, his mind instantly imagining his predecessor. What would Minato do in this situation? The old man had been wondering that a lot in the past few years. He had no doubts the Yondaime would have handled things much better than he, especially when it came to Minato's own children.
Nazuna fell deeper into herself. "Naruto is much stronger than I. If he was in my place, he would have picked me up and ran away. He wouldn't have given in to his anger so easily." She sighed. That was true, however, she knew that if Naruto ever did something like this or worse even that she wouldn't even need to forgive him because she would never be upset with him in the first place. Naruto was perfect in her eyes. He could kill her in cold blood and she'd believe with everything in her that he had a good reason for doing so then die happy that the last person she saw was him. "I'd forgive him no matter the crime."
Hiruzen eyed Nazuna with calculating eyes. "He will feel the same."
"We'll see." Nazuna said no more as she finally let herself brush his cheek. "It won't matter if I'm executed."
The Hokage's eyes fell to the floor. There had already been many requests for her death, but he had calmed the storm as best he could. It hadn't been released that the Kyuubi's chakra had been involved, if they knew that then there would be no salvation for the young girl before him. The seal was designed to let the twins use the fox's chakra and later master it, but the fox trying to gain control over one of them or both is a risk the Hokage acknowledges. But the Fourth had faith in his children so he would as well. What frightened him was that she had touched it so soon. Did she know that the fox was sealed within her? If she didn't know now, she would soon. Nazuna was one of the brightest kunoichi of her age, having inherited her father's intellect.
"The ANBU state that the civilians attacked you two first, even injuring you both before you countered. Three grown men against two children would frighten anyone of your age. You will not be punished for defending yourself and your brother. Though I do suggest caution from now on. I will not be able to defend you if this continues to happen."
Nazuna's face relaxed in relief. The Hokage keeps sticking his neck out for us. But…if Naruto can't forgive her then she'd prefer to be executed. There would be no survival without her twin. Nazuna's eyes darkened as she kept her gaze on her brother's face. He twitched; his wounds already in the process of becoming fully healed.
Hiruzen departed, leaving the twins to themselves.
Naruto's eyes opened to meet hers. "Nazu-chan?" His voice was a little raspy from the attack.
Nazuna blinked, not knowing what to say. Do you hate me, Naru-kun? Her eyes lowered to the bed sheets. She was afraid of knowing the answer to that question.
"I couldn't hate you, Nazu-chan." Naruto didn't realize that his sister hadn't spoken the question out loud or that she hadn't meant for him to hear it. He gave her a cheeky grin, ignoring the fear he had felt when he witnessed his sister attacking his assailant so viciously. This was Nazuna, the only person that loved him in the world. Nothing she could do would make that change.
Nazuna's stare hardened. Could Naruto read her mind? Was he telepathic? Can you hear me, Naruto?
"Of course I can hear you. What kind of question is that?" Naruto still didn't understand that she wasn't actually speaking.
The female Uzumaki narrowed her eyes. How was this type of thing even possible? She knew of the Yamanaka's ability to mind-walk along with being able to project their thoughts, but as far as she knew the twins were not Yamanakas. Naruto had been able to hear the thing in her head at the same time she had, which meant the being was connected to each of them internally.
Naruto, look at me. Her brother complied, still oblivious to her discovery. If what she suspected was true, this would be a valuable tool in the days to come. Do you notice anything strange?
"No –," his words were cut off as he suddenly knew what his sister was talking about. Nazuna's lips weren't moving. "Whoa, Nazu-chan! How are you doing that?"
Nazuna giggled. You're so slow sometimes, Naru-kun. Naruto pouted at the insult. You're hearing my thoughts. His eyes widened in question to which she merely nodded. You try it.
Try what? Naruto thought absently while his mind tried to process what she was up to. This is so cool! I can read Nazu-chan's thoughts! His mind wandered as it was wont to do and Nazuna giggled again at the silly face her twin was making.
I can hear yours, too. Nazuna pondered the meaning behind this, but pushed it aside in favor of simply enjoying her brother's company. Knowing he didn't hate her or fear her was enough to put the female twin in a good mood.
.
Naruto plopped down onto the ground beside his sister, watching her intently as she stared at a blade of grass in her hand. Nazuna had been distant ever since the incident after their ninth birthday, but it had been getting much worse the past few days. It was one thing for her to distance herself from Kiba and Hinata, she had always been the antisocial one, but for her to distance herself from him was something that had never happened. The twins were a unit, a well-oiled machine that worked best when they were together. But lately Nazuna had even been putting up walls around her thoughts, denying him access. He could barely get two words out of her and it really bothered him.
It was incredibly lonely when she was being distant.
"Nazu-chan, what's up with you lately?" Naruto watched the blade of grass seemingly float a few inches above the palm of her hand; a chakra control exercise that had been taught in the Academy a week prior.
Nazuna watched the grass above her hand as she turned it over and over in the air with subtle alterations to the amount of chakra she was using. It had been more difficult for her than the other children to get the hang of managing her chakra properly, but once she had it was something she played with constantly. "Do you think the old man is hiding something from us?"
Naruto seemed appalled. "Old Man Hokage wouldn't do that, right? He does a lot for us, you know!"
The female Uzumaki frowned at the blind trust her brother had in the Hokage. She knew that the shinobi world was riddled with deceit and secrecy, that no one aiming to be a shinobi would be protected from such things. Naruto was still so innocent compared to her and she couldn't bother him with the worries that had been piling up in her mind over the past few weeks. It would only cause him discomfort, which was something she wanted to protect him from for as long as she could.
The fact was the Hokage shouldn't be so keen on helping two orphans that he has no real connection to unless there was something else behind his kindness. Were the twins related to him somehow? Had their parents been important to him? Who were their parents anyway? Nazuna had tried asking when she was younger, but the old man had dodged the questions so flawlessly she had been unable to ask again. What about that red chakra, the being that had unknowingly given the twins the ability to communicate telepathically, and the power she had been given in her moment of rage? Nazuna had never heard of red chakra, only blue and green. There was a reason both her and Naruto could hear the being, a reason it had been able to invade their minds so easily. How were they connected to it?
Naruto was still watching her, waiting for her response. Nazuna repressed her worries for another time, a time when she was alone. There would be no point in making her brother worry. "You're right, Naru-kun. I guess I'm still shaken up from that night." Which was true, in a sense; she hadn't been able to get the image of that man's twisted figure out of her dreams.
Her brother seemed satisfied. "It'll be okay, Nazu-chan! You were only defending me and even the Hokage knows that! Don't worry anymore, okay?"
Nazuna smiled. "Okay, Naruto."
.
Iruka glared down at the twins with anger evident in his usually kind eyes. "What do you make of this?" He gestured to the flour all over the room, the result of Naruto Uzumaki's latest prank. The chuunin tried to restrain his anger as best he could, but the poor man had flour in places that it just didn't belong. It was going to be a good day indeed when the male twin didn't target Iruka for some prank that resulted in him having to take multiple showers to cleanse himself fully.
It didn't help that whenever the Academy instructor was close to catching the blond menace in the act, a certain sister of his showed up at just the right time to warn him of their approaching teacher. Nazuna was not one to participate in the process of pranking, but was an excellent guard dog that enjoyed watching the results. Iruka couldn't count how many times both twins, along with the Inuzuka boy and the Nara on occasion, went missing during class only to appear the moment Iruka had set off the newest trap.
The Umino had to admit the boy was talented in the art of pranking and trapping. Naruto could aim for a career in the Infiltration Corps if he'd ever keep his grades up. Iruka couldn't understand how one twin that had so much potential was barely scraping by (he would be even worse off if Nazuna didn't keep him in line) and the other twin that seemed utterly disinterested would be the highest ranking kunoichi in her class if she put in the effort. Nazuna passed the tests, yes, but that was it. At least Naruto tried.
"It's flour," the young girl said with that matter-of-fact tone she had mastered.
Iruka rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I can see that, Nazuna." He took a calming breath. "I meant, what is it doing in my classroom?"
Naruto was obviously trying to fight the fit of giggles threatening to burst forth. He just couldn't help it: Iruka was covered head to toe in flour; the entire classroom was no better. The young boy felt exhilarated. It was his best prank yet! Finally, the blond couldn't hold it in anymore. "I'm sorry, Iruka-sensei, but your face was just so funny! Man, I'm a genius." To add to his delight, Iruka's face began to turn an interesting shade of red.
Nazuna braced herself for the bout of yelling her teacher was bound to let loose on them. Naruto, on the other hand, looked ready to burst again. Let me guess, when Iruka-sensei walks out of the room there's a bucket of water waiting for him?
It was spooky how easily his sister could read him and his intentions so easily. Yep! It sucks that I couldn't get the feathers.
She smirked a little, much to Iruka's annoyance. Iruka-sensei is awfully loud today. The chuunin was still in the process of what he thought to be a thorough scolding, but was flawlessly ignored by the twins as they fled to their minds. As soon as he turns around we climb out of the window. I'm not sitting through another lecture today. My stomach's growling.
You think more about your stomach than I do, Nazu-chan! You think if I warn him ahead of time, he'll take us out for ramen again?
Doubt it, but it's worth a – Nazuna's thought was cut off quickly by the end of Iruka's lecture and the image of him headed straight for the door. Go! The twins were fleeing the classroom with only the sound of a window being opened signaling their retreat. Nazuna and Naruto flinched as Iruka's killing intent bled through the Academy walls and out to the street.
"NAZUNA! NARUTO!" Iruka's loud voice made the ground shake with its intensity. Said twins just shared a laugh before running at full speed in the direction of home.
.
Twelve weeks later, Nazuna pulled up the bandages she wore around her neck to cover the identifying whisker marks her brother and she shared. It wasn't the best plan, but if it worked the number of vendors the twins could purchase from would increase substantially. Taking a steadying breath, she stepped into the market with the eyes of one that belonged wherever they went. Putting on an act was something the female Uzumaki excelled at, something that would come in handy in her days as a kunoichi.
It wasn't long before she stood before the cashier with groceries in hand. The elderly woman that usually scorned her existence didn't give her a second glance as she paid for the assorted goods she had chosen nor when she rudely thanked the woman for her hospitality.
The moment Nazuna's feet met the dirt of the road a surge of victory welled up within her so fiercely that she couldn't fight the smile that worked its way to the surface. It had been so easy to fool the woman that usually shooed the twins away with the end of a broom. Nazuna wondered if all the vendors in the marketplace would fall for such a simple disguise. Probably. The crafty Uzumaki felt mighty proud of herself as she carried the groceries to the simple apartment Naruto and her shared.
"Did it work!?" Naruto practically jumped out of thin air the second she entered the threshold.
Nazuna gave him that cheeky smile only the lucky were able to see. "Of course it worked. Civilians are idiots." Since it worked so well, Nazuna decided that wearing something to cover up her cheeks would be a permanent fixture of her outfit out in the open.
.
Iruka scratched the bridge of his nose as he scanned the potential sparring partners in his class. All the students surrounded him, some fidgeting nervously. Naruto was almost trembling with anticipation; the blond was looking forward to another spar against his 'rival', Sasuke. "Ino Yamanaka," he began. The little blond girl jumped at the chance to impress her dear 'Sasuke-kun', practically skipping to the center of the area as she left the group of girls behind. "And Nazuna Uzumaki."
Said girl scowled deeply. She hated being chosen for this type of thing, especially against girls such as Ino. "No," she stated blandly.
Iruka sighed. He knew she'd be difficult. "Nazuna, there's not a choice in the matter. You need to get accustomed to fighting people with different styles. If you want to graduate you need to start participating." And he was getting his own taste of revenge for the constant hell the twins put him through by making the lazy one participate in class activities.
"Scared to fight me, Nazuna?" Ino smirked victoriously at the disinterested Uzumaki. "I would be, too, if I were you." She flipped her hair dramatically, letting her pride shine through brightly. Riling up Nazuna was always fun, if only to get some form of reaction out of her.
The Yamanaka's attempt at insulting her didn't bother her in the slightest; Nazuna was never one to give in to those types of challenges. The same could not be said for her brother, however. "Nazu-chan, don't let her talk to you like that! You can kick her ass!" Naruto gestured for her to go forward, but the girl stood her ground firmly.
"If I win, you have to give me the last pork ramen." Pork ramen was her favorite and the only thing she wouldn't hand over to her brother without a fight. The last cup of it was a true prize. If Naruto made her participate in class, she'd be sure to get something worthwhile out of it. Watching him closely, she observed his face shift in an internal debate. Is it worth it, Naru-kun?
Naruto nodded, which led to her standing in front of the blond girl with the most bored expression she could muster. Iruka thought she would yawn at any moment. Well, at least she was participating…even if her twin had to coax her into it.
"Like you could win," Ino said loudly. "You haven't sparred with anyone all year! I, on the other hand, am the top ranking kunoichi of our class!"
Nazuna was unimpressed.
Iruka sighed before signaling the two to begin. Ino was far too cocky in her abilities and far too excited about proving her worth to Sasuke Uchiha, the boy that really didn't give a damn. Her moves were exaggerated and flashy, allowing Nazuna to slip under her defenses easily. The young Uzumaki was faster than the Yamanaka by leaps and bounds, something no one in the class besides her small group of friends knew. "You leave too many openings," Nazuna provided as she slammed a fist into the blonde's side. Ino yelped as the fist made her ribs shake. The female Uzumaki slipped behind her, kicking out her opponent's knees with a single swipe. "Don't allow your enemy to get behind you."
Their sensei watched with calculating eyes. While Nazuna was in the lead, she didn't brag about it like a certain Yamanaka would, but was giving her opponent instructions on what she was doing wrong. I guess she actually was paying attention in class, he thought with a smirk.
Ino fell to ground on her knees, her arms clutching her stomach. Iruka nodded before announcing the spar finished with Nazuna being the winner. The young girl went to Ino's side, holding out a hand in a rare show of kindness. "A kunoichi's true power lies in the ability to make her opponents believe she is weak. Underestimating the enemy can easily lead to one's downfall." Nazuna pulled her up without any expression of victory or of gloating. "If you would get your mind off of the Uchiha, you'd make a better sparring partner." When the blond was back on her feet, the Uzumaki left Ino to rejoin her brother on the sidelines.
"That was so cool, Nazu-chan!" Naruto thrust a fist into the air with enthusiasm.
Kiba nodded vigorously, sharing in Naruto's excitement. "Yeah, Nazuna-chan, I knew you had it in you!"
"This means Iruka-sensei will begin to expect more from you," Hinata added shyly. While not the most outgoing child, the heiress had stopped the infuriating stuttering during her friendship with the twins and Kiba. It had taken a lot of prodding from a certain redhead, but Hinata's self-esteem was also in the process of being repaired. The wonders of making friends…
Nazuna sighed without giving an actual response. It looked like she couldn't just sit back and relax during class anymore or else Iruka would never cease his nagging. "Naruto-kun, you have to make that ramen for me yourself and serve it to me while referring to me with the title 'master' or else I'll just lose on purpose next time."
"Yeah, yeah," her brother waved her demands off as he usually did.
Iruka had learned something that day: Nazuna had been holding back the whole time she had been enrolled in the Academy. She refused to try simply because she didn't want to, not because she didn't understand the material. While not up to 'prodigy' standards, the young girl would become a deadly kunoichi if she ever became motivated enough to do so. He knew the same potential rested within her brother, who tried his hardest but simply needed some extra help along the way. The Uzumaki twins will become a force to reckon with in the future.
It was in that moment that he decided that he would help the twins to pull out their full potential.
.
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[Author's Note]: You have no idea how long it took me to fully come up with Nazuna's character. Finally after months of thinking it over, she blossomed. Nazuna is kind of my baby. I put a lot of thought into this whole story and before you hound me on inaccuracies and all that, just know that I have my reasons.
I wasn't sure if Akamaru actually attended the Academy with Kiba, but for the sake of this story he does.
About the whole telepathic thing...I know it's a little far-fetched, but it's Naruto. Come on, almost anything is possible in Naruto. I just took the myth of 'twin telepathy' and made it literal. Sue me.
Don't worry about Nazuna being all powerful, because she's really not. The only reason she was able to break a (civilian) man's wrist is because of her Academy training and she was able to brutalize the other man because of the fox's chakra (not by any strength of her own). Againt an actual shinobi she wouldn't stand a chance (yet). Ino losing to her in a friendly classroom-spar was needed to show Iruka that Nazuna may not look like it, but she takes his lessons to heart.
So... Yeah. I'm probably not going to post the rest. If it was horrible you don't have to worry about seeing any more of it, but if you actually liked it let me know. Kind words are always welcome.
Fun Fact: Nazuna really likes the color pink, but wouldn't be caught dead in it.
Thanks for reading!