Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Avatar.

Summary: Naruto and his twin sister, Hitomi, have been wandering the entire continent for a village of their own. After a few unsuccessful years, their guardian spirits decide that its time that their wards find a home. That place just happens to be Konoha.

Chapter One:

His muscles ached from the set he had been working on for hours. The elements reacted to his movements eager to please his will. Air swiftly stirred around him and responded to his spirit. Soon, water flowed from a small gourd that he kept at his side which was barely noticeable and shifted its flexible matter according to his stance. The earth firmly attached to the ground was compelled to obey the force of his resolve. Last, fire erupted from his breath from the energy used to carry out the exercise.

To his left, his twin sister observed the exercise through the vibrations in the ground. Her hazy blue eyes saw darkness due to lack of sight. Though her vision was destroyed from an accident in their younger years, it didn't stop her from using other senses of the human body to see for her. Her nose crinkled at the smell of sweat and made her a bit ill. Not use to feeling her brother work this hard, she asked gently, "Perhaps you should stop and rest. We are not far from the village. It would not do for you to be so exhausted and…enter with an unpleasant odor of perspiration."

Waiting patiently for his reply, Hitomi frowned when all he did was ignore her and continue his activity. Letting out a sigh, she folded her legs underneath her white kimono and pulled out bandages from a brown satchel. Carefully, Hitomi made sure that there was enough left for the rest of the journey before cutting a three-foot long strip and held it out to Naruto. Her twin made a grab for it and wrapped it around his eyes.

Finally, her twin brother stopped and took a seat next to her. Both stared at the small breeze that she couldn't see but feel. Both thought about the village which ran them out and tortured them for the short time that they had stayed. Hitomi tilted her face towards her twin sensing the anger that was building up inside of him.

"No use in thinking about the past now, Naruto. It's time that we go on." Hitomi stood up and brushed off the imaginary specks off her kimono. Holding out a hand for her brother, she was disappointed that he only stood up and stiffly walked towards the hidden village.

Hastening her pace, she caught up to him and silently followed in his shadow heading for Konoha. The gates of Konoha came closer with each step taken. The chunnin guards standing guard observed the two small figures making their way towards their home with boredom. Guard duty was possibly the worst way to waste time for shinobi but someone had to do it. They just happened to be on duty.

Nervous, Hitomi hid herself behind her brother while he continued confidently. She pulled out both their I.D. cards and handed her brother's over to him.

Kotetsu spoke up first with the standard question to all visitors, "State your business." Izumo just glanced down at the children but fell asleep soon after having their faces registered into his photographic memory.

"We only wish to make Konoha our new home." Naruto stated with a monotone voice. Hitomi hid her nervousness with a mask of indifference when her brother spoke.

Quirking his eyebrow, the guard examined their I.D.s and with a wave of hand, the twins were allowed inside.

'Amazingly easy,' the thought passed through both twins and a smile

Feeling the ground, Hitomi had never felt so many people and buildings in her life. Other villages were either developing or too small to be considered a hidden village of their country. In front of her, Naruto led his sister to the Hokage Tower and let a small smile on his face for his sister but it quickly disappeared.

The twins scaled the steps toward the Hokage's office and inside, the Hokage studied the two. Satisfied that the two held no malice, he told his secretary to let the twins in. Entering, Sarutobi noted that the boy in front of him was distant and kept up a mask of coldness. Behind the boy, a girl who appeared to be his sister obediently stayed in his shadow. It was a bit obvious who demanded respect here.

Naruto scrutinized the old man that he once called grandpa. He looked a great deal older than the last time Naruto had seen him. Bags hung under the old man's eyes and wrinkles spread across his enter face. There were still some traces of laugh lines around his mouth but a great deal less than the time when he was still around. Honestly, he felt a little sorry for the old man and still remembered how kind the Hokage was regardless of the demon caged within his body.

The Hokage examined the boy in front of him. He looked to be ten years old and bandages wrapped around his head covering his eyes. Sarutobi frowned but let it go knowing that the answers would come to him. A loose white t-shirt and black cargos with their pockets undoubtedly filled with handy weapons along with worn out sandals at his feet that signaled to the Hokage that the pair traveled a long way. Long spiked blonde hair would become his famous trademark for the ladies. The boy uncannily resembled Arashi. He chuckled at the memory of former hokage. The Yondaime had been a real lady's man.

The girl was obviously his twin. Hazy blue eyes and long blonde hair knotted into a bun by a pair of what looked like golden hairpins. It was hard to see what decorated them but they were beautifully handcrafted. She only wore a small simple white kimono with a blue crane in flight at the very bottom towards the left. She wore no shoes but her feet showed smooth pale skin instead of the usual cracked.

"What brings you two to Konoha?" The Sandaime asked lighting his pipe directing his question towards the boy. Smoke drifted around the office but the two took no notice.

"We wish to establish this humble village as our new home." Naruto answered easily. He had already rehearsed the entire conversation in his head on the way here. He knew that his sister wasn't capable of holding a conversation with anyone but him so the responsibility of handling the Hokage was left to him.

"Are you traveling alone?" Clasping his hands in front of him under his chin, Sarutobi leaned forward in his chair with interest hoping that the two at least had guardians. It wasn't often that orphans would travel to Konoha.

"We are orphans." Naruto gritted his teeth at the word 'orphans'. Who cared if they were orphans? He was more than capable of taking care of his sister and himself despite the obvious handicap. After all, they had only depended on each other since birth with the help of their spirits.

At that statement, Sarutobi's eyes saddened. He knew that the boy wasn't lying. Gently, he asked, "May I ask as to how you became orphans?"

"No." The simple answer hung in the air and silence ensued after it. The Sandaime recognized the hurt that these questions brought with them but as Hokage it was his responsibility. Another question came into mind when he thought about their unusual eyes. "How did you two obtain your blindness?"

Both twins visibly stiffened at the question. Naruto clenched his fists and Hitomi placed a tender hand on his arm hoping to calm her brother. Naruto wasn't necessarily blind but her brother hated feeling weak so he hid his blindness with bandages. He also mentioned that they made him look cool. In a quiet voice, she responded, "An accident."

The Hokage only nodded. The children didn't want to talk about it and so he wouldn't pry further. They deserved that much.

"Tell me, what are you names?" Sarutobi pulled out two files from a drawer and placed blank records that were soon going to be theirs.

"Haruto and Yuuki Nakagawa." 'Haruto' replied quickly.

Writing out the fake surnames, the Sandaime asked more questions and Haruto answered as best as he could feeding the Hokage lies. The discussion dragged out for at least half an hour. Soon enough, Haruto and Yuuki Nakagawa gained Konoha citizenship and were to be supervised by the Hokage himself. (For the rest of the story, their names are Haruto and Yuuki unless something comes up.)

While the Hokage busied himself writing out their records, Haruto pondered on the subject of school. They had both received their education under the tutelage of various shinobi and spirits during their travels. Though, he knew that children his age were required by law to attend either a civilian school or a ninja academy. When it came to civilian business, Haruto was pretty much useless. He hated the idea of becoming a civilian and not have the joy of fighting that was against the law for the general public.

His sister also enjoyed the simplicity of the civilian life. She was a great fighter on the battlefield but missed the pleasures of just staying in a home. Hesitantly, Haruto asked, "Is there anyway to enroll into the ninja academy?"

Sarutobi glanced up sharply and digested his words. Carefully, the old man questioned, "Have you received former ninja training?"

Clearing his throat, Haruto replied, "My sister and I have gone through strict guidance of various teachers of the martial world. Only I wish to continue on this path and I have heard that Konoha has one of the finest academies in the country."

Yuuki gazed at her brother with fear evident in her face. Though she couldn't see him, it troubled her as to why he would want to pursue such a dangerous career. They had spent their lives on the road and had seen more than enough battles to last a lifetime.

The Sandaime looked over to Yuuki noticed her body trembling with anxiety at the choice her brother had just made. He was a little surprised that Haruto would ask for such a thing. For people who lived a life such as his, most would turn to the civilian way of life tired of the constant battles which the world forces upon them. Again, he questioned, "Are you certain?"

Drawing in air, Haruto responded, "My sister and I have no money to support ourselves with. I am not going to force her to join me. From my research, I have heard that only in the hidden villages of each country that those who did not have money to attend a school then they had the choice of entering a ninja academy for free. We can both work part-time to maintain an apartment and food. After I graduate, we should have the money to live without outside help."

"If that is what you want. Here is 5,000 yen for you to start with. Starting today, Haruto you will be attending the Konoha Ninja Academy." Sarutobi took one glimpse at his watch. "Your class will be starting in about five minutes. I will escort you there myself."

"Excuse me." Yuuki said quietly. "I don't need to attend a civilian school. I'd rather find a job in the village instead. I have received education outside this country and my knowledge should be adequate."

The Sandaime thought it over and sighed. "Very well. You can take an exam up at the civilian school to see if you qualify to graduate. Now follow me."

Yuuki nodded. The Hokage escorted both twins out of the Hokage Tower. Yuuki was dropped at the civilian school not too far away from the academy for her exam. Her situation was explained to the principal and they agreed. Afterwards, Haruto was escorted to the academy.

Inside, they stopped in front of a classroom. Haruto could hear a man lecturing to his class. Apprehension crept into his body but he only pushed it down by keeping his face impassive. It wouldn't do if he showed weakness to those who would be his future teammates.

Opening the door, the whole class stopped listening to Iruka's lecture and curiously turned their attention towards the door. The Hokage stepped in with a blonde boy trailing behind him. Iruka raised an eyebrow at this.

"Iruka, so good to see you. It has been awhile." The Hokage chuckled at the young chunnin standing in front of him.

"Hokage." Iruka bowed low and straightened himself. "What brings you here?" he asked his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Ahhh…that is an interesting question. You see, you have a new student and this will be his first day here." The Hokage pushed Haruto in front of him for Iruka to get a better view.

"Of course. I will add him to attendance right away. I'm sure you have his records, right?" Iruka went through his pile of papers on his desk for the attendance sheet. The Hokage pulled out Haruto's records and handed them to Iruka.

"I will be leaving now. Haruto, please do be gentle with your classmates. Good day, Iruka." Leaving, the Hokage shut the door behind and blew smoke into the corridor.

"Haruto, please understand that I mean well." Then he left.

"Why don't you introduce yourself to the class?" Iruka suggested to the new student. Haruto glared at him but the anger waves radiating from it didn't affect the man. Heaving a sigh, Haruto complied.

"Haruto Nakagawa." Stating his name, Haruto gave no more. The class stared at the new student with weird looks on their faces. Of course, he didn't notice and waited for the teacher to say something.

"Is there anything else you would like to share such as siblings, you hobbies, etc.?" Iruka urged him.

"I have one twin sister. No guardians. No hobbies." Haruto stared blankly at the white wall behind the last row. Iruka gazed at the spot that the boy was staring but found nothing interesting there. Knowing that was as much as he was going to get, he told Haruto to go sit in the back next to a student named Shikamaru.

When Haruto reached his destination, he found that his neighbor was sleeping. Drool leaked from a corner of his mouth as Iruka started up his lecture again on a strategy problem. Taking his seat, he studied the other students that were worth his attention.

His neighbor was undoubtedly lazy or terribly tired but he bet all of his money on the first. There was not much to tell since the boy was sleeping so he moved onto the next student. Scanning the room, his eyes landed on a rather large male next to his neighbor eating chips.

'Brute strength.' The thought ran through his mind when analyzing him. I need him on my team, Haruto decided. Strength was not one of his best though he had been training his muscles to get stronger. The large boy would surpass his strength as time would pass something that would be good to work with.

A pink head soon came into view. The girl seemed rather intelligent but was currently putting all her attention into a certain raven head on the left side of the classroom. She lacked focus. That was something he definitely did not need. He already had a short attention span and she would only make it shorter. Trying to pay attention to Iruka was already pretty hard.

During his inspection, a straw-colored hair girl was also putting her attention on the raven head. She lacked focus also. What was wrong with all the kunoichi in this village? He discarded her from his mind. A boy with shades interested him. Haruto noticed that student was probably the taciturn and very observant type. He filed the boy away for later.

A blue haired female wrung her hands in front of him always blushing every time she glanced in his direction. She held promise but lacked the confidence to show it. It would be something that she would have to work on but he didn't want to work on his future teammates too much. Haruto wanted them to be able to handle their own training while focusing on his own. He would think about it later.

The raven head captured his attention but not the way that most of the female population seemed to have. He was arrogant. A quality that Haruto hated but he acknowledged the fact that the boy would be powerful. Though, he was a person that he would never allow on his team.

'Intelligence.' A characteristic that was becoming increasingly difficult to find in the class and few had a small amount of. He would have to wait and see if someone showed promise in that area. Inside, he doubted the potential the class would show in the future.

"Oi."

Haruto turned his head towards the source of the voice. "So you finally decided to wake up." He drawled out. Shikamaru only yawned loud and blinked a few times to clear his vision.

"I didn't know that someone occupied this seat." Shikamaru said obviously a bit disorientated after his little nap.

"I am a new student." Haruto said slowly to analyze the boy next to him. He was correct from his assumption before. Shikamaru was indeed lazy but beneath Haruto could sense a genius of intelligence.

While Haruto was examining him, Shikamaru grew a bit nervous underneath his lazy façade but didn't allow it to show. This Haruto character was a bit unnerving to say at the least. He carried the air of a war veteran. The way his fingers drummed against the wooden surface of the desk and the way his face was stuck in an impassive way. It practically screamed out danger.

"You like shogi?" Shikamaru asked bored. He had been itching for someone to challenge his intellect. Haruto smiled and nodded. The two boys became fast friends from the one game of shogi. Haruto found out that the rather large male sitting next to Shikamaru was Chouji Akimichi.

In the end, Shikamaru had won but without a fight. Haruto was pretty good for a beginner and had creative ways of throwing off his opponent.

"Who do you want on you gennin team after graduation?" Haruto asked careful not to sound too enthusiastic.

"Chouji and I have already planned to be in the same team. So we made up a system. As for our third member, we thought about Ino since her father was on our fathers' team. Though, I really don't want her to be on our team. She lacks focus which could endanger us at some point." Shikamaru answered. "So while you were asking that question, Chouji and I decided to make you as our third member."

"Thanks." Haruto smiled at the two boys. Finally, a chance to have some friends even if they were one of the lowest students in class ranking. It was nice to have someone to talk or have fun with. His sister was fine but he needed something more and he suspected that she needed it too.

"You need to be one of those at the top of the class. I have already taken the position of being the dead-last. Chouji is the average. In Konoha, the teachers place the teams by grades so it is kind of easy to predict the results since there are not many dead-lasts in this class." Shikamaru explained.

Haruto nodded in understanding. "So all I have to do is beat everyone else, well almost everyone, and we become a team."

"Exactly." Shikamaru smirked at his ingeniousness. Haruto and Chouji only grinned. This is going to be fun, he thought to himself.

---Class Ends---

Haruto found his sister patiently waiting steering clear away from the parents and students. It hurt him to see her all alone and she looked so fragile. She was always a bit thin and small for her age. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her petite body. Surprised, she quickly shook herself out of her shock to smile and return the hug.

"This is your sister?" Shikamaru walked towards the pair with Chouji behind and another bag of chips.

"Hi-Yuuki. This is Shikamaru Nara and Chouji Akimichi." Haruto introduced his friends to his sister. Taking one of her hands, he led her over to Shikamaru.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at the escort but his sharp mind realized what Haruto was doing. "Your sister is blind." He said softly. Chouji glanced at Shikamaru sharply and turned his face to have a better look at her eyes.

Her face pointed a bit downward instead of looking up. It could have been out of apprehension but her body language showed no sign of it. She simply stood still as if waiting for some movement. When Shikamaru held out his hand for a shake, Yuuki took small step back as if she was going to run away.

"She's not the only one." Haruto answered quietly. He pointed at his bandages and both boys were stunned. Shikamaru recovered from the shock the fastest and resumed his lazy attitude.

"How did you get accepted into the academy with a handicap such as that?" Shikamaru asked.

"The Hokage allowed me to enter. I already have enough knowledge and experience so why can't I be accepted?" Haruto shrugged.

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed in suspicion at his new friend. Experience…

"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed and took up a slouched position that looked as if he were going to keel over any minute. Chouji didn't voice his opinion in the matter and trusted Shikamaru's judgment of their new friend.

"I found an apartment and two jobs. The civilian school said that I qualified to graduate and so I was able to apply." Yuuki said smug about her newfound success.

"So you're not a ninja?" Shikamaru asked.

"No. I prefer to remain as a civilian." Yuuki replied without hesitation.

"Whatever. My mom forced my dad and Chouji's to take us out to dinner. You guys can tag along, please." Shikamaru stated with a bit of somber look at the thought of his mother.

"Your mother forced him? Isn't she a civilian?" Haruto asked with confusion evident in his voice.

"I don't understand either and please don't ask. It's just too troublesome." Shikamaru waved the two questions away and lead them over two men that looked identical to their children just older.

"Who are these two?" Shikaku grinned and patted his son's head which earned him a scowl. The man's grin only grew wider.

"Haruto and Yuuki Nakagawa. You think you can treat them?" Shikamaru asked looking for support from Chouji.

Chouji nodded before stuffing another chip into his mouth. Haruto and Yuuki bowed simultaneously.

"Of course. That is if these two don't eat up all my money." Shikaku glanced back at the two Akimichis.

"Oi, I'm hungry. Let's hurry it up and get to the restaurant." Chouji's father grabbed his son's shoulder and turned him around. When the Akimichis were hungry, they could run as fast as he could. Haruto panted when arriving at the restaurant. The others were no better.

"Yosh! We're here!" Both Akimichis cheered at the sight of the place and rushed in. The group chose a table at the side and ordered. Waiting for their food, the twins made themselves comfortable next to each other with Chouji and Shikamaru on either side. Shikaku and Choza chose seats across from them.

"So how long you have two been in Konoha?" Shikaku asked focusing his attention on the twins.

"We've actually just arrived today." Haruto answered then took a sip of his jasmine tea.

"Oh, really? Where did you come from?" Shikaku inquired.

"We wandered from village to village until we arrived upon Konoha. My sister and I decided to try our life here. So we don't have a home." Haruto responded. His sister shifted a bit in the seat next to him. He placed a hand on her own to calm her a bit. She instantly allowed herself to relax against the seat at his touch. Shikaku noticed the gesture.

"Where are your parents? I was hoping to invite them also." Choza abruptly asked stopping his consumption of chips that just happened to be in his coat.

"We don't have parents or guardians. The Hokage supervises us." The atmosphere surrounding the table dropped a few degrees.

"Oh." Choza just stopped the conversation there. Inside, Shikaku mentally slapped his forehead at the stupidity of his longtime friend.

"Why did you join the ninja academy?" Shikaku asked hoping to change the subject.

"I joined because the tuition would be free and I already have the knowledge that the average ninja should have in school from various teachers who also were ninja. My sister, however, decided to remain as a civilian." Haruto took another sip of his tea.

"I see." Shikaku noted that the boy didn't say his sister would be a student in the civilian school so she must have already graduated.

"Food is here." Choza interrupted. While eating, Yuuki immediately warmed up to the other two boys. Soon enough, the four of them were laughing and conversing with each other. Both fathers smiled at this.

Shikamaru and Chouji were childhood friends. The boys didn't make any other friends because of teasing and laziness. So finding out that the boys had made new friends excited the parents. Their wives encouraged/forced the fathers to take the children out to eat and get to know the new friends.

Shikaku liked them enough but there was something about them that made him stay on his toes. Choza also noticed this but chose to say nothing.

After the group finished their meal, the four friends waved good-bye and started home. Shikamaru and his father walked silently home. Both pondered on the subject of the twins. Arriving home, Shikaku's wife demanded that they tell her how the evening was. Only receiving a grunt, she beat them until they gave her a more descriptive explanation than a grunt.

Sitting down at the dining table, Shikaku looked hard at his son. Shikamaru bore his lazy face again.

"Your friends seem nice." Shikaku offered knowing that his son would never have the strength to actually use his vocal cords to start a conversation.

"Hn."

"If I were you, I would keep an eye on them." Shikaku advised.

"I trust them. Good thing that I'm not you. It would be so troublesome." Shikamaru stood up to leave to his room. Shikaku's eyes followed his son's form up the stairs.

Upstairs, Shikamaru crashed onto the soft mattress of his bed. Inside his mind, he questioned himself. Do I really trust them? He thought. It was a hard question. After a few minutes of troublesome thinking, he decided. 'Yeah I trust them…'

End of Chapter One