I own nothing but my Oc and any Jutsu I may come up with
I sat at the back of the class waiting just like the other students, but unlike them I knew what I was waiting for, I knew why Iruka-sensei had left and had yet to come back. Sure enough a few minutes later he came crashing in kicking my twin brother Naruto threw the door first, all tied up.
I sighed resigned to myself as Iruka yelled at Naruto. I knew what he had done, he had painted the Hokage monument faces, he had explained it to me and offered for me to join him, but like always I declined. I didn't seek recognition from others like he did, so long as my brother saw me that was all I'd ever need.
We were then ordered to review the transformation jutsu as punishment for Naruto's indiscretion and all lined up. We were to transform into Iruka-sensei or Lord Hokage. Most chose the former as not many academy students spent a whole lot of time with the third and so wouldn't get the details right.
Sakura went first, one of the most annoying of our class she had pink hair tied up in a red ribbon with a red dress on and most importantly she was one of Sasuke Uchiha's number one fangirls...ugh, and after introducing herself and giving herself a pep talk she transformed perfectly into Iruka-sensei with a large puff of smoke. After Iruka acknowledged her accomplishment Sakura started cheering for herself and then begged to see if her love saw it too. Urgh she and all the little fangirls made me sick.
Next was Sasuke, he was tied for first with me though I kept my scores a secret so everyone thought I was at Naruto's level, he transformed perfectly as well though it seemed like his puff was louder more like a crash and after Iruka acknowledged his transformation Sasuke shuffled off. Then it was Naruto's turn and I just knew he was gonna goof off.
"Hey Shikamaru." I called quietly to the boy standing next to me
"Hm?" He grunted not sounding like he was awake
"You may not want to see this so I suggest you close your eyes." I said as I closed mine
I don't know if Shikamaru heeded my warning, but the next thing I knew there was a poof as Naruto transformed and then I heard Iruka fall backwards before yelling at Naruto again. After that the rest of the class went with no other surprises, but at the end Iruka wanted Naruto to stay after to clean up the mess he made across the Hokage faces.
"I'll come too ya know." I said as I hung back
"You don't have to do that Akane-nee really." Naruto protested waving his arms around
"Naruto's right Akane this is his punishment not yours. You haven't done anything wrong so why add more work for yourself?" Iruka-sensei asked
"He's my brother Iruka and I'd do anything for him ya know? Besides if I don't he won't be home at a decent enough hour for dinner." I explained crossing my arms
"Man you're so cool Akane-nee Believe it!" Naruto said rubbing his hands threw his hair
We went to the Hokage monument together, the three of us, and Naruto and I began to work together at scrubbing off the paint despite both men protesting that I didn't have to.
"I want to. Besides the head of the Anbu has to take care of her Hokage ya know." I said smiling
To be Hokage, that had always been Naruto's dream since the first time we had heard of ninja's as children. He wanted people to see him, to respect him, to depend on him, and I wanted that for him. I wanted to become the head of the Anbu division during his rein so that I could protect him and our village from those that would harm them and I wanted to see his dream come true.
Naruto beamed up and me smiling brighter than anything, it reminded me why I did everything that I did to see that smile never leave his face. Iruka explained that we couldn't go home until the paint was gone, though he did say I could leave whenever I wanted to, this lead Naruto to complain how we didn't have anyone waiting for us anyway. Though this was true it still made me sad and reflective, I always wondered what had happened to our parents whether they abandoned us or died or just couldn't care for us. Iruka must have seen how upset we both were because he then said the one thing that would always cheer us up.
"Hey after you're done I was thinking, how about I buy you guys some manju* and ramen...the good stuff." Iruka called down to us while scratching his cheek
This lite up Naruto's face, which in turn made me smile more softly then he ever did, and motivated him to work faster. A few hours later we were at Ichiraku noodle stand after stopping for a moment to pick up my manju.
The seating arrangement from right to left went Iruka, Naruto, and then me at the end with my manju in front of me. Naruto was slurping his noodles from the bowl when Iruka-sensei decided to question him on his motives for today's prank. I already knew why he did it, though I can't say I approved I could at least understand, he just wanted someone other than me to look at him, to see him as more than what everyone else saw, he wanted to be greater than any Hokage before him, and I knew someday...he would.
Then Naruto asked Iruka if he could try on his headband. I knew why, he doubted he'd pass the exam, just like last time and the time before that. Each time he failed I could see he got a little more dejected, he lost a little more will to try. I don't think it helped that I refused to pass myself until Naruto could be a ninja too, a fact I know still baffled the examiners, but they couldn't do anything about it seeing as the third was on my side.
When Iruka rejected his request Naruto got upset and demanded another bowl of ramen, Iruka was happy to buy him one and later that night we went home.
The next morning dawn bright and early, after waking Naruto up and once again failing at getting him to eat anything that wasn't ramen for breakfast we went to the academy for the final exam. Once again Iruka-sensei explained what we were to do, our name is called, we go to the testing room we pass or fail, simple as that. This time the test was over the cloning jutsu and I knew Naruto wasn't very good at it, even I could barely do it and I couldn't hold it for very long.
Eventually one by one people were called up to take the test, then it was Naruto's turn and then mine. When I went in there I did the jutsu creating two clones though they looked a little worn out.
"Well you successfully did the clone jutsu so you pass, but you might want to work on it some more they don't look like they last long." Iruka announced surveying my clones
"You know the deal Iruka-sensei I will only except that headband when Naruto does ya know. Did he pass?" I asked crossing my arms as my clones poofed away
Iruka sighed dejectedly "I don't know why you do this to yourself Akane. You could have easily become a ninja after the first test, but again and again you hold yourself back for Naruto. I just don't get it."
"Your right Iruka-sensei you don't." I started serious with a slight glare "He's my brother ya know? My twin brother, we may not look much alike cause of our hair, but I love him all the same and I refuse to take an honor he's been working so hard for before he does. I don't think of it as him holding me back, but more as him pushing me to do better for him ya know."
The test then completed itself not long after and me and Naruto were the only ones who didn't have a headband at the end of it all. We watched from the tree swing as all the students parents gathered to congratulate them on their accomplishment. It was times like this that truly reminded us of how alone we really were. In this world we only really had each other.
It was then that we heard them, two women were talking to each other like we couldn't hear them.
"There you see them?" the one asked her voice high and nasally
"It's those kids. I heard they're the only ones who failed." The other mentioned
"Hmph, well it serves them right." The first huffed angrily
"Just imagine what would happen if they became ninja, I mean they're the once who..." But the second was cut off by the first shushing her
"We're not aloud to talk about that." She warned
It was then that Mizuki-sensei appeared and he told us to follow him cause he wanted to talk to us. He told us how Iruka had only been failing us because he cared, because he wanted us to be as strong as we possibly could be, but that didn't comfort Naruto very much and I had already guessed as much. Mizuki then got this look in his eye, he was planning something and I doubted it was good, that look almost seem devious and unfriendly. He told us of a secret second way to become a ninja and right from the start I didn't trust what he was saying, but Naruto was much more naive then me and so trusted what our teacher was telling us.
Together we stole the scroll of sealing, though it was me who suggested the place we hid because I knew Mizuki wouldn't look here, and looked through it. The first jutsu was shadow clones, a very advanced technique, though Naruto complained I told him if we could master it there was no doubt we could use it effectively and be aloud to graduate. We got down to training and a few hours later we left huffing and puffing for breath when he approached us.
It was Iruka and after Naruto explained what we were doing he seemed surprised and then seemed to realized what it all meant and pushed Naruto out of the way while I jumped to avoid the kunai that had been thrown at the three of us. Unfortunates Iruka-sensei was not so lucky and was pinned, but it seemed only one actually did damage as the rest seemed to just be pinning his clothes.
Then Mizuki-sensei appeared with two giant shuriken strapped to his back, he demanded the scroll and when Naruto looked at me for guidance I shook my head not letting my eyes leave from where they were glaring at Mizuki.
Meanwhile Iruka was removing the kunai that kept him pinned and explained to Naruto and myself what Mizuki had done, though I already knew or at least I had suspected. Mizuki then tried to sway us and convince us that Iruka-sesei was lying. Iruka tried to stop him from saying something, but Mizuki ignored him and continued on more maliciously.
And then he said it...we...we were the nine-tailed fox. I couldn't breath for a moment, my mind had shut down, and I just froze. All of it now began to make sense, the looks, the way people talked to us, the way they treated us as if we had done them some great wrong, the way nobody would acknowledge that we existed like they were trying to get rid of a bad memory...this was why.
I felt cold...and then unbearably sad, not for myself, but for Naruto. My twin who had always tried, who just wanted to be excepted, may never be because of something we couldn't hope to have controlled. It wasn't fair, and it wasn't right, they judged us on another's actions, they blamed us for their suffering and so they made us to suffer. Why?...why?
While I had been contemplating what all this meant Mizuki had continued to talk, cutting Naruto down despite Iruka-sensei's protests. Mizuki took one of the shuriken from his back and twirled it at amazing speeds before throwing it right at Naruto seeing as he had the scroll of sealing on his back. Iruka yelled at him to run, but I could see he wouldn't be fast enough and that woke me up. I couldn't just stand here wallowing in self pity my brother needed me. I darted out and covered his body with my own knowing I wouldn't be fast enough to try and grab him and go, but when I braised for it there was no pain. We both turned to see Iruka-sensei had taken the blow for us right in the back and it was obvious that it had hurt and he was bleeding.
Me and Naruto were shocked, after all if he knew what we were, what the fox had done to him, his parents and the village, then why would he...
He thought we were the same, we had each been alone with no one to care, Naruto did stupid stunts and together we paid for it. Iruka said he was sorry that he wasn't there for us when he could have been, that he had left us to face that loneliness alone.
Mizuki then butted in laughing at us, he said that Iruka-sensei would do anything to get the scroll and while I didn't believe him I could tell Naruto was confused and so I followed him when he darted off, but gave Iruka-sensei a look. I trusted and believed him, I just had to convince Naruto of this fact. It didn't take much, Naruto knew I was smart...admitted I was smarter than him, so when Iruka-sensei came for us we were able to work together to come up with a plan.
Me and Naruto hid with the scroll and Iruka faced down Mizuki. Mizuki continued to taunt Iruka, he tried to sway him to give me and Naruto up, he called us beasts and for a moment Iruka sounded like he agreed. Then he surprised us, he disagreed that me and Naruto were beasts, that we weren't the nine-tails, we were ourselves, we worked hard and were smart and may mess up sometimes, but we never gave up. Naruto was crying heavily by this point a little snot leaking out of his nose and I was barely holding my own tears back. Was that really how he felt about us?
By then Mizuki apparently had, had enough of Iruka-sensei and decided to just finish him off, but before he could throw his last giant shuriken me and Naruto launched in with Naruto headbutting him in the stomach making the giant shuriken veer off course and cut threw a tree branch. I stood protectively right in front of Iruka-sensei, I'd let my brother be the hero he deserved it after all ya know?
Iruka seemed surprised to see us, but for now we paid him no mind. We told Mizuki if he ever touched Iruka we'd kill him. Mizuki didn't seem to think we were much of a threat until we did the shadow clone jutsu together, though I did less then him as I was just going to stay back and protect Iruka while he was down. I could see out of the corner of my eye that Iruka-sensei was both surprised and then proud of how many clones we made and the fact that they were solid. Mizuki was freaking out with the Naruto clones calling out to him unnerving him to the point that he fell back in shock.
The Naruto clones then proceeded to kick him up and down the forest until he was unconscious. We then let go of the jutsu and all the clones disappeared. Naruto apologized for getting carried away beating Mizuki up and then we asked if Iruka-sensei was ok. He said he was, but I knew he was still wounded and needed to go to the hospital to at least get checked out if nothing else. He then called Naruto over and gave him his headband after apologizing to me that he didn't have another.
"It's ok Iruka-sensei I can get one later for now that honor belongs to Naruto ya know?" I said smiling happily
Naruto launched himself at Iruka-sensei in a hug and then pulled me into it. The sun was coming up and it was a new day and our ninja life had only just begun.
*1-for those of you who don't know manju is sticky rice with a sweet red bean paste in the center