Lotus stood there, looking over the tombstone in front of her. It was that of her 'identical' twin sister, who in reality looked nothing like her when she was alive. Sakura Haruno was the younger of the twins, and the human sister. Lotus was the older of the twins, and as of now had outlived her sister by 122 years. Sakura had died at the age of 78. Lotus was cursed with the soul of an ancient fox intertwined with hers, causing Lotus to take on all of the powers of the fox, including never ageing after the age of 21, and she was also cursed to live until she was killed in battle. But the story to be told does not start here, but 200 years before, back to the day of Lotus' and Sakura's birth.

Anome's P.O.V. (The Fox Spirit)

I look around at the group of shinobi around me, and then to my two kits that the men had murdered while I had gone hunting. Now, I waited for the final blow to be dealt, and for my death to come, but that would not happen, my soul would not leave this earth, for that is what they are searching for can only obtained if my soul is still bound to this body when it dies. The only way that they can obtain it now is a soul-sealing jutsu, and if they do perform it, then all of my knowledge that I have gained during my lifetime will be theirs for the taking. I can not allow that.

I notice that the leader, a man that looked more like a woman, was beginning to do a summoning jutsu. I recognize the signs as those of a snake summoning. In my weakened condition I would not be able to defend my self from the snakes attack. I then sensed the birth of a young human girl in the nearby village. I worked quickly, gathering all my remaining strength, to prepare to transfer my soul to the newborn. As soon as the summoning was complete, and the demon snake appeared as I had expected, I allowed the demon to strike me, because as soon as this body dies I can transfer my soul to the newborns body. If I were a human these men would only need my body to unlock my secrets, but because I am a fox demon, my soul has to be in the body to unlock anything. The first blow from the snake was all that was needed. I felt the world beginning to close in around me and as it did, I lunged my soul free of the dying body and to the village, into the body of the child I had first sensed, seeing as how there were now two children there, and they were identical.

The human girl already had a soul within her, so I bound mine to that. I would nurture and strengthen her, and our souls will become one, but she will not be me, I will allow her to be her own self. The child cries out as I fit myself to her small body. There is a natural fear of my presence within the child that I sense, and I use the newly formed bond to comfort her, and the child calms down. This girl will be very different from the other children, different from her own twin even, but it has to be this way, I couldn't allow those men to get my secrets.

Lotus' P.O.V.

"Sensi!" I yell as he comes at me again with his kunai. He stops mid-leap, thinking he had caught me off-guard, even though he had never been able to in the past, what made him think that he would be able to now.

"I thought I could catch you off-guard, although I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Lotus." Kakashi Hataha jumped from the tree gracefully landing in front of me. He has been my private teacher ever since I was old enough to throw a shuriken at the age of three. When I became old enough to go to the academy, I refused. I did not want to be stuck with my smart-ass pretty girl twin. I also don't get along with others of my age due to the fact that I am the outcast of my family. When Sakura and I were born we looked identical, and stayed that way until we were about 5. At that time my looks began changing, even though I did nothing to cause it. The entire village noticed the change and began to avoid me. I didn't look anything like the rest of my family. Sakura's hair is a pink color, were as mine is silver, and she has a huge forehead, and were I don't.

Oh well, I prefer to have the personal training anyways. Kakashi-Sensi says that I am at a Jonin level, but I am unable to even get to a chunin level because I have no team to work with. Sensi has informed me though that this year I will have a team to work with, and that if at least two of the academy students are decent then I will be able to take the exam this time. I just hope that Sakura and I aren't stuck on the same team.

Later that afternoon Naruto and I are talking.

"Lotus I graduated!!!" A happy Naruto yells out to me. He runs up and shows me his headband. I pull mine out and show him that I got mine too. I never told him that I got mine when I was about 7 though, so I let him believe that I had just gotten mine like he did. I didn't like to make him feel like he wasn't as good as me. Naruto is my only friend, a complete outcast to the village, I wasn't supposed to know that he had the spirit of the nine-tailed fox demon that had attacked the village is sealed within him. Kakashi-Sensi told me, even though it is against the law by punishment of death. I haven't ever told anyone that I know, because if I did Kakashi-Sensi would be killed.

"Wow congratulations. I got mine to." I point to mine as I tie it to my neck. I have had mine for years, but this is the first time I have ever put it on. Kakashi-Sensi wouldn't let me wear it until the others my age had graduated also. Kakashi-Sensi had said that he would make sure that when I got on a team that the other members would be my age, and that was the best thing for me. Maybe I would have Naruto on my team, as annoying as that might end up being. Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted by Naruto.

"Hey Lotus, you're trained by one of the teachers that will be getting a team tomorrow, so who IS your Sensi?" I smiled, I could not tell him any of the teachers names or I would be in really big trouble.

"Sorry Naruto, I can't tell you any of their names." I give him a sly smile and know that it will be driving him crazy until he finds out. "You will have to wait like the rest of the class."

*Next day*

I am waiting for Kakashi-Sensi to finish looking around Naruto's house.

"Kakashi-Sensi we will be late again if you don't HURRY UP!!" Next thing, he is standing in front of me giving me the look he always gives me when I want to be on time. "Took you long enough Sensi, I want to meet my new teammates!" I only know that Naruto Is going to be on my team. Our team would be the only team with four members instead of the normal three. We finally get to the academy and are 3 hours late thanks to Kakashi-Sensi having to stop at every store to look around. When we walk up to the door, I notice an eraser at the top and let Kakashi-Sensi go in first. He falls for it, and I can't help but laugh. Kakashi-Sensi gives me the look that says I will regret laughing later. He walks in and I stay behind, still not able to tell who my teammates are. He calls for me to come in, and I slowly enter, looking at the three people staring back at me.

"Not you!" Sakura and I both yell, we might be twins, but we can't stand each other. Then there was Naruto of course and last was Sasuke Uchiha. Great now Sakura would blame me for trying to take 'her man'. Everyone stares at us as we stare each other down. Then Kakashi remembers our relationship to each other.

"Oh, I forgot you two are twins… Sorry I didn't warn you about this Lotus." He smiles as I glare at him.