This being my third story posted (and so far the only one I finished writing off-site), I'm going to try and update this on a weekly basis. If you already started reading this, you won't have to worry. I thank those of you who have been reading and hope you continue to read not only this story but my others as well. Well, I've said enough. On with the show.


Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru waited outside the Academy gates. The Third Hokage put them on a mission; babysitting his twin grandchildren. They were still students at the Academy and very dear to him judging by the way he spoke of them. He hadn't told them why they needed JOUNIN (or Sannin if you prefer) to keep an eye on them, but whatever the case, they weren't ones to disobey orders.

"What do these twerps look like again?" Jiraiya asked leaning against a tree, the bell was about to ring. Tsunade glared at him.

"They're not twerps you pervert. They're the Hokage's grandkids. So don't make fun of them," she snarled.

"Tou-chy…"

"They're both red headed and have green eyes. One's a girl and the other's a boy," Orochimaru replied. They looked at him, confused.

"How do you know that?" Tsunade asked, the bell a minute or so from ringing.

"I saw the picture of them on his desk after you two left bickering," he replied, reaching into his pack to put away a scroll. "They both look like their father." Jiraiya looked up.

"Mr. Flower Power?" he asked starting to laugh. Tsunade punched him in the head, knocking him to the floor. "Ow! What was that for!"

"For being and idiotic asshole!" she scolded, 'asshole' being drowned out by the bell and the roar of students being let out. They skimmed the crowd for the two were looking for, but no red-headed children were found. They waited for the stragglers, only Kakashi, Rin and Obito came out.

"I mean seriously, how does he manage to get detention every freakin' day? You'd think he'd learn by now," Obito ranted as they walked across the school yard. The Sannin watched, wondering who he was talking about. They stopped when they realized they were being watched. "What? We look funny or something?"

"Obito!" Rin snapped.

"Oh yeah, you totally look funny," Jiraiya replied sarcastically. Tsunade punched him in the face, knocking him to the floor (again), the three students stepped back as she smiled.

"Just ignore him. Would you guys happen to know where the Mortagashi twins are?" she asked, fakely covering her anger and irritation. Obito raised an eyebrow.

"You're they're new babysitters? Tch! Good luck with them," he replied. Tsunade scowled at him, he winced. "They're in Mortagashi sensei's office. They're waiting for you guys." Tsunade smirked as Jiraiya sat up, rubbing the side of his head.

"Thank you," she smirked again and dragged Jiraiya inside by his ear with Orochimaru close behind. They step into Mortagashi sensei's classroom. The blond haired and green eyed woman looked up from the papers she was grading and smiled at them. A red headed girl looked up from her desk, curious and annoyed.

"I didn't expect father to send his own students for this. But I am deeply grateful to the three of you," she said, standing. Jiraiya turned to the girl, who came down from her seat and to the ground level.

"I thought there were two of you?" he asked, folding his arms. She looked up at him.

"My brother's in the bathroom and is on his way back now," she replied. There was a bandage around her forehead and her bangs were feathered around her face. Her emerald green eyes seemed innocent enough and were a shade or two darker then the teacher's. Jiraiya was confused.

"Right. Lera, what did she do to her head?" he asked bluntly. The child glared at him and he looked at Lera. She faltered slightly at his question but regained her composure.

"Lei, honey would you go find your brother so you all can get going?" she asked with a grin. Lei rolled her eyes and headed out past Jiraiya and Tsunade. Lera heaved a heavy sigh.

"She doesn't like to talk about it. She and her brother have creatures sealed inside their bodies. No one in the village knows but us, my husband and the Hokage. In our daughter was sealed the Sacred Phoenix of the Shinobi; in order to protect it from an oncoming evil she herself predicted," Lera answered solemnly.

"She predicted it?" Tsunade asked inquisitively. Lera looked down at the desk.

"Yes. I've taught her to use the Second Sight technique. She's done a very good job with it. But regardless, the phoenix was sealed inside of her. Nothing's set in stone with the visions but they're usually pretty accurate." She looked back up at them.

"What about her brother?" Orochimaru asked pointedly.

"Their creatures coincide. Sei has a demon mongoose sealed inside of him. We wanted to balance their power so we sealed a light and a dark creature. That way the aura and chakra is neither more light nor more dark. It's a delicate balance and if one of them goes missing then our entire village is in danger," she replied, fretting with her hands. Tsunade stepped up to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about the twins Lera-san. They're safe with us. We won't let anything happen to them. Right boys?" she said, turning to Jiraiya and Orochimaru, who looked at each other like she was crazy.

"What she said," Jiraiya answered, not risking another punch in the face. Lera smiled in gratitude.

"Thank you very much," she said, bowing to the three Sannin. Jiraiya palely blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, we are excellent ninja…" he said trying to sound embarrassed. Tsunade stared at him. -_-;

"Pervert," some one said before Tsunade opened her mouth. Behind him and Orochimaru was a red headed boy with emerald green eyes like Lei's. He was about her height and his red hair was scruffy. Jiraiya looked down at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"
"Per-vert. Do I need to spell it out for you?" he scoffed. Jiraiya glared down at him.

"Seiraiya Eru Mortagashi Jr.! You watch your mouth young man!" Lera scolded, he winced. "Now, you and your sister will be taken care of by Master Jiraiya, Master Orochimaru and Lady Tsunade."
"Ugh. New baby sitters. Jeeze," he said with a roll of his eyes and a fold of his arms. Tsunade turned to glare at him with a fiery look. Sei winced back into his sister.

"Hey! Watch it bimbo," she retorted. He smiled back at her smugly. She replied with a scowl that made his skin crawl. Orochimaru raised an eyebrow curiously.

"She must be the predominating person," he thought to himself with his arms folding across his body.

"Now, now you two behave your selves," Lera called to the quarreling twins. "Go outside and wait for them. I need to speak with the Sannin for a moment. Alone." The twins walk away and outside, not within earshot of the Sannin and Lera. She heaved a quiet sigh.

"It's been worse, I assure you. It may come actually to fists and knives. If it does, I'm positive you can handle them," she said with a positive ring. Tsunade smiled at her as she headed out of the room.

"Don't worry about a thing Lera-san. They're in good hands," she chirped, dragging Jiraiya out of the doorway and Orochimaru following close behind. She dragged him outside, the twins looking up at them each snorting a laugh. Tsunade dropped him on his butt with a load thump (more like a throw).

O_O~ "OW! DAMMIT TSUNADE!" his bellow rung throughout the yard. The twins tried to contain their laughter, but suffered an epic failure and bursted into laughing fits. Jiraiya stood back up and dusted himself off, throwing a glare at the twins. They quickly but gradually stopped laughing, feeling the glare from halfway across the yard.

"What mess did you get us into Tsunade?" Orochimaru sighed.

"I didn't get us into any mess!"
"You recommended us for the mission."
O_O~ "I did not!"
-_-; "Cut it out you two. We can handle them. They're just a couple of kids," Jiraiya butted in. The twins looked at each other and laughed in their throats. Tsunade looked over at them and started over to them.

"What's so funny?" she asked, cocking her hip and folding her arms. Sei looked up at her to meet her gaze.

"We're not regular kids. We were supposed to be under only a private tutor, but we refused to do our work and listen," he answered, with a dignity he knew he would regret later. Lei was quiet, she pulled out a sketch book and started to draw. Tsunade paid no notice.

"You think we don't know that?" she snapped back. He cringed back a bit, jumping from the pan and into the fire. Lei scribbled away in her book, ignoring them.

"We want to be normal, but we'll never be normal," he looked down from her gaze and to the floor. "We do our best but it's hard to contain so much power when you're pissed off." Tsunade's glare could not stay in place. It faded away, with the tension of her anger. Her two team mates looked baffled. There was a long silence.

"Normal's definition is perspective of one's own life," a voice replied beyond the five. At the gates into the academy stood a figure that was familiar to everyone in the village, Minato Namikaze, Konoha's Yellow Flash. Even his voice could tear Lei from her sketch book. She looked up startled and quickly snapped her book shut; startling everyone but Minato. He cleared his throat and held out his hand. She got up, went over to him, and held out the book. He took it and flipped through it for a moment before finding the picture she had been doing a moment ago. He closed the book, his cheeks turning a pale but bright pink.

"You're blushing sensei." Lei said, reaching into her pack with a sideways glance. Jiraiya's head snapped in the direction Lei's eyes went. Nothing. He raised an eyebrow.

"What does she sense?" his eyes narrowed and he attempted to break into her mind. He only met a barrier of white feathers that would not let him through.

"Shouldn't do that Master Jiraiya. I can do that just as well as you can," she answered him through the same technique, which surprised him.

"What's going on?" he asked curiously, but with a seriousness that couldn't be ignored.

"Nothing to be worried about," she replied in a without-a-doubt tone. Jiraiya gave her a nod and broke the connection, he shook his head disapprovingly.

"Something wrong?" Orochimaru asked, turning to him. Jiraiya shook his head again.

"Not yet anyway," he replied, not believing her story. Minato looked over at him, his eyes narrowing, Jiraiya's widening. The silence was broken by the whoosh of a thrown kunai, and then it hitting a stone wall. They're heads snapped to the individual who was unfortunate enough to be pinned by the knife. They only knew one thing…He was defiantly of Hyuuga blood. The white eyes never lied…

She was poised, cool, unmoved from the throw. She could've killed him if she wanted to, pesky Hyuuga. Her emerald green eyes pierced the air toward him. He pulled the knife from his sleeve and the wall and looked at her.

"Nice shot Lei-chan," he replied. Hyuuga Nokki. Seven years old, previous year graduate. Has a crush on Lei and obsessive compulsive…

"Stuff it Nokki. I thought I told you to leave me alone," Lei replied coldly. He looked sourly at her. She turned back to Minato and asked for her sketch book, which he gave back to her without argument.

"I'm not on your back about anything," he retorted clumsily as the kunai clattered to the floor. Sei snorted a laugh.

"Please. Whenever you wind up around my sister it's for one reason…"

"It's official. My brother is an idiot," Lei thought to herself as Nokki turned to Sei.

"Does he want to die?" Tsunade wasn't amused by Sei's apparent lack of brain cells. Nokki glared at him.

"And what's that reason?" he asked, his face turning red in anger. Sei turned smugly to him. The grin across his face was almost sinister. Nokki's face turned redder, and it soon spread to his ears and the top of his neck. "Well?"

He snickered, coldly but amused. "The reason: To unsuccessfully woo my sister," his reply was low but heard. Nokki's face turned to crimson, then to purple-ish. He made a sign and activated his Byakugan, the Hyuuga's dreaded Kekkei Genkai. Sei dropped his gaze to Nokki's feet. He lunged at Sei, only for someone's palm to meet the back of his neck. He collapsed to the floor in a heap.

"Don't attack my brother like that." Lei's voice was icy and sharp. Nokki's Byakugan vanished from the punch; he turned back to her, his eyes widened in shock.

"B-but, I thought you-"
"Well you thought wrong!" the chill and sting in her voice made even Tsunade flinch. Jiraiya turned back to Minato, narrowing his eyes. Minato froze.

"I take it this happens often since you're not doing anything."

"Not as often as you might think. Usually he'll only attack Hatake Kakashi or Uchiha Obito." Minato was a little concerned. Jiraiya gave a look.

"Then you've babysat them before?"

"Yes. You just have to earn their respect. It's not hard. Just show them that you're not afraid of them and that the creatures sealed inside them doesn't make them any different from any other ninja."

"How do you know that – never mind."
-_-; "Ugh. Are you staring at her again?"

"I AM NOT!"

"You were."

"Hmph."

"Can we leave now?" Lei interrupted, turning from Nokki. Jiraiya broke the connection and turned to her, and then to his team mates.

"Well? How about it you two? You ready to leave?" Jiraiya asked, Tsunade turning to him.

"I suppose." She turned to Minato.

"Very well," Orochimaru replied.

"What are you doing here Minato?" Tsunade asked, seriously. He turned to face her.

"Lord Hokage wanted me to give something to Lera-san and to brief her on her next mission." He stepped through the gates.

"Behave you two," he said before heading inside. The twins frowned but didn't retort.