1- Mistaken

So I'm not totally rewriting this series, I'm just doing some much needed editing. And I'll be making the chapters a bit longer…so yea, and it's also just easier to make a 'new story' than have everyone that's read this story already miss out on the new stuff. Again, I'm not changing much, just adding details to make it better and easier to read—I was rereading through it and couldn't make sense of some parts, and I'm the one that wrote the stupid story…that's really sad.

. . .

"You're not getting away!" I glance over my shoulder and see that they're closing the distance. Why are they even chasing me? Besides the fact that I'm probably the one that…I shake my head and keep running.

"Stupid idiot! Get back here!" I look back again and start running backwards, running through a few hand signs. At this rate, I'll get caught!

"Get away!" I shriek, using an earth technique to pull a wall of rock up to slow them down. I turn around and spot the river and the line of trees on the other side. That's the Land of Fire border! Once I get over there, those guys can't do anything. When I get to the river, I swim across and hide behind a tree to catch my breath. I glance around the tree to see that the two ninja have stopped chasing me—the probably figure I'm either drowning in the river or already over here. I sigh in relief, but try not to relax.

"I wonder why those guys were chasing that kid." I stiffen and try to figure out where the speaker is. "He looked about six. Isn't your little brother about that age now?" I look around the tree and spot two guys wearing Hitai-ate. That's not good.

"How cruel. They were Amegakure, so I understand though. I wonder where the kid disappeared to." Who are they? Their outfits look almost like Black Ops. And I'm stuck. If I move to run, they'll find me. What am I going to do? I look down at myself, thinking of something. The one guy either thought I'm a boy or he was using 'he' as a general term. I know I'm kind of a tomboy, but I kind of thought it was always kind of obvious that I'm a girl.

"Hey, I think I see someone." The first guy says, looking straight ahead—away from me. I can also see a sort of crest on his shoulder, a red flame inside a yellow circle…?

"In your blind spot, Hyuuga?" The other asks and I blink. Hyuuga…? The Byakugan, that's how he can see me even though he's looking the other way—if it's me he can see at least.

"I can see a shoulder. The rest of the person is in my blind spot, yes." I am so dead if they find out why I was running from those guys. I look at my hand and trace the scab forming from that cut. What happened back there…? Did I really—I shake my head and try to get an idea about the other guy. There's a weird circle—kind of looks like a festival balloon actually—blue on top and the line and lower part of the circle is white. Mom never got the chance to teach me the family crests from the Land of Fire.

"Come on out, we've spotted you." The second guy turns and I see that his eyes are red. Is that…the famous Sharingan? Oh, I'm really dead if this turns into a fight. I may not know the crests that mark the clans, but I know the names.

Hyuuga and Uchiha—the only known family with the feared Sharingan—up against members of those two clans I'd be dead in two seconds flat. Though if my gut feeling is right and I'm really the one that just slaughtered my whole family…I'd deserve it. I take a deep breath and step out from behind the tree. "What's wrong, kid? Why were those guys chasing you?" Just like when the other guys started asking me questions, I can't find my voice. I'm petrified, unable to move or speak…heck, I'm barely managing to breathe.

"Hey, Uchiha, you're scaring him." So he thinks I'm a boy. I try to argue that I'm a girl, not a boy, but my mouth won't cooperate with me and open.

"Sorry. Hey kid, what's wrong?" I swallow a little and again try to answer saying that they just started chasing me after I got away from a slaughter…but I'm sure he'd be able to see through the partial lie. Thankfully, Uchiha gives me a bit of space and Hyuuga crouches about an arm's length away from me.

"Hey, you must be tired from running from those guys. Uchiha, you finish the patrol, I'll take this guy to the village to rest." He looks at Uchiha, who nods once and walks off. Hyuuga then helps me climb onto his back and starts walking through the trees. "That was a pretty strong jutsu you used back there. You okay?" I nod a little and he smiled at me over his shoulder. "Can you talk?"

I nod again. I kind of like him. He's really nice. Maybe he has a sibling or a cousin he's close to that's my age. "You must be really scared then, if you can't say anything." I nod yet again. I see a wall come into view after a while and he stops walking.

He goes through a door in the wall and takes me into the village. So this is Konoha…? "Hey, I'll take you to my place so you can rest. Later, you can tell us what happened back there. Okay?" I smile a little and internally thank my parents for teaching me sign language. I give the sign for 'thank you' and he laughs a little. "I'm Hyuuga Hiro, by the way." I nod and he stops in front of a gate.

"Hiro-kun! You're home early." A girl greets us brightly.

"Ririn-san, please get Hiyashi-sama. I need to speak with him." She frowns a little and examines me for a moment.

"About that kid on your back?" Hiro nods and Ririn runs off. I frown a little.

"Who's Hiyashi-sama?" He laughs a little.

"I see you found your voice. He's the head of my clan. Uchiha will talk to the head of his family and then we'll speak with the Hokage about your living arrangements here." Living arrangements? Does that mean I might be able to stay here, without anyone knowing about what happened…? I nod and we go inside a small house off the main building. Hiro puts me down and I stare at the boy sitting on the bed across the room. He stares back at me.

"Who are you?" Well that was rude. His tone and expression are kind of scary, like he hates me even though he doesn't know my name.

"I-I-Izuri Ki-Kiro…" I stammer, suddenly wishing that my parents had given me a more feminine name. Well, with two older brothers I guess they couldn't think of anything for a girl. Hiro laughs a little in an obvious attempt to clear the tension a little.

"Neji-kun, you're only scaring Kiro-kun even more. He's had a rough day." Well, eventually I'm going to have to tell them I'm a girl…but I guess it can wait. At least until I'm comfortable enough with them to have that courage—I mean seriously, I'm six years old, the last of my family, and I was just chased halfway across a country by two black ops ninja who had no other real reason to do that than because I wouldn't answer a question or two and they had nothing else to do.

. . .

"Hey! Kiro-kun, you'll be late for class." I groan a little and roll over in the bed.

"Go away, Neji-kun…let me sleep." I really could care less about classes. My eyes snap open when the warmth of my blanket disappears from my feet. I gasp and pull my feet back under the covers before Neji can start tickling. I get up and glare at him. "Asshole." He shrugs and leaves.

I frown and get dressed, pausing when I notice a kind of obvious bump on my chest. Ugh I wish I'd managed to get up the courage to tell everyone that I'm not a guy. I swear I have to tighten the wrapping around my chest that conceals my oversized breasts everyday almost. It's a shock that no one—especially Neji—has noticed it.

Well, I've always been a tomboy and my figure is more masculine than feminine—minus the oversized breasts, I swear if I let those things out and got in any position other than upright I'd probably suffocate. Well, since I'm a chicken shit and haven't told anyone I'm a girl and not a boy, I just started wrapping my chest when I started growing last year—the monthly issue's a whole other story and it's a pain in the ass.

It sucks, looking in the mirror with my clothes on and my chest wrapped securely, that I actually really look like a guy with long hair. Not like the guys in my class who could pass for girls if they put on a wig and dress, but like the Chunin and Jounin who are all muscular and brawny. Maybe there's a chemical imbalance in my body or something. Hell, I don't even look like I'm only twelve. I sigh a little to myself. Well, maybe as I get older my figure will get less rough and masculine.

I spot the Hitai-ate on my bedside table and remember what today is. Not an actual class, but my Genin orientation. Once I put that on, I'll be a real ninja and not just a student. The only problem is…the bleeding. It's been a while since I've bled, but I still need to be careful. I don't know if it will happen again. I trace the little scar on my hand from six years ago.

To believe it's already been six years since I ran into Hiro and Itachi and came to Konoha. Also six years since Itachi slaughtered his own clan and disappeared…I still can't understand why he would do something like that. It's not like he has my problem…I can't treat my own wounds if someone's around. I don't even know if what causes it is someone else touching me after I see the blood or if it's just seeing the blood.

I shake my head and tie my long black hair back in a low ponytail. Today's too important to be brooding on the past. I force myself to smile and put my Hitai-ate on my forehead. Then I hurry out of the little house and then out of the compound. I wonder if Hinata's already at the school, I usually see her when I leave—heck, sometimes we walk to school together. Considering I'm a bit late, it wouldn't surprise me if she's already there.

. . .

When I get to the classroom, I sit in my usual seat beside Uchiha. He's the same as me, in the fact that he's the last surviving member of his clan—Itachi doesn't count. But he's lucky. He doesn't have to live every day knowing that he was responsible for the death of his family members. Knowing that if he gets hurt even slightly he could do the same thing again. I resist shaking my head. I decided not to brood today and by the gods I'm not going to brood.

"Excuse me." I look up and sigh when I see Haruno standing there. Can't she see the row's already full? I mean seriously, I'm sitting between Uchiha and Uzumaki.

"You want here?" She nods and smiles a little. I roll my eyes and stay seated. "Sorry, but I got here first." She glares at me. Does she really think that's going to scare me? "Got something you wanna say? Big-forehead-chan?" Her glare intensifies and she tries to punch me.

I block her fist about an inch away from my face. "That would be a bad idea, unless you have a death wish." She swallows a little and squeezes in between me and Uzumaki. I face forward and lean on my hands.

I glance sideways at Uzumaki when I sense him glaring. Well, he's glaring at both me and Uchiha. He has a good reason to though, he failed the exam—the only reason he managed to graduate was because something happened over the weekend involving kage-bunshin. Honestly, Uchiha and I have both had top grades since I started in academy and all of the girls our age want to date one of us.

Ah, if only they knew I was a girl, they'd all feel really horrible for trying to flirt with me for the past six years. It's really sad that no one's had even the slightest inclination that I'm a girl despite some of my 'girly habits'. Tapping on the desk in front of me startles me out of my thoughts and I look up to see Naruto crouched in front of me and glaring. Why me? "Buzz off."

"Naruto, you jerk! Leave Kiro-kun alone!" Okay…so either Haruno likes me as well as Uchiha—and has a thing for hitting someone she likes?—or she's just upset because Naruto's blocking her view of Uchiha. Freaking idiots, all of them.

"What do you want, Dobe?" He narrows his eyes and I glare right back at him. "Shoo." I hear someone apologize as Uzumaki pitches forward, landing on top of me in a heap on the floor, our lips locked. What is that strange sensation…? After a moment, he jumps up and gags. I sit up and hit him square in the face. "Bakayaro! What were you trying to do, freaking homo!" I get back in my seat as Uzumaki goes to his own.

"Naruto…you make me sick." I look over to see the girls that like me pounding Uzumaki to a pulp. Brutal. I look ahead as Iruka comes in and starts into a long-winded spill about being ninja now and all that good junk. I've heard it all before.

"We will begin by dividing you into three and four man cells. Each of which will be mentored by a Jounin who will guide and coach you as you become familiar with various assignments." Lovely. Teams like that will be over-tasked—especially teams with four members besides the instructor. "I made the cells so that each cell's abilities would be approximately equal." That sends the entire room into an uproar.

"WHAT?" He goes through the list and I listen for my name. Up to cell six, my name is not mentioned.

"Next, cell number seven. Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura…" Beside me, Haruno starts sulking and Uzumaki ecstatic.

"Yes!"

"Damn…" I almost laugh at them. What a way to react to becoming teammates.

"Izuri Kiro…" Damn. I glance over to see Haruno getting excited—though clearly afraid—and Uzumaki sulking. What a switch. But I seriously just got stuck with two of the most annoying people in the room. "And…Uchiha Sasuke."

"Chanaro!" Haruno squeals, actually jumping out of her seat this time.

"Double damn." Uzumaki stands up and slams his hands on the desk. "Iruka-sensei! What were you thinking of, saddling a most excellent Shinobi like myself with those two losers?" I roll my eyes. Such conceit. And all because he managed to learn kage-bunshin. I'd like to see those apparitions go up against my moku-bunshin, which are solid wood and don't disappear until I release the technique. Iruka sighs.

"Of the twenty eight of you, Sasuke and Kiro have the best grades, Naruto. You would be at the bottom of the class. The idea is to balance your strengths. That's why you ended up together!" Uchiha scoffs.

"Hn. Just don't drag me down, Dobe." Uzumaki whirls on him.

"What did you call me?" I sigh and put my head down as Haruno jumps into the fray.

"Knock it off, Naruto!" This is going to be such a nuisance. I just want to get this over with. Sure, I'll deal with it since that's how it has to be, but it's still gonna be a pain in the rear.

"Okay everyone. I'll be introducing your senior instructors this afternoon. Until then, you're dismissed." And with that, the room clears out. I head up to a room on the top floor and sit on the window sill to look out over the village. I think I've finally truly gotten used to how Konoha sprawls out with low buildings and all the trees over the close-together tall buildings and rain cover in Amegakure.