Let Me Introduce Myself...

Hi; I'm Miyo. I'm just a quiet twelve-year-old little kunoichi – female ninja, I think – in training.

Just as a brief idea on what stands out most about me, I'm always wearing pink boots and a way oversized yellow sweatshirt with wide sleeves that hide my hands. Oh yeah – I have dark violet hair, and my eyes are blue.

And I was often embarrassed by Naruto. See, even though we're not related, I was living in the same house as him – always have, ever since my big brother Koga was killed when I was five – and I see him as my new big brother. We're about the same age, but when we counted up the months, we found out that he'd turn six before I did, so I sometimes called him "Big Brother" and he, just as "sometimes," called me "Little Sis."

But…he always acts so reckless, and gets into all kinds of trouble.

Like today: he put graffiti all over our Hokage monument. Iruka-sensei finally dragged him in. I was covering my face with my sleeve in mortification.

I always sat next to Sasuke in class. It wasn't that I liked him or anything, in fact he intimidated me. It was just that…Sakura and Ino always argued over who would sit next to him, so I took the spot just to make them shut up.

I could feel them glaring at me from their places behind me. I pulled my hood up.

I don't see why Iruka-sensei has to scold Naruto about his failing the last couple graduation exams. I failed, too, each of those times.

Then he told us we had to review the transformation jutsu because of Naruto.

Sakura could do it easy as pie. And…she immediately asked Sasuke if he saw it. I covered my face with my sleeve again.

Sasuke also turned into Iruka-sensei. I already planned to turn into Naruto – why not?

As soon as Naruto stepped up, I covered my eyes with both sleeves. I couldn't watch.

Whatever he did, Iruka-sensei ended up yelling at Naruto.

When I was called up, I set my sleeves together, binding a couple of small straps to keep them together over my hands. I managed to turn into Naruto perfectly, since I knew him so well. He marked me down as good. At least, he said "Very good," and he wrote something. I could only hope it really was good.

The next day, we were going to try for the graduation exam. The testing would be on the clone jutsu.

Naruto, sitting next to me for once, cringed. I knew why. He'd practiced with me a million times, and the cloning jutsu was his worst.

Honestly, I wasn't that much better, and my ability went way down when I was being tested. It's why I was failing right alongside him: I just couldn't pass the graduation exam!

I got one half-perfect clone, but that was it. I found Naruto on the swing looking at the school. "How you doing, big brother?"

"Mmm…"

I sat down next to him, recognizing that he didn't really want to talk. Well, considering we two were the only ones who failed, who could blame him?

Then the other sensei from the testing room came over to us, more-or-less asking if he could talk with Naruto alone. When they left, I climbed onto the swing.

Naruto…I could survive not becoming a ninja; I've only been trying alongside you this whole time for moral support, along with wanting to become the best that I can be. I wear weighted stuff to try to get strong enough to keep up with you. But you – you try so hard, and everyone hates you. I think…I think I'm the only one who cared enough about finding out why to go find the records of our birth year. You have the fox inside you. Just that means you're capable of all the great things you want to accomplish, but it also means that everyone's going to stand in your way. I wish there was something I could do to help you.

That night, Naruto went out. I tried not to worry, but I stayed awake all night, trying to keep away from my nightmares. That was a losing battle, though. The nightmares practically only stayed away when Naruto was home with me.

Naruto didn't come back until morning. "Hey there, sis! Notice anything different?"

I rubbed my eyes blearily. "You're…entirely too cheerful for this early in the morning?"

"Nope!" He adjusted something on his head. "Got another guess?"

I blinked at him. Then I grabbed his shirt and pulled him over, squinting through the light at his head.

It was…a leaf headband!

That woke me up. "When did you graduate?"

"Last night! Iruka-sensei saw me do the Shadow-Clone Jutsu perfectly, and he gave me his headband! Believe it! Pretty cool, huh?"

Naruto…you're so full of yourself…

I hugged him anyway. "Congratulations. I'd muster more enthusiasm, but I didn't sleep well last night."

His smile vanished. "Nightmares again?"

"Yeah."

Then it was his turn to hug me. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. But I had to become a ninja this time, or I wouldn't have been able to protect you."

We sat down over breakfast. "By the way," he suddenly said, "there's something you need to know about me if you're going to stay in the same house as me."

I looked at him over my cup of tea. (Actually, I don't normally drink tea; it's something I only have, loaded with sugar, when I didn't sleep well.) "Let me guess: it's got something to do with twelve years ago?"

"How'd you know?"

"I had to know why everyone hated you."

"Then…you know about the nine-tailed fox being inside me?"

I nodded. "And you know what? I don't care. You're still my big brother."

He looked like he was going to burst into tears. Instead, he leaped out of his chair and hugged me again. "Thank you, Miyo! You're the only other person in the whole village who believes in me, and I don't even do enough for you!"

My chair fell over, dumping us both on the floor. I hugged him back, laughing through the flying stars.