Chapter 1: Sister Act

Summary: A story of love, friendship, betrayal and baby daddy drama!

Anime: Naruto

Disclaimer: I don't own it. Whatever.

Ah, the morning was never Yuina's favorite time of day. Five thirty, on the dot, every morning, the light brown haired, brown eyed teenager smacked her alarm clock's snooze button. And five thirty, on the dot, every morning, Kotone was startled wake by that smack, rolling out of her twin sized bed onto the carpeted floor with a thump.

She groaned, sitting up, running her fingers through her long, auburn hair. Kotone, unlike the girl she shared a room with, could stand mornings. Plus, if she didn't start getting ready now, she wouldn't have her thirty minutes allotted time in the bathroom. She had getting herself prepared in that short time down to an art. Five to ten minutes in the shower. Five to ten minutes blow drying her hair. Five to ten minutes doing her makeup.

If she spent five minutes in the shower, she had a solid ten minutes to spend on her hair, and fifteen minutes to spend on her face. Days like this she wore foundation, eye shadow, contacts, the whole nine yards. On the other hand, if she spent ten minutes in the shower, she'd probably only roughly blow dry her hair, massage in some mousse and comb her bangs out of a messy bun. That would probably take another ten minutes…and with only ten minutes left to do makeup, she'd probably only apply some BB cream, eyeliner and lip gloss. Not to mention she'd have to put on her hipster glasses.

Today was one of the ten minute days. And about the time she started on her makeup, Yuina would pound her fist on the door. "Kotone, I need the bathroom!" The routine was so down pact, Kotone was mocking Yuina in the mirror as she spoke, mouthing the words Yuina said.

Kotone's makeup was pretty much the same on days like this. She did have big, wide eyes, and was lucky for that. She had expensive liquid liner that she used to create winged eyeliner after putting on grey eye shadow. After lining her upper and lower water lines with a pencil liner, she applied mascara…two, three coats. She'd do anything to make it look like she had long, thick eyelashes. She was lucky that her mom invested in these expensive products. Then again, Kotone wouldn't stop bothering her until she did.

A few minutes later, Kotone was pulling the hair tie out of her hair, now wavy tresses cascading half way down her back, bangs tied into a cute little bump at the front of her head. Her eyes were brown today. On any given day the natural brunette turned redhead's eyes could have been blue, green, hazel or brown, brown being her natural color. But she believed that lighter eyes brightened a person's face. Well, most importantly, lighter eyes brightened her face. She gave herself one last look over, and with her towel tied around her body, she walked out of the bathroom. "All yours, Yuina," Kotone said, with a hair flip.

Yuina, however…never made blunders like spending too much time in the shower. It wasn't on purpose, but her routine was so on point, she always had the time for everything. 6:00, she got in the shower. 6:03, she was done washing her hair. 6:07, she was rinsing her body off and turning off the shower head. 6:08, she had a towel tied around her head, another around her body as she put her contacts in. Unlike Kotone, she didn't bother with much makeup. She didn't mind some foundation or lip gloss, but other than that, she didn't see the point. Many a time Kotone had tried to get her in some eyeliner…but her father just never seemed comfortable with it.

While Yuina was showering, Kotone slathered on her pretty smelling lotion, put on her underwear, and was now standing in their room, in front of a wide open closet, wearing nothing but a bra and panties. This part of Kotone's morning routine took about fifteen minutes. She stood there for five minutes, just scanning the closet. Five minutes getting dressed in one outfit, two minutes examining herself in it before she decided to change. It was rare that Kotone didn't change at least once before going out to the dining room to meet her mother.

Today, Kotone was wearing one of many of her colored skinny jeans. Today, the color was burgundy. She pulled on Yuina's black UGG boots –thank God they were the same shoe size. Her step sister never wore half the cute shoes she had anyway. She pulled on a fitted, white, lace camisole, and over that was a black off the shoulder crop top, a distressed ACDC logo across her breasts –which were pretty ample by the way. But she had nothing compared to Yuina -32D? Yeah.

She sprayed on some perfume on her pulse points, neck, wrist, between her boobies. As she was leaving her and her step sister's shared room, Yuina entered. Kotone stepped to the side to let her pass, normally, she'd probably mess with her a bit, but morning was not the time to mess with Yuina. She walked out of her bed room into a hallway that opened up into the Yatsuba family's living and dining room with connected kitchen and laundry rooms. Downstairs was the small boutique that Yatsuba Asuka, Kotone's mother, ran.

That was why the girls had to be up so early. They both worked at Asuka's store in their free time, which opened at the ungodly hour of 7:00 in the morning. It sure beat hiring some other girls and having to pay them. Luckily for Kotone and Yuina, however, the commute was only a flight of stairs away.

Then again, neither girl had that much free time. Kotone had dance a lot of the time, while Yuina had choir. She didn't seem like it, but Yuina was quite the singer…if someone could get her to sing. She was terribly shy when it came to people she didn't know…and didn't particularly take compliments well.

Despite their seemingly cramped living conditions, the Yatsuba family was fairly well off. Both Asuka and her husband, Daichi came from money. Neither of their trust funds had been used up, and they still had inheritances coming –but not for a while. Their parents were still alive and kicking.

…

"Mommy…I don't think I can-" Kotone hadn't been in the dining two seconds that next day before she'd start spouting off some nonsense about feeling ill and not being able to go to school. She'd been dumb enough to get dressed before she tried that. She was like the girl who cried wolf. The one day that she would actually fall ill…her mother wouldn't believe her.

"Save it, Kotone. You're going to school." Asuka, Kotone's mother was sitting at the dining room table, reading the morning newspaper and sipping some tea. She patted the chair next to her, which Kotone would grudgingly plop herself down on, taking the spoon next to the bowl of rice porridge her mother had put out for her in one hand, popping the pickled plum in her mouth with the other.

Asuka had fallen for that act once, and once was all she needed. It was her first year of high school and Kotone had just started dating a boy…Kiba was his name. Then, Kotone's hair was still dark and she still looked like a younger, more respectable girl, with her huge glasses. That didn't mean she wasn't still vain…Asuka just hadn't allowed her to dye her hair yet.

She'd wanted so bad to dye her hair. Asuka was a little flattered, that her daughter wanted her same hair color, a reddish, brownish color…auburn. But she'd told Kotone that she was just too young, and Daichi had agreed with her.

Kotone came down stairs, with that same, 'Mommy, I don't think I can go to school today' whine. Asuka made sure that Yuina brought Kotone's homework to school that day to turn it in. She hadn't forgotten to do anything…so Asuka believed that Kotone was genuinely ill.

That boy had found his way up to the Yatsuba family apartment. He'd brought Kotone red hair dye because she'd asked him to. When Asuka went upstairs to go check on her poor, ill-stricken daughter, she found the girl sticking her head in the kitchen sink, red hair dye all over the place. Even so, the color didn't even take to her hair. She'd gone through that for absolutely nothing…and had ruined her kitchen in the process of doing so.

"I don't like school, Mother." She said after swallowing a mouthful of the substance, and putting her spoon down.

"Oh, but you're so good at it." The woman patted her daughter's head. "Unlike me, I had to go into fashion."

"Oh, but you're so good at it." Kotone mimicked her mother, a little smirk on rosy, glossed lips.

"Just eat your food. I have to make Yuina's breakfast." Asuka stood, folding the paper and placing it at her usual spot at the table. She walked over to a cabinet, grabbing a bowl and cracking a few eggs in a bowl. While she and Kotone enjoyed rice, and sometimes fish at breakfast, her husband and stepdaughter preferred dairy in the morning.

Kotone was still working on her breakfast when Yuina walked in the dining room, muttering, "Good morning," to Asuka and Kotone. She was wearing her school uniform and unlike Kotone's, hers was at the legal length. She also had her navy sweater with the Konoha High emblem on it.

"Yo," Kotone replied, mouth full of food. Her skirt however… was a good three inches shorter than it was supposed to be. Then again, Yuina was one of the few nice looking girls that actually wore their skirts at the length they were supposed to be at.

Kotone also happened to budget her time right this specific morning…she was wearing her green circle contacts and some grey eye shadow with her eyeliner and false lashes. She was lucky that Konoha was one of the few schools in their region that allowed its students freedom with their style. Not that it would have mattered to Kotone anyway, she would have worked her way around the rules. Because that was the kind of person she was. It wasn't that she didn't care for all rules; it was the ones that tried to control her person she wasn't partial to.

Compared to Kotone, Yuina was an absolute saint. Animal loving, straight A-student Yuina's hair was down, naturally a little wavy. A few strands of her hair were clipped in the back with a pretty embellished barrette, bangs hanging forward as she swept them out of her face, sitting down. Her own makeup was pretty much nonexistent, just some clear lip gloss and the tiniest bit of cover up on whatever blemishes she might have had. Yuina would rather follow the rules than get in trouble.

Sometimes the family joked that Kotone was Yuina's fiery headed evil twin. Though technically they were only related by marriage.

Asuka had prepared a rolled omelet, giving Yuina two slices of it, sprinkling some cracked pepper over the top. She placed it in front of Yuina who still looked dead tired. She picked up her chopsticks to pick up a piece of the omelet, taking a bite out of it. "Is Dad still asleep?"

Asuka nodded, sitting back at the table with Yuina and Kotone. Now was usually about the time that Yuina would perk up a little, despite being tired. It took a little while for her to wake up. "Yes, he is. He does have a job interview today, so it would be nice if you two wrote him a little note or something."

"Err, yeah, give me more work, why don't you?" Kotone stood, placing her bowl and spoon in the sink, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she looked in their drawers for a piece of paper.

Asuka shook her head, "Why are you so lazy?" But…Asuka did know why, but she'd never tell her daughter.

Yuina picked up the remote from the middle of the table, turning around as she crossed her legs on the chair, holding her plate in one hand as she turned on the television to finish her breakfast with. "This is pretty good, Mama."

"Well, thank you, honey. At least someone appreciates my cooking." Asuka was looking at Kotone, who was busy scrawling a note for Daichi, like she'd been told.

"There." Kotone said, standing up from the table. "Now if you would excuse me, I have some homework to finish."

Asuka made a face, looking up from the television. "You told me you finished your homework."

"Oh, right. I lied."

…

Asuka walked into she and her husband's bedroom, sighing as she plopped down on the bed next to Daichi who was lying there, shirtless. Daichi was a very fit man, when he had time to exercise. The couple was young, in their prime. Daichi was just pushing 34 while Asuka had just turned 31.

She laid her head on her husband's chest. "I don't know what to do, Daichi…"

The man stroked his wife's hair. "What are you talking about? Asuka…you're not…pregnant, are you?"

"Every time I have a problem does not mean I'm pregnant." Asuka's voice went monotone. "No, it's not like that…it's just…I keep seeing him in her. It upsets me." Asuka had gotten pregnant at 14 on a family vacation fling. In fact, that vacation hadn't been taken too far away from Konoha. It wasn't that she knew him that well or anything, it was just she knew her daughter. She also knew what was coming from him and what came from her, personality wise.

"You mean Kotone's father?" Daichi asked, dumbly.

"Who else would I be talking about?"Asuka looked up at him, an eyebrow raised.

Daichi rolled his eyes. "I'm just trying to keep up here. Maybe you should tell her."

"I'm pretty sure Kotone and I have an unspoken agreement that we never speak of her father. Ever." Asuka sighed again. She knew the few times Kotone had asked, namely when she was younger, Mommy had gotten very angry. So by now, Kotone surely should have figured it out.

"She might want to know…who he is." Daichi knew he shouldn't be suggesting it, but maybe it was time. They'd talked about this before.

"I don't see you running out to introduce Yuina to her mother." While Daichi's story was a little different, he was about Kotone's and Yuina's current age when he'd gotten his girlfriend pregnant. His family, however, had fought for custody of Yuina when her mother had been deemed unfit.

"Her mother…is hardly a person I want in Yuina's life."

"She might want to know who she is. What are we going to do about this, Daichi? I know we thought it would have happened by now…but what happens when we stop keeping them so busy? What happens when Kotone wants to know who her biological father is? When Yuina wants to know who her mother is? Are we going to go looking for them?"

"Maybe we…should." He said, despite how badly Daichi did not want that to happen.

…

"Oh, did you hear about the new Japanese teacher?" Kotone was flipping through a magazine when she heard some girls gossiping next to her. She kept up on the latest who's dating who and who likes who from them. They were so loud, she couldn't help but listen.

"Eh?" Another one of the girl's said, sitting on the desk with a bento box in her lap. "What happened to our old one?"

Yuina came over to sit with Kotone, as usual, and was just about to say something when Kotone held her finger up to her lips. She rolled her eyes. Shameless eavesdropper, Yuina thought.

It was funny though, the girls that were talking…they didn't seem to notice! "Well, I heard someone say he got into a car accident." The first said. "But someone else said he was involved with the yakuza and the principal found out and fired him."

"No way, that's crazy!" Obviously…the girls believed the second, less possible occurrence.

Kotone shook her head, and then smiled at Yuina. "See what I have to deal with in here?" The two girls were in different classrooms for their school day. But they were tied for second in their school's ranking system, fighting for the salutatorian spot. But it was likely that Kotone would concede to Yuina –she didn't care as much as her step sister did.

There was one guy who was better than the both of them, and he went by the name of Uchiha Sasuke. He was from a long line of academic prodigies, including his older brother, Itachi who had also graduated at the top of his class. It was sad, though, his parents had died when he was young, they say, in a freak apartment fire. He lived alone, and still stayed the best student in their school.

The smartest, however, that was probably a guy named Nara Shikamaru, he always got the top scores on the regional tests…but he never did his projects or homework or anything like that. Tests were optional to him too, most of the time. But if he didn't do any work at all, his dad would be on his butt. So he did some things…sometimes. To him, work was "troublesome."

"What'd mom give you for lunch?" Yuina asked, before Kotone pulled out her own bento, untying the cloth wrapped around it.

"Hmm, let's see. Oh…nothing special really. She did put some fried dumplings in there though. And octopus wieners…I told her I was too old for those. But damn, do they taste good." She took the wooden chopsticks that her mom had given her, taking a little bit of her rice.

"I got salmon rice balls…trade you one for two fried dumplings." Yuina said, holding the rice ball by the seaweed.

"But…then I only get one…fine. I'll just ask mom to make some when we get home. Take them." Kotone took the rice ball and placed it on the top to her lunch box, continuing to eat her rice.

"You really should stop…eating, Kotone. You're gonna get fat. Well, more than you already are." Bleached blonde, flawless white skin, Ino walked into the class room, taking her seat next to the auburn haired girl, who gave her a smug grin in return. Yuina sighed. Kotone and Ino were always doing this, insulting each other. Ino was very good at insulting people…and most took it from her. But not Kotone, no, she always had to find something to say back to her. And it never took her very long.

Ino's hair was, while thin, very pretty and long. Today, she had her hair in two low pony tails, both in spiral curls.

"You really should…stop bleaching your hair, Ino. You're gonna go bald. Well, more than you already are." That was Kotone, the master of taking people's words and twisting them to work for her.

"Hi, Yuina, you look pretty today." Ino said to Yuina who blushed in return. She always became extremely nervous when someone complimented her.

"T-Thanks, Ino."

"Ino, you can have my octopus wieners…oh wait…you get enough wieners already." Kotone's voice fizzled out in the end. That insult was hardly as good as her others…

"Okay, Kotone, you win. Do you have the homework from yesterday?" Ino asked, reaching over to grab one, eating the legs off first. Kotone was almost surprised, Ino plus protein? No…

Despite how it might have seemed, Kotone and Ino could easily be considered best friends. They'd been taking dance classes together now for a few years, and knew each other like…well, best friends would. But their relationship was a little odd…considering:

"Sure do." Kotone nodded, taking a bite of her rice ball, but that was it. She didn't reach for her backpack or anything.

"Well, are you going to give it to me?"Ino asked, raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

"Hell no," Kotone smiled at Ino. The blonde stood quickly, stomping out of the room.

"You suck, Kotone!"

"Why don't you go ask Sasuke?" Kotone called after her, grinning. Sasuke was known for never, ever, giving his homework to anyone. He didn't help anyone –he'd gladly let someone else fall for his own success.

Yuina watched the whole scene unfold with a condescending eye. They were so…annoying, for lack of a better, more pungent word. And to think, she'd probably have to deal with this whenever the blonde came to their house for a sleepover. She'd invite Sakura, but Sakura and Ino fought more than Kotone and Ino. She guessed that she'd be inviting Hinata, then!