This fiction will not contain much, if any, Japanese. This is an English story, set in Britain for one thing, and I don't want to confuse anyone by including any Japanese.
Noughts and Crosses PrologueTsunade Uzumaki stood outside the Uchiha mansion, looking at the two children playing rather roughly with each other. Naruto, her son, was play-fighting with her employer's little boy, Sasuke. She liked watching them, they were so innocent, not yet old enough to know the truth about the world they lived in.
"And then, he hisses to Aburame, 'That's not the prostitute, that's my wife!'" Mikoto Uchiha collapsed into helpless giggles, recounting the antics of the people at the social parties she frequented. Tsunade couldn't help but laugh along. Despite being as rich and posh as they came, Mikoto was a one and no mistake.
"You crack me up sometimes, Mrs Uchiha. What would your husband say?" At the mention of Fugaku Uchiha, the atmoshphere went somewhat frosty, but Tsunade knew it wasn't directed at her.
"He wouldn't approve, of course… But I don't mind, seeing as we're so close, Tsunade." Mikoto looked wistful for a second before smiling brightly. Fake brightly. Tsunade hated seeing the expression twist her pretty face into something plastic and unreal, so she let her gaze fall onto the children again.
A faint strain of, "Uchiha's don't hug…" met her ears, but Naruto proceeded to jump tackle Sasuke anyway. A more natural smile lit up Mikoto's eyes.
"Mrs Uchiha! Mrs Uchiha!" Temari Sabaku came tearing out of the house, her blonde hair streaming behind her.
"What is it, Temari? Tsunade and myself were in the middle of a conversation." Mikoto sounded slightly annoyed at the intrusion.
"Your husband has arrived, Mrs Uchiha. He is waiting in the lounge." It was as if talking of Fugaku had dragged him forcefully towards them. He returned home only once a month, and nearly every time a fight ensued. Tsunade learnt to dread the days he actually made an appearance. Nothing good ever happened.
"I will go and see him now Tema- Oh, Fugaku, darling," Temari and Tsunade had never heard an endearment sounding so forced.
Fugaku Uchiha completely ignored his wife, and instead focused on a wary Tsunade. "So… did you have a good time last night?" He too was faking a smile. It seemed Uchihas did that a lot.
Tsunade was nonplussed, but not about to show it. "Oh yes, it was nice. Quite calm you know." Fugaku seemed furious under his obviously false smile, it reminded Tsunade of her husband, Jiraiya whenever he went into one of his 'Crosses deserve to die,' tirades. They happened a lot in the Uzumaki household. Sometimes Jiraiya went as far as to make inaccurate judges of the future.
'What if Akatsuki made a poison gas that only affected Crosses, not noughts?' 'What if all noughts united, and overthrew the Crosses?'
What if, what if, what if. Tsunade didn't have time for what ifs. They were unattainable, unreachable and depressing, because you knew that it would never happen.
"Yeah," said Fugaku, snapping Tsunde out of her daydreams, "I always like a nice night in with the family." There was definitely something weird going on here. There was a strange intensity in the Uchiha's eyes, and Mikoto was looking at her like she was supposed to be doing something. She just didn't know what.
"Yes, of course. Nothing better than having some time alone with your family…" Fugaku seemed to have all the information he needed. He turned around and faced his wife, an expression of ice cold anger on his handsome face, before slapping Mikoto, making her head knock back onto the wall of her house.
Tsunade's mouth opened in a nearly inaudible gasp, and she started forward, as if to stop what had already happened. Fugaku turned on his heel and marched back into the house, muttering about 'cheating bitches' and 'ungratefulness'.
The truth hit Tsunade like a ton of bricks. Mikoto had been unfaithful. Mikoto had been unfaithful. She had obviously used her best friend as some sort of alibi, only she had been too blind, too stupid to see it, until it was too late.
Tsunade raised her hand to touch her friend's cheek, but it was slapped away. She tried again, but the same thing happened. She was confused. She was a fully-qualified nurse, what was Mikoto playing at?
"I'm trying to help you," Tsunade tried, kneeling down next to her employer.
"When I needed your help, you didn't give it," hissed Mikoto, edging away from Tsunade. Temari stood frozen in the background, as if she didn't believe any of this had happened. "Go back into the house, Temari. And you, go back to work." And then she got up and stalked into the house.
Tsunade looked at Naruto and Sasuke once more. They seemed to be tired out, leaning against a tree, their arms wrapped tightly around each other. They looked so innocent and happy, they were truly the best of friends.
"What if they could be friends forever?" whispered Tsunade, before she herself returned to the mansion.
Jiraiya walked into his bedroom, only to see his depressed wife sewing patches into their eldest son Deidara's school trousers. There were more patches than original material now, they'd had to be repaired so often.
"You're making a big deal out of nothing, Tsunie," he sighed.
"You weren't there, you don't know how angry they both were… And don't call me Tsunie!" Jiraiya playfully pushed his wife, who swatted him over the head with her inhuman strength.
"Ouch," Jiraiya sniffed. "I think you got me with the needle." Tsunade just shook her head.
"Awww, do you want me to kiss it better?" she mocked, returning to her son's uniform. "Now leave, and let me worry in peace."
Jiraiya sighed once more. "Listen, nothing's going to happen. You need to stop being so pessimistic." Only after the words left his mouth did he realise how stupid he sounded. They were noughts, the glass was always half empty in their lives.
"The glass is always half empty," Tsunade smiled, reading her husband's mind. "It's not our fault we have pale skin and hair. It's just one of those things we have to get used to."
"I know that," growled Jiraiya. "I have to resort to writing my Icha Icha novels about Crosses at times. It makes me sick. They don't buy them when they include noughts. I have to sell those on the Black Market."
"I know, I know. It's unfair. But please… There is nothing we can do." And I'll be damned if I let you join Akatsuki, thought Tsunade vehemently.
The phone rang, interrupting her train of thought, and she answered it with trepidation. No one rang this late at night.
"Hello? Who's speaking, please?"
"Hello Tsuande… This is Temari. I'm afraid I have some bad news…" Her voice trailed off. Tsunade felt her stomach drop. Catching the anxious look in Jiraiya's eyes certainly didn't help either.
"Please tell me, Temari," she replied fiercely. Whatever the news was, she wanted it out in the open as soon as possible. None of that procrastinating that Temari seemed so fond of.
"I'm so sorry, but Mrs Uchiha has decided that she is no longer in need of you services… She will send you your latest cheque and give you excellent references."
Tsunade swallowed deeply in her throat. She had been expecting this, but it was still a shock. She should have known something awful would happen, she had had a small win on a scratch card yesterday. "So… I have the sack?"
"I'm so sorry Tsunie." Her tone dropped. "Between you and me, I think it's awfully unfair. Mrs Uchiha is being very immature about this." And in Temari's books, it was okay to tell her sometimes friend this. Because they were 'the same'. Both inferior, both less than the Crosses with their rich dark hair and eyes. Both the outsiders. Tsunade often wanted to laugh, and almost did. Almost. Because she always reminded herself of her situation, and she knew there was nothing to laugh about.
"It's okay, Temari. Thanks for telling me." Her voice was soft and wavering slightly. "Go home to Gaara and Kankurou, Temari." And she put the phone down.
Jiraiya was fuming once more, his eyes hard and unforgiving. But that was okay. He could be angry enough for the both of them. She had to consider the future now.
"Deidara won't be able to go to school anymore," she noted sadly. Her eldest son was going to go mad when he found out… He was already had a screw loose, this was going to throw him off kilter even more. As much as it pained her to admit it, Deidara was a psychopath, but he hid it well under his beautiful blonder hair, angelic attitude and sparkling blue eyes.
"Oh God DAMNIT!" shouted Jiraiya, slamming his fist down on their bedside table. It seemed he too knew the consequences of this little redundancy. "We'll have to find a way to pay for his schooling, Tsunie," he said determinedly.
"Don't call me Tsunie! And pay with what?? The pound coins that are falling off the money tree outside?? We have nothing, Jiraiya. He can't go anymore."
"You'll get another job, Tsunie… We'll get by."
"Your optimism is ridiculous. Mrs Uchiha will not just stand by while I get another job with one of her associates. And we're barely surviving as it is." Her tone was calm cold and collected. She didn't even bother to reprimand him about the 'Tsunie' jab.
"Oh God…" Jiraiya, for the first time that night, seemed fully aware of the implications of Mrs Uchiha's actions.
"So now you see." She put down her long abandoned sewing and embraced her husband. For once his hands didn't wander as he hugged her back. They stood like that for a long time. The room was so silent they could hear the sounds of Deidara's and Naruto's breathing upstairs.
"We're buggered, Jiraiya," remarked Tsunade at long last.
"I know… I'll just have to write more Icha Icha on top of work."
"That won't be enough," her expression hardened as she pulled herself out of her husband's arms and shrugged on her coat.
"What are you doing?" said Jiraiya sharply. He knew his wife too well, and didn't like what she planned to do.
"I'm going to see her, to ask for my job back. I'll beg if I have to." She sounded so determined that Jiraiya just nodded and waved his hand. He watched her leave the house. Nothing good was going to come of this.
Two hours later, Tsunade was back.
And that was the night Ino disappeared.
A/N: I realise that I gave them the family name Uzumaki… This is because Deidara, Tsunade and Jiraiya don't appear to HAVE last names… So really, I'm only changing one surname. R&R? (I have sweeties for all xD).