DISCLAIMER: The characters and concepts of Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Chikama belongs to me.
A.N. If you've read the old version: I am deeply sorry for the long hiatus, as well as rewriting this thing again (this is definitely the last rewrite, thankfully, since I've taken care of all the things that bugged me.) There has been a lot of changes made to this chapter (and there will probably be many more changes made to the later chapters) so you should read this chapter (and the rest) or things might confuse you. And updates will be few and far between anyway so it'll give you something to keep you busy while you wait for this newest rewrite to catch up with the old version.
First time readers: Naruto's personality has been changed a bit, and he a bit smarter (or at least I try to portray him as smarter.)
Though this isn't important, I'm going to tell you the reason behind Chikama's name (before I get any comments on it.) I didn't want to use a name that has been used a million times before (like Naruko,) but I wanted there to be a connection to Naruto's name. So I looked up things made from the same stuff as naruto (kamaboko/pretty much fishpaste) and chikama sounded the best for a name.
TRANSLATIONS
Kyuubi: Nine tails
Konohagakure: Hidden among tree leaves
Hokage: Fire shadow
Konoha: Tree leaves
Henge: Transformation
Naru-nii: Naru is short for Naruto, nii is short for nii-san, which means big brother.
Bunshin (no Jutsu): Clone (Technique)
Genin: Low ninja
Hitai-ate: Forehead protector
Oiroke no Jutsu: Sexy Technique (Ninja Centerfold.)
Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu: Multiple Shadow Clone Technique
Chunin: Middle ninja
Twelve years ago, the Kyuubi attacked the shinobi village of Konohagakure, destroying everything and everyone in its path. The village leader, the fourth Hokage, finally brought the Biju's rampage to an end by sealing it away in a newborn child, paying his life as the price.
That child has grown up in Konoha, despised for a reason he cannot know…
~ * ~ 8 ~ * ~
A boy of twelve crouched on the roof of a small shop in the early hours of the morning. His spiky blonde locks, held back by a pair of green goggles, were dyed gold by the rays of the rising sun and his wide blue eyes, set in a round face, shined with mischief as he watched the door of the shop. This boy was Naruto Uzumaki, Konohagakure's number one prankster.
A wide grin spread across Naruto's face, stretching the whisker-like birthmarks on his cheeks, as he caught sight of his target approaching. The shopkeeper unlocked the gate over the doorway, but stopped before opening it when a rumbling started in the distance, staring at the approaching dust cloud in wary curiosity. Naruto's grin widened at the perfect timing and launched a balloon full of his 'special surprise' at the unsuspecting man.
The shopkeeper cursed as the balloon's contents splattered all over him, but didn't have time to do more than to wipe at it a few times before the cause of the dust cloud closed in. The stampeding herd of bulls caught the scent of the pheromone mixture Naruto had doused the shopkeeper with and locked their sights on the understandably panicked man, charging towards him. The shopkeeper did what anyone else in his situation would: he ran for his life, screaming as he tore down the streets, the stampede close behind.
Naruto howled with laughter, holding his stomach as he shook from the force of his mirth. He quickly got his laughter under control and disguised himself with a Henge. Bet Chi never thought I'd use those science lessons she forced on me like this, Naruto thought, chuckling as he nimbly jumped down, casually pushing the shop gate up and strolling inside.
Whistling cheerily, Naruto made his way through the shop, tossing items into bags he'd grabbed from behind the counter. He quickly gathered all the things he wanted and made his way out the door, flicking a note onto the counter as he went. The only evidence he was there was his message to the shop keeper: If you don't want to run with the bulls again, stop overcharging your customers.
Naruto kept his Henge until he reached the small apartment he shared with his twin sister, Chikama. "I'm home," he called softly as he entered, listening for a response. The only sound was the hiss of the shower and Naruto grinned in relief, hurrying to put the food away before Chikama came out.
Naruto was almost done when he heard the shower turn off; he hurriedly shoved the last of the food where it went and had just stuffed the bags out of sight when Chikama entered the kitchen, binding her long blonde hair back in a loose braid. "Good morning, Naru-nii," she greeted Naruto pleasantly.
"Morning, Chi," Naruto returned, managing to look completely relaxed.
"Did you hear that rumbling earlier?" Chikama asked as she began getting ingredients for breakfast.
"Yeah, I went to check it out," Naruto lied casually. "A whole herd of bulls were stampeding through the main streets."
"I wonder how that happened," Chikama hummed, pausing as she got some eggs from the fridge, a confused frown turning her lips. "There's more food than there should be," she said, blue gaze flicking from the fridge to Naruto.
"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, the picture of innocent confusion.
Chikama's wide eyes narrowed slightly, taking on the appearance of a disappointed mother. "Naruto..."
"All I did was walk down to the main street," Naruto said innocently, but he couldn't keep himself from sweating slightly. "All the stores are closed this early."
Chikama looked at him a moment longer before returning to preparing breakfast, deciding not to pursue the matter. "You must be excited, today's the final exam," Chikama commented pleasantly, but Naruto heard the sigh beneath the tone and understood the real meaning of the words: I'll let it go since today's an important day.
Naruto let out a soft sigh, relaxing. "We'll finally become ninja!" Naruto grinned, taking a seat at the table. "Do you think they'll assign us to the same team?"
"How about we worry about passing first," Chikama laughed softly.
~ 8 ~
"For the final exam, you will be required to create a convincing Bunshin," Iruka Umino, the twins' favorite teacher, told the Genin hopefuls. Iruka was a stern teacher, something reflected in the way he wore his hair tightly pulled back and the standard shinobi attire. But Iruka was also kind and fair, and this earned him Naruto and Chikama's trust and affections.
"When you're name is called, come to the exam room next door," Iruka said before calling out for the first student and heading next door with them.
Naruto had tensed at the mention of the basic clone jutsu, and now he was holding his head, worrying over it.
"Don't worry Naru-nii," Chikama said softly, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Think of it as a challenge, what fun would it be if they tested you on something you're good at like Henge?"
Naruto grinned, looking at it like a challenge really did help. "Thanks Chi."
~ 8 ~
"Uzumaki Chikama."
"My turn then," Chikama said, standing up.
"Good luck," Naruto grinned. "Not that you need it." Chikama gave him a smile before heading for the exam room. Naruto watched her go, his worry returning full force now that he had no one to talk to. He wasn't worried about Chikama though, she always did well on tests and she could perform the Bunshin no Jutsu well.
But Naruto always did badly on tests, unless it was sprung on him suddenly, he spent the time up to the test worrying and his nerves usually got the better of him. On top of that, they were being tested on his worst jutsu, and as much as he tried to think of it as only a challenge, he couldn't stop the thought that if he failed he'd be stuck in the academy while Chikama went on missions without him. He needed to be with Chikama so he could protect her, he was the only one to look out for her.
Naruto couldn't stand sitting there doing nothing while he waited; only a minute after Chikama left he got up, heading for the door.
"Where are you going?" demanded the instructor left to watch the students and call them when it was their turn.
"Bathroom, got a problem with that?" Naruto grumbled, voice laced with irritation.
"Just make it quick," the instructor said, tone matching his in annoyance. "You're up next."
"I know," Naruto muttered as he darted out the door and down the hall. But instead of going to the bathroom like he'd said, he stopped outside the exam room door and pressed his ear against it, straining to make out the muffled voices.
~ 8 ~
On the other side of the door, Chikama had already begun the test, eyes closed and hands held together in a handseal as she gathered her chakra. The familiar warmth built in her stomach, moving along her body until she was able to shape it into the image she held in her mind.
It took less than a second for Chikama to finish, four perfect copies appearing beside her.
"You pass," Iruka said warmly and Chikama lit up, rushing forward to collect her hitai-ate.
"Congratulations," Mizuki, the other exam instructor, said, handing Chikama the Konoha hitai-ate.
Chikama thanked the instructors before hurrying out of the room, eager to tell Naruto.
~ 8 ~
Naruto still had his ear pressed to the door, straining to make out what was happening inside, when the door began opening. He just managed to jump back in time to avoid falling over or running into Chikama as she came out, smiling brightly. Chikama's smile became a bit curious when she noticed Naruto there, but instead of asking about what he was doing, she held up her hitai-ate, saying, "I passed!"
"I knew you would!" Naruto grinned.
"Hey! Uzumaki!" the yell coming from the instructor leaning out of the classroom door cut off anything else Naruto might have said. "You're up!"
"I can see that!" Naruto shot back in annoyance before yanking open the door to the exam room, casting one last grin at Chikama before entering.
"Hello, Naruto," Iruka greeted the boy as he entered, sliding the door shut behind him. "For the test you are required to create convincing Bunshin. You may create as many as you are comfortable with. Begin when you are ready."
Naruto nodded his understanding before closing his eyes and forming the appropriate handseal. Here goes nothing... Naruto thought as he focused his chakra, concentrating on moving it and shaping it to his will. He got a faint sense of a foreign well of chakra, something Naruto had begun to notice as he learned to control his chakra. Though Naruto couldn't tell himself, the foreign chakra affected his control, confusing his own chakra and making it hard for him to handle.
Naruto finished the jutsu and opened his eyes, looking for his clone. When he caught sight of the Bunshin his heart plummeted; it was a sickly looking thing that couldn't even stand, let alone convince anyone that it was the real thing.
"I'm sorry Naruto, you fail," Iruka said. Mizuki looked ready to argue, but Naruto didn't wait to find out. He dashed from the room, frustration and anger with himself overwhelming him.
"Naruto!" Chikama cried as he dashed past her, but she didn't go after her brother, sensing he needed to be alone.
~ 8 ~
Naruto ran until his breath came in ragged gasps and his limbs were weighted with fatigue. Back against a fence, he let himself slide to the ground, unable to help the anger and frustration he felt with himself.
How could he let this happen? He'd promised his sister and himself that he'd always be there to protect her, and now he had failed. Chikama would move on without him, putting herself in danger, and he would be unable to do anything to protect her.
"I've been looking for you." Naruto looked up to find Mizuki smiling down at him sympathetically. Mizuki held out a hand to help Naruto up. "Let's talk."
Naruto hesitated a moment, staring at the offered hand, before taking it.
. . .
"Iruka-sensei lost his parents at a young age," Mizuki told Naruto, once the pair had settled on a balcony. "Everything he's accomplished, he had to do all on his own, with a lot of hard work and discipline. He didn't have any adults in his life to help him choose the right path."
"What's that got to do with me?" Naruto grumbled.
"Iruka-sensei sees himself in you. He's hard on you because he wants you to get strong and be everything you can be."
"But... now I'll be separated from Chi," Naruto mumbled sadly.
Mizuki looked at him thoughtfully for a short moment. "Then I guess I'll have to help you pass. There's still a test you can take, it's kept secret because it's a bit hard, but I think you can do it."
"What is it?" Naruto asked eagerly. "No matter what it is, I'll do it!"
~ 8 ~
Chikama sat at alone in the twins' kitchen, seated at the table staring with worry at the pot of untouched ramen sitting on the stove. She'd made it from scratch, ramen was Naruto's favorite food and she hoped it might cheer him up a little. Small things like this was all she could do for her brother, it was all he let her do. He bore his worries on his own, hiding them behind a smile and leaving Chikama unable to do much more than worry for her brother.
~ 8 ~
Naruto slipped quietly through the dark night and into the shadowy confines of the Hokage's home. Ghosting through the empty halls, he quickly found the room he sought to find the door locked. After so many years of practice, it was a simple matter for him to pick the lock and slip inside without alerting anyone.
Naruto searched through the scrolls filling the room, careful to put everything back where it was. He soon located the large scroll he was looking for and slung it over his shoulder, scroll held secure by the strap running from one end to the other. With the scroll at hand, Naruto listened at the door for anyone outside it before slipping out of the room and re-locking the door. No one would know he'd ever been there.
But as Naruto made his way back through the dark halls, he let himself relax and there was his mistake. He didn't realize the elderly Hokage was up and moving his way until the hall light flicked on and they were staring face to face.
"What are you doing here?" the Hokage demanded in surprise.
Acting on impulse, Naruto clamped his hands together and preformed what he'd dubbed his 'Oiroke no Jutsu'. Using a Henge he was transformed into a busty young woman with long blonde hair bound up in pigtails, Naruto's whisker-like birthmarks marking her cheeks, and only clothed in wisps of smoke.
The Hokage was so caught off guard he succumbed completely, collapsing with a gushing nosebleed.
Good thing Chi wasn't around to see that, Naruto thought wryly as he quickly slipped away.
. . .
Naruto settled into the secluded clearing he and his sister trained in, the scroll spread across his crossed legs. "I'll be at this for a while," he muttered, looking over all the jutsus listed in the scroll. With a sigh, he focused on the first jutsu. "Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu… of course the first one is my worst jutsu."
~ 8 ~
Chikama woke to find herself very stiff and still sitting at the kitchen table; she must have fallen asleep waiting for Naruto to come home. She knew her brother must not have come home at all, or he wouldn't have left her asleep there.
"I better go find him," Chikama murmured worriedly, Naruto had never stayed out all night before. She grabbed some fruit from the counter before setting out, already knowing where she'd find her brother.
. . .
Chikama reached the twins' training area to find Naruto asleep against a tree, evidence of a night spent training showed on him. "Naru-nii," Chikama murmured, gently shaking the sleeping boy by his shoulder.
Naruto blinked groggy eyes and looked up at Chikama sleepily. "Chi?" he yawned, rubbing at his eyes.
"You'll catch a cold sleeping out here," Chikama chided gently, handing Naruto the food she'd brought him.
At the sight of the food, Naruto's stomach rumbled hungrily. Naruto dug right in, scarfing down the food too quickly for it to be healthy. Chikama warned him to slow down, but the boy only did when he nearly choked.
"Have you been training all night?" Chikama asked, glancing around. Her eyes fell upon a scroll beside Naruto and she picked it up, looking it over curiously.
"Mizuki-sensei told me about a secret test," Naruto said in way of explanation. "If I can learn all the jutsus in that scroll by the end of this week, I'll get to become a Genin with you."
Chikama frowned at that, but before she could say anything Iruka burst into the clearing, out of breath and looking furious.
"Naruto!" Iruka growled. "What have you done?"
"All I've done is trained all night!" Naruto protested defensively, feeling he was going to be blamed for something he hadn't done. Iruka was wearing the look he used every time he figured out Naruto had pulled a big prank, though he'd rarely been able to prove it.
Iruka's angry expression turned to one of confusion as he looked over Naruto's worn out figure, then to Chikama holding the scroll. "Naruto, where did you get that scroll?"
Naruto fidgeted guiltily. "From the… Hokage's home," he mumbled the last two words in a small voice. "I didn't hurt the old man with that jutsu, did I?" he added, worriedly.
"You broke into the Hokage's home?" Chikama demanded, sounded very much like a mother scolding her child. "And you even used a jutsu on him? What were you thinking?"
"Mizuki-sensei said that stuff like that was part of the test," Naruto defended himself. "He said if I ran into anyone I had to find a way to get away, so I could prove I was resourceful and stuff like that."
"Test?" Iruka repeated in confusion, before realization dawned on him. Suddenly, he tensed, before literally throwing the twins to the side, just as a hail of shuriken and kunai rained down. Naruto and Chikama managed to avoid injury, but Iruka suffered the full brunt of the attack, the weapons impaling in his chest and arms, and a few in his legs and stomach. None of the weapons hit any vital points, but Iruka would have trouble so much as moving.
"I should have known you two would show up here as well," Mizuki said coldly from where he stood on a tree branch. "Now I'll have to eliminate all three of you."
"So that's how it is?" Iruka growled, voice strong with fury despite his pain.
"Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto cried. "What's going on? Did you just attack us?"
"Give me the scroll," Mizuki ordered, ignoring Naruto's questions.
"Don't!" Iruka shouted urgently. "You must not let Mizuki have that scroll; it contains a dangerous forbidden jutsu! Protect it with your life!"
Naruto glanced over to his sister, who was still holding the scroll, fear in her eyes. Glaring up at Mizuki, he moved so he was between the Chunin and his sister. "I don't know what's going on," Naruto muttered, "but it's clear you're the bad guy."
"Will you still think that when I tell you the secret everyone's been keeping from you?" Mizuki asked, smirking.
"No!" Iruka cried with furious desperation.
"What are you talking about?" Naruto demanded, but a feeling of dread was creeping up in him.
"That you, Naruto, are the Kyuubi!" Mizuki said, tone cruel. "You were the one who attacked the village all those years ago. It was you who destroyed and killed so many families, including Iruka's, until finally fourth Hokage sealed you in this form!"
Naruto was reeling, he couldn't be the Kyuubi. But it made sense, the way the villagers looked at him with loathing, how parents wouldn't let their children near him, the whispers of 'demon' and 'monster' directed at him.
Naruto covered his ears, clenching his eyes shut as if it could protect him from Mizuki's words. But those cruel words still reached him, each one like a blow. Malicious chakra swelled up from within him, swirling around Naruto as he repeated 'shut up' over and over, voice growing from a low growl to a furious roar.
"Didn't you ever wonder why you were so despised?" Mizuki continued cruelly. "If he were honest, even noble Iruka would admit he hates you! No one will ever accept you!" Mizuki took a large shuriken from where it was strapped to his back and launched it at Naruto, who was too distressed to react.
"Naruto!" Chikama shoved Naruto out of the path of the shuriken, but didn't escape it herself. The weapon impaled in her side, knocking her to the ground.
"Chikama!" Naruto cried, kneeling down beside his sister.
"Don't listen to Mizuki," Chikama said, smiling despite her pain. "No matter what the truth is, you're still my Naru-nii."
Naruto smiled slightly, before turning to Mizuki, fury flooding him. "Hurt my sister…" he growled, forming a handseal. "And I'll return the pain a thousand fold!" A virtual army of Naruto clones, each solid flesh and blood, poofed into existence, filling the clearing.
Mizuki never stood a chance as the literal one man army descended upon him.
. . .
"Stay still," Naruto told Chikama as he tended to her wound. Behind him, Miuzki's unconscious battered form was sprawled on the ground, and off to the side of them Iruka was tending to his own injuries.
"Usually I'm the one treating your injuries," Chikama laughed softly.
Iruka finished seeing to his wounds and walked over to the twins, kneeling down beside them. "Naruto, we need to talk."
Naruto tensed slightly, not looking away from what he was doing. "…What he said is true, isn't it?"
"Not completely," Iruka said. "You're not the Kyuubi, you're its prison. The fourth Hokage had to seal the Kyuubi inside you."
"Is it really any different?"
"Yes," Chikama said firmly. "You're no demon, Naruto."
Naruto smiled genuinely, comforted by his sister's belief in him.
Iruka smiled as he looked at the twins; coming to a decision, he reached up and untied his hitai-ate. "Naruto," he said, holding out the Konoha hitai-ate. "You've earned this."
Naruto stared at the hitai-ate for a shocked moment, before launching himself at Iruka as he grabbed it. "Thank you!"
A.N. I am not happy with the end, but I don't think I'll be able to get it any better. (I like the ending in the draft much better, but it won't work because of all the revisions.) And I'm sure there's more I wanted to say, but I can't remember what….
bBye, thanks for reading, and please review./b