Knock, knock. "Come in!" yells a man from the other side of the door.
With the baby cradled in his left arm, the young boy turns the knob and silently steps into the room, closing the door behind him and then turning toward the man at the desk.
"Sorry for interrupting you, Hokage-sama." He bows slightly, now holding the baby with both his arms.
"No need to apologize." The man puts down the calligraphy brush he's holding and leans back on his chair. "How may I help you, Kakashi?" He gazes at the baby with a curious look.
Kakashi walks towards the desk and stops a few feet away. "I found this baby in the middle of the woods out west from here. It seems that she was left there not too long ago."
"Oh?" The Hokage sits back up and extends his arm out towards the sleeping baby.
Kakashi hands her to him, and the Hokage leans back on his chair again, cradling the baby.
"My." He says softly. "Who on earth would leave you all alone out there, little one?" The room was silent for a few minutes while the Hokage played with the baby's fingers.
"What do you think I should do with her, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asks, trying to break the silence.
The Hokage thought for a few seconds.
"It's best if we put her in the orphanage until her parents or guardians are found." He answered, still looking at the baby, but then stands up and walks from behind his desk and stops in front of Kakashi. "I'll leave that to you, Kakashi." He puts her back into Kakashi's arms and walks back to his seat behind the desk.
"I understand." Kakashi bows, turns around, and takes his leave.
It has been a few days since Kakashi left for his mission. Team 7 was out and about, doing their own thing.
Naruto was at Ichiraku Ramen, sitting at the counter, waiting for his order to come as usual.
"Here you go!" Teuchi, the owner, says, while turning around and placing the bowl of ramen in front of Naruto.
"THANK YOU!" Naruto exclaims. He grabs the chopsticks and claps his hands together. "Itadakimasu!" And with that, he quickly starts gobbling the ramen.
Five minutes afterwards, Naruto was back outside walking around, observing everything around him with a smile on his face.
He takes a turn and makes his way home. At the corner of his eye, he sees a familiar green figure. He turns his head to the right and sees Might Guy, his back turned towards him, walking the other direction.
There was a girl up ahead from him. Crossing her arms and leaning back onto a metal pole that was connected to the nearby building, she patiently waited for Guy to catch up to her.
"Oi Sayuri!" Guy waves to her with a smile. Sayuri uncrosses her arms and walks toward him, meeting him halfway.
"You are to go out north from Konoha. A small village there requested for your team's help." She bluntly states.
Meanwhile, Naruto was a few feet away from the two, poking his head out from an alley, eavesdropping on their conversation. That's the girl from the other day! He thought. Kakashi-sensei's sister!
"Ah another C-rank mission?" Guy says with a disappointed look. Sayuri nods. "All right then. Thank you Sayuri!" He quickly does a hand sign and disappears in a puff of smoke.
Sayuri turns to leave until she hears someone yell out "Wait a minute!" She stops and turns toward the voice and sees the blonde-haired boy from the other day.
Naruto runs towards her and stops. "So are you really Kakashi-sensei's sister?"
"Yes." Sayuri nods. "And you are his student." It was more of a statement than a question.
"Yup!" Naruto points his thumb at himself. "Uzumaki Naruto's the name! Future Hokage!" He says confidently with a smirk.
Sayuri lets out a chuckle. "Is that so?" She says amused, putting her right hand on her hip. "Well nice to meet you Naruto. I'm Sayuri."
Instead of continuing on his way home, Naruto decided to walk around Konoha with Sayuri while bombarding her with questions. If he were talking to someone else, surely they would get very annoyed by him, but Sayuri wore a calm expression on her face the whole time he was basically interrogating her, never really giving him a second glance.
"Who's your sensei? Where's your team? Why do you deliver messages? Have you ever seen Kakashi-sensei without his mask?" Were the last questions he asked until he noticed Sakura standing nearby, listening to their conversation, waiting for Sayuri to answer. "Hey Sakura-chan!" He says to her with a wave.
Sayuri stops and turns her head slightly towards her.
"Uhh hey Naruto!" Sakura says scratching her head, a little embarrassed that she was caught eavesdropping. She walks toward them and smiles to Sayuri. "Hello. I'm Sakura!"
Sayuri nods. "Sayuri."
"Ahem." The three turn around to see Sasuke standing in front of them, a hand in his pocket. "Was Team 7 supposed to have a get-together?"
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura blushes and quickly gets in front of him. "We're just getting to know Sayuri-chan!"
Sasuke didn't even look at her. He continued to stare at Sayuri who was also staring back. "Uchiha Sasuke."
"Hn." Was all Sayuri said. She didn't repeat her name because she knew he was there when she Sakura was introducing herself. Now that her brother's students were surrounding her, Sayuri realized she wasn't going home anytime soon.
Sayuri and the three Genins were now at a field, away from the busy streets. Sayuri was sitting down, leaning against a tree, staring at nothing. Sasuke was doing the same, but arms crossed, and eyes closed. Sakura was sitting down near him, inching closer and closer, much to Sasuke's annoyance, though he didn't show it.
Normally, Naruto would be trying to get in between the two, but right now, he was too focused on Sayuri, so he sat right in front of her, Indian-style."So Sayuri-chan! How about telling us about yourself?"
Sayuri looks up at him and sighs. "I really don't know what's so interesting.."
"Kakashi-sensei has never mentioned having a sister. He never mentioned his family at all actually." Sakura states, her focus finally off of Sasuke.
"Did you ever ask?" Sayuri raises a brow.
Sakura and Naruto give her blank looks. They look at the ground and shake their heads.
"And that's why he never did." Sayuri lets out another sigh.
"Soooo," Naruto begins. "Why do you deliver messages around? Shouldn't you be too busy training with your team and sensei?"
Sayuri gives him a questioning look. "I don't have a sensei, nor am I in a team. That's only for Genins."
"EH?" Sakura was now sitting besides Naruto, even more curious. "So.. are you saying that you are not a Genin?"
"Yes." Sayuri gives a single nod. Now Naruto and Sakura were both very confused.
"So you're... a Chuunin?" Sakura asks. Sayuri simply shakes her head.
"H-how old are you?" Naruto asks nervously.
"Same age as the three of you." Sayuri didn't know how that was relevant anyway.
"EHHH?" Naruto and Sakura yell in unison.
"You're OUR age and a JOUNIN? That's impossible!" Naruto points at Sayuri with a shaking hand. "You're lying!"
Now Sayuri was getting a little annoyed. He had the nerve to doubt her, let alone underestimate her? "Didn't Kakashi teach you never to make assumptions?"
"If you are a Jounin," Sasuke interrupted. He was now up and walking towards the three. "Prove it in combat."
Their gazes turn to the Uchiha boy. Shocked that he was suddenly challenging her.
Seeing his eyes filled with the eagerness to fight, Sayuri stands up. "You are just as ignorant as Naruto."
"What?" Sasuke scowls.
"You assume that fighting me will prove to you where I'm a Jounin or not." Sayuri put a hand on her hip. "Tell me, what makes you think you can accurately distinguish someone's rank through their ability to fight?"
Sasuke was silent, now glaring at her.
Fully aware that she wasn't going to get an answer, Sayuri looks down and closes her eyes, and chuckles. "Nii-san really needs to go over a few things with you guys." She looks back up at Sasuke and smiles for the first time while in their presence-well more like she smirks. "Very well then. I accept your challenge."