Chapter 2: An Old Client and a Young Uzumaki

Chapter Summary: In which Arashi goes on her first mission and is given a unique weapon to wield until the task is done. Later, she comes face to face with none other than Uzumaki Naruto.

Songs: Oingo Boingo – No One Lives Forever. Regina Spektor – Blue Lips

DarkNexus4050: I would just like to say that you are lovely and I appreciate your support! 3

I apologize for the first half of this chapter. It feels terribly like filler and I did not enjoy writing it, but I wanted to show her first mission since it felt like a landmark. D Ranked missions will not be written in detail from now on. That would be just awful.

Chapter 2

Arashi glared, blearily, at her alarm as it blared at her from across the room.

"Arashi-chan, sweetie, it's time for you to get up! Your first mission is today!" Naomi's sing-song voice called through the closed door.

"Trust me, mom, I know!" Arashi grumbled.

"Breakfast will be ready after you're dressed."

The kunoichi untangled herself from her blanket and sheet and shuffled to her closet. Her room was sizeable compared to most living spaces in Konoha. Her parents were wealthy after years of dedicated working and had purchased a large home in hopes of having a big family. To their dismay, they struggled to have children and thus they adopted Arashi. They promptly spoiled her and gave her the second nicest room in the house.

There was a bookshelf packed full of books, scrolls, and documents beside her door, a bed, a floor length mirror in the corner, a chest of drawers, and two nightstands. There was a walk-in closet and beside the mirror was a door that led into her personal bathroom.

She turned her alarm off, got dressed, applied some lotion to her face as well as a gloss to her lips, and stared at her room. The amalgamation of yellows, greens, and purples did nothing to jog her memory, so she closed her eyes and tried to think.

What should I pack for my first mission?

She strapped on a medical pouch, a kunai pouch, and she pulled a dusty shuriken holster from underneath her bed to strap on. Arashi was not overly fond of using weapons, which had vexed every instructor at the Academy until they saw red, but it was the truth. She knew how to use them, but she was not particularly skilled.

Daisuke's comment about blunted blades being the only reason she still had fingers was probably true.

Arashi pushed her glasses up her nose and made her bed before she left the room. She was not a morning person, but there was no escaping it until she was probably a Chuunin at least. She closed the door behind her and turned down the hall and ambled toward the staircase. She could hear her family bantering downstairs and a pang of fondness brought a more cheerful bounce to her step.

She skipped the last two stairs and headed directly to the kitchen. Her mother was already washing dishes while her father looked over a scroll. She opened her mouth to greet her family, but a ball of brown hair and energy rammed into her.

"Kazika!" She squealed, but managed to regain her balance.

"Sis! Sis!" He chanted. "Ninja! Ninja! I wanna be a ninja!"

Kazika was her brother. He was three years old. When her mother announced her surprise pregnancy, Arashi had been furious. The girl had begged relentlessly for her parents to adopt Naruto, but her pleas had fallen on deaf ears. She later realized that Kushina and Minato's son had been placed in a foster home for close watching in order to protect him from anyone making a rash decision because of the Kyuubi, but at the time she was blinded by outrage. In fact, she had been such a brat that her mother broke down in tears.

"What happened to my angel?" Her mother had wept. "You were so good for Kushina when she was pregnant!"

It was a sobering experience for Arashi. There were no more tantrums from the girl. Instead, she went out of her way to be more thoughtful.

"You're too young to be a ninja, Kazika." She dragged the boy back to his seat at the table.

Ookami stood and embraced his daughter, "My little kunoichi. Growing up on me."

"This is just the first step, Dad." She hugged him back.

"Oh, I know, but try not to grow up too fast." He pulled back and held her by the shoulders. "Also, I expect to still see you at the hospital, even if it's not as often. Being a medical ninja takes dedication and as you grow with skill, I'll be able to show you some tricks that will save lives, alright?"

"Oh, daddy," She beamed, "I'm always going to be your second shadow."

Ookami's chest swelled with pride. Naomi chuckled to herself. That man had been wrapped around her finger since the day he met her.

"Eat some breakfast before your mission!" Her mother called over her shoulder. "What would your team think of you if you fainted from low sugar or something? Mhm, you'd be the joke of the team, now wouldn't you?"

The middle aged woman turned to set her eyes on the Genin. Her lips pursed and her eyebrows knit together. Arashi knew that expression all too well. It was the one her mother got when she had a feeling that something was going to happen. While most mothers were paranoid about many things, Naomi rarely fussed over anything, but when she did it was uncanny. Naomi did not have worries, she had premonitions.

At least, that was what her family and friends decided.

Arashi snatched up a piece of toast and chewed on it, even though she was not hungry that morning. Her mother would sooner follow her through the streets and nag her to eat than let her go without breakfast. It was endearing and annoying at the same time.

"Look! Sis! Look! Look!" Kazika chirped.

She looked down to see the boy blowing snot bubbles in her direction. He was a spitting image of his father, but in smaller proportions. Some people would have found it hilarious to see Ookami, disciplined and reserved, as he watched his son make snot bubbles – especially when he continued to scan the scroll as the bubbles burst in audible pops.

Pop, pop. Pop, pop.

"Just eww, Kazika. Don't do that." She cringed and walked out of the kitchen, but the child followed her popping all the way. "Time and a place, kid, and for this stuff it's nowhere and never."

Pop, pop, pop.

"Stop following me," she hissed.

Pop, pop, pop.

"Seriously, just stop or I'll sit on you."

Their eyes narrowed and they stared each other down. Her hands twitched in anticipation.

Pop.

She grabbed a tissue and pinned him to the ground in a rush of movement.

"Mommy!" the boy shrieked.

She smothered his pleas for help and wiped the snot off his face. He tried to fight, but she was done before he could get loose. With a look of disgust she stood and disposed of the tissue. She had spent enough time working in the village's hospital to desensitize herself to bodily fluids mostly, but that did not mean she would ever not hate it.

"Well, I'm going, love you all!" She called and ran out.

Arashi watched the wind tease at Ibiki's trench coat. He marched ahead of her with his lips set into a serious line. Then again, he appeared to be serious in nature, so she decided that was normal for him. To her right was Akio and to her left was Daisuke. She was not sure why they chose to walk that way. She would have preferred if they kept a little more distance from her, but there was a pulse of comfort from their presence despite her distaste for them. This was new to her, as it was to them.

"We are going to treat every mission like it is top priority." Ibiki broke the squad's silence. "Every group has their share of D rank missions to work through. Most kids don't see them for what they can be, but I won't have a single one of you be as inept at taking advantage of opportunities."

"Yes, Sensei." Arashi and Daisuke chorused together.

Akio grunted and nodded.

Arashi knew that D ranked missions were chores and not much else. Her parents sometimes hired Genin squads to do housecleaning or to help around her mother's business during busy months. The elderly used Genin for all sorts of grunt work. Now it was her squad's turn for the dreaded grind.

"Sensei, what are we doing first today?" She mustered the nerve to ask – looking from him to a wall nearby and back.

"Helping an elderly woman with her garden and a few chores." He replied. "And I'd better not see any slacking. Work together, don't fight, and don't mess anything up."

Daisuke snorted and asked, "What's the old broad's name?"

"Chiharo."

"Anything important we should know about her?" The boy pressed, but his tone had a sickeningly sweet undercurrent. "I should be asking, right? Top priority? This is a learning exercise, after all."

"Retired Jounin. Loves her cats and her plants more than she cares for people. Apparently someone's been vandalizing her property."

"Alright. So, is she going to direct us once we arrive?" Arashi piped up.

"When she tells you to jump," Ibiki's tone betrayed the smirk on his face. "Just do it."

"What if we don't jump high enough?" Arashi asked, unable to resist. "How will I know how high to jump?"

"Sounds like we need to review how to handle high stress situations! All of our Academy training has prepared us for this!" Daisuke joined in.

"I see." Ibiki chuckled, "After this I might take you back to the interrogation ward and show you what it's like to have some of those tools used on your body. I thought I'd hold it off until you were more experienced, but perhaps not."

Their mouths snapped shut.

Their destination was on the outskirts of the village. A small house stood away from the others with an impressive garden surrounding it. An old woman sat outside on a bench in front of a pond, throwing food to the mouths of gaping fish. An orange cat sat by her left and a black cat sat by her right.

Ibiki stopped by the pond and his squad gathered behind him. She peered up at them and harrumphed. Her face was lined with wrinkles and her dark eyes spoke of a lifetime of trials. She looked to be around sixty years of age. She wore a long dress, an apron, and dirt encrusted gloves. The cats were both unimpressed by the ninjas in front of them, so they continued to watch the fish.

"Team Ibiki reporting."

"About time." The woman stood. "I've got something for your cute little kids to do."

The man nodded and she led them to another part of her garden. Various patches of herbs had been destroyed and garbage was scattered around.

"Some little brat keeps messing with my garden." She pointed at the damage. "I've confronted him, but my hip isn't what it used to be and he manages to get away every time."

Wordlessly, Akio began to gather the trash together. Daisuke shifted from one foot to the other and joined him. Ibiki crossed his arms and looked around at the scene.

"Why would he do something like this?" Arashi mumbled.

"Because he's a git with no brains." The woman seethed. "And I want you kids to track him down and rough him up a bit. Let him know Granny Chiharo means business."

"Uh, how old is he?" Her eyebrows rose in disbelief. "Are we going to have the Police Force on us?"

If there was a chance – even if it was slim – that she would be facing down with Uchiha Fugaku then Arashi would have thrown her hands up and walked away. Itachi was her friend, Mikoto was sweet, Sasuke was a cute boy, but Fugaku was another case. She did not dislike him, but she was put off by him for a few different reasons. She respected him for saving her life when she was six and for the work his squad performed daily in Konoha, but she had the distinct feeling he did not like her. At all.

"Don't worry your pretty little head, sweetie." Chiharo waved her off. "I don't want you to hurt him. Just scuff him up a bit. If he doesn't learn from that, then I'll hire Chuunin. If the message doesn't get through his skull after that, then I'll just put a hit out on him."

All three Genin stared at her.

"Oh, don't look at me that way. You kids have a ways to go! Why, back in my day you'd have already been seasoned killers."

Daisuke and Akio looked toward Ibiki for some form of reassurance but found none.

"The boy's name is Kyo. He's about fifteen, I think." She walked over to the side of her house and snatched up a broom before returning. "I want you to do a good job for me, alright sweetie? Keep them boys in line, that's a kunoichi's special responsibility. Boys take a while to acclimate, so you gotta keep them on their toes, alright?"

If Arashi's eyebrows rose any higher they would have ripped off her face.

"Oh, and I want you to hit him with this." She handed the broom to Arashi.

"Um, what?"

"Now, you hit him real good, alright? If he doesn't get it then I'll have to have him cut into pieces to feed to my fish."

Once the squad was away from Chiharo's house, the Genin stared at each other in shock.

Ibiki set an eye on them and they went still, "We're going to make sure that kid doesn't set food on her property again."

Akio cleared his throat, "We're going to kill him?"

Arashi and Daisuke fidgeted.

"I look forward to when your brains are done developing." He spoke dryly, "Come here and I'll tell you my plan."

Arashi followed Akio from rooftop to rooftop. Daisuke was close behind her, but his attention was preoccupied with the sketch book braced in his left arm. He glanced up to make sure he was on course as he added the last touches to his project. She could hardly imagine doing genjutsu normally, but Daisuke used his paintings and drawings as a medium and that was beyond her. Ibiki was right beside the kunoichi. His presence made her anxious, but she tried to not show it. She felt awkward enough as it was.

In her hand was the broom.

"Do I really have to hit this person with her broom, Sensei?" Arashi whispered.

"It's what our client wants." He replied and an amused smirk pulled at his lips. "Her mind has slipped in recent years."

She sighed in defeat.

Akio motioned for them to be quiet and they came to a stop on top of a building. He dropped into a crouch and pointed to the alley beside them. The insects they had been following returned to his hand and crept inside his sleeve.

Ibiki motioned for everyone to move into position.

Their target, Kyo, kicked a can between the two buildings. He was a civilian without a job and nothing better to do with his time that day. With a sigh he turned to walk out of the alley, but came face to face with Akio.

"Stop messing with Chiharo's garden." He pulled his sunglasses off and bugs swarmed out of the sockets and across his eyes.

The fifteen year old paled and turned to run – there were not many civilians that had the stomach to deal with the Aburame – but he did not get far. Daisuke dropped down and cut off his escape. He held up the sketch and quickly performed several hand-seals. Kyo's eyes widened and his course changed drastically. He tripped and staggered a time or two, but the amber eyed boy let him pass by him without any more resistance.

His attempted escape led him to Arashi.

She frowned. She could feel that his chakra was over-ridden by Daisuke's genjutsu and that only made her feel worse for what she was about to do. Despite being older than her, she knew he could not defend himself against her even if he was in his right mind.

"Arashi!" Ibiki's called down at her, his tone enough to scold her.

She blinked and swung the broom with all of her might.

A crack resounded through the alley and the wooden shaft splintered apart. The force knocked the boy on his back and broke him out of the illusions plaguing him. His eyes opened and closed and he jerked his head around to look at the shinobi standing around him.

"Aw. You broke the broom. I was just thinking you looked all lovely and domestic." Daisuke leaned forward and teased.

Akio laughed. It was high pitched and broken by several snorts. Arashi might have found this funny if it was not at her expense.

"I hate both of you."

Ibiki looked down at the boy and deadpanned, "Good job. I'll stay and have a chat with our vandal while you report to Chiharo." His eyes settled on the broom and he sighed, "You've broken her favorite broom, though, and with how unstable she's been…"

She's going to feed me to her fish over a broom.

Their return to the house was quiet. Arashi held the broken broom in her hands and resisted the urge to chew on her lips. If she could not manage to break that habit, then she would not have any left by the time she was a Chuunin.

When Chiharo came into sight, the girl's throat tightened. It was like she was a six year old girl that just broke someone's heirloom. She turned to walk away, but her retreat was foiled.

Akio and Daisuke shoved her forward and she came face to face with the psychotic, senile client.

"I, uhh, I didn't mean to break it." She thrust the two pieces toward Chiharo. "I hit him real good!"

The old woman cackled until she had to bend over and brace her sides.

To Arashi's horror, the rest of the missions were somehow worse. They walked dogs, cleaned houses, picked up trash in the streets, got groceries as two different missions, and ended it all with a quick run down from Ibiki. They were to meet again the next day for personal training with him before they did a couple more missions.

In all honesty she would rather be on his bad side in an interrogation than do any more missions like the ones they just finished.

These missions don't even pay well, she whined internally.

She cut through a copse of trees and took a deep breath. At the very least she had the rest of the evening and part of the morning to prepare herself mentally for the tedious onslaught. If someone had told her as a new Academy student that she would be dreading "ninja work" this way, then she would have called them a liar.

Some important medic ninja I am. She scoffed to herself. Seriously what kind of-

She was jerked out of her thoughts by the sound of children yelling. Her thoughts jumped to the worst, but she wheeled them in and ran toward the source. When she got there she saw something that she would never forget.

There were four boys standing around a smaller child. Their ages ranged from approximately six to eight. They all kicked him relentlessly while he shielded his face, but she knew who it was. She would never be unable to recognize this child. She had memorized his signature when he was still in his mother's womb. It was like the wind on a sunny day, but layered deep within was a darkness that scared her if she focused on it.

It was Naruto.

"You know you'll have to help me look after him when he gets a bit older."

The fatigue from her busy day was forgotten. She put one foot in front of the other and began to run.

"Just like a big sister?"

She pushed one of the boys down and threw another one by his shirt. He landed in a heap on the ground and wailed out in shock. The two younger boys took a step back and stared in disbelief.

"Just like a big sister."

The kids scattered and ran.

"Don't you ever touch him again or I'll kill you, y'know!" Arashi screeched.

Naruto uncovered his face and stared up at her. At first there was fear in his eyes and then confusion. She went to her knees beside him and he flinched away.

"Shh, Naruto-kun." She whispered in a shaky voice. "Le-let me see you. Did they hurt you?"

His face scrunched up in an expression of distrust.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you." Arashi assured him and held her hands out. "I'll show you a cool trick my dad taught me to help people."

"A cool trick?" He repeated.

"Yeah. It's pretty cool. Want to see it?"

"Yeah!" He stood and clenched his fists.

"Hold your arms out and let me see."

The boy did as he was told. There were several cuts and bruises covering the limbs, but nothing was severe. For that, she was grateful. What she did not like was how small the boy was. Kazika was not much smaller, but Naruto was two years older than her brother.

"What about the trick?" The boy vibrated with interest.

"Oh, yeah, sorry, Naruto-kun." She laughed, but it was hollow.

She focused her chakra to her hands and mended the injuries on his arms. The boy's mouth fell open and he watched the process with a profound interest that made her feel like she was a legendary sage.

"Whoa! How did you do that?"

"I'm a ninja." She grinned. "It took me years for my dad to teach me that, though. It was hard to learn."

"Will you teach me?" He asked, bright eyed. "I want to be a ninja, too, you know!"

She blinked and pinched his cheek, "Maybe when you're out of the Academy, huh?"

"Really?"

"If you want, Naruto-kun." She stood and captured his hand in her own. "Now, let's get you home before it's dark."

His expression fell as the words left her mouth, "Oh."

"What's wrong? Show me where you live and we can talk on the way."

He tugged her to a walk. She could not get over how much like Minato the boy looked. It was like he was a miniature clone and it tugged at her heart strings in the most bittersweet ways. They walked for a while in silence. He led her to an apartment complex and they stepped inside.

"Will you leave? Or will you play with me for a while?"

"I guess I'll play with you for a bit." She replied. "I'm really tired, though."

He brightened. "Can we play ninja?"

"Sure. Just so long as you don't run me around too much."

"Okay! I just don't want to be alone."

Her grip on his hand loosened, "Why would you be alone? Are your guardians going to be busy tonight or something? Why wouldn't they have someone to take care of you?"

The boy looked at her like he was lost, "They told me I couldn't live with them anymore."

"What?" Her voice cracked.

Naruto's eyes were bright with tears, "It's okay. I'm a big boy and I'm really strong."

It sounded like he was trying to convince himself of it. Arashi had a hard time believing that she heard him correctly, but she knew she did – even if she wanted with everything in her to be wrong.

"My apartment's right here." The boy announced and unlocked the door.

When she stepped inside she cringed. The sink was full of dirty dishes, the bed was unmade – in fact she did not even see a sheet – and there was trash overflowing from the trash can and occupying floor space. Naruto was a five year old child and his guardians had abandoned him to fend for himself.

Arashi wanted to cry.

"It's a bit messy," he scratched his cheek.

"I can see." She tried to sound cheerful.

That the Fourth Hokage and Kushina's son was abandoned and treated like trash was enough to make her want to scream.

"What's your name, big sis?"

"You don't know? I've sent pictures of me and my family with your birthday gifts. Did they never tell you my name?"

He tilted his head to one side and stared at her in confusion.

"Did you," she swallowed over a lump in her throat. "Did they ever give you the gifts I sent for you?"

He shook his head, "No?"

She felt like someone kicked her in the teeth.

"Oh. I-I sent presents for you. A lot." Tears brimmed her eyes, "My name's Ran Arashi."

"Arashi? How do you know my name?"

"I met you when you were too little to remember me. A long time ago." She looked away from him. "You've grown a lot since then. You're a – you're a big boy now compared to then."

"Are you going to hurt me?"

She was mortified, "I would never hurt you."

He stared at her for a while like he was trying to discern whether or not she was telling the truth, "Really?"

"Really. I'd sooner die."

"Can I call you Sis?"

"I'd re-really like that." She whispered.

He grinned from one ear to the other – just like Kushina, "I've always wanted a big sister!"

She went to her knees and hugged him, "You have one now."

"Oh!" He gasped. "Now we can play together all the time!"

She let go of him and stood, "Not all the time, but I'll be sure to spend time with you when I can, alright?"

"You promise?"

"I promise." She looked around. "Now, let's play ninja and get this place cleaned up a bit."

It was easier to get Naruto involved in cleaning than she thought it would be. The child was starved for attention in such a way it made her body ache. He ran from one side of the apartment to the other and his laughter echoed off the walls with enough vitality to help her forget how tired she was. There was something about that boy that made her feel hopeful. She figured it was something to do with who his parents were.

Now, to see if he has any clothes. She hummed to herself. The ones he's wearing right now are filthy.

She dug through his clothes and huffed in disgust. Everything appeared too small or much too big for his body. She made a few calculations in her head and glanced over at the boy as he tried to reach the dishes in the sink, but failed.

"Naruto-kun, would you like to go shopping for clothes with me soon?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright, it's a date." She pulled out a set of pajamas, "Now, get in the shower and into these when you're done."

The boy nodded and ran to the bathroom.

He's so happy to just have me here.

As soon as she heard the shower turn on, she collapsed on the floor and wept. If she was an adult, she would take him on as her own child in a heartbeat. She hated his guardians with everything in her. If she ever saw them again, she doubted she could restrain herself from taking a swing at them. The next day she was going to go straight to the Hokage and confront him about this.

I can't just not do anything, She wiped tears away from her face. He deserves so much better. If not for his parents, then for him.

The moment his parents sealed the demon inside him and died he had been cursed to a life of loneliness and solitude. For five years she believed he was cared for and nurtured like any child should be, but the reality of the situation was the opposite.

"I'll pw-protect you, teach you, and help you with everything."

From now on she would.

She pulled herself to her feet and went over to the sink to finish the dishes. Naruto was still too short to reach high enough to take care of them without something to stand on. Her plate was already full between working with Ibiki Sensei and her father's insistence that she continue shadowing at the hospital, but she would make a way to take care of this boy.

Naruto was in severe need of food that was not ramen and some clothes that were not orange. At the very least, she could do that, even if she could not give him all the time she wanted to.

Alright that's all for now. I actually hate this chapter and I feel like I should apologize. Haha Anyway, the next one will definitely be better. There might be some shopping with young Naruto mixed in with Arashi visiting Itachi at the Uchiha compound and getting pulled into a stare down with Fugaku – who definitely does not like her. I have to admit to liking the interactions between Arashi and the Uchiha clan so far from what I've messed with.

Anyhoo, share your thoughts, opinions, ideas, or suggestions in a review. I'd like to see what everything thinks of her team so far. Also, I'm considering shortening the chapters and just updating more often. More updates or longer chapters? I'm still undecided.

Thank you very much for reading and try to look over any grammatical mistakes that may have snaked their way in.