Ryuu-sensei was in the middle of his lunch break when he was interrupted by the Uchiha twins.

"Ryuu-sensei!"

He jumped in surprise and nearly dropped his mug in response. He sighed in relief before turning calmly to the two boys. "Yes?"

"How do you did the shadow clone jutsu?"

Ryuu-sensei furrowed his brows at the question, "the shadow clone jutsu?"

"We've been at it all night, but it just doesn't seem to be working," said Itashi.

"Can you give us a few pointers?" Asked Takashi.

He took a deep breath before speaking, "do you guys remember the lesson I taught you guys yesterday?"

"Chakra?" Said Itashi questionably.

"Chakra," said Takashi.

"Yes," said Ryuu-sensei. "Ninjutsus require the building of Chakra. If you haven't started learning how to build up your Chakra, learning a ninjutsu is out of the question."

"Mom said something about that too didn't she?" Takashi said to Itashi.

Itashi scratched his head in frustration. "I still don't get it." He then asked, "Can you show us your shadow clone sensei? Maybe I can use my sharingan…"

"Idiot, you haven't even awakened it yet," said Takashi.

"Neither did you," hissed Itashi.

"But I still want to see it," said Takashi. "Ryuu-sensei, please?"

Ryuu-sensei sighed, "okay, just this once."

X

A few of the other kids were peering in from the window as they saw their sensei successfully create a shadow clone.

"Whoa that's so cool," said one of the girls.

One of the boys huffed, "I bet it's just because they're Uchihas that sensei is teaching them like this."

Hyuuga Haruka crossed her arms, "quit being so jealous Reiji. It doesn't mean we can't do the same."

"That's true," said another boy. "Just because Takashi and Itashi are from the Uchiha family doesn't mean the teacher will treat them any different."

"Un!" agreed Kinako. "We can't fall behind them now."

Haruka patted Kinako's head. "That's my girl Kinako." She then looked sharply at the boy she scolded earlier. "I'm not going to be falling behind anyone. I'll be at the targets, see you guys later if any of you guys don't want to fall behind."

X

Tsuka was strolling around Konoha by herself. She had been given the task to give her brothers their bentos that they forgotten. She sighed thinking about how simple minded they were. Itashi had always been the outspoken one who always spoke his mind. Takashi always held a smart front, but in reality he was just as scatterbrained as Itashi even if he chose his words better.

"Tsuka-chan!"

She turned to see the flower shopkeeper wave in her direction. She grinned, "Ino-san! Good afternoon."

"Doing errands for your mother again?"

Tsuka nodded. "I'm giving my brothers their bentos."

"Takashi and Itashi in school?"

She nodded again.

Ino smiled, "Oh, all of you kids have grown so quickly, I'm glad. Well I shouldn't be holding you back now."

Tsuka bowed, "I'll be on my way now!"

"Ah, wait a moment Tsuka-chan," said Ino quickly shuffling through her stuff. "Found it!" She then went around her stall and bent down to Tsuka's level and held out a red ribbon in her hand. "I believe this would look great on you."

"Ah, thank you," said Tsuka.

"Let me put it on for you," said Ino as she proceeded to tie the ribbon in her hair. Once she had finished, she stepped back to look at Tsuka in awe. She smiled as she gently stroked her hair. "It's perfect!" She took out a hand mirror to Tsuka as she giggled and added, "You look just like your mother when she was young."

Tsuka looked at herself in quiet awe. She then thanked Ino again, "Thank you Ino-san."

"Now get going! I hope I didn't hold you back for too long."

She shook her head before waving, "Bye!"

X

Tsuka was beginning to feel nervous, she had never been in a courtyard with so many older children. She was famous around town for being Konoha's princess, but it was only a front.

"What's such a small girl doing here?" Said a voice.

Tsuka looked around for the owner of the voice who?

"Up here, pinky,"

Tsuka looked up to see a boy, around the age of her brothers. He had messy black hair and piercing red eyes that contrasted the color of his dark outfit. She wanted to argue with him, but she held her tongue, she didn't want to make a bad impression on her brothers' possible classmate. She nodded tautly, "hello, sorry do you know where I can find Takashi and Itashi Uchiha?"

"Oh, those two?" The boy then stepped down from the tree and landed beside Tsuka. He then pointed towards the building. "I'll try your luck around the east end, they've been nagging the teacher all day today."

Tsuka "ah, thank you…"

"Akashi Sarutobi"

"Akashi-kun," bowed Tsuka promptly before leaving. When she arrived at the building Akashi had mentioned, she found two boys loitering around there. "Um excuse me?"

"No that's not how the technique works, don't you have to muster up your energy as if you're constipated?"

"Nano, you're an idiot, it's chakra-not constipation."

"Um hello?"

"But I'm talking more about the feeling," said Nano. "It's like you're constipated."

"Excuse me!

"What?" Both boys faced Tsuka suddenly which surprised her.

"I'm sorry for bothering you guys but have any of you seen Takashi and Itashi Uchiha?"

The boy who scolded Nano replied, "oh the twins, I think they're at the field just behind this building." He then looked at Tsuka curiously, "you're an uchiha too?"

She nodded timidly.

"You're scaring her Shikaku," reprimanded Nano. "Sorry he's not rude, just very blunt."

Tsuka shook her head, "it's okay, thank you!" She took her leave from there.

"She looks nothing like her brothers," noticed Shikaku.

"But she's pretty cute," said Nano. "I wonder if she's going to be as popular as Haruka and Kinako if her generation."

"Sounds troublesome," said Shikaku.

X

"Takashi-nii, Itashi-nii," yelled Tsuka.

But her brothers were too busy to notice their little sister approaching. They were trying to muster their chakra for a technique, but they were having no results.

"What are you guys doing?" Asked Tsuka trying to get their attention again.

"Shadow clone technique," said Itashi looking as if he were constipated. "Obviously I'm going to get it first."

Takashi rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. When Nano said something as weird as feeling constipated, you take his word into actual consideration."

"Hey you did too," retorted Itashi.

"Did not"

Tsuka sighed at the ridiculousness of their conversation. She should be used to this, but she couldn't help but think how stupid they were. "Mom told me to give you guys lunch."

"Lunch sounds good," said Takashi.

"Yeah, lunch sounds pretty good…but I'm going to get this mastered first." Itashi refocused himself.

"Oh yeah? Then I'll get it before you," said Takashi clearly unwilling to lose.

"Okay I'm leaving," said Tsuka rolling her eyes.

But before she left, Takashi motioned to her to come to him. She unwillingly obeyed.

"What?"

He pointed at her head. "Is that new?"

"Oh, the flower lady gave it to me," said Tsuka slight shy about it.

Itashi then paused from his practice to comment on it. "It's cute! You look just like mom when she was younger."

Takashi felt his forehead before feeling Tsuka's. "I didn't realize how big your forehead was."

Tsuka pouted, "it's not that big."

He chuckled before tapping her forehead, "I'm just kidding. It suits you."

Tsuka felt her forehead before motioning Takashi closer.

"What?"

She then felt his forehead. "Your forehead is pretty big too."

Takashi look flustered. "I do?"

Itashi laughed, "Mr. big forehead."

"Itashi," said Takashi rolling his eyes. "For your idiot sake we're identical twins. You're literally just making fun of yourself."

"No-" said Itashi before trailing off. "...oh right."

"I'm off," said Tsuka before she heard her brothers talk more nonsense.

"Then my forehead is better,"

"Who cares we're twins"

X

After a few days passed, the boys were beginning to bear fruit in their practice.

"Sensei!" Both boys ran to their teacher who was just exiting his office to go home.

"What is it?" Ryuu felt his muscles tighten in anticipation, the twins were his most chaotic students by far. They had burned down one of the practice dummies after a kunai throwing competition. Fortunately no one was hurt, but it emphasized that if anything went wrong with the new freshman generation, it would most likely be a cause of the Uchiha twins.

"We got the shadow clone technique," bragged Itashi.

"What?"

"Most of it at least," clarified Takashi.

Ryuu raised his eyebrow, most of it? "Alright let's see it."

The boys then each signed the usual shadow technique signs, but the last sign was shared between them, Takashi's right hand and Itashi's left. "[Shadow clone jutsu!"

One shadow clone popped up between them. But instead of having the clone have a parting to his hair like the twins, the clone had bangs that covered his entire face humorously.

Ryuu couldn't help but burst in laughter. "Haha…he has...a...middle parting...hehehe. Oh goodness, how ridiculous..ahaha."

Takashi, itashi, and the clone all looked displeased. "Ryuu-sensei"

He quickly recollected himself. "Sorry making a clone must be done by one individual, not a collaboration." He studied the clone's face before speaking again. "But I'm impressed that you two were able to get the basics of the technique down."

Both boys sighed before they dispersed their triplet shadow clone. Takashi bowed politely, "thank you for your time."

"Thank you Ryuu-sensei," added Itashi.

Ryuu nodded before waving the boys off.

X

Sakura was laughing after the twins showed her their newly acquired skill. She was holding her stomach from the pain of the laughter. Before she spoke, she took a deep breath. "Oh dear." She then examined the shadow clone triplet herself.

"Are you done laughing mom," asked the clone.

She shook her head, "Never if it's my boys. You look just like your originals-except for the bangs."

Tsuka was nervously looking at her brothers' shadow clone. "Mom why are there three of them, get rid of one."

Sakura giggled to herself as she swept the clone's hair in the middle. She fawned over him, "now you look just like your father when he was a genin."

Takashi and Itashi perked up, "really?"

"But of course I think your dad was more handsome," said Sakura teasingly.

"But mom," said Itashi. "Dad was so old school."

"Yeah, the middle split is so weird," added Takashi.

Sakura kissed the clones forehead. "That's okay, I think you two were cooler than him. Maybe even more talented than him."

They dispersed their clone unconsciously when they heard that, more talented?

"Mom! It's dad's eagle," shouted Tsuka pointing out at an approaching messenger bird.

Sakura then looked out of the kitchen window that she looked out from. "Oh, you're right Tsuka. What could your dad be sending now?"

She slipped the note capsule off the the eagle's leg and unraveled the note.

"I'm coming home soon"

Tsuka perked up and exclaimed, "Dad's coming home!"