"Sa… yo… mi…"

"Eh, Sayo-chan, what are you doing?" a young Leiko asked, poking her head into the schoolroom. There was Sayomi, sitting at the old desk, her long hair spilling out over the paper as she scribbled something down using the brush she held in her fat, four year-old fingers. Leiko walked inside curiously, having just come from the kitchen with a snack. The writer looked up curiously, and one could tell that she had been at it for quite some time now. Her fingers were stained black, and there was a large black ink smear going across her face where she had attempted to brush one of her long strands of hair out of her eyes. Leiko stared at her curiously, an onigiri in each hand, and watched in awe as her friend held up several sheets of paper filled to the brim with the same three kanji over and over again.

"I'm writing my name!" she declared proudly, showcasing her handiwork. Leiko scurried over onto the enormous seat that Sayomi was sitting in and looked at the shapeless ink blotches adorning the calligraphy paper.

"Coooool…" she said with a smile. Leiko couldn't yet read kanji, but if these drawn splotches were Sayomi's name, then by gum, she would learn to read them!

"See?" Sayomi said, moving the papers around until she found the one that Koruna-senpai had drawn out for her. "My name means 'born at night'."

"Leiko began to laugh, and Sayomi flicked her in the forehead as retribution.

"Meh~!" the girl replied, tugging on Sayo's hair.

"Then shut up and listen!" Sayomi replied, pointing to the second one. "This one is more complicated than the first, but I'm almost done learning how to write it, and then the last one is the most complicated of all!"

"So you were born at night?" Leiko asked, scratching her head; to her, all the splotches looked the same. "How do they know you were born at night?"

"Who cares?" Sayomi snapped, crossing her arms. Leiko laughed, handing her the onigiri she had brought with her, and together, the girls began heading for the courtyard for a late lunch.

"And what will you be having, young lady?" the Ramen salesman asked me. I shook my head.

"I can't decide. I guess I'll just take the special," I answered. Naruto commended me on my choice, saying that it was probably the best (and most expensive) thing on the menu.

"Unfortunately, that's not always the case," Sakura said. "You won't always get the best quality for the highest price, not in this town." She smiled at me. "But Teuchi-san makes the best ramen in the world, there's no doubt about that!"

She certainly seems nice, I thought, although my brother had warned me to keep an eye out for her. He said that she was too smart for her own good, and that it wouldn't take very long until she caught on to what I was trying to do, especially since everything I did resembled him in one way or another.

"So you're from the Sand Village," Kakashi said. My brother said that he would be the first to put the pieces together, but he wouldn't say or do anything to incriminate me until he had proof against me.

"I was born and raised there," I answered.

"Really? What do your parents do?" Naruto replied. My face turned red.

"Well, actually… I don't… I don't really know my parents," I answered sadly. "I was abandoned at birth on the cliffs surrounding the Hidden Sand."

"Seriously?" Sakura asked. "That's weird. I never thought anyone from the Sand would do something like that."

"The man who found me said that I was small and had a weak heart. My parents probably thought I was going to die anyways, so they left me right by the edge, possibly thinking a gust of wind would finish the job," I replied.

"You say a man found you? Who?" Kakashi asked.

"He's dead," I answered simply. No use in reminding myself why I was here. "I've been on my own for the past two months. I don't really like to talk about it."

"Then we won't make you," Naruto said as the soup was placed in front of us. I plunged my chopsticks into the noodles and began to devour it like the Akatsuki was on my heels. Everyone had barely eaten half when I placed my utensils across the top of my bowl and announced that it had been delicious.

"You're done?!" Naruto shrieked. My brother had laughingly told me that Naruto prided himself on being the fastest Ramen eater in the Village. It was the first time I had ever heard him laugh, and it was the most beautiful sound in the world. Now, seeing Naruto's disbelieving face, I remembered his laugh in my mind. It was so happy, so… normal, that I just had to laugh along.

"Yes, Naruto," I said after my giggles had subsided. "I'm always done first." My happiness faded when I realized that I had lied. When I was still in the Hidden Sand, I would anger my mentor by eating as slowly as humanly possible. But it's amazing how fast you learn to eat when your brother is an international criminal, and a single second could mean the difference between life and death. But the laughter was worth it.

After Naruto had finished sulking over his food, we all stood up and walked towards the Academy, where Sakura offered to show me a place nearby where I could stay.

"The rooms are a little small, but-" she began as we walked through the bustling streets.

"I don't care about size, as long as it's a roof over my head," I interjected. "And money's not a problem either. I've got plenty."

Sakura's eyes got frighteningly narrow.

"Oh yeah?" she asked. "Where'd you get it?"

"I worked a couple of odd jobs here and there," I answered lightly- another lie. "I've just never had the chance to spend it."

We stopped in front of a tall building. It was old compared to some of the others, but it looked sturdy and comfortable.

"Right. Well, here we are. There's only one room left, and it's right upstairs from Naruto's, so he'll be there if something happens, although I can't guarantee he'll know what to do if it does."

I smiled and we walked inside.

"Say, what's the deal between you two anyways?" I asked, remembering the one detail my brother had conveniently left out. "Sounds like you guys have known each other for a while."

"You can say that again," Sakura answered as we walked up the stairs. "We've been best friends for years, although I really hate his guts sometimes."

"Yeah," I said, grinning. "He's not very mature, is he?"

"Nope. But he's still my best friend. Him, and…" She stopped and stood for a moment, and then continued her ascent.

"And…?"

"There was another… he was more than just my friend. I actually like him. But he wasn't into me like that. He wasn't into anyone but himself," she replied quietly. I said nothing.

"Well, here's your room," Sakura said, holding the door open for me.

My first impression of it was that it was incredibly shabby. The walls would need a new coat of paint, because the current olive green was peeling off of the molding sheetrock. In the larger room, which I assumed to be the living room, was a large window that could desperately use a cleaning, and in the back were two doors leading to what would soon become my bedroom and my bathroom… given everything was in working order. The floors were dusty, but underneath the layers of grime I could tell that there was a firm sheet of quality hardwood paneling, ready to be mopped, polished, and waxed to perfection.

"It's perfect!" I squealed.

"Well, I'm glad," she answered with a smile. "Now, put your stuff down and come on. We have to introduce you to the head honchos of the Ninja Academy."

I gulped. More lying? My brother had warned me that I would have to do a lot of that once I got here. But still… it went against my nature to lie.

Half an hour later, I had on my best poker face as I watched the three people in front of me whispering secretively. I knew they were talking about me, and it was pissing me off.

"Well… she certainly does look like him…" the woman commented.

"But her hair and her eyes… they're different!" the man on her right argued.

"She could've just dyed it," the woman replied.

"It's impossible to dye your eyes!"

"Well, whatever the case may be," the woman said, raising her voice to a level that everyone could her. "If what this girl says is true, then she has traveled all the way from the Land of the Wind to our village, simply to train with Kakashi. It just wouldn't be fair to turn her away, especially since we're rather… short at the moment."

Naruto placed his hand on my shoulder for moral support. I smiled at him, and noticed that his expression was rather scrutinizing. He was smiling, but I could tell that he was looking at me closely.

"My dear," the woman said, turning to me. "We have noticed a strange familiarity in your facial features."

Uh oh… I thought. This isn't good. My brother said they'd fall for it, but now I'm not so sure. Then again, my brother's always right, so I should have nothing to fear. Still…

"Lucky for you," she continued, "we do only believe this to be a coincidence."

I exhaled. Maybe they weren't on to me yet.

"However, in order to confirm that our suspicions are nothing more that paranoia, we have to ask you a question. If we feel that you are telling the truth, we will let you stay. If not, we will have to hand you over to the ANBU."

I gulped. The ANBU? The infamous group of intelligence agents? If that's the case then… I'd just have to lie like my life depended on it… which it did.

"Are you in any way familiarized with the name… Uchiha?"

Of course, you stupid woman! It's the reason why I'm here, I thought bitterly. But I couldn't say that, or else I would have to deal with the ANBU, and that was all the way at the bottom of my To-do List. I wouldn't say anything, of course. But the ANBU was rumored to be brutal when it came to making people talk. They would squeeze me until I revealed the fact that I was sent to Konohagakure to make sure that Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Hatake Kakashi never, ever got in our way again. Of course, I had my own, personal reasons for wanting Naruto dead, and the entire plan was my idea anyways considering I fully intended on involving the Akatsuki, but they would take care of themselves eventually.

For now, I had to fight against my nature one last time.

And I had to do it for him.

My twin.

My Sasuke.

Déjà-vu

"Kyaa!"

The clang of kunai striking katana rang out across the courtyard as Sayomi and Leiko ensued their daily training. Sparks flew as the girls hacked and slashed at each other in an effort to win their sparring match. Whoever won would break the tie and become the leader. The wins so far were tied; Leiko and Sayomi had both won thirty-eight matches against each other, and this one was probably one of the most intense ones they'd fought in a while.

"What'sa matter, Lei-chan?" Sayomi sneered, her face contorted in contempt and teasing, and her voice scattered from being out of breath. "Tired already? Or… do you think you can… take me on?"

"Tired?" Leiko replied with a sweaty grin. "I don't even… know what that means… Sayo-chan…"

"Bet you're having a hard time… keeping up… with those short legs of yours," Sayomi replied provocatively. "You sure you don't wanna… call it quits?"

"Are you kidding me?" Leiko replied, wiping her brow before she lunged at Sayomi, who darted out of the way quickly. "At least I don't… let the whole world… see what's under my skirt."

"You take that back, shrimp!" Sayomi screamed as they lunged for each other. Their weapons clashed and they sprang in opposite directions.

"Forget it, trollop!" Leiko answered, rearing her fists back in a punch. Sayomi blocked the blow easily, flipping out of the way rather than reciprocating with a kick. She folded her hands together in front of her.

"Wind Style: Flat Wind Jutsu!" she shouted, holding her hands up with her palms facing out, as though she were leaning her weight against something solid and heavy. Immediately, a wind erupted from her palms. It was enormous, strong, flat, and radiated to the sides in the shape of a triangle.

"Woah~!" Leiko yelped as she was blown off the edge of the cliff. Ramming her katana into the rock face, she screeched to a halt, sparks raining down onto her forehead protector. She hung there, attempting to get a foothold, when Sayomi appeared at the top of the cliff and grinned, her silhouette blocking the sunlight as she looked down.

"I win," she said simply, and began to walk off.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Leiko protested. "I helped you with that jutsu. Hey… get back here! You can't just leave me here! Sayomi? SAYOMI!"

Sayomi chuckled to herself. Leiko was a good ninja. She'd find a way to get back up by herself.

"Oh, come on, Lady Tsunade!" I said disbelievingly. "What kind of question is that? Sachi's not an Uchiha! I mean, look at her!"

"Naruto has a point, M'Lady," Sakura said pleasantly. I grinned. Finally, someone was agreeing with me! I mean, this whole interrogation thing was starting to get on my nerves!

"You're both correct. Still, as a matter of procedure, I have to ask her that question. It's just too close a call," Lady Tsunade answered. I pouted.

"Trust me, I would know if a girl walked in looking like Sasu-"

"No," Sachi answered firmly, throwing me a weird look. "I've never been affiliated with them."

"And yet, you share a strange resemblance with the single Uchiha we are the most familiar, and the most occupied with. Don't you find that strange?"

"It may be strange," Sachi answered, "But I can assure you that it's nothing more than a coincidence. How could I be an Uchiha? Unless I'm mistaken, only two survived the Great Massacre… two brothers. No one has seen them in a while. It's said that one of them remained here… but as a general rule, I and those I work with try to stay out of international matters that are not of our concern."

"I think she's alright," Iruka-sensei said. I smiled. He liked her, I could tell. Tsunade glared at each of us for a moment before finally closing her eyes and resting her face behind her eyes in defeat.

"Then we will let her stay," she replied quietly. "But if I hear anybad reports, any complaints, if I catch even so much as a hint of suspicious activity, you're out. Got it?"

Sachi nodded obediently. "Yes, Lord Hokage. I will do my best to obey all rules."

"You'd better," she replied firmly. "This isn't exactly something that happens every day. Now, Kakashi… since she is to be on your team, you will test her tonight and see how much she knows, then report back to me. But… for now… you four best take a break. Dismissed."

I spun around quickly and headed towards the door the minute that she let us out.

"Come on you guys!" I said, hustling them out. Why were they moving so slowly? Didn't they know that Amaguriama closes at sundown?

"What is it with you?" Sakura asked, yipping like one of those tiny, annoying dogs. "Why can't you stay in one place for longer than…"

Blah blah blah, I thought. Her nagging began to fade as I took a closer look at Sachi. She was smiling a little, her cheekbones raised happily. I was surprised Sakura didn't hate her yet. Sachi was definitely prettier, but I would never say it to Sakura's face. Sakura was too muscle-y. Sachi actually looked like a girl. Not to mention that she talked with a high-pitched voice that made her sound like a little kid…

The first thing I did when I got to my room was sleep. I had a weird dream, where cups of Instant Ramen were dancing around my room, but I woke up just as they were about to eat me alive. The sun was setting, and I was going to be late to the "exam", where Sachi had to prove her skills as a chūnin. But first…

… candy!

Sakura had left a note on the door telling us where we'd be fighting. It was in the forest by the river, where Sakura and I had met up to be tested the last time.

I arrived, panting and sweating.

"You're late," Sakura commented. "What's your excuse?"

"I overslept…" I replied, my face red from embarrassment.

"Wow. That's original," Sachi said from the tree behind me. I yelped, jumping backwards and ramming right into Sakura's head.

"Watch it, you dweeb!" she yelled, rubbing her enormous forehead.

"Well, excuse me, billboard brow!" I retorted angrily.

"If you weren't so damn clumsy…!"

"And if you weren't so damn touchy…!"

Sachi jumped down from her perch and walked over.

"A little maturity, please?" she interjected, pushing between us. "You're acting like five year-olds."

Well, no one asked you! I thought, angry that she had stopped me.

"I don't get why I always have to be the mature one!" I argued. Sachi stopped walking and stretched her arms towards the sky, her white wrist bindings shining in the moonlight.

She was wearing a beige sleeveless flack vest over a burgundy boat neck shirt with billowing sleeves. The vest was button-down, and it had a scroll pocket on the front that looked big enough for two scrolls. Her shirt looked like it was made from some kind of silky stuff, but it was too far away to tell. It seemed a little fancy for fighting, though. Then again, her beige and black miniskirt offered a… nice view.

At first glance, it looked like she was barefooted, but I looked closer and realized that she had on teeny little things that could barely be called sandals. The sole looked thin as paper, and fragile leather straps (tied together in various places) held the whole shoe together. But everything aside, her long, slender legs made up for everything else. In other words, Sachi was what I would call a perfect template for my infamous Sexy no-Jutsu

"What are you talking about, Naruto?" Sakura asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Everyone knows that I'm the mature one in this relationship."

"So now you two have a relationship? This is getting better and better," Sachi said smugly, bending down to touch her toes, her skirt riding up to a very… un-ladylike place.

"Don't you have a pair of shorts or something…?" I mumbled, turning away. Sakura grinned at my embarrassment.

"Hey, Sachi!" she said. I willed her to shut up. I was betting on this being payback for the comment I had made about her forehead.

"Yeah?" she asked, bending backwards in some perverted kind of bridge. She grinned at my horrified face, then stood straight again.

"Why's your skirt so short?" Sakura asked innocently. I scowled at her, and I knew she was laughing at me somewhere, deep inside that evil soul of hers.

"Oh, that's easy," she replied, bending over to touch her right foot. "Since I lived in the desert, I preferred a short skirt… but only because I'm always hot."

"You can say that again…" I mumbled.

"Huh?" she asked, switching to her right leg.

Damn me and my big mouth! I thought exasperatedly. Why can't I ever shut up?

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes behind us. Sachi whirled around, kunai in hand, ready to defend before I could even react. I just stared at her, analyzing the determined, fearless expression on her face, and wondering how the hell she was able to reach into her pack, pull out a kunai, turn around, and put on a face in less than half a second.

She's fast… I thought. Faster than Sasuke, even…

Suddenly, she stood right again and smiled, folding her hands in front of her and bowing to something I couldn't see.

"Konbanwa, Kakashi-sensei," she said graciously. "You're late."

"You'll get used to it," Sakura commented as Kakashi-sensei walked past, holding his favorite book.

"What, no bells today, Sensei?" I asked. "Or are you already up to the last chapter?"

Kakashi slammed his book shut and looked at me in the same calm, nonchalant way he looked at everyone else.

"I assumed you two already figured out the jist of it. And, since the point of this is for you to learn from each other," he answered, staring pointedly at Sachi, "I figured I should switch it up and make you fight against our new teammate while I… er… watch."

"But… Kakashi-sensei… isn't two against one a little unfair?" Sakura asked.

"Shut up, Sakura. No one asked you about what you thought was fair," I huffed.

"Why you little-"

"Fine," he said, cutting her off. "Now that you two are done making Sachi do a peep show, I wouldn't mind getting started."

Sachi looked at me in dismay. I immediately began defending myself, even though I knew it only made me look guiltier than I already did.

"I didn't! I was… and then Sakura, she… but I never…and I-I couldn't I just…" I stammered.

"Whatever," Sachi answered, cutting me off.

"Great going, genius," Sakura commented, and walked past me. I glared at her, but followed her lead anyway.

"Now then," Kakashi continued, turning towards Sachi. "I have to fill out this stupid report about you, and it would really help if you knew what I was looking for, so that we can all go home and sleep as quickly as possible. What I'm actually supposed to look for while you battle my students is whether or not you're able to…"

As Kakashi-sensei rattled off all the things that Sachi had to do, I took the chance to get a closer look at her. I wasn't really able to focus on anything while we were leaving Lady Tsunade, considering that Sakura was talking my ears off.

Sachi had a pale, porcelain skin tone with a gentle, rosy undertone, and her face was sharp and angular. Her cheeks rose a little when she smiled, and she had elegantly soft, long eyelashes. Her hair was light brown (almost blond, actually), and it hung down a little past her shoulders. Her bangs were cut so that her left eye was completely covered, but her right eye was out in the open. It fell over her headband, where she proudly displayed the symbol of the Sand Village. But her eyes in particular were eccentric. They reflected in the darkness, like the eyes of a cat. I knew they were gray from what I saw in the daylight, but I didn't notice just how gray they were until now. They were pretty… in a… weird… kind of… way… They didn't seem to match the rest of her, though. Everything about her screamed cuteness. But those eyes… they were just as cute as everything else when the sun was out. But at night… they were creepy.

She stared at us intently, brushing a strand of hair out of her open eye. Her hand was slender and pointed at the tip, almost as if she didn't use her hands to fight.

"Do you understand?" Kakashi-sensei asked. Sachi nodded, smiling.

"I don't think you'll need that," I said as she picked up her bag.

"I like having it with me," she replied, slinging it over her shoulder and almost hitting me in the face with it. I ducked, standing back up angrily.

"Hey, watch it! Be careful with that thing!" I yelled angrily.

She rolled her eyes. "You're such a baby."

"Yeah, Naruto. Not everyone has to carry their weapons around in their pockets like you do," Sakura said matter-of-factly. I glared at her. Who did she think she was? Acting like she was the queen of high intelligence or something! Just because she was good at medicine didn't give her the right to act like she was all that. I mean, she was always jerky to me, even after I came back from training away from home. But now that Sachi was on our team, it's gotten worse! This Sachi person wasn't even on the team for a day, and Sakura's already acting all weird… not to mention that Sachi seemed weirdly attracted to me, heh…

"Pay attention, Naruto!" Sakura hissed as Kakashi stepped behind us.

"Alright then," he said. "Let's begin."