Chapter 3

Miso had been attending the academy with her year mates for a week now. They still teased her and her brother and nothing had really changed. Yet, Miso was still happy with how things were going. Naruto on the other hand had gotten into a nasty habit of ditching class. One because of his disappointment of how nothing had really changed and two because he wasn't used to sitting for eight hours a day. When it was just them and whatever their "teacher" gave them they had a lot more free time and could make their own schedule. Now with the longer hours, more work and the fact that Naruto now had to attend class his ditching had escalated. So had his pranks.

The pranks where mostly because in order to not get caught he was being a lot more resourceful and he wanted a little more attention.

Miso instead of training in the back yard of the apartment building this morning had decided to actually go to the training ground. So at 5 a.m. she headed over to training ground nine and began her usual Sunday ritual of throwing projectiles at a log and a few taijutsu drills. Except this time she was also going to work on chakra control. Miso had read a lot about the subject and understood chakra control was the processes of being able to channel and move your chakra to fit your needs. The concept wasn't too complex the only problem was the theory and actually performing the theory where two very different things.

Miso had looked up many different techniques and drills she could use to help her and consequently she found hundreds. She really wasn't surprised after all if you could think it you could do it. She thought about trying tree walking but quickly decided against as she could barely stick a leaf to her forehead. So attempting to walk up a tree would only get her injured. So for now she settled with the leaf exercises.

After hours of working on the exercises Miso started getting frustrated. She either didn't put enough chakra into the leaf so it kept falling of her forehead. She sometimes split the leaf because she charged way too much chakra into it. Then their where the select few times where she could get it to stick to her forehead but then it wouldn't come off. Giving an aggravated sigh Miso decided to take a break. She pulled out her Chakra paper, blank scrolls, and chakra ink and began practicing her funjutsu.

Miso and Naruto didn't have tons of money. The village paid for their apartment and their bills as well as their food. They were also given small allotted amounts of money to spend themselves each week like an allowance. It wasn't much but it was enough that when saved and spent carefully Miso was able to buy the things she needed for funjutsu. Naruto generally spent his money on prank supplies and ramen.

Miso had started studying funjustu when she saw a masked anbu man summon a dog to get the Hokage the day she killed that man. He cleaned up the blood and the body as well as dressed her brother's wounds. It was the first time she met the man, and it was his first time watching them. Miso knew that she and Naruto had anbu watching them. She could feel their presences and she had grown familiar with some of the chakra signatures. The guy with the white hair was new and it was his first and last time watching them. When he was about to leave and the dog came back Miso had asked him how he was able to make the puppy appear.

"Mista, how did da doggie appear," she asked with a thick voice as she was still crying.

He walked over to her and knelt in front of her ruffling her and her brother's hair, "I summoned it with this scroll".

After that Miso researched as much as she could and started her training on funjutsu. After a few months of reading the books she could get from the library and discovering she had a knack for the subject Miso's interest in just being able to summon a pet turned to a love of the subject. When she ran out of the books she could check out Miso started checking out taijutsu books. There weren't any ninjutsu books aside from the basics but Miso had decided to veto those as she would learn them at the academy. Ji-chan had found her rereading one the library's funjutsu books and he gave her accesses to more complex books that where chunin required clearance. He also bought her paper, ink, and scrolls so she could start practicing. He even gave her a few lessons here and there.

The first seal she worked with was actually an explosive tag seal. After successfully being able to recreate the seal she began experimenting with it till she was able to control how long it took to explode and how big or small the explosions were. It took her months to be able to do that. When she had finally mastered it she started working on her next seal. However thanks to Naruto she developed smoke bomb seals and paint bomb seals. He asked her for help on a prank and the next thing she knew she had devolved multiple prank seals.

Currently she was able to do: her special explosive tags, smoke tags, paint tags, a small barrier tag, and paralyzing tag that held her opponents for ten seconds. She'd been studying the subject for five years you think she would have accomplished more. Yet she was only nine, she had no real teacher, it was all self-study, and funjutsu was a complex art. It was filled with rules yet had no real rules at the same time. If you could think it you could use funjutsu for it. Yet funjutsu had three basic concepts: you can't create something out of nothing it had to already be there, the amount of chakra you put into determined the outcome and you couldn't bend the laws of nature and chakra.

Also Miso was doing self-study with taijutsu that took up her time. So she wasn't fully focused on funjutsu.

Miso was slowly creating a storage scroll right now. Her breathing was calm, her mind was focused, and her tiny hands gently held her brush as she created smooth even complex strokes. This wasn't her first scroll she had done a few others but she kept messing up. Funjutsu was complex because it dabbled into space- time ninjutsu, charka natures, natural energy, and the users own abilities. Summoning scrolls, storage scrolls, explosive notes, barriers, and seals all basically used some form of space-time ninjutsu. They filled empty spaces, created spaces, went to the spirit world, etc. A good funjutsu user was able to manipulate the space time continuum only masters like the Toad Sage, the fourth Hokage and experts of the Uzumaki clan and were fully able to fully comprehend and utilize these concepts.

Funjutsu wasn't uncommon a few jounin ninjas had learned how to do basic seals and small barriers. Medical Ninjas also dabbled in it. Yet a true master was able to create and copy seals. Instead of having set pattern seals they are able just create. Miso was working on becoming a master. She already had vast knowledge on the subject now she was working on implementing it.

She had just finished her last stroke when she heard a cry of pain and a rustle of bushes. She put her stuff aside and grabbed a kunai in her left hand as she slowly approached the area where she heard the disturbance. When a white blur jumped at her causing her to exclaim in alarm and fall backwards on her back. She heard a groan of pain and felt a small weight on her chest. Miso tensed and looked to see what was on her and had hold in a squeal of delight. A white fluffy bunny was on her. However she quickly turned serious when she saw crimson on the fur.

She gently picked the hare and cradled it to her as she walked over to her backpack pulling out her first aid kit and some animal food. She gently placed the rabbit in lap as she began to examine its injuries. It had a few lacerations that weren't too deep on its legs and belly. One of his front legs was sprained, and his right ear had a small triangle shaped chunk out if it near the top. Yet what was most surprisingly was that the rabbit had a set of small white fluffy wings on its back. The wings weren't injured but Miso was a little hesitant to the adorable bunny. Bunnies don't have wings. Yet she continued to clean the wounds and bandage the animal.

The bunny was a little weird for rabbit. It looked more like a cute stuffed animal or an animated bunny that Miso saw on tv. Its legs and arms weren't angled like a regular rabbits, it was bigger than regular rabbit. Had a large round face with a button nose, and large floppy ears, a cute fluffy tail that was like a cotton ball and small fluffy wings that where barely rabbit had a medium sized scroll clutched in his paws. Miso could see that the scroll was badly damaged.

The small creature began to stir and when it opened its adorable eyes, that were oddly very serious looking, it registered that it was with a stranger it began to struggle to get away. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you Usagi-san, its okay," Miso cooed to the small creature as she gently pulled it back to her and stoked its head. The bunny looked at her with its big eyes and nuzzled into her hand. "Let me finish fixing you up, here I have some food too," Miso said to the rabbit as she opened the bag of animal food and spilled some of the food unto the ground for the bunny to eat.

Miso continued to say a few words of encouragement and comfort to the injured animal as she finished cleaning the cuts and bandaging it. By the time she was done the little white hare had finished eating.

"Thank you," a baritone voice said. Causing Miso's eyes to widen in shock and she promptly passed out.

When she came around she felt a soft fluffy bunny paw patting her face trying to bring her into conciseness. "Y-y-you talk, Usagi-san," she stuttered out, pink dusting her cheeks in her embarrassment of passing out.

"Yes. Thank you for your aid and food". The white hare began walking away from Miso with the damaged scroll still in its hands.

"Where are you going Usagi-san?"

"Why do you keep calling me Usagi-san, why do you keep using san?"

"I use san for everyone but Nee-chan, Sensei, and Ji-chan. Everyone deserves respect. My name is Miso Uzumaki, what's your name?" Miso smiled gently at the rabbit making the rabbit want to hug her because of how innocent she looked. Miso also wanted to hug him because of how adorable he looked with such a fluffy body and serious eyes.

"My name is actually Usagi. Yes a hare named hare very original but I'll have you know it's a very honorable name for a rabbit summon," Usagi paused for a moment and gave Miso a curious look, "It's actually a little funny that you've been calling me by name the whole time. I guess it shouldn't be surprising considering you were just calling me what I am."

"Hai, it is a coincidence but Usagi-san, were are you going?" Miso asked as she began petting the hare, the hares' leg began to involuntary move by itself as it shook like a dog's leg in pleasure.

"Nowhere really, my previous summoner has mistreated me and my fellow summons so we broke the contract. Now I'm looking for a safe place for our summoning scroll and a place I can rest". Usagi began to attempt to walk away from Miso's petting but he was enjoying the cuddles way too much. He even began to oddly purr as she scratched right behind his ear.

"You can stay with me and my Nee-chan till you find someone. Let me get my stuff and we can head home," Miso picked up Usagi and held him to her as she used her left hand to gather up her funjutsu stuff, her shuriken and kunais. Once packed she shouldered her back pack and started walking back home. On the way home she continued to talk to Usagi, it was a one sided conversation but she didn't stop talking.

"The weather is nice today isn't? You know when it comes to weather I actually prefer rainy days over sunny ones. Rain helps everything and cleanses it. I also like the sunrise, their just something about watching the sun come up and lighten the darkened sky. Sunsets are nice too but there's just something sad about watching the sun go down. But when the sun rises and you see those few moments of total peace it's amazing. Sometimes I like to climb up Hokage Mountain just to be able to see the sun rise over the village and forests. I'm planning on going to tomorrow if you want you can come too.

I am a little nervous for tomorrow I have to go school. I don't really mind school but it just hanging around people—" Miso was cut off as she tripped and face planted on the ground. She held Usagi protectively as she fell so he wouldn't get hurt. Just as quick as it happened Miso stood up and began talking again.

Usagi liked this human. He didn't like a lot of humans but he liked this one. Her constant talking usually would have annoyed him but for some reason he knew this was uncommon for the girl and didn't have the heart to tell her to shut up. That and her melodical voice was soothing to his floppy ears. He was surprised to find the girl make a few stops on the way to her home. She stopped at the market and bought a bag of groceries, she had to adjust her hold so that her backpack was fully on her back now and Usagi was more or less cradled in her left arm as her right held the bag of food. She waved to a few villagers, she stopped by a box of stray cats and gave them water and food. She helped an old man cross the street. She stopped at a ramen shop called Ichiraku and asked if they needed her to do anything and then she was given the task to pass out fliers.

Miso had to put the groceries in her back pack and had to adjust her old so that her left hand was not only holding him but the fliers also as she passed them out to people as she continued walking home.

What was most surprising to the rabbit was that looks the girl was getting, he could see the stares. The hateful ones, the angry ones, the pitied ones, so many eyes where constantly on this girl. While she moved around and pleasantly helped people he could feel a giant barrier between her and everyone else. His musings where cut off as he began to hear the girl hum. Now most people would leave her be and let her hum away but Usagi wasn't a person and he wasn't a normal rabbit. Her humming followed the chakra pattern around them. He would have thought it was a coincidence but as they climbed the stairs to her apartment building the rhythm changed and she changed her humming too.

All summons had different abilities and where special in their own way. Rabbit summons where known as the lucky summons because if you had a rabbit scroll you had the ability to summon thousands of rabbits and each rabbit had a special skills. All rabbits from the spirit realm and summoning scroll had the ability to sense natural energy and chakra. They where built for it, their large ears picked up on the rhythm and sound, their whiskers and noses could feel chakra and when they closed their eyes and focused they could see it. So finding a human who had sensory abilities that matched up to the sensitivity of a rabbits abilities almost seemed impossible. Yet this girl seemed to be able too. Usagi remained silent on his discovery still unsure if it was just his imagination.

When they entered the apartment Usagi was pleased to see it so orderly and clean. Miso set him down gently on their worn brown couch. She then proceeded to put her things away. Oddly Miso was a little nervous having Usagi in her home. Her and her Nee-chan had a small one bedroom apartment with a bathroom, kitchen area, and dining room that was part of her living room. It wasn't in bad shape and was rather clean, but this was the first time that Miso had anyone in her house that wasn't Ji-chan. She was never happier in her life that Naruto had actually done his chores and the living room wasn't a mess.

Her and her Nee-chans bedroom was small allowing for really only a book shelf (that held all of Miso's funjutsu stuff), their beds and a dresser along with their closet. Naruto got the dresser for his clothes and Miso got the closet for her clothes. The closet also doubled as a storage space for Naruto's prank items, spare blankets, towels, and cleaning items. Their bathroom was small and wasn't anything special. The kitchen was well stocked and organized. The living room held their dinner table, a couch, another book shelf, a few potted plants, and the large window that led out to the small balcony that held the twins' garden. There of course where a few things here and there that showed it was the twin's home. Origami figurines on some shelves, a few pictures hanging on the walls of the twins and Sarutobi, some stuffed animals and old toys in a corner.

"You must still be hungry Usagi-san," Miso said as she handed the bunny a large carrot for him to munch on. Miso herself had a few rice balls on a plate that she set on their coffee table. She also brought over two cups, one filled with tea the other one water. "How are your injuries? I'm not a healer so if there really bad we can take you to the Inuzuka's and have them treat you".

"They are fine thank you, I don't really have serious injuries just a bunch of small ones," Usagi's baritone voice said.

"Okay, just say the word and I'll take you to them. You can stay here as long as you need, I don't really have spare bed or anything but I can give you some spare blankets and pillows and we can make a little nest here for you," Miso signaled towards the couch.

"Thank you again for your kindness. If it's not too much trouble I would like to meet with your parents to discuss—"the rabbit trailed off as Miso's smiled dimmed ever so slightly and a pained look came in her eyes.

"Gommenasi Usagi-san, my parents are dead. It's just me and my Nee-chan but if you need anything just let me know!" The girl finished with a bright smile. Usagi nodded and the two then continued eating in silence mentally kicking himself.

The rest of the day seemed to pass by quietly as Miso stayed in the apartment and continued her study of funjutsu. Usagi roomed freely walking on his two back legs like a human as he listened to the radio, read a few of her spare books and sat outside by her garden. When the hare had first stood up and began moving Miso let out a squeak of surprise and almost dropped the dishes she was washing. She caught the dishes but when she moved to put them away she banged her elbow against the counter and hit her head against the cupboard.

"Miso! What's for dinner?!" Naruto yelled as he entered their home covered in mud and paint. Miso hurried over to him with a towel and directed him to their bathroom.

"Beef stew, there was a sale on meat at the market. Put your clothes in the hamper and I'll wash them later tonight after dinner".

"Beef stew is good too bad you didn't make ramen".

Miso sweet dropped at her brother, "You had ramen for breakfast today, and most likely lunch, and you at ramen yesterday for dinner…"

"Of course Ramen is the best!"

"The vegetables should be close to harvest and will only take another few days, how bout we wait till then and I'll make homemade ramen with our fresh vegetables?"

"You're the best!" Naruto shouted from the other side of the bathroom door, Miso could vaguely hear the water start filling the tub.

"Your brother," Usagi stated more than questioned from his position on the couch. Miso nodded and went back to the kitchen to finish cooking.

"Oh, I almost forgot! What would you like for dinner Usagi-san?"

"I'll just have what you're making".

"I don't know if that's healthy for y—"

"I can have normal food I'm not a normal rabbit".

"Oh…" she trailed off weakly, "I'm sorry if you didn't like the food I gave you earlier".

"Its fine I can eat animal food too and you didn't know. Is your brother always so excited?"

"Hai, that's what's best about him. He doesn't let anything get him down and he is always smiling. My Nee-chan is amazing," Miso had a faraway look in her eye as she talked about her brother a real smile was actually on her face. This smile unlike her other smiles lit up her who face and made the area around her seem to brighten.

"You smile a lot".

"Ne, is that a bad thing?"

"No".

They then fell into another silence. Usagi started looking at the girls funjutsu work on the table, Miso before dinner had started working on the storage scroll again. The hare was impressed by the immaculate work. The strong stokes of the paintbrush, the perfect placement and organization, the seal formation was near perfect. Usagi closed his eyes and placed his paws together in a praying like position "Kankaku" he said. The black behind his eye lids now filled with the faint chakra signatures of what was around him. He positioned his head towards the scroll and looked at the chakra in the ink. He was oddly proud that the little girl had the chakra balanced perfectly. While he was still in his sensory mode Usagi focused towards Miso who was cutting up vegitables. She had large amounts of unfocused chakra but aside from that she was normal. He didn't know what he was excepting but he was hoping there would be something else to help prove that she was a sensory type. He released the jutsu and took a deep breath getting used to the world again.

He then looked at the books and papers to the side of the scroll and began looking through those. He had to hold her personal notes really close to his face as he read as he left his glasses back in the summoning realm. He would usually just pop back and grab them but he couldn't with the scroll damaged as it was; if he popped back he wouldn't be able to return. That's why he was still here he needed to find someone to repair the rabbit scroll and he needed to find a new owner.

"It smells great, Miso," Naruto exclaimed as he came into the room he was no dressed in a plain black t-shirt and shorts and how the white towel hanging around his neck. No sign of paint and mud anywhere. He walked into the kitchen and started grabbing bowls and spoons to set the table.

"One more," Miso said adding another bowl and spoon to his pile of dishes. Naruto gave her a confused look but proceeded to set their table anyways. Usagi had cleared away the funjutsu stuff off the table and was now observing the siblings.

"Is the old man coming to dinner tonight?"

"No," the blonde girl looked at her brother then giggled as she realized Naruto didn't know that they had a guest. A white, fluffy, adorable, talking rabbit of a guest. Miso having one of her bouts of mischief decided to wait and see how long it would take her brother to realize that Usagi was there.

Once dinner was ready Miso took the stew and had Naruto carry the rice over to the table. She quickly dished everyone their servings. Naruto still hadn't grasped that Usagi was there. Usagi gave Miso a look and she just winked at the rabbit. He grinned evilly when he figured out what Miso was doing, Usagi loved pranks. Naruto spent the whole dinner talking animatedly about his pranks and what he did that day. Miso added a few words here and there but preferred to just listen to her Nee-chan. Finally after her Nee-chans fourth serving and Usagi's third. Miso started cleaning up the dishes.

"Nee-chan, you're going to need to clean up the mess you made in the bathroom. I'm sure theirs paint and dirt everywhere… Nee-chan? Nee-chan?" Miso placed the bowls down in the sink as she looked towards the kitchen table to her brother who wasn't answering her. Naruto was looking at Usagi with scrutiny.

"Where the hell did she come from?"

"I'm a male you dimwitted monkey," Usagi said as he took a sip of the tea that Miso had made.

"Augh! It talks!" Naruto fell out of his chair as he pointed towards the white hare, "Holy crap!"

"Nee-chan that's my friend Usagi-san. He will be staying with us for a while. Is that okay?"

"Sure, sure," Naruto waved her off and began throwing questions at Usagi at a rapid pace. He even started poking the poor animal a bit. The final straw was when Naruto picked the rabbit up by one of his hears and held him up to his face so they were making eye contact, "Aside from the angry eyes, he really does look like a girl".

"Nee-chan I don't thin—"

Slap! Usagi promptly bitch slapped Naruto across the face causing Naruto to drop the rabbit and fly across the room. Usagi may have put a little bit of chakra into the hit. The hare felt guiltily immediately when he turned around and he saw Miso giving him the biggest puppy dog eyes ever, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Nee-chan," she cried as she ran over to her brother tripping on her way and falling unto Naruto who had just started getting back up. Now both siblings where on the ground, one for the second third time that evening.

"Ouch, Miso you need to be more careful," Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head and helped his sister off him. When they where both standing back up Naruto abruptly turned towards the rabbit and began yelling at it, "What the heck you stupid fuzz ball!"

"You were in my personal space and I felt violated and threatened so I reacted".

"So you slapped me like a girl! You really are a women!"

"Stop calling me a female!"

The two where now glaring at each other. Then all of a sudden they felt a gloomy presence in the room. They both turned towards the gloomy aurora and found Miso with her back facing them and her forehead pressed against the wall a few mushrooms growing on her a cold breeze went through the room making them both shiver, "What's wrong with being female? Females are just as good of males, stop acting like its a bad thing and saying derogatory things about them. I'm a female too…" She then turned to them with big sad eyes, "Females give birth, do you give birth?"

They both shook their heads no.

"Then females are better then males".

"Your right Imouto! I wish I was a girl, right Baka Usagi?"

"Right, I'm proud to be likened to a girl".

Miso smiled at them and skipped off as if nothing had happened and went back to doing dishes, "Nee-chan don't forget to clean the bathroom," she called from the kitchen.

Later that night when Naruto had gone to bed and Miso was still up looking through the living room window at the moon with Usagi when he made a decision that would change both of their lives. The moon light filtered through the room and the two of them sat in companionable silence.

"Usagi-san, I know you don't want to talk about your past summoner or the scroll but I have to ask… the wings…"

The rabbit sighed and put the book he was reading that was the size of him down, "The wings are part of my ability. Let me start from the beginning. All summoning scrolls are special in their own right. The rabbit scroll just happens to be sought after as much as one of the sage scrolls because the rabbit scroll is known as the lucky scroll or the scroll with a thousand summons…Rabbits breed quickly," Usagi's and Miso's faces tinted pink, "Because of that this scroll has tons of animals that can be summoned. After all more and more rabbits are born every year… my family is really big… Each rabbit not only has great chakra sensory but they each have their own special ability. So it makes this scroll more diverse than most. Generally those who study the art of sealing either tries for this scroll or toad scroll. So this scroll would be useful to you. Multiple summons of this scroll are skilled in funjutsu. Also Kashikoi, the largest most powerful summon of this scroll does have the ability to teach people to become sages. However, he has never taught anyone to become a sage".

"Wow, he must be really wise and hard to please".

"Not really, he's really lazy and prefers to eat and gamble. He just hasn't found someone worth the time. Our last contract holder misused the contract and the summons. So one day he summoned me and I decided to break the contract. We fought for some time and such an abrupt end to the contract between us caused the scroll to retain damage. That's why I'm still here instead of back at my home, I need to get the scroll repaired and then find a new summoner. Actually this is something I wanted to talk to you about, Miso, you can sense the chakra rhythms and natural energy like us rabbits can't you?"

"How did you know?"

"Your humming, you hum the rhythms around you. You're a special case, to have someone so attuned to chakra like a rabbit summon has never really been heard of. I would like you to be our new summoner. You've have shown me kindness and I can tell you have a good heart… I am also interested in your abilities".

"Why are you looking for a summoner?" Miso inquired.

"The honest truth is we rabbits get bored easily and things are much more interesting when we have a summoner. I could just destroy the scroll and return and no rabbits will ever be summoned again. However, everyone will murder me because we would be trapped from the human world and get extremely jaded," Usagi shrugged his shoulders, "your interesting abilities make you a prime candidate for us and prime entertainment".

Silence filled the room as they both looked out the window, "I'll do it".

"Good," Usagi smiled, "Now the first order of business that you have to do is repair the scroll".

"Hai, just one thing…. What about your wings? You never answered me".

"Some of us summoning rabbits are born with physical differences that pertain to our abilities. I'm Usagi the Messenger. I specialize in charka sensory, teleportation, scouting, communication, and knowledge. Most summoners like to have me with them in battle as I am able to aid them… The wings… really do nothing but allow me to fly. I assume it's to allow me to get to places quicker, there really more of a hindrance".

"I think their cute," Miso reached out her hand touched the wings causing Usagi to blush and look away.

"You can call me Usagi without the san, now that your my summoner".

"Okay Usa-chan".

"I said Usagi not Usa-chan, little girl".

"Yep, that you did Usa-chan".