Soda, that is the source of my energy and the apparent fuel of my muse.

I used to tell people to thank the makers of Dr. Pepper because it would get me through long nights ore give me the energy that I needed to write. Readers used to joke they would send me .

I still love Dr. Pepper but I've gone to Pepsi for a little while same affect though.

I always wondered if it almost works like my adderal used to. Hmm, well whatever.

Here's the next chapter.


The Seventh Encounter

-N-

The training room was an oval-shaped space with slanted, angled walls and two sturdy looking support beams spaced along the length of the room. Though it was called a training room Naruto could see it was actually the foundation of the house and what held up the floor above it and the rest. It could have probably been used for storage like any other basement, but it seemed their parents had improvised some allow some small amount of training to be possible in it's limited space.

Naruto expected the floor to be concrete, but it looked like wood had been laid down over it. The floor had a smooth cherry surface that allowed a bit more of a buffer than what solid concrete would supply during a fall. Taka was running a cloth from one end of the room to the other, polishing the floor in sprints. His bare feet pushed and pounded as he ran the drill. The chore itself could be considered a type of training if you wanted.

Naruto didn't interrupt him. She made sure she was out of his way and just looked around the room from her spot by the door.

A line of caged lamps was installed in the ceiling from one end of the room to the other so the room was bathed in light. Between one beam and the wall, a wooden pole was installed for chin-ups and other such exercises. A wing chun and a punching bag were pushed into a corner out of the way, both looking like they had just been cleaned off. A number of weights varying in size were organized beside them. It looked like that was the majority of the equipment.

The room wasn't overstuffed with things. If there was there wouldn't be all that much room to move around freely without worry. The beams already interrupted enough movement so if things were all over the place you really wouldn't be able to train in any capacity.

She tried to picture her dad standing in the room, what routine he might go through, what type of warm-ups did he use, what style taijutsu did he prefer to practice, did he create new jutsu in this room or somewhere else. She noticed a few scorch marks on the walls and a smile pulled the corners of her lips up.

She went over and touched one.

Did her dad do this or her mom? Did they train together or separate? Inconsequential questions ran through her mind about her parents. Seemingly more interested in that part of them than any other so far.

She frowned.

Both her mom and dad were such strong shinobi, so how was it that she was such a dead last? She tried and worked so hard, harder than anyone else yet she still felt like she couldn't catch up. It was so frustrating. That why she needed the chunin exams, she had to show that she had gotten stronger. That they couldn't sneer at her anymore, that Sasuke and Sakura needed to finally respect her and Kakashi realize he was losing out by not training her. She just wanted to be looked at and seen.

"They trained hard every day in this room, their sweat and even their blood staining the floors. Their skills did not come easily to them." Taka said as if having sensed her inner struggle.

It felt like that was the most he spoke since the first night he and the others popped out of her closet. Naruto stared at him, her eyes big and surprised and waiting to see if he would say more and elaborate. He did.

"We're not a family of genius. We don't catch onto everything the first time, it takes a few tries until we get it right. Don't feel bad, you're not the only one us that struggles" he gave her a barely-there smile, trying to cheer her up.

"Really?" she asked. After all there dad was the Hokage and everyone said how strong he was even as a kid.

"Yes." Taka said, some sweat dripping down the side of his face.

"Even you?" she asked.

Taka grinned, as much as someone like Taka could, and nodded.

"I was very clumsy and awkward. I had very long, gangly limbs and I kept tripping over myself. I was afraid I was never going to grow into my body properly." he told her, sitting in front of her. She also sat down, hands on her ankles with the bottoms of her feet pressed together.

"Aki was terrible with hand signs. He could never remember the right ones and always botched his jutsu's. The twins had terrible coordination with one another at the start and couldn't hit the broad side of a house with a shuriken."

"Even the most skilled shinobi today had trouble with something at the start," he said. He knew how important confidence could be and as much as his sister or brothers could fake it the truth was everyone was insecure and worried about their own strength.

"Even dad?"

His smile faltered for a moment, but it did not disappear. "Even dad."

Naruto thought for a moment before she brought up the events prior to their meeting in her apartment.

"Yesterday, my genin team ran into another team from the Sand Village. They're here for the chunin exams," she told him.

Taka gave a small nod, letting her know he was listening and for her to go on.

"Kakashi-sensei never mentioned it to us, and I'm wondering if he doesn't think we're strong enough for it," she admitted what's been bothering her. It was something she had been barely able to admit to herself because she didn't want to believe that might be the case.

"It a tough decision to make; deciding if your team is ready or not for such a test of skill." He told her.

"It may not be a judgment of you if he doesn't nominate your team, but of how he feels about his own teachings," he told her. "It's not personal."

Naruto scoffed and mumbled, "I don't know about that."

"Do you think sensei's taught you what you need to know to face this challenge?" he asked her seriously.

Naruto didn't exactly answer the question and that was his answer.

"I'm ready!" she said with a swallow, her voice thick with determination and naive confidence. This was Naruto, his headstrong, confident sister, so sure she could kick anyone's but. She was a mix of the twins and their mother.

It was becoming more clear what qualities she shared with the rest of them despite not having grown up together.

"Hmm?" he hummed raising an eyebrow at her, looking very unconvinced.

His sister slumped and pouted at him. The childish act rose a chuckle from him. She was a lot more like Aki than he dared to tell her in fear of backlash.

"Don't laugh, I'm serious!" she said annoyed. "I'm ready. We completed a really tough mission to the Land of Wave, fought a super badass Missing-nin named Zabuza and everything!"

Taka's tan skin turned white. "Zabuza Momichi, the demon of the Mist?"

"The one and only." she said, as if proud of the man.

Then she frowned, her eyes downcasting to her ankles.

"I was actually pretty sad when he died. I know he was the bad guy and we couldn't let him win, but he had this boy with him that I-"

She swallowed as if to swallow a knot. She did not finish the sentence and started a new one. "His name was Haku and he had it pretty rough before Zabuza found him. Still, he was kind and he spared us. He didn't want to kill us and I didn't want to kill him."

"You are a very compassionate person, Naruto." he told her and clapped her shoulder.

"No." she shook her head. "I don't think I am."

"There was a moment when I thought he had killed Sasuke and I wanted to hurt him, to tear Haku apart. I wanted to kill him," she remembered that hot darkness that had heated her body, the red steam that rose all around her, bubbling and moving on it's own like it had been alive.

"And I was going to do it. I had beaten him, he could barely stand and he asked me to finish him because he thought he was no more use to Zabuza. He thought he had failed him by being beat by me and I-"

"Did you kill him?" Taka asked with no judgment.

Naruto shook her head, she gripped her ankles tighter.

"No," she said. "Haku stopped me just before I was going to do it."

"Zabuza was fighting Kakashi-sensei, and he was about to be killed. Haku sense that and he stopped me because he felt that he was needed by the person he loved one more time. He gave his life to save Zabuza."

"It didn't matter though, Zabuza died anyway. But he took the real bad guys down with him," she told him.

She had felt the burn and heaviness behind her eyes that signaled she was getting teary but she hadn't realized she had let a tear fall until Taka had wiped it away from her cheek with a single finger.

"It was gruesome, Haku shouldn't have died that way." and to both their surprise, Naruto threw herself into Taka's arms and cried into his chest.

She hadn't known she had this still bottled up inside her. She thought she had cried it all out that foggy day on the bridge when she shouted and screamed at Zabuza when she got to them. It hadn't been fair.

Taka took in a sharp breath before relaxing, holding his sister comfortingly. He was glad this Haku had stopped her. Naruto had enough burdens on her heart, she wasn't ready yet to carry the weight of taking a life just yet.

"Naruto?" he whispered her voice softly.

She gave a sniffle of acknowledgment.

"Just because there was a moment you wanted to kill Haku, doesn't make you bad," he told her, seeing through to what was really bothering her. "And when he asked you to kill him and you agreed, that wasn't because you liked the idea of killing him."

"It wasn't?" she looked up, her nose running.

"No." he told her softly. "It was because you wanted to end the pain that you saw he was in and could feel in your very own heart."

"You empathized with him and made a very hard choice on what to do," he said, kissing her forehead.

"You are not a bad person, Naruto. In fact, I think you are a very good one," he told her with a soft smile and gentle eyes.

Naruto hugged him tighter and put her face to his chest and hugged him tightly.

"Thanks, Taka." she whispered against him.

She hadn't meant for the conversation to take the direction it did. She had only meant to give an example of the tough mission she had been on and that she was ready for more than the annoying missions they had been given as of late. There was just something about Taka where she felt it was ok to talk to him more than the others. But there were some things she doubted she would feel ok talking to him about. That made her think about her mom and even Tatsuki upstairs who had offered to lend her an ear if she wanted to talk.

Before they went upstairs Taka found a clean rag for her to wipe her face and nose with. Aki would have a fit if she got her dress dirty with snot and be even more upset if he knew she had been crying. Mostly because she had cried to Taka and not him.

"What's his deal?" Naruto asked Taka on the way out of the training room.

"Aki has always loved the role of older brother. When we lost you it went into overdrive. We think it was his way of coping; by doting on us even more than before because he couldn't with you." he glanced down and over his shoulder at her up the creaking stairs up to the front door.

"Oh." said Naruto.

"He was really looking forward to being an older brother to a baby sister. Some kids dream of being a hero, a strong ninja or great entrepreneurs-"

Naruto didn't know what that last word meant.

"Aki dreamed of being the best big brother there could be," he said just before opening the door for her. Their conversation ended there, not wanting Aki to hear they were talking about him.

"The twins just finished and Asa-san is in the bath, she went in a little while ago so she should be getting out soon!" Aki called to Taka without leaving his place in the kitchen. The smell that continued to permeate the air was so delicious and savory that Naruto felt light headed.

Taka gave a grunt of acknowledgment and went upstairs to get out a clean pair of clothes for when it was his turn to bathe.

Naruto looked up a the ceiling and suddenly wondered if any of them had gone into their parent's room to clean it. It still felt like an off-limits place to her for a number of reasons. She thought that was how most kids were supposed to feel, that a parents room was a private domain you shouldn't enter unless it was to run in after a nightmare or something.

She wasn't a hundred percent sure how it all worked. The only knowledge of the relationship between parent and child is what she saw on the streets, play ground or on television. Sometimes she might catch a glimpse through a window at a family dinner where everyone was smiling and talking about their day.

Is that what they were going to do? Sit down to dinner, and get to know each other and share stories? Naruto wondered briefly. Trying to imagine it and could admit it wasn't a bad picture at all. They had a pretty good time together cleaning the house, so dinner couldn't be that bad. These guys were really starting to grow on her. They were fun to be around. It was still weird, but it was getting less so being around them.

"Naruto-chan, are you okay?" Naruto blinked and looked at Tatsuki who was cuddled up on the couch with Miki. Her head was on his shoulder and they looked so intimate and cozy Naruto couldn't help but blush.

"Yeah, sorry I was just thinking," she told the older girl.

"Sit with us, Naruto," Nikki spoke up, trying to break the tension as he patted the seat next to him. He was sitting on the opposite couch.

"Ok." she agreed pretty quickly.

"Man, I'm beat." Naruto said, stretching her arms up above her head, back arching. She then lifted her legs and put her heels on the edge of the table in the middle, putting one leg over the other. She was not very lady like, but no one judged her for it or mentioned it though she caught Tatuski smiling a little.

"Yeah, I can't wait for dinner to be ready. After all that work I'm starving!" Nikki agreed beside her, following her example of stretching out. Both twins had bathed and changed into simple shorts and shirts, all the ready to spend the rest of night inside relaxing. Naruto wasn't sure where they had gotten the clothes. Any that had been left in the house would be way too small on them. But looking closely she saw that the clothes were pretty baggy.

She had an inkling where they had gotten the clothes. They must be their dads. When Asa-sensei came downstairs she was wearing the same clothes as before. Naruto supposed Asa had argued she wouldn't take their mothers clothing. They were probably leaving after dinner so they would have clothes back at their inn.

Naruto did notice that neither of their clothes seemed to hold any negative scent from the earlier work or looked dirty at all. Naruto didn't think about it too much. She had the feeling if she did she was only going to give herself a headache. Sometimes it was just better to accept the cool things in life without asking for an explanation.

"I'll get some more tea." Asa-sensei offered when she could only pour herself half a cup before the pot was dry.

"Thank you!" the lot of them called out to the older woman as she retreated to the kitchen to make more tea for them all.

Naruto could hear Asa offer her assistance to Aki. There was brief, calm argument between the two before Asa managed to convince Aki to let her finish up for him while he took his turn to shower.

Aki entered the room with a new tray of fresh hot tea and some milk for Naruto.

The group of them watched whatever the twins had put on the television. Naruto let out a loud laugh along with her brothers as a man on tv went to take a drink from a fountain and it sprayed him with the force of a hose. That was funny, but it was one-upped when the guy still tried to take a drink from the 7ft powerful spray. They continued to watch the silly game show until Asa called them to help set the table.

The four of them jumped from the couches and hurried to dine room connected to the kitchen and living room. They took the plates and bowls that Asa handed them and put them in a place at the table. They went back for the other plates and put them anywhere. The long table had plenty of room and they lined up the food in the center. Aki had picked up some ramune and the kids picked out their favorite flavor to have with dinner.

The Chaliapin steak don was in a huge donburi bowl in the middle of the table. The large pieces of sirloin marinated in red wine, soy sauce and butter was set atop white rice. Atop the steak was a heavy topping of finely chopped and fried spring onions and umeboshi. There was plenty for everyone. Next to the Chaliapin was a helping of mushroom and tofu soup to go with the main course and a healthy side of seasoned greens.

"We wait for Taka and Aki-sama." Asa-sensei reminded them of their manners as they sat, staring hungrily at the feast before them.

Asa-sensei was very respectful, like a kind but strict mother or aunty. Naruto wondered if her own mother was anything like Asa-sensei and if this is was what she should expect. Maybe all women from the Eddy Village were as proper as Tatsuki and Asa. But Naruto couldn't imagine her mom like that, after all, Aki said she was like her mom and Naruto was far from proper.

They put covers over the food to keep it hot while they waited for Taka and Aki. Taka came down first, smelling like mint and in clean clothes that looked too short on his tall body. Aki didn't take much time and when he came into the dining room his hair was still wet. Clearly, he had rushed himself and Asa scolded him for it.
Aki looked at the seats at the end of the table before he took a seat across the table from Naruto. The table was long enough for them all to sit along its sides.

"Does anyone need a drink before we start?" Aki asked them all.

"We're all fine, Aki-sama." Asa told him. The kids had their ramune, Taka had made himself some iced green tea, Asa had water and Aki had the same.

"Good." he grinned before putting his hands together. Everyone followed suit and together they said;

"Itadakimasu!"

They helped one another make their portions.

Naruto took a bite of the tender meat and moaned at the taste. It practically melted like butter on her tongue. Burst of flavor popped in her mouth. She took another bite with a scoop of the rice and onion. The assault was incredible and so mouthwatering. She couldn't help but scarf down more. The group laughed at her appetite but did not scold her for wanting more. Aki happily scooped more meat and rice into her bowl. It made him smile to see that she enjoyed the food that he had made.

"I never had meat so tender," she said with a mouth full.

"It's not polite to speak with your mouth full, Naruto-san." Asa-sensei scolded her gently. Naruto blushed, closed her mouth, chewed and swallowed.

"Sorry." she muttered.

"That's alright, just be mindful of your manners." the older woman smiled patiently.

"Taka, where are your students tonight if they are not here with you?" Asa turned her attention to the second eldest.

"They are at an inn. I gave them funds for meals," he said without further explanation.

Asa-sensei raised an eyebrow. She looked at him with some disapproval but did not speak up on it.

"You have a genin team too, Taka?" Naruto asked, making sure to swallow what she had in her mouth first this time. "Your so young though!"

"I am only a temporary team leader." he said before taking a sip of his soup. "Though I am a jounin."

Asa gave a sympathetic sigh. "That's right, poor Sango suddenly got so sick before we were meant to depart the village."

"Why did you bring so many teams?" Naruto looked at her brothers. Hadn't they just come to see if she was the real deal.

"They are both here to take part in the chunin exams," Asa explained. "The Uzukage thought it the best way to make a public re-entrance among ninja with the other villages."

"You guys too?" Naruto looked at the twins.

"Yep!" they said looking confident and excited.

"Oh." Naruto said, not feeling so hungry anymore. She was thinking about how Kakashi-sensei hadn't told them about the chunin exams. She wasn't even sure when they started.

"Well, you don't have to worry about any of that, Naruto. You still have awhile before you have to take the exams." he grinned and took a bite of his food.

"You'll be safe at home or on a low-rank mission with your team during the exams," said Aki, sounding much too sure and happy about it.

Naruto wasn't happy about that at all. She wanted to take the chunin exams.

Asa continued speaking to Taka.

"But why didn't you invite your team, Taka-san? It seems rather mean not to include them after you welcomed us so warmly," she asked him with a frown.

"Mmm." he hummed thoughtfully as if that was his answer.

Strangely enough, Asa seemed to understand.

"Well, I do suppose they can be a rather excitable trio. They are not as easy to calm themselves as Tatsuki. It might have been uncomfortable for Naruto-san." said Asa speaking of Tatsuki and Naruto's meeting earlier.

"Wha-?" Naruto had no idea what they were going on about.

"They're not that bad, they just take their duty very seriously. Sango-sensei's been beating it into them since we found out about Naruto." said Aki to their defense.

"I wouldn't mind having them over," he admitted before taking a drink.

Taka frowned. "After the chunin exams, we can all have dinner together. They need to focus right now."

They ended it at that.

The twins started the next conversation by recapping the show they had been watching earlier. Earning laughs from the table as they retold the pranks and how inspired they were. Aki gave them a glare of warning. She doubted that would sway them though as she gave her thoughts on how to better improve their schemes. Aki let out a whale of a whine as she joined in on the best way to mess with their dear eldest brother.

At one point Tatsuki asked Naruto about the things she liked.

"Ramen, plants, training. I like animals but they don't seem to like me all too much." she said the last part with a shrug.

"I also like fishing." Naruto went on.

Tatsuki listened and smiled. She hadn't doubted it before, but Naruto was what people called quite a tomboy. But that was not bad. Not all girls were meant to be the same. That would be incredibly boring, in Tatsuki's opinion.

After dinner, the younger ones were in charge of clearing the table and cleaning the dishes. Aki could hear them talk and laugh about a number of things as he sat with Taka and Asa in the living room, a fresh pot of tea on the table in front of them. Eventually, Asa took note of how dark it was getting outside through the window.

"It's time for us to leave, Tatuski." Asa announced when the kids came out from the kitchen.

Tatsuki gave an obedient nod and turned to give Nikki and Miki a hug and then she also embraced Naruto.

"Today was so much fun, I am very happy to have met you, Naruto-chan." Tatsuki said in her ear before pulling away and taking two steps back.

"I hope we can hang out again sometime. Maybe just the two of us?" Tatsuki asked.

"Sure." Naruto gave a halfhearted reply. But Tatsuki thought that was more because she was shy rather than because she was disinterested.

"Great, I'll see you soon." she said to everyone and waved goodbye.

"I'll walk you out." Miki offered quickly trailing after Tatsuki and disappearing into the entrance hall.

"I will give your instructions to your team, Taka-san." the other sensei said to him. "Though I really think you should make sure to visit them before the exams."

She bowed to both him and Aki. "Thank you for the meal and hospitality."

"Your welcome anytime." Aki offered also walking her to the door, as was polite. His grandmother made sure to help raise a gentleman.

Naruto was startled when Taka let out a yawn that sounded like a lions roar. The twins didn't blink at it whereas Naruto had practically jumped with surprise. Their older brothers yawn was contagious and the twins gave their own, which sounded like they came from kittens in comparison.

"We should get the futons out." they both said, moving together towards the closest they had to store them in earlier.

Naruto couldn't help it and let out her own loud, almost obnoxious yawn. She helped her brothers push the couches to the sides, moved the table in the center to make room. Their futons barely had any space between them. The twins and Naruto were quick to collapse back on their backs, still feeling like they could stay up for hours but in truth the moment they laid fully back they started to doze off.

Aki must have been talking to Asa-sensei longer than he thought because when he came back inside he found his siblings sprawled across the futons, snoring.


So, as I was proofreading this I totally cried at my own writing when it came to Naruto talking about Haku.

Well, it 2:25 am on 10/21/17.

I need to sleep now.