AN: Hope you all had a fantastic holiday if you are stateside. Nanowrimo may have ended as of midnight on 11/30 but this story is going strong. Just was delayed due to real life poking at me but I continued to scheme. I've been amused how much it really is writing itself. There is a poll for the future of this story regarding pairings for the loveable blonde up on my bio and I'm curious as to what you all would like to story ended up just weird in this chapter, I don't really like it but it's necessary to move things along later. And then I decided hey I can just keep going and add half another year, why not? Oi.
()()()()()()
Pain.
"Anrui..Nee-chan! Nee-chan!"
It was a frantic voice. One fraught with concern and tremulous. I didn't have any idea whose it would be..
the shadows returned me to nothing.
)_)_)_)_
"...went wrong. Nothing you could do.."
"You don't know that! Had I been there..I should have..One friend doesn't outweigh another.."
Did I know those men? They sounded..well one was cold. Clinical. The other was ..concerned? Guilty?
)_)_)_)_)_
Faint static when I came semi-conscious again. I was highly aware of painfully sharp scents, disinfectants. They made me want to sneeze but my body didn't have the energy.
"Ikiryo-san? Can you hear us? I feel your chakra fluctuating..."
What's chakra? Ikiryo? Wasn't my name V-
()()()()()()
"..will stabilize soon. You don't need to worry."
"She's family, Iruka-sensei..it's..it's different."
"Ah, you consider her family, Naruto-san?"
Naruto? Why did that name make my chest feel sharp? My eyes stung..I couldn't move.
"..for..four..five? Years now. I live with her yanno? Anrui-san..she..when no one else cared..she gave me a chance. Told me to think like a ninja and act like one..why would they..why would anyone..she's no shinobi! She's not Iruka-sensei! Why did she.."
Was he crying?
I wanted to croak out something, but just trying to move my fingers sent me unconscious again.
()()()()()
"Hasn't left your side much.." I faded into awareness mid conversation again. I did that a lot. "Inoichi and I bring his work for him from both schools. It's rather shocking though, we have to go in henge to pick up his work from the civilian's. They're worried too..I had no idea..and me running T&I! That you had so many civilian's as connections..I hope.." There was a pause to the deep voice, raspy as though he'd been talking for a long time.
"I guess I always hoped you'd stay to our circles. Come to think of it, I don't know why I did. You..no one knows. No one sees you for what you are..we'll need to have a strong discussion I think. The ..well..not just the pack..not this time. Ino and Naruto are so worried as well, and even Inoichi's little prim and proper wife. You know..I just realized we don't know her real name? We always called her Koi..because she's like those pretty fish that Inoichi was so infatuated with for a while, and Inoichi calls her that as an endearment. I feel like maybe I let a lot more slip away then I should have. You'd give me a look right now. You know? You would. You'd just give me an even look, maybe lift a brow ..and I'd be stuck trying to think what I was missing. With my human mind because I didn't trust my instincts enough. Ever since...ever since then you've always been on my case about my instincts. I get it, you know I do."
A heavy sigh. The sound made me want to whine. That voice, that rich tone that I felt in my bones was so much a part of me that names meant nothing should never sound so..tired. So defeated. So hurt. It wasn't right.
"Ever since then. But I didn't start out with the instincts so I fight them. My mind refuses to accept that I could work off just a gut feeling because there's no logic to it. There's no rational basis and I don't have the senses that you do, hell even the gaki has them, though that is self explanatory.."
A long pause. I heard something beeping slowly, but little else. Whomever was speaking did so while holding utterly still for great stretches of time. There was a faint sound, a pressure to my fingers as they were enfolded in another set, that clutched at me like a lifeline.
"We almost..if.." Another long pause, there was a choking sound, faint as it was. "You know I don't even know what the official story is...I'm slacking off. Because the sight of you here, so still..you aren't still. Not you, Anrui-chan. Not you. Never. Your stillness was that of a watchful indulgent predator from the start. It's part of what Inoichi and I adored about you, why we saw promise when you couldn't manage like everyone else. You'd hit me now if you were awake..but I set privacy wards. I'm not foolish. We, well you saw. Back then but we never said it. You were just so still and quiet and anyone else may have seen it as sulking or disappointed. It was a watchful quiet. A predator's stillness. It was..before. Before the menace came. I remember talking to my mentor about you and he said if I saw something no one else did, to approach you. I miss him, he died with so many when the Kyuubi attacked.."
Another sigh that tore at my heart. A long stretch of silence.
"I know Inoichi told me he wasn't sure what it was about you. We just knew you were different. We took you under our wing, we stayed by you..it was still shocking when you shared..the change. Why you would always be 'civilian'. You know, knew..I hope you picked up on how when we found out, figured out the pieces to the puzzle that it was half of why we focused on advancing so fast. We needed to be the ones there for you. We needed to make certain you had those you could trust." There was a dull thud, like something slammed into another solid object.
"...This...THIS Anrui..is why.."
()()()()()()
There was that annoying beeping again. A warmth pooled and flowed over my limbs as my thoughts finally steadied.
I once was Victory. I hated my name, I had a good life though many would say I'd accomplished little. I explored. I created, I lived rather then just existed. I never truly fell in love, I never had a family outside those I was born related to. I was okay with that.
I died young.
I was now Anrui. I had a family that had died out, an extended clan I loved and though we didn't always understand each other they were dear to me. I had found my soulmates in my brothers, my pack, Inoichi and Ibiki. I had extended family through Inoichi's wife Rei (hah I did know her name!), their daughter Ino..
And my own adopted baby brother Naruto.
Naruto who held within him the nine tailed fox. Whose birthday was on the tenth of October, a day I'd been forced to be outside of Konoha on a mission with someone I had never worked with before. Someone who abandoned me to save his skin.
It rankled. I had been the entire goal of his mission, I had been playing helpless civilian with the idea that he would potentially be okay to work with besides Crane. It was an escort mission to Kumo and back to visit some friends I had there. Very distant family, not ones who even knew of the bloodline trait I held, much less possess the ability for it. Sadly.
He was dead.
I'd seen him cut in half. Served the traitor right.
The shinobi had been from some place with a music note on the headband.
I remembered five of them, that I couldn't risk going 'Ghost' because there was more then I could take on alone.
What happened after?
There was a block. I had the feeling from V that it was necessary. Whatever instinct from my once self that alerted me to information she somehow knew impacted me, was also telling me I didn't want to know.
Huh.
I was tired.
()()()()()
Crane visited. Secretly, at night, befitting ANBU. I felt his grip on my hands and tears along my arm. He was clutching my hand in his and crying softly, silently. Crane always did take things so personally. He hadn't been with...oh.
Males. So silly.
".I Came before, one..another Anbu was with me. Thought it was because usually I escorted the 'civilian' and I hadn't taken the job that I felt guilty..not knowing we were trying to see if anyone else would be fine to work with you but I didn't need to stay..if I hadn't..but I was so concerned with Kakashi, he was having a bad episode because it was that anniversary coming up. He never got over loosing them you know? His sensei, his sensei's wife..his teammates and father..so I was trying to make certain he would be out of his shell. I'm so sorry though. I don't know how to express that. Not truly. I would promise you something outlandish to startle a laugh out of you but..we've never met without our 'masked' personas. I am so used to seeing you flinging or directing an opponent towards my vengeance it never occurred to me to mention you used to be so hard to work with. You weren't, you know? Your brothers tried to convince me but from the start even if it wasn't fluid as it became later, you were easy. I suppose we just work well together..you're the support. Something I always was lacking. I think.."
Men and their dramatic pauses while I'm unable to respond. Truly. Konoha is full of drama queens. I swear if Crane can't help himself and has some sort of rose or sparkling background jutsu going on while I'm stuck here I'll hit him later.
"..It's a rare and precious thing. Inspiring others just through your own actions. I would like to do that, my darling friend. For others. Some day as you know I am to play jounin instructor and take on students..I hope to use your example, of being there only when needed but allowing someone else to shine, to take the credit and the glory..you always do. You disable and disorient the opponents but you let me finish them off, trusting me to do so. I know your brothers are vicious and unhappy that it was not they who selected your last...I refuse to call him teammate. Warm body keeping you company on a mission perhaps? Though I know you did nothing dishonorable.."
Ah Crane, your Gai is showing.
"It's not your way. Even if you do jest and make commentary that can make anyone blush sometimes. I did not realize you were so close to the..to Uzumaki. I would have never guessed except he's been hovering, so frantic and eager. He's insisted on washing and brushing your hair..the washing only every three days. Something about your command of how otherwise it wasn't good for your hair, I confess I don't understand that. The rest of the time, at least once a day though, he brushes and braids your hair. The only others he lets do it are your two 'brothers'. He said it's..important. It's a pack thing. I know a few Inuzuka and I asked them about it. You know, I had no idea you were only half Inuzuka? That despite that they consider you fully a cousin branch. Apparently the only thing you gained from your mother is your sense of humor. I regret I never asked more about you personally, my dear friend. We've shed blood together, we've shared the same meal and bed roll when shivering. We've bandaged each other and there was the time we nearly didn't make it because you learned you could take someone 'ghosting' with you but that it did horrible things to Chakra for the person you took along..but I had no idea your bloodline was ..so different. It explains much."
Why Gai, who knew you could be so poetic? I wanted to smile, I want my lips to curve, to feel my chest cavity thrum with laughter. I was unable to do either.
"You're wild, you know that? ..." A long silent pause, so long I almost slipped back into sleep before he spoke again, so softly I think without my enhanced hearing I would miss it. "Konoha tried to tame you..your brothers, and I like to think myself, would rather see you wild..but Uzumaki..Naruto..I want you to embrace that relationship fully. He's your little brother. I see it in how he cares for you, Anrui-chan. He loves you, not having you hear has made him sharp and snarling. It's as if as much as I see him obeying Ibiki, and listen to Inoichi..they may be your pack...but you are all of Naruto's. If you can hear me, let me set you at ease."
So perceptive Gai. How is it everyone just considers my best work partner an idiot? Ah, right. Misdirection...
"In light of your...injuries...Naruto has been staying with Ibiki or Inoichi most nights. He insists on being at your home though. When he isn't here. How did that happen? Your interaction with the boy? I probably can't if you ever need to vent, no matter how much information is left out..or anything else...I hope you understand this, Anrui-chan. You're a dear friend. Your worth is so much more than Konoha allows you to show..I am proud to say I've been your partner. If the Hokage himself hadn't asked me to take the mandatory genin team..whether or not they pass..I'd never think of splitting us up. Please wake soon.."
()()()()()
The being aware but unable to move was getting old.
And the pain. When I wasn't seriously loopy from whatever they were giving me.
I had no idea how long it had been either.
What I was aware of was more of what 'V' had once known. The concept of potentially other worlds, in which the one I lived and breathed was just a story was a particularly far out concept. I was sorely tempted to blame whatever concoction the hospital (for surely that is where I was) staff had me on. There was something to my instincts that suggested otherwise though, and I was willing to go and just admit it was equally probable. How many perhaps had made the reverse journey and thus told the story they know? How many had crossed from one realm to the next, which opened up and entirely different concept regarding far out myths and fables that took place in other realms and lands in both lifetimes. What was the likelihood that it all depended on where and when not just the main setting? After all if you came ten years prior the story that you would have taken away on the year before the Kyuubi rampage was a drastically different one.
Even now, so far post nine tails there was a story which would feature supposed people of import that everyone knew, the Hokage, the most well known and peculiar of the shinobi. Yet, what of the stories of those who truly were in the shadows? Of the civilian's, of the clerics and desk workers who ensured Konoha could even proceed and be prosperous? What about in different nations? What if the person in my/V's world had been from Suna? Or Kumo? Or Kiri? What changes would be found then? What if they were from one of the islands that lay outside the nations and often avoided? There was so much that could potentially alter the entire story based entirely on who told it, what their circumstances were. I mean there had been Uchiha fan girls and boys before the massacre who would have you convinced that it was the Uchiha who had founded Konoha, single handedly gave birth to a line of super humans that could do no wrong and were blessed with an innate coolness. None of this was correct, of course.
I have little doubt the Hyuuga would have entirely contradictory information.
What this led me to believe is that whomever V was, because most of that was lost in the strange gap between her and me now; the information on this supposedly to her fictitious world, was subjective. It did explain the strange imagery I felt compelled to paint and the even more outlandish sensations of when something was important or to be ignored. Naruto, of course, having been the most primary of all of those.
Which was so peculiar because before I was accidentally stalked by the tiny little fellow in bright orange, I would have never paid him mind. Yet there had always been the sensation of 'important' around Naruto, which only now made sense.
Of course, it would be understood once I had him so much a part of my life that the very idea of his not somehow being a prevalent and all pervasive part was..
Well.
It just wasn't feasible.
I would have sighed if I was capable of it.
()()()()
Finally, slowly after what felt like an eternity; my body was capable of moving. Upon opening my eyes all I saw was blonde. A small frame, too small for his age, was curled up inside the highly uncomfortable chairs. He was working furiously at scribbling in his workbook and I managed a soft sigh, my eyes half open. Smiling hurt, but I could feel my muscles in my face twist and tug to cause a tiny one. At the faint sigh his blue eyes had snapped to me.
Normally when someone comments on eyes being red rimmed it's from lack of sleep, alcohol, such things. There was a gleam of crimson to his eyes that made me recall hearing from Ibiki in one of my frequent meanderings through being conscious, that he was snappish and snarly. I think it had been Ibiki. The red subsided though and he made a choked sound.
"h..ey.."
"Nee-chan!" Naruto had a hoarse tone to his voice as if he hadn't been speaking, and while from the body language I could see he wanted to fling himself at me he settled for crouching closer to the bed. His hands fisted in my covers so close to my own and when I gave a pathetic cough he ever so carefully put the straw to my lips for water. I was propped up in a sitting position, his posture gave away how often he must have done this for me.
As soon as the straw was removed I closed my eyes just a little more. "...hello little brother..." My words were slurred and halting, but punctuated with an equally clumsy chuffing sound of affection. Naruto visibly shuddered, his eyes fixed on me as if terrified I'd vanish.
"I'hd ruffle tha hair buh..." Oh gods I sounded like an idiot. Naruto just managed a watery chuckle and moved so his cheek was against my hand, which he was holding in both of his so carefully.
"You look horrid.." Good boy. I'd explained to him a long time ago when Ibiki had come back in bad shape from an interrogation that the criminal had snuck a weapon into, always explain what you knew to the ninja you were by. I wasn't shinobi to his knowledge but thank god he was following my instructions. "You are covered in bruises..and cuts. Apparently you had a lot of internal organ damage and you've been here for weeks..the medic-nin said you don't do well with their chakra so most of it has to be done with time and old fashioned medicine. I guess ...well I eavesdropped. I know you don't mind that so much if I don't get caught so..right. Don't fall asleep yet..please? Anyways, so they healed inside much as they could with chakra but want outside to go the old fashioned way. So they have ya on a bunch of medicine and You have a really weird long file here..I guess..um..so..what..happened?" There was a pause and then for the first time I heard a deeply serious and rather angry tone to Naruto. "Who hurt you, Nee-chan?"
I just smiled at him, before I closed my eyes a little but moved my fingers so he'd be aware I was awake.
"Much I do not remember. But, I recall we gave notice.."
"Huh?"
"Sorry.." I opened my eyes and chuckled faintly, apparently I had started to drift off and talk during it. Medicine, strange stuff. "Was escorting.."
"Yeah um..does it hurt to talk? It does doesn't it.." So smart, Naruto. He nodded once seriously "Mmm! Right! So uh, those crazy uncles of mine said you were supposed to be checking in with people in Kumo..that's all I know though.."
"Other Ikiryo. They are out there..distant relations. Can't.." I flinched and adjusted my position, changing what I was going to say. Darn medicine was messing with my secrets here. At least when faced with Naruto. "thought was going to be an easy trip. Ended up ambushed on the way home. My ninja escort ran because of the odds." talking was slowly getting easier the longer I went. The issue was while talking was easier, the medicine that was keeping me from feeling just how much pain I must be in was seriously messing up my thoughts. I'd go from somewhat coherent to thinking I just saw a bright blue and purple fish swim by.
"hate hospitals..hate medicines.."
Naruto gave me a shy foxy grin and nodded. "Yeah..um, you can't heal with chakra so they said if the pain got to be too much for you I was supposed to let them know and they would give you stuff. But every time they have you get weird Nee-chan. Like, totally weird. Dattebayo! You start talking about things that make no sense at all. At one point you were complaining that pretty wolfies shouldn't be stuck indoors."
I could not help it though it hurt my chest and ribs, and oh what it did to my stomach..I laughed. "I'm not a pretty wolfie? Awww.."
"Nee-chan.." Naruto deadpanned. "I think your medicine is at it again.."
"Still know..love ya anyways."
I didn't stay conscious long enough but I'm pretty sure I could feel the blushing happiness from Naruto. He's so cute when he's embarrassed.
()()()()()()
As it turned out I had been in and out of consciousness for a long time. Quite a few weeks, and that was enough that Ibiki and Inoichi, as well as Naruto, were just pretending nothing had really happened. At some point Ibiki had walked me through what had really happened. The distress from the two of us had summoned Inoichi rapidly. I have no idea what excuse he gave to escape work when he felt we were upset. It's that whole pack bond we can't talk about but it's there secret thing.
Huh. Maybe the reason Naruto doesn't really phase me is a little more obvious..
"You...that shouldn't be possible. Even with your family jutsu. There was nothing in the scrolls your father left to indicate any such..complication." Inoichi was rubbing the bridge of his nose in a fashion I realized Ino and Naruto had picked up on. How cute, all three of the blondes did that now.
"I know. Trust me, I'm fully aware of it Inoichi.." I groaned, glad that Ibiki had made this place in the hospital so heavily warded it was likely even Hiruzen's magic crystal ball could not see in. Paranoia, we Shinobi and semi-shinobi seem to thrive on it. "That's what I remember though. I didn't ghost, I made them..I forced them to ..but they left their bodies behind..."
"Because you were all but cut in half." Ibiki bit that part out, he was not happy.
Come to think of it, neither was I. We'd been over this a number of times but it always ended up the same. Feeling trapped and unable to Ghost I had instead forced the five around me to do just that when I was very injured. This wasn't the smooth transition my chakra system was meant for though, it was a warped version of when I had ghosted once with Crane because we needed out of a place fast. If he'd had a lot of Chakra I'm not certain I could have done it, but Crane/Gai was nothing if not entirely thorough with his measured amounts of chakra. Having a ruthless focus on Taijutsu just meant that he was entirely ruthless on how to exactly apply his own chakra use for other purposes. I'd been able to take him into the full Ghosting range with me but it had left Crane queasy and feeling cold for days.
So with my body heavily damaged as I had not been armored- surely my potential partner would have noticed something so off with a civilian along- and the sheer desperation to get back to my pack and family that came with the blood loss, I had been unwilling to reveal my secret but that didn't mean I couldn't twist it. Apparently. I had made the five attackers I had [ghost] rather then myself. It had been hard and my chakra coils still felt bruised. Still, I was able to do so and the rather grisly result was five would be attackers became five still bodies with their souls apparently outside of them and no way to repair the silver cord that bound each to their lives. They had faded, swiftly. I doubt they even realized they were dead.
Considering my would be partner was very dead (yeah that would be a case where ashes was a necessity because just not enough left..) I am not certain who found me and brought me back. Nor the very clearly made scrolls with the bodies of the ones who had attacked me being sealed within. Trust me, if I couldn't even do basic academy Jutsu halfway well did it seem likely I would be allowed to try on the more complex ones. I couldn't even seal anything into a scroll and that was considered very basic.
The ones who had found me, Ibiki told me I couldn't know who they were to prevent corrupting the tale. Since it was still a very informal information debriefing I'm assuming otherwise everything matched up. Because my abilities were such a secret, and this potentially heinous new aspect to them would be even higher security the official report seemed to be that whomever killed the attackers, had sealed the scrolls and just left me there. There was in the middle of the patrol path for the day for Konoha shinobi.
Unofficially my brothers were seriously on the panic level that barely rivaled the first time I had gotten my monthly visitor after our bonds. Hah. Watching two grown men double over in pain they were not used to and whimpering pathetically was priceless. They had a lot more respect for women these days. Especially since the same pain that they'd shared so early in our mental and emotional connection of our pack bond had barely registered for me. What can I say, as a girl you get used to your uterus trying to kill you on a regular basis and as long as the threshold was below 'carve out with a spoon' or 'can't move please let me pass out', it was a decent cycle. We'd found ways to back ourselves off to where we were now but those early days had been..interesting. Needless to say Rei-chan, Ino's mother, was highly spoiled all through her pregnancy and Inoichi was one of the few completely unashamed men when it came to a women's supplies.
This was that level of panic though. It was a 'this is a very bad complication and how did we not consider this', which meant it was the same level as two young men suddenly realizing they got to feel the side effects of menstruation. Huh. I was definitely still on meds if I was comparing the odds of this newer Akatsuki nuke-nin to my monthlies. Then again they did have red clouds and..
"Please. Stop." Inoichi twitched, Ibiki was giving him an amused look and as I blinked over at Inoichi I grinned then. I'd figured out he'd been monitoring me mentally more then he should because you know there's nothing like a fussy Yamanaka. All that 'remembered trauma' was just to poke at my brother.
"Seriously though, to be honest Anrui this is bad. We're grateful you are alive, this also shows that if anything they were using a civilian to mock the rest of the ninja. It's just..it is a great deal of trouble though. No patrol in the area here or in Kumo saw anyone who would fit the description. We are still gathering intel as to whom exactly is in the organization..much less what their goals are. It's a frightening idea if they had known you were a ninja instead of looking like a civilian who should be dead by now in all rights."
I'd a new nasty scar from ribcage to hip but though it had been meant to pour all my innards out it was something of instinct to make myself go partially insubstantial after a while. Apparently I only didn't suffer from bloodloss because as I lay bleeding out, on my back so my guts didn't quite go everywhere, I had after a time automatically started to partially transition my body. I did know whomever had brought me back thought I had been afflicted with some strange jutsu, Inoichi had taken care of them. Likely had simply removed the information from their mind entirely.
"If you do think of anything, we need to know."
"Obviously, Ibiki."
"Oh relax, he's just uptight because Naruto pranked his favorite pair of shoes. They're pink now.."
"...Why is Naruto using pink"
"Ah, he said something about it not being as obvious who it was."
"Which is defeated, soundly, by the fact he forgot to scrub the paint off his hair and under his nails, but I corrected him on his technique before setting him to scrubbing all the paint off."
()()()()()()
"Anrui-Nee?"
"Ah?"
It was a few weeks later and I was finally out of the hospital. Seeing as they couldn't use much chakra on me at a time most of my healing outside was the slow sort. It meant a lot of slow moving, painkillers, and taking it easy almost non stop. Luckily I had a hyper bundle of orange and blonde who was more then happy to do most things for me seeing as I was so badly hurt.
"I was wondering, do you want me to get anything on the way home from school?" Naruto was muching on an apple, blue eyes soft and friendly but with the ever there glean of trouble. I could guess if I asked the right errand he had something else to do in town later.
"You can stop off and pick up dinner from our favorite tea house. I won't be able to cook still, Sorry Naruto..if you want instead you can eat Ramen and Ichiraku's first and then ..."
"No." Naruto interupted with a pout as he looked up at me, he gave a tiny little huff then and crossed his arms, school bag over his shoulder. His academy bag was already resting by the front door for tomorrow morning. "Ramen is amazing but I can't enjoy it when I know you're here alone, an helpless..and hurting. And you're hungry." Naruto nodded once, serious expression only highlighted by the fact he'd managed to get darker tips to his hair and was currently wearing it sheared exceptionally short. Pranking lesson went wrong but it wasn't a bad look for him, just looked a little odd. On the other hand it definitely made him look older, and Naruto was hardly going to forget to take better protective measures again.
"It's my job to look after you while you're hurt. Dattebayo!"
"Thank you, Naruto."
Naruto blushed and nodded, he then looked back up at me with a faint smile. "It's nice..being needed."
I chuckled and chuffed at him, settling in better in the couch. "...It's nice having someone besides my brothers to rely on."
And it was worth saying that, leaving out Crane and my clan (not that Naruto knew about Crane or that he came by to ever so patiently and slowly work with me on my physical fitness when no one would find him) just to see the sheer pride and elation my words had on Naruto.
"So next year, just so you know, Nee-chan..I am taking the academy exam again. Uncle Ibiki said I should try with this one for real." Naruto was determined. It was always a force of nature to reckon with. "If they fail me this time I'm going to find a way to really make it mayhem for them! Or..or..I'll pain the Hokage mountain!"
"Whoa, save that till you're a few years older Naruto, you need to work on evading more first"
"Oh yeah huh. Well then..I'll come up with something. I always do. Maybe a new pranking jutsu..I wonder what distracts people the most.."
)_)_)_)_)_)_
He called it the Sexy Jutsu.
I called it needing to go back to the hospital because I laughed so hard my stitches split open even though it was long past the time they were taken out. It actually was a complicated little piece of work that was astounding because he could not just form the little cloud's covering the important things bit, but also change the hair and clothing as if it was his actual form. He had been able to tweak the age of it too, but kept the serious 'Naruko-chan' jutsu part of it a secret. He'd also been using it as a training method from Ibiki, who thought it was one of the funniest things he had ever seen especially since Naruto didn't get why people got excited or upset (which was just embarrassed excited) after seeing it. We'd used that to work on his henge in general to the point he was better then a little good. In fact it seemed misdirection may be as big of a skill of the little guy's then anything.
I had taken pictures of Chibi-Ibiki and Chibi-Inoichi Naruto with their actual counter parts. I'd asked Naruto ahead of time to also after I said 'Ramen' for him to drop the henge on his looks but keep the part with the henged gear and clothing. It had taken him a long time to learn how to only partly drop a henge and so I had the cutest pictures of Naruto dressed like his uncles, beaming up at them as they both did their version of ninja smiles at the surprise.
They even had one of me laughing when Naruko-chan made herself look like my little sister, and then one of Naruto where he just henged to get my facial markings and hair color. I carried that one with me, and liked that I could claim I had a little brother and show that image when traveling. Naruto was not only aware I did that, I think he was rather emotional about it. Or you know 'had something in his eye'.
Boys.
()()()()()()
"You know I really wish that my birthday wasn't on a day I can't go to the festival.." Naruto whined as he lay on the couch. Ten. The little Gaki was Ten. How did that happen?
"Why can't you go?"
"Cuz the shinobi related villagers haaaaate meeeee..."
"Henge."
"..I knew that."
"Uh huh."
"I did! I just wanted to see if you figured it out! You know since you never even finished the..um.." Naruto suddenly paled and flinched as he mentioned my supposed failure of the academy and I sighed.
"Naruto..just because I cannot henge, and I couldn't pass like so many others do, doesn't mean I am clueless on techniques. Now who are you going to look like tonight?"
Naruto rubbed his nose and gave me an awkward glance. "I dunno..."
I chuckled then and shook my head. "Well, why not be my little brother then? Ibiki will probably get too much attention, or match Inoichi and you can play Ino's cousin that looks like her but then she'll want to visit the other girls..and Sakura."
Naruto visibly flinched again even as his face turned pink. He liked Sakura, thought she was smart and pretty and used to be sweet but apparently had become vicious and cruel. Bullied for a long time she apparently became a bully herself and threw her friendship with Ino away over a boy. It wasn't something he could understand so even though he had a crush on Sakura, he disliked doing so. He'd been unable to get Ibiki or Inoichi to explain why Sakura acted so weird, he actually had enough sense to not ask Ino over the touchy subject. When I'd asked if he wanted me to try and figure it out Naruto had snorted and said 'Nope. You and the clan girls here all seem to have sense. An I bet the civilian's won't get why I like a bully so..I guess it's just that she's smart and pretty and I can admit to that but I don't have to like that I like that!'
"guess we know you still like them smart..too bad none of the Nara's have any girls your age.."
"Aw I'd like her to be up to playing pranks or doing more than being in bed all the time!"
"...some day Naruto, when you're older, I am so reminding you of that. All the time." I hadn't expected him to understand but oh that had just been priceless.
"Anyways yeah I wanna look like you tonight. If Uncle Ibiki was walking around some of his lady friends may worry or make things more complicated for him, Ino I can hang out with being your copy and then my being loud and obviously crazy.."
"I said that once!"
"A week!"
"Well it's accurate!"
We both ended up chuckling and I just nodded. "I've got a kimono from when I was younger that you can wear." Naruto just grinned and resumed reading his notebook on pranks. He didn't fuss because he was fully aware that the Ikiryo had a habit of just wearing unisex kimono's for formal events. We did it because it was just how we were, and the long sleeves and trailing skirts with massive Obi's was frankly, beautiful but pointless. I was a wolf, not a peacock or butterfly.
We'd never really made it for a full festival before this. This year it was only possible because of how good Naruto's henge's had become. Holding my hand without any of the shame so many other even younger kids showed, Naruto was content to stay next to me as we laughed and explored. For once, I left my hair down and actually put on eye shadow and lip gloss. I still was in comfortable boots rather than traditional shoes but I didn't care. Naruto had actually begged to wear eyeshadow too, I think it was more because he was hoping I'd put my family marking on him but I told him to henge that so it looked more genuine.
"You..mean it?" Naruto knew how important clan markings were. Ikiryo blue rather then Inuzuma red was rare and would be a very obvious claim. I had just smiled at him and his beaming face had shimmered into view with my exact sweeping lines. They suited him well.
With his markings, it didn't even matter that he had blonde hair only tipped in blue where mine was the usual brindle blue and gray hues. Paired with the matching navy kimono's with black and silver Moon obscured by clouds clan symbol, and the wispy patterns along the hems and shoulders in black and silver. We had all our accents in silver with small touches of black, though my kimono being an adult also had a stylized wolf on the back. It had been my father's, and though the fit was different because I had curves it wasn't entirely obvious that it had been for a larger man. It was something easy to adjust after all.
"Look! Anrui-chan!" Naruto was so excited, he was practically bouncing in place. Unlike me he had happily worn the traditional sandals and seemed to be having a blast at the clacking sound they made. "Uncle Ibiki! Uncle Inoichi! Auntie Rei!" He paused then and in only Naruto fashion exclaimed "Amaretsu-sama's likeness made flesh!" I didn't even bother to hide my laughs as my hand was dropped in order for the gaki to race over, loudly clacking and looking like a fool to Ino. Once there he bowed deeply and took her hands in his, exclaiming over her beauty, her grace.
Ino, the little shit, ate it all up.
Rei and I weren't close but we got along just fine, she wasn't aware I was more then I seemed after all and she was a ninja. "Well at least I know she'll be having high standards of how to be treated, the way that boy flatters her.." she chuckled to me.
I flashed her a toothy grin and nodded "He'll do a lot of our work keeping the shallow boys away for us. I can't wait until they are dating age and someone tries to woo Ino..the wrath of the obviously crazy child will mean pranks unending.."
"Good for him. If he asks at that time I'll even buy the supplies." Rei smirked, she wasn't a bad sort at all if rather prim and proper. I was..I suppose rather fond of her. If I hadn't always needed to hide more about my shinobi side, as much as I was currently on extended leave still as my healing had been mostly manual and Naruto was just too close to graduating. The only work I had done was the actual official escorting as a civilian guide. I kept up my training of course, and if anything Ibiki and Inoichi were helping to ensure I could train with Crane whose peculiar methods were better then any rehabilitation anyone else could have come up with. Crane would push me to my utter limit, one motion away from destroying my body, and then ease me back.
But I couldn't tell Rei. Thus Rei was nice, and we had some funny times and didn't mind each other. However, she thought I was a mostly useless civilian her husband was practically a triplet to as far as we were concerned and had more a fond toleration for me as though I was a peculiar hobby of his. A project.
"I think we're all pretty protective of Ino." was all I said as Rei was clearly ignoring me for the sake of someone else she'd seen. I flickered my eyes back to where Naruto had knelt on the ground, heedless of his kimono, to further comment on Ino's wonderfulness. Ibiki was cracking up, which meant his eyebrow was twitching. We were out in public after all. Inoichi was beaming proudly and I didn't doubt he'd snapped a few pictures already. The really amusing part was how many of the girls that Ino obviously knew, were trying to figure out how the 'strange foreign boy' knew Ino and why she was getting all the attention.
I had a feeling Naruto was helping Ino out from some school confrontation, judging by the glassy eyes and heartfelt smile his fellow blonde was gifting him with.
()()()()NarutoPOV()()()
Naruto loved it when Ino was happy. Not bossy, not angry or pretending but really happy. Ino was one of those people who controlled and bickered but it was because in her own way she was trying to make as many people happy as she could. She was just a bit of a control freak and because her Jutsu from her family left her so vulnerable, she was highly in need of confidence. It came across otherwise though to others, but Naruto had faked being secure and happy so long he understood.
He'd been fully aware that there had been a Sasuke fan club war going on that for some reason isolated and ignored Ino. Sakura they just bullied but Ino was entirely shunned. Probably because she was so uncommonly pretty and from a clan of geniuses with rare bloodlines entirely different then the Uchiha. In other words, she'd be a surprisingly strong match. If someone with the Sharingan had ever managed to also learn mind jutsu's they'd be unstoppable.
So Naruto made it his goal to keep her happy, to make certain she knew at least one person saw how great she was in their age group. Ino knew him well enough now to know that while Naruto was extremely going overboard in his compliments, he did mean them. Ino was pretty, smart, talented, and brave. She was loyal but her way of showing it often seemed like she was being petty and unkind.
"You do look really nice though in purple." Naruto said as he stood back up with a cheshire grin. Ino blushed but it was hidden by her large confident smile. Her lessons on controlling her outward emotions were clearly going well then, better then when Inoichi tried to help him that's for sure.
"Why thank you! I like blue on you, though Orange does suit you..somehow. Just I have no idea how..it shouldn't really..logically blues, black..though gold would look good too. The silver doesn't quite work.." Ino started even as she took his arm to pull him along to look at the stalls.
"They're Ikiryo colors.."
"Oh?" Ino paused, turning to eye him, then Anrui who stood not far away laughing with her packmates, even as Rei held onto Inoichi's arm. Anrui was beautiful, somehow seeming all the more wild for being in a men's kimono but with her hair down and the faintest hint of pink over her lips. The wolf wore a bejeweled collar but no one seemed to realize it was all for show. Ino was starting to guess, there was just too much to how the three were. Even more then when the legendary Ino-Shika-Cho team was together and she'd visit with Shikamaru and Choji. The teammates were friends and like a family, but when Inoichi, Ibiki, and Anrui stood there and laughed it was something else entirely. Naruto just chuckled, grinning as Ino's gaze returned to him.
"Yeah I see it now. I guess..when you have blue in your hair, the silver works just fine."
"Hey Ino.."
"Yes Naruto?"
"...don't listen to anyone at the academy. You're amazing. Some day they'll all see it too but it will be too late." Naruto paused then, but as serious as his ten years could let him he nodded, blue eyes to blue eyes. "You deserve better then the Uchiha you know..I mean that." He turned away so she wouldn't feel she had to justify a response and instead laughed. "Lets get goldfish!"
Tugging Ino away this time Naruto grinned. "And then I want some of the food here..it's my first real festival, I want to do everything!"
"everything?!"
"Come on Ino! Did you hear there's gonna be fireworks?!" Naruto grinned over his shoulder at his best friend, amused at how she just rolled her eyes and muttered about silly boys and of course there would be fireworks.
He'd tell her that he'd sort of stolen a few of them when they set up the festival for later. Those needed something really big to be set off. Maybe when he graduated.
