Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. Until eventually it was December. And the Rinne Festival meant snow. Snow was a new thing to the twins.
It never snowed in the slums; the only thing that made its way down there was the ice cold water that melted from the snow. Now it fell in clusters everywhere, decorating the streets, plants, trees and buildings in a soft, white layer of cold. Lakes had frozen up. Icicles stuck to the underside of trees. Some buildings were decorated with fairy lights, even the trees and plain shrubs. Shorts and T-shirts had been tossed into the back of the closest and long sleeved snow jackets and long pants were being taken out.
Along with pulling out warm clothes, it also meant staying in bed later so you wouldn't have to step out into the cold.
That was something the Uzumaki twins preferred above all else. That went for this specific morning.
Naruto snorted as he lifted his head from his pillow. He slowly blinked his eyes, trying to adjust to the darkness. The curtains were pulled closed and the window were tightly shut. Mainly because frost prevented them from being able to open it. He yawned and tossed the sheets aside.
Before he swung his feet over the side of the bed, he examined what he wore. Thick, grey wool long pyjamas that made his body appear bigger than he was, a sleeping hat shaped like an animal with two buck teeth in front, and two pairs of thick socks that Kitsune made him wear so he wouldn't get cold.
Of course, everything was still way too big for him and it hung off him, including the hat which covered his entire face while he slept.
He swung his feet over the edge of the bed and placed his feet against the cold floor. He couldn't feel the cold of the floor through his socks thankfully. Slowly, he dragged himself through to the bathroom. Kitsune was still asleep and was hidden deep under her sheets. She slept in later since she spent most evenings learning basic shinobi rules for when they attended the Academy next month. Unlike him, who only studied when Iruka asked of it, she studied day and night and barely left the house unless urgent.
Naruto opened the bathroom door, using the sleeve of his shirt to keep from touching the cold metal. As he pushed the door open, he was instantly hit with a burst of cold air. He rubbed his arms and looked toward the window. It was still partly open. Kitsune must've forgotten to close it after she took a shower. They kept it open to let the steam out but had to remember to close it up or else it would freeze in that position.
He mumbled to himself as he tried to pull the window shut. The thin layer of frost instantly melted as his hand came into contact with it but still it didn't budge. He sure as hell wasn't going to shower with the window wide open. Just in case he died of some cold related disease.
After countless failed attempts, Naruto found no way of actually closing the window. He'd need some sudden burst of strength to close it and he wouldn't be feeling it this early in the morning. He groaned as he left the window as is and walked to the sink. He grabbed his orange toothbrush and smeared a blob of toothpaste on the bristles. He quickly brushed his teeth and flossed. Ling had packed everything for them. It came in handy when some stores wouldn't let you in there.
He spat out the minty foam and rinsed out his mouth. Then he went to the shower. He dreaded having to shower with a freezing breeze but he didn't want to stink up the place. Quickly and not daring to step out of the warm clusters of water even though his skin pricked from the heat. He grabbed the soap from the small panel in the wall along with his sponge then began cleaning himself off.
Six months had done a lot for both of them. They had become dependent on each other and no one else. Their diet however, mainly consisted of ramen since most food stores wouldn't allow them in and they didn't understand why.
They ignored it though. Naruto now had a new goal set in place. A goal to become Hokage.
Two months ago
Naruto sat in the kitchen, poking at the piece of cake that he and Kitsune had received from Iruka for their birthday. He looked over at Kitsune who sat across from him, reading a thick book. She used her finger to trace along the words as she read. She had become a bookworm ever since she learnt how to read and write her alphabet and basic sentences. Now she had developed the knack for breaking the sentence into syllables then reading from then on.
"Imōto-chan, whatcha reading?" Naruto asked, leaning forward to get a better look.
Her eyes glanced up at him quickly then back down at the book. She read the last page and turned over before looking up at Naruto. "Just learning about the Hokages."
Naruto's expression told her he had no idea what she was talking about it. She sighed and placed her bookmark in the book before closing. "The Hokage is the Kage of Konoha, a title for the leader of this village. There had been four Hokage so far and they have been the strongest shinobi in the village. They make the laws that keep us safe."
"The strongest?" Naruto looked out at the Hokage mountain which was visible from their living room window. His fists clenched as he thought about it. The strongest shinobi were always made Hokage... then that would be him.
That way everyone would stop treating him so differently. He'd make Kitsune his right hand man, or woman. They'd become the strongest in the village. If there was one thing he'd learnt from his six months in the village, everyone loved a hero. He turned to his sister and smiled determinedly. "Then I'll become Hokage! Then everyone will look up to me. And you can help me! We'll become the strongest, dattebayo!"
Kitsune's eyes widened slightly as she stared at her brother. She was silent, contemplating what he had said. Then she smiled. She held her fist out toward her brother. "Hai, hai."
Naruto reached across the table and their bumped their fists together. Kitsune laughed and went back to reading her book, smiling as she read.
His dream was to become Hokage. A big dream considering that one in a thousand became Hokage so he was just a drop in a bucket. He'd have to work his butt off to become something that big and he had to start now. At the rate he was going, Kitsune had a better chance at becoming Hokage, and she wasn't even that interested. She just read about them since it sparked her curiosity.
Naruto looked down at his pruning hands and decided now was as good a time as any to leave the bathroom. Reaching a hand out from the shower, he felt around for the railing that held his towel. His hand scraped thin air. He pulled back the curtain and peeked out. The railing was completely bare.
He was sure it was there before he got in. Mumbling to himself, he had no choice but to call Kitsune.
"Imōto-chan!"
He listened closely for any movement. There was a thud, some mumbles, and some scuffling. The door to bathroom opened and a cold breeze welcome Naruto. He ducked back into the warm water. "Nii-san, you're gonna waste all the warm water again. Now is not the time to make a city in the shower."
Naruto pulled back the curtain and spotted Kitsune, standing in the doorway. She rubbed at her eyes and tried to blink the sleep away. She looked up at Naruto. "Ohayō."
He rolled his eyes and looked around for a towel. Maybe it was right in plain sight. He just hadn't looked hard enough. Kitsune already walked into the bathroom and went to the window. With an effortless tug she pulled it shut and turned to her wide eyed brother. "Nāni?"
"Nandemonai," Naruto muttered, about to retreat into the shower.
"Okay," Kitsune said cheerfully.
Naruto reached out and grabbed onto the back of her shirt. She gagged and reeled back. She turned to face her brother, wiping the wet spots from her skin. "I thought you said you don't want anything."
"No, I need my towel," Naruto hissed, staring at his hands. The skin was becoming pale and wrinkled. He turned back and pleaded with desperate eyes. "I think I left on my bed... or somewhere."
"You're expecting me to go looking for your towel in that stink bunker?"
"O-negai?"
Kitsune groaned and dragged herself back into the bedroom. Naruto kept his foot in the direct spray of the shower so the heat could travel up his leg to keep him warm. The cool air was still circulating and he didn't want to die from being frozen.
Kitsune came back into the room holding up a blue towel with her index and thumb. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. "I found this in your dirty clothes pile. I'm not sure if it's clean but I'm not letting you use mine."
"Arigato," Naruto turned off the tap and wrapped himself in the towel. He sniffed the corner once and cringed. No wonder it was in the dirty pile. It had a sour odour to it that made his eyes water. But he just needed it to dry himself off with.
Kitsune could wash it out for him while he was out. He stepped out of the shower and rushed into the bedroom. He dug through his drawers for clean underclothes. Kitsune was curled up on the bed, watching him wordlessly.
He pulled on his boxers and a vest then a clean pair of socks. His stomach growled and he knew he'd have to eat soon or else he'd collapse. It happened once already. He then went through his cupboard for a warm set of clothes. He pulled out a pair of faded pants, a long sleeved white shirts and an orange and white jacket. Naturally, he grabbed his red scarf with it. They'd found it in the cupboard a few months back.
Kitsune yawned and stretched her small body, stretching her lower back out first then her arms out in front of her. She got up from her bed and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Naruto strapped his goggles onto his head and made his way into the kitchen. There was still some ramen left over. Enough to last three days. The kitchen was one of the most heated rooms in the house, probably because of the microwave and stove, which they couldn't use yet as stated countless times by Iruka.
He opened the cupboard and pulled out two cups of instant ramen. He popped both into the microwave and set the timer for thirty seconds. The shower could be heard running and he heard the toilet flush. Naruto clenched his legs together. Suddenly, he remembered that he never did use the toilet. He left in such a rush.
He looked at the timer then down the hall. There'd be enough time. Moving quickly, he ran to the bathroom and opened the door. In that short amount of time the room was completely covered in steam. And much warmer than when he was in it.
Kitsune pulled the curtain back slightly and saw Naruto. Her long hair covered everything and he could tell she was annoyed by the small wrinkle between her eyebrows. He waved her off and grinned. "Just need to pee. Don't mind me."
"Dobe! Use the second toilet! That one's going to make the water cold!" Kitsune hissed.
"You're in the second toilet!"
A wet bar of soap came hurdling at his face and he had to duck quickly. He grinned at his sister who simply stared blankly. The bar ricocheted off the wall and hit the back of his head causing him to crash to the floor. Kitsune laughed a high pitched laugh and went back to shower, using the spare bar of soap. Naruto growled and rubbed the back of his head. He got up and turned back to the toilet, regardless of his sister's comment. He unzipped his pants and smirked at the shower. She couldn't hear from the drizzling water which aided him in his favour.
Kitsune sighed in relief as the warm water hit the top of her head. She hated cold water since it left a slimy feel on her skin but she loved warm water. Especially if her skin came out pink in the end since it was numb and soft. Suddenly, she heard the toilet flush and the water drizzling on her turn freezing cold. She let out a loud scream. She ripped the curtains away, glaring daggers at her brother.
He was washing his hands by the sink, standing on a small step stool. He turned to look at her. His pupils shrunk in fear as he witnessed his sister's anger. Her hair flared behind her and as soon as the water touched her skin it evaporated.
He stepped off the stool and slowly began to back away. "Now, Imōto-chan, we both know I didn't do that and we can all blame the toilet. I told it I wasn't going to flush but it did anyway!"
Pleas fell upon deaf ears as Kitsune kicked, literally kicked, Naruto out of apartment. He landed with a thud on his butt and groaned. Third time this month. He was surprised it didn't happen everyday. But then again he did wake her up and she got crankier more easily when she woken up from a deep sleep. He slowly stood, wiping the wet spot the snow had created. He glanced at the door behind him and sighed. He could just leave for fifteen minutes. She would've cooled off by then.
Naruto stood up and began walking down the slippery pathway. His shoes weren't designed to walk along frozen surfaces but he did it anyway. It wasn't like he could afford a new pair any time soon. For his birthday he and Kitsune got stationery supplies for the Academy the following year. Kitsune was already reading all the books to get to the same level as all the other students.
As Naruto walked, the usual stares from villagers came at him. He ignored them and placed his hands behind his head. Snow gently fell onto his face, instantly melting. He tilted his head up the sky. Light grey clouds covered the blue skies and one bright orb to the east indicated the sun was on that side.
It had been snowing since late November and with that came cold mornings Naruto still hadn't gotten used to. He hoped that the sun would find a way through the clouds and melt the snow before he had to go to the Academy. He didn't want to wade through snow just to get to class.
He turned down a narrow alleyway that led into the forests of Konoha. It was secluded and quiet. A good place to just think and enjoy yourself. He always felt at home when he was there. It was the one place Kitsune didn't know about. Or maybe she did but just didn't go there for her own purposes.
Naruto leapt into the trees, thin twigs smacking him across the face. His stomach growled hungrily. That ramen was going to spoil if no one ate it, and knowing Kitsune she would just leave it there and go read. Naruto sighed as he moved from branch to branch. Cold wind whipped into his face. It was like ice blades slicing across his face. But it was an exhilarating sensation. If he got scratches on his whisker marks, no one would anyway see it.
He moved from tree to tree, slipping on some branches that had been frosted over. He came to a stop on one thick branch, sitting down and leaning back against the bark. He sighed and rubbed the knob on his head where the bar of soap impacted. It was swollen and by the feel of it, bruised. Luckily it wasn't bleeding but he still hated having bruises from household items.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?"
"Nāni?" Naruto sat up and looked around. No one else was around. He frowned. But then again, he was alone in the trees. Not everyone liked to sit in trees when it was freezing out. Naruto crawled to the edge of the branch and peered over.
Three boys were standing over something; someone more like it. Naruto couldn't see past them but he could hear soft mumbling coming from what they were standing over. He wrapped his arms around the bark and slid down, pulling his arm back as he went over branches. He dropped down to the ground but stayed close to the tree so they couldn't see him but so he could hear them.
"Your eyes are creepy," one of them said, crouching down to look at the person.
"I'll bet your actually a monster, right," another said, folding his arm over his chest.
"Yeah, you Byakugan monster."
Naruto stepped closer, his shoes crunching in the snow. The three boys didn't hear him approach. Naruto was able to peek between the gaps and saw who they were tormenting. A small girl was sitting in the snow with her legs pulled underneath her. She had oxford blue hair cut short kept just above her forehead with chin-length strands framing her face and snow white skin complexion. She kept her face lowered, not looking up at them. Naruto growled angrily. They were picking on an innocent girl? What kind of sick idiots were they?
"Hey, stop!" Naruto yelled, clenching his fists. The boys glanced at him but turned back to the small girl. She looked up briefly but turned her attention back down to snow. But it was too late. Naruto already saw the tears streaking her pale cheeks. He took a step forward and yanked one of the shorter boys back by the shoulder. "Hey, don't fight women!"
"What do you want?" the tallest one asked, becoming annoyed with the blonde haired boy.
The middle one frowned as he recognized Naruto and he leaned back slightly, his shoulders tensing. "Oh, yeah... That guy," he muttered to the tallest one.
"That guy, huh?"
Naruto didn't need to be a genius to know what they were talking about. Almost everyone in the village knew he and Kitsune had no parents and that the Hokage was apparently giving them special treatment. Which made no sense, they'd never met the Hokage. To them he was just a faceless person. They'd seen his face carved in the mountain but that was apparently when he was younger. Now he was older and looked a bit different.
Naruto shook off the thought and turned back to the boys terrorising the small girl. "I am Uzumaki Naruto," a mischievous grin spread across his lips as he stared the boys down. "Fight me if you dare."
The three boys burst into fits of laughter. The small girl behind them slowly looked up. Wet tear streaks still covered her cheeks as she stared past the boys toward the blonde haired one standing a few feet away. She stared in confusion. Who was he? And why was he defending her when she'd never seen him before or vice versa?
The tallest one stepped forward and glared at Naruto. "Hey, what can you do, kid?"
"Go away," the shortest growled, wiping his shoulder off vigorously as if Naruto had germs.
Naruto clenched his fists and felt his arms shake with an anger he had no idea why he was feeling. His eyes darted over to the girl and saw she was watching curiously. But as soon as she saw him watching her, she looked back down at the ground. He turned his attention to the boys and took a step forward. "I'll beat you."
The three boys shared a look and stared at Naruto. They didn't laugh. They knew this boy wasn't messing around with them. All three looked at the girl behind them who was now cowering, shivering either from the cold or fear or a mix of both. The middle one grabbed her by the front of her maroon jacket, yanking her up violently. "Who did you call? Do you know him?"
"N-N-N-No! I-I-I-I-I've n-never s-s-seen h-h-him b-b-b-"
"Oh, shut up with your excuses!" he snapped, tossing her to the ground.
She whimpered in pain and curled up into a small ball. That was the last straw. Naruto yelled as he leapt onto the middle one who had hurt her and crashed his fist down into the back of his head. The boy yelled in pain, reaching behind to yank Naruto off of him. Naruto slammed his fist repeatedly into the boy's neck, not noticing the skin turn a bright and almost painful red. "Caught you off guard! How's that?!"
"What is with this kid?" the smallest one muttered, taking nervous steps back. The tallest growled and grabbed Naruto by the back of his scarf. Snapping his head up just in time, Naruto kicked his leg out to the side, kicking the boy in his stomach. He coughed and reeled back.
Abandoning the one below him Naruto hurdled himself into the bigger one, both of them crashing to the cold snow.
The small girl lifted her head, whimpering as she felt the snow seep into her sleeve. She looked down at her hand which had turned a bright pink when she scraped it against a sharp chunk of snow. How she was going to explain that to her father she had no idea. She turned her head to the side and her eyes widened in horror.
Naruto slammed his fist continuously into the tallest boy's face. It wasn't strong enough to draw blood but most likely to leave a few bruises behind. Naruto stopped mid punch and glared at the boy. "I'm gonna be the Hokage one day. Better not regret it, guys!"
The girl's eyes widened even more as she stared at the boy. She struggled a bit to sit up properly and her arm gave way causing her to collapse into the snow. She yelped softly and immediately tensed. If one of those boys heard her they'd terrorize even more than they already had.
Naruto yelled and she spun around to see him being yanked off the ground by the middle boy, the one who had threw at the ground. "Yeah right, as if anyone like you could become Hokage. Only the strongest become Hokage and you're weaker than a toddler!"
"I will! I'm absolutely gonna become the Hokage! And I'll prove you wrong!" Naruto snapped back.
The smallest grabbed the edge of Naruto's scarf and pulled it off roughly. He back pedalled away quickly, keeping the scarf closet to him. Naruto looked and him and thrashed around violently. If he lost that scarf, Kitsune would kill him. He couldn't just lose something they found that the owner had originally left behind for someone. Kitsune had gotten it in his head that their mother or father left it for them. She had grown an attachment to it. "Give that back!"
"Oh, you gonna miss this, I-Wanna-Be-Hokage? Too bad!" the boy yelled. He tossed it to the floor and stomped his foot down onto it. He smeared dirt and snow all across its material. The tallest boy laughed and walked past Naruto, shoving him. He grabbed the scarf and reached down into his pocket. He pulled out a blunt pair of scissors. Naruto tried to break out of the middle boy's grip but he just tightened it. Naruto gagged as he tried to breathe and blinked his dry eyes.
The tallest boy picked up the scarf. He noticed the girl was watching him and glared at her. She instantly shuffled back, keeping her gaze focused at the ground. He went back to the scarf and turned it around. He held it up so Naruto could see it and slowly moved the scissors closer to the material, opening the blade.
"Stop it! Give it back!" Naruto yelled as he clawed at the boy's arms.
"Aww, look at that! Did your mommy give it to you? Is that why you're so sad?" the tallest one laughed. His dark eyes looked at the scarf as he sliced the blades across the scarf. Naruto's screams echoed around the forest. But still they didn't let up. Piece by piece, Naruto watched the scarf get torn and ripped in different places. His heart sank as the tallest boy tossed it to the ground and stomped on it, smudging more dirt on it.
"How's that for wanting to be Hokage? Can't even stop someone from destroying what's his," the tallest boy answered. He waved a hand and the middle boy released Naruto and glared at him. Naruto didn't run after them, just stared at what remained of his scarf.
The boys laughed and began walking off, all stomping on the scarf as they passed. The girl watched their retreating backs, relieved they were finally gone. She sat up fully and wiped the snow from her jacket. It had already melted, leaving a wet trail across her arms and back. Some of it had gotten in her hair but she wasn't sure if it was from the snow falling or from when she fell. She looked up at Naruto. He remained where he stood, just staring at the scarf.
Slowly and cautiously, she crawled over to it and picked it up. She tried her best to wipe it off but if she rubbed too hard the material felt like it would tear further. "G-G-Gomen-nasai, i-i-it's m-my f-f-f-fault it's like t-t-this," she stammered nervously.
Naruto looked down and her. He walked up to her and crouched down. "No, it wasn't. You're innocent in all this," he looked up at her and tilted his head to the side. "Are you okay? They didn't hurt you did they?"
She shook her head. She found herself staring at his bright, cerulean blue orbs and felt her cheeks flush a deep pink. Quickly, she looked down at the scarf.
She held it up towards Naruto. "H-H-Here. I-I-I-It's y-yours, r-r-right?"
"There's no point. It's too broken and Imōto-chan will kill me if I go home with it. You can just throw it away of you walk past a bin," Naruto said as he stood up. She nodded and looked down at the ruined scarf. She rubbed it between her fingers and turned it over.
A small hand appeared in front of her face and she looked up. Naruto offered a hand to her and smiled. Another blush spread across her lips.
She hesitantly reached her own hand out and gripped onto his. He pulled her up and released her hand once she was fully on her feet. He stared at her and noticed her eyes. The one thing she had kept him from seeing. She had featureless white eyes with tinges of lavender in it. But the other thing that surprised him. While he had pupils, hers weren't there, or maybe they were hidden under her eye colour.
She noticed him staring and looked away, blushing again.
"Well, see you around," Naruto shrugged as he began to walk away. His shoes crunched in the snow as he moved past her. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it again quickly. She turned around and watched him walk off, his hands behind his head. Her cheeks grew warm again and she held the scarf tightly.
"Bye, Naruto-kun..."
