My last installment for the weekend. I am pleased so far with how the story is going. Maybe you are too. Thanks for your support. After Ino's party (which will be the next chapter) there will be some more action...I hope you all stick around for that.
mrs cake. i noticed the strong quiet type trend. - can you figure out mine? kiba, kyo, ichigo...lol.
otkau-freak-16, were you peaking at my notes:)
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE A Reliable Source.
"I think your family is trying to kill me Naruto kun." Sakura stated as she laid on the ground of the training area. Kakashi had been unusually strict on the team lately. Pushing more and more. "Teamwork, is not easy, but the basis of your survival." He drilled them on this everyday.
Sakura found it easy to work with Naruto. They paired together very well. Zaku was the problem. She could not give herself over to completely trusting him. No trust. No teamwork. She knew it had to do with Ino. She was Ino's friend. He had broken that trust with Ino, and Sakura was not willing to hear him out. Plus he was aggressive and had no respect for her personal space. He had even tried to convince Sakura to ditch Ino's party to go out with him. Sakura declined and the kikai planted on her body took a small bit on her earlobe. "Keep it up Kikai kun, and I'll send you packing."
Two hours after school, Kakashi sensei finally dismissed the team. Naruto waited for Sakura to get her stuff. She didn't even bother changing from her uniform. She was stinky and there was no need to put on all that clothing again. "Ramen?" She asked as they left the school.
"Like you had to ask." Naruto answered. He sent Hinata text to let her know he was okay and would call later.
The pair walked to the Ramen Shop. They noticed Kakashi down the street entering the bookstore again. "Naruto kun, your cousin is a pervert."
"Runs in the family." He said with a playful grin.
"I don't even want to know, but ask him if he would like to join us." Naruto jogged down the street. Sakura was standing outside the bookstore. Seated at a table at the bookstore's outside cafe, enjoying the evening and two cups of tea were two elderly ladies. One wearing a kimono, and the other in what Sakura called a 'granny sweatsuit' or in other words a vinyl sweat suit, with sandals and socks.
"Was that the jinchuuriki I just saw running into the store?" The kimono wearer asked.
"Yes, I do believe it was, poor child. Young lady are you with him?" Sweat suit granny asked.
"Yes ma'am Naruto is my teammate." Sakura answered.
"Wait, but aren't you Tsunade's daughter?" Kimono asked.
"No ma'am I am not sorry." Sakura answered and bow to the ladies.
"No, the daughter also died in that fire. Don't you remember? She had blue hair, not pink." Sweat suit asked.
"That's right. Those poor women, that poor boy." Kimono said. She clutched her chest thinking of the lost Naruto must have felt.
"And Jiraiya kun?" Sweat suit questioned. She took a sip of her tea.
"That pervert is perfectly fine without my sympathy." Kimono answered. Her face turning stern.
"Still, such a tragedy. That boy cursed with the byuuji, and then losing both his mother and sister." Sweat suit said. Sakura was sitting the ground, listening to the two women. She knew eavesdropping was wrong, but she wondered if Naruto knew he had a sister. She rested her head against the building. Hoping they would continue the story.
"From what I've heard that Orochimaru was hurting the girl. Experimenting on her." Kimono said. Sakura could not be sure, but she imagined Kimono giving Sweat suit a 'know it all' look.
"Who told you such a thing?" Sweat suit asked. "Not that gossiping Aya. She seems to think the Hokage is secretly in love with her, as if!" She slammed her hand softly on the table.
"No of course not. My niece dated a boy" Kimono started.
"Which niece?" Sweat suit stirred her tea.
"Baiu, the one that works at the bridal store. She dated a boy who's father owned a small fabric shop." Kimono answered. She lifted her tea cup to her lips.
"The shop over by the theater or the one near the Hokage's office?" Sweat suit prodded.
"The one by the theater. They sold such lovely silk and do not overcharge." Kimono started.
"That is true. Hisame got a beautiful pattern there for her daughter's wedding." Sweat suit continued. Sakura's eye began twitching. 'Damn it get back to the story.'
"You knew that wedding would end badly. The groom showed up at the rehearsal dinner drunk and lipstick smeared over his collar."
"I remember that, almost nine months later the girl from the host club showed up on their doorway with a child, with those red eyes like his." Sweat Suit chuckled softly.
'And they said that Aya woman was a gossip?' Inner Sakura commented. Sakura let out a soft growl.
"What was I saying, oh yes, Baiu dated a boy who's father owned that fabric shop by the theater. He had a customer, who's daughter in law's sister dated a boy who was a gardener for the family."
"Ooh a reliable source on the inside." Sweat suit stated. She looked a little excited about the information she was about to receive.
'Reliable? She's kidding right?' Inner Sakura asked. 'That information has gone through more hands than Naruto kun goes through ramen.'
"Well, go ahead." Sweat suit said. Sakura psychically pushed the lady for more details.
"It seems that Orochimaru wanted the girl for some sick experiments, and Jiraiya kun discovered what he was doing and killed him." Kimono sat quite for a moment as she took a sip of her tea. Naruto bounded from the store, and Sakura immediately but her over her mouth for him to be quiet. She pulled him down beside her, urging him to keep quiet.
"That poor child. What a sick man, for the life of me I can not remember her name." Sakura shook her head and rolled her eyes. 'Gee there's a shock.' Her inner voice said.
"I can still see her playing in the park with Naruto kun and her mother Tsunade chan." Sakura tighten the grip around Naruto's mouth. He wanted to know what was going on and how these two old ladies knew him. "Such a strong family of shinobi, Hokages in the bloodline, Sannin as parents, even Kakashi kun, is a genius among ninjas."
"Her hair was blue, no wait." Sweat suit thought for a moment. "No it was pink. Jiraiya kun's daughter had pink hair like his grandmother."
Naruto knew she was going to say pink hair. The color drained from Sakura's face. She closed her eyes. 'What are they talking about?' Her mind began processing.
"Yes that is right, the boy, who carries the byuuji had the blond hair like his mother's. His twin sister, what was her name, had pink hair like her great grandmother."
Sakura turned to open her eyes and look at Naruto. They were piecing together the puzzle. It explained so much, but was it true? Sakura's lip was being gnawed at a fast pace. Naruto placed his hand on top of hers. There was not doubt they were talking about him, they said his name directly. She could not be sure if they were speaking of her. However she was the only girl she had ever met to have pink hair.
"It is going to drive me crazy now." Sweat suit said. "Flower, Hana, no that's the Inuzuka girl, Kaerizaki, I know it was flower related. Sakura! That was it."
"Yes it is. Sakura was her name, that is the jinchuuriki's twin sister." Kimono women took another sip of her tea.
Sakura and Naruto let out a gasp and stared into each other's eyes.
At that moment Kakashi strolled from the store excited, until he saw the pair against the wall eavesdropping.
"We need to talk!" Both jumped to their feet and began pulling him through the streets to the training ground, they normally used. Kakashi landed with a grunt at the bottom of a tree.
'Damn they are strong when combined.' He thought.
"Spill it." Sakura crossed her arms on her chest. Naruto stood above him, as Kakashi pulled the old edition out of his pocket and placed it in the bag to take home, while placing the new edition in his pocket.
"I"m not quite sure I understand." Kakashi answered.
Sakura unfolded her arms, and leaned in close. "Kakashi oniisan, I'm sure you do."
Shit. Was all Kakashi could think of. She changed the honorific. They knew.
"Sakura chan, it is important that this information and your knowledge of this information stay between the three of us." Kakashi began. "However there are two things I must do first."
Kakashi stood in front of Sakura and embraced her. She was a little shocked at first, but returned the gesture. A smile came over her face as she hugged her cousin. Naruto not wanting to be left out jumped in with the pair. After a moment the three separated.
"It has been a long time since I have been able to hug you Sakura chan." Kakashi started. He placed a kiss on her forehead. "I have missed you. You and Naruto kun were the younger siblings I never had. That is why Naruto kun has always called me nii san instead of itoko. With the exception of being on missions, I saw each of you everyday until you and Tsunade obasan left."
"Really?" Sakura asked.
"Yes, now this may seem weird, but Sakura chan could you please lift your shirt, I need to check something."
"Kakashi niisan, that's going to far! She's family!" Naruto jumped in between Sakura and Kakashi. However Sakura was pretty sure about what Kakashi wanted to look at.
"Naruto kun you baka, move." Kakashi looked at Sakura. "You already understand don't you?"
"I think so." Sakura lifted her shirt to expose her stomach.
Naruto gasped. Across Sakura's stomach wrapping around her waist like a belt, and he assumed her back also, was a tattoo. Pink sakura blossoms were beautifully colored on her skin. There would be blossom with a leaf wrapped around it every three inches or so, and the petals trailing until they met with the next blossom wrapped in a leaf. Naruto thought it was beautiful. On her right side was a leaf village symbol, but around the edges Naruto noticed something underneath the village symbol. The lines from the seal of the curse mark radiating from the center of the leaf symbol like a sun.
"Is that a curse mark?" He asked. Kakashi nodded. "What, how?"
"Naruto kun, Sakura chan is not a jinchuuriki like you." Kakashi moved forward. "Tried to cover it up, huh Sakura chan?"
Sakura merely blushed as Kakashi examined the curse mark.
"Looks like the Third's seal is still holding." Kakashi finally said.
"The Third?" Sakura asked. "As in the Third Hokage?"
"Yes Sakura chan, he made sure that curse mark was sealed properly." Kakashi answered. "The tattoo is nice though."
"Why do I have this?" Sakura asked. Kakashi proceeded to explain the events of the twins' lives. Naruto and Sakura sat beside one another listening intently.
"Please remember what I have told you is a seceret at this point. One of a shinobi's abilities is to be trusted with information. This is one of those situations. Sakura chan, your life could be in danger if this information is known. Do you both understand?" Kakashi looked at the pair. "There will be an appropriate time to tell your parents, but now is not the time. Sakura chan do you now see the importance of becoming stronger? You must learn to master those genjutsus inside you. The more they become a part of you, the harder they will be to extract. Also a more powerful kunoichi you will become."
"Yes, Kakashi niisan. I do." Sakura was overwhelmed with information. Too much to process. She had a dad. A brother. A cousin. A kick ass kunoichi mom.
"Good, but please remember to use the expected honorific for me at school. When we are alone the correct one is okay." Kakashi stood.
"Oi, Kakashi niisan, who's the oldest?" Naruto asked.
"After all that I have told you Naruto kun, that is what concerns you?" Kakashi asked.
"I understand everything perfectly and I know my duty, is to protect Sakura chan, but I was just curious."
"You are Naruto kun, you were born first. The curiosity was that you were born breech, meaning feet first, and you and Sakura chan were holding hands. She came out right after you, with your hand grasping hers." Kakashi finished. "It is quite touching really."
"Sakura futago no imouto, I promise I will always protect you, and we will never be separated again." Naruto said looking at Sakura.
"Naruto futago no niisan arigato." Sakura bowed to her older brother. He returned the gesture and embraced her again. It was understood, he was the oldest and he would always protect her. Kakashi stood watching this moment. 'From this moment on, their relationship will be even stronger.'
"Now stay away from Kiba teme, I don't want him dating my sister." Naruto began smiling. He was half joking. "Do you know what he does with the girls he dates?"
"Kiba kun likes you?" Kakashi asked. His eyebrows raised. "Yes your brother is right, stay away from him."
"I'm not listening to either of you." Sakura answered.
"What! You have to! I'm the oldest!" Naruto shouted as they began to walk toward the ramen shop.
"I'll listen when you're the smartest!" Sakura replied. Kakashi pulled his book out and began to read as they meandered through the streets of Konoha.
in case you didn't figure it out, 'futago no imouto' and 'futago no niisan' mean little twin sister and big twin brother. i like the idea of naruto being the older brother, having someone he feels the need to take care of. i also like the idea of the two old ladies getting side tracked while telling their story. i can see sakura ready to pound both of them.
review if you want...terri.