Then There Were Two

Summary: Naruto Uzumaki...Katsumi Uzumaki...are the twin children of the Honorable, Late Fourth Hokage...both outcasted by Konoha, the two find strength in one another that is incomparable and irreplaceable. The Teams...are quite different now, and the future...is looking more than a little bit brighter…or is that but the calm, before the storm?

Anime/Manga: Naruto

Genre: Romance/Humor/Adventure

Pairing: I... know who with who will be. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.

Rated: M for Mature

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Turn off your porcelain face,
I can't really think right now in this place.
There's too many colors.
Enough to drive us all insane.

- This is Home (Cavetown)

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Naruto grunted at the feel of something falling heavily on his gut. Eyes clenching tightly as he registered the morning before glancing down at the assault on his stomach. "Hey, Shikamaru, I don't suppose you could get off of me...huh?"

Shikamaru turned his head from where he'd let it fall back against the loud blonde. "I could, but I'm comfortable."

Naruto sighed and closed his eyes, "if you're here, that means Katsumi must be somewhere nearby."

"Oh, is that how that works? Yeah, she's not."

"Wait, she's not still in that village, is she?!" Naruto sat up and sent Shikamaru's head forward in the motion, he reached out and gripped the ponytail that shot past his eyes and yanked it backwards, eliciting a pained grunt from his long-time friend. "You guys need to go back for her. Hell, I'll go back for her!"

"Man, chill!" Shikamaru pulled his hair free from Naruto's grip and stood up before taking a step back away from the medical bed that Naruto was sitting up on. "She got back a couple days ago. She's...somewhere. However, Kiba and Genma are the only two who can find her. Well, the only two I communicate with, that can find her. She's been off doing her own thing for a while lately."

"But she's in the village?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru pulled his now messed up hair from the tie as the door opened to reveal a grinning Kiba and Chouji. He smirked before pulling his hair back up into a tight ponytail.

"He's awake! We heard you appeared out of nowhere after disappearing for so long."

Naruto frowned, "I bet Pervy Sage dropped me off here."

Kiba had no clue who Pervy Sage was, but he through the curtain aside and stare outside the window before pointing, "your Pervy Sage has some massive, strange looking feet."

Throwing aside the sheet that covered his lower half, Naruto jumped out of bed and looked at where Kiba was pointing. "WHAT!? No way...Boss brought me here?! Wait, so I guess I stayed on his back!" Naruto grinned and jumped up in excitement, "wahooooo~! YEAH! THAT'S RIGHT KONOHA!" Naruto shouted from the open window, "WATCH ME! I'M GONNA BE THE NEXT HOKAGE AND TOAD SAGE!"

"Toad Sage?" Shikamaru brought a hand to Naruto's forehead, "what the hell, man! What are you wailing about!?"

Kiba knocked his fist against Naruto's shoulder, grinning ear to ear as he met his friends stare. "Naruto, your training must have been intense. I'm assuming blunt force trauma to the head?"

"Shut up!" Naruto looked away as he crossed his arms.

Chouji held a bag of pork fat flavored chips out to Naruto and laughed when the blonde grabbed a few and smiled, "I have no idea what you're talking about, but if you're able to move around like this, we can get out of her. I'm starving!"

"Oh yeah! It's been awhile since I've had Ichiraku's."

"Well, I guess anything's better than barbeque." Sighing as he let his friends drag him from the infirmary, Shikamaru withheld a groan of aggravation as his goon squad was back in full swing. "All we're missing is...Katsumi? Oh, hey...found her."

"What, where?!" Naruto turned, looking all around until he angled his head and turned his eyes up. "Why is she alwaaaays with him?!" His loud voice had clearly been heard when he saw Katsumi's eyes turn and widen at the sight of him. She looked back to Genma who was staring down at him, completely unphased, before he too looked away and returned his attention to Katsumi. However, what struck Naruto as odd, was the fact that Genma seemed to be a bit bothered by what Katsumi had said. The two kept looking back at the inn across from where she and Genma were, and both looked to be on the verge of arguing. Not that he'd complain! An argument between his sister and Genma?! He could only dream...

"What I wouldn't give to hear what their saying."

Chouji frowned, "does it matter? It seems to be mission related, so we should stay out of it. Unless Katsumi's in trouble or immediate danger, I don't want to get involved." He pointed back at the Ramen stand a bit away from them, "I'd much rather confer over the new flavors of Ichiraku's Ramen."

"What new flavors?" Even as he asked, Naruto couldn't tear his eyes away from Katsumi and Genma. Watching his spunky and reckless sister cock her hip and put her hands atop it before giving Genma the most uninterested look he'd ever seen on her face.

"Well, I don't know. I just saw the sign that said, "ALL NEW FLAVORS" so...why don't we go look into that?"

A sudden laugh escalated from what Naruto had been hoping would end in a slap or punch, he sighed and dropped down onto the ground. Crossing his legs as he watched his sister laugh at whatever Genma had said before waving him off and jumping down to meet up with their little group. "Why can't you just like Chouji, Shikamaru or Kiba?"

Kiba and Katsumi both glanced at one another, shaking their heads, neither said anything to Naruto's suggestion. However, it was evident that they didn't see a future together.

"I have no idea what's wrong with the two of you together...you have so much in common!"

Laughing, Katsumi looked back at her brother, "like what?"

"Well, for starters?! Age! You're both the same age! That's a great conversation starter these days." He turned to Shikamaru, "hey, name's Naruto, I'm twelve, how old are you?"

Shikamaru scratched his head before turning and walking off, "I don't feel like playing this game. It's too weird, and too much work."

Katsumi jumped up onto Kiba's back and grinned when he caught her legs and chased after Shikamaru. "Naruto!" She yelled back to her brother as he raced after her and Kiba, Chouji walking beside Shikamaru without a care in the world as he relaxed to the familiar antics of his friends. "Welcome home!"

He grinned, "I should say the same thing to you, and don't change the subject!"

"I never said congrats, did I?" She asked, carrying on as if she couldn't hear him. "On passing the first and second tests of the Chuunin Exam, and the prelims!"

"Hey! I passed to you know."

"I know, and I'm proud of you too Shikamaru. Knowing how much you probably wanted to quit and give up."

"He almost did," Chouji threw his head back and finished off the bag of chips before crunching it up into a ball.

"Oh? Then why didn't you?"

"Listen, it was a bad lapse in judgement!" He frowned, "so just drop it. I'll make sure that I don't pass this exam. Way too much responsibility. Augh...what was I thinking...being a Ninja..." Shikamaru sighed.

A gust of wind suddenly wrapped around the group and Katsumi curled in on herself as the chill climbed along her arms. Jumping off Kiba's back, she frowned and turned to see what had caused the rush of wind. Standing behind them, three ANBU.

"Katsumi Uzumaki, the Hokage has sent for you."

"..." Naruto took hold of Katsumi's wrist and glared at the masked shinobi. "Why is the Hokage sending ANBU out to get my sister?"

"Yeah, that's something that Chuunin normally do...in all their infinite power." Shikamaru muttered.

Katsumi watched Kiba and Chouji move in front of her before raising a hand to the ANBU. "I'll catch up with the two of you, go on ahead."

"Understood,"

She knew who they were by the sound of their voice. Hayate and the vivacious violet haired beauty she'd seen with him. Though the latter was obvious because of her hair. Still, she knew who they were, and thus, she knew she could trust them, or at least him. "I have to go make my report. I'll see you later at home, Naruto!"

"Report?" Baffled, he watched as his sister, once again, left him. "We should have been placed on the same team. Don't they know separation causes insanity?! Believe it!"

"Oh, we're here!" Chouji ran to the stand. "Nice! Hey, old man! Get me all of your new flavors!"

Clenching his fist with red cheeks, Naruto shook his head and yelled, "MAKE THAT TWO SERVINGS OF ALL YOUR NEW FLAVORS!"

"Coming right up!"

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Me: Here is chapter 29! Hope you all enjoyed, poor Naruto though.