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 will be with who, but I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.

Rated: M for Mature

-x-x-x-

She's a fighter, got that fire
When they thought she'd fade away
Throws a fist up, keeps her head up
Feelin' stronger everyday
When she gets down on her knees, she finds the courage to believe
She's a fighter, she's a figher
Who inspires, yeah
He's a fighter, he's a fighter
Who inspires me
He inspires me

- Fighter (Jamie Grace)

-x-x-x-

Kakashi was standing next to Genma who was on Sentry duty tonight with Izumo, the latter's normal partner, Kotetsu, had been sent on a mission earlier that morning and Genma was dragged into taking over his shift.

"Visiting me, Kakashi? I feel so special..." He was bored as all hell, staring at the long unending forest before him as he waited for any signs of anything.

"Yes, well...I was wondering if I could bring out your inner gossip."

"Inner gossip..." Genma muttered, "what are you talking about?" He turned his eyes to Izumo who took the clue and jumped up the wall and distanced himself a bit so not to overhear anything unnecessary.

"...Katsumi Uzumaki..."

"Katsumi?" Genma turned his eyes to Kakashi who raised a brow. Turning back to look out at the forest, Genma sighed and put his hands in his pocket. "If you have anything you want to know about her, just ask her. She's not the type to keep secrets that aren't secrets."

"...you know then?"

"Know what?"

Kakashi frowned, he wasn't sure if Genma knew and was testing to see what all he knew, or if he honestly was clueless, and if so...

"You aren't going to tell anyone anything that we say, are you?"

"Look, I don't want to play gossip mongrel, use your ninken for that."

"Hm...yes, I suppose that I could do that...I was just trying to figure out how she came to be the way she is. Stable minded...she's studious...and more interesting is her choice in career path."

"Oh, the ANBU black ops thing?" Genma nodded, "I think she likes the tattoo..."

Kakashi was starting to lean towards clueless, as far as what all Genma knew about the girl. "How did you meet her?"

He shrugged, "I ran into her while she was running from bullies with Chouza's son." He looked up at the sky thoughtfully, "she was...seven back then. Yeah...since then, I play the role of Delivery Guy in her life."

"Delivery Guy?" Kakashi didn't understand the connection between Genma and a Delivery Guy, but he was feeling pretty confidant that he the role he thought he played in Katsumi's life, wasn't the role she was hoping for.

"I'm always delivering Naruto to their place. You shouldn't have any problems with her, Kakashi...I don't know what you are worried about, but if it's Katsumi...she's more mature than the other Genin in Konoha...ask Iruka if you are unsure of something."

Kakashi got the clue, nodding at Genma's not so subtle get lost. "Thanks for your time. I'll talk with her if there's anything else that I'm curious about."

Genma nodded, still not looking at Kakashi. Once he vanished, he turned to the floating leaf that fell lifelessly to the forest floor. "...I don't know why he's concerned...she's twelve...I'm almost thirty..."

Izumo chuckled from up above him. Turning his eyes up to the younger Shinobi before sighing as the younger jumped down beside him. "You two must have been talking about Katsumi..."

"you noticed?"

Izumo shrugged, "everyone thinks it's cute...she's just crushing on you because you played her superhero. When the rest of the village ignored her and her brother, you not only noticed them...you paid them attention."

"You think it's as simple as that?"

"Kotetsu says it's no reason for anyone to get worked up over. Besides...even if she really feels something, or if it grows later...and this is my own opinion..." Izumo laughed as he turned away from the look on Genma's face. "...but even if it grows later...it's up to you and her to pursue something, not anyone else. Again...just my opinion."

Genma remained silent before he sighed, "...she's twelve...why is everyone taking this so seriously."

Another small laugh escaped Izumo, but nothing more was said between the two of them as continued Sentry duty in silence.

-x-x-x-

Naruto yawned as he walked back inside his and his sisters place. He found her sitting on their bed reading another book. Walking over, he sat down and let his head rest on her lap. "How was your day?"

She smiled, playing with her brothers' hair as she continued reading her book. "We were waiting for hours for our Sensei to arrive. Had to do the introduction portion today, and tomorrow is our first mission. Some survival test."

"Same here, we have to be there ridiculously early."

"How is your Sensei?" Katsumi asked, turning the page of her book as she spoke to him without losing her place in her book.

"Oh! Asuma-Sensei is really cool from what I can see...on the way back, I saw him talking with Shikamaru, actually."

"Yeah?" she looked curiously at her brother, "did you do any reconnaissance?"

He raised a brow, "as nosy as I was feeling, no. I just came home. Kiba had met up with me and pressured me into a few rounds of sparring. He was really upset with being placed on a Team with both Shino and Sakura...he said he and Shino doesn't see eye to eye, and Sakura during their introductions was just annoying."

"I mean, Ino kind of surprised me...personally."

"Oh? How so?"

Katsumi closed her book and slipped it under her pillow. "She...didn't mutter a word about Sasuke while we were all together. Maybe she just didn't have a reason to compare anyone, or maybe she's testing the waters of her teammates as much as we are her...but it was just...surprising. Refreshing, actually. Get up, go take a shower. I'm going to turn in for tomorrow."

"M'kay...oh, need help with your hair?"

"Could you?" She held out a band. Katsumi was thankful that, while growing up, her brother had taken to playing with her hair. This meant she didn't have to braid it...he'd do it for her.

Sitting behind her with a brush and a squirt bottle of moisturizing oil. A few pumps of the light water-based liquid in his hand, he rubbed them together and ran his fingers through her hair, starting at the middle to the ends before running them from the scalp to the middle. He did this so that the bulk of the oils weren't on top of her head. Brushing her hair, he parted the long blond locks and went to work braiding them into two tight braids that fell down her back to her hips.

"There, I'll be back."

She nodded and laid her back to the bed and felt the day hit her as she finally gave into a yawn. She let her eyes fall closed and sighed, "Tomorrow...he'll be late again...I'm sure of it."

-x-x-x-

The next morning, Katsumi was sitting in the dark outside, shivering slightly from the cool chill of the morning air as she waited for her teammates to show up. In her hand, naturally, was another book she was reading. The Untold Secrets to Strategic Battling, and its many pages...filled with marks and highlights...but she was struggling with reading in the dark as she squinted her eyes before giving up and resigning to waiting on the sun to rise.

"Oh! You got here first..."

Katsumi blinked sleepily as she looked to see Ino walking over to her. "Morning," she barely mustered a half wave, "you got here pretty early yourself. I only got here a few minutes ago."

Ino shrugged, "I usually wake up early like this. My mom and I prep the flowers in the mornings."

"How late do you think he'll be?" Katsumi asked, laying back on the soft grass as she stared up at the still visible stars above them.

"...hopefully it'll be nothing like it was yesterday. Though, I think we all owe him an apology..."

Katsumi agreed. The way Shikamaru had spoken yesterday, and the unimpressed tone that the rest of them had given off...was more than a little disrespectful. "Yeah...you aren't wrong..."

A shuffle of soft steps came from their right and Katsumi waited for what she wondered would come.

"Sasuke! Morning!"

Yeah, it wasn't so bad if she only kept to that, but like she'd said to Naruto, Ino had surprised her by how little she'd spoken of Sasuke. She'd expected her to be unbearable with Sasuke on their team, but she wasn't quite what Katsumi had expected. On the other hand, Sasuke was what everyone expected. Quiet, brooding...kept entirely to himself...

She frowned when she heard another set of footsteps coming from her right, knowing for a fact that Shikamaru would come from the left of where they were waiting, and there was no way Kakashi was early if yesterday was any indication of his personality. She sat up and looked to her right, a smile grew on her face as she saw two people walking towards their group. "Genma!" She didn't know the other person beside him, but he was smiling and looked nice.

"Damn, it's hard to think that we used to be this little,"

"Izumo, you were this little not that long ago,"

Izumo frowned, "how young do you think I am, Genma? You're only five years my senior." He laughed, "Katsumi Uzumaki, right?"

A blush stained her cheeks as she felt suddenly very self-conscious, "you know my name?"

"Of course," Izumo smiled, "the Uzumaki twins were famous in the Hokage Towers information network."

Katsumi crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed, "grapevine? Really? Besides, you wouldn't know anything about me if it was just the Hokage Towers gossip chain, you'd only know my brother by name. I'm a recluse..."

Izumo's eyes widened and he laughed, "yeah, that's true...well...you come up too every so often, so I won't say you are famous, but I am well aware of who Naruto is, and you two are unmistakably twins."

She smiled, "I'm cuter."

"...I'll agree, but only because you don't cause us any trouble." Izumo grinned, "I'll see you later, Genma." He waved to the other, smiling one more time in Katsumi's direction before walking off.

Katsumi followed him with her eyes when a hand found her head and she turned her eyes up to Genma. All eyes on the two of them, she didn't particularly care, but she could certainly feel the gaze of Sasuke and Ino.

"Don't get hurt...as a Genin...you are finally going to start going on Missions, and while you won't be doing anything overly dangerous yet...you can still get hurt."

Ducking her head, a bit, her eyes became shadowed by her hair and she nodded silently. "I'll be fine...you should worry more for Naruto...he's more reckless than I am."

"Hm...I wonder...the silent ones are always the most unpredictable." He dropped his hand and placed it back in his pocket before he started walking off.

"Oh...Genma!" She called out as she thought of something, "do you know anyone in Konoha who specializes in...bane or toxicology?"

He looked curiously at Katsumi and scratched his head, glancing up at the sky as it started lightening. From the distance, he heard light and lazy steps. Genma sighed and looked back at Katsumi, "I'll get back to you on that..."

She nodded, waving as Shikamaru walked past him and Genma left the mostly complete group to watch his back.

"What was Genma doing here?"

Katsumi smiled, "he just got off Sentry duty."

Shikamaru frowned, "he still gets stuck playing Guard?"

"Katsumi," Ino smiled at Shikamaru, "sorry to interrupt."

"Sure you are,"

Shaking her head, Katsumi gave her attention to Ino, "yes?"

"...you said you were looking for someone knowledgeable in poisons...if you aren't doing anything later, come with me to the flower shop!"

Her interest peeked, she nodded, "alright, sure."

-x-x-x-

(Four and a half hours later...)

Kakashi looked at his team from where they were sitting with their backs to one another for the most part. Sasuke, Ino and Katsumi were sitting with their backs to one another as they used the other to lean on, while Shikamaru was sleeping on his back in the grass. "I see they are at least able to tolerate one another..." He looked at Sasuke and Katsumi, both of which were reading, and Ino who was playing with the flower petals of a small white flower nearby her.

"I can't sit anymore!"

His eyes moved back to the long-haired blonde, her personality doing a unique flip from what he'd seen yesterday. '...hm...'

She stretched her legs out and touched her toes, her forehead touching the grass as she tried to do something else besides sitting still. Finally, standing up and jumping lightly on the balls of her feet. "Naruto and I would already be outside sweating from training...this is ridiculous...how are we supposed to trust our team leader if something as simple as punctuality is difficult for him?"

"Katsumi, you and I can train some...I'm not the greatest at offensive Ninjutsu though or Genjutsu though."

"We shouldn't...I don't know what he'll have us doing, but it won't be good for us to wear ourselves down."

The entire time the girls spoke to one another, Sasuke and Shikamaru didn't budge from what they were doing. Sleeping, reading. For another thirty minutes, Kakashi sat on the branch getting in some reading of his own while every so often, he would glance over and watch the girls stretch, joined a little while later by Sasuke who finally put his own book down...then Shikamaru who was dragged over and forced to wake up, also forced to stretch by Katsumi. 'I see who is going to make the rules in this group...at least...it looks like they listen well.' Putting his book up, he finally decided, now was a good time to reveal himself to his team.

-x-x-x-

(With Genma)

"I don't mind, but can I ask why?"

"A favor..."

"That's relatively vague, Genma...I'm offering up my skills here, and you won't tell me why."

Genma shrugged, "the kid asked if I knew of anyone, and three people came to mind...well, others came to mind, but they weren't Konoha nin."

"What about the other two?"

"One isn't here...and the other is in the Bingo book…"

Sighing, a man across from Genma nodded, knowing exactly who the other two Shinobi were that Genma had obviously thought of. "Who is this kid?"

"She's one of Kakashi's new Genin."

"...and she's asking about poisons? Aren't you being a bit overconfident in this kid?"

"Magire, would I ask you, if I thought she couldn't be trusted to handle such studies?"

Magire eyed the man across from him, "...I can't be sure yet. I'll get back to you with a better answer once I meet this girl and talk with her. Hold up," he pulled out a notebook, no bigger than the palm of his hand, and scribbled a note in it. "Give this to her when you see her next. I'm off tomorrow, so I can meet her then."

Genma held the folded paper between his middle finger and pointer finger as he gave a small smirk, "I'll buy you a drink as thanks, see ya, Magire."

"...a drink...after this, he'll be buying me drinks to last me a lifetime."

-x-x-x-

Sasuke crossed his arms as he eyed the two bells, "two of us have to go back to the academy...or worse...we all do."

Katsumi nodded, staring at Kakashi who'd arrived about ten minutes ago and had explained that, they weren't passed quite yet. "...so it seems..." she looked at the nervous Ino and bored looking Shikamaru. 'Shikamaru isn't perturbed by this in the least...' she frowned, "...is it...hm, Kakashi-Sensei, isn't it silly to place us in a team only to pitch us against one another?"

Kakashi shrugged, "that isn't really my problem, I'm just here to thin out the ranks."

'...thin out the ranks...either, we work together and at least two of us go on...or we throw a fit, fight against one another, and no one goes on...how to make the others see that though.' She shivered as the wind blew hard around her, taking her hair with it as it wrapped playfully around Shikamaru who wasted no time in pulling a hair tie out of his pocket and handing it over to her. She laughed under her breath and pulled her hair back into a low ponytail.

"If you are ready...then you can start." Kakashi said as he pressed the button on the timer.

Katsumi, Shikamaru, Sasuke and Ino were out of his sight and hidden better than what he was expecting. Katsumi glanced around and took in the locations of the other three. Shikamaru was closest to her, with Ino across the way from them, and closer to Sasuke.

Crisscrossing her legs, she placed her elbows on her legs and pressed her fingers against her head as she closed her eyes and tried to think about what she should do. 'First thing I should do, is formulate a plan with Shikamaru. We need to work together...it's not a Genin we are going up against...Kakashi-Sensei is a Jounin...so...even if one of us was able to do it alone, we should move forward with the anticipation that we can't win on our own...' She preformed a set of hand signs and whispered softly so only she heard her voice. "Hidden Leaf: Summer Rain Technique..." She felt the slight shift in the air and had no doubt in her mind that Kakashi felt it too. However, only Shikamaru would know that it was her technique. 'I'm young, so I can use that to my advantage. Sensei probably won't expect us to know more than the Academy Basic Jutsu...' She felt the first gentle dropped of rain and watched as Kakashi's brow dipped and he glanced up from his book. His eyes met the slightly graying sky above them, and he irritably snapped his little book closed before pocketing it. 'Next...' she moved through another set of hand signs, catching the eyes of Ino and Sasuke who were just now looking for her and Sasuke. "Hidden Leaf: Summer Tempest..." as soon as those words passed her lips, a gust of wind brushed her ponytail over her shoulder and changed the terrain from a warm and sunny training field, to a fit of wind and rain. She looked to Shikamaru who nodded his head and the two of them took off to the other side of the field where Sasuke and Ino were still hidden.

-x-x-x-

Kakashi sighed, '...must be the bookworm...' he shook his head and his rain-soaked hair flared out at the rapid shake of his head, but it did nothing as far as his wet hair went. "...damn...I wasn't aware that I'd need an umbrella..." He looked around and still couldn't see the kids, just barely detecting their presence at all. 'To make matters worse, I can't even read...you would think Katsumi would have a little bit of sympathy for a fellow book lover.'

A shuffle of the bush behind him had him turning his eyes to it, but the new weather developments made it a bit more difficult to see behind the kid's movements and the tricks of the wind. A branch snapping and his eyes met a hanging limb from a tree, he sighed.

'Waiting the paranoia out...is going to be the biggest test here. However, this kind of Jutsu...tends to use up Chakra fast...so, it won't last too much longer. She will make her move soon...unless...' He glanced around at the surrounding area, and was quick to realize, the kids were no longer where they had been prior to the change in weather. '...a cover...to gather the others. Katsumi...Uzumaki. I think I like you...' he chuckled to himself as he closed his eyes and listened for anything that would clue him in to the new location of the four students.

-x-x-x-

Shikamaru nodded, "If it works, it won't take us much effort to get the bells...the shadows are already in place...we just need to wear him down a bit..."

"Sasuke and you will fight him and then...Shikamaru and I will work together to hold him in place...but wouldn't it be easier to have one of us hold him and three of us fight him? On top of that, both Shikamaru and I will take the same damage as our ensnared victims..." Ino sighed, her ponytail was becoming heavy in the rain and it was starting to bug her.

Katsumi smiled, "true..." she glanced up at the rain clouds, "that's why Sasuke and I will pull out all of the stops...but, we will do it together. You and Shikamaru won't step in until we've got him down a bit. It's been ten minutes...so we only have thirty-five minutes left...that means...preferably, in the next twenty-five or thirty minutes, we will have him in place for you and Shikamaru to step in... less if we are lucky."

Ino gave a small incline of her head as she took in the role that she'd been given. It was true that they were working together, but she didn't know what that meant for them once Sasuke and Katsumi got ahold of the bells.

"Ino, you will be responsible for getting the bells..."

Her eyes widened, "...me?! I thought you and Sasuke would-"

"No, it's easier for you to do it, once you take over his mind under Shikamaru's Shadow Possession Jutsu." Katsumi preformed a hand sign and four soft puffs revealed four perfect Shadow clones.

"Hey...are you good?" Shikamaru asked as he pointed up at the cloudy sky.

"I'm still good...I'll drop both in a bit, once we get into place. Sasuke?"

Sasuke brought his own hands together and preformed the same Shadow Clone Jutsu as four more of him appeared in perfect Sasuke fashion. The eight clones scattered along with Sasuke and Katsumi while Ino and Shikamaru stayed hidden where they would be able to see Kakashi perfectly, and on range to preform their attacks when the time came.

Until then...they would wait...

-x-x-x-

Me: Here is chapter four, I hope you all enjoy, and let me know what you all think! I liked being able to change things up so much. There's no way for me to follow script with a different team. So this will be fun to write...till next time!