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. I'll let you guys fidget and wonder.
Rated: M for Mature
-x-x-x-
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser
You gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you gotta stay together
All I know, all I know love will save the day
Herald what your mother said
Read the books your father read
Try to solve the puzzles in your own sweet time
-You Gotta Be (Des'ree)
-x-x-x-
She'd realized too late just how packed she'd made her day. Standing at the address on the paper, behind her was none other than Genma who was watching her as she stared blankly at the door. Contemplating on knocking or passing out.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"...yeah..." she knocked on the door and a mutter and shuffle sounded from the other side before it opened to reveal an equally sleepy looking gentleman. "..."
"..."
"Magire, this is Katsumi...Katsumi..." Genma pointed to the dazed male in front of him, "...this is Magire."
"...she's so small..." Magire sighed, "I forgot how small genin were."
"That's a rather small minded comment. Genin aren't all twelve-year old's, they can be the same age as you, in fact."
"...fine, fine. I just wasn't expecting you to be so...small."
Katsumi glared but Magire just chuckled and held his door open for them. "Downstairs, you can both go ahead, I'm gonna change."
Genma led Katsumi down the hall and downstairs where a plain door was lit by a florescent light. He opened it and walked in first, before letting the blonde pass him by. There was a metal table situated in the middle of the room, above it was a hanging rack with tools and containers of various sizes. Running along the walls, there were plants, some boxed up in a clear container, perspiration clear as day on the glass walls. There was a large book on the table, a pencil lay next to it and what looked like open notes beside the pencil. A water bottle with a spray top was on the counter to his right and there were a bunch of small pots of soil scattered around the room.
"Alright! Katsumi Uzumaki..." Magire walked in and around the two, closing his notebook and sliding it away before placing his book and pencil on top of said notebook. He pulled a stool from under the metal table and produced two more from the other side where he motioned for her to sit. Genma caught on and sat in the third available seat. "A little birdie told me that you had an interest in botanical recreation. Why, if you don't mind me asking...are you interested in poisons?"
Katsumi smiled, "...I'm interested in more than just poisons, I'm interested in the healing properties just as much as I am the fatal properties. I want to learn how to utilize plants around me, as both a weapon and a remedy."
"You said she's twelve?"
"I said she could handle it."
"Yeah, you did. I just wasn't expecting that kind of answer." Magire laughed, "I'll see where it goes, but I don't have a problem with it. I usually work Sentry in the mornings, so any time after five, and you will find me at home. For now, let's go ahead and see how far your knowledge stretches, this-"
-x-x-x-
Naruto was walking through the streets of Konoha with Chouji and Hinata on either side of him. Both talking about the missions that they'd be taking on, they had already started, but Naruto could hardly call walking a dog a mission. He sighed in irritation.
"N-Naruto...are you o-okay?"
Her voice had a strange soothing quality to it, but her nervous disposition bothered him. He smiled, "I'm fine, I just...really want a real mission. Seriously...what challenge does "babysit a dog" hold?"
"The easier the mission, the faster we finish, the sooner I can eat."
"...Chouji, I'll buy anything you want to eat for a month if you can help me convince Asuma-Sensei into getting us harder missions."
Chouji's ears twitched a bit, and Hinata gave him a curious look as he seemed to be contemplating what Naruto was offering.
"Naruto...don't make promises you can't keep."
The three turned around to see Shikamaru and Asuma standing behind them.
"Again? You two hang out quite a bit..." Naruto leaned in till his nose was barely an inch away from Shikamaru's, "what's your game, Nara? Sabotage? Espionage?"
Shikamaru waited and smirked, "like I'd waste my time trying to sabotage your team, and I don't need to deal in espionage; you tell your sister everything. I came here to tell you that your sister would be home late."
"What?"
"Yeah, she's going to be out with Genma till early morning."
"Genma..." Naruto growled. "Where are they!?"
"I'm not telling you. You are hot-tempered and stubborn; don't worry, she'll be home around two." Shikamaru watched Naruto with interest as he seemed to start boiling in his annoyance, "...those are her words."
"I know!"
"N-Naruto..."
"..."
Shikamaru had to stop himself from laughing. As uncharacteristic as it might be for him, he enjoyed tormenting his friend like this. Katsumi was a prickly subject when it came to Naruto and Shikamaru and Kiba both knew how to rile the boy up. "I'll leave you with one last thing she said."
"What's that?"
"She said..."watch me"...I'm sure you know best what that's about. I didn't ask, just told her I'd tell you." He shrugged and turned on his heal, "I did my part, later Naruto, Asuma-San...thanks for the game." He waved his hand and left.
Naruto was half fuming and half grinning, "she's going to pass me up if she keeps up like this." He looked at his hand and tightened it into a fist, "Asuma-Sensei!"
"Hm? Yeah, what is it?"
"Give us harder missions! I know that Genin take up the D-Ranks, but we also can get C-Rank missions too!"
Asuma sighed, "not yet, Naruto. Kakashi's team isn't going on C-Ranked missions either, they are still training, gauging one another as teammates. Get to know who you are working with first, and then I'll see about getting us a C-Ranked mission."
Naruto didn't seem too pleased by this, but then, he didn't argue either. Instead, he turned to Hinata and Chouji and grinned, "we've got another eight hours before the sun sets...lets head back to the training field!"
"...N-Naruto..." Hinata stared at him for a moment before smiling, "r-right!"
"I don't have a problem with more training, but can we eat first? I'm starving..." Chouji dropped his hand to his stomach and frowned, "I could eat a hundred bowls of Ichiraku Ramen..."
"Actually, now that you mention it..." a grumble sounded from Naruto's stomach and he laughed. "I'm hungry too."
"You kids..." Asuma sighed, but shaking his head, he ushered the three off to Ichiraku's with a smile in place. He thought it was funny how Kakashi's team was motivating his team to push themselves harder. Specifically, Katsumi and Naruto were pushing one another...which resulted in his team being pushed, and probably Kakashi's as well. His eyes strayed to the loud blonde as he laughed about one thing or another, leading Chouji and Hinata off towards Ichiraku's with the promise of free food from the Sensei. He wasn't into fortunetelling, but he was hopeful that this team would bare many great fruits of labor.
-x-x-x-
Me: Here is chapter six! Revieeeeeeeew~