Chapter 20: Clear Child.

None of them looked impressed, in fact, they looked everything but. Mostly the Hyuga member of team eight, his team mate, on the other hand, looked both confused and disgruntled while their jonin sensei seemed to be trying to hide just how bad a headache the situation had given him. Not quite the reaction I had expected.

"Following Akane-san's passing during the Uchiha Massacre, you, team eight, have been assigned a new team mate," Said Cat Taicho beside me. "This is Sumiko, an orphan from a civilian family who became collateral damage in the borders of Kusa during the last war."

He didn't even give them time to process what he was saying. As the wind blew around us, shaking the vegetation in training ground eight and making the dust rise in little whirlwinds throughout the clearing, he continued to explain.

"She belongs to no clan, has no royal descendence, she is of no importance to the shinobi world, and above all does not possess a bloodline limit or the possibility to awaken one."

All present nodded obediently, understanding my captain's words as orders and how imperative was secrecy in this whole ordeal. But unlike what I expected, they did not look happy with the new arrangements for the team.

"ANBU-san, may I ask for an explanation for this." Said Takahiro gesturing to my entire self with both his hands.

Dramatic little turd, could stop looking at me like I have the plague.

"Safekeeping. Now if that is all, I will be taking my leave. Sumiko, I want you at practice every day at sunrise or the deal is off. Well then." And with that he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

All the members of team eight turned to stare at me, and after a few seconds of silence, I bowed. There was a façade to keep.

"It's very nice to make your acquaintance, my name is Sumiko. I hope we can work well together and become stronger." Hotaka let out an exasperated sigh.

Well wasn't he thrilled with my return.

"Likewise, Sumiko-san. These are Hyuuga Hotaka and Amori Takahiro. I am Inuzuka Akira, your new jonin sensei."

"Oh, cut it out! I understand why the name change and the contacts, but why the hair? Like, seriously Ak-Sumiko-san, scarlet? It's a very bad pun if you ask me, and you look like an Uzumaki." Complained Hotaka

"I think it's pretty funny, besides it suits her." Added Taka with a shrug.

"Of course you'd like it. It's not like you and Akane-san used to bond over blowing up stuff or anything."

"I take it you liked Uchiha-san's black hair a great deal, then?" teased Sensei, rendering Hota to a silent blushing mess.

I laughed for the first time in what felt like years. I had missed them.

"But, if you don't mind me asking Sumiko-san, what was that about a deal? Are you not here to stay?" Asked Taka, forcing himself to use my new name.

"I need to report in to train every morning without fail, and make sure people know I'm Sumiko. Otherwise I'll go dark and probably never see the light of day again." I sighed tiredly, "It took me a month to convince Taicho, and I'll be on probation for a year until I'm allowed to stay permanently. But I guess it was worth the shot."

My team nodded in understanding, and after a few words of encouragement, a hug, and some reassurance that my new hair wasn't really that bad, we set off for our first official training as the new team eight. But we all knew it would be just as it had always been which was a great comfort for all of us in a way.

…..

Both my teammates stood across the training field, facing me with determination and a bit of weariness in their eyes. They had tried to defeat me in single combat not too long ago and were now ganging up on me after one too many failed attempts. I wasn't sure if to feel proud or offended. True, I had been in ANBU for a while now, but most of my comrades in masks had been genin as well. So why where they acting like they didn't know how to deal with me when they had been under the tutelage of an ANBU Opps themselves? Maybe it was those extra lessons Wolf Taicho had been forcing me into. He was on the assassination core, after all.

All thoughts left my mind when Hotaka and Takahiro bolted, surrounding me from both flanks and moving in tandem to try and catch me off guard. Hotaka's Byakugan was active and Taka had his left hand inside his back pouch. Hm, so that was it? I wasted no time and went for Hotaka first. Pulling back my blades into my armguards and instantly invading his stance.

It was true that the Hyuuga had a perfect defense system, but as any of it's kind, it only was impenetrable if you found yourself on the outside of it. The speed I had built up in my training under both Cat and Wolf Taicho took him by surprise. Even if I was supposed to be an infiltration agent, being trained by the black Opps' most renowned assassin had its side effects so to speak.

Kakashi had been relentless with his training, as well as thorough, he didn't like loose ends. If my defense was faulty, even for a fraction of a second, then I would be rewarded with a broken rib and a lecture. If I was being too forgiving in my attacks and pulled back punches, then the result was a week of report filing and a lecture. There was no time or reason to hold back, and still I was learning how to. But as I found my way into my teammate's defense, and invalidated him with a few hits to the sternum and ribs, and turned to Taka in a whirlwind of red and purple, I realized just how much I'd learnt.

Hotaka dropped to the floor with a grunt behind me and Taka barely had any time to take a stance before a blade was put to his neck. He seemed surprise as well as confused. I hadn't been able to take on Hotaka like that before and even he had been allowed a few blows before being bested. So when I pocketed the kunai and smiled, there still was a slightly awkward silence lingering. Hotaka soon regained the air in his lungs and his footing, still sporting a face as red as my newly dyed hair. Sensei only smiled from the sidelines as we exchanged unison signs and made our way to him.

"I see my Kouhais are training you well, Sumiko-chan" Said Akira Sensei as I looked down a bit embarrassed at the praise. "I told you two that you'd have trouble, but I certainly didn't expect this. You faced her like a complete stranger would have, but as a Konoha comrade she could see through your tactic immediately."

I felt bad for getting my friends scolded. We were a team, and singling me out like this could prove to be trouble in the future. So I suggested they joined me at training with Taicho the following morning. They would get to learn a lot as well as having the pleasure of watching me get my butt handed to me in a silver platter. Akira Sensei saw through my intentions instantly and let his expression soften. It wasn't that I was pitying the boys, never that, but I did have a very unfair advantage over them since I'd been under the tutelage two ANBU Opps for as long as I had.

"No, we cannot intrude like that. You are their apprentice because you have earned it as well as for your hard work and talent. Hota and I will just have to train harder from now on is all" Said Taka solemnly before flashing a smile at me. "You were always the muscle of the team anyway."

Our entire training that day consisted on both my team mates ganging up on me and then the three of us trying to take Sensei. Needless to say we didn't manage a single blow, except for that one stray kunai that grazed Sensei's flak jacket by chance. By the end of the day, we went our separate ways with an exhausted smile on each of our faces and a sense of wholeness in our chests, for team eight was finally back together. Even if one of its members had a name change and quite the extreme make over.

The feeling vanished as fast as it appeared when I started making my way to my new apartment. The the place was in a complex that housed mostly orphans and young genins who couldn't afford anything better. It wasn't in the nicest part of town, what whith being only a few blocks away from the red light district and all. but it was a place where no one would come looking for me. I knew I had a few neighbours down the hall, but I never gotthe chance to meet any of them, not that I had plenty of those with the tight schedule I was always under. But it somehow still felt odd, I knew all the people living in the building (or in Konoha in general) had an early start in the morning, and seeing no one during my two week stay there left a lingering feeling of uneasiness.

I strode paste yet another alleyway before I came to a sudden halt. The street was empty, or it looked like it was at least, but I knew better. The little presence that had been following me around for the past few blocks was attempting to hide behind a dumpster in order to go unnoticed. He was failing, but not miserably so, a civilian might not have noticed him. I sighed and continued on towards my new home. I was starving, and the sooner I arrived, the sooner I could eat my weigh in omurice. I took my keys out and disabled the security seals Cat Taicho had set up for me before stepping into the lobby to take my shoes off.

"Want some food, kid? I'm making omurice, maybe you can tell me why you were following me after dinner." I said to the opened door as I put my sandals in the side closet and took out an extra set of slippers.

"Hou'd ya know I was followin' ya? I was bein' extra careful dattebayo!" answered a voice I'd heard a million times in what seemed forever ago.

Naruto stepped in confidently, shutting the door behind him and taking off his sandals. He was about to leave them lying around but thought better of it when I shot him a knowing glare.

"I'm a genin, it's my job to be aware of someone tailing me. It isn't that bad since you just entered the academy and all." I answered as I got out a pot in which to clean the rice before setting up the rice cooker. "You could do with a chakra suppressing technique though. I'm sure you could do a lot if you just borrowed a few books from the library."

Naruto went silent behind me. It wouldn't have bothered me if it had just been a case of simply not being a book person, but his silence was too loud: it allowed his sadness, his anger, and his frustration to echo through the walls of the kitchen.

"The old lady at the front desk won't let me in." He said finally as he took a seat at the table and rested his head on his crossed arms, "says I'll probably use them ta start a fire."

I chuckled as I put water in a kettle and got the pot and cups ready for tea. Of course they wouldn't let him in, even if my world had been turned upside down it didn't mean other people's had as well. Everything was still the same, Naruto was hated by most of Konohagakure's population and that would not change for a while.

"Well, I guess you could always borrow some of mine. My late nii-san encouraged reading a lot, not only for knowledge, but also to broaden the mind." I said as I put the hot water in the pot and took the tray with the cups to the table. "You would have to promise not to use them not to start a fire with them, my books are very precious to me."

The boy's eyes lit up in an instant and before he started to nod vigorously, he searched for any sign of mockery, something that pulled at my heartstrings with a force that surprised me. I said nothing as I continued to pour the tea, and looking back, I don't think I could have.

"So is there a reason you were following me? I don't think we've been introduced before," I said as I handed him the first cup. "My name is Sumiko."

Naruto's eyes flew open in surprise as he took the first sip and struggled to swallow it without choking on it. I figured he thought Akane had dyed her hair and taken a liking to wearing colored lenses (which, to be completely honest, would not have been wrong on his part), but it wasn't like he could go around calling me by my name.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, Nee-san." He answered as he scratched the back of his head. "I just thought you looked like another person, she was very nice too."

Naruto looked down disappointed and I smiled a little as I made my way to the burner to get started on dinner. And once I was finished I couldn't help but coo inwardly at the pout he wore as he wolfed down his plate. The little ray of hope he once had, had been losing it's brightness ever since the massacre, and I couldn't bring myself to let it fade. Whether it was Akane or Sumiko, this kid would not lose the one source of affection he had ever had.

I also had to find a way to continue to be a part od Sasuke's life, and Naruto might just be the bridge I so desperately needed.

"She seems like a nice person, I wish I had met her."

The kid talked my ear off for the reminder of the night, telling me all about his latest pranks and shenanigans. The way he took pride in their success and his ability to outrun and outsmart the guards on duty was both amusing and amazing. It was evident the boy had the potential to be one great shinobi, but with how people were disregarding his existence, his lack of discipline and theoretical knowledge came as no surprise. Kami! The boy wan't even allowed in the library!

He left my apartment with a full stomach and three books safely under his arm, instructions to make friends with certain moody Uchiha and an invitation to dinner the following day. Needless to say he was elated at the prospect and my hart clenched a little when I realized he'd been so starved for affection that a single meal was enough to gain his unyielding trust. There was a lot to teach him, but I would be damned if someone took advantage of the boy on my watch.

Once the door was locked, the apartment trapped and the dishes washed, I took a long, scalding, well deserved shower. After drying my hair, I threw myself on the couch to finish the day's report. Needles to say the dullness of a daily report cannot be explained, only experienced, and even when it's done you will need to do something else to stimulate your brain enough to regain cognitive function. So I set myself up for a few hours of fuinjutsu studies until my body decided it had had enough for the day.

The last thought that went through my mind as I covered myself up and laid my head on the pillow, was that I needed to keep in touch with the life I'd had before the massacre occurred. I could change my appearance but my problems and relations as Uchiha Akane would not disappear. Itachi was still a rogue, Naruto and Sasuke were still alone in the world and the truth about Shisui's death could still have me accused of treason if revealed. I still had friends to keep in touch with and a specialization to finish.

I had to make it all work somehow.