Natsumi opened her eyes slowly, unable to fall back to sleep. She stared in irritation at the IV and bit her dry lip.
It's too quiet... She looked around the empty room, and then out of the window where only the top of a tree and the sky could be seen. I hate it...
She stared down at her hands and then flexed the fingers gently. I really don't like hospitals... They're so claustrophobic.
Natsumi shifted her weight to swing her legs over the side of the bed, holding the hand rail with one hand and the IV's pole. Taking in a deep breath, she slid off of the bed to stand and her legs wobbled and nearly collapsed under her weight.
Crap... they're just like jelly! She scowled and looked down at her lower half. Work, dammit!
She finally steadied herself and took a cautious step forward, managing to stay upright. A few more steps and she picked up one of the cards on the nightstand. It was brightly colored and beautifully hand-drawn, depicting Natsumi as a phoenix with blazing wings spread out. Her eyes widened at the quality and then opened it carefully, seeing signatures written all over.
Get well soon! We need our Red Flash!
Natsumi smiled faintly and read each name. "Everyone signed it..." She muttered. "Aito, Hana, Benjiro, Rie..." She lowered the card and placed it back down, then leaned over to smell all of the bouquets in their vases.
Everyone is really worried about me.
Closing her eyes, she drew in another deep, sweet, floral breath.
I'm not used to it... but I like it.
Her smile faded slightly and she frowned. She looked away and shuffled over to the mirror on the wall, looking herself over; She was thinner, her skin sallow, and her hair a dull red instead of vibrant crimson.
Oh... She bit her lip. So... I really do look as terrible as I feel.
Her eyes rose to meet her own and her frown deepened.
Mom... She bit her lip harder. What happened when we met? I can't remember... what did you look like? What did you say to me?
Natsumi ran her fingers through her hair and dropped her arm to rest at her side.
Were you proud of me? Or disappointed? I really can't remember... She shook her head slowly and prodded her pale cheeks. Just look at me... would you even want to claim me like this?
"Oh!"
Natsumi turned to look at the nurse who stood in the doorway.
"Miss Uzumaki, you're not supposed to be out of bed yet." The woman sighed and crossed her arms. "You should be in bed. It will take some time for your legs to regain their strength."
"If I don't use them, how are they supposed to get stronger?"
The woman opened her mouth, then shut it again with a sigh. "Well... please be careful. If you had fallen, you could have been seriously hurt. Your body is still in a fragile state."
Natsumi's lips formed a hard line. "When can I go home?"
The nurse's expression shifted and she forced a small smile. "Oh, we still want to observe you for a while to be sure that you're recovering nicely. Now that you're awake, you can regain the muscle and weight you've lost. I'm sure you'll be released soon, especially since you're able to stand already."
Liar. Natsumi sighed and glanced back at her reflection.
"Is there anything I can get for you?" The woman took a step closer. "Are you hungry? Do you need to use the bathroom?"
Natsumi shook her head slowly and turned to look at the door.
"Where is Sena's room?"
The woman blinked. "Oh... Miss Itou?" She smiled. "Your friend is in the ICU, in room 113."
"I want to see her." Natsumi took a step toward the door, her legs trembling slightly as she clutched the IV pole.
"Of course; I understand... but I don't think you should wait to visit until you've recovered more."
Natsumi furrowed her brows. "No, I want to visit her now."
The nurse paused, and then sighed. "Well... I suppose I could escort you there for a short visit. However, you'll need to go immediately get back in bed and rest once we're finished."
Natsumi broke into a grin and the woman hesitantly retrieved a robe from the wardrobe, helped Natsumi into it, and then led her out of the room and down the halls, watching her carefully the entire time. Finally, they stopped outside of a door.
"Here we are." The woman smiled and gestured toward the door. "Go on in. I'll let you have a few minutes, but that's all. You're welcome to come back when you're steadier on your feet, but I still insist that you have someone escort you."
Natsumi reached out immediately for the doorknob and then froze in place.
Sena...
Her lip quivered and a lump formed in her throat as a memory surfaced.
"Why didn't you just listen to me?!"
Her hand trembled and her breath caught in her throat.
"We could have left sooner! This didn't have to happen!"
Natsumi's hand shook noticeably and she shut her eyes tightly.
No...
"This didn't have to happen!"
Natsumi shut her eyes tighter and a slow tear rolled down her cheek.
No...
"Why didn't you just listen to me?!"
Natsumi loosened her grip on the knob and she swallowed.
This is... this is all my fault.
Another tear fell, and then another and another as she trembled in silence.
All of this... it's my fault. I screwed everything up. If... If I hadn't changed our direction... If I hadn't gotten carried away... If...
Natsumi's shoulders shook as she cried quietly and slowly lowered her hand from the doorknob.
Sena... She's like this because of me. She's going to die... because of me.
"Miss... Uzumaki?" The Nurse gently tried to reach out to touch the girl's shoulder. "Are you alright? Are you in pain?"
This is all my fault... I have no right to visit her like this. Not... Not after what I've done.
The nurse called out to her again, and Natsumi turned without a word away from the door and shuffled numbly down the hall.
It should have been me.
Natsumi returned to her own hospital room with the nurse quietly following her. She stood in front of the mirror, looking at her feet instead of her reflection, with her palm pressed against its cold surface.
"Miss Uzumaki..." The nurse cleared her throat. "Are you alright? Is there anything I can get you?"
Natsumi shook her head slowly and droplets fell from her lashes and hit the top of her feet.
"...No. I'm fine."
"How about something nice to eat?" The woman forced a small smile and clapped her hands together. "Why don't I go get you something? I'm sure you're hungry!"
"I'm not hungry."
Natsumi bit her lip and the nurse's expression fell gradually until she sighed.
"Well... alright. If you change your mind, just call me back in and I'll be happy to get you anything you'd like."
Natsumi glanced up slightly to watch the nurse disappear and close the door behind her. Her eyes turned to the mirror finally and she began to tremble again.
My fault... This is all my fault.
"It should have been me..." She muttered under her breath and scowled at herself. "It... should have been me!"
Raising her fist, she slammed it against the mirror and shattered it. Glass burst everywhere and Natsumi stared down at the blood that dripped from her knuckles as pain seared through her. Her eyes widened and she hiccuped and burst into tears, sinking down to her knees into the glass pieces with her face buried in her hands.
I'm so sorry, Sena. I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean for anything of this to happen. I didn't want this...
The door opened and their laughing almost stopped immediately. Aito's eyes widened and he blinked as he stared down at the girl amidst the glass.
"Natsumi?!"
She looked up quickly and wiped away her tears as she blinked. "G-Guys?" She sniffed and looked away, trying to hide her bloodied hand behind her back. "W-What are you doing here?"
Aito let out a heavy sigh and Ahmya's expression fell slightly. Hana stepped forward and carefully sat in a squat beside Natsumi with a faint smile on her face.
"Did that chick there give you a funny look?" Hana winked as Natsumi's face flushed and she shook her head.
"I... I... tripped."
Aito shook his head and opened his mouth, and Hana shot him a look before she looked back at Natsumi with a smile.
"Yeah. Your legs are bound to be a little weak for a while. It's no wonder you tripped." She held out a hand to Natsumi and helped her to stand slowly. "Lucky for you, the best place is to be clumsy is in a hospital. Especially if you're friends with Medical Ninja."
Hana winked and turned back to the group, snapping her fingers. "Aito. Broom."
"Wha-?" He blinked and set down the stack of pizza boxes onto the bed with a sigh. "Why do I have to be the janitor?"
Hana rolled her eyes and Ahmya helped to dust Natsumi off gently and looked over her hand with a wince.
"That looks like it hurts." Ahmya met Natsumi's eye. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"
Natsumi shook her head and Ahmya nodded. "Good. It'll be a nice and easy fix."
Hana retrieved a spare robe from the wardrobe with a wink as Ahmya carefully slipped off the blood splattered robe and they recovered Natsumi.
"You know, you're lucky you have friends with strings they can pull." Hana winked. "This is one of the nicest rooms here, fully accommodated. It's practically a hotel room."
Ahmya led Natsumi over to the armchair, where she gently cleaned the wound with materials stored in the cabinets. Natsumi flinched as glass shards were cautiously pulled from her hand and the raw, open flesh was sanitized.
"So..." Natsumi kept her eyes away from the women as they treated her. "Why are you guys here?"
"To see you, of course!" Hana snorted and put a hand on her hip. "Kiri told us that you were awake, so we all decided to drop by."
Natsumi looked around at the familiar faces and her cheeks warmed as she looked away again, muttering. "I'm sorry for causing you guys so much trouble."
"Really, it's no trouble." Ahmya smiled and shook her head, dabbing gently at Natsumi's hand. "We came to give you some TLC. This qualifies."
Natsumi sighed and pressed her lips together. "Still... this wasn't supposed to happen. I ruined your plans."
Like I ruin everything.
Natsumi's eyes started to water and Ahmya's widened.
"No! You didn't ruin anything! Really!" She tilted her head to the side as she smiled. "Really, Natsumi. I became a Medical Ninja because I liked to help people. Whether that means patching up wounds or cheering someone up. I enjoy all of it."
Natsumi sighed again, softly this time and Ahmya finished cleaning the wound quickly and then began to heal. After a few moments, the bleeding had fully stopped and the cuts had closed entirely.
"There. All better." Ahmya smiled again and turned Natsumi's hand over to show her. "There's still a little bit of a mark, but that will fade in a few days."
Natsumi opened and closed her hand, and then rested it on her lap. "Thanks."
Hana uncrossed her arms and tepped off from the wall. "Alright, let's eat! It's no good if we let it get cold."
"Finally!" Aito dumped the last of the glass from the dustpan into the trashcan and tossed the broom to the floor with a grin. "I'm starving!"
Ahmya laughed and pointed at him. "Don't even pretend that you didn't sneak a few pieces on the way here! I saw it myself!"
Aito blinked and rubbed his head sheepishly. "I... uh..." He cleared his throat and rubbed his stomach. "Maybe so, but cleaning always makes me hungry."
Hana rolled her eyes and walked over to open one of the boxes of pizza and took in a deep breath, picking up a piece for herself and took a large bite.
"Mm... so good..."
Ahmya turned to Natsumi and gingerly helped her to her feet, walking with her to help her sit on the bed.
"We didn't know what kind of pizza you liked, so we kind of went overboard and got a variety of toppings." Ahmya laughed and retrieved a paper plate and passed it to the girl. "I hope there's at least one you like."
Natsumi smiled faintly and took a deep breath, closing her eyes slightly. "It smells amazing."
"Tastes even better." Hana mumbled with a mouthful of food.
Natsumi looked over the open boxes and pressed her lips together in thought before she finally pointed. "That one looks good."
Ahmya set several slices on her plate and got some for herself, sitting down as she ate. Natsumi took a bite and slowly chewed, savoring it with a sigh.
So much better than hospital food...
"Good?" Aito grinned and watched Natsumi nod and take another ravenous bite.
"Great."
"Nothing like a nice, greasy pizza to perk you up." He took out another slice and ate a large bite. "It's good for the soul."
"Terrible for your hips, though." Ahmya laughed and prodded his waist. "You should really eat healthier."
Aito blinked and looked down at himself. "Are you implying that I'm fat?"
Hana laughed and poked his stomach. "I mean, we all change in the same room. Your defined abs are not so defined anymore."
He made a face and ate another bite, chewingly defensively.
"So what if I've put on a few pounds? My girlfriend doesn't mind." Aito turned his face away and chewed.
"Girlfriend?" Hana snorted. "You don't have a girlfriend."
Aito swallowed and held up his pizza slice. "Her name is Pepperoni and Olives and I am shocked that you aren't supportive of us."
Natsumi covered her mouth to stifle a laugh, though Ahmya and Hana broke into loud laughter.
"Hmph." Aito stuck the last bite into his mouth, licked his fingers, and then crossed his arms. "You're one to talk." He looked Hana up and down. "This whole week you've been drinking booze like it's water and that's why you're wearing your exes shorts instead of your own pants, isn't it?"
Hana flushed and crossed her arms. "Woah! Maybe I'm just wearing these because they're comfortable?"
He rolled his eyes. "You hate wearing red." He smirked slightly. "Admit it; you're only wearing them because none of your own pants fit."
Hana glared and Ahmya giggled.
"And you." Aito turned to Ahmya and narrowed his eyes, then, after a long pause, he shrugged. "Actually, I can't even find anything to criticize because you look the same as always."
Ahmya smiled and took a small, dainty bite. "Well, I attribute it to my fabulous skin care routine and drinking my smoothies every morning. Spinach, Kale, Celery, Matcha... you've got to try it sometime. It's even more delicious than pizza."
Aito made a face and shook his head. "I don't eat things that look like grass. I'm not a rabbit."
"And that's why you're gaining weight, and I'm not." Ahmya smirked faintly and took another bite.
"Ouch. That hurt." He made an exaggerated pout. "You guys are terrible. I don't know why we're even friends."
Natsumi snorted, and laughed loudly as she was unable to stifle it any longer. The adults turned to her, blinking at first, and then laughing loudly with her.
"Y-You guys... are so ridiculous." Natsumi laughed and wiped her eye as she laughed louder. "How are you even ANBU?"
The laughing faded after a while and Aito ruffled her hair.
"It's good to see you smiling again, Red. We were all so worried about you."
"Really?" She looked up at him. "But... I screwed up the mission and ended up here. I'm nothing but trouble."
"Pssh." Hana waved her hand. "I think it's safe to say that we're all trouble here."
"Actually, my middle name is Trouble." Aito winked.
"No it's not." Ahmya rolled her eyes.
Aito put a hand on his hip, holding up a finger. "Au contraire, my friend. I had my name legally changed when I was of age."
Natsumi blinked. "You... really made your middle name Trouble?"
"Damn right I did!" He smirked and nodded. "How cool is that? I get to actually use the 'Trouble is my middle name' line." He crossed his arms. "Although, it was torture trying to decide between Trouble and Danger, but I think I made the right call."
The girls shared a look and Hana shook her head with a sigh.
"Typical Aito, once again proving how tiny your pea brain really is." Hana shrugged. "Of all the stupid things you've done, I think that takes the cake."
"Oh!" Ahmya clapped her hands together suddenly and looked at Natsumi. "I just remembered! I brought you goodies!" She quickly held up another bag with a large smile as she pulled out each item. "I've brought you some clothes so that you can get out of that awful hospital gown, some sparkling juice, lip balm, some magazines, toothbrush and toothpaste, a mini bottle of my favorite perfume, a few candy bars, a pair of the fluffiest, warmest socks, and, of course, dry shampoo."
Natsumi's eyes widened slightly. "Is this all for me?"
"Yup!" Ahmya nodded. "I figured since you're going to be here a little while longer that you should at least enjoy it as much as possible."
"Thank you." Natsumi smiled and took one of the juice cans and popped it open, taking a slow sip. "You guys are all awesome."
"We know." Hana winked.
"We couldn't just leave you hanging." Aito smiled. "Although, I did try to get you a stuffed bear, but Kiri wouldn't let me. She said it was too big." He shrugged and lowered his voice. "But that's okay; I bought it anyway and it's waiting for you at your house whenever you get discharged."
Natsumi smiled down at her drink. "Thank you. I'm sure I'll love it."
She brought the can back to her lips and her heart suddenly skipped a beat and she froze in place.
Natsumi blinked and looked around.
Where... where am I?
She stood at the end of a dimly lit hall with the floor covered in several centimeters of water.
What is this place? How did I get here?
Natsumi turned to look down the hall where a bright light shone from the end.
I'm not... dead again... am I?
She shook her head.
No... this is different.
Taking a cautious step forward, she started down the hall. As she drew neater to the light, her skin prickled and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.
What is this feeling?
She bit her lip and stepped through the blinding light, raising her hand to shield her eyes until they adjusted. She blinked and her eyes widened as she discovered she was standing in front of an enormous cage.
W-What...?!
Behind the bars, a low, dark chuckle echoed around the cavernous room and a red-orange glow illuminated the area.
T-That's... Chakra.
Her eyes widened further and she swallowed the lump in her throat.
I... I don't understand.
"What a stupid boy." A deep voice spoke from behind the bars. "How pathetic."
B-Boy?!
Natsumi looked around and spotted an unconscious figure laying in the center of the flooded room.
Naruto!
Natsumi tried to run to his side, but her body remained fixed in place.
I can't move!
Her eyes fell on Naruto, who didn't move.
What's wrong with him?! Why is he here?!
"Naruto!" Natsumi called out to him, forcing her body to step towards him. "Naruto!"
The glowing pair of red eyes turned toward her and the mouthful of giant ivory fangs growled for a moment.
"You...? No... that's impossible." The growl faded and Natsumi gulped. "No... you're not her. Though the resemblance is strong."
Natsumi froze and swallowed again. "H-Her?"
The entity laughed deeply once more.
"I remember you now... you've grown up."
Natsumi shuddered and bit her lip.
This enormous Chakra... this dark feeling... She stared at the creature as it watched her, unblinkingly. It's like nothing I've ever felt before... and yet... She let out a slow breath.
And yet... it's also... familiar.
She stepped forward again and cleared her throat to keep her voice from trembling. "W-What are you?" She paused. "W-Who... are you?"
The dark chuckle echoed again and the creature came closer, nearly pressing its face against the bars as it grinned wickedly.
Natsumi breath caught in her throat and she took a step back.
That's...!
"Y-You're..." Natsumi swallowed again. "Y-You're the Nine-Tailed Fox."
"Very good. You're not as stupid as the boy."
The boy.
Natsumi turned quickly back to Naruto, and then ran to him. "Naruto! Naruto!" She dropped to her knees and lifted his head into her arms. "Naruto, wake up!"
"What a pathetic boy."
Natsumi glared at the giant beast. "What did you do to him?!"
"Tch!" The Fox flicked its tails in annoyance. "It isn't my doing that's gotten him nearly killed. And now I'll have to give him some of my Chakra if I don't want to die with him."
Natsumi's eyes widened and her lip quivered. "D... Die...?" She looked back down at her twin. "H-He's...?"
"Not yet."
Natsumi swallowed and the intensity of the Chakra increased, seeping from beyond the cage, moving across the water to cocoon around the blond.
"Although I do regret that I can't sit and let the wretch die for his stupidity."
Natsumi clenched her fist as the Chakra bubbled around Naruto and was absorbed into his body.
"You'd better save him!" She narrowed her eyes at the beast. "Or I'll kill you myself!"
The Demon Fox laughed and his large eyes fixed on her.
"Bold of you to threaten me like that, little one. You've got guts."
"And I'll spill yours if you let my brother die!" Natsumi stared back at him.
"Brother?" The creature laughed again. "I should have known..."
He paused and narrowed his eyes. "Don't worry; your fool of a brother won't die today. If he dies, I also die, and I don't want that."
The Chakra surged into the blond twin and Natsumi's heart pounded suddenly. She cried out in pain and everything disappeared.
**Heyo. I'm going to respond to some of your comments and reviews now. I won't give any spoilers away, but here goes.
~Regarding Natsumi never training with Naruto and 'leaving him behind' even though "No Uzumaki left behind.": Natsumi actually has a very good reason for keeping him at a distance about her training. I can't go into detail, but it will be explained later on. Eventually in the story, it WILL be addressed in the plot. It's not 'bad writing'. It's intentionally written to show that there is an odd relationship there between the twins. It will all be explained later.
~Regarding Natsumi 'being a prodigy even though she trains alone': She does not train alone. She trains in secret, and the methods and location of it is also secret. So, when she says that she trains only against a clone, she's lying.
~Regarding some of the things Natsumi has found 'randomly': I assure you, she did not find them randomly. Again, it's a lie. She lies for good reason. There will be more elaboration later on all of this.
Regarding her being 'mary sue' or being 'too advanced': The training she goes through is brutal, and she has been doing that training for the past 4 years. Just because I haven't done flashbacks yet to show her exact training regimen doesn't mean she's strong for no reason. Please be patient as it will show up later on in the story. But I will NOT be doing a cliche fanfic thing where Natsumi beats obscenely powerful people on her own (like Kaguya). That'd just be uncool.
~Regarding the fact that the overall plot and characters are largely the same as in the original series: This is intentional. I got sick of reading fanfiction where characters had completely different personalities and were doing things that they would not really do. Also, the major plot changes really bothered me. I wanted to fit in Natsumi into Naruto's story, not fit Naruto into Natsumi's story, out of respect for Kishimoto's original work. But this doesn't mean that Natsumi will be a nobody, either. It just means that she won't out-do Naruto.
~Regarding when I'm going to elaborate and do the flashbacks: For some of it, I will be adding it into the story. But, for the explanations and flashbacks and backstories that DON'T fit in the the arc, I'll be putting them into my EXTRAS fanfic. I know how much people always hate filler episodes of anime, so I don't want to fill my fanfic with filler chapters of backstory that detract from the flow of the actual story telling. So, if you want to catch all the behind the scenes stuff and the explanations, I highly recommend that you follow my EXTRAS story as well.
~Regarding the flip-flopping of perspectives: Even if a particular arc doesn't change much, (some arcs will) I still want to show both Naruto and Natsumi's arcs alongside each other because there are many parallels between them. I feel like these parallels are best noticed when the two sides are back to back. The parallels are important for the overall flow of the story, so please bear with them.
~Regarding my inspiration: Naruto is my husband's all time favorite anime. A while back, he started watching from the beginning again, and I started watching with him. I got hooked. Since then, we started playing a What If game and bouncing headcanons off of each other. Naruto having a twin was one of those headcanons, but we thought long and hard about how Naruto and the story itself would be impacted by either having a male or female twin. We eventually decided to go with Natsumi, because if Naruto had a male twin, we figured the most logical thing would that he (the twin) would have gone dark. And, we didn't want the overall tone of this story to be depressing or full of betrayal.
~Regarding future ships: There will be one, very slow burn romantic relationship by the end of this story. And several fluffy crushes along the way. It's not going to be a cliche harem, but Natsumi will have several people over time that she fancies for different reasons. Again, not a harem. It's just normal for adolescent girls to develop crushes easily.
~Regarding future arcs: I like the character of Natsumi because I'm using her to explore themes not shown much in Naruto (like how the ANBu is mysterious and not much is said about them). This includes Orochimaru and his origins, and even darker themes like depression. In Naruto, the overall tone is more cheerful, so Natsumi's story is going to explore depression, duty, loneliness, inner darkness, etc. Still, it's going to be hopeful (because if not, that'd just be super dull and depressing) but I want her to have more human emotions in regards to experiencing uncomfortable, dark things. As a result, the Natsumi arcs in the future will be exploring things of this nature, and I'm really looking forward to them.
~Regarding future fanfics: I do have basic outlines for a few more Naruto-centered fanfics. Some of them do break my 'characters' actions and personalities must remain the same, but there are slight changes, not major ones. One of them will be a Sasuke-centered romance fic called "Love Me, Hate Me" and there will be an Itachi romance called "My Akatsuki Prince." The last is a Modern Alternate Universe where the Tailed Beasts are humans, called "Your Light." I won't be working on those for a while, but they are outlined.
~Regarding how long this fanfiction will be: Eventually, it will be split into 4 or 5 books, going through the entire Naruto timeline from the OG series, through the Interlude, through Shippuden, through the Blank Period, and into Boruto.
Alright, that's everything I wanted to say for now. Thanks for reading. 3