Arrivals in Konoha
Somewhere in the Centermost of Hi No Kuni
Tatakai was bored.
It was a calm afternoon in Konohagakure. A lot of the troops were returning from all fronts, causing an ambience of bittersweet relief to fill the village. Even then, the chunin had to be diligent. Though the war was winding down, the Shinobi Nations were still rife with conflict. In this atmosphere, you couldn't afford to be complacent. Complacency led to unnecessary deaths.
"Yo, Tata-kun! You still down for some takoyaki later, right?" his fellow guard said.
"You know it, Genko. As long as you're paying." he replied.
"C'mon, man; I'm always paying!"
"That's a load of horseshit! Did I not pay for the onigiri yesterday?" Tatakai said, his sight not leaving the dirt road leading away from the village.
"Did you? I could've sworn that we paid for it separately." Genko said, putting a hand through her dark brown hair. It was tied up in a messy tail.
"No-" Tatakai began but then he noticed something in the distance. A figure approaching them. From the looks of the person, he was a shinobi given by the forehead protector that glimmered in the afternoon sun, but something didn't seem right. The shinobi wore a brown jacket that was tattered all over, equally disheveled dark trousers that fell to his shins along with dark shinobi sandals. He was carrying what seemed like a large scroll on his back. However, what set the two guards off was the color of the man's hair: a striking shade of crimson that fell to his shoulders.
Nobody had hair like that in the village. At least not anyone they knew.
"Halt!" Tatakai exclaimed, "State your business."
The man didn't respond. He continued walking towards the gate at a steady pace, as if he wasn't being addressed. As he grew nearer, more of his features were revealed. He had dark bags under his eyes along with sunken cheeks. His skin was ashen pale, more akin to the dead than the living.
The two chunin briefly glanced at each other before leaping off the outpost, landing in front of the large gate.
"Halt. This is your final warning." Genko stated, a hand reaching into her weapons pouch. Meanwhile, Tatakai pulled out a kunai, his onyx-colored eyes quickly morphing to red. Three black tomoes appeared on the pupils, the telling signs of a matured Sharingan.
The stranger did stop walking but he still did not speak.
"What brings you to the Village Hidden in the Leaves?" she asked.
"We seek refuge, shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village." the mysterious ninja said, "Our home has been destroyed and we have nowhere else to go."
"Where parts?" Tatakai questioned.
"Uzushiogakure."
The chunin's eyes widened before he exclaimed, "You're from Whirlpool?! Are you-"
The man interrupted him by saying, "Yes."
"Genko, notify the Hokage immediately. I'll keep watch over them while you're gone."
"Right." his fellow chinin replied before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
The outsider immediately collapsed onto the ground. At first, Tatakai thought it was because of exhaustion but that thought quickly went out the window when the man doubled over and began vomiting profusely, carmine blood spilling onto the dirt path he kneeled on.
"Holy shit! Are you okay?" Tatakai said. He rushed over to the slumped figure in a move that was a blatant disregard for post orders.
"Sorry about that, lad," the shinobi said with a smile, blood flowing from his mouth. "It seems I'm not long for this world."
"Don't say that. We can get some medics over here-"
"No. We're past the point of no return." he interrupted as he pulled the large scroll off his back. He quickly unfurled it, revealing a bunch of markings surrounding a spiral symbol. It looked to be a complicated seal.
Before Tatakai could act-attack the man, yell out a warning, anything-the man placed a pale hand on the center of the seal and called out "Fūnyū no Jutsu."
A large puff of white smoke erupted from the seal as the markings vanished without a trace. Once the gaseous residue dissipated, two more figures stood in its place; two children who couldn't be older than five years of age. One of them was dressed in baggy trousers and a long-sleeved shirt while the other was wearing a T-shirt along with a short skirt. They both had the same type of hair as the shinobi, though the boy's hair was cut a bit shorter, reaching only to his ears.
"Okay. What the fuck is going on?" Tatakai said, sufficiently confused.
"Watch your language!" the man said harshly before falling into a series of coughs. The two children immediately rushed to the stranger.
"Papa!" the boy said as they embraced.
"Hey, kids." the father said as he reciprocated the hug from his children, before saying, "We're here. We're in Konoha."
"Who's that mean man over there?" the boy, Hansuke, said, pulling away and pointing at the Uchiha "And why's his eyes like that?"
At that remark, the chunin allowed his Sharingan eyes to quickly recede to their original color.
"This is Shinobi-san. He's here to check you in." the father answered with a smile. Tatakai bristled a little at the pseudonym, but ultimately let it slide.
"Okay." Hansuke said cheerily, a large smile appearing on his face. He waved at the chunin. Tatakai waved back with a small grin.
On the other hand, the girl turned back to her parent, a look of worry on her face. "Papa. Are you okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine, honey. Papa's just gonna be gone for a while." the father answered.
"Why?" Chizue said.
"Just going on a little journey."
"Oh." the girl said, "Why can't we come with?"
"Kids like you shouldn't be going on a journey like this. You'll join me when it's time, sweetie, and not a moment sooner." he said with a tense smile.
The girl seemingly deflated at the rejection. "Okay."
"Hey, don't be like that! I want you guys to have something before I go." the shinobi said. He reached towards the back of his head and pulled off his hitai-ate. As Tatakai looked closely at the ornament, he noticed that it was a bit different from his own; instead of the symbol for the Leaf Village, it had a familiar spiral shape. The same spiral shape on the back of the Konoha flak jackets.
"Can you keep this safe for me?" he said before handing it to Chizue. The little girl nodded, her eyes glued to the forehead protector.
"Hey. What about me, Papa?" Hansuke said with a pout.
"Heh. Don't think I'd forget about you." the man replied before pulling out a small paintbrush. "This is Papa's most special tool. I'll leave it in your care."
The boy nodded enthusiastically and his father smiled.
"I want you guys to protect each other, alright?" he said, "Promise me."
"Alright," said Chizue, before giving her father one last hug, "We promise."
"I love you." her father said when Hansuke also joined in the embrace and after a while, they separated.
The two siblings stepped away from their father as Genko arrived with more Konoha nin. Most of them had porcelain masks covering their faces, a characteristic of the Anbu Black Ops.
"Alright. Hokage-sama gave the all clear." The chunin looked at the extra people. "Where'd they-"
"They're coming with us." Tatakai said quickly, earning him the stares of every Konoha nin in front of him.
"Chunin, there are rules-" one of the Anbu began.
"I am aware of the rules and I am ready for the consequences." he said without a hint of hesitation. Genko's eyes widened before she sighed.
"Let's just go."she said, "But you're the one reporting."
"Alright." Tatakai said. He walked up to Hansuke before lifting him onto his back. Genko did the same with Chizue and they were off.
"So, that's how it went." Tatakai concluded as he stood at attention.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at his desk, dressed in his robes, his eyes fixated on the chunin before him. The Uchiha's hair was neatly combed, not a single follicle out of place, his forehead protector wrapped around his bicep. Before letting Tatakai in, the Hokage took a look at his file. With thousands of ninja under his employ, it was hard to keep track of every single one. A young recruit before the war, graduated at age eleven, awakened his Sharingan at twelve, promoted at fourteen. Adept at using both Katon and Futon. Tatakai was no prodigy but he was a skilled shinobi. At seventeen years of age, he was a decent candidate for jonin, especially now that Konoha was looking to rebuild its forces. At least that was according to his file. The Third vowed to keep tabs on the young man to see if he actually deserved the promotion.
"Sufficient report, Tatakai-san." the Hokage said, "Are the children here?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama. They're right outside with Genko-san." the chunin said.
"What of their guardian?" Sarutobi asked quizzically, "Did he indulge any information before the Anbu arrived?"
Tatakai said, "As a matter of fact, yes. He insinuated that they were a part of that clan. Since they're from Whirlpool, I think it checks out."
"Is that so?"
The Uchiha nodded.
"Bring the children in." he ordered. With that, Tatakai bowed and exited the room.
"Report." the Sarutobi said, seemingly to no one in particular. At that moment a single Anbu operative appeared to his right. The Anbu leaned over to whisper into his ear.
"Hokage-sama, the visitor has perished. We're still running an autopsy, but it looks like poison was the cause of death. Likely a hemorrhaging agent. After looking at the body, I suspect that he faced some very trying battles. It's a wonder how he got here at all."
Hiruzen sighed, "That's unfortunate." The middle-aged man pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe I allowed Uzushiogakure to fall under my watch."
"Sir, if I may speak out of turn?"
"Go ahead."
"We were in the middle of a war, sir. We could not spare any troops to help them, lest we doom ourselves. Especially not against two of the Great Shinobi Nations." the operative said.
"You may be correct, but that doesn't mean it isn't a travesty. Dismissed."
The Anbu bowed before disappearing in a blur of movement. At that moment, the door opened and the two children spilled in along with the chunin escorting them.
"Hey, Chizue! That old man has a funny hat!" one of the children exclaimed. The other remained silent.
"Show some respect, brat!" Genko shouted, bonking the child on the head. "That's the village leader, Hokage-sama, and you will address him as such!"
This caused the silent child, Chizue, to blush. She bowed saying, "Sorry about my aniki, Hokage-sama."
The boy, seeing the display, immediately mimicked his sister. "Yeah, sorry."
Hiruzen chuckled before saying "It's alright, children." The twins' backs straightened as they looked at the man in the chair.
"As leader of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, I humbly allow you into our village." he said to the two children. He looked at the chunin before saying, "I'll take things from here."
After Sarutobi dismissed the chunin guards, he stood up from his desk before making a single hand sign: Toru. As soon as he did that, the space next to him erupted with a puff of smoke. When the smoke disappeared, an identical double of him stood in its place. The double then sat at his seat.
"Woah! How'd you do that?" Hansuke asked.
"It's a secret technique." Hiruzen said with a smile before walking away from the desk. He extended his arms to the two children. Hansuke and Chizue quickly clasped the hand of the village leader before he led them out of the office.
"Where are you taking us Hokage-sama?" Chizue asked.
"I'm taking you to meet someone." he said. Just then, there was a loud gurgling sound. Hiruzen looked at the two children. Hansuke looked bemused while Chizue's face reddened.
"That can wait. You must be famished. I know a great restaurant that serves some excellent curry." he said with a chortle.
Kushina Uzumaki was not in a good mood.
Her pale yellow blouse and dark shorts were completely covered in mud, as was her cheeks and chin. Stomping through the streets of Konoha, her long red hair whipping through the air as she made her way home, she pondered her latest mission. Seriously. What in Kami's name do the Inuzuka feed their mutts?! She thought, And why am I still stuck with these godforsaken missions?! I've been a Genin for long enough, y'know? The teenager decided that she would ask the Hokage that very same question as soon as possible. As her apartment building appeared in her view, she decided she'd settle for a warm bath first. After that, a warm cup of ramen. Ah, the food of the gods! Kushina thought as her stomach rumbled. Yeah, the Hokage could wait.
When she opened the door to her room, what she found surprised her. Sitting at the kitchen table was the very man she wanted to speak to, along with two little people. They looked to be nearly identical with red hair that mirrored her own. The three of them were playing Go, with the two children playing as one player while the Hokage played as the other.
"Hokage-sama! What are you doing here?! And who are these little kids with you?" she asked at a rapid-fire pace.
"Ah. Kushina. I was wondering when you'd arrive." Hiruzen said. He gestured at the boy, "This is Hansuke." And then at the girl, "And this is Chizue. Children, this is Kushina."
"Hi, Kushina-chan!" Hansuke said gleefully. Chizue only gave a wave. Kushina waved back. Hiruzen rose from his seat and patted the two children on the head.
"I'd like to speak with you in private, Kushina." he said sternly before walking into the nearest room that he could find, which was her bedroom. The teenager followed, both confused and wary. She closed the door behind them as the Hokage sat on her bed.
"What is it, Hokage-sama?" she asked.
"I was wondering if you could take in those two children for me." Hiruzen said.
"What? Why?" Kushina asked.
"Because those kids are Uzumakis, just like you. They were brought here not too long ago."
"Well, what happened to their parents?" the teen said.
"Their father's dead, Kushina. And given the current state of Uzushiogakure, it's likely their mother is too."
A throbbing pain washed over the teenager. Even though she relocated to Konoha years ago, even though she knew for some time now, it still hurt to hear that her ancestral home was destroyed. That all her friends and family were gone. Tears stung from the corners of her eyes no matter how hard she tried to fight them.
"Kushina?"
"I'm fine!" she said a little too forcefully, "Just a little mud in my eyes."
"I see." The Hokage said, not pushing her, "Did the ninken give you trouble?"
"Yes." she answered, "They have no other family, right?"
"Not that we know of," he replied.
Kushina contemplated what the Hokage was saying. Frankly, she didn't think she'd be able to take care of them well on her own, but for all she knew she was the last family they had left. And the Hokage was in no position to take them in either. He and his wife barely had enough time for their own son. He was the freaking Hokage and his wife was a well-known medic-nin that worked absurdly long shifts at the hospital. Even with their daughter doing guard duty, the family still had little time for Asuma. Adding two extra kids to the mix would be too much.
At the same time, she wasn't comfortable sending them to an orphanage. They were family, even if they were distant relatives. She's seen the orphanage and found that it was dreary. And with Whirlpool gone, they might be her only remaining link to her former home.
With that reasoning, Kushina decided on the only course of action.
"I'll take them in." she said.
"Are you sure?" Hiruzen said, "You aren't obligated to-"
The girl shook her head viciously, "I'm sure! I wouldn't say 'yes' if I wasn't sure, y'know!"
The Third Hokage smiled at that confirmation, "I appreciate this, Kushina. I'll reimburse you for some of the expenses. If you need help, any help at all, please don't hesitate to ask."
Kushina nodded as the Sandaime Hokage walked out of her bedroom and into the hall. She watched him as he ruffled the twins' hair before leaving.
Months have passed since that day and Kushina was starting to get used to the twins. At least she thought she was.
Hansuke was a ball of chaotic energy. For the first couple of weeks, he would run around the apartment, exploring more of the place each day. Kushina couldn't figure out why he found her apartment so interesting. It was just a two-bedroom space. There was nothing lavish or mysterious about it. When the boy got bored of that, he started exploring the floor, and when he was done with that the entire complex became his playground. All the while, he'd be firing off questions and inquiries like bullets.
Chizue, however, was the complete opposite. She rarely spoke unless spoken to, something that Kushina found more than a little off-putting. She's a child, she thought, Aren't children livelier than that? I know I was and her brother's definitely got the memo.
Sure, the girl did the same things that her brother did, but she suspected that was only to keep him out of trouble. It would explain why they didn't receive a single complaint or had a single incident.
Then, an incident happened.
It was around noon one warm summer day when Hansuke burst into the room, his face nearly as red as his hair. Tears were falling down his cheeks as he spoke.
"Kushina-nee! Chi's in trouble!" he cried as he waved his arms around.
Kushina sprung into action, following the boy as he led her out of the complex. They ran out of the apartment building and found a bruised Chizue on her knees, glaring as her brown eyes shone with tears. Her assailants were a trio of boys that looked to be around eight or nine.
"What the hell do you idiots think you're doing?!" Kushina shouted.
One of the kids looked at her defiantly and said, "Nothing! We were just messing with that kid there," he pointed at Hansuke who was hiding behind Kushina's leg, "and she went nuts!"
"And you beat her up?!"
"I mean, she started it!" one of the other boys said.
"And I'm finishing it, now get outta here before I kick your asses!"
The kids grumbled but ultimately conceded, leaving the injured Chizue as they walked away.
Later, Kushina patched her up in their room. Her wounds weren't that serious, so it didn't need anything drastic. After she was done, all the little girl said was, "Thanks, nee-san." To Chizue that was the end of that conversation. She tried to rise from the bed, but a firm grasp on her wrist kept her from doing so.
Obviously, Kushina didn't agree with that sentiment.
"What happened out there?" she asked sternly
"They were bullying aniki, so I punched them." Chizue answered.
"Next time, look for me before you go punching over your weight. You could've really gotten hurt, y'know."
"But nee-san, what if you're not there?" Chizue asked.
"Then, grab your brother and run away."
Chizue's demeanor completely changed after that was said. She looked at Kushina wide eyes and shook her head.
"Chizue, you can't get into fights you can't win." Kushina said.
"But Papa told me to protect him!" she said, her voice cracking, "It was a promise, nee-san! If I break the promise, he won't take us with him when he comes back!"
"What do you mean when he comes back?" Kushina asked, her voice gaining a dangerous edge.
"He said he was going on a trip that kids couldn't come to. That's why he left us here."
With those words, Kushina scowled before rising from her seat. She walked out of the room before saying, "Both of you guys, stay here. Don't touch anything; don't open the doors for anybody; just play Go. I'll be right back." And with a slam of the door, she was gone.
Chizue stared at the door for a second as tears started to fall down her cheeks. She laid on the bed that she shared with Kushina as small strangled sobs escaped her lips.
"Chi, come on! Let's play some Go!" she heard her brother say from the kitchen, but she ignored him. Small footsteps raced towards the room.
"Chi, Why're you crying?" she heard him say as he approached her.
"Because nee-san hates me!"
Hansuke scoffed, "What? No, she doesn't."
"Yes, she does!"
"Give me one good reason why she would hate you." he said.
"She just does!" Chizue wailed.
Hansuke decided that he was having none of this. He grabbed his sister's arm, pulled her out of bed and towards the kitchen. "Chi, you're being stupid. Just shut up and play Go with me." he said.
Chizue wanted to object but she knew that her brother wouldn't take no for an answer so she begrudgingly obliged. She allowed herself to be led to the kitchen table and began playing Go. She didn't really pay attention to the game, dreading the moment that Kushina returned.
And she did return, but she wasn't alone. She was accompanied by the Hokage, who wore a very solemn expression.
"Chizue, Hansuke. I believe we should have a talk."
A couple of minutes later, two children began wailing loudly in that small apartment and they wouldn't stop for a while.
The twins stood in front of the school. Hansuke had an expression of glee plastered on his little face while Chizue had a neutral expression. It had been a year since they arrived in Konoha and the Hokage decided to enroll the two at the Konoha Shinobi Academy, an idea that Kushina supported wholeheartedly.
"Uzumakis make excellent ninja, y'know!" she said. With that declaration, she began preparations for their first day at school.
And prepared they were. They carried two bags filled with a dozen scrolls split between the two of them along with some hefty bentos: extra koji beef for Hansuke and tuna for Chizue. They also carried a number of pencils and pens to write the daily lessons.
All of this turned out to be unneeded, because their first day consisted of sitting quietly while a number of adults lectured them and their peers. In total, twenty students sat in a large auditorium, decorated with fold-up chairs and a long table. Five adults were seated at the table: two young adults wearing flak jackets (one of them being a familiar-looking brunette), two middle-aged people dressed in civilian attire, and the Hokage. Apparently, the two jacket-wearing adults were their teachers and the other two were Council members. On top of the table was a stack of large envelopes.
Hansuke watched as each of the adults got up to speak one by one, each preaching about duty, honour, and sacrifice. Each speech was different, but they sounded extremely similar to each other. It was a mundane affair. So mundane that the energy Hansuke carried coming to the Academy vanished entirely. In fact, the boy was struggling to keep himself awake. He turned to his sister to see if she was having the same problem.
She wasn't paying attention to the speech; her focus was towards her hands as she seemed to be playing with them. She was randomly clapping them together at different angles over and over again. Some of the other students also began to notice her furious hand motions, but they didn't say anything. One white-haired boy with a mask rolled his eyes., which went largely unnoticed by the girl.
"Chizue. What are you doing?" Hansuke whispered.
"I saw these in one of nee-san's books." she answered.
"Quiet back there!" one of the adults said and the twins promptly shut up.
The speeches continued for a while more, with the Hokage rounding it off, saying something about "The Will of Fire" and "seeing underneath the underneath." Once he was done with the whole spiel, the Hokage began calling names up. Each student stood up, walked to the desk, and was handed an envelope from the pile.
"Might Guy."
A kid with a bowl cut, bushy eyebrows, and a bandanna around his neck bounced up and quickly raced to the desk and accepted his envelope before racing back to his seat.
"Kakashi Hatake."
The white-haiired boy stood up and walked to the desk. He accepted the envelope before going back to his seat.
"Rin Nohara."
A girl with chocolate-colored hair and purple facial markings calmly accepted her envelope.
"Asuma Sarutobi."
A kid with spiky hair and a toothpick in his mouth walked up to the desk and took an envelope. The familiar-looking teacher gave him a not-so-subtle wink before he returned to his seat.
"Kouichi Seijo."
A blonde-haired boy with a turtleneck shirt and a shiny necklace walked up to the table and received his envelope.
"Genma Shiranui."
A boy with a bandana on his head accepted his envelope.
"Obito Uchiha."
Hansuke looked around the auditorium but found that nobody was responding.
"Is Obito Uchiha here?"
This time, more heads looked around, trying to find the person who held that name. After a certain amount of time, the Hokage decided to move on.
"Chizue Uzumaki."
Chizue walked to the table to receive her envelope. The Hokage gave her a reassuring grin before she returned to her seat.
"Hansuke Uzumaki."
Hansuke shot to his feet and began walking to the table. On the way there, however, he tripped, tumbling as his face hit the wooden floor. Immediately, a raucous chorus of laughter erupted from the young students. Heck, even some of the adults began chuckling, though the Hokage was not one of them.
Hansuke got to his feet, a wide smile on his face as if he didn't just eat dirt. He received his envelope and a smile from the Hokage before returning to his seat.
"Kurenai Yuhi."
A black-haired girl with startling red eyes walked up to the table and took her envelope.
"Now that you have gotten your envelopes, I'm afraid I have nothing else to tell you at the moment." The Hokage said. He turned to the two teachers. "Do you have anything to add?"
"No, Hokage-sama." the teachers said in unison. He turned to the Council members who only shook their heads.
"Well then. You all are dismissed for the day. Come back tomorrow for the first day of classes."
At that statement, all five adults disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Psh. Show-offs." the boy named Asuma said. All the children began filing out of the room and exiting the building.
As soon as they opened the front door, they saw a figure approaching them from a distance. The individual had messy black hair and wore orange goggles over his eyes. He was running towards the school, his feet slapping the floor before skidding to a stop. He looked at the group of kids his age, panting heavily.
"Did'ya guys come from the ceremony?" he asked as he regained his breath.
"Yep." Hansuke said, "Ya just missed it, don'cha know?"
The boy's face immediately darkened and his head hung in shame. Meanwhile, all the other kids were either staring at the boy or ignoring him for the sake of conversation. Hansuke saw this and immediately handed Chizue his envelope.
"Hold this for me." he said to her before walking up to the boy. "You're Obito, right?"
The boy looked up and nodded.
"You didn't miss anything." he said, "We just got some papers is all."
Obito brightened at that. "Oh, okay."
"Yours is still inside. Let's grab it, yeah?"
Obito nodded and the two of them went back inside.