Chapter 4! Yay. I'm trying to figure out what to do about certain scenes that happen in the anime and a manga. Like Hinata and The Massacre. If anyone has ideas let me know for now on with the story!
A
Chapter Four
Hanako looked up when her big sister walked through the door. Peering over her cradle she hiccupped and stuffed her hands in her mouth. Her other sister the one that didn't feel like anything smiled and pulled her hands away.
"Hana-chan. Don't eat your fingers you monkey." She giggled before turning to her other self. With a nod the unfeeling sister burst in a puff of smoke making Hana giggle.
Again. She wanted her sister to blow up again. The child laughed. Unable to tell her sister her thoughts.
Nyakao smiled tiredly and brought a bundle over to the cradle. Gently with the utmost of care the girl placed down the bundle into the Hanako's crib.
What was that? The baby girl thought, turning her head to look at the thing. A bright blonde babe burst from the bundle next to Hanako. Brother! It was her brother! She remembered. He looked the same. Less gooey but the same.
Hanako giggled and rolled over to play with her brother. The blonde babe who was awake giggled with her and started babbling about all sorts of adventures Hanako only caught half of.
Nyakao smiled at her siblings and covered the twins up with a blanket. It was good that they remembered each other. She laughed at her sister as the girl started to pull at her brother's hair. Before they could get too rowdy Nyakao started to hum her mother's lullaby softly. Slowly the children started to fall back asleep, peaceful looks of innocence crossing their faces as they slept.
Humming some more the girl adjusted their blankets one more time and crept away.
Her family was whole again and it was beautiful.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S GONE?!" The Sandaime Hokage yelled when his Anbu reported in. There was no way!? Was it her? Nyakao wouldn't just because she was angry…Oh god She would! He thought realizing the girl was exactly like her mother when angered, hair and all.
Oh Dammitt!
"I apologize Hokage-sama! I don't know what happened one minute this bird showed up and started attacking me for no reason. I don't know what possessed the animal sir. Then I checked back on the window and found the crib empty. Sir! I'll send our search parties immediately by your leave sir!" The ironically bird masked Anbu cried bowing.
Sarutobi sighed. "Hold off on the search parties for now Bird-san." He replied pulling down his hat over his face. The gall of that girl. He'd never been prouder.
She was only three years old and already pulled one over on an Anbu operative. He almost felt like giggling. But no best to keep his composure.
"I think I have an idea on who has him. I'll investigate this incident myself. Tell no one of Naruto's disappearance. Your dismissed Bird-san." Sarutobi told the agent. Bird nodded and stood at attention. "Sir!" He replied before bowing and disappearing out the window.
Now to scold and not laugh at his well to do, overzealous, impatient, granddaughter. Not waiting any longer then he had too, Sarutobi left his office, cleared his schedule with Kikuyu and left for the late Uzumaki's clan compound.
The compound was the only secret in the village Sarutobi was sure only those of Uzumaki decent and selected trusted individuals new about. It was about the size of three training grounds. On the far north side of the village surrounded by Senju tree's. The entire compound wasn't even found until the Young Kushina stumbled on it by accident when playing a round of rambunctious tag with her boyfriend. Rambunctious indeed, Hiruzen was sure Nyakao was conceived on that night. The place was massive, covered in seals head to toe. Some for protection and to keep the buildings intact. Others for hiding the compound and weird ones that stuck you to the wall for only an hour or others that had trick steps in the stairs that should have been hard wood. It was well protected, fortified and unpotable to the public. Which is why the late Hokage had two houses. One for public and the Uzumaki Clan's for private.
Especially for Keeping Nyakao safe. When Nyakao was born. The whole village seemed to celebrate. But with its joy Konoha's enemies rallied. Ninja after ninja, even a few assassins came to take her life. That's why He was so devastated to find out she had died after his secrecy seal was places on him. It was only that seal that had his knowledge of the child that he could remember her at all. The girl's own seal on her back was so intricate it kept the world from her existence.
Speaking of seals Hiruzen thought of the girl's bushinn. Minato invented them He knew that much but how they worked was a bit harder. They were a direct seal of the Shadow clone. But not at the same time. It was really confusing and when the girl explained them after taking her home the first day he didn't want to admit it but it was pure genius. The bushinn would just be a seal with blood infused in them and a large for Nyakao at least about minimal for Sarutobi amount of chakra to create. They didn't have personalities like the Kage Bushinn though. And didn't relay memoires. They were like earth style bushinn but could take orders given and think enough to be of use. The bushinn themselves where almost terrifying they didn't have a chakra system so feeling them next to you was disheartening. Perfect for infiltration though a regular shadow clone would have been better.
But one must remember that Nyakao was only three and half. Her birthday was coming up though he thought stepping up to the Uzumaki compound after dropping down from a tree. Using his seal pass he bypassed the wards and entered the compound. November fourth. Her birthday. She problem didn't want to celebrate though. After recent events, he was still very worried about the girl's psyche.
Sometimes she would be more adult then he thought she could be, then sometimes she was as much as a child as she was. She was analytical, and thought things through with a swiftness he'd only seen from a Nara. But the girl was inexperienced and prone to revert to her younger whiles when mad, sad, pissed off, or board. He sighed. He loved his honary granddaughter with a fierceness but sometimes she even confused him.
Opening the door to the orange shuttered house, Kushina had painted when she was pregnant, He bypassed the traps with ease before going up to the girl's room. The house was dark like it usually was most days, Nyakao not finding it worth keeping the lights on. Entering the girls room, he found Naruto sleeping peacefully with Hanako next to him. Both babes wrapped in each other's arms. It was an adorable sight even more so to see Nyakao asleep next to them in the rocking chair.
Her mouth was open with a line of drool hitting her shoulder and a scroll laid in her lap forgotten. Hiruzen smiled sadly. All of them, the Uzumaki trio finally together again. He didn't have the heart to separate the family. Not that he'd think Nyakao would let him anyway. She protected her siblings with a fierceness like her mother he'd ever seen.
Bending down he picked the small girl up from the chair, knees creaking as he carried her to her pink covered bed. He was really getting to old for this, Hiruzen groaned inwardly lest he wake the sleeping girl.
Laying her down he removed her shoes and jacket before covering her up. She shivered before smiling and curling into a ball. Turning off the lamp on her bedside table, he silently creped out of the room heading for the couch.
He'd talk to her in the morning over breakfast. He knew he wouldn't be able to separate her family but they needed to come up with a plan for Naruto's presence. He needed to be seen in the village as much as the council needed to verify he wasn't a harm to society.
Not that a baby could be, angrily Hiruzen thought. Bunkering down on the couches pillows he settled in for the night. Best to get some sleep first before the morning.
Maybe he'd even cook Nyakao breakfast. Surely all her rice omelets where getting to her since that was the only thing she could make without burning. Maybe he'll teach her to make onigiri. The girl love dango too. Mm. Dango thought Hiruzen letting his eyes shut.
In the morning, they'd figure it out. Until then the third Hokage slept for the first time in weeks peacefully.
Three Years Later
The Kyuubi Festival was one of the most celebrated days of the year. There were streamers all over the village, market stands selling the most delicious foods, venders selling the most beautiful wares and game booths all over with all sorts of games to win prizes. It was a beautiful sight for all those not a Uzumaki.
"Yes, thank you that one will do there." Nyakao said picking out a few more fruit and vegetables from the market stand. The man at the market harrumphed and placed the items in a bag. "Anything else?" He asked snidely glowering at the girl.
"No, With the prices on the signs, this amount is sufficient." Nyakao said letting go of Hanako's hand as she pulled the coins from her bag. The Market Keep glowered at her and nodded. He'd learned long ago not to over-charge the girl or fear her rath. She had made it so he couldn't do business for a year after the first incident he'd learned his lesson. And he still didn't know how she did it. Stopping his trade and everything. So, he sold to her even if she was with that Demon brat. Didn't mean he was happy about it.
"Nee-san." Hanako mumbled pointing to a few candy dango flavored lollies. The rosy long haired child gave Nyakao big puppy eyes while holding on to the older girl's shirt.
"And the lollipops. Three of them please." Her sister added giving the man his correct amount of money. Nyakao handed one to Hanako as they left shouldering her bag and grabbing her little sister's hand.
The sisters walked along the market strip as festival streamers lined the streets. It was best to get home soon before the festivities began and keep away from the more daring and drunk citizens.
Civilian's glared at the girls as they made their way home. One guy was even daring enough to try to bump the girl harshly only for Nyakao to side step him carefully directing her sister away. The older childish man grunted and snarled before walking away. Fucking assholes.
A Anbu on top of the roofs with a dog mask sighed in relief at the girls.
Making their way out of the market district the girls entered residential district heading for the forest on the horizon.
Finally entering their home's wards, they saw their brother in the garden covered in dirt. Nyakao sighed smiling at the boy.
Naruto looked up when his sisters came back home from shopping. Smiling widely, he grinned and gathered the presents he picked for them.
"Nee-san! Hana! Welcome home!" He yelled happily running up to the girls with his hands behind his back.
Nyakao smiled at her cute little oototo. "Tadaima. Naruto." She replied pulling the loll out of her bag. "This is for you, someone just couldn't leave without one today." Nyakao said teasingly as her little sister puffed out her cheeks around her lollipop turning red. Naruto's face lit up at the sight of candy and released one hand to take it. "Arigotou, Nee-san, Hana-chan!" He replied with on hand still behind his back.
"Mrrmm mrrmph mmm." The female child replied mumbling. Nyakao shook her head good naturedly. "Don't talk with your mouth full Hana-chan." She scolded lightly before looking at her brother. "What is it that you have behind your back there Naruto?"
The boy blushed and put his candy in his shorts pocket before fidgeting and pulling out two sets of weeded flowers he must have picked from the garden. "I picked these for you guys! It uh as a present! Dattebayo!" He replied smiling.
Nyakao's smile widened. Her brother was so sweet. "Thank you, Naruto." She replied taking her flower weed bouquet she'd put them in water later. Hana took her lollipop out of her mouth and smiled as well. "Arigato, Nii-san." The little girl said taking her flowers as well.
Suddenly out of nowhere Hanako's flowers burst up in flames causing the girl to frown. Naruto grabbed his hair and cried out. "AH! Not again! Hanako!" He cried loudly.
Nyakao sighed and picked up a fallen bracelet with seals on the beads from the ground. Hanako was starting to tear up at the loss of her flowers. "Hana-chan. How many times have I told you to where your bracelet dear." Nyakao said softly not wanting to add to the starting water works.
Her sister had a fire affinity like no other. It was so much that the girl couldn't control it or her chakra to stop things from randomly bursting into flames so Jiji had a bracelet crafted for the child to stop the chakra flow to her hands so whatever she touched didn't get burned a fiery death. The bracelet was pink with little white beads that had chakra surpassing seals on them. It worked to keep Hanako from burning down the house. Nyakao couldn't say the same about the bathroom though. The first time it happened she was lucky enough to be in the bath and still almost burned the room down. Thank god for chakra suppressing seals.
"S-sorry." The red head replied tears starting to fall. Nyakao sighed again and took a flower from her batch and placed it in her sister's ear.
"It's okay sweetheart just don't drop your bracelet again okay." Nyakao said running her fingers through Hanako's hair like their mother used to do for her.
"Neh, Neh Hana-Chan it's okay. I'll pick you more, dattebayo." Naruto said wiping his sister's tears from her face. He had to be a good big brother like his Nee-san said. "Come one want to pick some tomato's?" He asked pulling the girls arm.
"'Kay." Hanako replied stuffing her lollipop back in her mouth. Nyakao smiled watching her siblings go to play in the garden.
"Make sure not to pick the green one's guys." She called to the children. "Okay!" The both said running to the back of the house.
Sighing Nyakao shook her head at their antics before heading inside to put away her groceries.
A lot had changed in the past three years. Nyakao's hair was longer, she'd grown an entire foot and was more lean. Her rigorous training made sure of that. Her younger siblings had grown as well. Hanako and Naruto where now three and as rumbustious as ever.
The six-year-old sighed entering her kitchen smiling at the picture of her parents and other family members. Mito-sama, Mama and Papa, Jiraiya. Her smiling, her bother smiling over his first bath, Hana blushing over her first words. Their precious memories lined the wall much like Nyakao's mother did she photo'd every moment of it.
Some of her old nursery pictures where even up there. Over the years, it was trying to turn Nyakao's early childhood home into a better home. She'd finally moved out of her old room, which was now Hanako's room, into her parents. That was hard. Not only because her mother trapped the place like a swiss army knife.
But hard emotionally. Naruto took the room next to hers and between Hanako's but most nights still slept with Hanako or her. He was such a sweet heart. And too good for his own good. He was really a genius. Had Nyakao not been there she'd shudder to think that his creativity was stuttered. She was extremely happy with her family. Hanako though shy sometimes was very sassy. And Naruto was the emetone of sweetheart when things went his way.
Nyakao smirked putting up the papaya. His way indeed. She remembered the time Naruto wanted to keep a frog in the house when he was two and thought it would be a good idea to hide the amphibian in her room. Under her pillow. In her bed.
Nyakao about had a heart attack. She still didn't know how he did it. He was two for god sakes! She loved frogs and toads but not the real kind. The plushy kind yes. Real kind freaked her out so much she was shivering with grotesque. Because Oh my god. They were slimy and gross!
The original incident started because Nyakao wouldn't let him play when she was giving them reading lessons. Sometimes Naruto just had to much energy and couldn't stay still. HDHD didn't even begin with that kid.
After that she started to train both her siblings in the Uzumaki Kata's because if he was to tired he couldn't pull pranks.
It was a mutual agreement.
Hanako was an angel. Until she burns down things out of spite. She could hold a grudge like no other when she didn't get what she wanted. Other than that, she was a pure little princess. Nyakao saw right through her sibling's ploy.
The fact was Nyakao didn't know where they both got such rebellious personalities because it wasn't from her. She raised them with a firm but gentle hand. And stuck it to the villagers when they were being dicks. Wait. Maybe they did get it from her… Oops.
Nyakao wished it was that first year after her family was rejoined again. Both twins still babies unable to talk back and beautiful little angels. And she never had to go out that year since Jiji had her make a seal bushinn to replace Naruto in the orphanage.
She could be the happy little hermit she desired. How time flies. Today being Naruto's and Hanako's birthday. She planned to bake a strawberry cake with little orange clusters for the special occasion.
Just as she was pulling out the flour did her siblings come rushing in from the sliding doors.
"Nee-san! Naruto found me a red one!" Hanako said grinning widely holding up her red tomato. Her hair, which Nyakao had painstakingly brushed that morning, was wild and curly at the edges. She had few twigs in her hair and a bit of dirt on her nose matching her brother. Both children were covered in dirt from head to toe.
Nyakao grimaced. "What did you two do roll around in a dirt mound?" She asked rhetorically. Naruto grinned cheekily and held up his bounty. "We got tomato's! Dattebayo!"
"Uh Huh." She replied taking a rag from the kitchen counter and going over to them. She wiped Naruto's face clean first making him grumph.
"Owe! Owe! Nee-Chan!" He groaned as the ruff rag cleaned his face. "Well if you two didn't gather dirt like bees to honey I wouldn't need to clean you all the time." She replied moving over to Hanako pulling the twigs from the girl's hair.
"Can we use them in Dinner tonight?" As the girl trying to move her face away from her sister's hand. "Sure, put them on the table, but first both of you baths! Jiji is coming over later so you better be clean." Nyakao replied gesturing her siblings towards the bathroom. The twins grumbled before doing as she said and heading to the bathroom.
"Don't forget to wash behind your ears." She told them going back to her cook book. "So, bossy." Grumbled Hanako placing her tomato on the kitchen table. Naruto nodded his head at her grinning doing the same. He always loved it when his sister was demanding. It showed she cared about them. "Come on Hana-Chan, we can make bubbles with Nuri-san." He said grabbing Hana's hand.
"Okay, But I get to use him first!" Hanako replied dashing off eager to play with their bubble frog that they named Nuri-san. "Hay no fair! I wanted to play with him first!" Cried the boy rushing after his sister.
Nyakao sighed smiling before beginning her cake. She loved it. She loved her siblings at home with her. And the sounds of family. Life was almost peaceful.
Then she heard a crash and something breaking. "That better not be the vase again! You two!" She yelled.
"It wasn't!" The twins cried together. "Though if she finds out about the lamp She'll kill us." Naruto mumbled to his sister.
"What was that!" Nyakao cried hearing them perfectly. "N-Nothing!" The both cried. "Come on she'll kill us more if we don't clean ourselves." Hanako whispered afraid of her sister hearing them. She didn't know how her sister did it but she didn't want to get in trouble because of it.
Nyakao grinned to herself at her siblings' antics. Again. Almost peaceful.
Lee was getting his ass handed to him. Utterly Slammed into the dirt. He tried to block as Tetsu, his arch nemesis socked him one right in the jaw. His eyes welled up with tears, as he grits his teeth.
This always happened. Why? Why couldn't he fight back, why was he so weak? Why didn't the caretakers do anything about it?! He was in the back yard of the orphanage he'd been taken to three years ago, right in front of them, Suki-san was ten feet away from them and watching. But did she get up to stop them? No! She just watched gleefully as Tetsu landed blow after blow onto his cranium.
Why did they hate him so much! What did he do!
"Take this you bushy-brow freak!" Tetsu screamed kicking Lee in the gut making him scream.
Gods it hurt so much. Lee curled in on himself crying and trying to protect what little unbeaten part of his body was left.
"Don't ever come back here again! You hear me!" Tetsu yelled at him, giving him one more painful kick in the ribs before laughing and running off to play with his friends.
Soon enough after, His roommate had come over to him trying to help him up.
"Lee-san, are you ok?" She asked meekly her little four-year-old hands moving in circles on his back to sooth his pain.
"Fine." He coughed pushing himself to his feet swiping her hands away. A man never shows weakness in front of a woman. Men protected and comforted them, not the other way around.
"You're not fine, it looked like he really hurt you this time, Lee you got to tell somebody maybe they can-" He cut her off.
"Can what! Help, no one's going to help us, you saw how the caretaker, Suki-san, just stood there and watched. We're orphans no one gives a dam about us." He sniffed trying to hold in his tears. "I'm so weak, I can't even fight back...hic..."
The girl's eyes shimmered, "Lee-san."
Lee wiped his eyes with his tattered sleeves, "I'm going to t-town, you said Sougi needed new nappies right, I'll go get them for her." He replied.
The girl wiped her own eyes, as she watched her semi-friend walk away.
Lee stopped by their shared room to grab some money before making his way to the village.
Lee had been at that forsaken orphanage for almost three years. And he hated it, he hated it with a passion. If it wasn't for his roommate, he would have run away from the prison. She's was the only one that had been concerned about him. The only one that had stayed up with him when he had nightmares of his parent's deaths. The orphanage was horrible. Lee overheard two caretakes talking of getting rid of some infants, two twin babies by the sound of it.
The caretakes said that they didn't have enough room in the orphanage for the babies, and where going to send them to Kumo within the week.
Lee's heart constricted, and his breath going shallow. What! But...But.
But everyone knew what happened to orphan's in Kumo. They didn't live past a day.
How can anyone be that cruel?
Lee panicked, running to the woman, and begged the caretakers not to send them away, not to let anyone die anymore. They must have taken pity on him, because the two infants where dropped in his arms.
"If you want the dam spawns so much you take care of them!" The woman screamed and left the room.
His roommate, a girl with short brown hair in pigtails, came up to him as he stared at the air in shock.
"Uno. Daijōbu...?" She asked timidly. Lee's eyes shimmered. "Hic...No..I don't know..." He replied his arms tightening around the babe's as they cried. They had been awoken by the jolt of being thrust into Lee's arms.
"Oh...Um, what's their names?" She asked placing a hand on of the twins. "Ah, look they have them on their blankets, the blue one's, Miyuki, and the pink ones, Sougi. Arya, they must have mixed their names up, Miyuki is a girl's name and Sougi's a boy." She continued to talk, obviously trying to get his mind from what just happened.
He sniffed, taking a good look at the infants in his arms for the first time. They both where wrapped in blankets, one blue for the boy, and one pink for the girl. The boy had dark almost black hair, and brown eyes. While the girl had a lighter Chesnutt brown hair and black-gray eyes. They both where crying, but as soon as Lee rocked his body a little they calmed down.
"Ah, you go them to stop crying, most boys don't know how to do that." The girl said watching him cradle the children.
"My Kaa-san...Used to do it for me...When I was sad..."He replied.
"Mine too..." The girl replied solemnly then stuck her hand out to Lee.
"I'm Tenten, what's your name?"
"Lee, Rock Lee." He replied shifting the children to shake her hand.
"Well, Lee lets be good Nee-san, and Nii-san to these to Neh?"
"Hai." He replied.
Ever since that day, he and Tenten have been taking care of the twins. Lee did odd jobs around the village to pay for their food and cloths. The caretakers bluntly didn't even try to take care of them, as Lee and Tenten had to scavenge for themselves.
And if life wasn't even harder, Tetsu the orphanage bully and favorite of the caretakers, had set his sights on Lee. Being beaten up every day sucked, Lee hated being so weak. He wished he was strong like his Tou-san had been but he wasn't.
Sucking it up, Lee continued his trudge to the village, if he was lucky he could get some rice cakes that Tenten liked as well, they went on sale close to this time.
Mustering up the energy, Lee half jogged-limped, to the stand. The crowed was big, but he could crawl under them and sag the rice cakes. Paying for them, Lee finished his shopping then headed back home.
His side was starting to bruise he could tell as his breathing became a little labored.
One of these days, Lee wasn't going to be as weak as he is now, and he'd show Tetsu and those Caretakers. He'd show them.
Lee clenched his fist as he rounded the corner to the orphanage he bumped into something large and fell.
"Itai...Ow.."He cried holding his head.
"Well, Well, Well, look how decided to come back boys." He heard that snarky voice he'd taken a beating from not too long ago.
Lee's eyes widened as he looked up to so Tetsu and his Goons.
"Ready for round two, bushy-brow freak." The large kid crackled as he made a fist and swung at Lee.
Shit.
I desided to keep Lee becuase I just love him and he's adorable. Got to have my Lee-kun!
Review please!