Butterflies

"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!

Chapter 13 – Fix me

8-8

"Aya-chan, can I speak to you and Naruto privately?" Sensei asks. I nod, closing papa's medical book and dragging it along with me. We enter Sensei's office again. There's only one chair, so Naruto offers for me to sit. I smile, in thanks.

"Aya, thank you for bringing the situation to my attention. Although I am not happy that Naruto didn't bring this up, I can't say I'm too surprised by it." Sensei begins. I nod, questions in my eyes, but don't press. She'll explain it, I know she will. "It would seem that Naruto was never taught to read beyond an eight-year-old's level. He has trouble reading anything above that level, so it takes him three times as long and he doesn't remember half of it because he can't make sense of it."

I nod, feeling horrible for him. "What can I do to help?"

Sensei smiles; that kind, warm, motherly smile of hers. "He trusts you, Aya. He trusts you enough to not even hesitate when I asked if I could talk to you about this. So I want you to help him in the evenings, after you two head home."

"So that Uchiha-san never finds out." I nod, understanding completely. I turn to Naruto, smiling warmly at him. "Of course I'll help."

"Thanks." Naruto says, looking away from me. I can tell this embarrasses him, but… in that short moment before he turned away, I could see a small smile on his lips. I get a warm feeling in my chest, glad that he trusts me, happy that he'll let me help him. Though mostly, I'm grateful for Yoshino-sensei.

"Would it be okay if I show you Muay Thai after some reading lessons too? I mean, it would help you." I offer, hoping he isn't closing himself off. I really admire and respect Naruto.

"… y-you don't have to." Okay, now I just want to hug him.

"Naruto-nii?" He turns to me, shock in his eyes. I smile a little, worried I crossed the line. I've come too far to turn back now though. He needs this… but I think I might need it more. "Why would I mind helping my big brother? Why would I mind showing him what little I know so that he can be the most awesome shinobi this village has ever seen?"

He starts tearing up. I want to hug him even more. Figuring I've already crossed every other line, I walk over to him, wrapping my arms around his middle. Jeez, even he makes me feel short. I barely reach his chin. It's worse with Chouji-kun though. I… think I'd reach his chest. Kami-sama, I'm such a chibi.

"You're supposed to hug your little sister back, you know." I whisper, after Naruto just kind of stands there, completely caught off guard.

"N-nn." He carefully wraps his arms around my shoulders.

I sigh contently. For the first time in… too long… I feel… not alone.

"Hey, sis?"

"Nn?"

"You remember that story about the Nine-tailed fox?"

"Nn." I was covered in the academy. How he was defeated by the Fourth, Naruto-nii's hero.

"Well, I kind of have it sealed in my gut." He says. I shrug. I'm enjoying this hug. Can you give me puzzles after?

8-8

"Idiots." I curse. Naruto-nii explained the whole story. About how the Fourth couldn't kill the tailed beast, how he'd sealed it into a baby. A blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby named Uzumaki Naruto. "Morons." I curse again. "Retards. Soft in the head. IQ below fifty."

I've been cursing the villagers, and the majority of the shinobi forces. To treat Naruto-nii badly for something he was a day old when it happened to him? He didn't ask for this! He wasn't just barely born and decided, HEY, let's seal a beast in me!

"Stupid. Arrogant. Basic."

"Sis, it's okay." He tries, motioning for me to calm down. I'm still pacing though.

"… They probably hate chocolate too." I know I should calm down. That this isn't helping Naruto-nii in the least. I just feel sooooo… mad! So upset, angry, annoyed… FURIOUS!

"They're good people, sis. They just… they're controlled by their fears." He tries again, his voice soothing, calming.

"That just makes them stupider." I say. Kami-sama! People can be so… stupid!

"Aya-chan?" Sensei calls me. I turn to her, stopping my pacing long enough to hear what she has to say. "Sit down. There are a few things you need to know about the unwritten laws surrounding the knowledge you now possess." I nod, sitting back down. I do make sure to tug Naruto-nii so he's standing close enough to me that I can feel his warmth; even if we don't actually touch.

"What Naruto-kun has told you is in fact an S-ranked secret. He is the only one allowed to reveal his status as jinchuuriki, or tailed beast container – which is what you call people like him. That means you cannot tell anyone, you cannot even hint at it. No one is supposed to know."

"Then this is the worst kept secret in history! The whole village knows!" I complain.

"I know. But that doesn't change the law. Do you understand?" I nod, still annoyed with people. Well, more annoyed than I usually am. "I'm grateful that you feel upset for him. But please do not let that cloud your judgement. We need to help Naruto, not make things worse for him. Alright?"

"Of course!" That should be obvious!

"Good. Now come on, we still need to train. And we only have about a half hour before we need to head out for our next mission." Yoshino-sensei seems quite amused right now. And happy. Very, very happy.

"Hey, sis?" Naruto-nii sounds worried, and unsure. "I know this is stupid, but…"

"What's up, Naruto-nii?"

"I don't want us to act different in public yet. I don't want you to start getting the same looks, the same treatment."

I feel my anger, my irkment… annoyance! All those bad emotions trying to take me over. "If you think I-"

"Please?" He begs. His tone, his eyes, the worry lining his every feature. He's scared for me. "I don't have a lot of precious people. So I won't take any risks with you. It won't be forever! Just… just until we're strong enough to stand up against the idiots. Please, sis…?"

"Fine." My eyes harden. "Let's go, Uzumaki-san."

8-8

"Are you sure you're okay? You've been… weird all morning." Ino asks for the hundredth time. And we've only just gotten out of the final exam ten minutes ago.

"I'm fine, Ino. I'm just… annoyed with people right now." I say. "I just need my chocolate fix and I'll be alright. Hey, Hinata-san, bakery?"

"Nn." She smiles at me, liking the idea as much as I do.

We start making our way out of the hospital – after passing the ophthalmologist reception desk, where I pick up my glasses; finally! I haven't even really looked at them yet. I just kind of shoved them, case and all, into a pocket to deal with later.

"So what has you so annoyed with people? I mean, you're not having a 'recharge day', seeing as you're talking. You're not having a withdrawal episode, seeing as you're not psychotic. Something happened?"

"Nn." I noise with a tiny nod. "I'm not allowed to talk about it, but yeah. Something happened." Ino is curious, I can tell.

"Something with Naruto?" I look away from her. "I know it's him. You've been very protective of him since yesterday. Even more protective than he is of you."

"So anyway. That four-clans party is this weekend right?" I change the subject.

"You've also been glaring at people for no reason." Or I try to, at least. "Shinobi and civilian alike. But you're not allowed to talk about it? What's going on, I wonder."

"The labour thanksgiving day festival is coming up." I try once again. "That means winter's coming. I love the snow, but Kami-sama, I hate the cold."

"I r-rather like the c-cold." Hinata-san doesn't understand why I'm being so vague, but she seems to understand I don't want to talk about it.

I'm tempted to say she likes having a reason to cover up. I mean, she has the biggest breasts I've ever seen on a twelve-year-old! It's no wonder she's always wearing baggy jackets. Still, drawing attention to it isn't going to do her any favours. And pointing out that I'm still flat as a board won't do me any favours either!

It would be nice if I had half a boob. Even a half boob is more than I have now! I could probably pass for a boy if I cut my hair short.

I huff. Why do I keep doing this to myself? It's not as if I have any say in the matter!

8-8

Once we're outside, we run into my other favourite blond. I notice he isn't alone though. Three goggles-wearing kids, a few years younger, are with him. "Hey, Naruto!" Ino calls out to him. Naruto-nii turns, finding us walking in his direction.

"Hey! How awesome did you three ace those exams!?" He waves, happy to see us. I notice that his eyes linger on Hinata-san though. I smile when Hinata-san notices it too; she blushes deeply.

"We'll hear about it in a few days." I say. "Hello there, I'm Namiki Aya. I'm Uzumaki-san's teammate. Who might you be?" I ask the three kids, two boys and a girl.

They do a little jig. One of them throws a coloured smoke bomb, and dramatically introduce themselves as Konohamaru, Udon and Moegi. I shrug. It wasn't worth all that much effort. Three names would have been fine.

"So, you're Aya-nee-san?" Moegi asks. She seems to have stars in her eyes and a permanent blush on her cheeks. "Naruto-nii has been telling us a lot about you! How awesome you are, how skilled you are!" She tattles. I smile warmly at Naruto-nii.

"Well, I don't know about me being 'awesome'. I usually leave that up to Uzumaki-san." I say. She doesn't look surprised. I shrug, not sure what to make of this at all. I mean, Konohamaru looks like the ringleader. Udon is clearly a sickly child. And Moegi looks like a fangirl in the making. Still, they respect Naruto-nii. I can learn to deal with them.

"But you are! You really, really are!" Moegi announces. I shrug.

"Hey, we're heading to the bakery to make bad choices. Want to tag along?" I ask, mostly to Naruto-nii. The three kids nod happily as well.

"Alright! We'll get some sugary goodness, then after that we'll play ninja! Sound good?"

"Nn!" The three noise as one. I smile, happy that Naruto-nii really does have people that look up to him.

8-8

At the bakery, I order my usual three brownies. Hinata-san orders her six cinnamon rolls. Ino orders one really small pastry. I roll my eyes at her. Naruto-nii doesn't really care what he orders, so he just goes with a cinnamon role and a brownie. Konohamaru orders the same.

Then it's Udon and Moegi's turns. They look unsure, nervous… embarrassed. "Hey, don't worry about it. It's my treat." Naruto-nii announces to the pair. Their faces light up, teasing a smile from me.

"Nn. You pay for Udon, I'll pay for Moegi. Order whatever you'd like." I add. They both order a cinnamon role and brownie and we pay for them with a smile. We take a table away from the window again.

I don't pay too much attention to where I sit, just that I'm gentle with my precious, precious chocolate fudge brownies. I go through my usual ripping, folding and wrapping, before taking my first bite. Chocolate-danna, you are too good to me.

I hear giggling next to me. Ah, probably… no, that's not Hinata-san at all. I turn, finding a short, orange haired kunoichi in training beside me. I smile at Moegi, glad I'm no longer the shortest in our group. I motion for her to try her brownie.

She follows my example, ripping, folding and wrapping her brownie in a napkin. Then she takes a bite. A soft moan escapes her before she can help it. I know, right! These brownies are divine! We share a little giggle.

"You know, I really like seeing this side of you, Aya-chan." Ino says, covering her mouth with her hand. I shrug, not really minding or caring too much. I'm kind of going with the flow these days. "By the way, when are you going to let him take you out?"

I shrug. He needs to ask. And we both really need to focus on our training.

"Ooh, does Aya-nee have a this?" Konohamaru asks, wiggling his pinkie. Why is he wiggling his pinkie?

"That means boyfriend." Naruto-nii explains. Ah. I shrug.

"I'm in no rush." I say, mouth covered by my hand. And honestly, I'm not! I really like Chouji-kun, but… I need to get stronger. I need to study, and I need to focus. Getting wrapped up in some silly romance isn't going to help me in the long run… and he hasn't actually asked me anything yet…

"Wow… Aya-nee is turning really, really red." I blush deeper, not having realised I've been blushing the whole time.

"I wouldn't tease her too much if I were you." Naruto-nii warns. I just take another bite of my brownie. Chocolate-danna would never tease me.

"And Naruto… when?" Ino changes the subject back to what she really wants to know. I catch on, eyeing Hinata-san. She seems to understand as well, blushing really deeply.

"When I've earned the right. I have a lot to do before that happens." He explains, not looking at anyone.

"Like?" Ino presses.

"I need a proper apartment. I need a stable income. I need to be at least chuunin. I need to have a reputation her family respects." He lists it as he goes. Hinata-san blushes deeper every time. "I want her to see me as worthy, not just the guy that she likes."

Okay, awwww!

And… I think I can help him in this. My goals aren't too much different, after all. All I need to do is keep Hinata-san interested in only him until that time comes. Seeing how she's trying to hide her flaming cheeks behind her cinnamon roll, I don't think I'll have a hard time at that.

I need to talk to Yoshino-sensei. She said I could come to her about that place, right?

8-8

Seeing as today's supposed to be our 'day off' that means I don't have to worry about missions and silly things like that. Missing a single missions day isn't that big a deal seeing as I've already saved quite a bit of money from Yoshino-sensei buying pretty much all of our food, and the mad missions dash we've been on.

So once we make it to Sensei's home, and we're let in, I ask to speak to Yoshino-sensei privately. She nods, asking Naruto-nii to start making some riceballs for everyone – we still have the Konohamaru Corps with us, as weird as that name is.

"What seems to be the problem, Aya-chan?" Sensei motions for me to have a seat once we're in her office. I wait for her to sit down as well. I want to see her face when I start explaining what's on my mind.

"I've been thinking about that place." I begin.

"I see." She doesn't react at all.

"Naruto-nii was talking about what he needs done before he can really ask Hinata-san out on a date. And having a comfortable home is on that list. We're both already helping him with the other things. Becoming a chuunin, getting a stable income, building up a solid reputation, earning respect. That sort of thing. But… this is something I can help him with. And it would really help both of us financially, seeing as my parents' house is already paid for in full. I think it would really help him if…"

"If the two of you moved in together?" She finishes for me. I nod, blushing a bit. It's weird thinking about asking someone to move in with me, but this is Naruto-nii! He'd never do anything weird! "This isn't a short term goal you have in mind. What would you want done before you feel comfortable doing this?"

"…" What would I want done before I feel comfortable moving into my parents' house? "I'd want to be a chuunin." That's a good place to start. "Taking higher ranked missions would rally help me financially. Even though I'd survive on the four D-ranked missions per missions day, I'd still rather have some elbow room. And I'd have to replace all the furniture, and likely the kitchen too. Renovations aren't cheap." I babble on, listing whatever comes to mind.

"Hmm. That sounds reasonable." Sensei agrees with me. "Very well. I will help you and Naruto in this. After all, helping you to become chuunin was already on my list. You're just showing me you have the motivation to get this done swiftly." She smiles proudly. All I feel is warmth swimming around in my chest.

"Thank you, Sensei. I knew I could come to you with this." I say honestly, smiling a little.

"Of course! Now come on, I want to see if Naruto-kun needs help with those riceballs."

8-8

I knew Sensei would help me. I knew she'd happily drag me through my trainings kicking and screaming to make sure I get to where I need to be. But that she'd drag Naruto-nii and me to the Hokage's office to ask for the keys to my parents' house? That she'd then drag me and Naruto-nii to said house so we can 'look at the damage'?

I sigh. I haven't so much as looked at this place in years. "Who~oooooa…" Naruto-nii is impressed at least. Really, I can't blame him. Eight bedrooms, three bathrooms, two sitting rooms, two offices, an attic used for storage. And a library. There's also a decent sized front and back yard and a koi poind that mama used to like staring at for hours on end. I'm sure those poor carpers either died or grew legs and left by now.

We're on the very edge of the village too, in the Shinobi District. Basically, of the four walls that act as a boundery for the property… one of them is the great wall marking the very edge of the village. It's really out of the way. And the neighbourhood is really quiet because of it. I loved it here…

I cut my left thumb with a kunai and smear some of my blood on the seal. Naruto-nii looks at me funny. "Blood seal. Mama was really good at Sealing." I explain. He nods, wondering about that. I'm not sure why, I mean, some people are good at it, she's one of them. What's the big deal?

Still, the gate unlocks itself, so I swing it open and invite Naruto-nii and Sensei to enter. The scene greeting me is as bad as I feared. The yard looks more like a jungle than anything. But the house looks like it hasn't aged at all. We brave the unknown, cutting the chest high grass as we go. Or, I'm doing that. I feel like we're on a safari or something.

Once at the front door, I place my right hand against another seal. Once I feel the warmth, telling me the seal still works and recognizes my chakra signature, I stuff a key into the front door and unlock it. I swing the door open, expecting a creaking sound that doesn't come.

The air in the house is cool, fresh. I don't understand at all. A house that's been locked up for six years should be stale, stink of old dust. I take a step forward, my eyes studying every detail I can see… I freeze.

"Bazu…" My old teddy bear. He's sitting down on the step, just where I left him. Right on top of my favourite pair of house slippers. I run into the front room, hugging my precious Bazu.

"Looks like sis missed her bear, huh?" Naruto-nii teases a little. I'm too busy hugging my bear. My missing-an-eye, patched-together, teddy bear I always carried around the house and back yard with me.

"Mama told me that Bazu would wait here for me, like he always does. She always took me to a friend's house when she was out on missions." I don't fight the tears, crying into Bazu's hug like I used to. "You've gotten small, Bazu. You used to be as big as me."

"You don't even smell funny." I tease. I'm grateful it's Yoshino-sensei and Naruto-nii here. I'd feel really embarrassed if I was crying in front of anyone else. "Hey, Bazu-chan. I'm going to go check out the rest of the house. Think you can stand waiting here a little longer on me?" I kiss Bazu on the nose, placing him back on my house slippers. He'll keep them warm for me. I wipe away the tears. I don't know why, I know I'll just end up crying in a few minutes again.

I kick off my slippers, stepping up into the alcove so I don't get any dirt on my feet. Is study the scroll hanging on the wall, the kanji for 'love', 'family', 'unity' and 'hope' staring back at me. Mama was so weird about this. Things that normal people would put in the visitors' sitting room, she put in the entrance. I knew it wouldn't take long to burst into tears again. It feels weird not seeing fresh flowers arranged under the scroll though. I slide the door open, wondering at the slight scent of cherry blossoms in the air. Mama always did like flowers around the place to give every room a different scent. I enter the hallway. Umm, right was the family sitting room. Left was… the visitors' sitting room. I've never been into the visitors' sitting room, so I go to the right. I slide the first door open, about halfway down the hallway and on the right. The low table, the tatami mats, the tea closet, the family shrine… it's all… it's all just the way I remember it.

Around the low table are four pillows meant for us to sit on. Two red, two pink. The pink one on the far side of the table is mine. Mama always used to tease me that I'll end up loving pink more than anything.

I walk around the table, sliding the paper screen doors open to let in some light –some life– into the room. The front yard still looks horrid, but it isn't something I didn't know I'd see. The wall looks like it'll need some repairs; I can see some cracks running down it – the perimeter wall I mean. The house seems to be perfectly liveable.

"This… place is incredible!" Naruto-nii finally catches up. I guess taking off shinobi sandals is a bit more complex than kicking off your slippers.

I find myself staring at the pictures on the wall. Mama. Papa… their wedding picture. Mama when she was pregnant with me…

The pictures are all lined on the same wall of the door Naruto-nii just entered. That's why I didn't notice them… but why didn't I remember they'd be there?

Baby pictures of me playing with papa. No pictures of him after I turned four though. How could there be? The last thing I remember was him promising me to read my favourite book… when I was three and a half. He never came home.

"Sis… you okay?" Naruto-nii asks, worried. I shake off the emotions, trying to tell him I'm fine. But he turns and looks at the pictures. "Nn. You guys looked so happy together."

"Yeah…"

8-8

I take my time, going through every room, checking every hidden cache, checking every item. Of course, I avoid my old room and mama's room. I don't need to break down today.

Everything is exactly how I remember it. Nothing seems to have aged at all. And the hidden library is still just as creepy as I remember. It seriously feels like someone's going to jump out from behind a shelf and eat you!

Of course… the clothes left in the drier… well, I kind of had a breakdown seeing our clothes waiting for mama to fold them and put them away.

The food in the kitchen was trying to crawl away. But the dishes are all still usable. And clean. Mama always did hate having dirty dishes hanging around, even if only for five minutes. Naruto-nii helped me empty all the new life forms from the fridge into a garbage sack. He then made a few shadow clones, instructing them to throw the sacks away. They won't be able to get back in, not without my blood to get past the security seal.

I find myself smiling, even as I'm sanitizing the fridge. Even with the horrid smell of sausages that were left to rot for six years fresh in my nose. Even with the eggs that probably would have had great grandchildren by now that cracked when I handled them.

I'm smiling.

"Not as bad as you feared?" Yoshino-sense asks. She's wiping down the counters, just to be safe.

"It's liveable, Sensei. If I wanted to, I could move in today." I admit. Suddenly, I don't feel so happy.

"Your mother was scarily good with those seals of hers. She probably did something to keep the furniture good, or something." Sensei says. "Aya, what's wrong." I find myself on my knees in front of the fridge. Crying. Bawling. I don't… I don't under…stand…

Sensei's arms are around me in a heartbeat. She holds me tightly, trying to keep me from falling apart. "What's wrong, sweetie?" Sensei asks. I shake my head.

"I don't know. I just feel… hurt." I admit. "This isn't the way my life was supposed to go… I… they weren't supposed to leave me alone."

"… Your mom told me the same thing after your dad died. They bought this house, planning on having a couple dozen kids." Sensei, if you're trying to help me, you AREN'T!

8-8

"Aya! Focus!" Sensei calls out, throwing another couple hundred pebbles at me. Even with the sun setting, she's still pushing me as if it's eight in the morning. I push well beyond my limits, trying to hit each and every pebble that would hit me or my 'charge' – a meditating Naruto-nii sitting behind me.

It sounded so easy in theory. Sensei would throw pebbles at me, I had to used my twin kodachis to defend myself and Naruto-nii. So why, exactly, am I covered in dirt, bruises, and filled with nothing but the desire to go to sleep for a week!?

Sensei is such a slave driver.

I deflect… dozens, hundreds… thousands… I don't know. I deflect a LOT of pebbles. Somehow, Sensei always seems to have more to throw at me. Even when I hit a pebble so hard it turns into dust, the amount of pebbles thrown at me don't seem to slow.

"Good. You didn't let Naruto get hit even once." Sensei announces, eventually. "Keep this up, and we'll start you on live kunai!" I groan, plopping onto the ground. It takes a lot longer than I want to admit, but eventually I re-sheathe my kodachis.

"How's your hand doing?" Sensei asks, sitting down next to me.

"It hasn't troubled me in days." I admit. Then again, it's been a week since starting my medical training course. Ino and Hinata have been taking turns practicing on my arm – apparently it never healed correctly.

Still, whatever. It's helping me play my flute, and I don't have to worry during kodachi training anymore.

"And Naruto-kun? How's the meditation going?" Yoshino-sensei asks.

"It'd go better if you stopped asking me that." He complains, the vein on his forehead throbbing to show how he feels. I giggle a little; Sensei likes talking to him to see if he's actually concentrating.

"Listen. I have a mission tomorrow. I'll be gone for a few days." Yoshino-sensei says. I… don't like those words. Too many important people have said similar things and never returned.

"I've asked Kakashi to train you guys while I'm gone." You didn't! "Would you relax! He's been given VERY specific instructions on how I want things done. And you're classes at the hospital take precedence over everything. I'm sure you and Naruto-kun can keep Sasuke on his best behaviour while I'm gone." I stare at her.

"Sensei. What's going on? If you needed someone to train us, there's Yamanaka-sama, Akimichi-sama, Nara-sama, stray cats… plenty of better options."

"That isn't very nice, Aya-chan." Sensei chides. I only raise an eyebrow, daring her to deny it. And Naruto-nii's laughing shows he's being honest about the situation; Ecchi-san training us is a joke. "I know you're not happy about this, but he's capable. And if he steps out of line just once, you have my permission to set him straight. Immediately, preferred."

I grumble. I don't like this. At all. "I expect the two of you here at six. As always. Take turns making every meal. Don't forget to wash up afterwards. And make sure Shikamaru wakes up on time. That boy will try to sleep until noon otherwise."

"Yes, Yoshino-sensei." I mumble.

"Tomorrow's supposed to be your day off. Kakashi knows to be here anyway. At six. You two should show up a little early so that he'll have something warm to eat if he's on time. And Naruto, Asami-chan sent another scroll for you. I'll give it to you after dinner, okay?"

8-8

End Chapter 13

8-8

A/N: Oh boy! Kakashi is in charge of their training? And this is with only four days of the thirty remaining. Is this some kind of test? Is Yoshino allowing this to happen, just to test Kakashi?