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 45 – Chaos, so not my thing

8-8

Twitch. Bite. Chew, chew, chew… chew. Swallow. Twitch.

"So…" I begin.

Bite. Chew. Twitch, twitch. Chew, chew, chew. Swallow. Twitch.

"You people expect me to let Mitarashi-san train me for the coming month." I take another bite, slowing chewing and glaring at the collection of idiots that truthfully believe they will convince me that the sun rises in the west. "And not only that. But you want me to call her auntie, because I knew her when I was little."

"Aya, I don't like your tone." Yasu-nee chastises with her sternest glare. Any other time, I would give in. Now?

"Anyone else?" I offer with a dull, almost deadpan glare.

"Do you have another option?" Yoshino-sensei tries.

"Hana. You. Momochi-san. Nobody? Plenty of better options." I drone glaring at Mitarashi-san, not in the least bit bothered that she looks so defeated.

"Aya. Stop." Yasu-nee glares at me. "This is your godmother you're talking about!"

"The same woman that didn't show me she existed until Yoshino-sensei FORCED her to. So tell me, Mitarashi-san. How long would you have 'helped me from the shadows', if Sensei hadn't stepped in? Hnn?" Yasu-nee blinks, but the guilty look on a certain purple-haired, scantily-clad, abandoning 'woman', tells her that I'm not making this up as I go.

"Is that true, Anko-san?" Yasu-nee asks pointedly. "Did you allow my little sister to grow up on her own? DID YOU!?"

Mitarashi doesn't answer.

"And for that matter… Yoshino-san… why didn't YOU help her? Or Remi-san? Or Mariko-san? You all knew her mother! You all knew Aya was alone! And NO ONE tried to help her!?"

"Someone could have adopted her, but all of Miwako's closest friends were clan heads, and we are forbidden to adopt unless it's a boy meant to marry our daughter. The only other option was an arranged married with Shikamaru or Chouji, but that would have to be approved by her guardian. Other than blood relatives and clansmen… the only one legally allowed to help her other than an orphanage… is her godmother." Yoshino-sensei explains hesitantly. I snort, even more annoyed than before.

"Not financially, not emotionally, not physically, not indirectly?" Yasu-nee asks very carefully.

"No. If the council ever catches wind of such a thing, they'd blow it out of proportion, trying to say that we're trying to brainwash orphans into our service. That we're trying to take over the village, just like the Uchiha were…" Yoshino-sensei explains, pain in her eyes and tone. "No clansman has been allowed to so directly help an orphan since… since that happened…" She trails off. I don't really understand what that has to do with anything, but I don't understand much from before my time. And the Uchiha were pretty much wiped out before I turned seven. Which would technically leave a year unaccounted for…? I think I'll talk to Sensei about that some time, there's a story there that might be important to know the details about.

"… And Anko-san is, of course, aware of this." Yasu-nee looks like she's about to pop.

"It's the reason I was allowed to help from the shadows." So, yes she knew.

"So you knew she was conning people for money, because she didn't have enough."

"… I paid all of them back." So, yes she knew.

"You knew she didn't know how to cook."

"…" Silence counts as a yes that one doesn't want to give.

"You also knew she was purposefully distancing herself from everyone. And seeing as you knew her mother so well, you knew why she was doing it."

"…"

I cross my arms, glaring at Mitarashi-san. "And you want to know why I hate you." She winces.

"Aya. I need to speak with her. Alone." Yasu-nee says, her tone colder than I've ever heard it.

"I'll be in my office."

8-8

Hmm, so basically it's possible to take a sound wave and reinforce it to the point that it can become a sword, and a shield if you couple enough to each other. But, it's something you need to start of with a single sound wave for.

Hmm, it would help strengthen my Sound Ball and my Sound Barrier. Yes, this is what I'm going to focus on in the afternoons. Now, for the evenings… I think papa's medical jutsus and seals will be perfect. Yes, that sounds ideal. Focus on overall training in the morning, sound release in the afternoon, and medical in the evening. Yes. That works. We'll go with that, starting tomorrow at six.

Now let's see. I need to perfect three moves with my kenjutsu training. So let me just unroll that scroll and I'll go over the theory behind those tonight after dinner. With Muay Thai I can start on the mid-chuunin level scroll. I'll go over that theory once I'm done with kenjutsu studies. Then there's that idea Kakashi gave me before dashing off into the sunset with Sasuke on his heels. Unlocking me second element – he'd suggested trying to learn D-rank jutsus from every element and seeing how that goes. Maybe after next month.

Maybe I could try working on that Namiki hidden jutsu as well? Tsuren did say that Tsuki is getting restless, so summoning her more often to train would definitely work out for the best… but I can't show her favouritism over her brothers, so it might be best to just summon all five of them and see if we can train them all up a bit.

Hmm, not to mention it might do me some good to get them used to being summoned at the weirdest times. So I think I'll start summoning them at add times throughout the day and keep each training between twenty minutes and an hour, and start building up from there. Hmm, yes I like that. Let's go with that.

Anything else? No, I think that should be enough for now. After medical training I should start making some medical seals to have on me should the need arise.

Knock, knock.

"Hey, sweetie. Can I talk to you?" Yasu-nee asks. I smell Mitarashi behind her.

"Come in, both of you." They do. Yasu-nee sits, Mitarashi does not.

"Sweetie, please understand that I fully agree with you and your point of view." This is going to be all downhill from here, isn't it. "However, I would prefer it if you were to hear the whole story, and not just what you've experienced. I have, and though I still believe Anko-san is, to put it nicely, an idiot for abandoning you… there is a certain amount of logic in her story."

I turn to Mitarashi. "… You have five minutes. Make it count."

"I'm treated like shit because of Orochimaru going traitor. If I'd taken you, you'd get as bad of worse because you can't defend yourself as well as I can. Thanks to you, I've been able to indirectly deal with people treating Naruto badly, but had I been directly involved you'd probably be dead."

"How convenient." I drone.

"When you first started publicly getting associated with Naruto, there was backlash." She changes tactics quickly. She's adaptive.

"So?"

"That was mostly with civilians and up to chuunins who were civilian born. What would have happened if there were true shinobi against you at the time? What about before you graduated, when your skills only enabled you to take on fresh genin? What about before that? How many times would you have been wounded? How many broken bones would you have suffered? And keep in mind, there is no law protecting me. No reason why people can't tell the world why I'm treated this badly. All I have is my reputation and the general laws protecting all shinobi of Konoha. I have no direct connections, not politically."

"…"

"The Nine-tails killed hundreds, but that's it. Orochimaru tortured more than that and for years, experimented on them in the most inhumane ways. There's more than a fair share of jounins with a psychotic hatred for anything associated with Orochimaru. Just connecting you to him via me would put you in danger." She explains seriously.

"So, I'm strong enough to take on jounins solo." I drone sarcastically.

"No. But you have the skillset to allow this in time. And with the added bonus of Kakashi being your jounin-sensei, most people will quicker associate you with him than me."

"Most?"

"Psychos aren't usually logical people." She deadpans.

"True." I shrug.

"What? No argument?" She blinks, confused.

"I'm a psycho. We aren't bad people by definition, just unstable if the situation doesn't favour our stability."

"Aya~aaaa!" Yasu-nee chastises me, trying to hide her amusement – and sucking at it.

"What? It's true. I'm not going to act like I'm something I'm not. Just ask Naru-nii and Sasuke how I get when I don't get chocolate for long periods of time." I point out.

"So… are we good?" Mitarashi asks, hopeful.

"Nope. Not even close." I smile, batting my eyelashes at her a few times.

"Huh?"

"Pretty words change nothing. Or has this part of reality gone unnoticed." I point out. She blinks slowly a few times. "I'm not calling you auntie, I'm not treating you with respect, and I certainly am not going to let you train me. But… I don't hate you as much."

"Hnn. Not ideal, but it's a start. How about we start with itty bitty baby steps and you let me show you a jutsu?" She offers. "I'm still not training you, and it's not costing you anything but some time."

"Hmm…?" I think about that. "Which jutsu?"

"…" She thinks about that for a long time. "I know some good earth release jutsus. We could go through a list until we find one you can handle?"

"Hmm… it could work. I could use a sparring partner as well. They say you're pretty good." I toss out there.

"That might work. But we both know I won't go easy on you." She smirks at me.

"Heavens forbid." I smirk right back. Maybe not hating her will be more fun? I don't have to like her to want to fight her, right?

8-8

It's going on midnight, but I can't sleep. All I seem to think about at all, is what today bought me: change. Naruto-nii's out and about somewhere with some lecher called Jiraiya. Sasuke's out and about with Kakashi. This feels… wrong.

Naruto-nii… other than Ino and Chouji-kun, he's been my constant.

Now… now I'm stuck in a house filled with people that I would die for; Yasu-nee, Saki-chan, Hina-nee, Hanabi, Ao-chan, Minori, Haruki, Rika, Haku, Momochi-san, Yoshino-sensei, Shikaku-san, Nara-kun, Moegi, Udon, Kono-chan. And people I might notice if they disappeared; just Mitarashi-san.

But… my pack is incomplete. My family is incomplete. My… home is incomplete.

I've gotten so spoiled, Naru-nii giving me a hug every night before I turn in, him always asking me what I need help with, him always going above and beyond to help me achieve it. I've gotten so spoiled. And now, I'm paying for it. I don't know where my Nii-san is, and I don't want to wake anyone up to find out.

I miss him. I miss my idiot, my shadow, my balance, my consoler. I want that blonde hyperactive nutcase back. I want him to say stupid things to me. I want him to have a comeback for everything I say to him – no matter how little sense either of us are making.

And Sasuke. That brooding ice prince. Who's going to warn people if I'm being weird now? Who's going to be able to keep up with me when I feel like being a brat? It doesn't happen often, but I really enjoy messing with people when it does.

I want my team back. I want our missions back. I want us to come up with a plan to take out people that are obviously stronger, faster, sneakier and smarter than us. I want to see the look on the face of that idiot when it works. I…

Kami-sama, I just want to go back. Let me go back to the second exam, those six hours… let me relive them over and over again. It isn't too long ago. It shouldn't be too hard. Let me… please, let me just have my team back.

-Trouble sleeping?- Naruto-nii's voice reaches me, along with his familiar warmth whenever he contacts me via our seals. I wipe away the tears, knowing he wouldn't be able to see them anyway.

-Maybe. You?- I keep trying to wipe away the tears, but they just keep coming.

-It's… weird not getting my hug before you go to bed.- That just makes me cry even more. Kami-sama, why can't I just keep what little family that found me together? Why? -It seems we're in the same boat. Jiraiya's my godfather.-

-What'd you do to him when you found out.-

-Nothing. He wasn't worth responding to.- I snort, fully understanding where he's coming from.

-He's probably going to have a longwinded explanation about staying away from you kept you safe. And how he helped from the shadows.-

-Anko gave you that same line?-

-Uh huh.-

-We have the worst luck with people.-

-Other people. I seem to only have good luck with you and Sasuke.-

-Wait, seriously? You're being nice about Sasuke?-

-You're slow as ever.- I smile, finding that the tears are finally stopping.

-Why shouldn't she?- Sasuke?

-Oi, broody. Why are you still up?- Naruto asks. Even through the seal, I can hear the smile in his voice.

-Sorry, mom. I won't do it again.- I find myself laughing. I miss those idiots so bad. -Aya. I need a favour, and only you could ever make it work.-

-What's up?- I ask, slightly worried. Sasuke isn't acting himself at all.

-The Third gave me a mission. I won't be coming home anytime soon.- Tears sting my eyes once again. -Aya, focus. There are three things only you can do for me until I get back.-

-Tell me what you need.-

-The Uchiha archives. You need to hide them. You remember how to reach them?-

-Yeah…?-

-Seal them away, keep them safe for me. All of it. The scrolls, the tablets, the weapons, everything.-

-How long will you be gone?-

-The second thing is I need you to manage the Uchiha district for me. Once everything of value is sealed away, start putting the houses up for rent. All but the main house, that is. I need you to place seals to keep people out of that house if you can.-

-Are you even going to tell me what your mission is?-

-Once you have at least half the district rented out, arrange that you get B-rank pay for managing it. The rest of the money is to be used for repairs, D-rank missions to keep everything looking decent, and what's left should be put on the Uchiha bank accounts. I've already put in the standing order that you can access them. Contact me when you need your access codes.-

-You don't know if you're coming back, do you.-

-The last thing is proof I'm coming back. In my bedroom, on my desk is a jewellery box, wrapped in Uzumaki red paper, with the Uchiha clan fan on it. I need you to give that to Asami for me. Tell her I wanted to give it to her myself, but…-

-You sly dog you. You finally making your move now that you're not even going to be around?- Naruto-nii seems to know what that's about.

-Will you do this for me, Aya?-

I sigh. -Fine. I'll get started after the third exams is over.-

-… Thank you.-

8-8

"Aya, sweetie! Someone's at the gate! Can you go see who that is!?" Yasu-nee shouts from upstiars. Everyone knows I'm the only one allowed to open the gate until Naruto-nii gets back, so that means I've been getting bugged every time Shikaku-san wants to come in – he must be early for lunch, or something.

I make my way outside, but… I'm not liking who I smell waiting for me. Still, I do not rush. "Hokage-dono. Asami. What can I do for you?"

"May we come in, Aya? There is much to discuss." Hokage-dono smiles, but Asami seems… put out about something. Knowing Mr Personality, he said something stupid to her before he left.

I nod. "No Anbu, though." I smell Cat and another I don't recognize. I don't like letting people I don't know in under normal circumstances, and seeing as we're in lock-down, there's a zero percent chance that person will be allowed in.

"That's fine. I trust you." I open the gate, allowing the two in before quickly shutting it again.

"Follow me." I walk ahead, leading them into my office and asking them if they want something to drink, or something. They both turn the offer down, so I motion towards the empty chairs, before sitting behind my desk. "What can I do for you?"

Hokage-dono casts a privacy jutsu once again. I roll my eyes, but don't comment. "Sasuke is going on a mission. To infiltrate Orochimaru's organization. He wishes you to be his handler."

"Alright. Anything else?" I ask, not in the least surprised. That boy always did have trust issues; that's why we understand each other so well.

"Yes, Asami here has a scroll for you, so that you may summon Sasuke should things get out of control. Naruto and Asami are also on the summoning roster. You will be given a top secret, long term A-rank mission to guard all three of them."

"And who will know of this mission?"

"Other than myself? No one not directly involved. You will need a source of income to ensure that you do not arouse suspicion."

I snort. "Already handled, but thank you. Now, let's see this 'summoning scroll'." Asami lays it out on my desk, telling me to sign in the first slot. Once I sign, I continue with this meeting. "But there's more going on that just this."

"There is. You need to know the details of the mission, and you need to be brought up to speed on… certain developments." I motion for Hokage-dono to continue. "Naruto isn't allowed to know Sasuke left willingly. He will therefore be tempted to go after him, which we want. He will be leaving in a few months on a long term training mission under Jiraiya." I snort, wondering how they'll get Narut-nii to agree to that. "You don't think he will?"

"He'll need someone to go with him to keep him on his best behaviour. He doesn't trust or even like Jiraiya." I point out. "I will be needed here in Konoha. So I'd advise that Asami go with him." Asami's eyes are wide as dinner plates, so shocked.

"I'm not sure I understand." Hokage-dono points out. He does look pleased that I suggested Asami go, but he doesn't like not knowing the whole story.

"You suggest that he leave for a long time when he has a family to tend to here. You suggest he leave with someone he doesn't trust on top of this. Unless Asami, Hinata or myself goes with him, he won't go."

"And yet you only suggest Asami should go?" He narrows his eyes at me.

"Yes." I nod seriously. "I'm needed here. And I need to see to Hinata's training, I will not allow a perverted old goat anywhere near her to undermine her progress."

"But him being around me is fine?" Asami isn't sure what to make of that.

"I live with Uzumakis. I know what you can handle and what you cannot. One pervert around you isn't something I'd worry about." I explain, smirking as I think about how deliciously evil she'd be towards him if he does something she doesn't like. "Now. Would you please tell me what the idiot said that has you so upset?"

"… Nothing." She looks away, pain in her eyes.

"I don't believe that." I say evenly. "He said something about me that has you like this. What?" She still won't answer. "So you were supposed to be his handler, but he'd bargained for me instead. Is that it?"

She blushes, still not looking to me.

"Idiot." Her head snaps to me, shocked and angry. "You don't put a love interest in such a position. He's trying to protect you. That Hokage-dono suggested it at all shows how little he understands of our team."

"…" That brings both of them up short.

"Sasuke doesn't like putting people in emotion situations. That's why he trusts Naruto and I. Not because we have his back, but because we trust him to handle what he sets out to do without question. You are the least emotionally driven Uzumaki I know, but you are still an Uzumaki. He knows this as well. So he fears you'd mess up the mission and summon him before he is ready, if you believe it'll save his life. He doesn't want to be coddled like that." And why do I have to explain this? It's so obvious!

Hokage-dono strokes his chin a few times, thinking about that. Asami's just blinking, trying to wrap her brain around it.

I reach into my drawer, taking out a box half the size of my fist. Uzumaki red wrapping, Uchiha fan. "He asked me to give this to you. Said he wanted to give you this himself, but..." I set the box on my desk, within her reach. "If there's nothing else?"

Hokage-dono shakes his head, murmuring, "No." I nod shooing them out of my office. I have a busy schedule after all.

"Aya… would it be already if I stay here? I… I'd like to help you if I can."

"Sasa-nee… guilt is the worst motivation. You know that." She blushes and looks away. I shake my head at her, amused. "Stay if you want. We have the space. I will warn you though… other than Yasu-nee, everyone in this house is training for the invasion. Don't think you'll be able to slack off and read your books while here."

8-8

"No, Minori, I don't care what Karin's been up to. So long as she stays out of my way, she's doing well enough." I grind out. That I even let the bimbo into my house isn't enough!? She tried to break my flute!

"Come on, Aya-chan! She said she was sorry!" I hear you, but that doesn't mean I'll listen. The fact remains, she tried to break my flute AFTER I warned her that I love my flute and didn't want her to do anything to it. And AFTER Naruto-nii told her point blank that even he'd get killed if something happened to said flute. Did she listen? No. So neither will I. End of story.

"We have another ten minutes to relax. Are you sure you want to rile me up when Mitarashi suggested that I go against your team to see how well I'd do against multiple opponents?" I remind her. "I mean, after all… I know what I can heal. So… would it really be a good idea to motivate me to see how much damage I can do so soon before a match?"

"Aya, you're not going to scare me into backing down. Karin's family. She deserves a chance to make this right." Minori points out, begging with her eyes.

"That's nice." I say, still not backing down. Hmm… now that I think about it. Shouldn't Hokage-dono know that Naruto-nii is aware that Sasuke's going to be away for a long time on a mission? I certainly didn't bring it up. Whatever.

"Aya-nee?" I turn, finding Haruki standing there, looking nervous and really, really, REALLY scared. But there's determination in his eyes as well. "Please?"

"Yeah, Aya-chan! If I didn't give Haku-nee a second chance, we'd never be able to get past what happened!" Ao-chan just has to put in his two cents. I roll my eyes.

Haku sits beside me, looking up at the clouds. She seems to have something on her mind as well. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what. "For the sake of the clans, Aya, you know you'll have to get past this someday." She says wistfully. "After all. It wouldn't do to allow something so unimportant to create a problem with your Naru-nii's clan… right?"

I want to argue against that. That we aren't a clan yet, that we might never be! But… I sigh. Haku has a point. This is Naruto-nii's clansman, regardless of her idiocy and obvious lack of self preservation.

"Whatever." I huff, crossing my arms and looking away from Haku.

"…" And looking right at Karin, it seems. Why didn't I sense her there? Crap, I let my guard down because I'm tired. Whatever. Just whatever.

"Hey." Karin tries, rubbing her right forearm nervously. "I, uh… just wanted to thank you. You know… taking care of me, not killing me and all that?"

I stare, unsure what to even make of her right now. I sigh again. "Look, whatever. Let's just do this thing."

"Umm… that's… kind of what I want to talk to you about…?" Karin manages.

"Out with it." I say, annoyed. The only shy Uzumaki I can stand is Haruki, because he's ACTAULLY like that.

"I was kinda, sorta wondering if you'd maybe consider possibly… teaching me?"

"No." I don't even think about it.

"Aya! You could at least hear her out!" Minori sounds peeved. I roll my eyes.

"I will not train someone that isn't loyal to Konoha. I will not train someone that isn't loyal to my pack. She has shown loyalty to neither. I am not training her." I spell it out.

"N-namiki-san, p-please… just h-hear me out." Karin stutters. I gaze at her, wondering what's has her like this. I give her the time she needs to calm down. "I'm willing to talk to my mother about moving here. Become a Konoha shinobi, rejoin the Uzumaki clan… but… I don't want to be a medical slave like my mother. I don't want people to try to use me like they've used her. I want… I want more than that."

I blink, unsure how to feel about that.

"So I'm asking you… Namiki Aya… to train me. To help me be more than just a medic."

"You do realise I'm a medic as well?" I point out, wondering what she's getting at.

"You might also be a medic… but I've seen how you are around here. I've listened to how the others talk about you, seen how you push yourself. You are… You're never going to allow someone to take advantage of your loved ones. No matter who, no matter the reason." She says, but I can tell admitting this is hurting her. Something about that is rubbing her the wrong way, but what? And why? "That's why… if you were to teach me… if you were to become my master… I wouldn't have to worry about people trying to use me ever again!"

She throws herself to the ground, at my feet. Begging, pleading, grovelling. I… I don't understand. "What are you talking about? I don't do 'master-servant'."

"Master and student, I mean." She says, probably tasting the grass.

"Minori, do you think Naruto-nii would allow someone to use Karin for her gifts?" I ask.

"No. He would never." Minori answers without batting an eyelash.

"Haku, would you ever allow someone to use Karin for her gifts?" I ask.

"No. Just like I wouldn't allow anyone to use Aomaru and myself for ours." Haku answers evenly.

"So you have your own clan, and the Yukis. Why do you need me?" I ask her. I need to understand this – I won't agree to anything otherwise.

"…" She sits up, brushing the grass off her face and out of her mouth. "Because you are what I wish to become. Master Aya, please! Teach me!" Someone wanting to be an (possibly unstable) psychopath? If I wasn't sure she's an Uzumaki before, I certainly am now.

8-8

End Chapter 45

8-8

A/N: Okay, Karin is WAY OoC here, I know that. But I can't really consider her any other way given what is known of her around this time. Canonically speaking, while living in Grass, her mother was only allowed to live there if she used her healing gifts to tend to their people, so Karin only ever knows what it's like to be used for your gifts. So if you confront her with someone like Aya that doesn't tolerate crap from anyone? She's bound to be a little starstruck.

As for the 'big reveal' on Sasuke liking Asami. I wonder how many people saw that coming. Not many I'll bet.