Chapter 4: Loss

Soaked in sweat, Kitsune was awakened by the morning light shinning in through her open window. Kitsune sat up, though she had slept a long time she was completely exhausted. She slowly put on her clothes then dragged herself out of her room. Kanji was awake sipping sake and reading some XXX rated book called the Make Out Series. Sasuke was putting on his shoes.

"Hey sis." Kanji said raising his glass to her. Kitsune grumbled something under her breath that might have been, "Hug me and I'll give you a slow death" or maybe it was, "I hate turtles." There really was no way of knowing. Kitsune opened the fridge and pulled out a mug of some dark liquid. She downed it in one swig. In seconds she seemed more awake.

"What was that?" Sasuke asked. Kitsune turned to him her eyes dark and serious.

"If I told you I'd have to kill you." Sasuke gave a nervous laugh.

"Right." He said standing up. "Let's go." Outside the world was awake and children were racing around some were on their way to the academy while most were just playing at being ninja and Anbu Black Ops. Kitsune shuddered as a child wearing a blue and white monkey mask raced by her.

"You okay?" Sasuke asked. Without meeting his eyes Kitsune nodded.

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"I just had a bad dream last night." Sasuke was quiet for a moment.

"A bad dream or a nightmare?" Kitsune didn't answer him. The previous night Sasuke had been awakened by Kitsune screaming something that sounded like "Momma!" He sat up alert then he saw Kanji at his bedroom door.

"Don't worry about Kitsune." He said. "She's just dreaming about when our parents died." Sasuke now watched Kitsune's face.

"Kitsune," he asked. "how did your parents die?" Her expression immediately became blank. The blankness was Kitsune's way of protecting herself.

"They were murdered." Kitsune said the words like she was reading them off a script. This surprised Sasuke, he had thought they died in some sort of accident.

"Who murdered them?"

"He's dead now."

"But who did it?"

"I don't remember, I was there but I was only three." Kitsune said passively.

"You were there?" Sasuke was shocked. If Kitsune had seen her parents' murdered it was no wonder her emotions were so dormant.

"Yes." Kitsune said simply. "My mother died protecting me. She took several throwing stars in the back so I would live. I do remember that I plucked the stars out of her back and threw them at her killer but it was useless, she died. Kanji took me away from there and for a while we lived in the woods. Kanji said the murderer was trying to kill my father, your uncle, because he one was the three most powerful leaders in our village. But also according to Kanji if we were still in our village and I was ten by our law we would be the leaders, together we would be the Nikage." By this time they had reached their class and had taken their seats. Sasuke had just started a brain puzzle when he looked over his shoulder.

"That Naruto boy is watching you." He said. Kitsune turned to see. Sure enough the blonde haired blue-eyed boy, Naruto Uzumaki, was watching Kitsune.

"So he is. I wonder why." Sasuke smiled.

"Maybe he likes you." Kitsune punched Sasuke in the shoulder.

"I don't care if you're my cousin you still sound like Kanji when you talk crazy like that." Sasuke rubbed his arm.

"Yeah, but you know, I think I heard somewhere that Naruto sucks at memorizing all this stuff." Sasuke gestured at the black board filled with difficult equations for ninjutsu. "Maybe he knows you're smart and wants your help to study for the next test but doesn't know how to ask." Kitsune shrugged.

"Maybe." She said.

"I think you should ask if he wants your help." Kitsune looked surprised.

"You really think he wants my help?"

"It couldn't hurt to ask."

"Fine." Kitsune said sitting back. "I'll ask him after class is over. If he says yes I'll invite him over, I'll meet you at home."

"Sounds like a plan." Sasuke said smiling. "You know Kitsune you're less like a cousin to me and more like a sister. The little sister I never had."

"And the one you never will." Kitsune muttered. Sasuke looked confused.

"What?" he asked. Suddenly the door burst open, a sensei racing in.

"Sasuke? Is Sasuke here?" Sasuke stood.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I need you to come with me, it's your clan." Sasuke's eyes widened with fear as he ran to the sensei. He turned for a minute to see Kitsune watching him with somber eyes, eyes that held a secret, eyes that held the truth. Kitsune sighed looking down.

"Everything's happening so fast. But why them?" When class was over Kitsune and Naruto stayed behind. Kitsune walked over to the bulletin board and acted like she was interested in it. Naruto came up behind her.

"Hey, Kitsune right?" Naruto asked. Kitsune turned.

"Yes." She said. Naruto shifted awkwardly.

"Um, are you…?"

"Am I what?" Kitsune asked perplexed.

"Are you… and Sasuke…?" Naruto drilled his eyes into the ground.

"Am I and Sasuke what?" Kitsune placed her hands on her hips, annoyed.

"Are you… and Sasuke…close?"

"Yeah, we're cousins."

"What?"

"We're cousins."

"That is so wrong!" Naruto shuddered. Kitsune tilted her head in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"You and Sasuke are cousins and you're together and you're together!" he shrieked.

"Were you thrown across the room as a small child?" Kitsune asked. Naruto didn't seem to hear her instead he just put his head down and stalked out of the classroom. Kitsune rolled her eyes. Sighing she walked out of the class and back to her house. When she opened the door Kanji lobbed some goo at her. Kitsune ducked but it still landed square on her head. The green mush dripped into Kitsune's eyes.

"Kanji!" Kitsune screamed. Kanji chugged down his sake and laughed crazily. "Drunk. What was your life like for you before you discovered alcohol?" Kitsune muttered as she entered her room and flopped on her bed. After a few minutes Kanji opened his sister's door and leaned against the frame.

"Hey, where's Sasuke? I thought you two said you were coming back here later for dinner." Kanji's eyes were worried as he looked at his sister.

"Sasuke was called out of class, it was about his family. Did he really have to do it today?" Kitsune rolled over to look at her brother, eyes pleading.

"You know that I don't call the shots. The order came from the higher ups." Kitsune sat up her eyes filled with rage.

"I know that there was some strange things going on with Sasuke's family but they are our family too. I know that there must have been some innocent people there." Kanji didn't meet his sister's eyes. Kitsune growled in frustration. "Ah, come on Kanji! They're our family. At least give them the benefit of the doubt."

"What does it matter, there are only two Uchihas left, Sasuke and his brother."

"You suck." Kitsune said as she fell face first onto her pillow.

"I don't want to hear that kind of langue from you, young lady." Kanji lectured. Kitsune muttered something into her pillow that would not look very nice in print if someone took the time to translate it. Kanji sighed and left his sister's room, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

When it became dark Kitsune got up and grabbed her violin and went out to the back porch. She sat down with her back against the wall but couldn't make herself begin to play any tune. She closed her eyes and let her mind drift. She was awakened from her doze by the sound of the front door opening. Kitsune sat up. No one should be entering the house at that hour. She was about to stand when a familiar black haired head poked out around the corner.

"Sasuke?" Kitsune asked, surprised.

"Hey Kitsune." Sasuke's eyes were red like he had been crying.

"What's wrong?" Kitsune asked though she already knew the answer.

"They're dead. They're all dead, every single one. Kitsune, my family is dead." Sasuke dropped to his knees as small sobs shook his body. Kitsune set down her violin and pulled her cousin into her arms and began to rock him like he was a baby.

"It's okay. You've still got me and Kanji." Sasuke wept into Kitsune's shoulder.

"They're dead, my mother, my father, everyone. All gone." An idea came to Kitsune then as she rocked her cousin in her arms.

"Would you like to stay here?" she asked. Sasuke looked up.

"What?"

"Well I don't think you'll want to go back to your house after this so it would seem smarter if you moved in here. At least for awhile, you'll be welcome as long as you wish to stay." Sasuke sniffed his black eyes having a glint of hope now.

"Thanks Kitsune." Kitsune stroked Sasuke's hair.

"Come on Sasuke, let's get your room ready." Kitsune got up and showed Sasuke to an empty room furnished only with a bed. "This is all we have on short notice, but it will have to do." Sasuke gave a small smile to his cousin.

"Thank you." He said as he crawled into his bed.

Sasuke crept into Kitsune's room and pulled out his knife. He quietly sat on top of his cousin and put the knife to her throat. Kitsune's eyes snapped open but before she could scream Sasuke covered her mouth.

"Quiet. I just want to ask you a question. Did you know this was going to happen?" Her eyes wide, Kitsune nodded slowly. Sasuke looked hurt. "You knew and yet you didn't find a way to stop it?" Sasuke slowly uncovered Kitsune's mouth.

"I couldn't. It wasn't in my power."

"She was pregnant you know." Sasuke said looking down.

"Who?" Kitsune looked confused.

"My mother. You were right, it was a girl as far as they could tell. How did you know?"

"I didn't."

"Yeah right." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Don't play dumb."

"Look Sasuke, sometimes I just know things. I can't help it. Sometimes I just say things that happen to be true." Sasuke's eyes were skeptical but he saw the truth in his cousin's steady blue gaze. Kitsune gave a sigh of relief when Sasuke got off of her.

"Thank you." She said sitting up. Kitsune looked out the window. "Now if you will please leave, I need to get ready for school. I think you could use a day off though. Use the time to get acquainted with your new home." Kitsune flashed her cousin a smile as he walked out of Kitsune's room and into his own where he fell onto his bed, asleep.

Sakura watch Kitsune from across the room. Kitsune was sitting alone. Sakura walked over to her.

"Hey, Kitsune, where's Sasuke?" Sakura asked. Kitsune looked up.

"At home." Sakura was silent a moment then she shifted awkwardly.

"That makes sense. If you see him tell him I hope he will feel up to coming to school soon." Sakura turned and Kitsune felt the niggling nudge of a missed opportunity. Kitsune turned to watch Sakura and caught Naruto's eyes instead. His blue peepers drilled into Kitsune. She dropped her eyes first. When class was over Kitsune made a B-line over to Naruto.

"Hey," Kitsune said suddenly. "Do you want to come over to my house so I can help you study for the next test?" Naruto blushed slightly.

"Wha-what?"

"Will. You. Come. Over. To. My. House. So. I. Can. Help. You. Study. Geez are you stupid or just slow?" Naruto didn't seem to hear Kitsune's cruel comment.

"S-sure. I'd love to."

"Well come on then." Kitsune said as she grabbed Naruto's hand and left the classroom. Kitsune guided Naruto to her house. She opened the door and ducked as her brother threw some crackers at her. They did however hit Naruto square in the face. Sasuke, who was sitting next to Kanji, looked up his face hostile when he saw Naruto.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke demanded just as Kanji asked, "Kitsune, who's that?"

"This is Naruto. I'm going to be tutoring him for a while." Sasuke widened his eyes clearly surprised. Kanji must not have been very drunk yet because he said, "Okay but do it out here." Kitsune rolled her eyes.

"Right." Kitsune said as she reached into the bookshelf and pulled out three books on ninjutsu. Naruto's eyes widened at Kitsune's selection.

"Ninjutsu for Dummies, Ninjutsu 1, 2, 3, and Practical Ninjutsu: The Easy Way for People Who Can't Do It Any Other Way. Where did you get these?" Kitsune shrugged.

"That's not really important. Now, read." Kitsune dropped the books into Naruto's lap and started toward her family.

"What? That's it? That's how you teach?" Kitsune's eyes were slightly colder than they had been a moment before.

"No, I'm going to have a word with my cousin, now read." Kitsune turned away from Naruto and stood over Sasuke.

"What's your problem?" Kitsune asked when she was out of Naruto's earshot. Sasuke wouldn't meet Kitsune's eyes.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Why do you have such attitude? I thought you wanted me to help Naruto."

"I do. I just didn't think you would help him when I'm here." Sasuke said.

"Oh, that makes so much sense." Kitsune rolled her eyes to the ceiling.

"Kitsune! What's a sorabora? Is that disease?" Naruto yelled. Kitsune sighed.

"I'm coming. I think it's a special type of jutsu that doesn't exist anymore." Kitsune said as she walked back to her student.