Hiruzen didn't believe a word Neji and Sasuke had said. He just didn't think it was possible but he would have to get someone to check it out anyway. "So, both of you were using your Kekkei Genkai and you could not see who Naruko was talking to but you saw the flowers being placed on her head by no one?" Hiruzen asked for clarification.
"Yes, Lord Third, the ring of flowers floated up from the ground and placed themselves on Naruko's head." Neji said.
"Bring Naruko to me. I will chat with her." Hiruzen said. The two boys left after that.
Naruko was eating some ramen with her uncle when Sasuke and a long haired boy approached her. "The Third Hokage calls for an audience with you." The long haired boy said.
"What ever for?" Naruko asked, placing her bowl of ramen on the table and turning to face the two boys. She looked pointedly at Sasuke and he broke out in a sweat. She had to work hard to conceal her laughter.
"Confidential." The long haired boy said.
"I see." Naruko said. She got up to follow the boys. Sora and Toru trailed behind them, wanting to know what this was about.
At Hokage Tower, Naruko stood in front of the Hokage. Her uncle stood behind her and the two boys who had brought her here stood on either side of her. Sora walked around behind the Hokage and looked over his shoulder at the papers on the table reading away.
"Both Sasuke and Neji tell me that you, Naruko, have a type of imaginary friend that... is not so imaginary. Apparently Sasuke was physically up by this imaginary friend of yours and later he and Neji both saw this friend put a ring of flowers upon your head." Hiruzen said. Naruko tried her best to hold in her laughter as Sora danced around the Hokage and pulled faces at him.
"Do you care to share what is so funny?" Hiruzen asked, seeing that the child was laughing and focusing on some point over his shoulder.
"Go on, tell them. Just give a nod and I will show them that I am real." Sora said, lying down on top of the Hokage's desk.
"Well, first of all, my 'imaginary friend' is not imaginary. He is dead." Naruko said. Everyone in the room looked confused so she nodded at Sora and he took the Hokage's hat off his head and put it on. Then he picked up some of the papers from the Hokage's desk and started sorting through it while humming a tune. Everyone in the room besides Naruko stared at the floating hat and papers.
"His name is Sora and he is my best friend." Naruko said, grinning widely.
When Hiruzen had managed to pick his chin up off the floor her looked at the girl. "How can you see him and we can't?"
"Oh, because none of you are me." Naruko said.
Remembering what happened at the Chunin Exams, Sasuke asked, "Is this how you got the paper bombs on the inside of the box you trapped me in?"
"Yes." Naruko said, smiling.
Sasuke then turned to the Hokage, "You aren't allowed to have any outside help. She shouldn't be a Chunin." Sasuke said, pointing at Naruko.
"Hold it right there! You were using your Kekkei Genkai during our match so I see no reason why I can't use mine." Naruko said, crossing her arms.
"Wait, the Uzumaki clan has a Kekkei Genkai?" Toru said, finally speaking up.
"Of course we do. But only some of us have it. To get mine to work I had to be bashed up by a group of Konoha Chunin first." Naruko said. "It was brutal but then Sora healed me and I was fine." Naruko smiled at her friend as he placed the red hat back on the Hokage who almost choked.
"Ok, so your Kekkei Genkai allows you to communicate with dead people?" Neji asked.
"The correct term would be spirits." She corrected the long haired boy. "But yes, I communicate with them. They do what I tell them because I am a Spirit Lord and they have to obey me." Naruko said as Sora threw his arm around her shoulders.
"Say it, go on. Please?" Sora begged.
"Fine. Naruko and Sora! The Spirit Lord and her dead best friend." Naruko said.
"Thank you." Sora said, hugging Naruko.
"So the spirits obey you because they have to?" Toru asked.
"Well, yes, but they do it willingly anyway because they can't speak to anyone but me so they are thankful that someone notices their existence." Naruko said.
"So they can't even see each other?" Neji asked.
"They see each other but only as little semi-transparent white orbs that float around everywhere. That is how I see them unless they choose to take their human form. The orbs are absolutely everywhere. But they cannot communicate with each other and so they are all very lonely." Naruko smiled as she looked at the orbs circling the room in an unorganised but elegant way.
Hiruzen thought for a second. "Have you spoken to your parents yet?" He asked quietly.
Naruko's smile faded and she looked down at her feet. "No. I can't find them and Sora can't find them for me." She answered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Hiruzen shut his eyes and leant back in his chair. It upset him greatly to hear that Naruko had the ability to see spirits and yet she couldn't see her parents. Hiruzen opened his eyes and looked again at the girl and the other three ninja in the room. "First of all, Naruko you may keep your title as an Iwagakure Chunin because it was a Kekkei Genkai that ensured your win. Second, nothing that has been said in here today will leave this room. If I find out that you have spoken about any of this to anyone you will be stripped of your title as a ninja. Of course, Naruko, with the Kekkei Genkai being yours, you may tell who you like but be wise with your decision."
"Oh, don't sweat it, I won't tell anyone unless Sora gives the ok." Naruko said, giving the Hokage a thumbs-up.
"Are you sure that this Sora can be trusted?" Neji asked.
Naruko gasped and covered Sora's ears. "Hey, I know that Sora can be trusted. He hasn't done anything wrong. Sora, you don't listen to him." Naruko said, removing her hands from Sora's ears and then shooting daggers at Neji with her eyes. Neji took a step back, scared. When the Hokage gave the word, they left his office. When the hallway was empty save for the four Shinobi and Sora, Naruko turned to face them.
"If either of you two Konoha ninja open your mouths about what just went down, I will be the first to know. And if I know, you better say your prayers." Naruko said to Neji and Sasuke before grabbing both Sora and her uncle by their wrists and pulling them along the hallway and out of the tower. She let go of their wrists and picked up her pace. Neither Toru nor Sora had any trouble catching up with her.
"Please tell me everything that happened in there was a joke." Toru said. Sora answered Toru's question by jabbing him in the side. "Ok, not a joke."
"Mhm." Naruko agreed.
Thanks to all who have read and reviewed:D