Uzumaki Nari

The Gathering of Genin

Nari looked down at the ground as the others stared at her in shock. She had just delivered the news and she dreaded all the questions that were going to follow. She knew they would come, she expected it. What she dreaded even more was the discovery of her 'condition'. She didn't want to be some circus freak. Something changed her, some creature in her mind changed her, and she had no choice but to deal with the consequences.

Silence was all around. She wondered if they dropped dead. Looking up she discovered the opposite. They were shocked into silence. Then noise broke out.

'What happened?'

'Are you alright?'

'How did you come back?'

'What was it like?'

'You poor thing, it must have been horrible.'

She flinched at the suddenness. Her bravado evaporated and she clung to Naruto, unsure. Looking between her brother and the others, she was considering on what action she best perform. Should she hide away to avoid questions like this? What would Naruto do? Naruto would stand and face them, braving it out against them. But for seven long years she's not faced the world of reality. Her world only existed of solid darkness with something waiting within. It was due to the voice of her brother over the years that kept her sane and not cringing in fear of what lurked within.

Pathetic. The same disembodied voice from before spoke. How disgusting they are. Such false emotions, they don't really care you've been in a coma for seven years. Appearing on their good side isn't going to change their opinions of you. They won't accept you. You're nothing but a monster to them.

But they don't know about… she began.

Of course they know! It interrupted sadistically. They just don't want to let you know that they know. They're disgusted. Can't you tell? You're too different for them, so they'll be cruel, mislead you and befriend you, only to stab you in the back. Don't trust them. Don't let them close. They only want to see you dead.

The voice was like the voice of doubt. Doubt immediately built up within her. Anger, hatred, fear and sadistic numbness towards their false care churned within her. The voice was slowly changing her and slowly sadistic glee took route. Clenching her fists, she stared at them with rage burning in her eyes. An itch began within her. An itch to rip them apart, to feel their blood flowing freely through her fingers, to tear flesh from their bodies as they screamed coursed through her body. In the back of her mind, a small voice cried strongly through the haze of the insanity, shocking her back to reality.

She stepped back when she stared at them in horror. Their eyes were wide and fearful. They must have seen what she felt in her eyes. She could see it in theirs. Fear for herself, for everyone else, made her take another step back.

Don't be stupid! The voice snapped. Follow the instincts within you. Follow it! They want to kill you!

No. she whispered. No! I won't do that. It's not me!

It is you. We're no different, Nari. You and I are the same. Why else am I a part of you? I am nothing else but you.

You're not me. I don't do this. I don't… I've never felt like this. Just leave me alone. I don't want this. I never wanted this!

You're foolish child. Don't let down your guard around them. They'll kill you!

No. Just leave me alone!

Do not blame me if you find yourself facing death. Remember it is I who warned you of them.

Just as quickly as the voice appeared, it silenced. Nari was relieved to hear it go but she knew it would never truly be gone. For as long as she lived, she knew it would always remain within her. Like a second voice, her subconscious, it would always be there, silently watching until further needed. For the second time she debated with herself for the truth. Was the voice right or was it trying to mislead her into a false sense of security?

A gentle hand on her arm brought her back to the present. Naruto looked at her worriedly.

'Are you alright?'

She nodded uncertainly. 'I'm feeling a little tired,' she replied. But she knew she lied. She could see that Naruto knew that too, but the others didn't know.

He nodded in understanding. He turned to his friends and apologised to them. She looked at them all, carefully looked at them. They didn't seem dangerous but in the end neither did she and she felt such killing urges she wasn't sure if she had truly come back from the coma.

Sighing in relief, she felt eyes watching her. She turned and spotted a team that didn't look like they belonged there in the village. A blonde female with hair tied into four pigtails. A male in all black with purple makeup in weird lines. Another male with red hair and eyes rimmed with black. It was the red haired male, the smallest out of the three that looked the more menacing. His eyes seemed to tell that he knew something about her. Something he alone could guess.

Did he know about the voice in her mind? It couldn't be. She was the only one able to hear the voice in her mind. Surely he couldn't read it. If it wasn't that, then what was it that made him seem so confident enough to think that he knew something about her, or that he understands? But she could feel it. It was coming off from him in pulsing waves. The evil aura that scared her.

'Time to take you home, Nari.'

She nodded at her brother and allowed him to steer her away. She heard the others say goodbye from behind. She didn't respond. She didn't know why she didn't. She guessed she just didn't want to acknowledge their friendly goodbyes.

Gathering of Genin, after Naruto and Nari left

'Well that was a little weird,' Kiba announced. 'Was that girl really Naruto's twin sister?'

'Was she really in a seven hear coma?' Ino commented as she placed her hands on her hips. She then crossed her arms over her chest. 'Something's definitely fishy about her if you ask me.'

'Well no one asked you,' Sakura told her.

'What was that, Sakura?' Ino said angrily.

'That's enough, all of you,' Kakashi said, steering them all together. 'To clear off your doubts, I can vouch for Nari. She's been in a seven year coma and Hokage-sama has been keeping an eye on her progress ever since. Now that's enough. If you want more information you'll have to ask her yourselves.'

'Kakashi-sensei, she didn't look like she wanted to share anything with us.' Sakura said to him.

'It's not surprising.' They all looked at him with angry like expressions. 'All she's known was Naruto. She didn't know any of you when she was five years old. Seven years later she suddenly meets a whole bunch of people. If I was in her shoes I wouldn't trust any of you either.'

'It's going to take a lot for her to come around to trusting us,' Tenten announced from where she stood beside Neji. 'What do you suppose, Kakashi-sensei?'

He shrugged his shoulders. 'Be much nicer to Naruto is all I can suggest.'

'That baka?' Kiba asked with a raised eyebrow. 'I don't know how she could be so defensive over him. He's so stupid.'

'She's his sister. Of course she'll defend him.' Shino told Kiba.

'Now what do we do?' Ino asked aloud.

'We go back to the reason why we're here.' Kakashi blurted with a smile hidden by his mask.