For a moment, Midori was tempted to just look for her brother before she did anything else. How was Sasuke doing? Was he still the same? She doubted it, especially after...
Gritting her teeth, she whipped around and hurried away. Thinking of her twin brother - just like thinking of her older brother - always brought bad memories. Actually meeting him, while she was still in this half-awed state at being back in Konoha, would just be a disaster. Besides, she had much more important things to do.
Not daring to glance back at the compound she was rapidly leaving behind, she searched for the Hokage's office.
Sasuke was training with his teammates, Naruto and Sakura, when he saw a girl approach him. She had pale blue hair and teal eyes. Sasuke searched his memory for her face, and found nothing. He decided that this girl was probably one of his more shy admirers from the Academy. Come to think of it, he thought he remember a teal-eyed girl who had gazed at him during class back then…
"What do you want?" he asked her curtly, expecting her to just act all shy and girly, and giggle and blush.
Instead, she said, quietly but clearly, "I bring a message. The Hokage wishes to see you immediately."
Sasuke blinked. Then he turned and called to Naruto and Sakura, "The Hokage needs to see me."
Leaving Naruto gaping at him in disbelief, Sasuke followed the girl.
She was extremely quiet on the way, always a little ahead, leading the way. He was comfortable in the silence. Being in the same team as loud-mouthed Naruto was bad enough, and he also had Sakura constantly fawning over him. It was a relief to be with someone who wasn't always chattering in his ear. She barely even made a noise as she walked.
It wasn't until she knocked on the door that the silence was broken.
"Come in."
The girl opened it and let Sasuke enter. The Third Hokage sat at his desk, sifting through some papers.
"Yes, the young Uchiha boy is here," he said. "But where is the other person you said you'd bring?"
"I shall go fetch her immediately, Hokage-sama." The girl bowed respectfully, and went out of the room.
In a minute, an onyx-eyed girl returned. It was Midori.
For a moment, Sasuke stared at her. She looked very familiar…
Then, suddenly, it hit him. He stepped back, shock clearly etched on his usually emotionless face.
The Third Hokage and Midori watched him. The Hokage's eyes glittered with amusement; Midori just had a faint smile.
"I suppose you are who your friend says," the Hokage said to Midori, studying the young girl. No signs of a transformation jutsu, and she did have the typical Uchiha traits. "But if you are really an Uchiha, I will need more than your brother's recognition."
"Of course." Midori's irises reddened, and three black comma shapes swirled into place.
"Ah, the famed Sharingan." The Hokage leaned back in his chair. "Yes. This should be enough to persuade anyone that you are indeed Midori Uchiha."
"M-Midori?" Sasuke stammered. "But… I saw you dead, on… on that night."
Midori knew that he was referring to the night of the Uchiha massacre. "It must have been a Genjutsu," she said gently, trying not to upset her brother.
The Hokage watched, a smile coming to his face. "You two can leave. I will make arrangements for you, Midori, to become a Genin, and put you in a squad."
Midori nodded gratefully, and led Sasuke out. When she turned to ask the Hokage something, he interrupted, "Don't worry. I'll try to put you and your brother together."
Midori gave him another grateful nod, and left after Sasuke.
The Hokage smiled, although the cheerful expression faded as he began work on some papers. This whole business about a supposedly dead Uchiha turning up out of nowhere, he knew, would need a painful amount of paperwork to be done.