Uzumaki Twins

Chapter 1

~ Chika's pov ~

I was up the same moment the first fingers of dawn stroked the skies. Although my room faces west, I could feel the climbing dawn through my being. I climbed out of bed and into the bathroom that sits between my brother's and my bedroom. I relieved myself, scrubbed my body down, washed my face, brushed my teeth and brushed through my hair. I used the mirror to tie my long red hair up into a high ponytail. Knowing I had time to spare before my brother woke up, I got dressed. I bandaged my chest tight, pulled on an orange belly top with the shoulder straps going over my biceps, orange short shorts, netting on my left leg to my ankle, the shuriken holster on my right thigh and put some fingerless netting gloves on my hands. To top it off I placed my leaf village headband around my neck.

I checked myself in the mirror and saw my red eyes staring back at me. Seeing that I was ready as I'll ever be for what the day was going to dish out to me, I walked out the bathroom and into my brother's room. Despite how messy and uncoordinated my brother can be, his room was actually clean, minus the clothes he had thrown over the floor from yesterday. Juuku poked her wolf head around the door and whined before padding into the room, her claws clipping on the floor. I looked to her, stroked her head and went over to my brother's bed. Lying at the end of the bed was an orange fox. His thick bushy tail was curled around him and sensing my presence, he opened his red eyes and looked at me.

'Wake up, Naruto,' I said sternly, using some chakra to make my voice reach him through his dream.

He bolted upright, nearly knocking the fox off the bed and looked at me. He blinked his blue eyes at me, yawned and stretched. Knowing he wasn't going to doze off any time soon I walked out the room with wolf and fox following. In the kitchen I set up their dinner and placed it down in front of them. They both liked raw venison. I then prepared my brother's and my breakfast. I toasted and buttered two slices of bread each, poured a glass of milk for him and apple for me and set them down on the table. He walked in a moment later, still in his pyjamas, a white t-shirt and blue shorts. He sat down and ate his toast and drank his milk, switching between them.

'You have five minutes, Naruto.'

'Why couldn't you have let me slept in?' he complained around his toast.

'Yeah, why couldn't you let us sleep in?' the fox echoed, looking up at me with his red eyes.

'Oh hush up you lazy fox. I'm blaming you for Naruto's laziness.'

Juuku snickered and received a glare of hostility from the fox.

'Foxes are easy going. We wake when we feel like it, not when we're told,' the fox continued.

'Kurama, shut up. Every morning you're getting on my nerves.'

His tail, combined of his nine, swished with annoyance. 'That makes two of us.'

'Three minutes, Naruto.' I smirked when he shoved the rest of his food and drink down his mouth and rushed into the bathroom.

He broke a new record when he appeared two minutes later, fully dressed and washed. I stacked the cleanly washed pots on the draining board and walked towards the door. Putting on our shoes, I grabbed our keys, threw his to him and walked out, locking the door after the wolf and fox. Naruto tightened his headband and made a few warm up stretches. Kurama stood at his side patiently, just like Juuku waited at mine. Together we ran across the expanse of walkway and jumped over the rail, joined by our demons. The people quickly got out of our way as we made our way down the streets. Noticing that our demons were with us, they avoided us all the more and whispered behind our backs. I didn't care, on-the-other-hand, my brother did. Sadness streaked through his eyes briefly.

We got to the rendezvous point with minutes to spare. Sakura Haruno was already waiting there with Sasuke Uchiha.

So here's our team relationship.

I hate Sakura, I'm friends with Sasuke and Naruto's my brother.

Sakura hates Naruto, she wants to be my friend, and she loves Sasuke.

Sasuke ignores Sakura ninety percent of the time, hates Naruto but is his inner friend and rival and is my friend.

Naruto loves Sakura, he's my brother and he hates Sasuke, but is his inner friend and rival.

There's a reason why there are five of us to the team, if you include Kakashi-sensei. My brother and I are twins and two halves make a whole. And the fact there isn't two others to make up another team. So those are the two reasons why I've been placed on this team. Speaking of Kakashi-sensei that guy is always late no matter what time he arranges for us to meet him. He really should work on it and I've said as much to him as well. Not like he'll take notice of what I say to him anyway. He's an adult and I'm a twelve year old kunoichi.

'It looks like everyone's here,' Kakashi said appearing in a puff of smoke.

'You're late!' Naruto and Sakura yell annoyed at the twenty minute wait we had to endure.

'What mission do we have today, sensei?' I ask leaning against the bridge railing beside Sasuke.

'We need to deliver a message to the Hidden Sand Village.'

'That's a three day journey,' Sakura stated matter-of-factly.

I rolled my eyes and said nothing. I'm sure the whole team knows that by now. Naruto may not be smart with paperwork, but he is smart on the battlefield. I have advantage with both. When I have a brother that is more physical than mental, it kind of gives you a challenge and that's why I am good in both areas. I try to help Naruto with paperwork, but paperwork and Naruto are just not compatible. For Sakura it's the opposite. She totally sucks on the physical side of things, but paperwork and using her brain she's definitely comes out on top. Sasuke, well he's an Uchiha, so he's bound to be good at anything. It's not one of the reasons I'm friends with him. I like his rivalry; it helps me get stronger, just like it does with Naruto.

'What else does our mission entail?' I ask.

I'm definitely not one to miss out any detail in relation to a mission. Also I can hear when something is being withheld. That is why Kakashi-sensei has been trying to work on me going into the Anbu Black Ops, but so far he's failed. I won't leave my brother, no matter how much stronger I'll get faster than him. He can give me different kinds of training all he wants, I'm not going to leave this group just so I can become an Anbu Black Ops when I'm not even a chunin yet. I'll follow the plan just like I'm meant to, not skip levels just because I show a little more promise than the rest of the team.

'We're to remain there until we receive a reply, but other than just delivering the message and picking up the reply, that's it.' Kakashi-sensei shrugged. 'A simple C ranked mission.'

'Our lodgings?'

Kakashi-sensei looked at me with surprise in his eyes. 'You ask an awful lot of questions, Kuro.'

I shrugged. 'I prefer to be thorough.'

He sighed. 'That's why I tried to get you in there but you wouldn't let me.'

'Don't start that with me. When are we leaving?'

'Tomorrow morning, so get packed and just enjoy the rest of the day.'

We dispersed. Sakura wondered off with Sasuke and Naruto with me. Kurama and Juuku followed after us, keeping pace at our sides. It's strange really, many people think that they're both dogs and yet their features are totally contrasting. Kurama looks like a sly fox, probably always seeing destruction around him because he's imprisoned inside of Naruto and Juuku, well let's not get started about her. She's completely impossible most of the time, but she's loyal to her pack and won't stray. She's great for company and for warmth when the night is cold. Which I have no doubt will be for the Sand Village.

'Can we get ramen?' Naruto asks hopefully.

'Jeez, Naruto it's only noon.'

'But I'm hungry,' he said sniffling.

Then his stomach growled like a hungry bear, to emphasise his point, and I gave.

'Come on then.'

'Yippee,' he jumped for joy and ran towards Ichiraku Ramen.

I sighed as I pushed the cloth out of the way and sat down beside him. I ordered a bowl and another two for the demons. I placed their bowls on the ground and they were slurping it up like it was a rare treat. What will be rare for them is the venison they won't get in the Sand Village. Naruto finished before I even got to half a bowl and he ordered another and another. Beside him sat four bowls when I had finished and he patted his stomach and released a sigh of fullness. Knowing him he could fit another four bowls in his stomach before he's half content. I paid the amount and took off, leaving Naruto to kick his feet high in the air behind me. Kurama stuck by my side, embarrassed by his pig vessel. Juuku, as naughty and evil as she is, was skipping around Kurama laughing at him. A few times he lashed out, snapping at catching the air just before her neck. She always moved at the last moment but kept taunting him.

'Knock it off Juuku.'

She whined and fell in step beside me, opposite Kurama. Rethinking back reminded me that sensei had avoided my question. He never did tell us where we were staying. Well maybe that's because I might groan and complain, which will be troublesome for him no doubt. Now I'm beginning to sound like Shikamaru, the guy who finds a lot of things troublesome, especially when my brother's involved. We got home around two and begun packing. I ran through a list in which we both packed at the same time. I made sure that our bags were light enough but carried essential equipment we definitely may need. With that done, the sun had begun to sink in the west, leaving fingers of sunset to filter away before allowing the twilight to take place.

'Naruto, remember to go to bed early, we need to get up to meet them at the appointed time.'

'I remember,' he said with a grin. A mission is all Naruto ever wants and something to keep him occupied and to help him grow stronger at the same time.

Naruto went to sleep around ten, but my mind was too plagued for me to sleep. I kept tossing and turning for an hour and finally gave up. I got dressed in a black jogging outfit and slipped out into the night. Juuku joined me, keeping pace as I raced with no hesitation in using my full speed. As I reached the edge of the village I slowed down. Juuku, who can run much further and faster, wasn't even out of breath but she was alert. The forest between the Leaf and the Sand Villages loomed up before us. Shadows loomed between the trees, inviting invaders, intruders or low life criminals to hide and prepare an ambush or an assault. But night sides filled the air taking away the eeriness that would come with such actions. Pivoting around, Juuku and I raced back towards our home, challenging each other who can reach the place first.

Juuku beat me easily, by ten minutes. Her tail was wagging when she saw me jump up onto our floor. She raced around me and then sat on her hunches as she waited for me to open the door and raced into the two bedroom apartment. I washed myself before I got into a nightdress and crawled up under my covers. Juuku jumped on the bed and curled up beside me. Her warmth went through the sheet and swept through me. It was a gentle heat that managed to drift me into sleep.