Heyy sorry for the LATE update! I hope a longer chapter makes up for it Enjoy (:

Chapter 3: The Uchiha Brothers

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX

"So what's today's mission?" Naruto asked.

It was a Saturday morning, Naruto and I just woke up from our bed in a tree I we lived in ever since we had left the orphanage. It was a little shabby, but at least there was something to shelter us, and somewhere we could call 'home'.

Our tree was located at training ground 37, a training ground that no one seemed to use. But during the occasional times that ninjas came, they left us alone. After all, it was generally only the civilian population that did mean stuff to us. Ninjas were smarter.

So for everyday for the past six years, I gave us 'missions' to pass time. Missions like 'steal food', 'steal clothes', 'watch the ninja and learn', or 'prank that guy who tried to beat us up yesterday'.

"Today's mission? Hmm..." I thought for awhile, "How about we finish the tree climbing exercise?"

"Whyyyyy... can't we do something fuuuunnn?" Naruto whined.

"No." I said sternly. "We're going to the academy soon. Do you want to be left behind?"

"No! I'm going to be the best ninja ever!" he exclaimed.

"Then let's get started!" I said cheerfully, before slinging my arm around his shoulders.

We each walked to a tree. Holding a wooden kunai each, we ran at it.

Chakra manipulation wasn't as difficult as I thought. As I did not have chakra in my previous life, I was more aware of this energy flowing through my body. It wasn't foreign to my body, but it was foreign to me. However, chakra didn't feel uncomfortable at all. The very opposite in fact. Chakra was useful when it isn't used for fighting too. Learning to warm my body with it like being able to channel it to enhance certain areas of my body definitely helped.

Of course, teaching it to Naruto was a chore as to him, chakra felt perfectly natural and his mind had passed it on as something that was meant to be there. It was difficult to teach him to be aware of it and control it consciously.

"Why can't I do it!" Naruto growled, frustrated.

I sighed, jumping down from the top of the tree that I managed to finish climbing.

"You need to calm down." I told him.

He took a deep breath and tried again.

I watched in anticipation as his feet stuck to the tree trunk, and he started running up. But after twelve steps, his feet sunk into the trunk, causing splinters, and he had to flip and land back on the ground.

"Argh! How do I do this?" He cried out.

"Feel your chakra, concentrate on it being at your feet. Too much and the tree will break, too little and you'll fall. Don't be complacent just because you managed a few steps and lose focus." a voice said.

Naruto and I turned around to see an ANBU with a dog mask and spiky silver hair standing behind us, watching.

Naruto closed his eyes and breathed deeply again, before standing there for a few seconds. His eyes snapped open, filled with determination as he once again ran at the tree.

"Yea you did it!" I cheered when he reached the top. Naruto grinned, giving me a victory sign as he flipped back to the ground.

The 'mystery' ANBU chuckled as he started walking towards us.

"Thank you ANBU-san! I was able to complete this stupid exercise due to your advice!" Naruto said.

"It was nothing." he said.

"Do you need something?" I asked. After all, there had to be a reason someone would check on us after all these years of leaving us alone.

"The Hokage requests to see the both of you regarding your attendance at the academy." Kakashi said.

"The academy? Finally! I'm going to be a ninja!" Naruto declared.

I rolled my eyes, laughing at his antics. "Let's go then." I said.

The three of us started walking in the general direction of the Hokage tower, through the town.

By now, Naruto and I were almost immune to the glares of the villagers, but Kakashi was obviously not. I could feel the killer intent he directed to anybody who whispered behind our backs or sent glares our way.

When we passed by a certain ramen store, I heard a loud growl from Naruto's stomach. Laughing sheepishly, he scratched his head and looked down.

"ANBU-san, we haven't eaten breakfast yet and it's almost lunchtime. Could we eat something before we go to the tower?" I pleaded.

The ANBU paused in his steps before sighing and nodding his head.

"Ichiraku Ramen here I come!" Naruto cheered.

I giggled and settled down beside him on a seat at our favourite ramen stand. I used to think Naruto was overly obsessed with ramen whenever I watched the anime, but have you ever tried this thing? It was so incredibly delicious the way the broth slid down my tongue into my throat, and the smooth, chewy texture of those noodles... my stomach too, let out a growl at the thought.

The old man Teuchi placed a bowl of ramen in front of each of us and we dug in. Kakashi, of course, declined eating due to the inconvenience of his mask.

Teuchi had at first, just like everyone else, treated us as monsters. However, he took pity on us one night when we were scavenging for food behind his house three years ago. He gave us a bowl of noodles each, and well, we became addicted. Alright maybe I wasn't but Naruto definitely was. Subsequently, we came every Monday morning for a free bowl, or ate here when we could afford it. Affording it meaning stealing money from mean civilians of course.

After the meal of about 5 bowls each, I looked at Kakashi expectantly for him to pay for the meal. I mean, he shouldn't expect two orphans living in the wilderness to have any money at all right?

"Troublesome kids..." he muttered, footing the bill.

Upon reaching the Hokage tower, we were brought straight to the office. It was the first time I actually met the Hokage (except for when I was born), and I was surprised at the resentment that welled up when I saw him. Resentment for the seven years he left us to fend for ourselves, to take in the hate of every civilian for something we had zero control over. For god's sake, we were the children of the fourth! Even if he could not make the village love us, he could have at least provided a home, provided food, provided clothes. But no! He was probably just looking at us through his stupid crystal ball and thinking, 'oh they should be fine'.

'Well, we are fine, no thanks to you though.' I thought, glaring at him as we walked into the room. He glanced at me and had a look of surprise on his face.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked me.

I gritted my teeth, "No, Hokage-sama."

He sighed, laying back into his seat. He rubbed his temples, before reaching into his drawer and pulling out some files.

"Would the both of you like to attend the academy?" he asked.

"Of course, dattebayo! You don't even have to ask! I'm going to be a ninja and surpass even you!" Naruto pointed at his face.

I rolled my eyes, telling him to calm down and be respectful to the Hokage, not that I was, really, with all the glaring.

The Hokage smiled at Naruto, and then turned to me. "And you?"

"Definitely." I answered.

"That's great. Could you two just put your thumbprints here... And here..." he passed us an inkpad and a few slips of paper.

"When are we starting?" I asked.

"Next month, on the 2nd of January. We will inform you other details at a later date."

I nodded, grinning at Naruto who grinned back even though he didn't understand half of the conversation. He had long gotten used to how I knew so many things and just clicked with adults, while he just stood there knowing I would explain things to him later.

"If there is nothing else, ANBU-san here will escort you back." The Hokage said.

"Can we have a proper place to live?" I requested.

The Hokage was taken aback at my question. Did he actually think we enjoyed living in a tree?

"I... I'll try to make arrangements about that." he said.

As we turned around, the door opened from the outside and someone I couldn't recognize walked in.

"What a precocious child, requesting lodging from the Hokage." he said. He had black hair and dark eyes, and on his shirt held the Uchiha Crest.

"Fugaku-san, please take a seat while I settle this." the Hokage ordered lightly.

Uchiha Fugaku walked into the room fully, tailed by two younger Uchihas.

"I would like to offer my place to house them while you try to find them an apartment." Fugaku said, surprising everyone in the room.

"I am pleased by your offer but I am afraid the two children would have to first consent to it." the Hokage said. "What do you think, Mizuno-chan?"

I stared and stared, my mind reeling. Never once in seven years had I doubted that I was in the Naruto-verse from the 'canon'. Not until today. And It wasn't even because of Fugaku's unnatural kindness towards us, no, that wasn't it.

I was staring at the Uchiha brothers who had entered the room.

There were two Uchiha Sasukes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX

This was NOT made up on the spot I actually wanted to add it in the summary but figured it wouldn't be a surprise like that even though most of the story would be centered on this. I'll add it to the summary soon though. Tell me what you think? (: