Chapter Three- Clothes Shopping, Photo ID and Stupid Counsels.
Hiruzen has shown them where the Uzumaki compound was, before leaving he told them about the meeting the next day. Kushina and Naruto only looked at each other, while Natsumi sighed. She was too young for politics, she didn't even know what she was doing!
That was last night, Kushina was always up before the sun. Since she liked having a kitchen in piece, it also left her alone with her thoughts, something that was rare at the Akumu compound and very common at the Uchiha, but habits were habits.
While making breakfast, even to this day no one knew where she got the food and she was keeping it that way. No matter how many times Izuna and Naruto asked. She knew that she and her brother would need new clothes, they looked like walking history. That and Natsumi needed something that wasn't so bright, she had nothing against orange. However the girl needed less of it and in a darker colour.
Besides if she was able to get away from ANBU, if the report was right, in bright orange, then they weren't going to like her much, not when she got the girl in a darker shade. All the trouble that girl could cook up.
Natsumi was looking around, but all she could see where dead bodies. The mountain with the Hokage's heads were broken. When she looked behind her, she saw Kushina with a giant hole in her stomach.
"Natsumi, what's wrong?" the Kushina look alike asked. Tilting her head to the right, but she was more focused on the blood that was going on the girl's kimono. "It's already, it's just a bad dream."
Waking up and looking at the girl's grey eyes. She looked at her stomach, there was no hole. In fact, she looked perfectly fine. "It was just a bad dream."
"Remember I'm here if you want to talk," Kushina told her. "On a new note, we're going shopping after some breakfast."
"But why?" Natsumi asked. Then again, it was a change to get new clothes maybe ones for females and not males, she was tired of looking like a barrel. However, this was all the civilians would give her and even then she was overcharged.
"Naruto is wearing old armour and I'm sure people stopped wearing it for a reason. Which was around the start of the thirds time or at the end of the seconds," Kushina told her That's when Natsumi looked at her black kimono, it didn't look like something that could be taken out to battle, but her sister had somehow did… wait, sister? Natsumi thought while looking at her hands. "And I'm wearing a kimono that Akumu wore to battle."
"And what's wrong with that?" Natsumi asked. Kushina only smiled at her, no one could know who her father was. He was a traditor, but she knew her father had a reason for everything he did.
"It's from the wrong time," she told the younger girl. "We're from the past, but the thing is. We don't want anyone to know that we are."
"Oh, so you need to blend in, so no one knows."
"That's it."
"So I'm going to be stuck in black for the rest of my life?" Natsumi asked. Seriously, most shinobi wore black, black and even more black, okay she saw one person with navy, but it still looked black.
"I've known you for one day and I don't want to see without the colour," Kushina told her pointing to the 'horrible' clothes in the corner. "But is for males. It's not build for a growing female, so it'll become an issue in battle."
"Good point," Natsumi said pulling off her blanket, showing Kushina her nightgown. Kushina thanked her training her uncle had given her, or else she would've giggled. Uchiha don't giggle.
"I'll let you get dressed. I need to wake Naruto."
Natsumi could only look at her nightgown and then the door. Maybe Kushina didn't like toads. "Don't hurt him, too much," she yelled to the girl.
"I'll try."
When Natsumi finally found her way to the dining room, she had gotten lost more than once. She saw that Naruto wasn't wearing his armour, but black robes with the Uchiha fan on the back. Looking around the room, she couldn't see Kushina, but she did see the lovely bump on Naruto's head. "Where's Kushina?"
"Kitchen," Naruto told her, while pointing to the chair across from him. Sitting down Natsumi just looked at him, wondering why he wasn't helping. "No one in our family could cook, at least the males, so Kushina makes sure none of us killed ourselves."
"I did make lunch and breakfast, just in case," Kushina said while setting a dish in front of them, she would have to buy a cook book, since she didn't know what recipes they had and it was nice to try something new. "And you know I don't eat anything I don't cook."
"What is it?" Natsumi asked. She only ate ramen and that's because it didn't go out, didn't rot and was the only thing she could buy, so didn't know a lot of other foods.
"Kushina's secret recipe for dumplings," Naruto told her, while Kushina brought out the rest of the food. "Everyone in the family loves Kushina's cooking, both mothers and fathers side."
"It's okay if you don't," Kushina told her. She didn't want the girl to feel pressured into eating something she didn't like. "But I'll be controlling your diet. I don't think you have any height to lose."
"It's really good," Natsumi said while trying one of them. "It's as good as ramen. However, I eat too much of it."
"We'll need energy today," Naruto told her. "So eat three meals a day, to make sure you get the right amount of energy, especially when dealing with this village's council."
"Oh joy," Kushina muttered under breathe, putting some food on her plate. Females needed to eat as much as males, so she would be eating as much as Naruto, that and it's the reason there was enough food to feed a small civilian army. They tired, they really did. "Now I can get a headache from morons. Why must we be surrounded by idiots?"
Once the three were done eating, Naruto led them to a place that the Hokage told them wouldn't overcharge Natsumi. He also gave them some (a lot) of money for food, weapons and clothes. Since both he and Kushina had weapons sealed on their person, they didn't have to worry about it. Sure, they would need to get Natsumi some, but that was one person, who didn't really use them anyway.
"Kushina, the H-"
"Grandfather," Natsumi said walking in the middle of their group. Kushina and Naruto looking like bodyguards.
"Yes, he gave me a place that wouldn't overcharge Natsumi."
"So no one's going to die," Kushina said looking at a sign with a dragon on it. "I'll have to tell the civilians my threat or they can see it first-hand."
"It also means we won't get kicked out, because Kushina killed someone," Naruto said while keeping an eye on his sister. He knew the lengths she would go to protect someone important to her. "It's great, isn't it?"
"Why would she do that?" Natsumi asked while ignoring the people who were glaring at her, she was used to it and didn't blink when she at the treatment the civilians gave her. Kushina on the other hand was giving them the famous 'Uchiha glare'. Naruto only walked to Natsumi's side, that way they had to go through him or his sister to get to the young blonde.
"No one messes with my family. Don't worry Naruto would do the same thing," Kushina told her. It was one of the few things that frightened their mother, the fact that she had a maternal strike a mile long.
"But why?"
"Natsumi, you're our precious sister," Naruto told her. Once someone from the Uchiha, or even the Akumu, became protective of something and someone hurts them… well, they better run since they weren't going to live longer. "Here we are."
"Welcome to Ninja Supplies," a girl said. Her brown hair was styles into twin buns and she was wearing a pink Chinese top and pants. "I'm Tenten. Is there anything you're looking for?"
"Do you have clothes?" Naruto asked. He hated shopping, even if it was for weapons. That was another thing they left to his sister and mum. They seemed to like it, but they would always buy what was needed, while their dad and brother would've just scared everyone in the store.
"We do. There at the back," Tenten told them. When she showed them were the clothes were, Natsumi just looked at the rack of female clothes, it was mainly black, but there was other dark colours, nothing to bright. "Call out if you need any help."
"Thank you Tenten. By the way I'm Natsumi and these are my siblings Kushina and Naruto," Natsumi told Tenten, while looking a plan black shirt.
"Since we're in the female section, we might as well start here," Kushina said while Tenten went to the front of the store. "Now Natsumi, I'm guessing you still want orange?"
"Yes!"
After a two hours, all three of them had an outfit. Naruto and Kushina no longer looked like they walked out of a history presentation. They had asked Tenten if they could change into what they brought and she told them that they could.
Natsumi loved the outfit she and Kushina were wearing. She had a dark orange top with sleeves that went to her elbows and ended just above her belly button. Kushina was able to locate the seal on the top of her back, so no one was going to see it. Kushina had also given her a black sleeveless jacket, which she wore open. On her legs she had black tights and shorts, with a skirt that went to her knees with a dark orange trimming on the slits. She was the one who found the flat grey knee high boots.
Kushina had gotten the same thing, but instead of dark orange the raven went for a dark midnight blue. Both girls had agreed to wear their forehead protector around their waste, not only did it save them some money on not having to buy a belt.
Naruto just let his sister pick his clothes, so he ended up wearing black cargo pants with a short sleeve fist net short and gloves. A dark blue short with a dark grey jacket over it and black shinobi shoes. He wore his forehead protector one his upper right arm.
"Guess we'll have to get our ID's done," Naruto said as they paid for everything. Kushina was able to find at least ten copies of their outfits and then ten different copies of simple training gear, so they wouldn't wear out their clothes.
For weapons they only had to buy Natsumi some, since they had a few sets on them. Kushina looked at the weapons that were on sale and the ones that weren't, they was a slight difference, but it wouldn't matter, not in the hands of a rookie. "We'll be back, Tenten."
"You should meet my teammates sometime. Gai-sensei likes making us run just after sunrise," Tenten told them. She loved it when females took their carrier seriously, while she didn't like the blondes choice in colour, she was just glad that it wasn't the same 'kill-me' shade she was wearing before. Besides, she was sure Lee and Gai would be happy for them to join, however, Neji would just try to put them down.
"Sure," Natsumi told her while Kushina sealed everything they brought. She wasn't going to carry it and she was sure the Hokage wouldn't want shopping bags in the meeting room.
"Natsumi, we have to get out ID's done and I would rather put up with the headache sooner than later, in fact never, but we can't choose that."
"We might see you at the Hokage's Tower, but today's our day off," Tenten told them. It was the only reason she was helping with her father's shop. She was glad that her father was willing to sell to anyone who was a part of the leaf and would take their training seriously. "When you want to join me, just go to the front gate."
"Sorry, Tenten, we have to go," Naruto told her while walking out of the door, Kushina and Natsumi quickly walking after him.
Hiruzen was hoping that the three would show up soon, so he could get the meeting out of the way. Usually it was just him and the academy teachers that would choose the teams, but this year was different, since most of the children who graduated were clan heirs and he thought it was only fair that their parent's had a say in their children's future, but that meant calling all of the counsel.
"Grandfather!" Natsumi yelled as she throw open the door, pulling Hiruzen out of his thoughts, he was glad that his granddaughter was wearing something that wasn't eye burning. "We're here for our photos."
"While you do that, I'll call the counsel," Hiruzen told them while pointing to the man in the corner, they were some of the last Genin to get their photos done. The man was reading a orange book, giggling ever few seconds. Naruto looked at his sisters, but Kushina just pulled her hairbrush out of her seal and started fixing up Natsumi's long pig tails, so Naruto knew his sister was going to fix her high pony tail when she was done with Natsumi's.
"Sir, I'm here for the photo," Naruto said while the man put the book away and pointed to the wooden chair. Looking at the camera, Naruto kept a blank face. Emotions were foolish on missions, but off them they really didn't do much damage, since he still saw their uses.
"My turn," Natsumi said while taking Naruto's spot, while the boy went to help his sister with her stubborn hair. Hiro only looked at the girl, then back at his camera, he didn't care that she was the 'demon' of the village, to him he was just taking a picture of a smiling young girl, not a fox demon.
"My turn," Kushina said. She copied her brother, a mask that hide her emotions. She didn't care what others thought of her, she was here to get a job done not to be liked.
"Natsumi, Naruto, Kushina please follow me," Hiruzen said to the three Genin. The two pre-teens and teen just nodded as they followed him out. They didn't even know what they meeting was about, but they would find out.
"Okay, let's get this meeting in order," Hiruzen said the three new additions went to the same spots as they were last time. Hiruzen could only hope Tsume and Shikaku would stop Kushina from killing anyone. "We're going to talk about the new Genin teams."
"Then why are they here?" Min asked him while pointing to the youngest on the council. Danzo just looked at them, it seemed his teammates were still sick, but the old war hack wasn't. "Aren't they some of the new Genin."
"They're now part of this counsel," Hiruzen told her, while Naruto and Kushina took a deep breath and Natsumi just kept an eye on the boy next to her.
"Since it worked well with my generation. I thought we should have the Ino-Shika-Cho group formation again," Shikaku said they were talking about their children's future, not why the three were here. "It's troublesome, but he'll get over it. Asuma should lead, since he knows how all three of our clans work."
"Team Ten has been chosen," Hiruzen said while writing down the team number, members and Jonin. "Anyone else has any idea?"
"A tracking unit," Tsume said they weren't able to have one in the last year's gradation, but this year they had a Hyuga, Inuzuka and Aburame. "Hinata, Shino and Kiba could make on of Leaf's strongest tracking units."
"Team Eight, now we just need a Jonin," Hiruzen said doing the same thing he did for Team Ten, just with Team Eight, since Gai's team was Team Nine. Before he could pick one from the scroll he had in front of him, Hiashi spoke up.
"Kurenai, she's the only one who can bring Hinata out of her shell," Hiashi said he only made a suggestion and didn't mind if the other ignored it, after all he had the two boys to think about and not just his daughter.
"Kurenai is Team Eights sensei."
"Sasuke-kun should be Kakashi as well as Naruto and Kushina," Min said and this made Hiruzen sigh, that boy was going to have a large head, one that was going to go down once he founds out Naruto was he head of the Uchiha clan and not him. "Just in case we awakens his Sharingan."
"You know, we're right here," Kushina said a blank look on her face, but underneath she was fuming with rage. "And we made a deal with the Hokage. Naruto and I are to be placed with Natsumi. A promise is a promise, so no we're not going to help a boy who has half the village bending backwards for him."
"Why would you want to be with that demon?" Min asked looking at her with wide green eyes. She didn't understand her line of think, Sasuke was an Uchiha. Both Kushina and Naruto were Uchiha, wouldn't they want to help the last of their family? "There's only three Uchiha left in the village, so why wouldn't you want to help your family. Your half-brother?"
"My reasons are my own."
"I see your quiet loyal to her," Danzo said looking at her with his one eye, but she sensed that there was something off about him. Naruto also caught and both promised to be on their guard about it. "But what is your loyalty to the village?"
"We'll stay in the village as long as Natsumi does," Naruto said pointing to the blonde. "At the moment, she's the only person we know."
"We've been in the village for a day. It would be weird to have strong loyalties to place one hasn't been very long," Kushina told the older male. "The reason we have loyalties to Natsumi is that we owe her a great debt."
"Why do you owe the fox a debt?" Min asked when she realised her mistake, she covered her mouth. All the cilivians were looking at her with worry, while the clan heads didn't care.
"Look at her, is she as a tall as a mountain?" Naruto asked while Kushina fixed the top of her boots, trying to claim herself down. It was a meeting, so it would do her no good to act like a child.
"No."
"Does she have nine tails?"
"No."
"She looks pretty human to me."
"That's because the fox is trying to trick us!"
"If she was then you'd be dead," Kushina said while standing back up, her hands behind her back. "If she was the fox. Then you would be dead. The fox is a mass of hatred and it would hurt its pride to let itself be attacked and even if it did take over Natsumi's body when she was born, you'd still be dead."
"You seem to know something we don't," Danzo said while keeping an eye on her. Kushina knew that he should never know who she is or who her father was, it was bad enough that he knew that she was an Uchiha.
"The Land of Darkness simply has better information on sealing and the tailed beast then you do," Kushina told him, the land of darkness did have a lot on sealed and on the tailed beast and she had the scrolls, she just wasn't going to give it to the man. "There passed down through the female in the Akumu clan, so no, I won't be giving them to you."
"The person who did the seal must have been bad," Naruto said keeping an eye on Natsumi, the girl hadn't said anything and was just smiling. "I don't know who did it, but whoever it was couldn't have been a seals master." After all why would anyone doubt his work, if he was, Naruto thought.
"No, he was a seals master," Min shouted her face going slightly red. How they suggest the forth was weak, they didn't know him or what he did.
"Then he should be able to keep the demon at bay then," Kushina said making everyone jump, since they thought the girl wasn't going to say anything.
That made most of the civilians think over their actions, they didn't think calling Natsumi a 'demon' was doubting the fourths work.
"We might as well test numbers with Team Seven," Hiruzen said while looking at them in the eye. "Team Seven will be led by Kakashi with Natsumi, Kushina, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke."