one.

TW: Violence, mentions of alcohol, mentions of death, mentions of untreated trauma, child neglect

Notes: Honestly writing this was so exhausting, like I wrote it and rewrote and blah blah blah, but its roughly 3000 words so its good enough for wattpad, lol.

Enjoy!

—

The Uzumaki twins decide early on that Yuuma was a kind man. They had known that when he had agreed to house them that he was different because even talking to them was taboo. To willingly agree to take them on was to voluntarily isolate yourself from over half of Konoha's general populace.

It was evident in the way fewer and fewer people came to the bar after they arrived. Some people came a threw them nasty glares but otherwise didn't make a fuss.

"Good," Yuuma spat one night when she had brought the subject up, "I don't want to sell my good liquor to scum who can't look at children like they're children."

Kumiko never pushed on why he kept them around after that.

The weeks spent with Yuuma had been slow and peaceful, fun even.

Kumiko knew that she was the only Uzumaki twin that would be attending the academy and forced herself not to care too much, even with the telltale sign of anxiety drumming in her stomach.

She had spent most of her weeks writing up different plots and plans to save the world around her. She had even written a persuasive letter to Danzo that she had promptly burned.

If he ever caught on to her, if he or someone else had ever read that letter.

Kumiko shuddered to think of the consequences that would follow.

After their first week with Yuuma, most of which had been spent moving their old things in and shopping, they had fallen into a routine of light training and work. Where ever Yuuma went, Naruto was bound to be following, stacks of scrolls and other nicknacks tucked in his arms as he chattered away happily.

Her happiest memory was of Naruto and Yuuma sleeping on the couch with medical tomes scattered around them. Different terms are highlighted and spelt out with a definition below it. A cup of coffee that had gone cold with time on the table and a plastic cup of orange juice, extra pulp because Naruto was weird.

She had grinned at the sight and laid some blankets over them, meeting Yuuma's eye when the action made him wake up. He had snorted something incoherent and gone back to sleep, his hand curling through Naruto's unruly hair.

Kumiko was so happy that her brother could feel even the slightest bit normal in this life.

—

Kumiko spent her days before the academy in the library reading all she could on Konohagakure's history. Here she learns that so much of the Warring Era was censored in a way that made it seem like the Uchiha were bad guys and the Senju were the good guys. Black and white. As if the Senju hadn't slaughtered just as many people as the Uchiha did. As if they didn't make people cringe in the same way the Uchiha did.

It made her wonder if Uchiha were always painted in a bad light. In the current history text she was reading, known as The Founding of Konohagakure by Tenko Shimura, the Uchiha were painted negatively. Not that it surprised Kumiko, it seemed Uchiha bashing ran through the Shimura bloodline. (While reading about the author, Kumiko did her very best not to remember a blue-haired man who could destroy things with a single touch. After all, she remembered more than just the world of Naruto.)

'Hashirama used his Wood Release abilities to produce much of the village's infrastructure. This ability and his ideals were two reasons he was chosen to become the village's leader: the Hokage. However, Madara feared that the Senju would oppress his clan and attempted to gather support to overthrow Hashirama. Madara would plead with his clan to help him in his endeavour. Still, no Uchiha was brave enough to help, forcing him to take on Hashirama by himself. Madara would ultimately be defeated at what would later be called the Valley of the End, where he would meet his end at the hands of Hashirama. As a result of this battle, Konoha would come into the possession of the great weapon known as the Nine-Tails...'

Kumiko frowned as she read through the passage. The way Tenko Shimura had worded his book made it seem as though the Uchiha would've agreed to revolt if they didn't fear Hashirama's strength, but that didn't make sense. From what she knew from her previous watching of the show, Madara had basically been labelled crazy and, later on, stripped of his Uchiha name.

And, she mused as she idly flipped the page, there was a very significant lack of information regarding the Uzumaki clan. It annoyed her because she was sure that the Uzumaki had been very close to the Senju clan. Yet, there was nothing more than a single excerpt about how Mito Uzumaki had been the Hokage's wife. It hadn't even mentioned her status as the first jinchuriki of the nine-tails.

It was annoying, Kumiko thought as she later checked out three books. No matter where she looked, her mother and father's very existence was erased. She had gone through so many different texts regarding the Hokage, and the fourth, Minato Namikaze, was referenced briefly. Instead of a profile picture, his Hokage head was printed beside his file.

Annoying.

Kumiko huffed as she glanced down at the fourth book she had smuggled out of the library; The Hokage's Compendium by Komugi Meruem.

If there was anything about her father, it had to be located in this book. After all, it had to have been in the jonin section for some reason. She couldn't have just checked it out. She knew it would've raised suspicion to whoever it was that checked over her check-outs.

She couldn't find out an S-class secret on a whim. After all, it wouldn't bode very well for the village.

—

Genma Shiranui did not like reminders.

It was why he had stopped dropping by Hoshitari's bar. The asshole knew what those brats would mean to him. He knew that if he were to see them, to talk to them—

Sometimes Genma wondered if his friend was trying to kill him. He knew that what he was doing wasn't healthy. That he was breaking every promise that he had ever made to Minato but damn it, Hatake wasn't interacting with them either, and it wasn't like he was actually obligated to go and see the brats.

He didn't need a reminder of how he failed.

Genma stopped in his tracks at the sight of bright red hair, and, for a moment, he was a kid again, and Kushina Uzumaki seemed like the scariest and prettiest thing to exist. He watched as the smarter of the two Uzumaki pariah's left the village library with four books and a grin.

He didn't need the reminder, but he was almost sure that The Hokage's Compendium was a book that required jonin level access to check-out.

"Okay, kid," He murmured as he changed directions, sealing his grocery bags into a scroll as he went, and began to shadow her, "Let's see where you're going with this."

Genma hated reminders, but he had promised Minato a long time ago that he would help him raise his child. It was time he made good on his promises.

(In the Hokage tower, Hiruzen sneezed and shuddered at what was to come.)

—

Kumiko frowned as she weaved through the different alleyways and shortcuts she knew around Konoha. Someone was following her, and she had no doubt that they knew that she knew that they were following her.

They were different from the ANBU, who kept their distance and never interfered with what she did. Different from the masked and muted presences that she was used to being in her shadow.

She pouted as she pulled out her book. Why couldn't the stalker guy just leave her alone? All she wanted was to read about Minato and—

Kumiko grimaced at the single paragraph regarding the Yondaime stared up at her; at least he had an actual picture this time. It was surprising how much Naruto looked like him. Still, he had aspects that she knew belonged on her own face, like the careful arch of his cupids bow and the shape and colour of his eyes. She smiled before turning her attention to the paragraph; 'Minato Namikaze was the Fourth Hokage (Yondaime Hokage, Literally meaning: Fourth Fire Shadow) of Konohagakure. He was renowned worldwide for his speed, leading him to be dubbed as Konoha's Yellow Flash (Konoha no Kiiroi Senkō — Yellow Flash of the Leaf). His speed was attained by his mastery of the Second Hokage's technique known as the Flying Thunder God Technique that he later taught to the members of the Hokage Guard Platoon in a way to better their ability to aid in their duties...'

She snapped her book closed and shoved it into the messenger bag, leaping to the side as a volley of senbon rained down on the area she had just been standing. She grimaced as she backflipped to avoid another volley. She glared up at the roof where the chakra signature was situated, "I know you're there! I can feel you! Stop hiding away and come talk to me like a civil person, or are you so uncouth that you don't know the meaning of civil!?"

Silence followed, and then, with nothing more than a rustle of leaves, a shinobi stood before her with a senbon between his teeth and an amused glint in his eyes, "Uncouth, huh? Pretty big word there, gaki. I don't think I'm the one stealing high-level books from the library."

Kumiko scowled at him, moving her bag behind her in a protective manner, "What's it to you? I can handle my business, so mind yours."

The man laughed, "Someone told me the same a long time ago; he got tired and couldn't figure out how to get this one seal just right," His eyes twinkled as he looked down at her, "Flipped me off when I asked him what the hold up was."

Kumiko narrowed her eyes, "Why should I care? I don't even know who you are."

"Names Shiranui Genma, gaki," Genma grinned, "Tokubetsu jonin and one of the Hokage's Guard Platoon."

Kumiko paused and tapped her fingers against her messenger bag, "Did you know the fourth Hokage?"

"Know him?" Genma chuckled, "I worked with him, we were partners. Even if he was leagues above me..." He paused then, thinking back on Minato was hard for him because he had known that, just like him, Minato had been born from nothing. That he had crawled his way to the very top with hard work and determination until he finally took that hat and then... Then he was gone. Just like that, nothing more than a twisted memory on the minds of the villages and Genma sighed. He felt sick, looking into the bright blue eyes of the orphan girl who could've been something great, someone known if the homage were to just realize what he was doing was wrong and so insulting to Minato and Kushina's legacy and—

"Why are you so interested in him, gaki?" If he didn't cut his thoughts off now then he knew he would go down that hole again and he wasn't ending up like Hatake.

There was no way in hell.

Kumiko bit her lip before shrugging, "Naruto, my older brother, likes the Shodai and Sandaime a lot. He idolizes them really, so I decided that I liked the Nidaime and Yondaime. Both of them were able to use the Flying Thunder God Technique, so I've been reading up about them, hoping I could learn more about the technique." Genma stared at her with intense eyes after she spoke. Sizing her up in a way that made Kumiko want to shiver, "You said you were part of the Hokage's Guard, right?"

"That's right, gaki," Genma replied, staring at Kumiko, who, for just a moment, was Kushina instead.

"Then," Kumiko hesitated before she steeled herself; she had to ask, and if he refused, she'd just learn it herself. She bent her body ninety degrees in the most formal bow she possibly could, "Please help me learn the Flying Thunder God Technique!"

Genma stared down at her before grinning and ruffling her hair, "I'll do you one better, gaki, I'll train you to be one hell of a shinobi."

Kumiko stared up at him with wide eyes, "Really?"

"Yeah," Genma smirked then as he held out his hand fist for her to bump, "The elemental nations won't know what hit them."

"Yeah!" Kumiko grinned, her fist hitting his and Genma felt a flash of pain in his heart. He remembered Minato grinning at him during the invasion.

("I'll be back in a flash, Genma," Minato grinned as he held out his fist, "Whoever it is attacking, they won't know what hit them."

"Hell yeah," Genma smirked, bumping his fist against Minato's. "Hurry up now; Hatake's gonna' give me a headache if we have to wait for you."

Minato winked, and that was the last time Genma ever saw the man alive.)

Genma hated reminders, but maybe this one wasn't so bad.

—

Kumiko learnt that training with Genma was more of a 'how fast can you run from the sharp projectiles I throw at you' endeavour rather than the 'sit down and learn about seal theory' lessons she had been expecting.

"You have to be able to move at fast speeds," Genma explained during lunch after a particularly gruelling session of 'dodge the senbon.' "Before I even begin to teach you about The Flying Thunder God, you have to master shunshin and if I teach you that before you can actually run properly, Hoshitari'll have my head."

Kumiko snickered; Yuuma and Genma had an odd relationship, she found out. They had been friends at a young age and grew up fighting together, and even though they weren't on the same team, they never grew apart. She reckoned they were lovers on the down-low.

"So, the more stamina I have, the more I can use the technique?" Kumiko asked as she drank from her water bottle.

"Coupled with chakra, yeah, you have Uzumaki reserves, so chakra isn't too much of a problem for right now," Genma paused and narrowed his eyes at the sun, "Now, break time is over."

Kumiko shrieked as she barely managed to dodge the senbon Genma sent hurtling for her face. And as she rolled away from his onslaught of pointy metal weapons, she missed the nostalgic grin that crossed his face.

—

The first day of the academy came far to quick for her liking.

At some point in her life, she had gotten used to waking up early, so by the time the sun was rising, she was already downstairs with Yuuma eating a breakfast of last night's leftover fish and rice. It was an hour before they had to leave when Naruto finally joined them in the kitchen.

"Ah, so sleeping beauty finally awakens," Yuuma said from his seat at the island.

"But I'm already awake?" Kumiko grinned, taking another bite of rice from her bowl.

Naruto frowned, "I'm a beauty too! That's why I sleep lots!"

"I'm sure that's why you sleep in Naruto. Oh my, I can almost feel your beauty shining on us sleep-deprived souls!" Yuuma chuckled, "Now sit and eat. You both have school to attend."

"Oh yeah! Today's the first day at school. I completely forgot," Naruto said as he slid into the spot in front of his sister.

Kumiko nodded her head, "Yeah, the first day of a new chapter in our lives!"

"Indeed it is," Yuuma agreed, "Naruto is going to be attending the seven-year medic program at the hospital."

"I thought the program only lasted five years?" Kumiko asked as she drank her orange juice, no pulp because unlike Naruto, she knew that you were supposed to drink orange juice and not chew it.

"Usually it is, but the first couple of years is going to be based on chakra control. I'll be teaching him about it after school hours. On the weekends, both of you will be undergoing basic first aid and chakra control training," Yuuma passed the twins two separate pieces of paper, "I've done my best to time out how your days will look. I decided I'd teach you what I know in fuinjutsu, by the way, Kumiko. Since I'm going to be teaching Naruto about the medical aspect. That's why you have different breaks from him."

Kumiko hummed in understanding as she looked through the paper.

Weekdays;

Morning Stretches; 0500 - 0600

Breakfast; 0600 - 0630

Academy; 0700 - 1600

Homework; 1600 - 1630

Taijutsu Drills; 1630 - 1800

Dinner; 1800 - 1830

Genjutsu Drills; 1830 - 2000

Free Time; 2000 - 2130

Fuinjutsu Practice; 2130 - 2300

She grimaced at the thought of going to bed at eleven, only to be forced out of bed at five. This schedule was torture to the highest degree in her mind. She'd have to channel her inner Maito Gai to complete the morning stretches. Oh, the things she did to keep her dearest brother safe.

She wondered if she'd have time for Genma but looking at the next list made her want to groan;

Weekends;

Morning Stretches; 0500 - 0600

Breakfast; 0600 - 0630

Stamina Training; 0700 - 0830

Strength/Speed Training; 0830 - 0930

Basic First Aid; 0930 - 1100

Lunch; 1100 - 1200

Training With Shiranui; 1200 - 1400

Ninjutsu Drills; 1400 - 1530

Meditation; 1530 - 1630

Taijutsu Drills; 1630 - 1800

Dinner; 1800 - 1830

Genjutsu Drills; 1830 - 2000

Free Time; 2000 - 2130

Fuinjutsu Practice; 2130 - 2300

Kumiko hung her head and grimaced; she could already feel the immense pain her muscles were going to be in. She sighed as she finished her food. Then again, she wanted to be a good ninja. "Troublesome, how'd you know I wanted to learn about fuinjutsu?"

Yuuma laughed from his side of the table, "Well, gaki, I assumed you started talking to Shiranui more for his expertise in seals than his senbon sucking."

Kumiko groaned, "Don't word it like that! And stop calling me gaki!"

Yuuma threw his head back and laughed, and Kumiko smiled; he looked nice this way. Relaxed even, she liked it.

Naruto wrapped his arm around her shoulders and dragged her into a hug with Yuuma, who was still laughing.

This was her family now, Yuuma, Naruto and, to an extent, Genma.

Kumiko was happy.