Sumiko opened her eyes and felt the cold air hit her face. Snow fell. She laughed a little. She turned to the cat that stayed with her.

"Ne, neko. What do you think this day holds for us?" she asked. The cat meowed. She sighed and closed her eyes. She sat in the alley, watching the faces of the villagers go by. She watched them with mild interest.

"Hey, here," a man gave her some money. She could count change relatively well; this was a lot. She sent him a questioning look. Black eyes met with black ones.

"Don't spend it all. It's supposed to last the week," he said.

"I see. You're Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Ninja, and user of the Sharingan. Thank you," her age didn't match her intelligence or, as he should say, attentiveness.

"You're a smart girl," he sighed and walked away. She got up and walked to the store, leaving behind her coat. She wore a black shirt with a hood that reached down to her mid-thigh and black pants. In a sense, she could be a raven, seeing that she had black hair, eyes, and clothes.

"Itachi-nii!" a young boy tugged his older brother's shirt.

"Hm?" Itachi looked at his brother.

"What do those taste like?" wide black eyes looked at the fruit with awe.

"They're sweet," Itachi said.

"Can we get one of those…" the child struggled to remember the name.

"Mangoes," Itachi supplied.

"Yeah!" a grin appeared. Itachi smiled a little. His younger brother was so cute.

"Can you hand me one?" a young girl reached for one.

"Yeah," Itachi looked for a ripe one and handed it to her.

The child looked miffed. How dare a random girl of all people take his brother's attention? The girl noticed his discomfort.

"I'm sorry, Uchiha Itachi-san, Uchiha Sasuke-san for causing a disturbance," she bowed deeply, knowing that the children of the Uchiha patriarch held a bit of power against an unknown orphan.

"Oh…it's okay," Sasuke felt guilt all of a sudden. She nodded and turned to pay for the large fruit.

"Wait," Sasuke called out. She turned, giving him a blank expression. Itachi was shocked. Why would a child his brother's age be so emotionless?

"Hai?"

"What's your name?" Sasuke looked uncomfortable. She narrowed her eyes. It's a different reason.

"Sumiko," she responded.

"D-do you want to…" Sasuke frowned.

She waited patiently.

"To come to my house? It'll be fun…" Sasuke bit his lip, hoping she wouldn't reject his offer.

"Sure. I'll come at noon," she said and bowed and walked away.

Sasuke turned to his brother.

"What's noon?" Sasuke frowned.

"Don't worry. When that time comes, I'll tell you," he smiled. On the inside, Itachi felt more troubled. This child knows who we are and how to tell time…whose child is she? Itachi looked at the list his mother had given him.

"Come along, Sasuke. Kaa-san has left us a few more things to buy," Itachi said.

"This ain't enough, brat," the salesperson scowled at the young girl.

"What?" she was confused. Had she not counted it right?

"More," he said simply, holding out an impatient hand. She nodded hesitantly. She handed him all of the money Hatake Kakashi had given her.

"Sir," a person said behind her. She turned and saw the two Uchiha's.

"That is more than enough to buy a dozen," Itachi glared.

"What's a brat like you going to do?" he smirked. Itachi sighed. He closed his eyes and opened them. Red eyes shone in the early morning.

"I'm very sorry, Uchiha Itachi-sama!" the clerk apologized profusely and gave her money back and her mango. Itachi and Sasuke carried the bags out and saw Sumiko leaning against a nearby wall peeling the mango with a kunai.

"Where did you get that?" Sasuke asked.

"I was given it," Sumiko half-lied. In reality, someone had thrown it at her, calling her a bastard, but it still counted as being 'given' it.

"Really?!" Sasuke's eyes shone with surprise and curiosity.

"Yeah," Sumiko bit into the mango as the last of the green and yellow peel fell to the ground. She threw the peels into an alley. Dogs came out and fought over it. She watched with no interest.

"This world…" she whispered under her breath. Itachi narrowed his eyes.

"Me and nii-san have to go, but I'll see you later!" Sasuke grinned like he hadn't a care in the world. Sumiko envied him and pitied him at the same time. She sent Itachi a look of pity and Itachi understood at once. She shook her head in disbelief at Sasuke's innocence. Itachi waved and pulled Sasuke home as he tried to get back to her side. Sumiko threw the mango out after finishing eating the fleshy part and walked back to her post of begging.

"Nii-san, guess what?" Sasuke grinned devilishly.

"What?"

"That Sumiko is really pretty!" Sasuke smiled.

"Is that so?" their mother leaned in the doorway.

"Yeah!" Sasuke blushed a little.

"I'll have to meet her then. Where does she live?" she smiled and ruffled his hair.

"I don't know…" Sasuke admitted. Sasuke went to his room to prepare for her arrival.

"Itachi, do you know?" Mikoto asked.

"Yes," Itachi helped out put away the groceries. "She's an orphan."

Mikoto sighed. Trust Sasuke to make things difficult.

"Because of the ongoing war with Iwa, she isn't able to get a living space," Itachi stated.

"I know. I don't want Sasuke to be sad that this girl isn't what he expected: a girl with normal parents and such," Mikoto bit her lip.

"Mother, please don't worry so much," Itachi gave her a reassuring look. She smiled back.

Sumiko walked around. She knew every alley, every street here in Konoha. She decided that she should see the other orphans again. They were easy to find if you knew how to look.

Found you.

Blonde hair caught the obscured sunlight. Sumiko walked over.

"Don't be afraid. I'm another orphan," she said, knowing the code orphans on the streets knew to show that they meant no harm, especially to the most hated orphan.

"I know. You're famous among us orphans you know," he said.

"Am I? What do they say?" Sumiko grinned as she took a seat next to him.

"That you're strong and smart. You know how to count and read and tell time…where did you learn all this?" he asked. His underlying question was clear.

"A long time ago…" she sighed. She didn't want to be remember that day nearly two years ago.

"But…how?" he asked again.

"You're awfully curious. What do you want to know?" she knew what he wanted. She just wanted to mess with him.

"Because I want to learn how to read," he said.

"Maybe next time…" she sighed as she got up and left. She fingered the coins in her pocket and walked into the forest. She eventually found a watch in her pocket after looking. It read 11:45am. She leaned against a tree and pushed and pulled at her chakra. She could feel her chakra was different from the ninjas that jumped about. Theirs was a simple warm one. Hers was both dark and bright, but mostly icy.

She jumped down and walked to the Uchiha compound.

"Hokage-sama," a jounin appeared in his office.

"What, Kakashi?" he asked. "Something troubling you?"

"Yes. The child we found two years ago is accelerating at an astonishing pace," Kakashi said.

"What do you propose we do? We can't put her up on her own; we don't have the resources at this time," Hiruzen puffed out smoke.

"I was thinking that she should be put under the care of a couple who isn't in the reserves for the war. However, because of who she is, she needs to be placed under the care of people who were ninja who can protect her," Kakashi said.

Hiruzen studied the jounin. This situation begged the question: what about the other orphans? Specifically, the jinchuuriki.

"I approve. However, you must find this couple. You also have to find out who she is exactly to warn this couple of these risks. And," Hiruzen smiled. Kakashi felt chills go up his spine.

"What do you suppose we do about the jinchuuriki?"

"I…" Kakashi was at a loss for words. "I thought I was on a mission to stay away from him."

"True, so what do you propose to do with one of the most important children in this village?"

"Well, considering who and what he is, he should be placed in his own living space," Kakashi said nervously.

"And yet we don't do this with the girl?" Hiruzen enjoyed messing with him.

"We can't have them live together and the girl is special," Kakashi said, trying to steel his nerves.

"Oh? So you knew?" Hiruzen smirked as Kakashi was found red-handed going through classified documents.

"Yes, I'm very sorry Hokage-sama for going through classified documents," Kakashi bowed his head from his kneeling position.

"You went through classified documents?" I am enjoying this too much!

"Yes, please forgive me," Kakashi bit his lip.

"It's fine, seeing that you have the clearance to do so anyway. Had it been any other special jounin, I would've sent them out to the battlefield the moment I found out," Hiruzen smiled.

"Hokage-sama, I am going to find the girl and the boy," Kakashi was in a rush to leave.

"Go on," Hiruzen waved him away as he disappeared.

"Demon brat!" Sumiko heard voices yell as she started walking.

"Monster!"

"You should just die!"

Sumiko ran over. Her blood was boiling. How dare they call him, her friend, such things!

"Hey!" Sumiko yelled into the alley.

"Look, it's the outsider! Are ya gonna kill us with your outsider powers? Or are ya gonna protect your boyfriend with that stupid girly shit of yours?!" a man approached her.

Sumiko ran towards him, kicking him in the stomach with a chakra-enhanced kick. He went flying and trash and bricks fell on top of him.

It was a large mob. They kept their beatings of the blonde a secret from the prying eyes of the ANBU or Hokage. However, they were often too busy fighting in the war to protect the boy.

A few other men, all muscular and able to kill her if they really wanted to, stepped forward as the blonde kept being kicked.

Sumiko dodged an incoming fist and grabbed some snow to throw at the man's face. She tripped another and punched him, hearing the sound of a bone breaking under her fist, filled with chakra. She breathed hard and didn't react in time as a man picked her up by the neck and slammed her against the wall. She gritted her teeth as her side erupted in pain.

"No one hurts my little brother!" he screamed as he squeezed her small neck.

"Then…n-no one hurts m-my friend!" she laughed. Her laugh was cut short as she began to choke.

She moved her eyes slowly to her blonde friend's state. Her anger level exploded. This…this isn't going to end up like two years ago!

Ice spikes pushed the man away as blood seeped away from his wounds. Red eyes glared as cold as the icy spears at the women beating the blonde. He's already unconscious but they continue! She screamed in anger and ice spikes stabbed them, not as deep, seeing that she didn't have the strength to stab a grown man and a couple women. Their brown eyes filled with fear as her newly reddened eyes stared into theirs, inducing a mild genjutsu. She dropped to her knees and crawled to her blonde friend's side.

"Naruto…wake up…" she shook him weakly.

"Damn outsider…you're a monster like that blonde," a man growled. She stood shakily and glared at him. Red met with light brown ones. He slumped; genjutsu.

"Naruto…hey…wake up," she pleaded as she sat down against the wall.

"S-sumiko?" a voice called from the alley. She closed her eyes and let the slight burning sensation dissipate. She looked at them again with black eyes and made out three figures.

"Hatake Kakashi and two Uchiha heirs…" Sumiko stated.

"Are you alright?!" Sasuke ran over, looking her over in deep concern for the girl.

"Y-yeah…but he isn't," she nodded in Naruto's direction.

"What was that ice jutsu?" Sasuke asked in awe.

"I don't know…" Sumiko turned her head up and watched the snowflakes fall harder.

"Kakashi-senpai, that was the sharingan and ice release…" Itachi was in shock as he whispered.

"Yeah," Kakashi put his hands in his pockets.

"I don't know of any missing Uchiha children though," Itachi shook his head. "Unless…"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "You're probably right," he motioned for Itachi to follow. He picked up Naruto as Itachi picked up Sumiko. Sasuke followed, complaining how he wanted to carry her.

"That child?" a nurse asked, almost horrified.

"Yes. You must take her and heal her. If you don't, I'll bring hell here," Kakashi warned. Shizune ran over and scolded the nurse for being rude.

"Kakashi-san, I'll take both of them," she said and grabbed Naruto and Sumiko. Sasuke insisted on being beside Sumiko, so Itachi had no choice but to let him.

...

"Is she gonna be alright?" the little 5 year old asked.

"Now that I'm here, she'll be fine, both her and your friend," Shizune frowned at the boy. His wounds were already healing so she simply patched him up.

"Friend?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah, he's your friend isn't he?" Shizune sat down on a chair as Sasuke sat on the edge of Sumiko's bed.

"I don't know…" Sasuke looked guiltily at the blonde.

"Well, you two are the same age. Plus, if he's her friend, that makes him your friend because Sumiko is your friend," Shizune explained.

"So, if I have another friend, that makes him and Sumiko-chan friends?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah," Shizune smiled at the little boy. He gave a big grin in return as she walked out.

"Uchiha-san…" Sumiko started.

"Sumiko-chan!" he hugged her. "Are you sure you're alright?" concerned eyes searched her matching black ones.

"I'm fine. Can you get Uchiha Itachi-san and the man that was with him?" Sumiko had questions and she was sure that they had answers.

"Yeah, wait here!" Sasuke ran off.

Like I'd go anywhere… she sweatdropped.

"I see what he means now," Hiruzen noted as he watched Sumiko's fight with Naruto's assailants over again. "That was a good call on his part," Hiruzen sighed. "Now to arrange for Naruto's apartment…" Hiruzen flicked his wrist and an ANBU came.

"Hai, Hokage-sama?"

"Arrange for an apartment for Uzumaki Naruto," he said. The ANBU nodded and shunshined out. Hiruzen turned to look out at the village. Snow kept falling.