"Iruka sensei, what's a Kazekage?"

Naruto sat in the second row of the Academy room, head in his hands, bored.

"Did you listen to anything I said?" Iruka asked tiredly.

"No!"

Iruka popped a vein. "Then why should I tell you?!"

"Cuz you were the one who wanted to be a teacher, not me!"

Iruka sighed and shifted his papers. "Okay, class, once again: The Kazekage, head ninja of the Land of Wind and Village Hidden in the Sand, is coming to pay a visit to our land to strengthen our alliance. You'll be able to meet his children, for they are coming to an assembly in two days."

Two days. Wow. The Kazekage? "Is he, like, as awesome as the Third?" asked Choji.

Iruka smiled. "Eh, well, I think the Third is better, but, pretty much."

Naruto pouted. "Wait, you mean, those kids get off school because of their dad and everything?"

"Pretty much," replied Iruka.

"Man," mumbled Naruto. "I wish I was the son of a Hokage."

The two days passed without incident. Friday was the day the children would visit, and on Thursday Naruto heard some people mention the arrival of the awaited people.

Though some kids were excited to meet the kids of other lands, Naruto found school just as boring as any other day. He didn't wish to meet these people, and anyway, it would be at an assembly, so would he really even meet them face to face?

Not that he wanted to. Who would want to meet a bunch of brats? That's what they probably are, thought Naruto. Spoiled rich kids.

That Friday morning, after shuriken practice, Iruka escorted his class to the cafeteria, where a large stage had been set up. All the kids craned their necks to get a peek, except for Naruto, and Sasuke, to show he could care less too.

Up on the stage were two children surrounded by people, waiting on them hand and foot. A boy and a girl, Naruto noted. Boring. Seemed the girl was older. Or was she? Naruto couldn't tell. Naruto shook his head. What did he care?

They each took a seat on the cold linoleum floor and waited as several other classes filed in as the stage was set up. Two chairs for the important ones to sit. Why don't we get chairs? Naruto griped.

So the assembly began. The children stated their names, Kankuro and Temari. They were ten and eleven, the girl older. They were indeed the children of the amazing Fourth Kazekage.

"Hmph," Naruto pouted. "Being born to the Fourth Hokage would be cooler."

"Shut up, you idiot," Sakura Haruno scolded. Naruto shut up.

After the general introduction, they took questions.

"What day were you born?" "What's your blood type?" "What's your father's name? Age? Birthday? Blood type?" "How long was he Kazekage?"

"Where is your mother?"

At the last question, they went rigid. After a moment, Kankuro replied, and his lips barely moved, like he was a statue. "She died at childbirth. To me."

Many seemed to take this as a good answer, and they didn't want to upset them, but apparently Sakura, always having to be right, jumped in. "But my mother heard that there was another kid! Younger than you! Why isn't he—or she—here?"

"Seems like your mother likes to gossip," Temari sneered, looking away. "We're done here."

And they left the stage, and slowly the classes started to exit the room amongst the chatter of the children.

"Is there really another kid?" "Why isn't he here?" "Maybe he got a disease!" "Maybe he's a mutant." "Maybe he killed his mother on purpose!" "Maybe there isn't another kid." "Maybe they're gonna eat him for dinner and didn't want people noticing his absence!"

Naruto pouted and didn't join in any conversation, not that anyone wanted him to. Still, he wondered who this boy might be, and why he wasn't there.

"God," cried a girl, "It could totally be a girl too, you know!"

"Shonen main characters are almost never girls," murmured Sasuke.

Naruto didn't know what to say to that.