I own not either Naruto nor One Piece though I wish I do... Oh well have fun reading the story while I mope in the corner!

Snake Sisters

Chapter 11: The end of a chapter

On a whim she halted, her hand was reaching and grabbing the corner of the wall leading into the foyer. To her right, clearly visible for all visitors coming from the front door, was an antique mirror brought in from overseas from parts unknown that had been there since the Uzumaki clan's home in the Leaf Village was built. Surrounding the reflective surface was aged bronze work styled to resemble veins garnished with leaves that covered most of the former, at the bottom, obscuring the leaves, was a placard written in a language no one knew... something called Latin, she believed. Whatever it was, whatever it said, she long lost the interest to care for it for any value other than a sentimental one.

She smirked as she watched her brother hang his head in defeat, still bound by Salome, his forehead resting on the cold stone floor...

(Flashback!)

Outside, Uzumaki compound

For what seemed like ages Naruto stood there in clear view of the front door, he and his newly ordained 'sisters' having just past the front gate. Hung over his shoulder and held there by his hand was a small rucksack filled to the brim and then some with a little over half of his possessions, namely clothing, in his spare hand was the picture of a smiling redheaded woman in kunoichi garb of Konoha. Uneasily he looked up at the sole building within the property and frowned, albeit without thought to it.

At a 'clack' coming from the gate behind him he managed to wipe away his subconscious grimace for a more conscious 'curious' frown out of pure instinct as he faced his 'sisters' as they, through combined effort on their part, slammed the gate shut to cut off the horde of Hancock's admirers.

"Phew!" Marigold happily exclaimed as she gratefully leaned back against the gate. "You really need to lay off or lay low for the next few days, big sister," she rasped.

"Yeah..." Sandersonia held up a white T-shirt showcasing the eldest of the three merely flicking her hair back as she unwittingly passed by the camera that took it. "Your fan base is getting creepier by the day," she deadpanned.

"Up until now you two haven't been complaining," Hancock countered in a huff as she turned away, flicking her hair in the process much like she had done in the picture.

"Yes well we didn't have a house they wanted to break into!" Saqndersonia cried in exasperation.

"I think I hear some of them whispering about that right now!" Marigold whispered in a conspiratorial manner whilst her ear was fervently pressed against the gate.

"At least they got all our stuff neatly placed in little rows," Hancock pointed out, both figuratively and literally to the assorted rows, each belonging to one of the four siblings.

"Hey guys, are you going to argue all day or am I gonna have to explore the house myself?" Naruto asked just short of a yell due to the distance between himself, now at the door, and them.

"Just a second!" With a sigh she looked around her current surroundings for both inspection and contemplation. Seeing a shadowed head popping up from behind the on the wall she scowled, grabbed a random high heel from one of her hundreds of shopping bags and flung it with dire accuracy at the figure.

To her satisfaction the shoe bounced off the 'stalker's' head, knocking down from the wall with a satisfying and surprisingly loud 'oof!'

XVX

Inside, ten minutes later

Homely was a word for it if the dust was to be ignored, the sheets over all the furniture forgotten... the fact that no one had lived here for nearly thirty years, give or take, a side note.

They certainly weren't lying in saying that it was maintained over the years for what it's worth.

In the end though, homely as it was, it was reminiscent to a tomb given that the electricity failed to power the lights despite the notice that went to the company responsible for it, the fact that there was absolutely no sign of being lived in had equally hampered the mood; they could only guess if it was by design of a meticulous hand that didn't care for the results or if had been no residents to date, squatters included, aside from one Kushina Uzumaki.

Sort of a shame, all things considered; due to a technicality caused by taking the name of another due to marriage, the identity of whom she married was strangely enough missing altogether despite numerous and thorough expeditions into the archives by Shizune plus the staff at hand, she was no longer able to live within the compound as she pleased since she was no longer considered to be a 'Uzumaki' under the eyes of the law.

Regardless, it was... off putting to say the least for the last Uzumaki, by blood and another technicallity by law, within Konoha. For once it wasn't due to his current circumstances... or rather not in regards of living by himself nor with being with people who barely surpassed being strangers to him. While he wasn't exactly... thrilled to learn he what was in effect a birthright withheld from him for so many years, not that he would've done much with it if he was honest with himself, but for once there was at least some light shed on who his parents were. Granted it was only his mother and limited information to that effect but it was something...

Still... he would've liked to know more though, other than the fact she was a kunoichi at one point in time of course.

"ACK!"

"Jeez you're jumpy!" Marigold grumbled as she and Sandersonia essentially kidnapped him from what he claimed as his room, photo still in his startled grasp.

"Just what are you guys doing?!" he indignantly cried as he tried to wiggle himself out of their grasp.

"No way we're going to have you gloomy on the first night!" Sandersonia answered with a vindicated grin.

"That aside, what better way to celebrate moving in than going out for dinner!" Marigold elaborated.

Brt!

"About time," Sandersonia grumbled as they stopped so she could sternly eye a nearby miscellaneous lamp.

"Did you two get Naruto?" Hancock called out.

"Coming!"

Even while Naruto grumbled about his predicament Hancock could only shake her head in amusement when they entered the foyer. "Come on, come on. Beautiful as I am I doubt the ritzier restaurants would upend their clients on my say so," she royally commanded as she ushered them towards the door.

"Ichiraku's doesn't get a lot of crowds at night!" Naruto 'offered' with a sly grin.

"We're definitely going to have to set some ground rules here," Marigold commented as they sauntered through the door.

Again shaking her head, Hancock made for the door with a small smile on her lips. While she opened the door and subsequently turned herself around whilst closing it her eye caught a glimpse of light at the end of the hallway before her, her curious gaze falling on the mirror situated to greet all those who may come and go through the front door. Her lip curled into a gentle smile as she examined herself: Gone were the shackles that once bound her wrists and ankles. Her ragged clothing replaced and her skin, paled by the lack of light and proper nourishment held a more graceful, beaming radiance of healthy alabaster. But most of all as opposed to a scowl that would often visit her, there for her to see was an honest smile. Caught within the mirror's view were her sisters, equally changed and happier for it. Upheld by the scruff of his jumpsuit in Sandersonia's grasp was a sulking Naruto, his lips puffed out in a pout and his arms crossed across his chest.

Though her smile vanished upon the closing of the door and replaced with a dignified, haughty huff, she never lost its feeling as she regally wiped her hair behind her as she marched towards the gate.

(End Flashback!)

Taking in a gentle breath and releasing it in a quiet sigh she steeled herself in her typical regal demeanor just before crossing the threshold of the foyer. "Naruto, what have I told you about playing with Salome?"

With a dark, deadpan stare he raised his head to glare at her. "We both know how this started," he growled.

"Hmph!" She easily strode past the two of them and nabbed a designer coat from a coat rack. Above it she claimed a pair of stylish purple high heels to match her dress. As she drew nearer to the door she let loose a curt whistle that commanded her pet to unravel itself from his captive to join her at her side. "Sonia! Mari! We're going out tonight!" She turned her head to glance to Naruto. "You may as well get dressed to!"

Having managed to stand up as she called for their sisters, Naruto leveled a irritable glare at her as he crossed his arms. "And why should—..." He cut himself off as Hancock evilly smiled as she nonchalantly waved a key in her clutch. The sole key he kept to keep his private stache of ramen safe for the most part to be precise... "Fine!" He turned and marched away. "Not like it's gonna make a difference..." he grumbled to himself, unaware of the even more evil smirk on Hancock's visage as she hidden it away by facing the door.

With a puckish grin she deliciously counted the seconds since Naruto left the foyer whilst she tucked the ramen key into a purse. To her disappointment she heard nothing akin to unadulterated horror or at best anger as minutes later her sisters finally arrived for luxurious dinner.

"You are aware this means war, right?" Naruto announced from around the corner.

"Are you coming or not?" Hancock calmly demanded without tearing her gaze from the door.

"Oh I'm coming, I'm coming," he grumbled, his sisters unaware of the sinister smile on his face as he stepped into view with a balloon filled, to his delight, paint of his choosing.

XVX

Hokage's office, Hokage Tower

"NAARUUUTOOO!"

As if on cue Tsunade stamped a piece of parchment with her rubber stamp with a sense of finality and with the fluid grace of practice she armed herself with a bottle of sake and a saucer in time for a cackling orange blur to race across the rooftops with a trio of paisley colored figures in hot pursuit to which she turned her chair about to see. Without feeling guilt in the slightest she opened a drawer and retrieved a plate of dango which she placed upon her lap, without looking and with a puckish smile no less.

"I was hoping for dinner and a show."