Chapter 3 - Brother and Sister

Naruto's POV

My grandfather, Sarutobi Hiruzen was a legend in the martial arts world. He was well-versed in pretty much all of the most widespread martial arts in the world, but what he was known worldwide for was his mastery over the Monkey Fist style of Kung Fu and the use of the Bo staff. He was unrivalled to the point where if he were to choose to participate in a tournament, half of the participants would drop out right away just at the sight of his name. There was simply no winning against him. That was the case even more than so after he discovered the secrets of chakra.

One can never reach grandpa's level of skill without dedicating his entire body, mind and soul to martial arts. As grandpa used to say, martial arts are not about killing primarily, but about reaching that harmony between the body and the mind, between the physical part with the spiritual part... but I'm getting side-tracked here... The thing is that there was no way for a man that was this dedicated to martial arts to not try to transmit his legacy to his children - in this case to his grandchildren. Don't be mistaken: although he was a great man, grandpa was not perfect. Often times he had been almost cruel in his punishments and his stubbornness was something to be feared. Therefore, when my sister and I became 5 and respectively 7, grandpa began to teach us martial arts.

It was a gruelling training. For example, have you ever been forced to stay in the Horse Stand for 4 hours straight? I dare say it was inhuman to make such a little kid do something like this - which is the reason why sister ran away from home at 2 years from the starting of the training when she was 9.

To this very day, I still remember grandpa's angry visage and my big sister's tear-streaked face when the police brought Misaki back home. And I could never forget that feeling that torn my heart apart when he slapped her.

It was in that moment that a fierce resolve was born in my heart: to protect big sis. Sounds like something the protagonist of shounen manga would say, doesn't it?

Haha.

But there was a valid reason for my thoughts besides the emotional impact of grandpa hitting Misaki. You have to consider where were we living: Gotham City. Although I was young, orphan kids tend to mature much faster than their peers. Even at the age of 7 when big sis ran away from home, I was aware of how life was in Gotham. I was aware of what dangers a girl was exposed to, especially someone as beautiful as my big sister.

What? Yeah, she's very good-looking! What am I even saying? She's the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my entire life! And if I - her brother - can see that, imagine how other people see her. Now, at the age of 18 years old, Misaki could probably contend for Miss USA if she were interested. With her fit and hourglass-like body figure, her baby-blue eyes and the lustrous crimson-red hair that reaches her waist she would have 90% chance to win in my opinion. But alas, I don't think she'd be allowed to participate with the "tattoos" on her face... Yeah, for some reason, my sister and I both have some weird whiskers-like birthmarks on our faces: she has 2 on each of her cheeks while I have 3 on each cheek. But that only makes her even prettier if you ask me.

I asked grandpa a few times what was the reason we're different but he said that it must've been just a minor mutation of our genes because neither of our parents had such birthmarks on their faces.

Come to think of it, you don't know a thing about my parents... well, I don't know too much either. I only know that they were named Kushina Uzumaki and Minato. That's right, I don't know my father's surname and for some reason, grandpa refused to tell me. He said that it was for our protection.. apparently, dad had not been an ordinary individual...

But I do know that while my mother was Japanese, my father was not. I suspect that he was most likely Russian. I also do know that except for the whisker-like birthmarks on our cheeks, my sister and I are almost like carbon-copies of our parents. I have a photo of my mom and dad at their wedding. Misaki looks now like a younger sister of my mother while I look like a younger brother of my father but while mom had Asian facial features and Dad had Caucasian facial features, Misaki and I with are a combination of them with both half-Asian and half-Caucasian traits.

But as I was saying, from the moment I saw grandpa slapping Misaki's face, a special desire was born inside me: to protect my big sister. It pained me that she was forced to do something she didn't like, that she was crying. I can recall the scene perfectly despite that almost 9 years have passed since then.

Flashback

"Ojisan! Don't hit big sister anymore!" the 7-year-old me cried out while getting in between grandpa and my sister.

"You said something, brat?" my grandpa shouted sternly with his hand raised up to hit again.

But I didn't back down.

"I-..."

I clenched my fists resolutely.

"Hit me instead!"

Although I was with the back turned to Misaki, I could almost feel the surprise on her face. From grandfather's widened eyes I knew that he was stunned speechless as well.

I was very little back then. Hot tears began to pour from my eyes as I cried:

"Don't hit big sister. Don't make her train anymore!"

In my simple-minded way I said:

"Hit me instead. Train me instead! I'll train even harder than I've done until now. I'll train in her place too! I promise I'll become the strongest and make you proud! I'll become the best in the entire world!"

Flashback end

This rather embarrassing memory aside, from that moment onwards things have completely changed in our household. Surprisingly enough, grandpa had become as gentle with Misaki as any other ordinary grandfather. Misaki had begun to live a comfortable life like any of the other ordinary girls of her age. Her very good looks and sweet personality made her very popular amongst both boys and girls. She made a lot of buddies and became best friends with Barbara Gordon, a fellow redhead chick that happens to be the daughter of James Gordon, the commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department.

That being said, grandpa's nice attitude toward big sis was counterbalanced by him becoming twice as stern and strict with me.

I remember that 2-3 years ago, like any other punk on the streets, I also started to drink and picked up smoking thinking that it was cool. Before long I have even gotten into smoking weed. But somehow my grandpa got wind of it... and when he did... well, let's say that the left cheek of my butt has never been same. The following three months after the incident have also been marked by sparring sessions every day in which my sole objective was in grandpa's own words "Dodge my Bo staff and try your best not to die."

Despite all these things, I can't say that I resent the old man. He was exceedingly strict and severe but as I grew up and my mind matured more I understood that he meant well. At the very least, this set of skills that he had ingrained in my body have more than once saved my life in this dangerous city. Furthermore, I actually got my heart's desire fulfilled: I became strong enough to protect my big sister... and the guys I had beaten half to death along the years in order to shoo them away are probably more than fifty.

Wonder why? I'm a guy. I know very well what other guys are like, especially those in Gotham. They only want to hook up with her and use her body. Fucking shitstains! There's no way I'd let those filthy motherfuckers touch my sister!

There had been a few brave souls that had dared to try to get close to Misaki despite knowing who her brother was but a broken leg, a dislocated shoulder or a few kicks in the face made them change their mind rapidly. In fact, that's how I even became acquainted with the Mad Dogs Gang. I had beaten up Kiba and the 5 other goons that are always following him around for trying to hit on Misaki. I had wrecked them so bad that it got to the point where he threatened to sick his family's fighting dogs on me. In retrospect, had Kiba's elder sister, Hana, not intervened at the right moment, things would have gotten really bad for me because while I could have won against 10 guys all by myself, I would have had no chance in front of an entire gang like the Mad Dogs.

That being said, while with the passing of time Kiba has started to respect me for some weird reason, we've never become friends.

Truth being told though, it's very hard for people like me to make friends...Are those living in the darker side of Gotham even able to say that they have friends?

Tsk.

Being a part of a gang or of a tamer criminal organization can probably give you something close to that. But true friends? Doubtful.

At least someone like me can't make friends because on the streets the saying "Those who are not with us are against us" is especially true. You can't stay neutral. You're either part of a gang or a part of a criminal organization. Those like me who could stay unaffiliated could probably be counted on the fingers of one hand. You'd have to either be a dangerous individual willing to get your hands dirty if the situation calls for it - kind of like I am - or to be acquainted with important or influential figures. That's why no sane person would try to approach someone who has such a bad reputation as I do...and those who actually did it were doing it with various hidden reasons in their mind.

But my sister Misaki is the best friend I could have possibly asked for. As long as I have her, why would I need someone else?

Naruto POV - End

While he pondered about these things Naruto was helplessly lying in a hospital bed. His entire head was wrapped in bandages to the point where only his eyes and his mouth were visible. Not only was his head bandaged, but his left leg from the knee downwards was also encased in a gips cast and bandages were also wrapped around his torso and his arms. He looked like a living mummy.

Two days have passed since his brush past death at the hands of that Cyborg metahuman. It was the first time Naruto had lost a fight against someone. Because of his superior strength, agility and skill that he had obtained thanks to more than a decade of martial arts training, ordinary punks posed no threat for him. Even other highly trained individuals wouldn't really have too much of a chance against Naruto because of his chakra. Because of that Naruto had been confident that even metahumans would not necessarily be a challenge for him. However, after facing the cyborg Naruto realized just how conceited he had been. It was laughable.

Suddenly, the door of the hospital room made a sound and Naruto who had been looking at the ceiling until then turned his eyes to the noise. A gentle expression surfaced into his blue eyes when he saw who was the newcomer: a 5'4" tall and beautiful girl with waist-length red hair and 2 whisker-like birthmarks on her face came in. However, her normally bubbly presence was gone. Dark bags were under her eyes...eyes which were puffy and red and her face was stained by numerous dried streaks of tears. It looked like she had stayed up all night, crying until she had no more tears to shed.

"Onii-chan!" (1)

Her voice trembled. It was the first time Misaki had seen Naruto being hurt so badly. She was aware of how often her brother got into brawls and fights with other delinquents but she had never been too worried. Her little brother was very strong - 11 years under the tutelage of a legendary martial artist would make an elite out of anyone. Naruto had never lost a fight before. But now there he was: wrapped in so many bandages that he was unrecognizable.

She came closer to the side of the bed and took a seat on the nearby stool. With shaky hands, the girl took her brother's right hand and caressed his bandaged fingers.

"T-They said you were in a coma! They said you lost too much blood and that you'll probably never wake up!"

"They wouldn't even let me see you!" Misaki sobbed.

Although a feeling of nausea came when he tried to move his body, Naruto brought himself up into a seating position. Misaki understood his intention and she climbed in bed beside him, letting herself being embraced.

"Shh, I'm fine, aren't I? You know I'm tougher than that." Naruto said and caressed her head affectionately.

Misaki wanted to retort angrily at his words: how was he fine? A broken leg, a fractured skull and his arms and torso covered in purple bruises!

But she swallowed her words. Her brother had nearly died and he has just woken up. She understood that he was probably feeling weak and ill and that her screams were the last thing in the world that he wanted to hear at the moment. She would throw a tantrum other time.

"Mrs. Inuzuka told me... I-.. I know what you've done during the past month, onii-chan.." she began to say only for Naruto to interrupt her hurriedly.

"Misaki-chan, all I wanted was for you to-"

But Misaki didn't let him continue his words either. She clenched her fingers in an almost painful hold around Naruto's arm that hugged her and said:

"W-What if you died? What if that beast killed you?"

Her breathing was getting ragged and she was almost hyperventilating. It took a while for her to calm down.

"We only have each other now, Naruto." she continued with the same trembling voice. "Our parents died when we were little, we have no aunts nor uncles and grandpa also passed away last month."

She buried her face into his chest and said while tears began to flow from her eyes with no restraint:

"I can't bear with losing you as well, Naruto. You're the only family I have left."

Naruto's body shivered at the anguish in her voice and he could only hug her tighter even if doing that was causing him to nearly lose his breath at the pain coming from his bruises. But he couldn't trust his voice to say anything without giving away his own emotions...and he didn't want to break in front of her. Naruto was the like rock from which Misaki was clinging on in order to not get swallowed by the agitated sea... If even the seemingly immovable rock broke, what hope would be left there for Misaki? For her sake, Naruto was not allowing himself to show weakness.

None of them spoke after that. Lulled by Naruto gently caressing her head Misaki soon fell into a deep sleep. After spending an entire night crying and being tormented by worries she had finally reached her limit.

Naruto looked at lightly snoring Misaki and couldn't help smiling. He wanted to cover her up with the blanket but when she got into the bed, Misaki plopped herself on it. However, she was a very light sleeper and he didn't want to risk waking her up. Naruto took his side of the blanket and wrapped her with it. Although he was injured and needed all the comfort possible for his wounds to heal faster, he only thought about making his sister have a comfortable sleep.

Naruto continued to look at her sleeping form but after a while, his tiredness caught up to him. After losing so much blood in the ring he was feeling very weak. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and then he closed his eyes, falling asleep as well. His forehead fell and rested against hers and he unconsciously tightened his arms around her causing a small smile to bloom on Misaki's angelic face.