It was the day the twins finally moved to their new home. It was a larger apartment building that had a cylindrical shape when looking from outside.
"Here it is. You will get a larger flat all for yourselves. There are two personal rooms for each of you and the main living room coupled with a kitchen and a bathroom. Consider yourselves lucky.", explained the same shinobi that was literally becoming the mailman for these two lately. That is how he felt.
Then he rummaged inside his tool pouch and retrieved two small bags.
"This is your pocket money for this month. It is not much. But try not to squander it. But it is alright to get personal stuff for yourselves. The fridge will be filled up with stuff regularly. So don't worry about food."
Naruto his eyes were shining like bright stars and even Kaito was amazed by the generosity of the old man.
They were examining their new home very eagerly.
The two bedrooms were quite spacious but a certain thing was noticeable. One had a window and the other did not.
"I take the window room.", said Kaito immediately and placed his bag with his belongings inside on *his* bed. He didn't leave Naruto any room for arguing.
Naruto actually didn't mind because he was extremely happy at this moment.
"I will leave both of you now, alright?", said the shinobi.
"Right.", nodded Kaito at him and also wanted to thank him but he actually noticed something that never crossed his mind before. "Come to think. What is misters name?"
The shinobi raised both his brows because he was a little bit taken by surprise by that question.
Then he smiled. His onyx colored eyes reflected that smile as well. "My name is Kano Onizuka. We really haven't introduced ourselves yet, huh?"
Once more Kaito nodded. "Thank you."
"Don't sweat it. It is my job after all." Just when he said that Kaito flinched a little. That put a serious expression on Kano's face and he looked behind him.
Looking outside the window that was there he scanned the surroundings but was confused.
"What made you flinch, kid?", he asked.
"I think I saw something in those trees for a second."
"...I see. Well, maybe it was just some bird. Don't worry about it.", smiled Kano and ruffled Kaito his hair.
That immediately distracted him from the topic and he slightly glared at the shinobi. "Don't do that again. I hate it"
"Alright. Well, I will be going now. I will probably see you again. Until then." With those last words, he disappeared only leaving a single leaf on the ground.
"Whoa, he really disappeared like wush!", commented Naruto in excitement after seeing him go. He even mimicked the sound that the shinobi produced
"And he litters our new home...", added Kaito and picked up the leaf.
"Hey, hey. Brother, can we go to Ichiraku's?", asked Naruto out of the blue.
"Why do you want to go there? We got enough food at home."
"Come on. Just one ramen bowl."
"Fine, let's go then. And don't forget the house keys.", sighed Kaito. Since the third invited them over to Ichiraku's at their 3rd birthdays, it immediately became Naruto his favorite food to eat. Unhealthy but tasty. And even Kaito liked it if he had to be honest. There was just something that irked him to go.
When the two left the building two shadows were observing them from the top of a tree.
"Next time conceal yourself better. Even the kid caught a glimpse of you.", said the shinobi to the Anbu unit.
"Yes, Kano-sensei.", replied a female voice underneath the animal mask.
"Keep an eye on them. I will deliver my report to the third."
"Understood."
----
"Ahh! I can't wait anymore~! How long does it still take, Teuchi Oji-san?", asked a very inpatient Naruto.
"They are about done. Just wait a little bit longer, Naruto.", answered a smiling middle-aged man. It was the owner of Ramen Ichiraku, Teuchi.
Meanwhile, Kaito had different problems to fight against.
"Hold still...There we go. Isn't that much better now?", said a smiling teenage girl. She looked like she was around 11-12 years old. She had long brown hair and big black eyes.
Kaito was pouting somewhat and had a clear blush on his face. His red hair had two little piggy tails now raging upwards to both sides. Held firmly by two hairbands.
"I don't like it...", grumbled Kaito and pulled one of the hairbands out of his hair. But just when he tried to also remove the second band, he noticed that the girl came closer to his face with her own.
She also pouted now. "Don't you like Onee-san helping you?"
That froze him into place and he became even redder than before.
She saw that and smiled. "See, you clearly like Onee-san, right? Becoming all timid and shy. So, can you please keep that one hairband in your hair. Look I will even change its position for you."
She went ahead and brushed all his hair on the left side to the back of his head and fixated it with the same remaining hairband into a ponytail. The right side remained to cascade down his rather roundish face.
"Ayame, stop teasing the poor kid.", said Teuchi after coming over and serving the ramen.
"But father. It is so much fun to do. He has such beautiful hair that it would be a shame to keep it that disheveled. Right, Kaito-kun? Onee-san is correct, right?"
Kaito just remained silent and started to eat the ramen. Ignoring her words.
Teuchi and Ayame started to laugh lightly. She was clearly teasing a little boy that was smitten by her. How cruel can someone be? But her name itself told stories of murder and hurt. No wonder there.
Naruto just looked confusedly at his brother. But gave him a thumbs up. "The hairstyle looks good on you."
That sentence made Kaito frown at the betrayal he received from Naruto. All that only because his hair was growing way faster than his brothers.
He wondered now if it really was such a good idea to come here. But in the end, he didn't dislike it. This shop felt a lot like a family. More so than any other place.
Naruto probably felt very much the same. This father-daughter duo never discriminated them and that made Kaito view them favorably. Even more so than the third.
"Hmm, but Kaito. You sure have long hair. You aren't secretly a girl, right?", smirked Teuchi and also joined the teasing.
That question agitated him greatly! So much that he even slammed his little fists on the table in protest. "Of course not! I am a boy!"
"Are you sure? Your skin looks pretty fair to me. Coupled with that soft long red hair you would only need a dress. You would look like a little princess for sure.", snickered Ayama sheepishly after commenting his little tantrum.
Kaito grumbled even greater now and tried to hide inside his ramen bowl. Away from all this shame and embarrassing stuff.
Right, it was family. But that was what he wished would change. This infinite teasing. And he actually did look too damn girly! Curses to whoever he inherited that from!
"So, are you two ready to go to the academy next year? After all, you are turning 5. And the spring after that will be the start of the next school year. It is what you want to do after all, right? Becoming strong shinobi that is." Teuchi stopped and changed the topic smoothly like a dotting father - as he really was one.
Both twins raised their heads and looked at him. Clearly, he got the attention of both of them now.
"Of course!", both of them replied in unison as if there was no other answer to that question.