Warnings: AU, lots of OOC-ness, and Naruto as a female! (Oh my!)

Pairings: Sasuke/Naruto, Kakashi/Iruka, other future pairings later…

Summery: Still shunned and hated, Naruto struggles to protect the only family she has, her own twin brother, who has the legendary Kyuubi within him. Can she fight to the top to become strong enough to make her brother's dreams come true? How about her own? (Lame, I know, and unoriginal, but I can't think of anything else to fit the story. Ha, ha, ha!)

Disclaimer: Nope, no way. Don't own anything at all… sadly…

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Aoginozomi Amanohara (It's suppose to mean, look to the sky)
Prologue: The Children of Uzumaki Tomoe
By: Datenshi no Uzumaki

"Talking"
'Thinking'
Normal text
Flashback/Dream
(My notes)

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A hoarse cough cut through the silence of the room, and a young boy rushed up to its owner. "Sensei…" There was a soft smile, weakly faltering, as another cough broke through those chapped lips. "Sensei… do you need water?"

"Maa, Iruka-otouto, no need. I'm fine." A soft voice sang, but then more coughs forced its was through her soar throat. The young boy beside the frail woman frowned in disbelief, watching the woman helplessly. The woman's emerald eyes glanced at the boy. "Mou… where is Kakashi-otouto?" she asked, her voice now rasping.

Umino Iruka is a young boy that is 14 years old. His messy umber brown hair was held up in a ponytail, with a few traces of hair, framing his young face. Ever since his parents died in the wars, he was raised and taken under his Jounin sensei's care. The scar that he received during those wars was his only distinctive feature, across the bridge of his nose.

His sensei, Uzumaki Tomoe, is a young kunoichi, in the Jounin level. She is known for her strength, and great skills and knowledge in genjutsus and taijutsus. The young woman use to be lively, and serious in many cases, almost opposite to the man she had fallen for. She was kind, solemn, yet she prided in many things. She had grace, and a kind of aura that was unlike any other. Her fair colored skin has become pale, and her emerald eyes dulled. Her long honey blonde hair splayed over the pillow. The once proud woman now looked small, sick in her bed. She has taken care of the brunette beside her since he was six years old, and then she became his Genin Instructor when he was 10. She was very proud to say the boy was like her younger brother, if not a son.

The boy bowed his head. "He… he went to get the doctor, Sensei."

The woman raised her brows. "Doushite?" She asked. "There is no need."

Iruka shook his head. "No, sensei. For the past week, you have been getting worse. Please, Sensei, you need to see the doctor."

"Maa… but they would not come. Those baka people do not want to set foot into this house because they hate my children." The woman said with a bit of anger, glaring at the wall, as if it were those people she spoke of.

The boy leaned a bit closer to the woman. "But, Kakashi-kun went directly to the Hokage. I am sure he would help you."

The woman sighed. "All this is just in vain. I don't need help. I am fine." She said stubbornly, but then her coughs betrayed her. She felt a wet substance in her hand, and she looked at it. Iruka gasped in panic, seeing the crimson stain on her porcelain hand.

"Sensei!"

The door to the room opened, and the recognizable teen with spiky gray hair entered, with a man in his mid-forties and the Hokage in his robes. "Tomoe-oneesan." The young teen was rather tall, and looked older than Iruka. Though his hair was gray, his face showed his youthful features. His left eye stood out, crimson in color, with a scar over it. He wore the uniform that only qualified ANBA members wear. His ANBU mask hanging loosely by his side.

Iruka quickly got up from his place, and backed away from the woman, to let the doctor inspect the patient. He stood by the older teen, watching the adults interact. The woman crossed her arms in a stubborn manner. The Hokage smiled at her. "Tomoe-san please let Kitizawa-sensei check on you. It is only natural that your underlings worry about you. And what about the twins?" The woman sighed out in defeat.

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"Sumanai, itoshigo." A soft voice emitted from the dreary room.

Curious pairs of eyes looked up into the woman's dull green ones. One were the brightest blue, bluer than the skies and the seas, the other were the brightest green, shining like emeralds, like the woman once had. "Kaasan…" The tiny voice whispered, their brows furrowing.

The woman brought the two children close to her, squeezing them softly. "Your Kaasan… has to go…"

The child with blue eyes looked up at their mother. "Go? Where?" The child wrinkled her nose, lisping her words in a child like accent.

"Somewhere… where your Tousan is waiting for me." She replied, her melodious tone faltering in to silent sorrow.

"No go, Kaasan…" The child with bright green eyes begged, his eyes pleading.

The woman bowed her head, her honey colored hair falling forward. "Gomen…" She then let her tears fall, in quiet sobs. "Gomen… Mitsuo-chan, Naruto-chan…" She brought her children's head close to her, nearly touching their foreheads, and held them close, with her tears falling like rain. The two children had a look of confusion and distress, not fully understanding their mother's sorrow.

"Please… don't forget. Get stronger, and take care of one another. Protect each other, always. Don't let anyone take you down. Remember who you are. You are my children, the children of Uzumaki Tomoe. There will be people who would hate you, people who would hurt you, and try to break you, but don't let them take you down. You are special, and would always be loved. You have each other now, and let that be your strength. Because if the world crumbles, there would only be just you two, and that's all that matters." She kissed the mops of their heads, one a bright golden mess, the other the soft honey color that was tamer than the other. "I will always love you."

She rubbed their backs, suddenly humming a gentle song that she would ways sing to them. "Sleep now… Kaasan is here…" Their worry lifting, the children fluttered their eyes closed, listening to her melody. The woman weakly shifted, to lay down on her bed, with her children resting above her. She held them closely, and gave them a last squeeze. "I will always love you…" She whispered, and then closed her eyes from the last light she knew she would never see in this world.

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"Maa…Iruka-otouto… can I ask you a favor?" There was a soft cough; no longer hoarse from the dose of medicine she was given.

The young boy looked up, cleaning up in the room. "What is it, Tomoe-sensei?" His eyes suddenly lowered.

The woman was sitting up, staring out the window, with the wind gently flowing inside the room with fresh air. "Take care of them for me." The boy blinked his eyes. "You and Kakashi-otouto."

"Ano… Kakashi-kun and I have already been taking care of themfor you, so there is no need to ask… why ask this, Tomoe-sensei?" He asked, his voice wavering, suddenly scared.

Tomoe turned her head, and gave a soft smile, masking her pain. "Please don't hide it. We all know I am not going to live that long…"

Iruka shook his head, and ran to his sensei's side. "Don't say that! You won't die! You'll live and watch Mitsuo-chan and Naruto-chan grow up! And Kakashi-kun and I would be there by your side!" He nearly yelled.

The honey blonde took the boy's hands into hers, and squeezed them. "It's okay Iruka… but please don't be sad. Be happy, so that my babies won't be sad as well. I know you will grow up to be strong, and a very kind person. I know I've taught you enough, and you'll be a great shinobi." She than pulled the boy towards her and embraced him. "I know I can trust you and Kakashi. Remember that I'll always be proud of you, and I love you as you were also my family." The boy encircled his arms around the woman and shook with tears.

"I promise…"

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((So, how was it? It's my first Naruto fic, so please review. I need it, I guess. Kind of sad in the begining, no?Don't worryit will change a bit, and I need to set the mood and background... will be more changes and surprises in the future. It will almost be sort of based on the Anime/Manga series, but with tons of twists and changes. And expect a lot of OOC-ness, a lot of it. I mean, it is an AU story after all. In all honesty, I haven't watched/read that much of Naruto… anyways, yay! So review, and I might continue…))

Doushite – Why
Sumanai – A way to say 'I'm sorry'
Itoshigo – Dear child
Gomen – Another way to say 'sorry'

Okay, now for some explanations:

There was a war before the Kyuubi attacked Konoha. I don't know which, but I don't really want to go into details. It was when Iruka was 9, and that's when he lost his parents. Uzumaki Tomoe (my OC) took him under her care, though she was young. Iruka became a Genin when he was 10, and Tomoe was his instructor. When Kyuubi attacked Konoha, he lost his teammates, but Tomoe continues to train him.

Kakashi's story in basically the same as the Anime/Manga, but he interacted more with Tomoe and Iruka. Because Yondaime was greatly involved with Tomoe, where you'll find out more in later chapters, Kakashi lived in the same roof as Tomoe and Iruka, she being a mother figure. So he nearly grows up with Iruka, and that later builds up in their relationship. (Yay!)

The Kyuubi was indeed sealed, but not in Naruto, but her twin. That's right, Naruto is a female, and has a twin brother named Mitsuo (I like this name), him being the elder one. Yondaime and Tomoe expected twin boys, and already picked out names, but when they found out that one was a girl, they just left it as Naruto. (Poor girl, but it's okay. I wanted to actually keep the name of Naruto, and not change it. I couldn't think of any other excuses…) Sadly, Tomoe died when they were 2. In such a young age, they can understand and learn quickly, almost like prodigies, like their mother and father. Mitsuo mostly has the features of his mother, soft honey blonde hair with emerald green eyes, and has the whiskered marks on his face. (Actually… I'm picturing the character from Yami No Matsuei/Descendants of Darkness, Kurosaki Hisoka. He's so cute!) Naruto is the female version of Yondaime (so basically the same Naruto, but a girl, or think of his Orioke no jutsu).

Tomoe died with some sickness that she has had since she was young. (I'm not sure what of yet… but I'll think of something.) Her giving birth gave her sickness more stress, so she became terribly ill after two years. But no one blames the twins of her death… okay maybe, but not Iruka and Kakashi. More on Tomoe will be revealed in future chapters.