It was about mid-day, and the village was just now beginning to be informed of the horror that had transpired the night before, with the Uchiha clan. And now, hurrying to the hospital, Takara sighed. The third hokage had spoken to her just earlier this morning, telling her that he was giving her an important mission. She was to watch over the only known survivor of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke. The little eight year old had recently suffered extensive trauma from witnessing the mass murder of his clan, and would no doubt have a difficult recovery for a short time. Takara was asked to simply try and keep his mind on other things and give him someone to rely on. This would be her only assignment until Sasuke seemed able to function on his own; without much help. She entered the hospital and thanked the nurses who informed her where the Uchiha was. She stood outside the door for a second, but worked up the courage to put on a brave face. She carefully opened the door and peeked around it. A tiny little boy sat under the sheets, staring at his hands, barely taking notice of Takara's presence.
"S-Sasuke…" Takara stepped back when the little boy looked up at her, the look in his eyes chocking her up for a second. They conveyed so much pain, and pleading, Takara almost sobbed on the spot. "Sasuke, my name is Takara." Sasuke looks back to his feet. Takara thinks for a second, and the fourteen year old sighs and walks closer. Sitting on the end of the bed, she gives a warm smile. "Sasuke, what would you like to do?" Sasuke timidly looks up and looks back down once he realizes Takara's smile. As if he doesn't want to make eye contact.
"I-I don't know, ma'am." He clutches the sheets in his little hands and Takara blindly reaches to grasp one. He looks up and she smiles her most reassuring smile and stands up. Still holding Sasuke's hand, he hesitates before following her so as not to fall on his face. "Where are we going?"
"Having you cooped up here in this little room isn't going to help you at all. I'm taking you for a treat, we're going to my house."
Sasuke picked carefully at the crumbs of onigri left in front of him. Takara placed a small cup of tea in front of him and sat across the table. Sasuke looked at his hands under the table and Takara smiled and chuckled to herself.
"Sasuke-kun," Sasuke flicked his deep onyx eyes up to meet Takara's soft brown ones. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Sasuke looked a bit deflated after that. As if he expected her to ask what everyone else had, 'are you going to be okay?' It was like a broken record, he couldn't count the times he had heard that in the past hours.
"S-sure." Cringing, he waited for what he thought was inevitable.
"Do you feel broken?" Takara knew this was a big question for the eight year old, but she wanted his answer. Sasuke sat up straight, and just watched as Takara wiped some of her dark brown hair out of her eyes. The truth was, he did feel broken. He felt guilty that all he could do was stand by and watch as the one person he had truly felt close to, important to, massacred the rest. Sasuke felt powerless, and, unnecessary. Sasuke felt broken, but not only that, he felt abused. Sasuke couldn't even think about it without tearing up. His lip started to quiver and just before he burst into tears, Takara leapt from her seat. As Sasuke cried what was left of his heart out, Takara pulled his chair away from the table. Sasuke looked up to her and she pushed some of his bangs out of the way. Smiling, she kneels down to his level.
"Sasuke, I know what happened is hard to accept, but I'm here to help you until you say you don't need me." Sasuke's tearstained cheeks shone in the pale light through the window. As he sat there, he started to feel as if she really wanted to help him. It gave him a small bit of hope and he leaned forward and wrapped his tiny arms around Takara's neck and continued to cry into her shoulder. Takara just sighed happily and hugged Sasuke back. He didn't have much of anything, and just giving him the chance to cry without having to feel judged was all she wanted to accomplish right then.
"But what if I keep needing you?"
"Then I'll keep staying." Takara picked him up and walked to her bedroom with him. She sat on the wide window sill and held Sasuke close. She whispered and cooed to him while he cried himself out. Takara would not let him go. She wasn't going to let him feel alone. She knew how hard it must be, and couldn't imagine how hard it was. And all at just eight years. Takara had lost her best friend a year ago on a mission. He had been kidnapped, and Takara had cried multiple times over whether or not he was still alive. Finally deciding it was better to convince herself he wasn't, she requested there be a small memorial for him. She stayed strong through that. She was strong through the condolences. She was strong through others crying. She was strong as his parents held onto her, hoping for dear life that she wouldn't disappear as well. She was strong, through all of that, but broke down in sobs that night. She hadn't just lost her best friend, she had lost her brother. She lost her comrade, her lifeline, and she was in shambles. Remembering that, Takara held onto Sasuke tighter. Sasuke eventually cried himself to sleep and Takara gingerly grabbed a pillow and blanket. She carefully, slowly, and meticulously placed them so she could lay on the windowsill. She curled up next to Sasuke, thinking it best to be there when he woke up. With a few worried glances at Sasuke's fidgeting, Takara finally settled down after about five minutes of his easy breathing. She fell asleep quickly, hoping, praying even that the little boy would sleep through a full night and wake up alright. Unfortunately, her wishes were not granted. Sasuke woke up at least six times from horrible nightmares to which Takara would immediately awake and comfort him. She whispered sweet nothings, and murmured that he was safe now. She held onto him and he buried his head in her chest holding onto her for dear life. After tiring himself out again he would fall back asleep and Takara would commence combing through his hair and hushing him as he slept. The final time Sasuke awoke Takara softly sang a lullaby she had recalled as he drifted back to sleep.
"Sasuke,…" Takara whispered as Sasuke's breathing steadied. She sighed and continued to comb through his soft raven black hair. She was just about to close her eyes, when Sasuke mumbled something.
"momma…" Takara almost wept. She instead swallowed the tears and held onto Sasuke, as if the harder she tried, the safer he would be. Takara inhaled and blew the breath out slowly.
"It's gonna be alright, Sasuke-chan. I'm here now… Your momma misses you, but she's watching over now. She's watching you right now, and she's so sorry she had to go for a little while. She's instructed me to take care of you, so you don't have to worry." Takara carefully placed a small kiss on Sasuke's little forehead. If not for Sasuke, she whispered this for herself. "It's gonna be okay." Takara slipped back into sleep. She silently wondered what tomorrow would bring. And as she began to fall, a single tear escaped her. It rolled down her cheek and landed in Sasuke's hair, disappearing.
As the rays of sun for the new day streamed in, Sasuke blinked. He looked to find Takara holding onto him and it all came rushing back. All the crying, the comforting, and the falling asleep. All the nightmares that replayed his clan's death, over and over again. Yet every time, he fell back to sleep with ease. Why? Because Takara replaced the fear with comfort. She felt like his momma. His momma, the one Nii-san had killed. The momma he would stand next to in their kitchen. The momma who would bandage the scrapes he would get while training with father. Father. His father, who was stern but knew best. His parents, who he wouldn't see again. The thought made him shiver and he held tight to Takara. He buried his face in her bosom, like he would his Momma. He tried not to cry. Father had said that men don't cry. Yet, Takara seemed not to mind that he cried. Sasuke held tight to Takara as he wept. Takara awoke at the sound of Sasuke's sniffling. She sat up, and held onto Sasuke.
"Sasuke-chan, what's wrong?" Her words comforted Sasuke. Reminded his of his momma. It was as if his momma was somehow there, telling Takara how to speak. Sasuke sniffed again and pulled away to look into the soft and loving gaze of Takara. Sasuke's lip quivered again and within seconds he was buried in Takara's bosom again. Holding fast to the little one, Takara stood up and carried Sasuke into the kitchen. The still dirty dishes were on the table, but Takara went to fixing something else. She pulled out a small cup and went to the refrigerator. She pulled out the milk and poured Sasuke some. Sitting down with Sasuke in her lap she set the cup on the table. She gave Sasuke another comforting squeeze and turned him to face the cup. After a few seconds Sasuke looked back to Takara.
"For me?" Takara nodded and warmly smiled. Sasuke carefully reached for it and his tiny hands held onto it so he wouldn't drop it. He raised it and took a sip. As the milk went down his throat, Takara wrapped her arms around him and let out a long sigh. Sasuke took another sip as he waited for Takara to say something. This continued until the cup was at last empty and Takara took note of this. Still holding tight to Sasuke, Takara stood up and rinsed the cup out along with the dishes from the night before. She sat back down and sat Sasuke on the table so she could talk to him. Sasuke didn't care for this. He wanted to be near her, be close to the girl who reminded him so much of his momma. Takara weakly smiled.
"Sasuke, what do you want to do? We could go to the playground." Sasuke shook his head. Takara bit her lip. "We could go for a walk." Sasuke seemed to consider this for a moment.
"Will you carry me?" Sasuke looked at Takara with tear flooding eyes and Takara blinked and smiled to pull him close.
"Of course." Standing up, Takara walked over to the door and slipped into some sandals. Sasuke held onto her tightly and rested his head in the crook of her neck. Takara held onto him and walked out the door. They started into the village and many people expressed sadness as they recognized the youngest Uchiha. Sasuke buried his face in Takara's chest and tried to block them out. Suddenly Takara stopped and Sasuke looked up to see why. Takara was wearing a sad expression as she looked at the small playground. Parents were hurriedly leading their little ones away while one boy was left behind. He sat at the edge of the slide and tried to avoid all the glares sent his way. Once he thought everyone was gone, he cried. He broke down and sobbed, pulling his knees to his chest and burying his face away. Takara just watched this before turning to Sasuke.
"Sasuke, do you know that boy?" Sasuke thought over this for a moment before carefully shaking his head 'no'. Takara turned back to the boy and sighed. Her eyes looked at him with sorrow, and Sasuke recognized the look. She had given him the same one. Sasuke laid his head against her chest again and watched. Takara continued walking forward. The boy stopped crying, aware that someone else was near. Sasuke looked up and watched as Takara smiled. He didn't understand why, but Sasuke was immediately filled with jealousy. She was his Takara. His. Not this other boy's, but his. She was assigned to care for him, and Sasuke looked from the other boy to Takara few times before he pulled himself back into Takara.
"Sasuke… Be nice. What's your name, little guy?" Takara watched as the little boy sniffled and wiped away some tears.
"N-Naruto. Who are you?" He asked as if Takara were going to hurt him. Takara smiled at him.
"I'm Takara. I was assigned to help a little one feel better. I don't think anyone would mind if I stayed with you though." Sasuke held onto Takara tighter as if to protest. HE minded! Takara was rightfully his. She had been assigned to him. Not this, Naruto. Takara glanced down at him. Rolling her eyes, Takara grasped Naruto's hand and stood him up. Sitting where he was, she pulled him into her lap where Sasuke sat as well. Sasuke refused to look at Naruto. Naruto was unsure about all of this. He had never had someone invite him into their lap before, and as Takara pulled him close to her, it was a few moments before it registered that it was alright to hold onto her. Takara held onto both of the boys and rocked back and forth. She recognized the jealousy in Sasuke's actions, but said nothing. She mentally took on the task of comforting Naruto as well. She would put Sasuke to sleep that night and go out shopping. On her way she would stop to speak with the hokage to ask him about Naruto and why she hadn't been assigned him as well, either previously or at the same time. She didn't think anything could go wrong. After an extended period of time both boys began to fall asleep. Takara decided that instead of wait, she could go now, while there would be little protest. Slowly standing up, Takara held onto both boys. With one heavy child on either hip, Takara started over to Hokage tower. She quietly requested to speak to the third hokage and once it was relayed who was here she was let right in. She thanked the man who opened the door for her and once she focused on the third she noticed his amused expression.
"Hokage, I was out on a walk with Sasuke when I found Naruto. Why was he left alone? Why did all the parents hurry their kids away from him? Where are his parents?" The hokage seemed to think this over for a short time.
"Naruto is an orphan, and he was never assigned someone like Sasuke was, because no one would take the job."
"I would have. I can take care of both of them. It won't be a problem." Naruto shifted on her hip and grasped her shirt tighter. Takara hushed him and whispered and cooed to him until he once again rested.
"I wouldn't ask you to care for both of them, it's far too much." The hokage looked at her with a sad expression. Takara locked her gaze to check if the statement was valid. She blinked a few times before opening her mouth to respond.
"I'll do it anyway. You don't have to pay me anything more than you already planned to. I want to care for both of them."
"Takara,"
"It's important to me Hokage-sama. I can't leave Naruto all by himself, it wouldn't be right." Takara turned to leave, but before she reached the door she stopped. "And knowing that they will be attached to me, I'd like to watch over them as they grow up. Mother them, you know?" Takara watched the door for a moment expecting to be laughed off.
"You're more than welcome too, as long as you continue to take missions."
"Of course. Thank you Hokage-sama, I won't let you down." Takara walked out the door as the Hokage watched. It warmed his heart to see someone who didn't despise Naruto. He thought over how Takara would care for both of them, but resigned to not worrying about it. Takara was a smart girl, she would figure it out.
As Takara walked down the street back to her home she held onto the boys. They had both fallen into a deep rest, and Takara wanted to lay down as well. She thought maybe she would nap with them and think over what to make for them when they woke. As she walked through the doors, Takara kicked off her sandals and walked right into the bedroom. She carefully laid down the boys and crawled under the covers with them. They cuddled closer to her instinctually at the warmth and Takara smiled. She yawned and closed her eyes to rest. Within a short time she fell asleep as well. Sasuke wasn't awoken by any nightmares and Naruto slept soundly with someone to hold him. Takara was only plagued by what to make for a dinner. She was still not entirely sure what either boy liked, but figured they couldn't be too picky. All had a restful nap and both boys were happy to find that Takara was still holding onto them when they woke.
As weeks went by Takara kept watching over Naruto and Sasuke. Both boys secretly competed for her love, but Takara had plenty to go around. Once it was deemed she had finished her original mission Takara was paid and continued on to other missions. She always brought back something to show the boys. Small things, like a jar of wave water. An interestingly shaped stone and a leaf were the most common things she brought. Naruto and Sasuke would walk over to her home and walk right in to see if she was home resting from a mission. She would try to gather them, but sometimes she was so exhausted they had to walk over themselves. There was an unspoken rivalry between the boys. They knew there was only one Takara and each wanted all her love for themselves. Takara would always stop this when she caught it, but she wouldn't always. The boys took to Takara like another mother, and she might as well have been one. It lasted a month, before it shattered.
The boys had come to see if Takara was home and walked in. Looking around, no lights were on, and the bed was as she had left it. This puzzled the boys. She was never away for more than a day, and it had already been two. Not knowing what to do, Sasuke climbed onto the windowsill that Takara had fallen asleep with him on. Naruto carefully climbed onto the bed and curled up on the sheets. After a while, they both fell asleep. The next morning there was still no sign of Takara. The boys would glare at each other, silently blaming that it was their fault. But as the days passed on, and they kept coming back, it slowly became apparent that Takara would not come back to them. As this realization hit, the boys climbed into their respective places, thought of their favorite memories with her, and cried. It was some time before they were retrieved by the third hokage and led out of Takara's home. Naruto looked back and watched as they locked her ever open doors and closed all the blinds. More tears escaped him. The one person to show him true affection; to show him was true love felt like, was gone. Sasuke couldn't bear to glance back. He knew what they were doing. They had done it to so many homes in his district. Both knew deep in their hearts that it wasn't their fault, but they still blamed each other.
Years later as Naruto and Sasuke stood on the same team, the rivalry that had been so miniscule when they were younger, had grown. They were on the same team, at twelve years old and still thought about their makeshift mother. Naruto wished every night she would come back. To this day, he would pray she would return, embrace him and pick on how big he'd gotten. He never had someone care for him like she had. He relished what fragments he could recall and dreamed about what she must look like now. Naruto would cry out for her in the months afterward. Now, it was a mumble in his dreamless sleeps. Sasuke thought about her. He thought about how much like his mother she was. He would have other people to care about him, but none like her. She was special, she was his. There were nights when he would wake in the pitch black night and expect her to be there combing through his hair that special way she did. He would dream about her and her loving embrace. He wished in the days afterward that she would come back and explain that she was sorry for keeping him waiting. Neither boy was ever told exactly what had happened to Takara, but they both knew deep in their hearts that she was gone. They wanted to deny it, but it was true. Their beloved Takara would never return to them.
They were out on a mission and Sasuke looked into the woods. He squinted at a young woman wearing pale clothing and gracefully walking through the woods. He stood and watched her, unsure of what to do. Naruto walked over to find what he was looking at and was stopped short as well. The woman looked to them and they could she was approximately eighteen or nineteen. She pushed some of her dark brown hair out of her eyes and smiled at the boys. She whispered something to herself. Sasuke thought he could make out what she had said. "My little boys." They stood there in awe, it didn't seem possible. The young woman blew a kiss and in the instant that they blinked she was gone.
"Sasuke-kun, what's wrong?" Sakura asked from behind. Sasuke just shook his head and looked over to Naruto. Both boys began a glaring match and it was evident they had the same thing on their minds.
"That was for me!"