Queen's Daughter
Naruto had planned to play the fool. He suspected otherwise, but for her safety, the Uzumaki chose to hold his tongue. He wanted to protect Sara's daughter… because she was his daughter as well. In the form of ten truths. Past Sara x Naruto
xxxxxx
xxxxxx
1. She looked painfully like her mother. There were hints of his face in the roundness of her cheeks, the curve of her ears, the pale yellow highlights of her red hair- minor details, easily overlooked unless you personally seeked them. Her hair wasn't the the blood red of the Uzumaki, and the painfully shy smiles gave no indication of her father's exuberance. Dark violet eyes shone with the same determination and brilliance he had so admired in her mother, but her posture wasn't as regal, as noble as Sara's had been. Youko didn't look very much like Naruto, which pained and relieved him in turns, because if she did, it would be even more irrefutable proof that she was hers.
(He shouldn't have even been able to remember her, really, but there are unexpected benefits to having a Bijuu locked inside of your head).
2. Youko's favorite color was orange, and her goal in life was to inherit the will of her mother and keep protecting her kingdom's people. Sometimes the proof lied a little below the surface.
3. Sara had told her about him. Youko spoke of a hero her mother had so admired, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed ninja, who appeared out of nowhere. A man with hair like sunlight and eyes like the sea, that spawned the dual-meaning of her own name. She spoke of courage and strength, and Naruto listened quietly as she told the story of her mother's ascension to the throne, a tale he knew more intimately than he could ever reveal. She showed him a rusted chakra blade, pridefully proclaiming it to be her greatest treasure, and Naruto grinned, and acted immature, and complained about losing his own. But for all Youko spoke of him, she never once knew his identity or that her father was a coward. He left her to the stories because sometimes a lie would be a better model than the truth.
4. It wasn't just because of Akatsuki. Naruto didn't want to bring danger upon Sara's daughter- his daughter, his child- of course, but he also didn't want to reveal the truth. It was partially because he was scared- of disappointing Tsunade, and Jiraiya, and his daughter- but also because it would be better for her to not be associated with an inexperienced teenage jinchuuriki father. She was undeniably provided for, with wealth and legacy secured by Sara, and dozens of retainers who would lay down their lives for her. She had a rich heritage and proof of illegitimacy, now only whispers, would provide problems for her. She was accustomed to living without a father, and Naruto was sure she would be better off without him. He resolved to leave her alone.
5. His resolve lasted all of two days. Naruto had been faltering from the choice. He had grown up alone and wanted desperately to get to know his daughter. She was likely to be the only child he would have. He was jinchuuriki. What woman would feel safe marrying him, always under the shadow of the prison he bared? And Naruto remembered lonely days from his childhood, wishing to know the identity of his parents. He didn't want Youko to suffer from that.
For all the stories her mother wove her of a mysterious blonde savior, not once had Sara slipped and replaced 'hero' with 'friend', and 'friend' with 'lover'. But he wasn't sure how to approach the subject, so he sought counsel from a person who was wise, accepting, and discrete.
6. Gaara had floundered a bit, but acknowledged the truth of his story, due to his own faith in the Uzumaki. Naruto was grateful for his nonjudgmental reaction, and the surprising amount of initiative he showed in the matter. Sara's lands rested at the edge of the Land of Wind, and Gaara's help was vital for securing a contract for a client kingdom from the Daimyo. The Kazekage personally delivered the treaty into the hands of the future Queen of Roran.
When his daughter learned that they were friends, and that it was Naruto's intervention that led to this result, she tackled him into a hug. The spontaneous, personal burst of affection offered by an embarrassed Youko warmed Naruto's heart. She had definitely inherited that from him.
7. Youko had no intention of becoming a ninja, so Naruto should get around to siring more children. Perhaps with that attractive priestess, Shion, or that smoking hot kunoichi he had been engaged to, Shizuka. Or so Jiraiya said, after Naruto had confessed the truth to him. The spymaster was glib, but Naruto could read the concern and anger brewing under the surface.
"Just say it," Naruto sighed, looking steadily into dark brown eyes, "You know you want to."
His sensei definitely didn't hold back.
When he was done denouncing every last stupid decision Naruto had made in the last five years, Jiraiya relented, and told him that he was similar to another idiot blonde he knew. Apparently his father also had a thing for stubborn, temperamental redheads with special chakra abilities. Naruto wasn't quite sure what to say to that.
8. Tsunade's reaction was surprisingly tame after that.
"You time travelled to a period before the Third Shinobi War, met your father, defeated a puppet army, seduced a Queen, and now have an illegitimate royal daughter running around Wind Country? This, Naruto, is why I don't send you on A-ranked missions."
9. Youko's reaction gave him a minor heart attack.
"-and then my father sealed the Ryumyaku, and Yamato and I were transported back into the future. And I can't say I spent more than a few days with your mother, but I did admire her courage and devotion to her people. I would really like to try to get to know you-"
"I know."
"...What?"
"Even Grandfather couldn't erase the memories of the entire crowd of women and children who saw you fight for Roran."
"So all this time…"
"I'm sorry for the deception, but I would really like to get to know you too."
She was definitely her mother's daughter.
10. It wasn't easy. Naruto had no idea how to be a father, and Youko had only learned of him through bedtime stories and wistful recollections. She had been offered the ideal of a hero, and while those words were true, they didn't give the story of messy dining etiquette, or spontaneous declarations of becoming the Hokage, or meticulous weeding of delicate flowers. And Naruto wasn't sure how to approach a pre-teen girl, only five years his junior, who loved to draw elaborate mechanical designs, and thought that ramen was okay, but nothing special, and watched every single ghost horror film in the market, even the shoddy B-rated ones.
They just agreed that orange was the best color ever, and decided to start off from there.
xxxxxx