Ayame Uchiha sat at home, biting her lip and staring fixedly at the wall. If she didn't move, maybe he wouldn't notice her there. A sliding noise behind her made her stiffen, but otherwise she gave away no sign that she even realized the golden-haired man was there. The genjutsu Daddy'd taught her was wearing off quickly though – somehow she'd managed to get her mommy's low chakra reserves. Her demon had yet to show itself, so that left her with even less chakra to call on, especially since she was still only a child. 'Really' she thought, 'I'm not even remotely special so Naruto-sama should just leave me alone.'
Naruto apparently didn't agree. She could see his reflection in the glass out of the corner of her eye. If she concentrated just a little harder she could see his expression – lips quirked up in amusement. Unconsciously, her nose wrinkled. What could be so funny? She certainly wasn't laughing. The guy her mammy and daddy had just gone out to kill was standing right behind her! What did that mean for Mommy and Daddy?
Naruto watched the child's face go through a wide range of emotions, cautiously allowing a slight smile to seep out of his normally cold façade. He'd seen Sakura and Sasuke leave just a few minutes earlier. There was a good chance that they'd kill Hinata. For half a second his smile vanished as his eyes flickered. Then it returned, stronger than before, and he turned their child around.
During the brief moment in which their eyes met, he noted with more than a little surprise the fully mastered sharingan reflecting his image. Then she was ducking out of his grasp and darting towards the door. He didn't move – if she had that level of Sharaingan, she'd realize that her way was blocked long before she ran into the deadly traps he'd left for intruders. Should she fail to notice . . . oh well.
Ayame did notice, but she didn't stop running. Part of it was that she had an idea, but more than that, she couldn't stop. She'd been trained from birth to fear this man and couldn't stop now just because of a few measly wires. Sqeezing her eyes shut she turned just slightly to the left, aiming for a small gap between traps. She'd probably be ripped to shreds, but that was a problem for later. For now she just had to escape.
That plan had one vital flaw – a large blonde man looming over her and scooping her up halfway to the door. She pounded weakly on his chest, trying to escape, but he just stood there and took it. She glared at him, willing her hands to form claws, but he didn't so much as wince as her meager abilities scratched at him. Finally, she relaxed completely, hoping he'd think she was dead. No such luck.
When she "came to" he was still holding her and shaking his head. "I'm not gonna hurt you, so you can stop trying to get away," he said with a laugh.
Ayame eyed him suspiciously, weighing his actions so far against her parents' words. "But you're Naruto-sama. You tried to kill Mommy. You DID kill Daddy."
"They're still alive."
Blinking, Ayame nodded slowly. "I guess so. But still, I don't like you. You hurt Mommy and Daddy a lot. They said you used to be good and now you're with the black-haired man."
"The black-haired man? Do you mean Orochimaru?"
The girl nodded, disgust spreading across her face. "Why did you let him try to eat your face? I mean, it looks weird enough when Mommy and Daddy do it, but you're both boys and he's old and evil." She thought about that for a moment, then amended, "Well, I guess he's got long enough hair to be a girl, and you're evil too, but he's still old."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You think I was kissing Orochimaru."
Her nod held the air of a child who knows they're right and isn't about to let the matter drop until the other admits it.
For a minute Naruto just stood there, trying not to picture such a scene. Then his eyes widened as he realized what she'd seen. As soon as that thought came, he put together others, churning out an image that squeezed his face into a grimace. He quickly set the girl down, banishing the thought from his mind. "Well, she'll be dead soon. I didn't really like her anymore – Hinata's changed too much." He paused, considering the prospect. "I'm tired. If your parents come home, tell them I'm here. I won't fight them."
With that, Ayame watched as her parents mortal enemy slipped into their bedroom and closed the door. Seconds later she heard the sound of gagging and water running.
When her parents burst through the door, Ayame had convinced Naruto to play ninja with her. She currently had him pinned to the floor with a dull kunai and was bouncing on his stomach, screaming with laughter as he tickled her. Sakura and Sasuke stopped in shock. Naruto, noticing them first, gently moved Ayame aside and stood. "Cute kid. I didn't really think the two of you'd make good parents, but she looks like she turned out fine."
Sakura was the first to react, restraining Sasuke before he could regain movement. Studying the blue eyes gazing earnestly at her, she dipped her head in a small bow. "It's an honor to see you here, Naruto-sama, but your presence worries me. Please, don't hurt Ayame." A wicked green aura closed over her. "I promise you won't like the results."
Sasuke's glare intensified. "Ayame, come here."
Their child shook her head, smiling up at Naruto. "Na-uh! If I do that you'll hurt Naruto-chan. He's not bad anymore though. He said he's turning himself in to us." She grinned. "I'm supposed to watch him and make sure he doesn't do anything gross like kiss Orochimaru-baka again. Right?"
Naruto nodded slightly and bowed. "Happy Valentine's Day Sakura-chan. I know it's a bit unconventional, but can I give myself over to you now? I really don't want to wait till White Day."
Sakura glanced at Sasuke. This certainly was the strangest day.
Author's Note: Ummm… Yeah. I meant to make a blood covered fic for V-Day, but I ended up with a sequal thingie. Jeez.
