Disclaimer: We don't own Naruto!
Author's Notes: Hi guys! This is a remake of our original story, New Leaves. We've included more characters and the storyline's been changed recently. This is second generation stuff, so hopefully you'll like it!
Prologue
Weary blue eyes flitted up to the clock on the wall, widening in processing what they saw. The only sound in the stuffy office was the scratching sound his pencil made as he made slow, monotonous ticks on paper after paper. Endless layers of paper. Just what he was looking forward to when he applied for the job.
"And that's the fortieth person promoted to jonin since last night," he murmured, running a hand through his spiky, blonde hair. He straightened his back, satisfied at hearing a few clicks as he stretched. If it weren't for his wife and years of incessant training prior to landing the role as Rokudaime Hokage, he was sure he would've resembled a member of a particular clan of the village.
He was through with promoting his seventeenth chunin when his office door swung open, making way for an equally weary Nara Shikamaru.
"Oye, Naruto," he drawled lazily, eyes drooping. "Your wife was calling you."
The sudden fright that he felt spread throughout his very being overwhelmed the exhaustion he was feeling earlier. He placed his pencil down and looked up, eyes wide. "Sakura-chan? Is she okay?"
"She's fine," Shikamaru stifled a yawn with the back of his right hand before taking a seat on the chair in front of him. "Although I doubt you'll be once you get home."
"Urusai!"
"Just making a plain observation."
Naruto shook his head, stacking the files against one another in chronological order. His mind wasalready turning to mush as he took in the unchecked pile that lay against his desk in the corner. He took a deep breath and opened up the first file on top, feeling nauseated as he took in the information. Too much information for him to take in. Especially at this hour. Five a.m. was getting to be too much for him.
"I'll do it."
Naruto's head snapped up, frowning weirdly at Shikamaru. "Eh?"
"I said I'll do it," he muttered, reaching out for the file. "Don't make me repeat it again. I've got this troublesome migraine. So just say your thanks and leave me in peace."
"Shikamaru …"
The Nara began sharpening the overly-used, blunt pencil, shaking his head. "Just go home. Sakura was waiting. And you'll get your rest cause' the twins are sleeping."
"They are?"
Immediately, he felt his lips stretch into a smile. Nothing pleased him more than to spend time with his children. It wasn't easy for him to abandon them through most hours of the day but he made sure to make up for all those hours during the time he did spend with them. Despite his exhaustion, the sight of his son and daughter brought a smile to his face. The happiness he felt was something he found hard to express. It was unimaginable.
Shikamaru smiled, "You better hurry it up. You won't get decent rest if they wake up. Trust me … I know."
"I'm on it!" Naruto laughed, grabbing his weapon pouch from where it lay on his cluttered desk. He raised a hand in farewell and quickly made his way out of the office, feeling a stroke of guilt at leaving his friend in literal Hell on earth.
It took him less than five minutes to get home. Silence met him upon his entrance and he stood there for a while, enjoying it while it lasted. Which wasn't for long. Immediately he heard a small cry come from within the nursery and he slipped off his sandals swiftly before hurrying over, automatically stepping aside toys scattered here and there.
As his eyes adjusted to glow of the nightlight in the corner of the room, he saw a small figure standing upright in her cot. He grinned and walked closer, hands outstretched. "Hey, baby … what're you doing up so early?"
Out of the two girls in his life, this one was by far the cheekiest. She knew just what to do to reduce him to a pile of mush. It was safe to say that she had him wrapped around her little finger. This was his daughter. Uzumaki Sachiko.
He picked her up and held her close, looking into eyes the exact shade of his own. He felt her immediately relax in his grip and smiled as she laid her head on his shoulder, mumbling words only she knew. Her pink curls tickled his chin and he raised a hand to stroke them soothingly. "Daijobu, Sachiko-chan … shhhh .."
She snuffled a little before closing her small fist around his collar, closing her eyes tightly. She was sleeping soundly again in a matter of seconds. He kissed her forehead before laying her back gently into her cot, tucking her in properly. His smile never left his face as he moved from her cot to the other one, on the opposite end of the room. His day wasn't complete without this one either. His son. Uzumaki Masato.
He grinned down at the toddler, eyes wandering from his blonde hair that matched his own, to his face. His eyelids were moving gently, making Naruto wonder what he was dreaming about. He held in his arms a patched toy that resembled a cross between an elephant and a tiger. This was a gif that Tsunade had specially stitched up herself. Naruto chuckled as he remembered the glint in Masato's wide green eyes as he first saw him. The pair was inseparable since then. He bent down and gently kissed his son's forehead before ruffling his hair gently. Unlike Sachiko, Masato was a deep sleeper. He could sleep through any one of his mother's tantrums.
"Naruto?"
Speak of the devil. Still grinning, Naruto looked towards the entrance to find his wife leaning against the doorframe. She was clad in a red silk dressing gown that he had bought for her from his last trip to Suna. Her signature pink hair was loose, framing her face perfectly. Just the way he loved it. That, coupled with the loving look she sent to him across the room made him want to pull her into his arms then and there. He was seriously the luckiest man alive.
Naruto never had trouble protecting his children from kidnappers but it was sure as hell scary. It frightened him to no end, think about his son and daughter in danger but thankfully that was never the cause.
The only time he had truly felt helpless was when he went away for a meeting with the Mizukage during which there was a kidnap attempt on the twins. The meeting was disrupted hallways by the message and he was on the brink of a nervous breakdown. He was unable to remain calm until his return to Konoha, where he was confirmed the safety of his children by holding them in his arms.
He was later informed that twins would've been taken away,had it not been for a woman. A single, newly-appointed shinobi. This was someone Naruto knew very little about, save the history of her family and her reason for moving into the village. She was also the reason for which the elders of the village frowned down upon Naruto. Their trust in his judgement had decreased solely because of her.
It was a few months prior to the kidnapping that Naruto was immediately called to the gates to attend to an urgent matter. There were seven people in total requesting him to grant them entry into Konoha. It was bound to be futile. Yhey were requesting entry into the most powerful village out of all five. This obviously brought them under the scrutiny of the village council. The state they were in did little to ease the scorn that was directed at them. There clothes were bloodied and they looked like they had been dragged through hell and back. Which, Naruto assumed, they probably were. The person who was leading the group was the same woman who rescued his children. Her name was Ayanamei Miyako.
After listening to her story, he came to a decision. One that would weigh heavily on his shoulders for the rest of the days as Hokage. Against the wishes of the elders, he granted them entry into the village as citizens. He realised they needed protection. What he learned from her was useful in determining the political position of Konoha in the world. The place her clan originated from housed one of the most destructive sources of power known. After the tailed beasts, Naruto had come to acknowledge the particular object as a weapon of destruction. The Ayanamei clan, Miyako had told him, was bent on using this weapon to increase their position in the shinobi world at all costs. She, along with a few others had opposed the clan and their ways. She had lost her husband trying to break free. And it was this very weapon that she had brought to Konoha.
Authors Note: Okay so we know its pretty short. Most characters will be introduced the further we go into the story. And youll find out why the Ayanameis are so important in the village too!
Ja ne!