This story is strictly for entertainment purposes only. I don't own anything. (Yet...)

Prologue

"Ouch!" a voice cried out in agony. "Mom!"

"Oh no!"

The smaller figure fled to safety behind her mother. "I not mean to mommy!" the young girl whined. The woman could only sigh. It was much too early for their shenanigans. She looked ahead to see her eldest holding his hand in pain. He held a kunai in the other while blood steadily dripped from the fresh wound.

"What happened?" she sighed.

"That little brat is what happened!" the boy sneered. "She took one of my Kunai. Again!"

The woman glanced down at her youngest who was doing her best to vanish from sight. "Well young lady?"

The small girl's features held a troubled expression. "I just wanted to be ninja like Aniki!" she whined. The woman took a deep, steady breath. It wasn't even nine and they were already causing trouble. "Come here, let me see," she called out to her son. The boy complied and carefully shuffled over to his mother. She gently took his hand in her own, careful not to aggravate the wound. It was a good sized gash, but nothing some salve and gauze couldn't fix.

As she reached around into her pouch to retrieve her medical supplies, she caught sight of her daughter peeking out from behind her leg. "And what have I told you little miss?" she asked as she tended to her son's injury. If she had to guess, he cut his hand on the blade of the kunai trying to get it back from his sister.

"When I get bigger…" the girl said sullenly. She knew she messed up big time. "But Mama and Aniki are so cool! I jus-"

"No buts!" her mother interrupted. "I've told you time, and time again that kunai and shuriken aren't toys. What if your brother had gotten seriously hurt?" she chided. She glanced behind her to see remorse spread across the child's features, tears threating to spill from her eyes. With a sigh, she finished bandaging her son's hand and picked up her daughter. She set her down next to her brother and knelt down to their level.

"Now, now," she said wiping away the fresh tears from the four year-old's eyes. "I know playing ninja is fun but these are only for big kids," the woman said holding up a kunai in her hand. "I'm sure if your brother wasn't so unthinking this could've all been avoided."

"What!?" The boy exclaimed.

"You heard me," his mother said, rising to her full height. "If you wouldn't have left you're your pouch open then your sister couldn't have gotten to them in the first place," she chided. "And you let a four year-old sneak up and disarm you. Looks like someone isn't taking his training all that seriously." She discreetly winked at her youngest, eliciting a giggle from the small girl.

"Wha…but.." The boy was too exasperated to form a coherent thought.

"Maybe I should train her instead. She would make quite the infiltration specialist…" The woman spoke thoughtfully as she mused over the idea.

"Mom! That's not fair!" the boy exclaimed. "You know how she is!"

"Okay, okay calm down," she laughed. "Don't you have something to say?" her gaze was directed down at her youngest. The girl sulked and turned to her brother. "I sorry Aniki," she said with outstretched arms. The boy crossed his arms over his chest did his best to remain stoic. Unfortunately, he spared his younger sibling a glance. It was in that brief moment that he spotted those shiny, almost sparkling green orbs staring up at him in expectation. The way she had her arms extended could only mean one thing.

'Troublesome little sister…' He groaned to himself. "I forgive you," he sighed as he crouched down. He heard her cry out in glee as a new weight landed on his back. He glanced up as his mother as her hoisted his sister onto his back. She was staring at them with an amused expression.

"What?" he inquired.

"Oh nothing," She said saccharinely, much to his annoyance. The woman could only smile as she gazed upon her children. His spiky, blonde locks jutted haphazardly, much like his father's, while her platinum curls danced in the wind. She glanced down the road and spotted a town in the distance.

"Hey I'll make you guys a bet," she said, piquing the young boy's interest. "Race you to the town ahead. If you win, I'll treat us to some ramen-"

"RAMEN!"

She flinched at the simultaneous exclamations. She could practically see the fantasies running amok through their little heads. "But," she continued, "If you lose we double your training for the next week. Since you can't seem to defend yourself from you little sister," she smirked.

"Mooooooom," The boy whined.

"And you've got some catching up to do. Don't drop Tsuki-chan," With that, the woman blurred from sight. The boy's jaw hung open as he watched his mother teleport away. He was brought out of his stupor by his sister slamming her tiny palm against his back, as if he were a mount. "Run Naruto! Mama get away!" The blonde clicked his teeth in annoyance as he took off after his mother.

Even in the early hours of the morning, the streets of Tanzaku Town were bustling with activity. The city sat deep within the Land of Fire and served as a hub for gambling opportunities and prostitution. A woman with flowing red hair slowly pushed her way through the crowd, trying her best to hide her disgust. This wasn't exactly the most ideal place to bring children, but it was her best chance of finding the drunkard.

"Mama!" Speaking of which, she turned at the sound of the shrill voice to spot her offspring. Tsuki was still mounted upon her brother's back, waving enthusiastically while Naruto huffed in exhaustion. The smaller blonde leapt to the ground with much more grace than you'd expect from a small child and sprinted at her mother. Kushina scooped the tiny bundle of energy into her arms, all the while showering her daughter with butterfly kisses.

"Ah! No Mama!" Tsuki squealed with delight. Naruto slowly made his way over to the two, finally having caught his breath. They were causing a scene in the middle of the street, much to his embarrassment, and they didn't even seem to care. "You cheated mom!" Naruto pointed an accusatory finger at his mother.

Kushina looked down at her eldest as she ceased he ministrations with her daughter. "Why Naruto, to accuse your own mother of duplicity? I'm cry," she teased as she brushed away non-existent tears. She and Tsuki both chuckled at the blonde's expense. "We get ramen now Mama?" Tsuki suddenly asked. Kushina sighed, as she was hoping that the young girl would forget. That was wishful thinking on her part considering it was their favorite food. Even she could not deny the savory cuisine that was a gift from the gods.

"CAN we get some ramen," Kushina corrected. The child's grammar was still a work in progress. Tsuki was had been talking ever since she could form syllables. "And I don't know, your brother did lose our bet after all," She replied, ignoring her son's cries of treachery. Tsuki scratched her chin as she thought to herself. "Aniki to slow. Me and Mama get ramen right?" she asked jovially.

"You little brat!" Naruto sneered.

"Mama! Naruto being mean again!" Tsuki cried out as she wedge her face in her mother's hair. "She's right you know. The deal was that you had to win, which you didn't. I don't see why Tsuki-chan and I have to suffer," Kushina grinned. Naruto stared at his mother flabbergasted. It didn't help that the little troll attached to her hip was blowing raspberries at him.

"But….that's not fair!" he exclaimed.

"Life's not fair Naru-chan, especially that of a ninja," was her reply. Naruto was about to retort when he heard a voice behind him.

"I thought I heard a pack of Uzumakis."

He turned to see a woman grinning at them. She was of average height with brown eyes and waist-length blonde hair with shoulder-length bangs framing both sides of her face. She wore a grass-green haori with the kanji for "gamble" written in black on the back, inside a red circle. Underneath she was wearing a grey, kimono-style blouse with no sleeves, held closed by a broad, dark bluish-grey obi that matched her pants. Her blouse was closed quite low, revealing her sizeable cleavage. Her feet were adorned with open-toed, strappy black sandals with high heels and red polish on both her fingernails and toenails. She also wore a soft pink lipstick.

"Baa-chan!" Tsuki screamed. Kushina hadn't even noticed her daughter from her grasp. One moment she was hugged snuggly at her side, and the next she was in the older blonde's clutches. "There's my favorite grandchild," The woman said as she held Tsuki in a tight embrace. The woman was none other than The Hidden Leaf's Slug Princess and Legendary Sannin Tsuande. While she was busy coddling the smaller blonde, another woman stepped out from behind her. "Nice to see everyone again," she smiled.

She was a fair-skinned woman of average height and slender build with black eyes and shoulder-length hair with bangs that covered her ears and framed her face. She donned a long bluish-black kimono with white trimmings, held closed by a white obi, and open-toed sandals with low heels. Cradled to her chest was Tonton, Tsunade's pet pig .This woman was Shizune, Tsunade's apprentice.

Many years ago, Tsunade had left the Hidden Leaf after the Third Shinobi World war. The death of her younger brother Nawaki and lover Dan were too much to bare. Shizune was Dan's niece and with no other living relatives, she took it upon herself to look after the young girl. Over the course of a few years, Tsunade had trained Shizune in the Shinobi Arts and medical Ninjutsu, molding her into a fine kunoichi. In return, Shizune acted the Sannin's overseer.

Tsunade was notorious for her reputation as a terrible gambler, thus earning the title "The Legendary Sucker." The woman had incurred such a debt that she had yet to repay that most would've find themselves thrown behind bars long ago. It was only because of Shizune's wit and voice of reason that kept her mentor out of jail. That and the woman's colossal strength.

"Hey Shizune-neechan," Naruto said a bit dejectedly.

"What's the matter Naruto-kun?" Shizune queried. She wasn't used to seeing the jovial blonde so melancholy.

"He lost a bet and now his training will be double as a reward instead of ramen," Kushina explained, causing the brunette to nod in understanding. It was no secret as to how much the boy craved said meal.

"I thought the brat looked a bit under the weather," a new voice said.

They all turned to catch sight of the approaching man. He was an imposing, tall man with waist-length, spiky white hair usually tied back into a pony tail, with two shoulder-length bangs that framed both sides of his face. He also had red lines that ran down from his eyes and a noticeable wart on the left side of his nose. He was dressed in a green short shirt kimono and matching pants, under which he wore mesh armor that showed out of the sleeves and legs of his outfit. His outfit was completed with hand guards, a simple black belt, traditional geta, a red haori with two simple yellow circles on each side, and a scroll on his back. He wore a horned forehead protector with the kanji for "oil", denoting his affiliation with the toads of Mount Myōboku.

"Ero-sennin!" Naruto exclaimed in excitement. To must, the man was known as Jiraiya the Great Toad Sage and another of the Legendary Sannin. But to the younger blonde, he was nothing more than an old perverted hermit.

"Oi brat, when are you going to stop calling me that and show me the respect I deserve?" Jiraiya scolded.

"I don't know, when are you going to stop being sleazy pig?" Naruto huffed.

"Cheeky brat!"

"Old fart!"

"Degenerate imp!"

"Pevry geezer!"

"Despicab-"

"Boys, boys, you're both pretty!" Kushina interjected with a chuckle. Honestly, she didn't know whether to be disappointed in her son for antagonizing his godfather or the older man for stooping to the boy's level. But all witticisms aside, Kushina gazed upon the group before her with fondness in her eyes. They were family and she wouldn't have it any other way. Naruto and Jiraiya continued to glare before turning their back to one another, childishly folding their arms across their chests.

Jiraiya felt a tug on his pants and glanced down to see the pearliest set of teeth grinning at him. He could always count on little Tsuki brighten his mood. He scooped her off her feet and placed the small girl atop his shoulder, much to the tiny blonde's excitement.

"Cheer up Naruto," Tsunade said ruffling the boy's hair. "You don't want to be all gloomy your birthday of all days." That brought a smile to Naruto's face. Today he got to celebrate his tenth year of life with his family, something he'd been looking forward to all year. Ever since he could remember, he had been travelling the lands with his mother and sister and each year on his birthday they would meet up with his godparents here in Tanzaku Town. It was sort of a tradition.

"Right! Does that mean we can go get ramen now?" he turned towards his mother. Kushina gazed down at her son's pleading face. The little deviant thought he was being slick and that he could get out of the little bet. "Oh Please Mama? Pretty please?" Tsuki chimed in. Those sparkling emerald eyes always did make her heart melt. And it didn't help that their man-child of a godfather wore the same beseeching expression.

"Alright, alright," She sighed as three loud cries rang out. "But I'm still doubling your training," she quickly added.

"Ah man…" Naruto grumbled, his family all sharing a laugh at his expense.

"Finally…..sleep," Naruto moaned as he fell face first onto the bed. There was a quick pitter patter of feet across the floor and Naruto soon found a new weight on his back. "Oof!" he grunted as Tsuki landed on him. "Ow my back! Tsuki!" the blonde snarled. "Oopsy, sorry Aniki," the girl replied sheepishly as she slid off her brother.

Kushina walked in the room to see her children resting on the bed. Naruto was groaning about something or another while Tsuki tenderly rubbed his back. "You two aren't causing trouble again are you?" she queried.

"No!" her youngest quickly, cried out, making her even more suspicious. "I just rub Aniki back. He really tired," Tsuki half lied. Kushina could shake her head in amusement. She crossed the room and sat at the edge of the bed, pulling her daughter into her lap. "You two are really something else," she said.

"We love you too Mama," Tsuki giggled as she nuzzled her mother's hair. Naruto only grunted in agreement. Kushina reached over and ruffled the boy's hair, much to his ire. "Happy birthday son. Your father would be proud," She said, trying be best not to let the sadness show through her tone. Upon hearing that, Naruto raised himself into a sitting position. "Am I old enough now mom?" he asked.

Kushina could only sigh as she pulled her son into a hug, holding both of her children in a gentle embrace. Ever since Naruto could form a logical thought, he'd asked about his father. But she told him he'd have to wait until he was older. His father had a lot of enemies across the the Elemental Nations, most notably in the Land of Earth, and she had to make sure he could properly defend himself before she bestowed him with such knowledge.

"Not yet my love. Your father-"

"I know, I know," Naruto interrupted. "It's just that…" he trailed off. Kushina pulled him closer, sympathizing with her son. "Papa…" Tsuki said sullenly, doing her best to fight back tears as she held onto her mother like a lifeline. "Some days my lovelies, I promise," Kushina said as she planted a soft kiss on both their foreheads. "But until then you're stuck with just me."

Naruto mused over his mother's words as he fiddled with the small gem hanging from his neck. It was a finely crafted Crystal Gem that once belonged to the First Hokage. It was given to him today by Tsunade as gift. 'I believe in you brat. I'll be waiting to see what you can do.' His godmother's words echoed in his mind and further inspired him to be the greatest ninja the world has ever seen.

Thinking back on it, today had been his best birthday ever. His godmother gave him her most prized possession. Shizune had given him new sets of kunai and shuriken, seeing as his own were worn from consistent training. Tsuki gave him big, sloppy kisses for each year he'd turned. She has miscounted of course which made him chuckle. But the highlight of the day were the gifts he received from his mother and godfather. He gotten not one, but swords. The first was kodaichi given to him by his mother. The other two chakra-steel katana that Jiraiya had specially forged for him. The thought of Kenjutsu excited Naruto like no other, those he couldn't fathom wielding three blades at once. He'd heard tales of shinobi from the Land of Lightning accomplishing such a feat but it still seemed rather farfetched.

Kushina wasn't too happy that Jiraiya had gotten him something like this while he was still so young, but she wouldn't spoil her son's big day. There was also a part of her that was salty that the old pervert's gift overshadowed her own. She had explained to her son that she would teach him the ways of their clan's Kenjutsu style. He wouldn't learn the more advanced methods of dual wielding until she deemed him ready. And until that day, Jiraiya would hold onto his other swords.

Naruto was brought out of his thought by a loud yawn. He glanced over to see a heavy-eyed Tsuki trying her hardest to fight back the forces of sleep. "Looks like someone is all tuckered out," Kushina chuckled as she rose to her feet. "Nuh uh mama. I wide…awake…" Tsuki yawned as her mother carried her over to the head of the bed. "But I not sleepy Mama," the child whined as she was tucked in bed. Kushina smiled in amusement when she saw her daughter shut almost immediately when her head hit the pillow. "You should get some rest too," she said turning to her son. "We have a long trip ahead of us." He was too young to know who his father was, but she could at least show him their ancestral homeland.

"Yes ma'am," Naruto yawned. He had even realized just how tired he was. With a stretched, he leapt to his feet and approached his mother. "Thanks mom, for everything. I love you," he said encircling his arms around her waist. Kushina's heart warmed at the action and she returned his embrace. "And I love you too Naru-chan." Naruto's head snapped up and he stared at his mother with great displeasure. "Don't give me that look, you'll always be my little Naru-chan!" Naruto found himself being oppressed in his mother's clutches as she showered him with kisses. Kushina finally released the boy after much struggling on his part and amusement on her. She could hear him grumbling incoherently as he climbed into bed besides his sister. Almost immediately, Tsuki latched onto his side, clutching her brother as if he were a life line. It was the same every night and it didn't seem to bother Naruto as he too slipped into the land of dreams.

Kushina gazed upon her sleeping as a smile lit up her face. They were her little bundles of joy and meant the world to her. But she couldn't shake this feeling that had been haunting her all day. It was almost as if they were being watched. 'We'll head out at first light…' She thought to herself before retiring got the night.

And that's it for this time around. I really wanted to finish the original first but this came to me one night in my sleep and I figured what the hell. I do ask that you give me some time so that I can figure out to reincorporate everyone back into the story. Unlike last time (which most people didn't know because the A/N was erased) I'm actually starting with a plot in mind. Everything will pretty much remain the same (for the most part) but it'll be better explained this time around. Also if some has a better title I'm so open to opinions lol. You shall be properly credited.

And I think that's it...

Like, comment, subscri- oh wait wrong website.

R+R :D

(P.S. I could use a beta reader. I think faster than I type so a lot of mistakes just slip right under my nose, even when I go back to reread)