Yo, sorry about the whole repeat update fiasco a few weeks ago.
By the way, I have not acquired the rights to Naruto since the last chapter.
Mikoto grabbed a bucket from the corner of the kitchen and began to fill it with water.
"Mother, is all well?" inquired Itachi.
"Your father is just feeling a bit under the weather. Nothing to worry about." replied Mikoto, with a genuine smile adorning her face.
Having filled her bucket, Mikoto returned to their bedroom, smiling at her two sons.
"Itachi, help me train!" Sasuke returned to his pleading, now that the tense air was gone.
"Not now, but soon." replied Itachi as he poked Sasuke in the forehead, his eyes following Mikoto back to the master bedroom.
With the Harunos
The setting sun shone upon the pair walking, holding their ice cream cones. Spotting a empty bench, the taller figure - presumably the father- pulled his daughter into the seat beside him. As they sat there, enjoying the sweet treat, the smaller figure turns to her father, and scrunches her face into a figure of adorable confusion.
"Sakura, what's wrong?" replied the father, knowing that the face meant she was confused, but didn't want to ask.
"Can I be a ninja?" responded Sakura, with surprising timidness. "Of course, honey, you can do anything you put your mind to!" replied her father, curious as to why his daughter was acting so unlike herself.
"But your leg, daddy..." murmured Sakura, referring to the leg he had lost the war, and which had ended his shinobi career.
"Heh, look where I am without a leg! Sakura, this is not an decision that should made with haste. Sleep on it, and if that is your decision, we'll go get you registered. How about that?" he replied with smirk, as he wrapped his hand around her.
"Daddy! responded Sakura, as she leaped into his lap. Ignoring the freezing cold ice cream in his lap, he held her to his chest as though he was telling goodbye.
'Because one day, I might not get to.'
At the academy
A shrill ring echoed through the academy's hallway, and the rumble of a crowd soon followed it. As the children rushed out of their classrooms, Naruto slowly awoke from his nap, disoriented and groggy.
The sea of students stepped over his lying body in their haste to leave. One young aspiring ninja was not as observant. She, not noticing the new doormat, tripped over him and subsequently, dropped all of her equipment on to the time-traveler.
Naruto shot up, clenching his torso in a protective manner. "Ahh, sorry about that." quirped Tenten, as the Kyuubi's powers slowly healed Naruto. Naruto began to collect her tools, even as she insisted that he rest.
"So, I don't think I know you. What's your name?" Naruto inquired as he returned her tools to her.
'Why does a first-DAY student even have equipment?' Naruto absently wondered, as the weapons girl introduced herself as Tenten.
They both began to leave the school complex when Asuma drops down from the surrounding trees in front of the duo. After a quick exchange of introductions, Naruto and Asuma leave together.
"So, who is your 'friend'?" teased Asuma, using air quotes as they walked home.
"Tenten." replied Naruto, thoroughly unamused by Asuma's insinuations.
At the Uchiha household
"Quick, you there, go get reinforcements from the hospital!" Uchiha head medic Mai called out to one of the shinobi standing guard.
Behind her, a crowd of medics buzzed around the frail body of the Uchiha clan head, Fugaku Uchiha. The sudden illness of Fugaku baffled even the most experienced of them. While they could treat the symptoms, it was almost as if his heart was giving up.
Meanwhile, the Uchiha guard who was sent to inform the hospital ripped a paper seal from his forehead, and his from shimmered to reveal that he was one of the Uchiha elders, Taiku.
'They always thought I was too much like a Senju. Guess it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. Traitors should not be surprised to find traitors among their midst.' With that thought, he shunshined away.
Soon, the hospital was informed by more loyal Uchiha and they rushed to the Uchiha patriarch. Alas, they seemed to be too late. By the time they got there, they could only help ease his dying pains.
As the Uchiha grieved the loss of their leader, the Sandaime and his detail entered the Uchiha residence seeking to console the grieving.
'If they only knew how lucky they were ... Still, the root may fight against this branch that turns against the trunk.'
A.N. Please leave a review.