Hey all! Chapter two is here, and for those of you following my other story, I'm going to work on Chapter seven soon! Let me know what you think in a review, and please show your love with a follow or a favorite!


Ayano sat in her playpen, crying for someone to notice her. Over the past year, she had grown accustomed to moving from house to house, clan to clan. After wailing for a few moments, she stood, holding onto the edge and increasing the volume of her cries to get her older sister's attention.

Ino placed her pillow over her head, hoping that Ayano would calm down after a few moments. It was her first time really watching the baby alone, and she didn't know how to handle the kid's tears. Ayano didn't want to eat or play, she didn't have a dirty diaper, refused to go down for a nap, and whenever Ino tried holding her, the crying just seemed to get worse. With a scowl, she went downstairs, roughly picking up the baby.

And just like that, the crying stopped. Ino was shocked, but it was a very welcome surprise. Ayano snuggled into her older sister, relieved at the comfort that had finally been given to her.

Ino looked down at the baby. "If you wanted to be held, why didn't you let me hold you earlier?"

There wasn't a response, as Ayano had become fascinated with her sister's shirt.

The dynamics of the household were very different now, especially between Ino and her father. He had become very short tempered with her. Ino wasn't sure how she should feel about it; of course she loved her little sister, and understood that babies were treated differently than teenagers, but she just couldn't understand her father getting upset with her for the littlest things. It pissed her off that whenever she said anything, even one word, he seemed to blow up. He said something about preparing her for the real world, but she felt as if he was simply taking out his frustration on her. She wasn't just on his hit list- she was his hit list! With a shake of the head, she turned to look at her sister.

Ino adjusted Ayano so that she was resting on her hip, when the doorbell rang.

Sakura stood on the doorstep. "Hey Ino, I wanted to know if you felt like hanging out right now? My parents are getting on my nerves, you know?"

Ino sighed. "I wish I could, but I'm babysitting right now." Ayano kept fumbling with the button on the pocket of Ino's shirt, trying to open it yet not successful in the least bit.

Sakura shrugged. "I don't mind staying here- anywhere but home is fine."

Ino stepped aside, letting her friend inside. "What is it this time?"

Sakura sat on the couch, placing her head in her hands. "My Dad just told me that my uncle was moving in, five days from now."

"Are you kidding me?! Your uncle gave five days notice?! What the Hell is wrong with him?"

Sakura teared up a little. "That's what I said, but my Dad sent me on a guilt trip, saying I was being a selfish brat, and that at least my uncle isn't doing drugs or anything. But it's not just him- he has three kids and a yappy little dog, too."

Ino shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Sakura, really. I'd love to help, but I don't know what you want me to do about it. I can't just walk in and kick your uncle out, you know?"

"I know that, but it's just, I wanted to vent. I don't hate him or anything, but I really don't want to live with him. He doesn't do anything, and that's why I'm so upset about this whole thing. He's so lazy, he smells, he breathes really loudly, and all his kids do all day is watch fucking Disney channel! God, it just pisses me off, and I just wish I was eighteen so I could move out already!"

"Yeah, having a new person in the house is a big adjustment, that's for sure. I hate it when they get into your stuff, destroy your clothes, whine all the time, and you have to babysit them for free. But sometimes, it can be worthwhile." Ayano smiled at her older sister, and Ino smiled back.

Sakura looked at them, slightly envious. Ino always had such a glamorous life, and she was beautiful, too. She was the heir to the Yamanaka clan- a well-known, respectable lineage, with much wealth to offer. There were opportunities presented to Ino that had never been presented to Sakura. Yeah, Ino had to work at the flower shop and babysit her sister, but to Sakura, it was better than having her parents harp on her for not achieving as much as others and dealing with the situation she was in now.

Sakura had always wanted a sister to play with. Her childhood was really lonely, up until she had met Ino. Truth be told, Sakura wanted an older sister, one who had the know-how on everything, and who could take her shopping, and someone who she could get her nails done with. Although Ino had very little patience, she was the epitome of what Sakura wanted in an older sister, and Sakura was envious of what Ayano had.

"You're lucky, Ino, to have someone who looks up to you so much. In fact, you have an entire clan that will look up to you one day, too."

Ino turned to her friend, compassion in her eyes. Sakura was always jealous of her, and truth be told, Ino knew she had a better life than the other girl. Yeah, there were a lot of responsibilities on her shoulders, but with those responsibilities came prestige and recognition from others. Suddenly, she had an idea.

"Sakura, are you generally free on weekend mornings? We have a shift available, if you want. You could make some extra money, and get out of your house for a little while."

Sakura mulled the thought over. "Yeah, that'd be great! What would I be doing, though?"

"Pretty much cashier work, flower arrangement, that sort of thing."

Sakura smiled. "I'd like that, thanks. When can I start?"

"This Saturday at eight in the morning."

"I'll be there! Thank you so, so much, Ino! I owe you big time!"

Ino smirked. "Yeah you do. You can make it up to me by changing Ayano's diaper."

Sakura's nose wrinkled. "I just remembered that I have somewhere to be..."

Ino narrowed her eyes. "No you don't! Get back here and change her diaper!" Sakura ran out the door. "Don't think I'm going to forget this, Sakura!" she yelled after her friend, before looking at her baby sister. "Come on, lets get you changed already." She sighed, scrunching up her nose and going to do just that.


Sasuke sighed, looking over his mission report as Ayano crawled around the living room. It was getting harder for him to concentrate with her loud babbling, and he tried valiantly to tune her out.

He had grown accustomed to her presence, but he still had a rather short temper on him. He knew babies cried a lot, but Ayano seemed to wail more often than other children he knew. It was annoying, and even if she wasn't crying, she always needed something and he always had to be the one to get it for her. On top of that, everyone was always on his case, saying that everything he did with her was wrong. Apparently, he held her wrong, fed her wrong, changed her wrong, put her to sleep wrong, bathed her wrong... All he ever heard these days were lists of complaints about his interaction with his sister, and that made his relationship with Ayano much more strained than they should be.

She walked over in that awkward stagger of hers, grabbing the paper from the table and placing it in her mouth.

"Ayano, no!" Sasuke pried her mouth open, looking at the damage done to the paper. He glared at her. "What the Hell was that for, you brat?! Never mind, you're going to bed, right now!"

Ayano began to cry, not liking it when he roughly lifted her and set her down in her crib. She stood up and reached out for him, but Sasuke shut the door behind him, leaving the baby alone in the darkness.

She couldn't comprehend her actions, or what had gone wrong. There was no indication that she had been in the wrong, but Sasuke had to be mad for some reason. She cried out, confused and upset, feeling absolutely alone in the darkness. Nothing happened, and she continued to wail, afraid that he had stopped loving her, and left her there to crumble in the dark.

Sasuke rubbed his temples, trying to find a way to mend the report. It was crinkled, and a corner of it was slightly soggy from the spit. He sighed, knowing that Minato would understand, but he didn't want to give the Hokage a report like this. On top of that, putting the baby in her crib did nothing to shut her up, but it made the crying worse. He knew it wasn't the best way to react, but he had no idea on how to calm her down after he had scolded her so harshly.

The front door opened, and Itachi shrugged off his rucksack. He looked to Sasuke, raising an eyebrow. "Why is Ayano so upset?"

Sasuke didn't want to admit his fault, so he shrugged and lied through his teeth. "She just started a little while ago. She's been asleep for the most of the night, though."

Itachi saw the messed up corner of Sasuke's report. "I see. And it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she ate your report?"

Sasuke faltered. "Absolutely nothing."

Itachi shook his head. "Sasuke, you can't just lock a child in their room for things like this. She's only a baby, and Minato-"

"Yeah, I know he'll understand, but that's not the point. The point is that Ayano can't keep her hands off of anything, and of all nights for Mom and Dad to go out, they had to do so the night before my report was due."

Itachi placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "It's ok to be frustrated, and it's better to admit that. Put yourself in Ayano's place- she doesn't understand what she did wrong or why you got upset, so try to calm-"

"Don't tell me to calm down, Itachi! She's a year old, and she's starting to understand the consequences of her actions. All I'm doing is enforcing rules."

Itachi shook his head. "Sasuke, I never got upset when you would throw tantrums all the time, but after fourteen years, it's getting a little old. Grow up, and stop being so bitter about this whole situation." He went upstairs, taking Ayano out of the crib in his parent's room.

She whimpered, snuggling into him and calming down slowly. Itachi sighed- he had better hopes about Sasuke, but lately, the kid had become an outright brat about this. Ayano could be a handful sometimes, but for the most part, she was a good baby. Ayano lifter her head to look up at Itachi, and said one of the few words that she knew.

"Mine?"

Itachi smiled. "Yes, I'm yours. Brother will always be yours." He tried to get her to say his name. "Ayano, say 'Itachi.'"

"Iiiiiiii," she said, looking up at him for approval.

He repeated his name. "'Itachi.'"

"Iiiiiit," she tried, only managing to add the 't' at the end.

He shook his head, before holding her closer to his chest. He took her to his room, laying on his bed and setting her on top of him. She crawled around, feeling his pillows and blankets with curiosity. Itachi sat up, and she tumbled down to lay in his lap. He pulled the blankets over her face, and saw her stiffen slightly. Pulling the blanket off, he smiled warmly at her, and she laughed. She sat up, grabbing his face and smooshing his cheeks together, laughing at the way his looked. He lifted her to be above his head, and she shrieked with glee, waving her arms and legs around. Itachi laughed and set her down, allowing her to cuddle with him for a moment.

Since her birth, the village and clan elders monitored Ayano carefully, waiting to see the first once of potential. It had been somewhat similar with Sasuke, but Ayano was miles apart from Sasuke at this age. Their conclusions so far had drawn them to say that she was an average baby, and for the Uchiha, average was below the standard.

Their grandfather had been especially harsh in his criticism, saying that daughters, unless talented and beautiful shinobi, placed a heavy burden on the clan. In general, only about one in ten Uchiha were females, so the misogynistic ideology wasn't hard to uphold. The only reason females had to be talented ninja was so that her family didn't have to pay a large dowry to her groom, and in general, many of the females in the clan had been emotionally destroyed by the high expectations.

Since she was a baby, Ayano didn't notice this at all, but Itachi was sure she would by the time she was enrolled in the Academy. There would be many rumors about her lineage, about her potential, and if she didn't exceed, there would be talk about her failure. Itachi could only wonder what her fate would be if she didn't meet the expectations of the village elders.

He shook his head, resolving that the issue was for another time, and another place. For now, he would simply enjoy his little sister's presence.

The doorbell rang, and he heard Sasuke answer. Footsteps came up the stairs, and a moment later, Shisui's wild hair popped into the doorway. He smiled, "Having fun there?"

Itachi smiled back, "I don't know, ask her."

Shisui sat on the edge of the bed, lifting Ayano from Itachi's chest. "Is Itachi spoiling you?"

Ayano laughed. "Mine!"

Shisui couldn't help but laugh. He had recently been engaged to a young woman in the clan, and now, having children was a serious consideration. Ayano had been the closest thing to a sister he had, but the age gap was so great that he wondered if fatherhood was similar to what he felt. Most of the clan thought Ayano was adorable, but many expected something more out of her. Itachi and Sasuke at this age had developed more intellectually and physically. It wasn't that Ayano wasn't bright, but she was not a prodigy.

"Yes, I'm yours kiddo." Ayano smiled, touching his hair in amazement. "Do you like my hair?"

There was a pause, then a shake of the head. Itachi chuckled slightly. "That's her response to everything; I don't think she knows what it means."

Shisui smiled, bringing the baby to sit in his lap. She took one of his hands, playing with his fingers and tuning them out. "I remember when Sasuke was this small, although it's kind of fuzzy."

Itachi sighed at the mention of his brother. "Same here."

Taking note of his friend's expression, Shisui asked "Did you two get into a fight?"

"Somewhat. Sasuke was annoyed that Ayano ruined his mission report, and he locked her in the room before I came home. When I tried to explain why it was wrong, he snapped at me. So, I took the little one up here and tried to give him some space."

Shisui nodded. "They're hard to understand sometimes."

"Who? Babies or teenagers?"

"Both. I guess we'll have some first hand experience of that ourselves, won't we?"

Itachi frowned, noting the way his friend had mentioned the idea of parenthood. In his mind, being an older brother was good enough, but as heir to the clan, he was expected to produce a next of kin, and before that, get married. "I'd rather you than me, no offense."

Shisui laughed. "Yeah, Miharu is a nice girl and all, but I'm not into the idea of getting married to her. Don't get me wrong, I think I might grow to love her, but still, I'm just kind of shaky on the fact that our parents put us together, not fate. What about you and Masumi?"

Itachi sighed. "Hard to say. Her older sisters were both married by this age, and I think she wants me to ask her hand soon. I'm just not sure about it; I'm still having to learn how to manage the clan, and Ayano and Sasuke need me. I don't think she's very happy with me right now."

"I think you're just dragging your feet and don't want to admit it." Itachi gave Shisui a half hearted glare, but the latter continued. "Itachi, the clan is so happy that you two found each other, and we just want what's best for you. Getting engaged doesn't mean you have to be married right away."

"I'm not sure I'm ready for that level of commitment yet."

"You've been dating her for seven years now. I'd say that's pretty committed."

Ayano whimpered in exhaustion, and both of the young men turned to look at her. She had her head bobbing from her shoulders, oscillating from sleepiness to being alert. Itachi went to hold her, but Shisui shook his head. "I've got her. I'm getting engaged next month, so by this time next year, I could be a father. Kind of weird to think about, huh?"

Itachi nodded. "Yeah, kind of." He sat back and watched as Shisui held Ayano, calming her down quickly and putting her to sleep within minutes. He was a complete natural, and from what Itachi knew about her, Miharu would be just as wonderful.

"Where is her crib?"

"In my parent's room." Shisui left, and Itachi thought about the evening. He and Masumi had gotten into an argument again, only for him to come home to distressed siblings. On top of that, he had to deal with all of his parents' bullshit, and the rest of the clan pinning their whines and complaints onto him. He was grateful that he no longer fulfilled missions with the village, and was full time with the police station- there was no way he would be able to complete missions and keep up with the rest of his life. Prodigy or not, he was human, and in desperate need of a break.

Shisui returned a few minutes later, smiling to himself. "She's so cute when she sleeps," he mumbled.

"Why is that?"

"Just the way her face scrunches up, and how she snuggles with the blankets."

Itachi smiled slightly. "Yeah, I guess so."

With a sigh, Shisui placed a hand on Itachi's shoulder. "I just came by to see what's up, so I'll get going now. Take care, 'Tachi."

Itachi waved slightly, not missing the use of the pet name. Very few people called him that, and they stopped doing so after Sasuke was born. With a growl of frustration, Itachi leaned his head back. Why was everyone trying to stick their nose in his business? It wasn't any of their concern what his social life was like, nor should it be. He was eighteen, an adult, and people needed to start treating him like one. Pulling out his phone, he called Masumi.

After a while she answered. "Hey, what's up?"

"I want to talk to you about something big."

She paused. "How big?"

"I'll leave that for you to decide."

"Itachi, are you..."

"I'm not proposing, but I might as well be."

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?!"

"Masumi, will you move in with me?"

He could hear her breathing accelerate. "Are you talking moving into your parents' house or..?"

"Yes, I want to get an apartment with you, if you'll accept my offer."

Nervousness set in out of nowhere. He'd been fighting a lot with her, so she did have reason to not move in with him. That, and her parents wouldn't be too happy with that, either. But before he could give up hope, he heard a happy giggle on the other end, "Of course!"


Minato, Kushina, and Kakashi sat in the dining room of the Namikaze-Uzumaki household, laughing at a story that Minato had just told about his former team. Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck in slight embarrassment, turning his glance over to the adjacent living room where Naruto, Ayano, and Norio were playing. He smiled at his student and his son playing with the baby girl.

Ayano had a small foam ball in her hand, and she threw it wildly at her brother, who caught it and feigned amazement. Ayano laughed, and turned to Norio, who stood there awkwardly. She smiled, pouncing on him and bringing him to the floor. Seeing that he was about to cry, Naruto pretended to be a horse, and Ayano and Norio both lept onto him, laughing excitedly.

Minato saw Kakashi watching the children, and he laughed softly. "Never did I imagine that we would have children the same age, but it's a welcome surprise."

Kakashi smiled behind his mask. "Yeah, I get what you mean."

Kushina took a sip of her wine, swirling it in her glass as she watched Naruto playing with the babies. "I hope that Ayano and Norio become friends, goodness knows she'll need a few."

Kakashi laughed mirthlessly. "Don't they all. How has Ayano been in terms of behavior? Is she reaching the tantrum phase yet?"

Minato thought about it. "Somewhat. She's a happy baby most of the time, but she gets flustered easily. The only times she was really bad were when she was teething and when she had a fever."

Kakashi nodded. "I see."

Kushina raised an eyebrow. "Why are you asking? Isn't Norio approaching the terrible two's?"

"Yeah, he is. I mean, he's better with his Mom than with me most days. It's hard for her to get out of the house without her having to take him. I just don't know why he does that, though. We spent equal amounts of time with him, but it seems he just doesn't like his Daddy, do you, buddy?"

Norio had toddled over to the adults, placing his head on Kakashi's leg and yawning. When Kakashi tried to pick him up, Norio pushed his father away, pouting angrily until he was set down.

Kushina laughed. "Don't take it personally- most likely he's just a big Mama's boy. Sasuke and Naruto were the same way at that age."

"Does Ayano take a preference to certain people?"

Minato nodded. "For the most part she doesn't mind meeting new people, but she's afraid of the Council members, which doesn't really surprise me." Kushina scowled, and even Naruto looked a little annoyed at the mention of them. Minato continued. "She really seems to like Sasuke and Ino, even though they're not necessarily all too enthusiastic with that."

Naruto chimed in. "They always complain about having to watch her, even more than Shikamaru does! I mean, it's not that bad, cause all she really does is play and sleep, huh?" He turned to Ayano, who was pulling at his jeans, and he lifted her up and kissed her face. She smiled, before placing her own version of a kiss on his cheek.

Kakashi laughed. "I can't say much about Ino, since I don't know her that well, but I can see Sasuke being a little more than harsh with her. He's not exactly patient, as we're all aware."

Kushina laughed. "I'm sort of surprised at the way he turned out. He used to be the sweetest little boy ever, and now he's a surly teenager. I blame Fugaku."

Minato sighed. "Kushina, you always blame Fugaku."

"Not my fault he needs to remove that stick up his ass," she took a large gulp of her wine, finishing the glass off and pouring more for herself.

Minato shook his head, before he felt Ayano patting his thigh. He smiled, picking her up and letting her snuggle into his chest. She yawned widely, her eyelids fluttering in an obvious display of exhaustion.

Kakashi saw this, and he turned to his own son, who was doing the same thing on the edge of the couch. "I should get going, it looks like the little ones are ready for bed." He walked over to Norio, lifting him off of the couch and placing the toddler's head on his shoulder. Norio whined, trying to push away from Kakashi but failing. "Say bye to Ayano, kiddo."

Norio pouted at his father. "No bye bye."

"Yes bye bye, it's bedtime soon."

Norio buried his face into Kakashi's shoulder. "Nooooo!" he whined, crying loudly and startling Ayano.

Minato walked over to Kakashi and Norio, "Say bye bye, sweetie."

Ayano thought for a moment before waving sleepily. She pointed to Kakashi, and he kissed the top of her head. Before he pulled away, she kissed his cheek, earning an affectionate stroke of her hair as Kakshi left.

Before he headed home he turned to Naruto. "Hey Naruto, I need you and the rest of the squad to watch Norio next Saturday night. I'm taking Kyomi to a movie for her birthday."

Naruto shrugged, "Alright, I'm down! But do you think Sasuke and Sakura are a good choice? I mean, yeah, Sasuke watches Ayano, but he's so pissy. And Sakura's nice and all, but she's not really a kid person, either."

Kakashi laughed. "Trust me, Norio is such a handful you'll need the three of you to watch him. Let me know by Thursday whether or not you can do it, ok?"

"Cool beans, Sensei. See you later!"

Kakashi waved, and Naruto quietly shut the door behind him. He went over to his little sister, taking her from his father and nuzzling their noses together. "I love you, 'yano, sweet dreams." Kissing her forehead, Naruto headed upstairs to his room and went to bed.

Minato looked to his daughter before sitting down in the large armchair in the living room. As he rocked back and forth, he could feel her getting heavier in his arms and falling asleep. Kushina came over with a blanket, tucking it around the baby, and stroking her cheek tenderly. She sat on the arm of the chair, leaning against Minato and watching her daughter nod off.

"I'm so glad they get along so well," she whispered.

Minato nodded, watching as Ayano finally gave up the last of her consciousness and fell asleep. He kept rocking, just to be sure that she was truly asleep, before heading upstairs to the nursery. He kissed her forehead before setting her down in the crib, watching as Kushina did the same. He pulled up the bar, securing it and walking out, dimming the lights to a soft glow.


Shikamaru knocked on the door of the Namikaze-Uzumaki home, thinking about how much of a drag the day was going to be. What a drag, why do I always have to be the one to come get her? Minato answered the door a few seconds later, and he smiled at the Nara.

"We're almost done getting her ready, do you want to come in?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "How long is it going to take?"

"Fifteen minutes, give or take."

Shikamaru groaned, before taking up the invitation. He sat down on the couch, half listening to Minato's relay of information about Ayano. Kushina came downstairs, carrying the baby who was wearing some frilly little dress. When she saw him, Ayano laughed, reaching out to Shikamaru, who took her and pat her on the head.

Minato and Kushina finished getting the diaper bag ready, and handed it to Shikamaru.

Minato came over, kissing Ayano on the top of her head gently. "Goodbye, angel. I'll see you soon, I love you." Ayano stuffed her hand in her mouth, not knowing what he had said, just that it was good. She laughed happily, not realizing he was saying goodbye to her.

Kushina stroked her cheek, and Ayano looked up at her, grabbing her hand and placing the fingers in her mouth. Kushina laughed using her other hand to tickle that baby's stomach. Ayano laughed, squirming slightly as Shikamaru adjusted his hold on her. Kushina laughed as well, kissing the baby's forehead. "See you later, sweetie pie. Mommy loves you."

Shikamaru turned heading out the door and waving goodby to the couple. They waved back, and Ayano saw this, whining as she realized that she was leaving. They smiled at her, continuing to wave, and she began sobbing hysterically. They closed the door, and her cries only became louder as Shikamaru hurriedly walked home.

People began staring at him, and he tried his best to calm his sister down. "It's ok, you'll see them soon enough. Just be quiet already, Ayano!"

She didn't calm down, and she threw her face into his shoulder hard. It didn't hurt him, since he had a high tolerance for pain, but there was a pause as Ayano processed what had just happened. Her face scrunched up, and her bottom lip quivered dangerously. Shikamaru panicked slightly, bouncing her and trying to avoid the tantrum that was to come.

"It's ok, that didn't hurt! You're fine, just... Umm... Crap, you're gonna cry, aren't you?"

And cry she did. Ayano's wails penetrated the general peace of the marketplace, and everyone turned to stare at her. Shikamaru walked over to a bech that was out of the way, rocking his sister and rubbing her back to soothe her. She didn't calm down in the least bit, and Shikamaru saw two shadows looming over him. He looked up and saw none other than Asuma and Kurenai with their daughter.

Asuma put out his cigarette, deciding to mess with his student a little. "What did you do to the kid? It sounds like you've been beating her!"

"No, Sensei, it's just, she didn't want to leave the Hokage's house, so she threw a fit and slammed her head into my shoulder, so I guess it hurt her and she started crying. It's not what it looks like!"

Asuma gave him a skeptical glance. "Right, and I suppose the police would believe that story. You know, come to think of it, isn't the police chief her father?"

"Sensei!"

Asuma laughed. "I was just messing with you, Shikamaru. I thought you'd be used to it after a year."

Shikamaru glowered at him. "That wasn't funny, Sensei."

"I thought it was hilarious."

Kurenai slapped her husband on the arm. "Stop being such an ass and help him already."

Asuma rolled his eyes, before taking Ayano from her brother. She gave a slight jolt at the feeling of being transferred, looking at Asuma shyly. He gave her a warm smile, rubbing her back and rocking her. She hesitated, before calming down and placing her head on his shoulder.

Shikamaru gaped, and Asuma gave him a bit of shit for it. "Close your mouth, you're catching flies."

"How did you do that?! She's been crying for fifteen minutes, and you just got her to calm down?!"

Asuma smirked. "You were freaking out, so naturally, Ayano freaked out as well. Babies aren't calm unless you're calm, huh Minami?"

The baby giggled at her father, reaching out and grabbing his beard. Asuma took her hand off of it, and shifted his stance so that his daughter and Ayano could see each other. Minami was happy to see someone her age so close to her, but Ayano was more fixated on the pockets of Asuma's flack jacket. Minami reached out, touching Ayano's cheek, and the latter jerked up, finally noticing the other.

They sat there for a moment, staring at each other, before Minami giggled and tried to grab onto Ayano. Not long afterwards, Ayano reach out to Minami as well, and they hugged in an awkward yet adorable baby way. It was really cute, and not even Shikamaru could say anything about it being troublesome.

Asuma sighed. "Hate to say this, but we have to get going. My sister will kill me if I'm any later for lunch, and I probably won't hear the end of it from Konohamaru as it is." He handed Ayano to Shikamaru, patting her head as he turned to leave. "Oh, Shikamaru?"

The teenager turned. "Yeah, what is it?"

His Sensei smirked. "It was hilarious to see you panicking." With that, he let out a hearty laugh and left with Kurenai and Minami, leaving Shikamaru there gaping once again. A small hand on his face brought him back to reality, and he pat Ayano's back.

"Let's get home before I get chewed out by Mom." Ayano smiled, shaking her head, and Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

Fifteen minutes later found the two of them home, and Yoshino was fuming. "Just where in the world have you been?! It doesn't take an hour and a half to go to get your sister!"

Shikamaru sighed. "She didn't have her bag packed when I got there, so that took about fifteen minutes, and then she started freaking out in the marketplace, so I tried to calm her down. She only stopped when Asuma and Kurenai came along, and then she wanted to play with Minami. Seriously, Mom, it wasn't my fault!"

Yoshino rolled her eyes. "I don't care if it was your fault or not, you're still grounded." She took Ayano, cooing fondly at the baby. "Isn't that right, cupcake?"

Ayano laughed, and though he knew it wasn't possible, he felt that the baby was laughing at him. With a sigh, he headed to his bedroom, throwing himself on the bed.

Shikaku came home three hours later, smiling at his daughter and holding her affectionately. "It's nice to have you back, how was your week and a half?"

Ayano laughed in response, and Shikaku couldn't help but laugh as well. Having Ayano had become a blessing in disguise for the clan, and especially for his family. She was a sweet baby, one that brought about a feeling of tenderness he hadn't felt in far too long. There weren't many young children in the Nara clan at the time as well, so naturally everyone gushed at Ayano and fawned over her constantly. The nursery was now cluttered with toys, books, and clothes for her, and his parents were overjoyed with having another grandchild.

"How was work?" Yoshino called from the kitchen.

"Fine, busy. Nothing far from the usual. Is dinner almost ready?"

"Yes, it'll be about fifteen minutes. Get Shikamaru to set the table, it's part of his punishment."

"Punishment? What are you harping on him for now?"

"I'm not harping on him! Do you know how long it took for him to pick up Ayano?! It was an hour and a half! It doesn't take an hour and a half to get to Minato and Kushina's, pick up the baby, and bring her here! He had me worried half to death about..."

Yoshino paused, not wanting to contemplate what she was about to say. The Council had outright threatened to take Ayano as their own a few months prior, and the threat lingered on her consciousness day in and day out.

Shikaku saw her hesitation, and understood what it was about. He walked over, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, they won't take her. She has six clans and several other shinobi who will readily protect her from them."

Yoshino nodded, looking sadly at Ayano, who was blissfully unaware of the danger she was in. The baby girl had her head on Shikaku's shoulder, sucking on a kunai...

...Wait, sucking on a kunai?! Yoshino yanked the weapon from the baby, causing Ayano to burst into tears. She turned to her husband, holding the knife threateningly in his face. "How many times have I told you to put your goddamn weapons where she can't get to them?!"

Shikaku winced. "Calm down, dear, you're upsetting the baby."

"What's upsetting is that she could have cut her tongue off or worse! Am I the only one with common sense in this house?! Am I?!"

Shikamaru came downstairs, yawning. "What's going on?"

Yoshino held the knife out to her son. "Is this yours?! Because if it is, I'm going to use you for target practice!"

"Jeez Mom, calm down! Nothing happened, and that's what matters, right?"

Yoshino's eyes narrowed, and she put the knife in the locked cabinet. Slowly, she forced her heart rate to slow down, taking in long, deep breaths. When she was calm, she took Ayano, kissing the baby's forehead and rubbing her back. "I'm so sorry, sweetie; Mommy didn't mean to scare you. It's ok now."

"What about me?! You nearly cut my face with the kunai!"

Yoshino smirked at her son. "You deserved it," she said, laughing when Shikamaru grumbled about her being 'troublesome.'

Ayano was placed into her high chair, and a bib was draped around her neck. She gave her mother a curious look, before scrunching her nose stubbornly at the food in front of her. Yoshino sighed, trying to force the spoon into the baby's mouth. Ayano smacked it out of her hand, and Yoshino became annoyed. "Just eat your puréed spinach, baby."

Ayano wailed, and the spoon was shoved into her mouth. She spit it out every time that Yoshino attempted to feed it to her. Shikaku sighed, "Maybe you should feed her something else?"

"No, she needs to eat her vegetables, whether she likes it or not!"

"There are some sweet potatoes in the fridge, she'll eat those."

"Shikaku, shut up! She needs to eat something that had iron in it! I don't want her becoming anemic before she reaches the age of two, you know."

Shikaku sighed, warming up the sweet potatoes anyways. He took a spoon out from the drawer, holding it in front of Ayano. The baby instantly ate it, and Yoshino complained about how no one ever listened to her. Shikaku ignored her, feeding Ayano two thirds of the container before she stopped eating. He wiped her face, which was orange all around her cheeks and mouth and even a bit on her forehead. She giggled, and reached out for her brother.

Shikamaru groaned half heartedly, lifting the baby into his arms. She cooed, snuggling into his shoulder. He glanced at the clock, "You've got three hours to go until you're allowed to sleep." She ignored him, her eyelids fluttering closed. He sighed, taking her up to the nursery while his parents cleaned up the dinner dishes. Setting her on the carpet, he played with her for an hour.

Ayano crawled into her brother's lap, sprawling herself out and trying to fall asleep. Shikamaru poked her side, earning a giggle. He kept doing so, before lightly tickling her. She squealed, rolling around on the floor as he continued the torture, and Shikamaru laughed along with her. He stopped after a little while, not wanting her to pee in her diaper. The little tuft of hair the Ayano had was messed up, spiking up wildly. Shikamaru laughed, picking her up and kissing her cheek.

"You may be troublesome at times, but at least you're cute to make up for it." Ayano had exhaustion written all over her features, and Shikamaru decided that putting her to sleep early would probably be for the best. He was able to set her down in minutes, and he turned off the light and shut the door quietly behind him.***

Ayano squealed as she grabbed Akamaru's fur, laughing at the whimper the dog gave. The poor boy whined a little more loudly, looking around for some assistance. Kuromaru laughed, shaking his head at the other dog's misfortune. Deciding to help Akamaru out, he walked over to Ayano, using the back of her onesie to carry her. She giggled, briefly enjoying the sensation of flying, before she was placed on her stomach.

Rolling around, she smiled up at Kuromaru, who licked her cheek. She grabbed his face, laughing at him when Kiba walked into the room and began to chastise her.

"Ayano, play nice!" His sister turned her head, her bottom lip coming out into a pout. Suddenly, she started crying, and Kuromaru nuzzled her to try to cheer her up. It didn't work, and Kiba held her and tried to bounce her.

Tsume walked into the room, irritation on her face. "What did you do to your sister?"

"Nothing, Ma, I swear! She just started crying!"

Tsume took the baby, rubbing her back gently and speaking to her in soft tones. Kiba grumbled something about being the middle child, and she glared at her son. "I'd be quiet if I were you, boy."

Kiba gave her an exasperated look, and she pointedly ignored him. Ayano had calmed down, and was handed to her brother. "Take your sister to training today, I have things to do."

"But Mom, I can't watch her when I'm supposed to be training!"

Tsume glared at him. "If you don't want me to beat the man out of you, you'd better do as I say, boy."

Kiba sighed. "Fine." He grabbed her diaper bag and left the house with Akamaru. It only took ten minutes to reach the training ground, but he was still late.

Shino pointed this out. "You're late, Kiba." He looked down to his sister. "And why did you bring Ayano?"

Kiba scoffed. "My Mom told me to, so I don't want to hear it from you, bug boy."

Kurenai intervened. "Guys, don't fight right now." She took Ayano into her arms, giving the baby an affectionate smile. "Actually, I think this could work for today's training."

Hinata spoke for the first time. "What do you mean, Kurenai Sensei?"

Kurenai smiled, slinging the diaper bag over her shoulder. "What I mean is this: we're going to simulate a hostage situation. Even though we all know I wouldn't do anything to harm Ayano, you have to pretend that I will. The three of you are going to have to rescue her, starting right now."

With a gust of wind, Kurenai disappeared with Ayano, and her team freaked out. Shino turned to Kiba. "Thanks for putting our sister in danger, I really appreciate it."

Kiba snarled. "Don't talk to me that way! It's not like I purposely told Kurenai Sensei 'Hey, why don't you take my sister hostage, that'd be fun!'"

The two of them went back and fourth, and Hinata tried to pull them apart. "Guys, please don't fight." They ignored her, shoving each other. "Guys. Please stop fighting." Her words were once again unheard. "The longer we stay here fighting, the more likely Ayano is to be in danger!" Hinata shrieked, fury coming out through her voice.

Kiba and Shino gaped. "Hinata?"

She was fuming. "I know I'm not one to get angry, but if someone puts my clan or my sisters in danger, I'm not going to let them get away with it. Stop dicking around and act like grown ninja for once!"

Shino's eyebrows rose, and Hinata realized what she had just said. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"It's ok, Hinata, you're right." Kiba said, looking over to her.

"We need to come up with a strategy as to how we're going to find Kurenai and Ayano, and how we can attack without bringing harm to the baby."

Hinata activated her Byakugan, scanning the forest. "They're in a cave about a kilometer away. There's too much fog surrounding it for me to see properly."

Kiba nodded, "Yeah, I can smell them."

They quickly formulated a plan and set out to rescue their sister.

Meanwhile, Kurenai sat in the cave, trying to calm Ayano down and keep her quiet. It confused her as to how a generally sweet and quiet baby became so fussy. Of course, Minami probably did the same thing when she and Asuma left the home. Still, it was going to be hard to pull this off correctly with a crying baby. With a sigh, she placed a mild sleeping jutsu over Ayano, watching the child finally quiet down and fall asleep.

She heard a noise towards the mouth of the cave, and pulled out a kunai, taking her position in front of the baby. They wouldn't really come at me with a frontal attack, would they? I thought I trained them better than that. With a sigh, she scanned the area, noticing that a fog had started to form inside.

It was intelligent to use a fog, or possibly a gas, to obscure enemy vision, especially considering that Hinata has the Byakugan to see through it at close range. However, did they consider the repercussions of their actions? What if the gas harms the hostage?

A swarm of insects surrounded her, and she evaded, only to realize that Kiba and Akamaru were lying in wait to attack her. Does that mean that Hinata is the one getting Ayano out? In that case... Kurenai disappeared in a flurry of leaves, leaving Kiba to stand there. He turned to Shino.

"This plan of yours had better work."

"Trust me, it will." The clone dissolved into a mass of insects, and Kiba followed the sounds of battle.

Kurenai's hunch had only been partly correct- she hadn't expected that Shino would use his bugs as a clone to distract her, but it was a sound tactic. Hinata had been the one sent to get Ayano, but was lying in wait in the cavern, striking Kurenai in surprise and shutting off a few of her chakra points in the process. By the time that had happened, Shino had been able to enter the fray, and Kurenai was faced with two opponents once again.

With part of her chakra cut off, it would be difficult to pull off any genjutsu, but she would try anyways. She finished performing the hand seals, but was struck from behind by Kiba and Akamaru. With no time to spare, she was able to use a replacement jutsu, and found that the three man squad had succeeded their mission, and rescued their hostage. She smiled, walking towards the entrance of the cave and seeing the three of them checking over their younger sister.

"She'll be alright, it's just a mild sleeping jutsu."

Kiba turned, snarling slightly. "I thought you said you weren't going to harm her."

Kurenai sighed. "I did, and I kept to my word. Kiba, you have to realize that if I really were the enemy, there could have been much worse done to her, especially if the client is a dignitary or nobleman. I know it must be difficult for you to understand right now, since it was your sister who was the victim, but as a ninja you must see past your personal ties and focus solely on the objective."

Kiba turned his head back to Ayano, who was in Hinata's arms sleeping peacefully. Yes, much worse could have happened, and yes, what Kurenai said was true, but nobody was allowed to fuck with his baby sister.

He didn't realize he had voiced his thoughts until Hinata spoke. "I agree with you, Kiba."

Ayano's eyelids began to flutter, and she whimpered at the chill of the air. Shino took off his jacket, handing it to Hinata to be used as a makeshift blanket. He had been the most worried in the group for Ayano, as she was his only sibling. Though she may have preferred the company of others over him, he still felt a very entrenched love for his baby sister. She was one of the few people who didn't avoid him or treat him like a freak, and he absolutely adored her.

His stoic appearance may have never given any indication of his true feelings, but they were there. Ever since he first saw her in the hospital, he was wrapped around her tiny finger, as we're his parents. Her blue grey eyes saw him for who he truly was at heart, a big softie who just needed to be shown tenderness in return. When she stayed at the Aburame estate, she hardly ever lifted a finger, as Shino never let her walk, or hold her own bottle or feed herself- he did everything and anything for her. Though his parents had never mentioned anything of it, Shino was very much aware of the Council and its interest in Ayano, and if it ever came down to it, he would kill every one of them if they ever laid a hand on her.

Hinata shared similar feelings, but to a lesser degree. The past few months, she had pestered her father day in and day out on how to conduct civil discourse with the Council and the Hokage, realizing that as the heiress of the Hyuga clan, she could make a difference in the fate of her sister. Though she was a calm, kind person, Hinata would be damned if she let anyone take advantage of her sisters or clansmen. She was determined that she would protect Ayano from the corruption of the Council at any cost necessary.

Kiba, unlike his teammates, was completely out of the loop in terms of Ayano's situation, being too dense to take notice. However, if he had been made aware of it at any point, he would be far too rash about handling it. As it was, he was trying to hold himself back from attacking Kurenai for using Ayano as a hostage. He tried to calm himself down by petting behind Akamaru's ears and watching as Ayano played with the strings of Hinata's jacket. She giggled when she saw her older sister, playfully reaching for Hinata's zipper.

"No, Ayano, that's not yours," Hinata chided softly. Ayano tried to lean up to grab it, but Hinata stopped her, taking the baby's hand and giving it a few soft kisses. Ayano laughed loudly, squealing at the affection she loved to receive. Kiba smiled, putting himself in the baby's line of sight.

"Hey there, squirt. Have a nice nap?" Ayano smiled, shaking her head. The small group around her laughed, and Kiba gently kissed the top of her head. She giggled, reaching out to him and cooed happily when he held her.

Kurenai checked the time. "It's about three thirty now, would you guys like to get some dango?"

Hinata smiled. "That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Kurenai Sensei."

The woman smiled, handing the diaper bag over to Shino and making small talk with her team as they went to the local dango shop.


Neji sighed to himself, pointedly ignoring his teammates who were currently making idiots of themselves in front of his cousin. Lady Hyuga had invited them inside of the house for tea, seeing as how they had just come home from training, and they had accepted.

Hanabi walked in, poking Neji repeatedly on the shoulder. "Big brother, big brother, big brother, big brother,"

He sighed, trying to be as calm as possible around his annoying younger cousin. "What is it, Hanabi?"

She smiled deviously. "Will you let me braid your hair? I'm so boooorrrreeeeddddd!" Tenten laughed, listening in on their conversation, and Neji glared at his friend.

Neji scoffed. While was always the victim of Hanabi's birdbrained escapades, he would never know. "No. Find some other way to entertain yourself."

She plopped into his lap. "Pretty please with a cherry on top? It'll be super pretty, I promise!"

Maybe reasoning with her would work. "Hanabi, I'm a boy. I don't want my hair to be pretty."

"But it's just there with nothing done to it! It's so boring!"

"That's the way I like it. Please, get off of my lap now."

She shook her head, forcing her weight to become dead. Neji gave her a stern look. "Hanabi, knock it off." She turned around, giving him a wicked smile, before attempting to tickle him. She was perched on his lap, prodding his sides and laughing with glee, while he sat there shaking his head. "Hanabi, I'm not ticklish."

She pouted up at him. "But you have to be if you're human!"

He rolled his eyes. "No, I don't. But if you insist on these games..." Neji swiftly ran his fingers up Hanabi's sides, causing her to burst into laughter. She squirmed, trying to push his hands away, and fell off of his lap. Just before she hit her head on the floor, Neji caught her, plopping her onto the ground.

Hanabi pouted, furrowing her eyebrows together. "That's not fair- you're bigger and stronger than me!"

Neji smirked slightly. "You did the same thing to me, I see nothing unfair about it."

The young girl continued to pout as her mother walked in. "Hanabi, dear, your face will freeze that way."

"But Mom! He tickled me and I fell off of his lap! Tell him that's not fair!"

Lady Hyuga sighed. "Hanabi, you do this almost every day. Let Neji and his friends be, I need help preparing dinner." She turned to her nephew, giving him a warm smile. "Did you want me to take Ayano?"

Neji turned to his teammates, who shook their heads. Lady Hyuga smiled, setting the tea tray down and pulling a whiny Hanabi out of the room.

Lee turned to Neji. "Your cousin is absolutely adorable. She is the epitome of youth!"

Tenten sighed. "She's a baby, it can't get any more youthful than that!"

Lee laughed, tossing Ayano in the air. The baby giggled with delight, as did Lee, but Neji stiffened. "Lee, don't throw her like that, it's not safe!"

Lee raised a brow. "But Neji, she liked it!"

Scoffing, Neji rolled his eyes and picked Ayano up. She smiled, snuggling into him and placing a hand on his cheek. He responded by patting her on the head, sliding his hand from the crown of her head to rest on her back.

Tenten smiled. "She really seems to like you, Neji." She had always thought guys with kids were cute, and since her crush was the one holding a baby, it was automatically cuter. Her crush on Neji was apparent to her in the academy, but he had never noticed her, being too busy focusing on being the top student in the class. When they were placed on the same team, she was elated, and her feelings grew for him as her infatuation grew to be loving feelings. So maybe she was only fourteen, but the phrase 'genin sweethearts' existed for a reason, right?

He shrugged, "She likes just about everyone." He noticed Tenten staring in adoration at Ayano, and he held the baby out to her. "You can hold her, if you like."

Tenten smiled, taking the baby happily. Ayano stared up at her, the blue grey eyes giving her a skeptical glance, before the baby's face lit up with a smile. Tenten absolutely gushed, "You are just the cutest baby around, aren't you?!"

Neji rolled his eyes. I will never understand why women lose their minds at the sight of a baby. Maybe it's motherly instinct? He shook his head, confused as to why his normally rational teammate would act this way.

Ayano saw Neji, and she reached out for him, whining to get his attention. She loved being held by him, he always smelled so wonderful to her. Not only that, but he was so warm, and his shoulder was comfortable and his voice was very soothing.

Neji shook his head. "Not now, Ayano, other people want to hold you."

Her face scrunched up, bottom lip sticking out and quivering. Wanting to avoid a tantrum, Neji apologized to Tenten, and took his younger cousin. Ayano cooed, placing her head on his shoulder and gripping his shirt.

Tenten smiled. "She's so cute! You almost look more like her brother than her cousin."

Neji shrugged. "In a way, I guess I am. God knows she needs a sane one in her life."

Lee raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Sasuke and Naruto are good older brothers, are they not?"

Neji shook his head. "Naruto adores her, so in that sense he's a good brother for her, but he's so irresponsible and unorganized that I wouldn't leave him alone with her for too long. Sasuke is the opposite; he's responsible and rational, but he doesn't have any patience and he takes it out on her."

Tenten nodded. "But what about Shikamaru and Choji? They're probably somewhere in between Sasuke and Naruto."

Neji sighed. "Shikamaru's too lazy and Choji spoils her too much."

"And Kiba and Shino?"

"Both of their houses are unsanitary and infested, be it because of the bugs or the dogs. It's evident to both myself and the clan that the best environment for Ayano is with the Hyuga clan."

Hiashi walked in. "I couldn't agree more, but getting full custody of her will prove to be difficult." He took Ayano from Neji, and when she saw him, she started crying. He rolled his eyes, boucing her in an attempt to make the tears stop. He muttered to himself. "The other clans have spoiled and coddled her far too much, and it makes it so much harder to live with her. At this point, she should be able to self soothe when she's put down to sleep."

He looked down at the baby, who was trying to push herself away from him. He ignored her, giving his nephew and his friends a curt nod before going into the nursery and sitting down in the rocking chair. Ayano screamed, and out of irritation, Hiashi shoved the pacifier in her mouth. She continued to cry, and he tried to rock her to sleep, but the stubborn baby just didn't want to take a nap. Hiashi rubbed his temples, trying to evade the migraine her cries were causing.

"You need to go to sleep, child," he told her, watching her bottom lip stick out in a pout.

Ayano's eyebrows furrowed together, "No!"

Hiashi raised an eyebrow, before giving her a firm look. "I don't know who taught you that word, but your bratty attitude ends here." He gave her a swat to the rear, and saw her thought process flash across her face. Her eyes widened in shock, then filled with tears as she recognized the pain. She hyperventilated, and Hiashi groaned in irritation.

"You are so hard to live with now," he grumbled, rubbing her back and rocking her once again. Her breathing was far too quick for his preference, and he tried hushing her up. Slowly, the exhaustion caught up with her, and she began to snuggle into his chest. Her cries turned to whimpers, which were now soft in volume. Glancing down, Hiashi saw his youngest daughter trying to keep her eyes open, but she was practically asleep. He kept rocking her, and a short while later, she was asleep. He set her down in the crib, pulling a blanket over her so that the draft wouldn't wake her up.

"Is Ayano asleep, Daddy?" Hiashi turned to the door, seeing Hanabi standing ther innocently.

He smiled slightly. "Yes, she is."

Hanabi gave him a wide grin in return, and she shuffled over to him, hugging his waist tightly. Hiashi held her close to him, relieved that at least his middle child was both well behaved and close to him.

"Will you rock me too?" She looked up at him with wide eyes, and he couldn't help but to say yes. He sat down in the rocking chair, and Hanabi climbed to sit on his lap, snuggling into his chest as he rocked the chair.

"I haven't done this with you in a long time," he mused. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Do you miss doing this?"

Hanabi nodded, yawning slightly. "I miss being the baby of the family sometimes."

Hiashi nodded, drawing her closer to him as he felt her shiver slightly. Hanabi yawnd again, and he chuckled softly. "Looks like you might need a nap as well."

Hanabi's face scrunched up. "Only if I can sleep in your bed with you."

"Now why would you want to do that?"

"Cause. I miss the times when we used to snuggle under the blankets together, you, me, sissy, and Mommy."

He sighed, noting the sadness in her voice. "I do too, but things are different now."

"But they don't have to be, Daddy!"

Hiashi paused for a moment, trying to think of how to explain the situation to an eight year old. "Sometimes, sunshine, they do. As you grow up, you'll realize that things sometimes happen, even if you don't want them to. Some people in this world are mean and cruel, and they put you in a situation you don't want to be in."

Hanabi looked up, determination on her small face. "Well, nobody's allowed to do that to my Daddy, or I'll beat them up!"

Hiashi couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, Hanabi, how you brighten up my day sometimes."

She beamed at him, yawning again, and he carried her to her room- something he hadn't done in far too long. He pulled back the blankets, setting her down gently in the plush, pillow covered bed. He kissed her forehead, "Sleep well, my ray of sunshine." She mumbled a response, and he shut the door behind him.

He walked into the main foyer, seeing that Hinata had come home from training and was now speaking amicably with Neji and his team. He smiled slightly to himself, before walking into the kitchen. His wife gave him a kind smile, one similar to Hinata's, and served him a cup of tea. They made small talk for an hour before Ayano woke up, with Lady Hyuga going to get the baby.

She looked to Tenten and Lee, "Would you two like to say for dinner?"

Tenten smiled. "Yes, that'd be nice. Thank you for offering, Lady Hyuga."

Lee saluted her. "Lady Hyuga, your offer only proves that you are as kind as you are beautiful! I shall accept!"

She laughed a little, setting the table and pulling up the high chair to be next to her. Hanabi stumbled into the kitchen, her hair messy from taking a nap. "Good afternoon, dear. How was your nap?"

Hanabi pouted. "I didn't want to take one."

Lady Hyuga kissed he cheek. "Oh sweetheart, try not to be so grumpy. I do hate to see my daughters so unhappy."

Hanabi sighed, helping her Mom set the table for dinner. Soon, everyone except for Ayano was served, as Lady Hyuga gave the baby a small bowl of green beans. Ayano sniffed the food, scrunching her nose and turning away from the offered spoon. Lady Hyuga tried again, nearly forcing the food into the baby's mouth. When Ayano openly cried, the spoon was shoved into her mouth, along with the detested green beans.

Hiashi sighed. "I don't know why she's such a picky eater. I blame the Uchiha."

"Dear, you can't always blame the Uchiha. In fact, you and Fugaku are so similar in nature that its almost comical."

Tenten tried to disguise her laugh as a cough, and drew the attention over to her. She acted as if nothing had happened, "You're a wonderful cook, Lady Hyuga."

The latter smiled. "Thank you, Tenten dear. What types of food does your mother make?"

Tenten rubbed the back of her head. "Mostly things that she can't mess up. She's not all that great at cooking, you see."

Lee laughed. "I see. So that is why you always want to go out to eat!"

Tenten smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, it is."

Hiashi sipped his tea stiffly. "So have you yourself learned how to cook? It is customary that the wife be a homemaker, after all."

Tenten bit her tongue. "I feel differently, Lord Hyuga. With all due respect, I think men and women are equal in all aspects, and if I do get married, I want to marry a man who respects that."

He raised an eyebrow. "It is tradition that women obey their husbands, is it not? That didn't come out of nowhere- men are simply stronger than women by nature."

Tenten faltered. "Physically, men may have the advantage, but from what I've heard, childbirth is brutal, and I think it takes a lot of strength to put up with that."

Hiashi narrowed is eyes- never had a young girl talked to him in such a manner and inadvertently insulted his beliefs. He would have to talk to Neji about it later, he supposed. He really didn't want to have this discussion at the dinner table. "Yes, childbirth is indeed painful, but I do not believe that this is a discussion for the dinner table."

Tenten shut up, afraid that she had made him mad.

Ayano made a loud shriek, and everyone turned to look at her. She giggled, scooping a large serving of green beans and throwing it onto the floor. Knowing that the attention was now on her, she took another handful and smeared it onto the tray, laughing at the expression on Hiashi's face. He took the food away from her, scowling at how much of a mess she made. Lady Hyuga, on the other hand, laughed softly, pulling the rambunctious baby into her lap. "What are we to do with you?"

Ayano laughed, grabbing her mother's hair. "Mine! Mine! Mine!"

Lady Hyuga took the hair out of her daughters hand, giving the child a carrot to suck on. Ayano started gumming it, growing bored quickly. Hinata spoke up. "I can take her so you can finish your dinner, Mom."

Her mother smiled. "You're such a sweet girl, but I'll handle the little one." She stood, carrying the baby with her as she heated up some quinoa with steamed vegetables.

Hiashi gave Ayano a sippy cup with milk, and after a few sips, she threw it on the floor, making a huge mess. Hiashi glared at her, setting the baby in her high chair and mopping up the spilt milk. Hanabi looked to her little sister. "Why do you always make a big mess?"

Ayano spluttered, making noises and slamming her hands onto the tray. She started vocalizing, singing a little song, and dancing to her own composition. Tenten gushed. "Aww, does she do this a lot?"

Neji sipped at his tea. "Are you asking about making a mess or singing?"

"The singing and dancing."

He nodded. "Lately yes. She seems to get excited by the sound of her own voice."

"But isn't that with all people in general? Gai Sensei has it down to an art."

"That is because Gai Sensei is revolutionary and a genius!"

"Oh can it, Lee! It's not cute coming from a fourty year old man!"

Lee pouted, eating his dinner glumly.

Neji sighed, allowing his teammates to stay for dinner may have been a bad choice. "I suppose so. Ayano is one of the few small children I know, so I'm afraid I can't answer for everyone. She seems to be more responsive to music than I believe most children are, though."

Hiashi nodded. "Yes, she is. She's also much more stubborn than any child I know of." Ayano gave him a wide mouthed smile, and he shook his head in exasperation. He took her out of the high chair, setting her on his hip and bouncing her.

The rest of dinner was quiet, and Tenten and Lee left shortly after the meal had finished. Ayano had just had her bath, and was now winding down. Or at least, she was supposed to be.

Neji sat in an armchair, reading over a mission report, when he felt the baby bump into his shins. He glanced down, seeing her holding a book, and she held it out to him. With a sigh, he picked her up, setting her in his lap and opening the book. He read the story over and over until Hiashi came to put her to bed.

"Goodnight, Ayano."

She babbled, leaning in and placing her open mouth on his cheek as her way of kissing. He smiled slightly as the baby went off to bed, before another little person had perched herself on his lap.

"Yes, Hanabi. What is it?"

She handed him a comb and a hairtie. "Will you braid my hair, pretty please?"

He nodded, and she settled down on his lap. He combed the tangles out of her wet hair gently and began weaving her hair into a braid. She talked about nothing of importance, and he listened intently. What she said as he finished the braid surprised him.

"I love Ayano, but since she's been here, everything's gone wrong."

His eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that, Mommy and Daddy are always stressed out and they don't have time for me anymore. Everyone in the clan looks at her weird, and you and big sister are always having to look after her, too. I feel like something weird is happening, but no one will tell me."

Neji hesitated, before turning her head to face him. How was he to address this? "Hanabi, you know that Ayano is a special baby, right?"

Hanabi nodded, and he continued. "Since she's so special, we have to make sure that she's taken extra good care of. So that's why people are acting the way they are when she's around. Don't worry about anything, alright?"

Hanabi had tears in her eyes. "Promise me nothing bad is going to happen to us." she mumbled, hugging him tightly and crying into his chest.

Neji hugged her back. "I promise." He rubbed her back, allowing her to cry it out. When she finished, he nudged her towards her room. "Let's get you tucked in, ok?"

Hanabi sighed dramatically, trudging off to her room with Neji following her. She got under the covers, snuggling into the blankets and pillows as Neji dimmed the light. He walked over to the bed, pulling the sheets around her and kissing her forehead. "Goodnight, Hanabi. Sleep well."

She nodded, and he turned to leave. Before he exited, he heard her cry out his name. He walked back into the room, "Did you need something?"

Hanabi shook her head. "I know you're my cousin, but I just wanted to say that I love you like a big brother."

Neji smiled softly, "And I love you like a younger sister. Goodnight." He shut the door quietly behind himself and headed to his room.

He looked at the picture of his parents, giving it a sad look. They had been so happy, and they were one of the few couples in the clan who had married out of love rather than politics. His mother, with her gentle smile and a light in her eyes, stood next to his father, who had a stern face that was brightened by clear happiness. He mused on the first few years of his childhood, spent happily with his parents- they had been the shining example of a happy family. His memories of his father grew hazier as he grew older, but he had a few precious momentos, and several pictures and letters that his father had written.

He was able to remember his mother very well, and the pain of her passing was still fresh. She had been beautiful, and her lovely name, Hikari, was what he would name his daughter if he had one. Her light brown hair had always been silky, and the scent of her shampoo made her smell like the candies she had always loved. Her eyelashes had fanned her orchid-tinted eyes, and her smile was always radiant and glowing, even on her death bed. Her parting words to Neji, three days before her actual death, would always ring in his mind.

Create your own destiny, and find a woman who loves you as much as I do.

He had held her hand in the hospice for the next three days, sobbing when she had finally passed. He had known her pain was over, and that she no longer needed to fight the disease, but he was too selfish to just let her go. Why would fate ever take someone so wonderful, so kind, and so loving from this world? Why hadn't it taken the people who caused pain, and who stole the lives of others? Why you, Mom?

A knock at his door brought his attention away from the picture of his family. "Come in," he murmured, and Hinata shyly made her way inside. Neji was surprised to see her, but nonetheless invited her in. She walked over to him, fidgeting nervously and twiddling her thumbs as always.

"I... Need your advice on something..." She sat next to him on the ledge by his bay window, taking a deep breath and continuing. "You probably already know, but the village elders have an interest in Ayano, and I don't think that their intents are pure."

Neji sighed as he realized he couldn't just play it off as he had with Hanabi. "Hinata, I know you're concerned about her well being, but you have to trust your father and the clan elders on this one."

"That's the thing- even they are afraid of what the council will do. It's obvious that someone wants to use Ayano as a tool, and I don't want her to have that fate. I want to protect her from such an awful life of being manipulated, and I just... Don't quite know how..."

Her eyes had filled with tears, and she felt Neji pull her into his chest. He stroked her hair, letting her cry onto his shoulder just as he'd done with Hanabi. After a few moments, her cries began to slow down, and he spoke. "I know about all of that, and you're doing the best thing that you can right now. Your knowledge of civil discourse right now is far beyond that of anyone our age, and it will help you when the council finally decides to make their move. You don't need to worry so much, Ayano is well looked after. She has six clans and the Hokage as family, remember? It will be difficult for them to take her without a fight- a fight that they won't win. I hate to admit it, but the Uchiha care about her just as much as our clan does. She'll be fine, so just focus on being there for her when things get hard, alright?"

Hinata gave him a smile that faltered slightly, hugging him tightly. "Th-thank you so much, Neji. You're such a wonderful cousin. I wish that you were my brother sometimes..."

There it was again, the reference of him being a brother like figure to the main branch. He hugged Hinata back, not sure of himself. "You don't want that, I'm far too unworthy of being anyone's brother."

Hinata laughed a little. "You're perfect to me. I know that the reason you came to live here was so painful, but I'm just happy that you did."

He mulled the thought over for a moment and placed his chin on top of her head. Was he happy? Of course he loved his mother, and he would give anything to have her back. But now, he was given the chance to have a new sort of family, one that loved him just as much as his own had. His relationship to the main house had improved significantly, and he now referred to the manor as his home. He smiled slightly, finding it easy to think about how me had come to care four his aunt and uncle,and how his cousins had easily become more like his little sisters. "I'm happy I came here, too."

Hinata smiled, pulling away from him and exiting the room. "Goodnight, brother. Sweet dreams."

He gave her a small wave. "Goodnight. Sweet dreams." That night, all Neji could think about was that he had become the de facto older brother to three amazing girls, and how he was perfectly content with that thought.


Ayano ran around the room in her frilly little dress, loving the amount of attention she received. It was her birthday party, and though she didn't know what the occasion was, she was still prancing about merrily as her mothers fawned over her. There were over fifty people there to celebrate, and Ayano couldn't help but be excited at the thought of everyone gushing at her antics.

She ran over to Minami and Norio, who had also come with their parents. She grabbed Norio's hat, eagerly shouting "Mine!"

Norio pouted. "No, mine!" He yanked it away from the other baby, who fell on her butt with ready eyes. Minami was confused by it all, and she toddled off to find one of her parents.

Seeing that Norio wasn't going to give her the hat, Ayano threw her head back and sobbed, hoping that he would relent and give it to her. He didn't budge, and Kakashi walked over to the children.

"Norio, you have to play nice. Ayano's still little, remember?"

Norio glared at him. "No! Mine! Mine hat!"

Kakashi sighed. "Can you share nicely, just for a little while?" Norio shook his head, and Kakashi went over to Ayano, who was still crying. He picked her up, rubbing her back soothingly, and Norio lost it.

"No! Mine Dada! Mine!" He pulled at Kakashi's pants, and when his father continued to pay attention to the other baby, he plopped down on the floor and cried.

"Oh dear, you just had to throw a tantrum, didn't you?" Kakashi shifted Ayano to sit on one side of his lap, pulling his son up to sit on the other side. "Norio, no more tears, ok?" The toddler placed his head on Kakashi's shoulder and started calming down. Ayano noticed the other baby was next to her, and she smiled, placing her hand gently on his cheek. Norio gave her a skeptical glance, before hiding his face in Kakashi's shoulder.

Mikoto and Kushina walked in, and Mikoto absolutely gushed at the sight. "Isn't that precious?" The women took several pictures, with Kakashi looking nervous in all of them. Mikoto took the baby from Kakashi, fawning over her happily.

"Oh Ayano, I love you so much sweetheart." She cooed to the little one, finding that Ayano enjoyed the attention. The baby smiled and laughed, nuzzling into her mother, before turning to the ginger.

Ayano couldn't decide whether or not she wanted to stay with Mikoto, or go with Kushina, and she furrowed her eyebrows in thought. In the end, she placed her head on Mikoto's shoulder, inhaling the light perfume and smiling.

"You're just too cute!" Kushina said, tickling her daughter a little. Ayano squirmed, laughing hysterically, and Mikoto joined in with Kushina. The baby's laughter was loud, and everyone turned to smile at her. Finally, they stopped, and Ayano panted slightly, still giggling and out of breath. Mikoto and Kushina joined the other women at the table, getting filled in on the gossip of the village. Ayano no longer wanted to be held, and she arched her back to let Mikoto know this. The woman set her down, keeping a close eye on her as she staggered into the living room to be with her siblings.

Ayano looked at them, trying to decide who she wanted to sit with the most. It was a split between Sasuke and Ino, but fortunately for her, they were next to each other. She ran over, throwing herself into. Sasuke's shins and grinning up at him.

He sighed, lifting her and setting her down inbetween himself and Ino. Ayano stood, leaning against Sasuke and pushing her hands to his face. He sat her back down, and she glared at him. He raised an eyebrow, messing up her sparse hair and returning to the conversation. Ayano didn't enjoy being ignored, and she started making angry noises to let her siblings know this.

Naruto laughed, walking over to pick her up, and being met with an angry look and a shake of the head. "No!" He sighed, returning to his spit on the couch and watching as Ayano continued to pester Ino and Sasuke.

Ino sighed, lifting Ayano over her head and questioning the baby. "What do you want? Huh?" she asked playfully. Ayano thought for a moment, shaking her head after a few seconds. Ino laughed, setting the baby back down on the couch. Ayano slid herself off, curiously toddling over to Itachi and Shisui, rubbing her face into Itachi's knee.

He set her on his lap and bounced his knee slightly, listening to the other men and their talk of village politics. His father was throwing a borderline hissy fit over the actions of the Council, and he only half-listened as he watched Ayano sing and dance to her own music. He stroked her head tenderly which caused her to tilt her head back. she smiled widely at him, and he mimicked her actions.

She soon grew bored of Itachi as well, and went to look for someone else to give her attention. Sadly, no one met her criteria, and she decided that maybe today would be a fun day to climb the stairs.

Ayano took a step, barely getting her small foot onto the steep stair. She decided that crawling up would be best, but before she could get up any further, strong hands lifted her from behind.

Fugaku sighed at his daughter, shaking his head at how much of a handful she'd turned out to be. She pouted at him, and he locked the nearby baby gate into place and carried the baby back into the foyer. She fussed in his arms, and he ignored her whining and focused on the conversation. Finally, Ayano screamed in anger, and Fugaku gave her a stern look.

"I don't know where you get your temper from, but you need to calm down, little child." She furrowed her eyebrows at him, before placing her head on his shoulder and crying. He sighed, voicing his thoughts aloud. "What am I ever to do with you?" She didn't respond, crying for a few more minutes then calming down.

Minato smiled. "I think it's time she has her birthday cake," he said, taking Ayano over to her high chair. The cake was set in front of her, and she reached out to take a handful of it. Mikoto stopped her, pushing the cake a little ways away and kissing the baby on her forehead softly.

The lights were turned off, and the large, sparkly candle was lit. As they sang 'Happy Birthday' to her, Ayano looked at all of the people in the room, trying to figure out what was going on. The song ended, and where most people above three would normally blow out the candle themselves, Ayano's parents did that for her. She was served a small slice of cake, and shoved a handful of it into her mouth, smearing the brightly colored frosting all over her face in the process.

Her first year was one of the sweetest years that her family would spend with her, and as she would later look back on the photos, she wished her memory would go back that far.


I cried writing about Neji and his mom! And other times, I cracked myself up while writing this. Oh well, what can you do? Anyways, let me know what you think- anonymous reviews are on, so you don't have an excuse ;)

Next update will be about a month from now, maybe.