Chapter 2

Sasuke stood with Ino in a small training ground behind the Uchiha compound. He had several scrolls laid out and he was ready to use the jutsus before he heard screams making him and Ino run for the twins as fast as they could. Sasuke and Ino stopped in their tracks as Katara tripped and fell while Itachi chased after them. Sasuke threw a kunai landing in front of his brother making his stop and look at him.

"You take one more step towards them and I swear I will tear you to pieces." Sasuke warned as Ino quickly got the two out of harm's way and held them tight as they cried in fear.

"Why are you so protective of children who are not your own? They are nothing more than things in the way."

"They are not things in the way, and I protect my niece and nephew as I protect their parents."

"Yes, we saw how that worked out." He smirked as Sasuke glared at him wanting to tear him apart. "You say you protected their parents, but look what happened. They were torn apart and sliced inside out. They were killed because you were supposedly protecting them."

"You bastard!" Sasuke screamed and the two brothers started to fight while Ino pulled all of her strength, heaved the twins onto her hips and ran to get them safe and to get help. Running to the closest friend should could she found Neji in the Hyuga branch compound meditating.

"Neji!" She screamed as she ran to him with the scared crying kids in her arms.

"Ino, what's wrong?" He asked immediately on his feet seeing her run at him.

"Itachi… Fighting… Sasuke… after kids… need help." She gasped out of breath. Neji nodded as he looked at the woman.

"Sasuke will be able to hold him for a little while. Let's get you guys to a safer place." He told her taking Kaori and the two ran to Kakashi's family compound. They found several Hatake's looking at them strangely, before Ino found her way to Kakashi's house and knocked.

"Kakashi! Open up! You have to come quick!" She yelled as she pounded on the door making Kakashi open it worried.

"What happened?" He asked looking at the two adults and the two crying children.

"Itachi went after the kids and Sasuke is fighting him now." Ino rushed making Kakashi's visible eye widen before he pulled her into the house and took Kaori and placed him on the floor next to her.

"Stay here, and call Tsunade. Tell her what happened. You and the kids will be safe here." He said before he and Neji ran off to help Sasuke. Ino shut the door and sat the twins on the couch before dialing the number for the Hokage's direct line with trembling hands. She explained what happened and within a matter of minutes, Tsunade was there to help calm the young woman and the two children.

"Aunty, what did mean man mean?" Kaori asked.

"He say mommy and daddy killed." Katara asked making Tsunade and Ino glance at each other.

"Listen to me. Don't worry about what anyone says to you. You have nothing to worry about. Alright?" The two nodded before Kaori gave a grin that made him look even more like his father.

"Uncy said they come." He told his sister who nodded as Ino and Tsunade looked at each other. Suddenly they heard a noise at the front door making both women get ready to fight. The door swung open and all three men walked in exhausted. Ino saw how hurt and tired Sasuke was making her move to heal him with small tears in her eyes as he sat on the floor.

"That's another one down." Kakashi said looking to the twins who sat quietly looking around. He thought that after they knew Naruto had died taking the fox with him, they would have left them all alone but it seemed Naruto had left a large task for them as if dealing with him growing up wasn't enough. He smiled as Kaori started to get antsy and Katara stopped him by putting her head on his shoulder. The two reminded everyone so much of their parents even more with every passing moment making it hard for many to move on.

A week later Sasuke stood in the Hokage's office with Ino and two strange looking men. Tsunade sat in her seat not looking happy as she introduced everyone and the conversations started.

"Sasuke, Ino this is Mikio and Shoda Namikaze. They are here to request I had the twins over to them."

"You can't do that." Ino said as her mouth fell open making the two men look at them.

"They are Namikaze children. They must be raised properly and having a ninja and an old enemy of the village raise them is outrages." Said the first man.

"He is a valuable ninja in this village, Mikio. Also both of them were appointed guardianship when the parents requested it."

"The parents? They asked on their death bed, who knows what could have been firing through their heads." Shoda shot.

"It matters not, besides Sakura and Naruto had spoken to me about who would take care of their children should something happen to them on a mission when they first found out she was pregnant. Their choice was and always has been Ino. Naruto asked Sasuke to help as a promise to his friend. You have no ground to take them from their appointed guardians." Tsunade told the two men.

"We have every right. They are of the Namikaze blood and clan; they are to be raised as such. What is to stop these two from making the children turn out like an Uchiha?"

"Like that would happen." Ino laughed making everyone look at her. "They take so strongly after their parents there are no ways to make them like any clan but the Uzumaki" she smiled.

"They are Namikaze not Uzumaki children." Mikio told her sternly making Sasuke speak.

"If Namikaze children should be raised as such, where were you when Naruto was abandoned and beaten every day? He grew up on the streets doing what little he could to survive into the next day. Where were you when he needed you most? Don't even try to pull the 'we didn't know'. You knew damn well who he was or else you wouldn't be here trying to take his children." The two elders looked at him with nothing to say before he smirked. "I thought so."

"We are keeping the children and that is the end of this. I don't want to hear other word breathed of this." Ino warned as she and Sasuke left to find Katara and Kaori playing with Akamaru in the front of the tower as Shizune laughed when the two tried to tackle the large dog.

"Hey!" Kiba called as they walked up. After the grief left and everyone was able to think properly, they all began to settle down and stop blaming Sasuke, to where they could chat and be good old buddies again.

"Hey, Kiba. How's everything going?" Ino smiled as they stopped and the twins looked at them with smiles before running to them.

"Aunty! Look what nice lady gives me." Katara said pointing to a woman as she walked away with her head down. Ino looked at the bear Katara was holding and smiled when she read the name across the stomach. "What's it say?"

"It says Sakura." She smiled brightly as Kaori walked over.

"She say give to you." he said handing her an envelope. Ino looked around at those standing around curiously before opening the letter.

"What's it say?" Kiba asked curiously and watched Ino take a deep breath before reading aloud.

"It says 'Ino, I recently found myself sitting and going through old photos and found a few that you might like to have. You were my daughter's best friend and I think she would want you to have them. I am sorry my husband and I have been no help to you in raising the two children but we set that all aside years ago when we forbid our daughter from seeing that man and she did as she wanted anyway. I have no idea why I had the urge to write to you or to see the two children, but I think it had to do with me sitting in Sakura's old room looking around feeling as if my daughter could be walking in the door any minute.'

I have several of Sakura's photo albums I found while cleaning that you may want. You can use them to tell the children about their mother. I will leave them at your parents' flower shop. Thank you for being such a good friend to my daughter. Rin.'"

"Wow, so she wanted nothing to do with them because Sakura chose and all of a sudden after all these years she gives them things?" Kiba said

"She's not the only one. We just came from a meeting with two Namikaze elders who were trying to take the kids to raise them." Sasuke told him.

"You're kidding. You two were asked by Naruto and Sakura personally." He scoffed as he saw two stuck up old men walking from the Hokage tower. "I hate elders in general but clan elders are the worst." Ino and Sasuke nodded in agreement before walking down the street towards Sasuke and Ino's home as the twins played with Akamaru.

"Sasuke-kun, where are you going?" Ino asked as she saw him gathering some gear before looking at her.

"I am going to the Namikaze estate to get the Fourth Hokage's seals. I have read that his wife was from a land of many sealing jutsus and they were so feared that they were wiped out. So she was the last one, so more than likely she would have taught her husband the techniques or even brought scrolls over. They would all be locked up so no one can use the forbidden jutsus that her land was destroyed for."

"So you're breaking into the Namikaze Estate to steal scrolls?" He nodded as he making her roll her eyes. "You get caught; don't come to me asking for me to bail you out." She told him as she went into their room and he left in the dead of night. He smirked once he was in. He had no problem getting around every trap they had set up to catch people breaking in. He slowly made his way to where every clan held their most secret scrolls, underground in the back of the house. He maneuvered himself through the dark, around guards, ninja and traps all alike before he found the trap door leading to the scrolls. He slowly and quietly slid under the door and turned on his flashlight so he could follow the massive winding corridor that lead to a small alter where he found a box labeled Minato Namikaze. He gently took the box and sealed it in a scroll before making his way silently back home. Once home he walked in quietly not expecting to see Ino sitting at the dining room table reading his scrolls while she waited for him.

"What are you doing up still?" He asked as he unsealed the box and started going through it.

"I see you found what you were looking for. Now what exactly are you looking for?" She asked making him look at her. "I mean I read your scrolls you have the resurrection jutsu, the reanimation jutsu, what else is there?"

"I thought I had all the pieces but those two only make the body alive, it does nothing with the soul, and for that I need a seal." He explained as he quickly scanned the scrolls before he smiled. "Found it."

"Let me see." She said making him sit beside her. "Looks like to do this you have to do an exchange of some kind."

"It says here that to receive a soul one must be given." Sasuke read before he saw little marks making him perform a release on the scroll allowing them to see scribbled notes along the margins. "Either user must give up soul or they must have a soul to give." He went back through the box finding a second scroll.

"Sealing souls?" Ino questioned as she read the title and saw him nod.

"This is the missing piece. So we need two souls equal to the two we are getting in return. So we probably need like Akatsuki souls or something."

"So we're going on the hunt?" She asked with a smirk as Sasuke nodded. "We should find them easy enough; they are after Kaori and Katara after all." He smirked before they went to bed for the night.

The next day Sasuke worked quietly to set traps all around the village to only react to specific things. He smiled as he felt the tinged of one of his sensors going off back at the house. He ran as fast as he could and found Zetsu snooping around once again. He obviously surprised the Akatsuki member when he through his kunai hitting him straight in the spinal cord. Sasuke pulled a scroll he found in the box and preformed the hand signs like the other scroll had instructed and was happy to find a bright yellow light flash before all that lay on the ground was a scroll with a kanji symbol in the middle of a circle.

"Guess they won't be doing anymore stalking huh?" Ino smiled as she walked around the corner as he rolled up the scroll and put it away.

"Looks like they will have to come in blind." He smirked as he went to enjoy the free time they had while Kiba and Hinata watched Katara and Kaori. "You got Sakura's old albums?" Ino nodded as she pulled three others off a shelf and began flipping through as tears rose in her eyes, still missing her best friend.

A month later Ino heard the two children walking into the kitchen while she spent time with the other women.

"Aunty, who they?" Kaori asked as he and his sister walked into the kitchen with a photo album as Ino was sitting with the other women.

"That looks like Kaori." Katara smiled as Ino gave a bright smile and placed the book on the table before putting a twin on each leg. "They happy."

"Yes, they are very happy." Ino smiled as the other women moved around to look.

"I remember taking that picture. It was just before he asked her to marry him." Temari smiled. "They never cared about anything that would have happened."

"They were too wrapped up in themselves." Tenten said, as the two children got impatient and asked who the people were again.

"Her name is Sakura Haruno and his name is Naruto Uzumaki." Ino smiled as the two looked up at her.

"That our name." Kaori said looking at her curious.

"Yes, these two here are your mommy and daddy."

"Mommy is pretty in this one." Kaori said as he flipped to another page and pointed to one of Sakura standing in her wedding gown.

"Yes, she is beautiful." Temari said "Now we know where you two get your cuteness from." The two giggled as they looked around.

"What 'bout daddy?"

"You get a lot more from your dad than some people would like." Temari smiled before she started to explain to the two. "You get your looks from your dad, Kaori and Katara you get most of your personality from him. Although you both do have you moments."

"Where they now?" Katara asked looking through at more pictures of Sakura and Naruto laughing and smiling together.

"They are away. But don't worry, you'll see them again." Ino told them as Kaori grinned brightly.

"I hope they be home by my birthday." The women looked at each other deciding to let him have his childhood dreams before they were spoiled by growing up.

Six months later Sasuke fell on the ground just inside the Uchiha compound making Ino run to him worrying. She quickly looked him over and worked to heal what she could before she had to get help. He was covered in major wounds, his chakra pool was almost empty and he was completely exhausted. She looked as several of the major words that had be life threatening were almost healed and she saw him slowly open him eyes half way.

"I got it Ino." He whispered.

"Got what Sasuke? What were you doing, where were you that you got this beat up?"

"I have the second soul." He told her before he passed out again as she stared at him. He really was determined to bring their two friends back. He had done everything he need to, to set up, now he needed to rest and he would be able to do what he had been planning to do for years. She smiled at her husband as she continued to heal the wounds as his chakra began to come back up. Temari and Shikamaru walked in and stopped in their tracks as the two children run to Ino and Sasuke.

"What happened?" Temari asked.

"He finished his planning." Ino smiled at her as Shikamaru knelt to look at her and Sasuke.

"Need help taking him in the house?" he asked and saw her nod. "What has he been planning?" he asked once Sasuke was in bed and they sat in the living room.

"Sasuke has been working on gathering information and jutsus so he can stop feeling guilty. No matter what anyone tells him he feels guilty for Naruto and Sakura being killed. He wants to bring them back and he found a way to actually bring them back." Shikamaru and Temari stared at her for a moment.

"It's been almost three years. He still won't let them go?" Temari asked

"I don't think any one of us will ever be able to let them go." Shikamaru told his wife.

"Well if you all want to see them back, I could us a little help." They heard Sasuke said softly from the doorway. "It will take a load of chakra to do just one of these I'm going to attempt to do them one after another."

"You'll kill yourself." Shikamaru told him and watched him give a small nod.

"There's a chance."

"It's a pain in the ass, but I'm in. I'll lend what chakra I can and I'm sure the others will too."

"We'll keep it as quiet as you can, every single one of these are forbidden jutsus." Shikamaru nodded before he and Temari left to speak with the others.