Chapter Two – Meeting

Kakashi looked at the modest house at the edge of the town. It had taken a while to get here even at running from dawn to dusk. Then they had wait for everyone to gather together again. Kakashi had everyone travel in small separate groups. He didn't want to come to the attention of other Hidden Villages with what was essentially a small army of shinobi.

Sakura was by his side. Naruto was about fifteen feet away with Iruka. The radio in his ear indicated that the other teams were in place.

In the yard, two children were practicing with wooden weapons that were sized and balanced perfectly for little hands and fingers. The girl was running back and forth throwing both shuriken and kunai hitting the target each time. The boy stood still and threw his weapons at his target but he occasionally missed the target altogether.

A woman came out to the edge of the porch. She had brown hair but he couldn't see her eye color from this distance but she matched his memory of Tsubaki-sama. "Chouko-chan! Masanori-chan! Put your weapons away and get cleaned up for lunch!" She turned and walked away.

"She's pregnant." Came Sakura's soft whisper.

Kakashi nodded. He had seen the gentle swell of her stomach as well. His attention went back to the two children. Masanori was obediently picking up his weapons and putting neatly in a box. But the girl had a stubborn look on her face that Kakashi remembered from her uncle.

"I'm not finished." She declared.

The boy looked at her and then walked over to his target and began taking it down.

"It doesn't take that long to get cleaned up!" said Chouko. She scowled at her brother when he gave her an expressionless look that the girl was able to interpret. "Well it doesn't! I'm going to practice some more!"

The boy looked at her again. Kakashi could see a tiny brow raise. He remembered that look as well. Chouko knew that look too.

"Don't you even start! I can do what I want! Just watch me!" With that she turned and ran toward a tree. Kakashi could see the chakra gathering at the bottom of her feet and knew what she was going to do.

Chouko ran up the side of a tall oak.

"Chouko!" Tsubaki-sama had come back out to see what was taking so long.

Because of her mother's voice, Chouko became distracted and started to fall. But before her mother could scream, Kakashi saw a yellow flash dart towards the child. A pink flash darted past him towards the mother.

Naruto caught Chouko and Sakura caught Tsubaki.

Kakashi sighed and leapt down from the tree he was hiding in. He gave everyone else the order to stay put.

Chouko stared up at the man who rescued her then flung her arms around his neck. "Uncle Naruto! You came!" She delivered a smacking kiss to his cheek.

Kakashi stopped in his tracks in shock. He didn't expect that reaction. He felt a tug on his pants, looked down and saw Masanori at his side, arms extended. He reached down and picked the boy up and rested him on his hip. He smiled at the feel of the childish kiss on his mask. "Hi, Uncle 'Kashi." The boy looked at his sister. "Bad Chouko!"

Naruto had placed the girl on the ground and was looking down at her with a stern look on his face. The happy grin Chouko had disappeared. "Hello, Chouko-chan." His tone was cool.

Chouko stared up at him and her lower lip began to tremble and tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm in trouble aren't I?"

Naruto nodded. "Yes, you are. You disobeyed your mother and look what happened to her when she saw you fall."

Chouko turned in time to see Sakura help a very pale Tsubaki into a chair. "Mama." She started to go to her mother but Naruto stopped her with a hand on her head.

"What did your mother tell you to do?"

"Put my weapons away and get cleaned up for lunch."

"And what did you do instead?"

"I tried to climb the tree using chakra but I fell and scared mama."

"Yes, you did. I'm very disappointed in you, Chouko-chan."

Tears rolled down the girl's face and she sniffled. "I.I'm sorry!"

"Go tell your mother that you're sorry, then pick up your weapons and Masanori's and put them all away. Then you will get cleaned up for lunch. Move!"

Chouko ran over to her mother apologizing the entire way. Tsubaki stroked her hair. Kakashi could her voice speaking soothingly to the child over Sakura's mic. Then Chouko ran and picked up the weapons as she was told.

Kakashi walked over to the porch. "Iruka come on down. Everyone else stay in place." Iruka appeared at his side. Masanori wriggled and Kakashi understood that the boy wanted down. The boy ran into the house and disappeared. Chouko placed the boxes of weapons and the targets on a table and followed.

Kakashi turned his attention to Tsubaki. She was no longer pale but Sakura had one green glowing hand placed on her stomach. Tsubaki looked at him. "Hatake-sama." Came her quiet greeting.

"We're going to end up –sama-ing everyone to death. Please, call me Kakashi. They are Naruto and Sakura." He gestured to Iruka, "And this is Umino Iruka one of the Academy teachers."

Iruka bowed. "You have your hands full!"

Tsubaki smiled. "Soon even fuller. But children are a joy and a blessing."

The glow disappeared from Sakura's hand and she straightened. "Everything seems fine but I want to give you a more thorough examination later."

Tsubaki nodded and rose to her feet. Naruto's hand hovered at her elbow but she stood just fine. "Have you eaten?" at the negative shake of their heads, she added. "Then please join me and the children for lunch."

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The talk at the table was quiet and commonplace. Tsubaki answered questions about the current conditions in the village that she lived in. It was quiet and people kept to themselves. Strangers were watched warily. And she was considered one. A very questionable one since she had two children and another on the way but no visible husband.

"It must make things hard." Said Sakura.

Tsubaki shrugged "I manage. You have to know that there wasn't anyone for me to gossip with when I lived with my father. So I don't really know what I'm missing."

Naruto laid down his chopsticks and leaned forward. "I have to ask. Do you know where Itachi is?"

She shook her head. "No, he's been gone for over a month, so I have no idea."

Naruto nodded. He bit his lip and flicked a glance at Kakashi and Sakura. "Do you have any idea where his brother, Sasuke, is?"

"Uncle Sasuke is packed away." Piped up Chouko.

The Konoha adults stared at the child who stuffed the last of her meal in her mouth.

Tsubaki sighed. "I'll explain in a bit." She rose from the table and looked at Sakura. "You said that you wanted to examine all of us?"

Sakura rose as well. "How about I start with the children while you talk to Kakashi and Naruto." She turned Masanori and Chouko. "Come with me. After your check-up you can practice with Iruka-sensei!"

The children cheered. "Can we use our real weapons, Iruka-sensei?" asked Chouko.

Tsubaki spoke quickly. "Remember they are in a chakra box that only your father can open. And the box has already been packed away."

Chouko sighed gustily with disappointment but followed Sakura and Iruka.

Tsubaki motioned to Kakashi and Naruto. "Follow me, please." The two men followed her into a room that was empty but obviously a study. Near one wall was a desk that had five scrolls sitting on the top. She gestured for Naruto to take the chair behind the desk. Tsubaki and Kakashi sat in the two before the desk.

She smiled softly. "Sasuke is dead. His urn is already packed away in preparation for leaving."

Naruto covered his eyes. Kakashi just sighed.

Tsubaki continued. "I don't know the details. Itachi has refused to tell me." She gestured to the scrolls. "Itachi told me that when I contacted you and you arrived, I was to give you those five scrolls. I assume that in one of those is the details about Sasuke's death."

Naruto nodded. "How is it that the children, and you, are so accepting and trusting of us? None of you have met us."

"Itachi has told me so much about you. And he told me that he used the…Tsukuyomi on the children so that they would know and trust you when the time came." She rose and bowed.

"Tsubaki." She turned and looked Kakashi. "Does Itachi know that you contacted us?"

She smiled. "Yes, I let him know what I did."

"So he will look for you in Konoha?"

"More than likely."

Naruto spoke. "Later you and I will need to talk about Itachi's return to Konoha."

Tsubaki bowed again. "I'll leave you to your reading." And she left the room, closing the door behind her.