D/C: We don't own Naruto. 'Nuff said.
(the authors appear)
Dragon Man 180: Well, it seems writing together had made this story a lot easier to write.
Jedi Mistress 1990: Yeah, despite current barriers that seem to be holding me back.
DM: Please remember that Imotou-chan helps me write half this fic, so give her some praise too!
JM: Especially since I need some positivity now more than ever! Please pass the chocolate, nii-chan...
DM: (Hands over Swiss chocolate) Only the best for my Imotou!
JM: XD Thank you, nii-chan. (hugs)
DM: Anyways, we hope you continue to enjoy this fic and our other stories.
JM: Carry on, then! (puts on wizard hat)
Mikoto smiled as she noticed her small kitchen garden had not suffered in her absence. It appeared that the plants had been lovingly, if a bit clumsily tended. And Mikoto could think of only one person who would bother to take care of her plants without having to be asked. "Obito-kun, are you here?" she called out, causing Itachi to open her eyes and stare around in surprise.
"Why are you calling for that brat?" demanded Fugaku as he struggled to balance all of the baby gifts Hikari and Arashi had bought Mikoto.
A loud voice suddenly yelled, "Konohagakure Hiden: Taijutsu Ōugi: Sennen Goroshi (Hidden Leaf Secret: Taijutsu Supreme Technique: Thousand Years of Death)!" before Fugaku felt a sharp pain in his rectum, causing him to drop all the packages as he leapt into the air with a cry of pain.
Mikoto turned to see a black haired young boy with orange goggles on the top of his head crouched behind where her husband had just been, his hands in the tiger seal and a look of surprise on his face. "Woah, I didn't think I'd actually get him," said the boy with wide eyes.
"Obito-kun, where did you learn that technique?" demanded Mikoto.
"Arashi-sensei!" exclaimed the boy with a huge grin.
Fugaku landed on the ground by the presents and groaned in pain. "That dobe..." he growled. He was ignored in favor of Mikoto trying to get some more information out of her nephew
"And where did Arashi-kun learn it?" asked Mikoto.
Obito thought about it. "...I don't remember him mentioning it."
Mikoto sighed and smiled. "Well, all that aside, do you want to see your cousin?"
"Does Arashi-sensei love ramen?" asked Obito, causing Mikoto to smile and bend down to present the wide eyed Itachi to Obito, who grinned in delight at his cousin's stare of astonishment at this new creature in front of her.
"Can I hold him?" Obito asked, holding his arms out.
Mikoto giggled and gently placed Itachi in the boy's arms. "Just be careful, Obito-kun."
"Wow, Itachi-chan is so cute... if I didn't know better I'd say he was a girl!" said Obito as he gently tickled the baby, whose happy gurgles told how much she liked the attention.
Fugaku choked on his own spit at that statement. "Well, I can assure you that Itachi is indeed a boy."
"Oh, I don't doubt it, uncle Fugaku!" Obito cheerfully replied, grinning wider than ever. "He's just going to be very pretty when he grows up!"
"Obito-kun, why don't you help me get Itachi set up in the nursery," said Mikoto quickly, noticing the angry expression in Fugaku's eyes.
Obito chirped, "Okay, Auntie!" he gave Itachi back to her mother, and skipped behind Mikoto up the stairs to Itachi's room.
Meanwhile, Fugaku tried to maintain his cool as he tried to figure out a way to make Itachi manly when she got older.
As soon as they were in the sound proof nursery, Obito shut and locked the door and activated the sound barrier seal used when the baby needed a night feeding. "Alright, Auntie, why is Uncle insisting Itachi-chan is a boy when there's clearly a powerful genjutsu around her?" Mikoto stared at her nephew wide-eyed, not sure how he could know the truth.
"How did you--" she demanded.
"The seal fools the eyes, but my hand didn't feel anything between her legs when I was adjusting my grip on her. Add in how much Uncle rants about how strong his son will be and it became kind of obvious," said Obito. "And besides..." Obito continued as he unfolded a blanket. "She's just too adorable to be a boy, even for an Uchiha."
"True. But Fugaku must not know that you are aware of the truth. He's gone insane over this and even threatened Itachi in the hospital," warned Mikoto.
Obito smiled, and handed a small teddy bear to Itachi as she was placed in the bassinet. "Don't worry, Auntie. My lips are sealed! I'll never tell anyone about Itachi-chan!"
Mikoto returned the smile and hugged the boy. "Thank you, Obito-kun. That makes me feel better about this whole situation."
"Uncle Fugaku's too old-fashioned, huh?" Obito inquired.
"I'm afraid so," Mikoto sighed.
And a gender-biased bigot, thought Obito to himself.
Mikoto finally noticed the hitai-ate on top of her nephew's head and her squeal of delight caused Obito to wince. "Obito, you managed to graduate! Congratulations!" she squealed before pulling him into a hug.
Obito's arms waved frantically as he was crushed against two soft mounds and he managed to stammer, "Auntie, air!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Obito!" gasped Mikoto as she released her blushing nephew. "You mentioned Arashi as your sensei, who are your teammates?"
Obito managed to look both happy and sad as he said, "Well, I've got Kango Rin and Hatake Kakashi for teammates."
Mikoto noticed this combination of expressions and asked, "What's wrong, Obito-kun?"
"I like Rin-chan... but Kakashi is such a teme I want to pull the stick out of his ass!" exclaimed Obito.
"Obito-kun, watch your mouth! I don't want Itachi swearing like a sailor!" scolded Mikoto.
"Gomen, Auntie."
Mikoto easily pictured the genius of her nephew's class, a silver haired young boy constantly wearing a face mask. But she couldn't bring up an image of Rin, and so she asked Obito, "What's Rin-chan like, Obito-kun?"
"She's cute, kind, sweet, and a beginner medic nin! She's always patching up anyone who gets hurt! Plus, she can fight, unlike the other girls! She says they're stupid to go on their diets and try to stay thin, that a real kunoichi burns up all the calories and fats she eats in training!"
"Anything else, Obito?" Mikoto continued to smile, seeing that her nephew showed signs of a crush.
"Arashi-sensei is so cool! He suddenly decided Kakashi needed a lesson in humility and had him tied upside down from a tree after Kakashi said that completing the mission was the most important thing! Sensei said that it is our will to protect our comrades that is the most important, because we can only be truly strong when we protect them!"
"That's Arashi-kun for you," Mikoto said. "I'm glad you're comfortable on your team. Arashi-kun will do a great job teaching you all he knows about teamwork and camaraderie." she hugged Obito once more, and gently this time.
"And I'll teach Itachi-chan everything I learn from Sensei!" declared Obito. "I'll even teach her what I know about surprise attacks and pranks!"
Mikoto laughed. "Now there's no need for that, Obito-kun."
"Yes, there is, Itachi will make you laugh when I'm not here!" he said.
Mikoto giggled at Obito's words. "Yes, indeed. Itachi needs a positive influence as she grows up, and you are the perfect man for the job, Obito-kun."
Obito grinned and poked Itachi's stomach gently, causing the little girl to gurgle happily. "Hear that, Itachi-chan? I'll be teaching you when you're old enough! Just remember this, everything your dad says that contradicts me is bull..." Obito was cut off by a death glare from Mikoto and he hastily said, "doodoo, so don't listen to it!"
"Obito-kun, please don't try to make her hate her father so soon," sighed Mikoto before an unpleasant scent hit her nose.
"It seems someone needs a changing," she said before her hand shot out and grabbed Obito as he tried to sneak out the door. "Not so fast, you're learning how to change a diaper now!" she said to the goggle wearing genin.
"Awww, Auntie..." Obito groaned.
"Don't 'aww' me, young man, you're probably going to need this skill for your early missions," she said. She lifted Itachi out of the bassinet, and gently laid her on the changing table. "If you could get a clean diaper for me, please," she requested, smiling sweetly.
Obito sighed and did as he was told. "Alright, the first thing you do is make sure that she's comfortable and has something to distract her…" Obito promptly made a silly face that caused Itachi's eyes to focus on his head. "And then…" and thus proceeded Obito's first lesson in taking care of his cousin, and future children later on in life.
Obito stared at the dirty diaper and with one hand pinching his nose closed he carefully gripped the diaper and started to take it over to the trash can, only to slip and have the diaper go flying out the open window. A splat was followed by Fugaku cursing and the sound of Arashi and Hiashi breaking out into laughter, causing Mikoto to stare at Obito. "I swear I didn't mean to do it! I didn't know he was out there!" stammered the boy as he waved his hands in denial.
JM: Wow, that's gotta be a record.
DM: Just shows how well we work together.
JM: Which is a good thing! It cheered me up quite a bit!
DM: Trust me, she needed the cheering up! If anyone flames and makes her sad again... I might stop writing from the stress!
JM: And you're the one telling ME not to threaten the readers, nii-chan….
DM: I'm older than you, I can get away with it.
JM: True….anyway. Until next time…
DM: next chapter will be out when we manage to get it done!
JM: Please review! This fic may sound easy to write but this is actually kind of hard to write!
DM: Yeah, we have to make sure our stuff flows well and it takes time to write since we're writing it while chatting.
JM: Before we get carried away, BYE!!! Pucker and pocky for everyone! XD
DM: Bye!
(Dragon Man and Jedi Mistress go back to their lives)