Here's chapter 3!
XXX
Chapter 3
Naruto and Itachi strolled down the deserted streets of Konoha. There was an edgy silence between the two; the blonde had her hands clenched in fury while Itachi kept his guard up, just in case the blonde decided to use her fists. The Leaf village was deadly quiet, not a light to be seen in the distance nor a single noise to be heard.
Itachi raised an eyebrow as he followed Naruto at her quick pace. He finally broke the silence, his curiosity and exasperation getting the better of him. "Where are we headed, Naruto?"
"Shut your mouth and follow me," she snapped.
Itachi consented, knowing that further angering Naruto would indeed be a bad idea.
After a few more minutes of briskly pacing around in the dark, Naruto and Itachi came to a clearing. It was a desolate area, and after looking around some, Itachi realized the blond had instinctively brought the two of them to the training grounds of her old Genin team. There were the three old tree stumps in the distance, and the memoir of those killed in action were only a few steps away.
"Do you really mean to fight me, Naruto?" Itachi asked softly.
Naruto whirled around, and she jabbed one finger into Itachi's chest. "Well fuck, Itachi, I don't want to fight you right now, I want to kill you."
"I didn't know you were going to come back to Konoha. What changed your mind?"
The blonde's eyes widened in surprise, cerulean orbs swirling with emotion. "Don't change the subject."
"Before you kill me, I'd like to know."
"Are you mocking me, Itachi? Do you think that I'll let you off the hook if you keep your 'Uchiha' on?"
There was definitely amusement dancing in Itachi's obsidian eyes.
"I never asked you to," he said.
"Never asked me to what?"
"To let me off the hook."
"I hate you."
Itachi raised one eyebrow, as if he were challenging the validity in her statement.
"Fuck you!" Naruto repeated, furious at the Uchiha's infuriating manner. She shook her head, trying to clear her head of the many emotions, and the blood pounded in her head, gifting her a massive migraine. She battled the conflicting emotions inside her before blowing out a breath, and it seemed like her anger deflated with it. "You get away with everything."
"Naruto."
The blonde bit her lip, her eyebrows furrowed deep in thought. Finally she stepped forward and embraced the taller man in a bear hug. Itachi, the ghost of a small smile gracing his beautiful features, patted Naruto on her back.
"I am forgiven now?"
"Not in a million years!" Naruto punched Itachi firmly on his shoulder. "We need to talk. Sit down." And the blonde subsequently took a seat on the grass. Itachi stared warily at the waiting blonde. He really didn't want to have this conversation at this particular moment, but he knew the berating was far from over. The woman seated on the grass seemed to be getting more and more impatient by the second – as if the dark auras that swirled around her weren't clear enough of an indication – and so the Uchiha complied.
Naruto clenched her teeth. "Itachi, you saved my ass that one time, and I'm in your debt, but there a lot of shit you need to explain right now."
"What do you want to know?"
There was a short silence, broken by a grief-stricken whisper. "Why?"
Itachi looked over at Naruto. "Why what?"
"Why did you save me?" Naruto hissed, her beautiful tan face contorted with agony. The sorrow in the blonde's eyes swirled uncontrollably in their ocean depths. "Hell, this starts even earlier than that. If you really loved Sasuke, why did you kill your family? And why are you doing this to Kaira now?" Naruto turned anguished blue orbs to Itachi. "Why didn't you stop… them?" Her lower lip trembled as tears spilled down her cheeks.
Itachi stayed silent. He didn't know what to do as he helplessly watched Naruto cry. Feeling awkward and vulnerable, the Uchiha took a hand and wiped at Naruto's cheeks. "Why are you at Konoha, Naruto? I thought you told me you were going to go back to the Tsuchikage's and staying there until he renewed a peace treaty with Konoha."
"Well some things that weren't supposed to happen happened – Akatsuki happened," the blonde answered flatly. She numbly let Itachi wipe at her tears, touched by his action but still terribly upset at the man. "You would know that. You were probably in on it."
"No I wasn't. I was back – "
"Five years ago." Naruto blew out a breath. "I know, I know. Your bastard brother dragged you home." The blond clenched her fists. Her accusation was still on the tip of her tongue, and she couldn't bite it back. "You didn't try to stop Akatsuki."
"They found out I was a Konoha spy. It was Sasuke who saved my life. They would've killed me if it weren't for him."
"Whoop dee doo. Sasuke the hero," Naruto said bitterly.
"Do you still hate my baby brother?"
"Does the sun not rise in the morning? Don't ask stupid questions, Itachi. It's unfitting to your surname."
"He misses you," the Uchiha said softly.
Naruto glared at Itachi. "Did you – "
"No, I never told him you were alive," Itachi said squarely. "He was upset when he thought that you had died. He stopped eating for days."
"'Upset'? Ha!" Naruto threw back her head and barked out a crazed laugh. Her eyes met Itachi's impassive midnight blacks, and the man saw how cold and empty her azure gaze was. "Am I supposed to be touched? Fuck him."
Itachi's black eyes softened. "Naruto, don't you think you can give him a second chance? Now that you're back and he's trying to change – "
"You want to know why I'm back?" Naruto snapped, her eyes flashing. "Because Akatsuki killed the Tsuchikage's son!" She saw the surprise that flashed through Itachi's normally impassive eyes, and the blond went on. "Yeah, that's right. They killed him. I don't know how they got under all of our protection, but they sure did. Stuck a knife in his throat and cut his stomach open as well. Then they framed Konoha so the Tsuchikage's not going to stop now until Konoha's burned to the ground. Exactly what Akatsuki wants."
There was a silence.
Naruto laughed bitterly, her face twisted in pain. "And of course, I'm the only one who made it back, since the rest of them went to fight off the ambush team that the Tsuchikage sent to Konoha. As far as I know, they're dead and rotting away in a ditch somewhere. I wasted three years of my life chasing after your baby brother, and finally when I moved on and seem to have found a better life, it's torn away from me. Now you're asking me to go back to him? How can you even say he's changed? Just look at Ryūshiro! Look at - look at his poor, blinded daughter. Fuck him, Itachi. That's all I have to say."
Itachi stayed quiet for a while. "I'm sorry about your teammates."
"Don't be sorry," Naruto said resentfully. "It's not your fault. You were back in Konoha."
"You know I tried my best."
Naruto looked away, knowing Itachi had spoken the truth. Her mind flew back to that day five years ago when she had first met Akatsuki – when she had first met Itachi.
It was a fight with Kisame that had almost killed her. She wasn't used to his crazy unconventional fighting style, and just when his sword had almost drained all of her chakra, Itachi appeared. The Uchiha told Kisame that he would take care of Naruto. Kisame had been hesitant at first, but when Itachi glared Mangekyo Sharingan eyes at the shark man, Kisame quickly obliged and left. Naruto thought that her end was near when she came face to face with the man that had slaughtered the entire Uchiha clan, but the next thing she knew, Itachi was healing her and bandaging her wounds. She seriously considered the possibility that hell had frozen over.
Itachi, while applying his medicinal care, explained tersely to the very confused blonde that he was a friend; he had been acting on Konoha's orders the whole ten, twenty years. Even the Uchiha massacre had been an order from the headquarters of the Council. Now he was in Akatsuki as a Konoha spy, gathering and receiving information from the enemy lines and reporting back to Konoha as soon as the opportunities presented themselves.
Naruto had found everything hard to take in but she soon realized that the man was telling the truth, for why else would he be treating her wounds instead of killing her like he had promised Kisame?
For the next couple of days, Itachi stayed by Naruto's side, making sure that the blond was recuperating at a healthy rate and making sure that in her vulnerable state she stayed out of harm's way. Naruto had taken the time to quickly grow attached to Itachi, realizing that he was everything that Sasuke was not – kind, warm, gentle, considerate. The years that Itachi spent as a cold-blooded killer did not seem to have changed him and his morals, something that Naruto had found very admirable.
When it was time to part, Naruto had felt rather sad, much to her surprise and chagrin. But Itachi promised the girl that he would keep in touch with her during her stay in Earth country. Naruto had believed him, being the gullible person that she was, but Itachi never kept that promise, and after waiting for a couple of years or so, the blonde had hardened her heart against him like she did with the younger Uchiha.
But -
But if…
Her sudden insight was like a blow to her stomach, and said organ threatened to hurl out its contents. For now, like a click in her mind's clockworks, things made sense.
"They knew…" Naruto said, understanding dawning in her eyes. "Akatsuki found out about you helping me, didn't they? And that's why they were going to kill you. Until Sasuke finally realized the truth about the Uchiha massacre and saved you. Cuz everything happened five years ago. You saving me. You coming back to Konoha."
Itachi bowed his head. His silence alone was enough to confirm Naruto's epiphany.
"Oh my God..." She found it hard to find the words to express the turmoil in her mind. "And all this time, you kept your mouth shut? About me and my team's hideaway? About the fact that I was alive? You hid it from Tsunade-baachan for five whole years?"
The Uchiha man looked at Naruto with impassive eyes. "You asked me to not tell anyone, Naruto. I'm sorry I couldn't keep in touch with you, for my actions here in Konoha were closely monitored. You being a spy in Earth Country was for the best of Konoha, but I knew Tsunade-sama would send all of our ANBU forces to get you back, no matter what the reasoning, so I kept it from her as well."
"Itachi..." She felt like shit, and devastating remorse plagued her being. "I'm sorry."
"And what are you to be sorry for, Naruto?"
"I'm sorry for not believing you, Itachi," the blonde said as she bowed her head in shame. "I thought that you turned out to be a rotten egg just like your brother – breaking promises and manipulating people's feeling. I thought that you lied to me. I'm sorry for ever doubting you."
Itachi stayed quiet, but he brought a finger up and fondly flicked Naruto's forehead.
Naruto smiled shakily at Itachi. "If you really are the person I thought you were, Itachi, then why are you treating Kaira the way you do?"
"You know the life of a shinobi is hard."
"It's nothing you cannot handle."
"What happens if Konoha asks me to do another insane mission that causes me to be thrown out of the village? How do you think that's going to affect Kaira?" Itachi's voice was pained, and his eyes mirrored his fears; anguish was etched deep into their obsidian depths. "It's going to hurt her more."
Naruto shook her head, her expression stubborn. "You're wrong, Itachi. Tsunade would never let you do something like that ever again."
"Oh? Even with the war that's sure to break out between the two countries?" Itachi's tone became harsh. "When she's going to have to choose between the village and my life, I already know Godaime-sama's choice. I don't blame her for it because it's the shinobi way. But I want Kaira out of it as much as she can be."
"By isolating her?" Naruto's bitter tone matched Itachi's. "Itachi, it's not helping you or her by throwing your only child aside and pretending like she doesn't exist. She needs you, Itachi. She loves you and all she ever wants in her life is your acknowledgement that she's alive."
Itachi looked at Naruto with soft black eyes. "Naruto, you're here now."
The blond was flabbergasted. "Me? Itachi, just what the fuck does this have to do with me?"
"I saw the way Kaira was sleeping. I hadn't seen her sleep like that in years. She felt safe around you. You have that chakra, Naruto, I told you."
Naruto laughed mockingly. "That chakra? You mean the chakra that invades the hearts of other people and gets them to trust me? Sounds like shit from a fairy tale."
"You still don't believe me, Naruto. Your father had the same energy about him that just got people to like him, to trust in him. You have it too. Why else do you think you can change the way people think in such little time?"
"I don't know. Maybe because I beat some sense into them." Naruto saw Itachi's raised eyebrows and she looked away. "Look, Itachi, I know a part of what you say is right. That there is something strange about me that just get people to click with me, but… but it doesn't always work."
"What do you mean?"
"If I really had that friendly, life changing energy, I would not have failed on Sasuke." Naruto's voice broke. "And when it didn't work, I gave up, Itachi. Why are you still hoping that I can change him?"
"Because you're the only one who can."
"No… No I'm not." Naruto's cheeks were flushed. "He broke my heart so many times. I never ever want to think about that man again. As soon as Sasuke comes back from his mission, I'm leaving. I'm not staying to have him break my heart all over again, Itachi."
"Can you really do that? You win those kids' trust, and you're still going to leave them?" Itachi's voice was quiet but accusing, and Naruto caught on to the Uchiha's manipulation.
"Don't give me that crap, Itachi," Naruto said coldly. "You'd better start changing the fucking way you act around those kids, or I'm going to beat some sense into that brain of yours. They don't need me. They need you."
Itachi sighed. He knew how stubborn Naruto was. Guilt tripping the blond haired woman was a dumb and useless effort; he shouldn't have tried. "Naruto, please…"
"Itachi, I'm not going to fall in love with your brother."
The Uchiha man smiled wryly. He had to give it to the woman; she was quick to catch on. No wonder she was such a good shinobi. "Why are you so sure?"
Naruto stared evenly back at Itachi, and the blonde held her head up. Her voice was clear as she answered, "Because I'm engaged to Inuzuka Kiba."
Itachi stayed quiet as he took the time to process this new information. He was surprised, sure, but a part of him always knew she had tried to move on from Sasuke. And the rebound had happened to be Kiba.
"Congratulations."
"Save it," Naruto snapped. "I don't need to hear them, especially when you don't mean it."
"I do."
"No you don't." Cerulean eyes flashed. "I can feel it. The skepticism from you. You think I'm still in love with your baby brother, just like Kurama does."
"Oh?" Itachi smiled dryly. "So Nine Tails is on my side?"
"Shut up. I'm not in love with that Uchiha bastard, so you two can go burn in hell."
"Naruto…" Itachi said. Anything to save his little brother's soul. "Don't forget him just yet."
"I hate him."
"Naruto."
She glared at Itachi. "Does it amuse you to see me in pain?"
"You know the answer to that."
"Then stop asking the impossible from me! I erased him, Itachi. He's forgotten from my heart. I don't know him anymore, so drop it."
Itachi looked at Naruto. "You're stubborn, Naruto, but I will not quit. I fucked my little brother's life over, and damned I'll be if I don't make it right again."
Naruto clenched her fist. "Well gee, Itachi, he fucked my life over. Over and over again. So you can keep asking. And I'll keep disappointing. I forgot Sasuke, Itachi. I don't remember him anymore, and I'd like to keep it that way. Even if I have to wait for Kiba for the rest of my life, it is a billion times less painful than what your brother did to me."
"Naruto…"
"Besides, he went and fucked Sakura over as well. Literally. Now they have two kids who don't even know what it means to belong. Why can you not see your brother for who he is? A fucking disaster."
Itachi flinched. "Naruto, you do not mean that."
"Yes I do. Accept the truth. I've long let Sasuke go. I don't need to go back to it and revisit those painful memories."
There was a dry silence, broken by Itachi's bitter voice. "It's not his fault he turned out the way he is. It's my fault. I should've just killed him along with the rest of our family. Then he wouldn't have to have suffered so much. If only I had listened to orders." Itachi's voice grew quieter and quieter. "If only I didn't love him so much."
Naruto was standing her ground. "Well he needs to learn to just man the fuck up."
"Naruto, I will not give up."
"Then prepare to be disappointed."
The two unmovable mountains looked away from each other, both frustrated that the other did not see things the same way. Itachi then felt a stir of amusement at the situation, and he smiled wryly. Only Naruto had the ability to make him feel so conflicted, so riled. He remembered the last time he had crossed paths with her. Not only did he grow fond of the girl at that time, but he had also realized why Sasuke was so caught up on the blonde ninja.
"Naruto."
Naruto glared at Itachi. "Did I not just make myse – "
"If I were to try to change my mindset towards Kaira – towards the children, would you try to do the same? Towards Sasuke?"
Naruto's eyes flashed angrily. "Excuse me? I think you're mistaken here, Itachi, but let me tell you, parents are supposed to take care of their children. It's not something you can bribe other people with."
"You know I think what I'm doing is right."
"Well it's not."
"Who are you to say?" Itachi countered quietly. "Sasuke grew attached to me, and look at how much pain I made him go through after the massacre." Naruto stayed silent. "How do you know Kaira wouldn't do the same?"
"Because I'm not going to let something like that happen ever again." Naruto stared evenly back at Itachi. "I'm not going to let Tsunade-baachan force you to do anything like the Uchiha Massacre ever again. You have my word."
Itachi inclined his head. "That's very commendable of you, Naruto, but as of the moment…"
The words hung in the air, the tension thick and suffocating.
"I will consider it."
"Thank you."
There was a short silence. Crickets chirped in the distance, and a small breeze stirred. Itachi watched Naruto's hair lift up in the wind, and he reached for it to catch a golden lock in his fingers. It was silky and soft to his touch.
Naruto gave the man an inquiring look, and she noticed how sad the small smile on his handsome face looked.
"Itachi…?"
Itachi met Naruto's eyes, and she was stunned at how sharp his black cauldron eyes were. "Your hair got longer."
"Yeah…" Naruto blinked rapidly, wondering what was going through the Uchiha's mind. "I'm growing it out. Kiba… said he liked my hair long."
Itachi murmured quietly, "It's very pretty."
Naruto blushed, and she looked away. Itachi's pensiveness was making her edgy. "Thanks, Itachi." The man didn't respond, and Naruto grew impatient. "Really now, Itachi, what's going on? What brought – "
"Your hair's the same as hers. The same length. The same texture."
Naruto's eyes widened, and she immediately knew what Itachi was talking about. Tears formed in the cerulean eyes, and the woman reached for Itachi's hand. She held his hand tightly, and she saw how unfocused his eyes were.
"Is Kaira's mom still… still…"
"No." The whisper hung in the air. Itachi's voice was thick with pain. "Akatsuki killed her."
Naruto gasped. "No - oh God, Itachi, no. Please don't say - No!" She clasped desperately at Itachi's hand. "Please tell me it wasn't because of me…" But the anguish in the man's desolate eyes said it all, and Naruto felt her heart tear in two. "I'm so sorry, Itachi."
"It's not your fault. It was bound to happen anyway. They were already suspicious…" Itachi felt a tear trickle down his cheek. "They held her hostage and lured me into the trap. If Sasuke… If Sasuke hadn't shown up on time, they would've taken Kaira's life too."
"How old was she at that time?"
"Four."
"Does she… Does she remember?"
"No. We erased her memory."
"Oh my god… So she doesn't know? At all?"
"No. I've never told her." Itachi raised two dull black eyes to stare blankly at Naruto. "I don't know how to tell her that it was her father who killed her mother."
In a flash Naruto held the older Uchiha in a tight embrace, and the tears that fell from Naruto's cerulean eyes splattered all over Itachi's ANBU attire. The blonde shook uncontrollably as she felt Itachi's buried pain and guilt, and she knew that in these ten, twenty years, it was Itachi who had suffered the most. Murdering his entire clan, seeing his beloved baby brother consumed with hatred, watching his loved one killed in front of his eyes, and the remorse he felt towards his own precious daughter…
"Itachi," Naruto whispered thickly. "It doesn't have to be this way. People can help you. Sasuke can help you."
Itachi shook his head. "Sasuke's already beating himself up enough over missing his chance to be with you, Naruto."
Naruto flinched, and Itachi added hesitantly, "He knew about your gender, didn't he? You two…" The blonde's face was emotionless, but her arms fell down limply on her side. The Uchiha caught Naruto's eyes, and he pleaded into their sapphire depths. "Naruto, please, just see him once more. I'm sure he's more than sorry for whatever he's done to offend you, and I can't bear him to live on in this agony."
Naruto closed her eyes. She took a deep breath before saying slowly, "Because it will ease your suffering, Itachi. But –" here, cerulean clashed again onyx – "I'm not guaranteeing anything. If it was meant to be, it was meant to be." A moment's silence. "I refer to Kiba."
A small sad smile graced Itachi's lips. "As long as you keep your options open."
"Naturally."
There was a comfortable silence as the two finally reached a consensus. Naruto stared quizzically at the brooding man. She saw how dead his bleak, black eyes looked, how he seemed to be staring at the sky with a look of pure regret and torment etched upon his angelic, beautiful face, and before she knew what she was doing, before Itachi had any time to react, Naruto dipped her head and caught the surprised Uchiha in a swift kiss. Itachi's eyes widened in shock and his mind went completely blank. There was no way this action could be right, could be allowed – the woman of his little brother's dreams, and yet instead she was kissing him. Nonetheless, hesitantly – instinctively – he relaxed into her lip's soft touch and allowed her gentle caresses to soothe away his pain. When they broke apart, Naruto tenderly placed one finger on Itachi's face and wiped away at the lone tear that had fallen out of his eye.
"Why… did you do that?" Itachi asked numbly.
"Because." Naruto smiled wistfully. "Because you looked sad." She grabbed the Uchiha's hand and pulled him into a standing position along with her. He was a good head or two taller than her, and Naruto's smile widened as she saw that Itachi no longer had the deadened look in his eyes.
"Five years ago," the blond said, her entire face blazing brightly with determination, "you healed me back to life. From today and onwards, it's my turn to return the favor." She grabbed for Itachi's hand and held it tightly. "My love towards you may not be romantic or anything of the sort, but love is still love, and indeed, only love can heal all wounds." Naruto placed their intertwined hands on Itachi's heart, and she smiled brightly at the Uchiha. "It's my promise to you."
Itachi smiled back. "I believe you." With his free hand, he pushed back Naruto's golden bangs and placed it behind her ear so he could see her face better. "Thank you, Naruto."
The two then began their slow walk back to the Uchiha compound.
XXX
One month later
XXX
Shiro watched Momo carefully. The goddess had told him Momo was now beginning to learn how to walk, and sometimes when she'd try to make a said attempt, her legs would wobble and she'd tip over. It was Shiro's job to make sure to catch Momo when she did fall, but the job proved to be much more wearisome than Shiro had originally thought. He wondered if he had been as ridiculous as Momo when he was her age, and after breaking Momo's fall for what seemed to be the hundredth time that afternoon, the poor boy longingly wished that his goddess would be done with her errands and save him from this monotony. As if on cue, a voice rang out loud and clear.
"Shiro-chan? Momo, where are you?"
The little Uchiha boy perked up at the sound of Naruto's voice, and he loudly stomped on the ground a couple of times to alert Naruto of their location. Momo squealed excitedly as she, too, recognized Naruto's voice, and the baby girl began to yell at the top of her lungs.
"Mama! Mama! Mama!"
In a second Naruto was in the playroom, and she smiled adoringly at the two children who stood in the middle of the room, waiting for her. In one smooth motion, Naruto swooped down and had both Uchiha kids in her arms. Momo giggled elatedly as Shiro's black eyes shone like two bright stars. The Uchiha boy kissed his blond goddess on her whiskered cheek, telling her in his silent language just how much he missed and loved her. Momo, meanwhile, had yet to cease her yelling.
"Mama! Mama!"
Naruto held the two kids tightly, for they had become the most precious things to her in the short time that she had lived in the Uchiha mansion. Lovingly returning Shiro's kiss and bumping noses with him as well, she stared deep into his trusting black eyes before saying feverishly, "I love you, Uchiha Ryūshiro." Then turning to Momo, whose blind green eyes seemed to be fixated on Naruto's face, almost as if the baby girl could see the blonde, Naruto smiled widely and kissed Momo's fat cheeks.
"Hello to you, gorgeous."
"Mama! Mama!"
Naruto's blue eyes softened. She remembered that shocking day, just last week, as she was cooking dinner and Shiro was watching TV in the other room. Momo was seated in her high chair, playing with her little toys when one of them dropped onto the floor, something that went unnoticed by Naruto. Momo, frustrated, did not know how to catch Naruto's attention, but the next thing Naruto knew, a shout of "Mama" rang loud and clear throughout the kitchen. And ever since then, no matter how much Naruto tried to coax Momo out of the habit, the baby would scream 'Mama' whenever she wanted Naruto. It amused and, Naruto suspected, pleased, Itachi to no end, but Naruto was worried that Momo and Ryūshiro would soon start to replace Sakura with her. It's true that Sakura hadn't been much of a good mother figure, but after being married to Sasuke for so long, who knew exactly what had happened behind the closed doors? Although Naruto did come to the Uchiha compound to baby-sit the neglected kids, she sure as hell didn't want to replace Sakura in her own home. Naruto had heard that Sakura was on the way to recovery (granted, it was a slow process), but she knew that there were many loose ends to be tied up once Sakura was deemed mentally healthy again.
"How many times do I have to tell you," Naruto said firmly – but still affectionately. "I'm not your mother, precious baby. It's nee-san."
Momo cooed once before breaking into a big grin – showing two growing front teeth, quite the opposite of Shiro's missing front teeth – and saying in what seemed almost to be a defiant voice, "Mama!"
Naruto was about to sternly correct the toddler once more when another figure stepped into the room.
"Sensei?" The girl seemed stunned, then, "Sensei, you look beautiful!"
Naruto turned to look at the young teenager who spoke. Kaira stood in the doorway, her hair tied back in a ponytail and eyes huge in shock. Naruto secretly smiled, something she couldn't help but do whenever she saw Kaira. In the matter of four weeks, Naruto had changed Kaira from a bitter, reclusive teenager into a bright, open youthful girl. Her long black hair no longer covered her face, her eyes – which, to Naruto's surprise, were actually brown, something she must've gotten from her mother – no longer glared but instead shone with curiosity and acceptance, and her mouth was no longer drawn in a thin line but always pulled back in a smile. Of course, Naruto couldn't take all the credit for this miraculous change; if it weren't for the improved behavior and attendance of a certain Uchiha man, getting Kaira to change would've been twice the challenge.
The said Uchiha was also in a similar stunned position as his daughter, and he broke Naruto's reverie by asking gently, "Why are you all dressed up?"
Naruto rolled her eyes. "Seems like you forgot, Itachi. Kaira, aren't you going to come hug your sensei? I haven't seen you all day!"
Kaira ran forward and hugged Naruto tightly, also taking a consenting Shiro out of Naruto's arms and kissing Momo in the process. "I've been training with Father, Naruto-sensei. Where'd you get such a pretty dress?"
Naruto laughed. "You like it? I'll give it to you when you're older!"
"Oh, but sensei, it matches your blue eyes better!"
"Anything looks good against your flawless pale skin, Kaira," Naruto teased. "You have your father to thank for that." The blonde winked at the Uchiha.
Itachi gracefully raised one eyebrow. "Would you care to jog my memory, Naruto? I can't remember for what reason do you have to be dressed up as the most beautiful woman in all of Konoha."
Naruto blushed while Kaira beamed at her father's not so subtle compliment. "It's my welcome back party, remember?" the blonde stammered. "At Sai and Ino's place."
Kaira gasped at this particular piece of news. "Oh really? Can we go? Please please please?" Shiro, who had been motionless in Kaira's arms the whole time, perked up and his angelic face split into a smile. "See, even Shiro wants to go!"
"Now, Kaira, Ryūshiro," Itachi reprimanded gently. "It's not a place for young children."
Kaira turned to Naruto, her brown eyes imploring. "But sensei, it's a party! I'm sure Yuuta and Mana will be there!"
"Yuuta? Mana?" Naruto asked Itachi, bewildered.
"They're Ino's twins. Both of them are in Kaira's Team."
"Yeah, they drive Ino-sensei insane sometimes," Kaira added.
Naruto blinked. "Wow, Ino got her own kids in her Team? Talk about bad luck."
"They're pretty good students," Itachi offered. "Those two are even younger than Kaira."
Naruto was stunned. "But Kaira's ten. She's a genius for her age! Even her Sharingan is activated." There was a moment silence as Naruto put one and one together. "Does that mean Yuuta and Mana are prodigies as well?" A look of fond exasperation passed through Itachi's eyes, which, luckily, went unnoticed by Naruto.
"Yup, we're the youngest trio in our age group!" Kaira answered excitedly. "And just yesterday Yuuta and I placed a bet on something." She squirmed eagerly. "So please, sensei, can we go? Pretty please?"
Shiro's black eyes begged silently alongside Kaira's browns.
Naruto smiled and turned to look at Momo, who was happily sucking away on her hand. "Now all we're missing are your pretty emeralds, Momo." The blonde handed Momo to Kaira, who had to gently set Shiro on the ground in order to hold the baby girl in her arms. "If you three can get fancied up by the time Itachi and I finish our talk, we'll take you - "
The three kids bolted out of the room before Naruto could finish her sentence. Momo's squeal of delight echoed down the hallway.
Naruto smiled and reached for Itachi's hand. "Well, they're Uchihas for sure. No one else would've been able to match that speed."
A flicker of amusement appeared in Itachi's eyes before the orbs of liquid black quickly turned teasing. "You spoil them."
Naruto rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Itachi. Don't think I didn't see you slip Momo and Shiro a huge slice of chocolate cake just the other day. They're already chubby enough. Especially that little Momo."
A smile twitched on Itachi's lips. "That's only because you started baking all those sweets, Naruto," he countered.
"That was meant for Kaira!" Naruto's voice mirrored exasperation. "She's the one going through puberty right now, and have you seen your girl's legs? They're skinny as twigs!" The blonde crossed her arms. "Plus, you've been training her every day this week. I thought breaks were meant for resting."
There was no denying it now. Fierce pride shone in Itachi's face. "She's a natural," he said, his usual detached voice now barely hiding the undertone of excitement. "I've never seen anyone master the fire jutsus so quickly and so easily." The Uchiha turned to Naruto. "Did you help her, Naruto? She told me you taught her a lot that one week I was gone for my mission."
Naruto shrugged modestly, but a big smile was on her face as she saw how happiness was radiating from Itachi. "Well, I explained to her that charka control had a lot to do with envisioning the jutsu. We spent a few days learning that, but she definitely is a prodigy." The blonde paused. Then, her voice strange, "Do you think…"
The rest of her sentence stuck in her throat.
Itachi's eyes softened as he caught on to Naruto's apprehension. "Shiro will learn how to speak soon," he assured the blonde softly. "It's only a matter of time before he'll be calling you 'Mama.'"
The blonde gave Itachi a scowl, but the glower disappeared as quickly as it came. She bit her cheek with a worried expression on her face, and her shoulders slumped forward tiredly. "But he's almost five! I mean, Shiro definitely doesn't lack the smarts – he catches onto shinobi training just as fast as Kaira – but I've yet to hear Shiro utter a single sound. I could care less for words, but he can't even make a cry of pain. I've seen him. When he accidentally stabbed himself during kunai practice the other day, all that came out of his mouth was a silent yelp."
Itachi placed his hand tenderly on Naruto's head. "He'll be fine, Naruto. You can't expect that much change in just a month. I have faith in my nephew." The man smiled and ruffled Naruto's golden hair. "And you should too."
The concern in Naruto's eyes didn't disappear. "And there's Momo too. Is there nothing the doctors can do at all about her eyes? Even Tsunade-baachan can't fix her?"
"You've already asked Godaime-sama twice, Naruto." Despite his soft, comforting voice, the Uchiha felt a pang of empathy for his niece, who probably lived in a colorless world. "She's still the happiest toddler in Konoha, and as long as you're there to support her, it will always be so. I'm sure she'll grow up to be an astounding ANBU ninja."
But even Itachi himself didn't know if Momo had inherited the Sharingan eyes or not, and if she did, it was doubtful she could activate and use them in her blind state.
Naruto let out a long breath. "I know, I know." The blonde then grinned sheepishly. "I'm so sorry, Itachi, I always bring this topic up." She hugged the Uchiha in a tight embrace and kissed him on his cheek. "Thank you."
The man returned Naruto's smile before saying wryly, "Now, are you going to let me change or not? I look like a scoundrel standing next to you."
"Oh! Oh I'm sorry, I totally forgot! Okay, hurry, the party starts in ten minutes! And I definitely can't be late."
A quick peck on her cheek, a fast, moving blur, and Itachi disappeared from the room. Naruto grinned. Then, raising an eyebrow – not unlike what Itachi was prone to do at certain times - the blonde shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Kaira, Shiro, Momo! Are you guys ready yet?"
"Yes, Sensei!"
"Mama! Mama!"
A pang went through her heart when she didn't hear the third voice, but nonetheless, the grin on Naruto's face grew bigger.
"Let's get this party started!"
XXX
Ino was surprised to see the four Uchiha at Naruto's 'official' welcome back party. It wasn't like the Uchihas weren't invited… but seriously, who had expected that they would actually make time in their goddamn busy Uchiha schedules to come to a party? When Naruto arrived at the door, hastily ringing the doorbell and running forty minutes late, everyone had similar looks of shock plastered on their faces as Itachi and the three Uchiha heirs followed in the blonde woman's wake through the doorway.
But then again, on second thought, Ino of all people should've been more mentally prepared. For who else – excluding the ones living in the Uchiha Manor – had spent that great deal of time with Itachi's only daughter, Kaira? And there indeed was a significant – wondrous even – change in Ino's pupil during the past four weeks. Not only did Kaira's team communication and cooperation skills suddenly increase tenfold, but her usual sullen and sneering face had been replaced by a much healthier, much happier countenance. Already, many upper classmen had begun to notice the adolescent Uchiha girl and whispers of her name had started to circulate among the Teams.
The same thing could be said for Sasuke's two children. Ryūshiro no longer cowered at every shadow like he used to. Instead he had become less hesitant to try new things – like making friends for instance. The happy Uchiha boy could be seen during Academy school surrounded by crowds of students, older and younger, male and female. Ryūshiro apparently had taken on his beloved babysitter's best trait - charisma. And charismatic the child was, never lacking an adorable smile, never missing a gracious bow here and there.
In terms of physical appearance, there was no child in all of Konoha who could match Ryūshiro's beauty. Even before Naruto's appearance, there had been whispers of "Shiro Tenshi" – white angel – as Ryūshiro's nickname, but the child had never so well lived up to that nickname until now. For now, always, his cheeks were flushed with the color of soft pink, a stunning contrast against his flawless, pale skin. His winning smile, another of which he must've gotten from Naruto, nearly split his adorable face in half every time, and the two subsequent missing front teeth were enough to woo any girl's heart. His midnight eyes, the exact replicas of his father's, were not cold or veiled as one would expect of an Uchiha but instead glowed with love and trust, especially when they were directed towards his beloved babysitter.
The young Uchiha boy was indeed Cupid reincarnate.
Then there was Momo… Well, it was Ino's first time seeing Momo ever since Sakura moved out of the Uchiha estate, but if the happy cries of "Mama! Mama!" and the joyous fits of laughter weren't an insinuation of the toddler's well being, then what was?
Even Itachi didn't seem as aloof and broody as he used to be.
Ino, like the rest of the party, knew that this phenomenal transformation of the distant, seemingly cold-hearted Uchihas could have only been brought about by the one and only Uzumaki Naruto.
"Ino?"
Ino started out of her reverie, and turning around, the woman found herself drowning in two concerned swirling pools of cerulean. Speak of the Devil. The said 'Devil' was draped in a gorgeous dress that accentuated extremely well against her two glittering sapphire eyes. Ino had never seen a more stunning beauty.
"Ino, are you okay? You've been standing there and biting your lip for the past five minutes." Naruto tilted her head to the side, worry lines etched in the middle of her forehead. The blonde placed her drink on the table and then crossed her arms. "Are you not feeling well?"
Ino smiled, touched by Naruto's compassion. This was actually her first one-on-one talk with Naruto – fateful stormy night not included – and Ino realized with a jolt that Naruto was rather of a small build; the blue-eyed blond-haired wonder was at least half a head or more shorter than Ino.
"N-no, I'm fine. I guess I was just spacing out." Ino furrowed her eyebrows. "What are you doing outside on the porch so far away from everyone? You know we've all been dying to talk to you."
Naruto laughed. "Apparently, I'm keeping a brooding woman company." The blonde winked at Ino and took a big swish of red wine from the cup she had just previously set down. "But seriously though," Naruto added, "I'm pretty surprised at how calmly you guys took the whole gender changing incident. I half expected everyone tonight to pester me with questions about this occurrence. I mean, I didn't really explain it well during the meeting."
The meeting.
Although this indeed was a welcome back party, it wasn't as if the partygoers hadn't met Naruto yet. No, Tsunade-sama, within the first few days of Naruto's release from the hospital, immediately sent summon scrolls to everyone part of the ANBU troops, notifying them of a must-attend-or-die assembly later on that day. Ino and Chouji, knowing full well just exactly what the meeting was going to be about, spent the first half of the day convincing everyone that no, no disaster had occurred, no, Earth Country has not attacked Konoha – yet – and no, Godaime-sama was not announcing her retirement. By the time the extremely important assembly had swung around, all ANBU squads were in place in the cramped conference room, conspiracies running through their minds as they grumbled quietly to themselves just what the hell could've been so important for all the ANBU to gather in such a chicken scramble manner – perhaps the Godaime was getting too old?
But all ill feelings immediately were replaced by shock and disbelief as the ghost of Uzumaki Naruto stepped into the room.
After the situation was kindly explained by Tsunade – no, Naruto was not dead, does she look dead to you idiots? and yes, Naruto is a girl… just accept it you morons! - Naruto obediently took the spotlight and briefly enlightened everyone of the details similar to the ones she told Jiraiya and Tsunade in the hospital just a few days before. The meeting itself had been very formal and concise; after Naruto was done with her explanation, she answered only official questions that the Hokage asked, and once the interrogation was over, the blonde politely asked to be excused and Tsunade immediately obliged. An outrageously still shocked ANBU crowd was left in her wake.
How come they couldn't talk to Naruto?
Thus something had to be done. The whole shinobi crowd had thought, for seven long painful years, that their beloved comrade was dead, and when that belief proved to be wrong, everyone was overjoyed. That joy, nonetheless, did not last long, for it quickly turned to dismay when it became apparent that Naruto planned to spend morning, noon, and evening in the privacy of the Uchiha compound. A week became two. Two weeks became three. Although everybody noted the drastic changes in Kaira, Ryūshiro, and Itachi, the only three Uchihas who ever left the Manor, the person whom the Konoha shinobis really wanted to see was that ray of sunshine who they knew was hiding behind that horrible, obstructive stormy cloud of an Uchiha Manor. Finally, three full weeks had dragged by, Ino hesitantly asked Itachi before an ANBU meeting if Naruto would agree to a "welcome back" party. The next day, Ino felt a gentle rap on her shoulder and got a quietly whispered "Yes, she would like that." Immediately the preparations began, and now, a week later, standing right before Ino herself, was said sunshine.
"Your business is yours to share," Ino said quietly. She saw how quickly Naruto had downed the cup of red wine, and Ino knew Naruto was edgy. Scared even, to be back home again in Konoha. "We just want to you show you how much we've missed you."
"Yeah, I've been busy," came the hasty excuse. "I'm remodeling the Uchiha Compound."
"It's fine, Naruto. Like I said, it's your business. We're not mad, just happy you're back."
Cerulean eyes widened slightly before composure veiled the orbs again. "Thank you, Ino. For this. For everything." Gratitude lined Naruto's voice.
Ino merely smiled back at Naruto. There was a strange silence between the two.
Naruto watched Ino from the corner of her eye. Truth be told, as soon as Naruto had stepped into the household and laid eyes on Ino's twins, Naruto knew that Ino was keeping a deep dark secret. A secret that was all too related to Naruto herself. A secret that Naruto could only blame herself for.
So, after making conversation with literally everyone who had attended the party – Naruto had actually enjoyed the talks, for she too had missed her nakama dearly – the blonde followed Ino out to the backyard. She waited five minutes before interrupting Ino's daydreaming, and from the two or so minutes of exchange, Naruto knew the real reason why Ino had hosted the party. And there was no running away from it anymore.
"Ino?"
Ino glanced at Naruto. There was an inflection to the blonde's voice that Ino couldn't identify. "Yes Naruto?"
"You're not in love with Sai."
A small gasp escaped Ino's lips at Naruto's blunt statement. Ino's eyes darted back and forth, unable to meet the piercing ceruleans. The woman's body had suddenly become as stiff as a board, and her lower lip began to tremble.
Naruto felt guilt well up in her chest as soon as she saw how disturbed Ino suddenly became. "Ino, talk to me, please."
Ino's grip on her glass tightened, making her hand turn stark white. "Why would you say that?" The question came out like a statement, devoid of emotion and intonation. It tore at Naruto's heart.
"Your kids, Ino."
"What about them?"
"They have brown hair." Naruto hated the horrified look on Ino's face as she whispered out the undeniable truth. "Your hair's pale blond and Sai's is black. There's no way your twins would have brown hair. Not if Sai had fathered them."
The sound of glass shattering against the stone floor was heard, and Ino swayed against the spot where she stood. Instantly Naruto was by Ino's side, and she guided Ino to a nearby chair and gently seated the staggered woman. Ino had a forlorn expression on her face, like someone who suddenly remembered a previously repressed traumatic experience. But other than that, no emotion could be discerned from the woman's strange expression.
Naruto shook Ino's shoulder slightly, guilt and pain ripping away at her chest. "Ino, Ino, please stay with me! Ino!"
Ino, whose eyes had been blanking staring into space, now directed her vacant gaze to Naruto. Ino's body started trembling again, and tears tricked down her face as well.
"How is he?"
"I don't know." The harsh words hung in the air, and Naruto choked back a sob. "I'm so sorry, Ino. I don't know where Shikamaru is. If I did, I would be chasing after him. After them. I wouldn't stop until I got every single one of them back. You know that."
Slowly, Ino buried her face in her hands. Silent, seizure-like sobs wracked at the woman's body, and it took Naruto every ounce of strength to not break into pieces as she helplessly watched Ino's emotional and mental breakdown. Naruto held Ino tightly in an embrace, but the pain that radiated from every pore in Ino's body suffocated Naruto.
"Shh… shh…" Naruto soothed, trying hard to make sure her voice didn't waver or crack. "Everything will be all right. They'll come back soon. Those men can take care of themselves, no problem. Don't worry. Shikamaru – " Her voice broke. "Sh-Shikamaru will be home soon."
Ino took a deep, shaky breath. She called on all her training as a shinobi to control herself, and slowly but surely she felt the world come to a stop, and her mind cleared. Ino smiled unevenly at the worried blonde that was seated anxiously next to her.
"It's okay, Naruto. I'm fine. I think… I think I just needed to hear it, from your mouth. Or else I would've never let him go."
Naruto couldn't believe her ears. "Ino, he's not dead! Oh please, don't erase him from your heart now. Not after all this time!"
The small sad smile on Ino's face broke Naruto's heart. "My children need a father, Naruto."
"Do they know?"
"They're not stupid." Ino closed her eyes resignedly. "Their father's hair color wasn't the only thing they inherited."
"But they don't know who he is. Or his name, for that matter."
"No." A pause. "They never directly confronted me about it."
"He's still alive, Ino! I know it."
Ino opened her eyes. Her voice was weary and despondent. "It's time, Naruto. There's no use in hopelessly chasing after the past. Not when it's obviously fucking over my future."
Ino's words rang loud and clear in Naruto's mind. A sudden flash of midnight locks, pale skin, and swirling Sharingan eyes blinded her vision.
The blonde inaudibly gasped, and her head spun. After all those years of repressing those memories, after all those years of forcibly forgetting them from her heart, such a statement from Ino had so easily penetrated her barrier and evoked that image back to the surface.
Naruto now realized the basis of Ino's decision. It was the same decision that she herself had made eight years ago. To Ino, Shikamaru was everything she wanted and everything she couldn't have. A bleak situation that Naruto only knew so well.
"I understand, Ino."
Relief flooded into Ino's eyes at Naruto's supportive words. "You don't think I'm being cold-hearted? Finally letting him… go? Forgetting him just like that?"
"No." Naruto smiled a small smile. "You gotta do what you gotta do. He'll understand. It's for the best. For everyone. You, your kids, Shikamaru… Sai."
A pause. "Sai's a good man."
"I know he is. Otherwise he wouldn't have moved in with you and the kids."
Ino sighed. "He saw how hard things became for me when my belly began to swell. I had two kids growing in my stomach, not just one. And being a single mother… He didn't even ask who the father was. Just moved in. Just like that. And on top of it all, simply so I wouldn't be flamed by the gossip that I thought was sure to come, he told everyone he was the father. That we had been together for years." Tears welled in Ino's eyes. "I owe him so much, but the whole seven years, I've never loved him. Not like that. Not like the way I loved Shikamaru."
Naruto placed a gentle hand on Ino's shoulder. "He understands, Ino. All he wants is for you to be happy and safe. That's enough for him. I could tell when I talked to him today." Naruto smiled a wry grin. "Though he's still as socially gauche as he was before I left. He even had the nerve to call me 'dickless,' only this time he said he meant it for real."
Ino laughed quietly. "That sounds like Sai, all right. Luckily for him, he stopped calling me hag years ago. Otherwise who knows how many injuries he'd have. We wouldn't have been able to afford the hospital bill."
Naruto grinned at the thought. "I'll bet."
Ino wiped away at her tears. "Thank you, Naruto. I haven't felt so lighthearted in a long, long time." The woman grinned. "Who would've known that Uzumaki Naruto was an even better therapist as a woman?"
Naruto laughed. "Of course. Women are natural psychiatrists." The blue eyes twinkled. "Combine that with Uzumaki Naruto, and you have your world-healing wonder."
"I certainly saw that in the Uchiha kids. Kaira's done a 180 degree turn. She gives the upperclassmen teams a run for their money."
"From what Kaira tells me, your kids are the brightest in all of Konoha."
A dry smile from Ino. "It drives me insane. Especially when a ten year old boy and girl are telling their own mother what to do in managing the bills. Or in teaching them a new jutsu."
"I can see that," Naruto chuckled. She had met Yuuta and Mana, the twin geniuses, a few hours earlier. Yuuta had inherited his mother's tenacity while Mana her father's laziness, but both were infuriatingly intelligent in all aspects.
"But I don't just mean the Uchiha kids," stated Ino, interrupting Naruto's musing. Ino's gaze turned pensive. "You and Itachi seem to be hitting it off well."
Naruto flinched. "It's not like that," she muttered. Ino's misunderstanding made Naruto feel edgy for some reason, as if she were cheating on S – Kiba. Her mind did not almost just make that fatal slip.
Ino wasn't convinced. She took Naruto's fidgeting as a sign that the blonde was lying. "Explain."
Naruto sighed. She knew she had to have this conversation sometime; the sooner the better, right?
"Itachi and I are both hurting, so we take comfort in each other's presence. We're not lovers. He's more of a brother to me. Nothing close to what you were thinking." A pause. "So if you would do me a favor, Ino, tell all those idiots to stop gossiping. I've never slept with the man, and I never will."
Ino grinned. "I'll make sure to pass on the word, Naruto."
Naruto flashed Ino a wide smile before a serious look came to the blonde's face. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Do you know… about Sakura?"
Ino visibly stiffened.
Naruto frowned and she touched Ino's arm apologetically. "Look, I'm sorry if it's a touchy subject – no, I know it's a touchy subject – but now that Momo and Shiro are growing up at such a rapid rate, Momo especially, I'm thinking they need their mother back. Their real mother."
Ino flatly answered, "You're their mother now, Naruto."
Naruto narrowed her eyes. "Ino, you know that's not Sakura." There was no response from the other woman, but Naruto did not give up. "Ino, the Sakura we know hated liquor. She never would've… never would've done those terrible things. Not if she was in her right mind."
Ino looked up sharply at Naruto's last sentence, and the woman was beginning to understand what Naruto was driving it.
"Well…" Ino said slowly. "It's true that after Sakura moved into the Uchiha Estate, after she and Sasuke got married, Sakura began to show signs that she was starting to unwind mentally." Ino sighed. "But we all just thought it was because Sasuke didn't love her. It was obvious. He never treated her badly – not in public, at least – but the coldness from him… She must've not been able to handle it. We didn't blame her. She had always been crazily in love with him ever since we were children. Luckily I outgrew my childish crush. She never did."
Naruto sighed. Well, there was the solid truth, undeniable and irrefutable. "How is she now? Hinata and Sakura didn't make it to the party, I noticed."
"Hinata's taking care of Sakura. She's… fairing better." Ino's voice was bitter. "At least she's willingly eating now. But you can't mention the name Uchiha or anything related to it; otherwise she goes berserk."
"Does she really… hate her children?"
Ino stilled, and she stayed quiet for a moment. Then, deflating and saying in an acquiescent manner, "No. She hates herself."
"Oh."
"Maybe you should talk to her. The world-healing wonder, right?" Ino got a lopsided smile from the blonde. "Well, you never know. It's worth a shot. I do recommend you wait a little longer though. She's still not stable. But for now, we should join the party. We've been gone too long."
Naruto concurred and she stood up with Ino, hooking arms with the woman.
"Hey, Ino?"
"What?"
"Everything's going to be okay."
Ino smiled and wiped at the last of her tears. "I know. You're home now."
Home. The word rang in Naruto's ears.
Yes. It was good to be home.
XXX
A few hours later, the partygoers waved goodbye to Naruto as the blonde, for the umpteeth time, thanked everyone for coming and finally stepped out the door. Itachi, who held Ryūshiro in one arm and Kaira in the other – both children sleeping soundly – followed Naruto, who had a snoring Momo on her shoulder. The two shinobi struck the partygoers as an adorable family, but everyone kept their thoughts to themselves. After a few promises from Naruto – all of them consisting with the pledge that she would visit them as soon as she was done with her Uchiha Complex remodeling – Naruto and Itachi disappeared into the night. The partygoers were soon to follow, and after a while, it was just Ino and Sai in the room.
"Sai…" Ino began.
Sai smiled one of those fake smiles that had become his trademark over these years. But genuine affection shown in his eyes. "It's fine, Ino. I saw you and Naruto-kun talking, and I assumed what you two were talking about. There's no need for explanations."
Tears filled Ino's eyes for the third time that day. "Thank you, Sai." She hugged the man who had, in a sense, saved her life. "Thank you."
XXX
SASUKE RETURNS IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.
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