Hello all! I'm back! Sorry that I haven't updated in a long time- I got sick, and then I had school, and I've been working 10+ hours each day on the weekends. Lame excuses, I know, but here's a new chapter for you!

Just a warning- major time skip in this chapter. Yukari is now three, and she's also quite the handful!

I'd like to thank all of my reviewers and everyone who follows of favorited this story!

Enjoy!

Chapter 7: Savages

The warm bliss of summer had begun winding down in the Leaf Village, and the Academy was back in session. Sayuri watched the clock impatiently, trying hard to focus on the lecture. She sighed, it was impossible to do that when all she could think about was the fact that it was Friday, and her little sister was going to spend the night at her house for the first time.

The bell rang, and she leapt out of her seat, sprinting to the front gates where she was going to meet her Daddy and sister. The crowd was thick with people, and she stood on her toes in an attempt to see beyond them. She made her way to the front of the mass, and sure enough, her Daddy was sitting on a bench with her little sister on his lap. Sayuri beamed, rushing over to hug them both.

Yukari smiled. "Sissy! I missed you. Are you spending the night, too?"

Sayuri smiled. "I live there, silly, so it doesn't count as spending the night! We're going to have a lot of fun, just wait! My Mum is going to take us to the butterfly garden, and we get to see Grandma and Grandpa, too!"

Shino smiled slightly at the sight of his daughters becoming excited over their weekend plans. He wished that this type of thing could happen everyday, and that he didn't have to share Yukari. He also felt guilty for leaving Natsuki and Sayuri alone so that he could spend time with Yukari, but they always told him it was fine. He worried that he was sometimes creating a rift between himself and his family, and he didn't know how to prevent it. Still, he couldn't help but feel that coming home was made all the more special when he could bring his youngest along.

Yukari tapped impatiently on his shoulder, "We have to go now, Father! Get up, or we won't make it in time!"

He sighed. "Yukari, we have all evening to get there, don't be in such a rush."

She pouted, and Sayuri laughed. Finally, Shino stood up, and they walked over to the Aburame Manor. It was towards the outskirts of the village, hidden behind a few training grounds and a dense forest. The leaves were no longer their bright, vibrant green, and were now a soft, golden yellow. Many of the butterflies and bees were disappearing, as were the fireflies that lit the summer nights. Shino always felt that autumn was a season for nostalgia, and he couldn't help but feel that way.

The large gates surrounding the Manor were locked, blocked off by a chakra recognition seal for extra caution. Shino had ordered all houses in the Aburame clan be sealed off in this way after the ANBU attacks began three years ago. There hadn't been one in two years, but Shino was adamant that any threat that once lingered was still very much at large. He unlocked the gate, pushing it open and watching as his daughters rushed inside.

Natsuki was standing in the doorway, her long, navy hair falling down her shoulders. She smiled, her coal grey eyes warm with amusement and affection. Sayuri ran into her arms, hugging her tightly, while Yukari lingered in the background, unsure of what to do.

"How was your day, Mum? Was it boring since you were home all day?"

Natsuki laughed lightly. "My day was not boring, darling, because I was so excited that you and your sister were having a sleepover tonight." She turned to look at Yukari , who gave her a wary glance. Shino came up behind her, gently nudging her towards Natsuki.

"Why don't you go over and say hello?" he said quietly.

She turned back to him, unsure of what to say. Slowly, she stepped forward and waved. "Hi," she whispered.

Natsuki felt a little disheartened. She loved Yukari like the girl was one of her own, but for whatever reason, the child was weary of adults she didn't recognize as her parents or grandparents. She asked Kaori and Hanako if they had the same experience with Yukari, and they affirmed that they had. It was confusing, since everyone treated the little one s well, and they readily welcomed her into their families, but Yukari was still shy around them. Still, getting a greeting was better than nothing, and Natsuki gave the girl a warm smile.

Shino sighed. No matter how hard he tried to get Yukari to warm up to his wife, it simply didn't happen. He never understood why, and it only added to his feelings of guilt. He nudged her into the house, and watched as Sayuri took her up to her room.

Yukari smiled at the brightness of the room. It was a soft yellow, and butterflies and dragonflies lined the walls. The bedspread was also a butterfly pattern, and there were pillows shaped like the insect covering the bed. She hopped onto the bed and began jumping on it. Sayuri smiled, and though she knew jumping on the bed was against the rules, she joined her sister in doing so.

Yukari laughed as she saw this, and they jumped until they were both too exhausted to continue. Lying on the bed side by side, they giggled as their breath began to even out. Sayuri smiled over at her sister, pulling her into a hug. "I like it when you're over, and everyone else does, too. This should happen more."

Yukari nodded. "You have to ask my Mommy, though. Sometimes, I have to visit my other families. I go too many places to know where I need to be."

Sayuri frowned. She hardly ever went anywhere that her parents didn't go, but her three year old sister was allowed to get wherever she wanted. Yukari didn't sound happy about it, though, and she frowned as she seemed to be thinking about all of her family visits. Sayuri sat up and slid off of the bed, beckoning her sister over to the door.

"Come on, let's go downstairs and see what's for dinner!" Yukari nodded, following her sister like a little duckling. Sayuri bounded into the kitchen, calling out to her mother.

Natsuki turned, "Yes, sweetheart?"

Sayuri nudged her sister over, indicating that she had to ask the question. Yukari frowned, suddenly unsure of herself. Yes, Natsuki was nice, but she didn't see the woman very often, and she was a little afraid of her. She didn't know what to call her, since she wasn't technically her mother, but she also wasn't her auntie or grandma, either. She looked down at her feet, moving behind her sister and burying her face into Sayuri's back.

The latter sighed. She wanted her sister to be able to talk to her Mum, but it seemed that today wasn't the day for that. She looked up to her Mum, "We wanted to know what was for dinner?"

Natsuki smiled, "Your Daddy and I figured that we would let Yukari pick."

Yukari perked up a little. "Can we please have ice cream for dinner?"

Natsuki laughed. "You'll have to ask your father-"

"No." Shino appeared in the doorway. "Yukari knows she has to eat dinner before she has dessert."

Yukari furrowed her eyebrows. "But if ice cream is dinner, we can have cake for dessert."

Shino shook his head. "Ice cream is not dinner, and you know that. Pick something that isn't sweet."

Yukari thought long and hard. "Can we have Chinese food?"

Shino frowned, since he wasn't too fond of Chinese food, but he gave in for his daughters. With a sigh, he beckoned them over to the door, handing them their sweaters. Natsuki went over to help Yukari into hers, but the child backed away, and Natsuki tried not to frown. Shino grimaced, and went over to her and helped her into it. As soon as they were dressed, they went out and walked to the restaurant.

Leaves had already fallen on the trail, and Yukari looked at them mischievously. She ran over to go jump into a large pile, but Shino stopped her. She pouted as he gave her a warning look, and Sayuri tried to think of a way to where her sister could jump into the pile.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Can we play in the leaves on the way back?"

Shino smiled a little as he realized what she was trying to do, and he nodded. Glancing to Yukari, he became firm. "Only on the way back."

Yukari smiled, hugging his leg before glomping her sister, who caught her. Sayuri grinned, holding her little sister closely to her. She was happy that Yukari had been born, even if that meant she didn't get to see her Daddy everyday, because at least she had someone to hold and protect.

The restaurant wasn't busy, and an elderly Chinese woman quickly showed them to a booth. Yukari insisted on sitting next to Sayuri, and nobody had any objections. The girls ran off to the buffet to fill their plates, while Shino and Natsuki spoke.

"Is she normally shy around people, dear?" Natsuki asked.

Shino placed his hand over hers. "Sometimes. She has such a unique family situation that it's hard for her to identify her relation to other adults. Please don't take it personally."

Natsuki gave him a faulty smile. "It's hard not to. I just… I don't understand why she tries to avoid me every time we talk."

Shino sighed. "I don't either, but I think that'll change this weekend. I'm sure she'll come around, just please… please don't feel like any of this is your fault." There it was, a confession of his guilty conscience. Of course, Shino understood that none of this was his fault, either, but he still thought that it was. Not only did he cheat on his wife in a way, he failed to protect his clan's interest, and he had spilt apart his family.

Natsuki saw the shame on his face, and cupped his cheek in her hands. "I will do so, but only if you can promise me the same."

Shino smiled. His marriage may have been arranged, but he was deeply in love with his wife, and felt blessed to have such a wonderful woman to be married to.

Yukari and Sayuri came back, both with their plates piled high with food. Natsuki laughed, "Do you realy think you can eat all of that?"

Yukari nodded. "I can eat lots, but only if I like what it is. That's why I didn't get green beans, 'cause they're evil!"

Natsuki laughed. "Is that so? Why do you think that?"

Yukari scrunched up her face. "'Cause they're yucky and no one likes them! I don't know why I have to eat them."

"They're good for you, that's why." Shino remarked, wondering how she had become so picky with her food.

Yukari shook her head, and her tone became very serious. "If they're good for people, how come they taste so bad?"

Shino shrugged. "I think they taste fine."

Yukari's eyes widened. "But how?! Can you not taste food?" When she said the second sentance, it was not in a snotty or rude way, but in a tone that displayed her childish wonder. Shino took no offense to it, either, and he cracked a small smile.

"I can taste food, and I think that they taste good."

Sayuri shrugged. "Yeah, I do too."

Yukari gaped at her sister, and then turned to Natsuki. "Do you think green beans taste good?"

Natsuki saw the opportunity that this presented, and shook her head. "No, I don't. Your father and sister are weird, aren't they?"

Yukari beamed. "Yeah. See, she knows! You're weirdos!"

Sayuri shook her head. "I don't know why you don't like them, 'Kari, they don't really have a taste."

"Yes they do, and that taste is yucky!"

Shino was through with the conversation. "That's enough about green beans. Eat your food girls." He and Natsuki left to get their own food, and their daughters talked.

Sayuri decided to bring up the subject of her Mum to her sister. "Yukari?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you so shy around my Mum?"

Yukari thought for a moment. "I don't know who she's supposed to be. She's not my Mommy, or my Mama, or my Mom, and she's not an auntie or a grandma, either."

That made sense, and Sayuri finally knew the answer to her question. The response wasn't what she'd wanted to hear, and she tried to alleviate the situation. "Well, she's really nice, and I don't call her any of those names, either. I think she'd be really happy if you called her Mum, too."

Yukari tilted her head. "She won't get mad at me?"

Sayuri smiled and shook her head. "No, I don't think she ever gets mad at anyone!"

Yukari smiled. "Ok. When will they be back, I want dessert now!"

Sayuri laughed. "Daddy won't let you get that until you're done."

Yukari pouted, then perked up again. "What about Mum?"

"Daddy won't let her let you."

Yukari pouted and went back to eating her food. Shino and Natsuki came back, and the family made small talk about things of menial importance. Sayuri had begun kunai training at the Academy, and she was excited to announce that she had even beaten Katsuro in a face-off. It became quiet after a few minutes, until Yukari spoke up.

She turned to Natsuki. "Mum? Can I have dessert now?"

Natuski nearly choked on her water. It happened- Yukari had come to accept her! With a smile, she nodded. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Yukari thought for a moment, "Yes, please."

Natsuki smiled, and as they were walking over to the dessert section, Yukari apprehensively held her hand. Natsuki gave it a warm squeeze, and the toddler beamed. She helped the child pick out a piece of cake for dessert, and they headed back to the table to see Shino and Sayuri getting on as usual. Yukari finished her dessert quickly, getting chocolate all over her face. Shino wiped it off, and they left after paying the bill.

The air was cool, and there was a scent unique to autumn lingering about. It was a nice evening, with the last of the summer fireflies dimly lighting the way along the forest path. As promised, Shino allowed Sayuri and Yukari to play in the pile of leaves, and he watched as they happily threw the leaves in the air and rolled around in the pile.

Natsuki watched on as well, knowing that now, Yukari had come to accept her, and that their family bonds were stronger and more natural than she ever could have dreamed.

Shigeru frowned slightly as he saw Yukari going into his Mama's bedroom. The adults were all downstairs doing other things, and he was left to make sure his sister didn't get into anything. Of course, Yukari ignored all of his soft spoken warnings and went into Mama's room anyways, and he was biting his lower lip awkwardly.

Yukari headed into the closet, pulling out a pair of glittery, tall stilettos. She beamed, putting them on her feet, even though she was wearing socks.

"'Kari, Mama won't be happy that you're wearing that pair of shoes-"

Yukari laughed, trying to emulate Ino in that sense. "Of course she will. Mama always says that we should dress nice, so it's ok."

Shigeru winced at the bad reference, knowing that his Mama would say that this time was an exception to the rule. Yukari ignored him, and delved further into the walk in closet. She pulled out a short, strapless dress, admiring it for a moment before stripping and pulling it on. It didn't fit in the least bit, and Yukari used a belt at the middle to keep it on.

"'Kari, Mama really won't like this-"

Yukari huffed. "You're just jealous 'cause I'm prettier than you!"

Shigeru sighed, knowing that his little sister was probably going to get him into trouble. Or was she? His Mama had only said to make sure she didn't get into anything that could hurt her, and he was technically doing that, right? Sure his Mama didn't like it when he went through her clothes anymore, but it was probably because he was a boy. Maybe since Yukari was a girl, his Mama wouldn't mind so much?

Yukari tugged on a scarf, pulling about ten others down. She was buried underneath the pile, but she held up the scarf that she wanted in victory. With a large smile, she wrapped it in knots around her neck, and she turned to the mirror and admired herself. She spun in a small half circle, so that her back was facing the mirror, and frowned deeply. With wide, teary eyes, she looked over to Shigeru.

"Does this make my butt look big?"

He face palmed,knowing that that was always a dangerous question with girls. He had seen enough movies in his lifetime to know that much! What would Sasuke tell his Mama? Was he supposed to lie and say that she was pretty, or be honest and tell her that he didn't look at girls' butts? Stuttering, he decided on the former.

"No, you look very pretty, 'Kari!"

She perked up, walking into another part of the closet and looking at the hats. She eyed a bright link one, and it didn't match the shoes or the dress she was wearing. Yukari couldn't tell, though, and she put it on, pushing it up when the brim fell over her face. It was rediculously cute the way she paraded around, but Shigeru was having second guesses about what his Mama would say. Was she going to give him a time out for letting his sister do this, or was she going to laugh and say that he was off the hook? He desperately hoped for the latter.

Purses were a source of fascination for Yukari, as her mothers and grandmothers would often give her their old ones to play with. But she didn't want any of the ones she had, she wanted one of the big, new, pretty ones that Ino had just bought. She became entranced at a Coco Chanel bag with the tags still attached, and before she could pick it up to play with, Shigeru took it away.

"Mama will have your Vati spank you if you get this one, trust me! She'll be really, really, really, really, really mad. Why don't you take, um, maybe, this one?"

He held out a small, white purse to Yukari, one that had a glittery strap and was looking kind of old. At the mention of getting a spanking, Yukari had avoided the Chanel bag, and she took the one her brother offered. She put it over her shoulder, strutting off into the bathroom.

She saw a small try on the counter, and picked up the glass bottle in wonder. She saw the end, and it was like the old fashioned perfumes her Mama had told her about. It was so pretty and special, she couldn't resist spraying herself generously with the perfume, ignoring the strong scent I favor of being like a fancy French lady. Shigeru coughed and gagged, but Yukari beamed at herself. She was so grown up that no one would call her a baby anymore!

Hair products were lined up on the counter, which was unusual for Ino. She had been in a rush this morning, and hadn't had time to put her stuff away, which was all too convenient for Yukari. She started placing fancy accessories into her hair, pulling the tangled curls up in a hilarious manner. Next, she wildly started spraying her hair down with hair spray, glossing spray, and other various products that she saw and liked, making her hair look like a Halloween wig.

Finally, the apple of every little girl's eye was in front of her: her Mama's makeup. The shades and colors delighted her, and she squealed in excitement as she decided what she should put on first. She pulled out an eyeshadow pallet full of brilliant purples, opening it like it was a treasured item- which it absolutely was for her! She ignored the brush, and instead rubbed her finger into the brightest color on the pallet. She closed her eyes, rubbing it onto her eyelids blindly, before smiling at her reflection. It was done so poorly, but the fact that she was so proud of herself made it adorable.

Next, she pulled out a bright shade of lipstick. She took the cap off, and grinned at the hot pink tube in front of her. Rolling it up all the way, she practically smeared it on ther lips and the skin around them, getting a bit of the lipstick onto the tip of her nose and her cheekbones. She kept dabbing at her lips excitedly, smashing the top of the lipstick. She finished, rolling it back down and capping the tube, then placing it in the wrong slot of the lipstick holder.

The bright rose colored blush was practically screaming at her, Use me! Use me! And so, without any care in the world, she opened it and picked up the brush. She rubbed the bristles generously back and forth until they were covered in the color, swiping it onto her cheeks in a clumsy, thoughtless motion. The color was so bright against her skin, and the blush was so imperfectly applied that Shigeru knew he was going to get into at least a little bit of trouble for this.

Yukari turned to her brother, smiling brightly. "I did it! I'm a grown up now, see!"

Shigeru nodded blankly, following his sister into her room, where she placed bubbles, crayons, and a pretend cell phone into the purse. She was so proud of herself that Shigeru felt guilty for not wanting her to do this. Still, he couldn't help but give into his sister since she was so stubborn.

Yukari walked downstairs slowly, holding up her dress as she went. She couldn't wait until her parents saw her, they would all be amazed at how grown up she was! No longer would they call her a baby, and that also meant that she could do what she wanted! They wouldn't be able to tell her to clean her room, or eat green beans, or even to take a nap! Maybe now that she was so grown up, her Grandpa would make her the Hokage. She smiled widely, reaching the bottom step and walking into the living room where she saw her Vati.

Sasuke's back was turned to the stairs, but he caught a strong wave of perfume wafting through the air, and he turned. There, looking like an absolute train wreck was his pint-sized daughter, wearing her Mama's clothes and makeup and grinning widely. She was his first daughter, and he didn't know what he was supposed to say or do in this situation. He placed his head in his hand, trying to massage the headache away.

Shigeru stepped forward nervously. "Mr. Sasuke, please don't be mad, I told her it was a bad idea but she didn't listen! Honest!"

Sasuke looked at Shigeru, who was nervous as Hell about getting punished. He shook his head, waving off the concern. "You'll be fine, Shigeru." He turned to Yukari. "You know your not supposed to play with makeup."

She huffed. "That was when I was little, and I'm grown up now!"

Ino heard the conversation and walked into the room. "And what in the world makes you think you're... Grown...up..." She trailed off as she caught sight of her daughter, and winced as she smelled the perfume. She was in shock, taking in her son's frightened expression juxtaposed to her daughter's triumphant beam.

Yukari stumbled over in the heels. "Mama, don't I look like a grown up now! See, I'm just like you!"

Ino finally brought herself back to reality, and started laughing hysterically. She could hardly breathe she was laughing so hard, and she doubled over, cheeks in pain. She wiped a tear from her eye. "Y-yes, I can see that." Oh, Lord, this was hilarious! She took out her phone, recording a video.

"Tell us what you're wearing, sweetie."

Yukari thought for a moment, "I'm wearing a hat, and a scarf, and princess shoes, and a pretty dress, and I have a purse!"

Ino giggled a little. "Will you show us what's in your purse?"

Yukari nodded enthusiastically. "I have bubbles, and crayons, and oh! I have a cell phone, too!"

Ino laughed. "Who do you call on your cell phone?"

Yukari smiled. "I call Princess Aurora and Princess Jazmine!"

"What do you talk about, now that you're grown up?"

"My job."

Ino snorted in laughter- this was too great! "Really? Where do you work?"

Yukari tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I'm the Hokage, so I work where Grandpa used to!"

Ino looked over at Sasuke, who stood there shaking his head. She turned the phone to him, and he scowled. "What does Vati think of this?"

Sasuke glared at her. "Knock it off, Ino."

Ino cracked up, turning back to Yukari. "I see you're wearing makeup. Were you going for a more natural look, or something else?"

Yukari became thoughtful, "I don't know, I just put it on!"

That much is obvious. Ino went with it. "Oh, I see. And how did you do your makeup?"

"Umm, I pulled out the purple eye stuff, and I put that on, and then I put my lipstick on, and then I put the blush on!"

"Do you have anything else that you want to tell everyone?"

Yukari nodded, becoming serious. "I'm not a baby anymore, cause I put makeup on and dressed like a grown up, so I'm a grown up now!" There was a determination in her eyes, and she really seemed to believe in her reasons. Ino frowned slightly as she ended the video.

She took the few steps separating her from her daughter, placing her hand on her shoulder. "'Kari, you're alway going to be my baby, and you can't change that. Even if you're one hundred years old, you're always my baby girl, and that's a good thing!"

Yukari started to tear up. "No! I'm a grown up now, Mama!"

Ino picked her up. "Oh, sweetie, being a grown up isn't as much fun as you think it is."

Yukari started to cry. "Yes it is! I don't want to be a baby, I hate it! I wanna grow up, now!" She sobbed into Ino's shoulder, and Sasuke walked over to them.

"I think it's about time for a nap," he whispered to Ino, who nodded.

She turned to her son. "We're going to take your sister upstairs. You can go have a snack in the meantime, ok?" He nodded, and the adults went upstairs with the sobbing three year old.

Ino stopped in front of the bathroom, speaking to Sasuke. "Can you get her stuff while I give her a bath?" Sasuke nodded, and Ino stepped into the bathroom. She set Yukari down on the toilet seat, filling up the tub with warm water. She added in bubbles, the ones that claimed a soothing scent. With a sigh, she tried to comfort her daughter.

"Sweetie, no more crying. I promise you'll grow up, now just isn't the time, ok?"

Yukari pushed her away. "No! I wanna grow up, now!" Her temper was starting to escalate as Sasuke walked in, and he wasn't going to take any of it.

"You do not speak to adults like that, do you understand me?" he growled, and Yukari burst into tears.

"But it's not faaaaaiiiiirrrrr! I don't wanna be a baby no more!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Then stop acting like one and crying when you don't get your way."

Yukari threw herself back, the back of her head hitting the toilet. Eyes wide, her tears came to a standstill as Ino tried to brush it off.

"You're ok, let's just get you cleaned up, ok?" Yukari gingerly touched the area where she'd been hurt, and her bottom lip quivered. Tears brimmed over and fell quietly, and the sniffling began.

Sasuke sighed in exasperation, going over to Yukari. "You're fine. If you weren't being a brat and throwing a tantrum, you wouldn't have hurt yourself, now would you?"

She looked at him pitifully, throwing herself into his chest. He sighed, letting her cry it out for a few minutes before pulling away. He placed his hands on her shoulders, as she whispered to him. "Do you ever cry, Vati?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Not since I was little. You need to behave and take your bath now." Yukari wrapped her arms around his neck, and he returned the gesture slightly. He wasn't one for showing affection, but now was one of the times he deigned it necessary. He kissed her forehead, keeping his lips pressed against her as he spoke. "Go take your bath, you reek of French perfume."

He handed her to Ino, who began to snuggle with and coddle Yukari. She undressed the child, gently placing her in the water. Yukari looked up at her Mama. "Was I at least pretty?"

Ino knew she should scold her for getting into her clothes and makeup without permission, but she just couldn't bring herself to do so. With a smile, she nodded. "You're the prettiest girl I've ever seen. Your makeup was a little too heavy, though."

"What does that mean?"

Ino laughed, pouring water over her hair. "It means that you were wearing too much."

Yukari pouted. "Oh."

Ino sighed. "When you're old enough, I'll show you how to put makeup on."

Yukari perked up. "Promise?"

Ino smiled. "Promise."

Yukari grinned. "When is old enough?"

Ino thought for a moment. "Fourteen maybe. We still haven't decided on that yet."

Yukari huffed. "But fourteen is forever! Why not seven?"

Ino laughed. "You'll by fourteen sooner than I want you to be, believe me. And seven is far too young."

Yukari sighed. "If you say so."

Ino chuckled, giving her one last rinse before pulling the plug. She walked over with the fluffy, lavender towel, wrapping it around Yukari and toweling her off. She helped the toddler get dressed, carrying her to her bedroom.

Yukari whined. "I'm not sleepy! I don't want a nap!"

Ino sighed, "Sweetie, can we not have this argument today?"

"No! No naps ever!"

Sasuke leaned against the doorway. "Yes naps. You're a nightmare when you're overtired."

Yukari whined. "No! I don't wanna! Please don't make me!"

Sasuke walked over, pushing her to lie down. "Even if I didn't make you, you would still fall asleep regardless."

Yukari shook her head. "No, I wouldn't!"

Sasuke grit his teeth in irritation. "Yes, you would, and unless you want a spanking, you're taking a nap, now."

Yukari turned away from him, crying into her pillow loudly. Ino sighed, rubbing the girl's back gently. "Shhh, naps don't take very long, and you can play again soon enough."

Yukari shook her head. "No! It's not fair! Don't make me!"

Sasuke lifted her from the bed, holding her to where she could see his face. "Listen to me. You're going to stop this right now, do you understand? No more tantrums, and no more crying. You're going to lie down and go to sleep." Yukari whined, placing her head on his shoulder and rubbing her eyes.

"I want a lullabye."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, racking his mind for something to sing. He could only think of a song in German, so he went with it.

"Schlaf' ein, schlaf' ein, schlaf' ein,
Du gähnst schon, komm' kuschel' dich ein.
Ich sing' dir noch ein Lied,
Ich freu' mich so, dass es dich gibt.
Ich wünsch' dir eine gute Nacht
Wir seh'n uns wenn wieder die Sonne lacht,
Schlaf' ein, schlaf' ein, schlaf' ein,
Wir lieben dich schlaf jetzt ein,
Wir lieben dich schlaf jetzt ein."

Yukari had become quiet, but she still wasn't asleep. With a sigh, Sasuke carried her over to the bed, where she lay quietly as he pulled the blankets over her. He straightened, and she mumbled, "Can I have a kiss?"

He nodded, leaning over and kissing her forehead softly. "Go to sleep."

She nodded, and Ino sat on the edge of the bed stroking her hair. Ino played with the curls for a little while, and Yukari's eyelids began to flutter shut. "Sweet dreams, darling." With a kiss to her forehead, Ino and Sasuke shut the door, going downstairs to spend time with their sons.

Tenten placed yet another costume on the rack. She had taken Yukari Halloween costume shopping, only to realize that the three year old was unbearably picky.

"Yukari, just pick something, please. We have to leave in fifteen minutes, so if you don't hurry up, you won't have a costume this year."

The three year old dropped to her knees dramatically. "Noooo! I have to have a costume, or I can't go trick or treating!"

Tenten sighed. "Then pick a costume! Here, why don't you go as a puppy this year?"

"That's for babies!"

Tenten sighed. "Why don't you go find a few costumes and I'll say yes or no?"
Yukari nodded and scampered off into the store. She scanned the racks, picking out the most elaborate and glittery costumes she could find. She ended up with at least three princess costumes, a peacock costume, a kitty, and a mermaid. Beaming she showed them all to Tenten, who sighed.

"Ok, you have three princess costumes, so pick which one you like the most and we'll put the others back."

After thinking long and hard, she eventually picked out the purple one, and Tenten put the others back. It was down to four, and Tenten realized that she probably wouldn't be able to meet Hinata at the planned time. She texted the other woman to let her know, before turning back to her daughter. "Ok, which one do you like the most?"

Yukari furrowed her eyebrows. "But I like all of them."

Tenten sighed. "You can't have four costumes. You can pick one, or else I'm going to."

Yukari whined. "Noooo!"

Tenten sighed, sensing a tantrum. "I might have to, but if you pick a costume now, I won't have to do so, now will I?"

Yukari shook her head slowly. "I still can't pick."

Tenten was starting to become really irritated. "You always have next year to be something else, and the year after that, ok? Just pick one already!"

Yukari thought that over, before picking the mermaid costume. Tenten smiled- finally! They were out of the Halloween shop a few moments later, heading over to meet Hinata and Hideaki at the restaurant a few minutes later. Yukari happily greeted Hinata, hugging her tightly and kissing her cheek.

"Auntie, I missed you!"

Hinata smiled. "I missed you, too. Hideaki, come say hello."

The boy was generally very talkative, but outside of his home, he hardly ever spoke a word. He shuffled over shyly, "Hello."

Hinata sighed. She had hoped her son wouldn't inherit her introverted personality, but it seemed that he had. In general, he was alright around adults, more content to sit and quietly listen to their conversations. Around people his own age, he hardly ever spoke a word, especially around Yukari.

"We should go get our seats before it fills up too quickly." Tenten said, and Hinata nodded. They slid into a booth, ordering their food soon thereafter and catching up with each other.

"Temari said she'd be in the village next week, so we're throwing a Halloween party at the mansion, if you can come."

"Can I bring this one with me?" Hinata asked, ruffling her son's hair playfully. He pouted in response, but soon went back to his normal, shy smile.

Tenten smiled, "Of course! Speaking of Halloween, what are you going to be, Hideaki?"

He smiled. "I'm going to be an ANBU member!"

Tenten laughed. "Really? When did you decide on that?"

"Last week. There were some ANBU doing a presentation on spying last week, and it sounded really cool!"

Tenten smiled. "Well, I'm sure your uncle will be very happy to know that." Neji's bond with Hideaki was stronger than most people's bonds with their aunts and uncles, which Tenten was happy about. Her own aunts and uncles had taken advantage of her father's profits from the forge. Her father, being the kind man he was, readily helped them, yet when he had injured his back and was temporarily unable to work, they turned their backs on him. It infuriated her that they would be so awful, which was why she had personally made sure that they would not be attending her wedding. Petty as it may have been, she hated them, and couldn't care less if they burned in the deepest pit of hell.

"I can't wait to tell him! You're staying for dinner tonight, right?!"

She smiled fondly. "Yes, we are." She turned to Yukari, who had stuck two straws into her mouth and was pretending to be a walrus. "Sweetie, why don't you show Aunt Hinata your costume?"

Yukari bounced in her seat, taking the packaged costume out of the bag and holding it in Hinata's face. "Look Auntie! I'm gonna be a mermaid! Isn't it the most prettiest?!"

Hinata smiled. "Yes, it is. I can't wait to see it on you, I'm sure it'll look much more beautiful then!"

Yukari smirked. "Of course! Cause I'm the prettiest!"

Tenten shook her head at her daughter's narcissistic comment. "That's not what we say when someone compliments us."

Yukari seemed genuinely surprised. "It's not?"

"No, we say 'thank you.'"

Yukari nodded and turned to Hinata. "Thank you, Auntie!"

Hinata smiled. "Of course!" She turned back to Tenten. "I heard they just sent a delegation to speak with the Raikage, and they've also made contact with the Daimyo of the country. It seems that this time, there's a very good chance that he will sign into the alliance this time around."

Tenten sighed sadly. "That's what they tell me every time. I know they're trying their best, but I just kind of wish they'd stop giving me false hope. It's my baby they're dealing with."

Hinata could only sympathize, and she held Tenten's hand in hers. "I know, but at least you will know soon whether or not the deal worked out."

Tenten sighed. "I guess so. I don't want to talk about this, if you don't mind."
Hinata nodded in understanding, and they discussed the petty gossip going on around the village.

Yukari drew on the placemat with crayons, not drawing anything in particular. She made a rainbow as best she could with what she had, but it was incredibly dull without her usual array of colors. She tried overlapping them to make different shades, but it was all for naught. With a sigh, she looked over to see her cousin writing something, and was instantly intrigued. She hadn't yet learned how to read, since she was only three and could barely get through the alphabet, but she was fascinated with letters and how different combinations created so many words.

"What's it say?" She asked her cousin, and he shrugged.

"It's a poem." He responded. He noticed that Yukari had slid over to sit next to him, peering curiously at the paper. "I can read it to you, if you want?"

Yukari's eyes sparkled, and she nodded enthusiastically.

Hideaki cleared his throat.

"The beauty of autumn is rarely loved,
It means the end of summer.
But the brilliant reds and stunning oranges
Make the season full of wonder."

Yukari snuggled against him. "That was pretty. You use lots of big words, though!"

Hideaki smiled. "My teacher says I have a very impressive vocabulary."

Yukari scrunched up her face. "What's that mean?"

Hideaki laughed and pat her head. "It means I know a lot of words."

"Oh." She thought for a moment. "One day, I'm gonna know lots of words and beat you in a word contest!"

He smiled. "Maybe when you're older. You're not even in school yet!"

Yukari rolled her eyes. "I don't have to be in school! I'm smart, see?!"

She made a face that was supposed to be philosophical and inquisitive, but she ended up looking ridiculous. Still, Hideaki nodded and pretended that she indeed looked intelligent. He smiled as he continued to speak to his little cousin about anything and everything under the sun. She was cute, and he liked having her look up to him. He admired how brave she was, and how she was willing to do just about anything. He wished he could be like that, but his naturally cautious nature prevented him from doing so.

Yukari and Hideaki were so enraptured in their conversation that they didn't notice the silence of their mothers.

Hinata smiled. "It's almost like a brother and sister relationship, don't you think?"

Tenten smiled as well. "Yeah, it is."

Shikamaru watched as Yukari scanned over the pumpkins, trying to pick one to decorate. Of course, she wasn't looking at the small, reasonably sized ones- she was trying to find the biggest, heaviest one. She ran over to one, smiling and calling him over excitedly.

"Pere, look! I found mine!"

Shikamaru made his way over, and he nearly fainted at the sight of it. The thing was about as tall as Yukari was, and weight about five times as much as she did. There was no way he was going to carry that! Why does she always have to be this troublesome?!

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck sadly. "'Kari, I can't carry that, so we can't take that one."

She sniffled. "But I want it, Pere. I want it bad!"

He frowned, walking over to her and picking her up. "I'm sorry, kiddo, but you can pick another one."

Yukari started to cry. "But I wanted that one! It's not the same!" She sobbed into his shoulder, and he groaned. He wondered why he had volunteered to take her to the pumpkins path, knowing that this was exactly what was going to happen. He wasn't like Naruto- he wouldn't go out of his way to give her what she wanted. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he lead her over to some smaller pumpkins.

"I know they're not the same, but you can pick one of these." He showed her a row of reasonably sized pumpkins, and she looked up.

"I don't want one," she muttered miserably.

Shikamaru groaned. "Are you really still sulking about that?"

She glared. "I want two, Pere."

He sighed and gave in, picking up the two that she had now picked. He made his way to the front of the pumpkin patch and paid for the pumpkins, grumbling all the way about how much of a drag this had all been.

Yukari fell asleep on the ride back, and when Shikamaru showed up to the Nara Manor, he smiled as he looked at her. A nap didn't sound to bad right now, to be honest, and he carried her to the guest bedroom.

Kaori and Kanako were in the kitchen making some type of dessert that used pumpkin, as per typical of the fall season. Kaori placed the pan in the oven, with Kanako going on about how she had received the best grade in the Academy in her Strategy class. She saw him, walking over and giving him a tight hug.

"Hey Daddy. Where's sissy?"

Shikamaru rubbed her arm. "She's upstairs taking a nap. I'm probably going to do the same." He yawned, stretching his arms out and heading upstairs. He was able to sleep for an hour and a half, until Kanako woke him up again.

"Hm? What is it?" He mumbled the words mechanically, not even comprehending what he was doing.

"Daddy, we wanna get started carving pumpkins! Wake up!"

He groaned. "Alright, alright. Is your sister awake yet?"

Kanako nodded. "She's in the kitchen with Mommy. I don't know why she doesn't like her still... Mommy's always really nice to her and stuff."

Shikamaru sighed. "Yukari has a lot of people in her life, and right now, she's trying to figure out her relationships with everyone in it. It's hard for her, and she doesn't mean it when she tries to avoid certain people. She's just... Really confused about all of this, and it might take a while for her to come around. Don't worry about it, ok?"

Kanako nodded, a skeptical look on her face. Shikamaru sighed. Just like Yukari, Kanako would never let things go.

They went downstairs, where Kaori was trying to get a response out of Yukari. "Do you like pumpkin pie?"

The three year old nodded. "I guess."

Kaori sighed. "Well, are you excited to carve pumpkins this year?"

Yukari shrugged.

"Why aren't you more excited about this? Don't you think it's fun?"

Yukari frowned, turning to Shikamaru who had just walked in with Kanako. "'Cause I'm not allowed to cut them!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "If I let you carve your own pumpkins, you'd carve your hand off instead."

Yukari shook her head. "But that was when I was a baby! I'm not a baby no more!"

Shikamaru shook his head. "No means no."

Kaori frowned, feeling useless. Had Yukari been all her own, she would have intervened, but the little one wasn't hers to spoil, and her interactions with the kid felt so awkward. Suddenly, she had an idea, and she smiled.

"Yukari, I know a way you can carve your own pumpkin." The toddler perked up, and Shikamaru gave his wife a warning glance.

"How?" Yukari asked, tilting her head to the side.

Kaori sat in a chair, beckoning the small girl to come over and sit on her lap. Wearily, she did, and Kaori beamed. "Alright, so you take the knife in your hand, and I'll hold my hand over yours. That way, you still get to carve it, and your father doesn't have a panic attack."

Yukari glanced at her. "He's not father, he's Pere."

Kaori nodded. "Of course! Silly me, how could I forget?!" She laughed nervously. Why did Yukari have to inherit that infamous Uchiha glare?! "Uhm, why don't you pick out the design for your pumpkin?"

Yukari nodded, glancing over the various stencils and giving each an inquisitive look. After much consideration and some indecision, she finally picked out a complicated stencil. There were extremely intricate and ornate designs of tree branches, with a cat underneath the tree and a full moon in the upper right corner. Kaori sighed. "Are you sure you want this one? It looks a little hard, don't you think?"

With a huff and a pout that strongly resembled Ino, Yukari shook her head. "No! I'm a big girl now, and I can do it!"

Kaori sighed, nodding in agreement. "Ok. First, we need to tape down the stencil so that it doesn't slip, alright?" Yukari nodded, taking a long strip of tape and covering the entire edge of the paper with it. She did so with all four sides of the paper. She used more tape in five minutes than I do in a year... Kaori thought, smiling in a way that she hoped was encouraging.

"Now, we take the pen and trace the design, and make sure to press hard on it." Yukari practically stabbed the pen into the pumpkin, and Kaori corrected her earlier statement. "Not that hard, try it more like this." She placed her hand over the girl's, adding the necessary amount of pressure and guiding her hand to trace the design.

"Beautiful." She looked down at Yukari, smiling warmly, only to get a twitch of the lips in response. "Now, we're going to use this poker and make little holes all the way around the tracing we just did." Yukari did so, initially placing multiple holes closely together. As she grew tired of that and her patience waned, the holes became so spaced out that they were hardly tracing the design at all. "Why don't you add a few more holes along this line? It looks kind of empty."

Yukari sighed dramatically, but placed a few more holes along the indicated line. Kaori picked up the jagged carving knife, handing it tentatively over to the little girl. "Hold it tight, and don't let your fingers touch the blade." Wrapping her hand around the child's, she slowly began sawing the pumpkin she'll away, carefully guiding the knife along the many edges and curves of the design. It took a lot longer than it normally would because of Yukari, but Kaori didn't mind. She was happy that the little girl was warming up to her slowly, since it had taken several months to even get the child to come near her.

Finally, it was finished, and Kaori kissed the top of Yukari's head. "It looks wonderful. I'll make sure it's in the front where everyone can see it, alright?"

Yukari smiled, then frowned. "It not done, it needs sparkles."

Kaori laughed. "Of course it does. There I go forgetting things again!"

Yukari didn't get the joke but waited patiently for the glitter paint. Shikamaru came over to her, whispering in her ear. "You should thank her for helping you with your pumpkin." Yukari nodded, and when Kaori came back, she hugged her slightly.

"Thank you, Ms. Kaori, for helping me."

Kaori frowned. "You're welcome, sweetie. But you don't have to address me so formally."

Yukari looked confused, tilting her head to the side. "But what do I call you? You're not Mommy, or Mama, or Mom, or Mum."

Kaori thought for a while. "You can call me Mere, if you want?"

Yukari nodded, smiling. "Ok, Mere!"

Kaori smiled, taking the finished pumpkin and displaying it in the front. Yukari wouldn't stop going on about how her jack-o-lantern was the prettiest, and how everyone would be jealous that she made it. Kaori didn't mind at all, and Shikamaru came up from behind her and kissed her cheek.

"Looks like we made a lot of progress today, didn't we?" He rest his chin on her shoulder, taking in the scent of her floral shampoo.

She cupped his face in her hand, smiling as she watched their daughters run around in the front years. "Yes, we did."

Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara entered the gates of the Hidden Leaf, looking around for their escorts. They waited for a few moments, before they saw Tenten and Yukari arrive, the latter throwing a temper tantrum.

"Yukari, I told you why we can't go to the park, so stop crying!"

The child dropped to her knees before lying in the dirt. "But Mommy, it's not fiar! I wanna goooooo!"

Tenten picked her up. "Stop it, or I will let Vati spank you."

Yukari stopped for a moment, before crying harder than before. Tenten sighed, and noticed that the guests were standing not even five feet away from her.
Temari walked over and hugged her. "Looks like she's become more of a handful since I last saw her."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it. Things like this are happening every day, now."

Temari laughed slightly, holding her hands out for her goddaughter. When Yukari was in her arms, she coddled the three year old. "It's ok, sweetie. Auntie's here, so no more crying."

Yukari looked up, and seeing Temari, she stopped crying and smiled brightly. "I missed you, Auntie! Are you here for the party?"

Temari kissed the top of her head. "Yes, I am. Are you excited?"

Yukari frowned. "No, cause it's all boring stuff that's gonna happen."

Temari laughed, stroking the auburn-brown hair gently. "Aw, well, I'll make sure that you have fun, ok?"

Yukari beamed, hugging her godmother tightly before noticing Gaara. When she saw him, she shrieked with happiness, and Temari readily let him hold her.

Gaara gave his goddaughter a soft smile, kissing her cheek gently and hugging her tightly. She returned the gesture happily. "Uncle Gaara, I missed you so much! How come don't you visit me more?"

He sighed, pushing back her bangs. "My work requires a lot of my time, so I can't leave the village very often. If I could, I would visit you everyday."

Yukari beamed. "For real?! Make it so that you can!"

He chuckled, stroking her hair soothingly. "I'll see what I can do. You can always visit me, as well."

Tenten sighed. "Not anytime soon. She can't walk for fifteen minutes without complaining. Then again, it'd be nice to take her out of the village, if I could."

Temari sighed. "So they still won't let you take her anywhere?"

Tenten groaned. "No, they won't. And Sasuke and Neji are unbearable when I bring up the topic. They're always going on about how neither of their clans have enough influence on her, or how she isn't being brought up in a proper way. I swear, everyone else in that house is driving me nuts with all their talk of clan heritage and family tradition and whatnot!"

Kankuro spoke for the first time. "Well, maybe when she's a little older they'll let up. I mean, she just barely turned three a few months ago, and little kids don't travel very well, especially on long distance trips."

Tenten sighed. "That's true, but I still wish people would stop breathing down my neck about it."

Gaara had been listening in on their conversation while Yukari babbled on about something or other. It was cute that she always had something to say, and that she described every detail of every second. She yawned widely, and he kissed her forehead again. She started mumbling about another topic, and he rubbed her back as she started becoming drowsy.

Tenten saw this and smiled. "Let's get back to the house before someone falls asleep."

The walk there was quiet, as they were all focused on Yukari falling asleep on Gaara's shoulder. Temari reminisced about how her younger brother, upon becoming Kazekage, had sworn off on any love interests he may have had. She thought it would do him some good, and that he would make an incredible father. Seeing him with Yukari made her smile, and she thought back to a time when she had been dating a jonin.

He'd been killed on a mission, and she had never gotten over his death. She'd been planning their wedding at the time, and was looking forward to becoming a mother. Those plans came to a halt as she'd heard from her younger brother what had happened, and she was destroyed inside. About a year and a half had passed, before Tenten had announced her pregnancy. Seeing Yukari had changed her world. Although she herself might not be a mother, Tenten was now, and she had the blessing of being in Yukari's life. She couldn't ask for anything more, and she adored her little niece more than anything else in the world.

Tenten opened the front door, holding it open as they all filtered inside. Yukari had zonked out on the walk over, and she had nestled herself into Gaara's warmth. He smiled, sitting on the couch with her in his arms and looking at her face. She was truly a beautiful child, and was born a very pretty baby. Her nose twitched slightly in her sleep, along with the corners of her lips, and he stared at her lovingly. Just as he would always love and defend his village, he would always love and defend her as well.

Neji walked in from the kitchen, and gave his guests a polite nod of acknowledgement. He walked over to Gaara. "Give her to me, I'll take her to bed."

Gaara shook his head. "She's fine as she is, I don't mind holding her."

Tenten smiled, placing her hands on Neji's shoulders. "He's right, just leave her be. I honestly don't get why she can't take her naps anywhere besides her bed."

Neji sighed. "Tenten, you've spoiled our daughter too much. She won't even go to bed unless she's held anymore, whereas she used to."

Tenten shrugged. "She's always been affectionate. Besides, how often does she get to see Gaara anyways?"

He groaned. "Whatever. I don't feel like having this argument with you."

Tenten glared at him. "It isn't an argument, and I don't see why I'm always the bad guy here."

Neji returned the glare. "You're not the bad guy, and now you're just making things up. I don't know why you're always like this, Tenten. If you weren't so difficult, maybe Yukari would stop picking up on that and be more obedient." His voice had risen in volume, and his tone had become more bitter and angry. Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara remained silent, feeling extremely uncomfortable and out of place while this happened.

Tenten crossed her arms. "I'm being difficult? Really?! That's the biggest amount of bull I've heard in a while. I'd like to see you balance a career and managing Yukari's custody schedule! I'm not the one being difficult here, Neji. Honestly, I think you're just going through manopause and you need to have that stick up your ass surgically removed."

"Don't you dare swear in front of Yukari. You know that she repeats everything everyone says. Stop acting like a teenage girl, Tenten, and start being a mother for once. You know all of us help you with her, but you just don't want to admit it. Get over your self pity and grow the hell up!"

"I could say the same to you! You're almost always away on missions, or doing something or other with your clan. Do you know how many nights Yukari has come into our room crying because she doesn't know when she'll see you again? Where were you the last time she had a nightmare, or broke out with a fever at three in the morning?! Oh, that's right, you were on a mission, weren't you?! Do me a favor and get the hell out of my sight for a few hours."

Just as Neji was about to retort, he heard his daughter stirring. He turned and saw her buried into Gaara, her eyes teary and her expression fearful and upset. He bent down to touch her, but she cowered away.

"No more yelling! It's bad!" Yukari turned to her godfather, who kissed her head reassuringly and pressed her face against his chest. She took in the warm, summery scent as she cried.

Gaara gave Neji and Tenten and angry glare as he held their daughter. "No wonder she throws tantrums; she doesn't see much else of an example from her parents."

The comment stung both of them, and they at least had the decency to look ashamed. To make things worse, Sasuke and Ino just had to walk in at that moment.

Sasuke sneered. "Thanks, you two. She's going to be upset the entire night because of you."

Ino slapped his arm. "Sasuke, stop it! Now isn't the time."

He rolled his eyes. "Right, I forgot. I should help them plan their arguments to be more convenient. How does next Thursday at three sound?"

Ino glared at him, and shook her head. She turned to Neji and Tenten. "He has a point, though. You guys really need to work things out when Yukari isn't around."

Tenten glared. "Right, because I really want her to see and hear this."

Neji snapped at her. "You know, you certainly act like it sometimes."

"Oh really? Because you-"

"Don't turn this around on me!-"

"Always have to come in and start acting like every little thing-"

"Knock it off, Tenten-"

"Is my fault and you don't even realize-"

"You're the biggest part of the problem!" They yelled it at each other, and silence took over.

Sasuke watched them, and he saw his many arguments with Satomi flashing before his eyes. He scowled, angry over the fact that they thought they had the right to expose his daughter to these things. It was another thing when he himself had argued with Satomi over his son's well being, but what Neji and Tenten were doing right now was petty and ridiculous.

"Keep arguing around Yukari like this, and I will see to it that both of you lose any claim to custody over her. Is that perfectly clear?"

Neji and Tenten both stared at Sasuke, shocked at the mention of anything of the sort. He meant every word of it, and the venomous words dripped from his tone. He sighed, walking over to Gaara and holding his hands out to take his daughter from him, and Gaara complied. He himself had been infuriated with the actions of Tenten and Neji, but he would never have imagined that Sasuke would think of something so heartbreaking as taking away custody.

Yukari felt the transfer, and she looked up to see her Vati's angry face. She winced, fearing that she had done something wrong, but he stroked her hair gently.

"I-I didn't do anyth-thing, Vati!"

He hushed her. "I know you didn't. You're not hurt, so no more tears, alright?"
She looked at him, desperately trying to hold in how upset she was and failing. He sighed, rubbing her back with his fingertips. "I'm taking her with me to the market. In the meantime, get your acts together. Ino, let's go."

The blond nodded numbly, following her boyfriend out of the mansion. As she shut the door behind herself, she wondered why Neji and Tenten, one of the happiest couples she knew, were suddenly arguing everyday. She had never wanted her friends to experience the emotional turmoil of a bad marriage, nor had she imagined that they, of all people, ever would.

The fight between Neji and Tenten wasn't yet over, but things had calmed considerably by the night of the costume party. Tenten was currently setting the dining room table when she turned around and nearly bumped into Neji. He placed his hands out to stabilize her before walking into the kitchen. She sighed. Though we share a bed, it just seems to get colder and colder between us.

Temari saw her friend standing next to the long table, slightly distraught and made her way over.

"Hey, you alright?"

Tenten shrugged. "I guess. It's just that… the fight the other day is still on my mind, and I haven't spoken to my husband in a few days. Married life sucks that way, I guess."

Temari placed her hands on her shoulders. "Yeah, I bet it does, but unless you two talk it out, you're never going to resolve the problem, are you?"

Tenten sighed. "You're right, but what he said to me still stings a bit too much for me to just forgive and forget, you know?"

"You weren't necessarily winning a Nobel prize for kindness that night, either. You pretty much accused him of being a crappy father."

Tenten winced. "I… I know, but everything's just crazy right now, and I really need a break from my hectic life."

Temari hugged her. "You know you're always welcome in the Sand when that time comes. Now, go talk to your angsty husband and set things right. I'm going to be busy spoiling Yukari."

Tenten laughed. "Alright, alright, fine."

She went into the kitchen and saw the men standing around with glasses of alcohol in their hands. Neji was leaning against the counter, a whisky in his hand. He was clearly upset and tense, and she decided not to make herself known quite yet.

Shikamaru had a gin and tonic in his hands, taking a long sip and sighing. "I told you married life sucks, but it'll get better."

Sasuke scoffed, taking a long drink from his beer. "Yeah, right. My marriage was Hell. Then again, you actually loved her, didn't you, Hyuga? Sucks when there's trouble in paradise, doesn't it?"

Neji glared at him. "Shut up, Sasuke. You don't know a thing about our relationship."

Sasuke sneered at him. "I know that your arguments are bad enough to start affecting my daughter, and I know I'm pissed as Hell about it."

"Alright, alright, let's not fight, guys!" Naruto interveined. "I mean, yeah, I don't like that they fight in front of her, either. But you're taking it way too far Sasuke!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, but didn't deny the point that Naruto had made.

The latter continued. "Seriously though, Neji. I think you and Tenten should do some… I don't know, marriage counseling or something. You guys might learn something to counter all of these bad moments."

Choji nodded. "He has a point. No one in my family has had to go through it, but I'm pretty sure it would help."

Shikamaru groaned. "You two have to be kidding me! Marriage counseling? Don't listen to them, Neji, just talk to Tenten and you'll probably be fine."

Shino interjected for the first time. "They'll be fine for now, but what'll happen with the next fight? And the ones after that? I don't mean to stick my nose into the business of others, but these instances will affect Yukari somewhere down the road, and none of us want that to happen."

Neji sneered. "You all act as if she hasn't seen her parents arguing before. It happens almost everyday for her- she can't even get dressed without there being a huge debate over something menial! Whether or not anyone else will admit it, the fact that we constantly disagree over everything is hurting her significantly more than the few fights Tenten and I have had."

The whole room became quiet, and Tenten waited a few moments before walking in casually, pouring herself a glass of wine. The group of men stared at her, and she turned around, feigning innocence. "What?"

Shikamaru sighed. "It's nothing. So I take it everything is ready?"

She smiled slightly. "Yes. Ino just left to get the cake, but other than that everything else is done."

Choji smiled. "Good. Thank you, for everything you do around here, Tenten. I mean, not just today, but everyday, and especially for managing Yukari's schedule. It has to be hard, and I just want you to know how much I appreciate it."

Tenten's smile faulterd a little, but she forced one onto her face. She knew it didn't convince anyone, but she did so nonetheless. "Thank you, Choji. It's nice to hear that sometimes."

He smiled kindly, and she was grateful that he was part of this as well. He was always a kind father to Yukari, giving her the necessary amount of love and boundaries and always being supportive of her.

Naruto spoke as well. "He's right. Tenten, you're an amazing mother, and while I don't feel anything towards you romantically, I'm happy that you're Yukari's Mommy, if that makes any sense."

Tenten laughed. "Thank you, Naruto. I'm happy you're her Daddy, as well."

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Instead of just getting all sappy, let's just give Tenten the toast she deserves." he raised his glass. "To Tenten, for being a great Mom and all that jazz."

"To Tenten!" the others repeated, raising their glasses and taking swigs of booze.

Neji smiled slightly. "To Tenten," he murmured, knowing that she heard him. He took a small sip, keeping his eye contact with her the entire time.

The room cleared, and they stood facing each other like awkward teenagers. Tenten fidgeted, unsure of how to feel about his intent gaze on her. Luckily for her, he initiated the conversation.

"I'm sorry for what I said the other day. I guess I was just... Frustrated with everything. I really do love you, and I can never express how much I appreciate everything you do for me, for Yukari... I just want you to know that."

Tenten stared at the floor, letting the words sink in. She knew that part if being married was the occasional argument, but she thought the one that they had at Yukari's conception was going to be the most intense. The words they threw at each other were so harsh, and she loved him as well, but she was never one to forgive and forget easily.

Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him. "I'm sorry as well, and I understand your frustration since I feel it, too. But what the others have been saying is right- we can't keep fighting in front of Yukari. I love you so much, but I can't forget what you said to me, and I know the feeling is mutual."

He stared at her for a long time, before he finally found the words to say. "Yes, you're right. This fight will probably stay with us for a while, but I don't want it to be the end of our relationship." He walked over, standing in front of her and stroking her hair. "So my question for you is this: what do you want to do about it?"

She placed her hand over his. "I think that maybe... We need a vacation, just the two of us. We could finally take our long overdue honeymoon or something."

He smiled, leaning in and kissing her forehead. "That sounds wonderful. I'll make the arrangements as soon as I can."

She hugged him, letting herself relish in the long awaited comfort he offered. She smiled as she listened to how even his heartbeat was, and was prideful of the fact that he was wearing the cologne she loved on him. They stayed there for a few minutes, and the door creaked open.

"Eeeewwww! How come you guys do that?!"

Neji smiled as he looked at Yukari, standing there in her mermaid costume with her hands on her hips and her nose srunched up. He separated from Tenten long enough to pick her up, playfully kissing her face and neck. She giggled and pushed his face away, smiling the whole time. After a few minutes passed, Neji stopped, and Yukari looked at him and Tenten seriously. "Is it all better now?"

Tenten smiled. "Yes, it's all better. We're sorry you saw us fighting, but we promise it's all over."

Yukari shook her head. "No, it's not. Everyone fights about things still. It makes me sad."

Tenten and Neji shared a face, and the latter rubbed Yukari's back soothingly. "We know, but we're going to try and stop that. Don't worry about it, alright?"
Yukari nodded, resting her head in content against his shoulder. He smiled as he felt her play with the buttons on his shoulder pocket. He was wearing an old fashioned naval uniform, complete with epaulettes and a dull sword. It fit his broad chest well, and the sleeves fit nicely around his muscled arms. He had taken the coat off since it was too warm in the house for it.

After a while, Yukari tapped his chest, indicating wordlessly that she wanted to be let down. Neji kept her there, "I need you to use your words, dear."

She pouted. "I want down."

He still didn't place her on the ground. "Be polite and say please."

"Please?"

He smiled, setting her on the ground and watching as she scampered off to go get attention from someone else.

The first person she ran into was Naruto, and she ran around him. "Look, Daddy! Look how fast I swim!"

He laughed. "Oh no, I can't keep up!"

His demon costume was fairly simple- just a plain black shirt and pants with horns and a cape. He would normally make it as horrifying as possible, since he loved scaring and surprising others, but he didn't want to give Yukari nightmares. She was the light of his life, and he wished he could retire early to spend the days with her, but he knew he had to pay his share of the household expenses. Finally, she grew tired of running, and he lifted her up.

"Grrrr, I've got you!" His playful growl made her shriek with excitement, and he held her above his head.

"No!" She didn't mean it, but it came out of her mouth. Out of everyone in her house, Daddy was the most fun to play with, mostly because he was pretty much a man child. He wrapped his arm around her waist, hanging her upside down as she laughed hysterically.

"Yes! And do you know what that means?" He held his hand out, and her eyes widened.

"No claw!"

He laughed evilly. "Yes, it's the claw!" With that, he tickled her senseless. Her face was red and she had tears rolling down her face when he finally let up. Setting her back on her feet, he squatted and kissed her cheeks. "You know I love you with all of my heart, right?"

Yukari smiled brightly. "Yeah, I know."

He laughed. "Good. And you love me, too, don't you?"

She smiled. "Yeah! I love your this much!" She stretched her arms out as far apart as they would go to demonstrate.

Naruto hugged her tightly. "You may never realize how special you are to me, but that's ok, since I know you love me back. Now, go play with your brothers and sisters, ok?" She smiled, running off to join her siblings.

The rest of the party went by in a similar manner, with Yukari being the center of attention as always. She was sitting next to Ino when Sasuke came out from the kitchen with two drinks in his hand. He looked pointedly at Yukari, who simply smiled at him.

"Hi Vati!" Her happy chirp was enough to make Ino's heart melt at how cute she was.

Sasuke gave her a small smile. "Hi." He cleared his throat, trying to indicate that she was in his seat, but the message went over her. He spoke again. "You're in my seat."

She blinked up at him. "We can share."

Ino snickered, and Sasuke glared at her. "That's nice of you, but I'm afraid we can't."

She tilted her head. "How come?"

He groaned. "Because that chair is meant for one person, not two."

She pouted. "But you left! It's mine!"

Sasuke put the drinks down on the coffee table and lifter her out of the chair despite her protests. He set her down on the floor and handed Ino her drink as he sipped at his.

Yukari stood up with her hands on her hips, giving him a glare that she'd inherited form him. Sasuke smirked. "You left. It's mine." His reply angered her, and she tried to climb up on his lap. He placed his hand against her head to prevent her from doing so, and she whined sadly when he did. After a few moments, she turned to Ino and held her arms out to be lifted, and aIno sighed.

"Use your words, sweetie."

Yukari pouted. "Up."

Ino shook her head. "Speak like a big girl."

Yukari thought for a moment. "Can I go up, please?"

Ino smiled, picking her up and kissing her cheek tenderly. Yukari stared at Sasuke before she scooted over onto his lap.

"Vati, what are you?"

Sasuke sighed. "I'm a vampire."

Yukari gave him a confused look, and he clarified. "I'm a monster that drinks blood."

She scrunched her nose up. "Are they scary?"

He nodded. "Yes, they are."

She nodded, resting her head on his chest. "I'm cold." She clenched his shirt in her hands, feeling his arms wrap loosely around her. She thought for a moment. "How do they drink blood, Vati?"

He smirked slightly, his playful side coming out. "They bite people and suck out the blood." She still looked confused, and he smirked slightly. "It's kind of like this." he said as he nuzzled her neck gently. It tickled, and she started laughing and tried to push him away. After a few moments, Sasuke stopped, his smile disappearing as he let his youngest lay in his lap.

Katsuro came over with Shigeru, and he glared at the sight of his sister in his Vati's lap. "Vati, can I sit in your lap?"

Sasuke sighed. "I already have your sister here."

Katsuro stomped his foot. "But I want to sit in your lap, please?"

With a groan, Sasuke gave in and grunted slightly at the new addition of weight. Katsuro placed his head on Sasuke's shoulder, snuggling into the man. The Uchiha sat there with his children in his lap, arms wrapped loosely around them as he drank his fruity cocktail. He wasn't much of a fan of the drink, but he just wanted to drink something that night.

Katsuro glared at his sister and pushed her away. "Go away, you take up too much room!"

She whined. "I was first!"

Sasuke grew annoyed. "Enough, you two. Stop fighting or you'll both have to get down."

Katsuro whined. "But Vati! She was on your lap longer than me, it's not fair! I just want it to be me and you!"

Sasuke rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Katsuro, hush. I don't want to deal with your whining tonight."

The boy cried. "You hate me, don't you?"

He ran off, pushing past several adults and going into his Vati's room to cry. Sasuke groaned, handing Yukari to Ino and going after his son.

Shigeru looked at his Mama shyly. "Can I sit with you two?"

She smiled. "Of course you can!" He climbed up onto her lap, and Yukari beamed. She hugged her older brother warmly, snuggling into him as Ino held them both. She couldn't be any happier that her children got along so well, especially considering how loving Shigeru was with his sister. They were almost inseparable, and they would do things together that melted her heart with joy.

The night started winding down, and Yukari became a little more than cranky. She began throwing small tantrums, one time coming close to slapping Rock Lee. Tears were streaming down her face as Tenten dressed her for bed, and she begged to stay up.

"I'll be good, Mommy! I swear! I'll be good!"

Tenten sighed. "I know you would, but it's two hours past your bedtime!"

Yukari screamed in protest as Sasuke was walking past the door. He walked in and gave her a warning glare.

"Enough, or I'll spank you into next month."

Tenten glared at him, but didn't counter it as the threat made her daughter calm down. She kissed Yukari's forehead and bid her goodnight.

In the Sound Village, Orochimaru spit up blood as his sickness overtook him for a moment. Kabuto was in the other room, preparing herbs for his medication when a kunai knife swiftly and silently struck him through the back. He gasped in pain, turning around to see who the threat was.

"Y-you!"

Sasori stood, smirking triumphantly. "Yes, it is me. It seems as though I struck at the right time, didn't I?"

Orochimaru glared at him, spitting out more blood onto the bed. "H-how did you know that I wo-would do the t-transfer tonight?"

Sasori smiled slightly. "I have my ways." He chuckled at Orochimaru's flabbergasted expression. "Don't act so surprised. One does not defect from the Akatsuki and get away with it. Why do you think we accept ion your proposal of an alliance?"

Orochimaru's throat was filled with various bodily fluids, and he gagged on his own phlem and blood, doubling over and taking his last breaths.

Sasori watched, reveling in his victory when he felt another presence join him. "Yes?"

Deidara walked into the room. "Let's get that nasty snake skin out of here, yeah? I'm itching to blow this place up!"

Sasori smirked. "Fine. Do your worst. I'll meet you at the checkpoint, don't be late."

Deidara smirked. "For you, Danna, anything."

The stillness of the night surrounding the hideout was disturbed suddenly when a massive explosion blew it to bits. Various experiments of Orochimaru's flew out and scatter among the debris and the forest ground, and Sasori couldn't help but smile at how he had finally killed that bastard of a snake. The Akatsuki could now move on to the next phase of their plan.

That is all I have for the time being! New chapter out next month! Leave me a review, it is always greatly appreciated! Please let me know if I wrote either Sasori or Deidara out of character- that's something I was concerned about.

Love you guys, Happy Halloween!