I am so surprised that this story is getting a lot of favorites and followers. Thanks for all the support and also sorry about the late chapters. I am still brainstorming of what to write and what I should add in to capture my readers' interests. Please hit me with reviews and thanks again for everything everyone.
-Ashalita
Chapter Nine: Men of Sin
It is already the afternoon and finally Ashley woke up from her slumber. Man, he wasn't kidding of keeping me up. I still feel tired… She turned and found her husband still sleeping. "I guess I am not the only one." She said. She kissed his cheek. "I love you babe…" She moved out of bed and took a quick shower. She washed her body with liquid soap and was humming away. "I can't wait for the festival tonight… It is going to be so much fun." Then she stopped when she felt presence. This chakra… She pulled away the curtains and looked around the bathroom. There was no one there yet she felt uneasy. She then sniffed the air. Someone was here… I can smell it. The scent smells familiar though. She turned off the water and walked out the bathroom in a towel. Nothing was out the ordinary. Her husband was sound asleep and breathing. She let out a sigh. "I guess it is just my imagination." She dried herself off and got dressed. She was wearing shorts with a red tank top. Her blue hair was neatly hung down her back. She walked out the room and found her sisters in the living room. Now I am in trouble.
"Look who decided to wake up." Temari teased.
"I guess it is too late to say good morning." Ashley said, smiling. She then turned to a beautiful woman with short orange hair and chocolate brown colored eyes. "Mamiko, when did you get here?"
"Oh, in the morning... My boys are at the children hospital, putting on a puppet show." She replied, smiling. "Kakura tagged along as well."
"I see, thanks for taking care of her while we were asleep." Ashley said, scratching her head. Temari offered her a cup of tea. She took a sip and let out a sigh of awe. "Thanks Temari that really hit the spot."
"I am happy you like it." Temari said. Ashley sat on the chair on the opposite side of them. "So did my little kitty sister had fun last night?" Ashley blushed in front of them. "At the Uchiha Compound…"
"Oh of course…" She said, smiling. I totally thought she was going to mention what I did with Gaara. "I had loads of fun."
"I am glad." Mamiko said. "I heard that Sakura's husband is back. She must be so happy."
"Yeah, she is…" Ashley said, smiling.
"How long is he staying for this time?" Temari asked.
"Oh, he is staying here permanently." Ashley said.
"That is wonderful news. Sakura and his children must be so overwhelm with the news." Mamiko said.
"Speaking of news, I have some important news of my own that I would like to share with you two." Ashley said.
"What is it?" Mamiko asked.
"You look pretty serious." Temari said. Ashley took a deep breath and blushed in front of them once more. "So what is it?"
"Ladies, I am pregnant…" She said happily, fiddling with her fingers. They both squirted out their tea. Ashley shield herself with ice just in time before it went all over her. I wasn't expecting this reaction. "I was going to tell you all last night but we came late and you were all sleeping plus Mamiko and Kankurou didn't arrive yet." Their eyes widened with shock and she let out a giggle. "I am a few weeks pregnant. I found out two days ago or was it three. I can't remember but I already told Gaara and Kakura." They both stood up from their seats and hugged her tightly.
"Oh Ashley, congratulations…" Temari said, smiling. "Our family is growing. I am so happy."
"This is wonderful news." Mamiko said. "Gaara and Kakura must be super excited about their newest member."
"They are thrilled even me. Gaara and I were planning to have another child but we never came around to it because of our work and Kakura. This is very unexpected yet perfect." Ashley said, smoothing her stomach. "Kakura is so happy that she is going to have a sibling yet alone be an older sister."
"She is going to be a wonderful older sister." Temari said. "She is beautiful, smart, and kind."
"Thank you Temari… She is such a blessing." Ashley said. "And I am going to have another one soon."
"So I know it is too soon but have you come up with some names." Mamiko asked.
"Well if it is a boy, I am going to name him after the third kazekage." Ashley said. "Rasa the second… It was the name I wanted to name my first child but I got a girl instead of a boy."
"You are going to name your son after my dad?" Temari said.
"Of course, I named Kakura after your mother and she turned out great. My son will turn out great as well with your father's name." Ashley said. "I know that your father died because of my father. It is weird that we are even family but just like my father, I respect Rasa. I just wish things didn't turn out like it did." Temari hugged her tighter.
"It is alright Ashley. I learned to live with it and forgive. We all have our sins." Temari said. "I thought I will never forgive Orochimaru for what he done to my village and father but when I saw you two together, I felt happy and amazingly I forgave him. My father will be proud to have your baby named after him."
"I love the name and it is perfect for my son." Ashley said.
"So what happens if it is another girl?" Mamiko asked. "What are you going to call her?"
"Asuka…" A voice said. They turned and found Gaara. He was in a white tank top and was wearing black pants. "If we have another daughter, her name is going to be Asuka."
"That is a lovely name." Mamiko said.
"Well, hello Lord Kazekage." Temari teased.
"Hello to you too, Mrs. Nara…" Gaara said. Damn, I never thought I will wake up this late. It is not like me at all. He then found Ashley being hugged by his two sisters. "I figure you told them…"
"Yes and congratulations…" Mamiko said.
"I am happy for you little brother." Temari said, smiling.
"Thanks…" Gaara replied.
"Oh I almost forgot…" Ashley said, standing up from her seat and walking towards him. She pulled out a small box out of her short's pocket. "Happy Valentine's Day, honey…"
"For me? I told you that you didn't need to give me…" Gaara said, grabbing the box from his hand and opening it. He found a silver chain with a locket made out of ice. He opened it and powder of snow created miniature replica of his family having fun. "It looks like the charm I gave you on the night I confess." She helped him put the charm on.
"It is but instead of sand it is made out of ice." Ashley said. "Do you like it?" He smiled out her and cupped her face.
"Ashley, thank you so much. I will wear this always." Gaara said. "But then again, you didn't need to."
"You always give me gifts on this day but I never gave you anything. It is just, it is very hard to figure out what to give you also you keep saying that you don't need a gift. But I want to. So I decided to make a charm for you." Ashley said, blushing. He then pulled her into a hug. "Gaara?"
"The greatest gift ever is having you as my wife." He said. She started to cry and hugged him back. Temari and Mamiko smiled as they watched them.
"Oh I almost forgot, you have to be at the main gate soon." Temari said. "Naruto called in the morning about meeting him there."
"OH MY GOSH, I TOTALLY FORGOT!" Ashley screamed, racing back into the room. "I NEED TO FIND SOMETHING GOOD TO WEAR!" They are chuckle with her reaction.
"So why Asuka?" Mamiko asked.
"Oh, it is the name of Ashley's mother." Gaara said.
"I thought she was born in a lab?" Mamiko said.
"Ashley's mother was ill with an incurable illness. She had a bloodline trait and sparked Orochimaru's interest but his interest turned into something more." Gaara said. And I got my wife out of it…
Sarada walked in her house and found her mother and brother in the yard. They were planting a plant. Well this is new… She found her father sitting outside, staring at them. This is also new… She walked towards him and sat beside him. "Hey Papa…"
"Hello Sarada, you finished your errands." Sasuke replied.
"Yes Papa, it was a lot of work but it was fun." Sarada said.
"Sarada, I want to thank you for being strong for me when I was away." Sasuke said, turning to her. "I know that I haven't been there for you and our first meeting was not very pleasant but I am proud to have you as my daughter."
"Papa, I am happy to be your daughter. To be honest, I get jealous at Boruto and Himawari when they spend time with their dad and not me. I felt empty inside and Mama will always tell me that you would come home someday but I was tired of waiting." Sarada said. "I then had a dumb idea that she wasn't my real mom. I thought that maybe you left because of her."
"Sarada, your mother is one of kind." Sasuke said.
"Yes she is and I am happy that she didn't hate me back then." She replied.
"HEY SARADA, YOU'RE BACK!" Satoru screamed, waving at her. She smiled and waved back. "COME JOIN US!"
"Well, duty calls…" Sarada said, walking towards them. "So what do you have there?"
"A Sakura tree, it is going to be the most beautiful tree ever." Satoru said.
"I bet…" Sarada said, smiling. Home is so much better now since everyone is here. We are finally complete. Sasuke watched his family smiling and laughing and he let out a smile.
"So how was your day?" Sasuke said. Teen Sasuke was behind him the whole time. "I sense you had a lot on your mind. I sense a hint of jealous and lust."
"Can you at least leave my thoughts to myself?" He demanded.
"I am you…"
"You know what I mean." He snapped. "Anyway, I had a good time today well beside Naruto being a total idiot."
"That is good…" Sasuke said. They both were watching their family. "Look at our clan, is it such a wonderful sight."
"It sure is…" Teen Sasuke said, smiling. "I can't believe we have something like this"
"To have our clan start with purity and happiness, it bring me great joy." Sasuke said. "I don't want to repeat our past mistakes."
"Yeah…" Teen Sasuke said. "So there is something I want to ask you."
"I hope it is not about Itachi…" Sasuke said.
"No, it is about something else. I bumped into Kakura and she told me that we saved her twice. What did she mean by that?" He asked.
"Like me, Ashley still had some demons that she needed to get rid of. She was a runaway experiment and a man named Lord Volk was after her. However, she was well protected by her husband and everyone in the Sand Village. It was her haven. But when she was pregnant with Kakura, the baby was feeding off her monstrous chakra. Lord Volk changed his target to Kakura." Sasuke explained.
"You mentioned something that Ashley has the ninetails fox chakra." Teen Sasuke pointed out.
"Yes, during the Chunin Exams in the Forest of Death, Orochimaru placed a seal on Naruto but also took some of his chakra." Sasuke said. "He used that chakra to create Ashley but he wasn't finish enhancing her. He kept her hidden."
"Who is this Lord Volk?" Teen Sasuke asked.
"He used to be Orochimaru's apprentice but he left when Orochimaru was gone." Sasuke said. "He wanted Ashley and when he got her, he found out that she wasn't meant to be a weapon. So he did his own enhancements on her but she still didn't have the will to kill. But like I told you before, Gaara found her and took care of her."
"So did he get Kakura?" Teen Sasuke asked.
"Yes and we helped get her back." Sasuke said. "She was just two weeks old and she was taken away."
"So you end up being a hero."
"It is more like returning the favor. Sakura and I were traveling together and she got pregnant. When Sarada came to the world, we got attacked and she was in the hands of the enemy. Fortunately, Ashley was on a mission and she bumped into us. She saved Sarada. I almost had a heart attack after that and we were endlessly being targeted so Sakura and I both decided to head back to the Leaf Village."
"She keeps saying that she owes you but I think we owe her as well." Teen Sasuke said.
"But who is counting." Sasuke said. "Friends and Family keeps you alive. Keeping score doesn't matter."
"So this is home." Teen Sasuke said. "I guess I don't mind living like this."
At the main gate of the Konoha, many villagers froze of their visitor. Konoha guards surrounded Orochimaru, gripping on to their weapons tightly. He was carrying a bag and was wearing a black robe. "Oh my, it has seems that my reputation precedes me." He said, letting out a grin. "Is this any way to treat your guests?"
"Lower your weapons…" Naruto said, walking towards them. "He is not an enemy."
"But Lord Hokage, this is Orochimaru…" One guard said. "He is one of the Legendary Sanin."
"I am aware of that. I know him very well." Naruto said. "It has been awhile Orochimaru…"
"So it has…" Orochimaru said. "Lord Hokage…"
"Remember our agreement." Naruto said.
"Of course, I will make sure to keep my work at home. I will not harm anyone and do anything dreadful towards any of the Hidden Villages. I am a man of my word." Orochimaru said. "Also, I made the same promise to someone else, someone special to me."
"DADDY!" A voice screamed. They turned and found Ashley racing towards them. She was wearing a baby blue dress. "YOU REALLY CAME!" She jumped into Orochimaru's embrace and hugged him tightly. "I thought you weren't coming."
"I made a promise to you that I will come today." Orochimaru said, hugging back. "I never break my promises especially towards my Little Neko."
"You are the best Daddy." She said, smiling. Everyone was shocked that Ashley and Orochimaru are related. She doesn't look anything like him yet somehow, the smile on both of their faces seems to be alike.
"My Little Neko, you are my main priority and I will always be there for you." Orochimaru said, cupping her face. You are the only good thing I have in this world my daughter and I will do anything to keep you alive and happy. Oh Asuka, if you can see our little girl now…"So where is my granddaughter?"
"I kind a rushed here to see you. She is with her father and coming here." Ashley said, smiling.
Gaara was right, he is different around Ashley. Naruto thought, staring at them. His smile is so loving and caring not cunning and evil. I guess people do change.
"Ashley, I told you to wait for us." Gaara said, walking towards them.
"I am sorry my love, I couldn't wait." Ashley said.
"PAPA!" Kakura cheered, racing towards Orochimaru. She jumped into his embrace. Orochimaru twirled her around and she giggled away. "Oh Papa, I am happy you are here."
"Papa made you a promise." Orochimaru said. He then turned to Gaara. "Oh son, it is good to see you."
"It is good to see you too Orochimaru." Gaara said, crossing his arms. "I hope you weren't waiting long."
"No but please don't be shy… You can call me Dad or Papa." Orochimaru teased. "We are family after all." Gaara just let out a sigh and turned to Naruto.
"Thank you for agreeing to this. This means the world to me." Gaara said.
"It is nothing. We have to keep the family together." Naruto said, smiling. He then leaned towards him. "Come on Gaara, call him Papa…" Gaara didn't faze from that, instead he let out another sigh. He is always calm. I can't get him to feel embarrassed.
"Father, I hope you are hungry. Kakura and I made lunch for all of us." Gaara said.
"Thank you son, you always knows how to treat me." Orochimaru said.
"Papa, I helped dad make sweet and sour chicken… Your favorite…" Kakura said.
"I can hardly wait." Orochimaru said, holding Kakura's hand while Ashley was hugging her husband's arm. "Well lead the way." They walked away and walked deeper into the streets of the village.
"Lord Hokage, was it wise to let him in?" One guard asked.
"A man of sin can be a man of purity." Naruto said. "A second chance can save a life." After all, we all have our sins. So it is up to us to erase them.
Ashley was walking with her family until she felt something unsettling. She looked around the streets but there nothing. This feeling… It is the same feeling from before.
"Ashley, is there something wrong?" Gaara asked.
"Honey, why don't you take father to the house with Kakura. I will be there shortly. I need to check up on Sousuke."" Ashley said, giving him a fake smile. I don't like this feeling.
"Alright but you better hurry. We need to get ready for the festival. We have to make an appearance." Gaara said, kissing her forehead. "Call me if you need me."
"Alright babe…" She said, watching her family walk away from her. When they were out of sight, she sniffed the air. That scent… It is the same scent I smelled at the house. She followed it and it gave her chills when she felt a strong yet dark chakra. She moved away from the streets and ended up in a forest. I don't know if I should continue but I have to. I need to know. She carefully walked deeper into the forest. She then stopped in the center of the forest. "I know you are there… Come out now…"
"I am surprise that someone can sense me…" A voice said.
"I am not here to hurt you. I just feel that you are looking for something." Ashley said, trying to find the person that owns the mysterious voice.
"You are half right… I am looking for someone not something." The voice said. Ashley caught a pair of red glowing eyes. "And I have a feeling you know where he is." He walked closer to her and her eyes widened. "I never thought you will survive. I only saw you once. Orochimaru had quite a breakthrough."
"Itachi…" Ashley said, shaking.
