{I don't own Naruto, or anything of worth. u.u}

The Carving

Ch 21: A Mile Stone to Cross

…Naruto stretched and yawned as he and Sasuke were lead up to their room by their mother, "You two get some rest. I don't want to hear any noise. No toys and no playing."

"Yes Oka-san," Sasuke pouted.

"Uh-huh, Momma," Naruto kissed her before climbing into bed…

…Naruto waved excitedly as Mikoto, Sasuke and he stood watching Itachi head off for the academy. "Good luck Itachi-nii!" Naruto screamed.

"Do well on your finals," Mikoto encouraged her son. Itachi was heading off to the academy, probably for the last time (as a student there at least). He was the youngest in his class and his prospects were the brightest. The twelve year old boy turned and waved back with a smirk planted firmly on his face.

"Come back inside and finish your breakfast you two," Mikoto ushered the boys back to the breakfast table, "The day after tomorrow is the start of the new semester are you both ready for school?" Both boys answered an affirmative. One, Naruto, was excited. The other, Sasuke seemed much less so, "There's going to be stupid girls there."

"Sasuke!" Mikoto scolded, "You shouldn't talk that way."

"Girls are not so bad, Sasu-nii!" Naruto shouted, "Some of 'em are real pretty." Sasuke sent a scowl toward the oblivious blond. "Momma's a girl…aren't ya?"

Mikoto giggled, "Yes Naru-chan I'm a girl."

"Ok," Naruto smiled digging into his sweetened oatmeal. He reached for the cinnamon, "Sasu-nii can you reach me the cimanon?"

"It's pronounced cin-na-mon," Sasuke sighed as he handed the stick and grater to the blond fox.

"That's what I said," Naruto scrunched up his face, "Cim-a-non."

Mikoto chuckled good naturedly, "Sasuke don't. He's cute when he says it his way."

"Momma?" Naruto tilted his head to the side, "I said it just like nii-chan."

The woman ruffled his hair, "Do me a favor Naru-chan?"

"What Momma?" Naruto smiled up at his mother.

"Never change," She leaned over the corner of the table and kissed his silky gold locks. Naruto blushed as he shoved another spoonful of the sweetened oats in his mouth. Mikoto looked at the clock, "Come on boys go get washed up. I wanted to take you on one last shopping trip to gather the essentials for school."

"Awe! Oka-san I wanted to play with Naruto today. We were gonna go dig in the empty plot near the training grounds for fossils!" Mikoto warned him with a stern look and his shoulders slumped and he stomped up the stairs. "If you two hurry we can have lunch at Ichiraku's." She heard a shout of joy ringing from upstairs as Naruto raced off to his and Sasuke's room to change.

Mikoto rushed the boys out the door. On their way out there were friendly greetings to Lady Uchiha and her two youngest children. Naruto was a particular bright spot for the clan once accepted he was accepted wholly. He was no genius like Itachi nor as agile and stealthy as Sasuke, but he was love incarnate. He was kind and friendly, helpful to a fault. Even if he did not make an outstanding shinobi he was a bright spot and a beauty to behold. Fugaku boasted he would be a fine shinobi and make the clan proud. The man already had planned to marry him to one of the daughters of the cadet branch and introduce his genes to their gene pool, but that was for much later.

Mikoto was so grateful to Naruto for rescuing her husband from whatever dark path he trod. She didn't know about the illegal doings of the clan, but she knew something was not right. Fugaku has changed as a result of the ball of light and love that is Naruto. The man no longer overlooked his youngest biological son. She has caught him in the act of playing, yes PLAYING, with the young blond and Sasuke when he said he was too busy for nonsense and childish games.

…Fugaku sat on the hardwood floor of Sasuke's and Naruto's room with the two boys staring at him. He looked nervous at first.

"What are you doing Otou-san?" Sasuke asked incredulously.

"I wanted to spend time with you two boys. Itachi-san is off with Shisui. They are preparing for the graduation test at the Academy. I was hoping that we could spend some time together." The man offered a stiff smile and just sat waiting for the children to initiate their together time. As expected it was Naruto who broke the ice.

"Play with us Papa!" He tackled the man. Sasuke sat rigid waiting for the man to begin his tirade, but Fugaku surprised Sasuke by belting out a hearty laugh. His deep voice was smooth and satiny. His laughter rang with kindness and softness that Sasuke had only heard from their mother. He was so caught up in thought about this change he did not notice a large hand snatched his ankle and he was pulled forward into the full out wrestling match. He froze up looking between Naruto and his father. Naruto nudged him giggling, "C'mon Sasu-nii-chan! You know how to play. Lets get 'im!" Sasuke nodded dumbly and followed Naruto's lead as they tackled the man knocking him on his back. Naruto began tickling his armpit. Sasuke smirked suddenly as he grasped the man's foot and began tickling. Fugaku howled with laughter. Mikoto came running in a terror, fearing that her husband was hurting her boys. What she saw made her think she had gone crazy. The head of the Uchiha was pinned to the ground by two small children laughing helplessly as the boys tickled him mercilessly the three were practically in hysterics from the laughter…

…Oh how the woman wished there were more days like that. The man, the love of her life, he was warm now. He had a mission, so he could not be there for Itachi's big test. Hopefully he will be back before the graduation ceremony. The positive effect Naruto possessed went deep even helping to fix the chinks in their marriage…

…Fugaku came to her, hugging her warmly, early in the evening the previous day. He kissed her with passion on the lips, "Mikoto-koi." She was shocked at the pet name. Fugaku had not used such affectionate terms since Itachi was in diapers. He continued, "Please do not be angry." She frowned. There it was he had a reason for it. Was he buttering her up? She looked at him questioningly, silently prompting him to continue. He cleared his throat, "I have to leave on a mission it is supposed to be two days, but I promise to try and be back before Itachi's graduation ceremony. Please understand it is a mission for the Hokage himself and I could not say no to the man. If I cannot be there, take some pictures for me, please. Here's that blasted contraption." He handed her a camera. She didn't smile, but nodded. She kissed the corner of his mouth, "I understand and I am sure Itachi will also. Please be careful and come back to us safe." He offered a small smile and she finally let the corners of her mouth lift into a brilliant smile rivaling even Naruto's nearly unattainable brilliance…

…The Uchiha Mistress walked hand in hand with her two youngest, "Let's go look at the weapons. You both understand that these are tools not toys. You are never to abuse or play with these weapons. A shinobi must rely on his tools. The greatest nin is only as good as his jutsu, and his tools." The boys nodded solemnly. Mikoto lead them to a small shop. She entered greeting a man about the same age as Fugaku. He was handsome with chestnut brown hair and chocolate colored eyes. Beside him stood a girl that was taller than Sasuke. She smirked at the boys and looked up to her father.

"Tenten, why don't you take the boys out back to play while Uchiha-sama and I conduct our business," the man ordered her.

She nodded obediently, "Come with me gaki!" She wasn't shy about her rude behavior and neither adult seemed to notice. Sasuke was affronted; some loser girl called him a brat. He stood stock still as the girl in the pink shirt dragged Naruto out. He finally followed right before they disappeared out the back.

Tenten took out a shuriken pouch, "These are practice shuriken, see." She handed a projectile to Naruto. It was the right weight but it was coated as if it had been dipped in wax. It was not sharp enough to cut a person. "Now that does not mean you can go throwing these at each other," She squinted at them warningly, "See the target over there?"

Naruto nodded. Sasuke followed the boy's gaze. He expected a bull's-eye pinned to a tree. What he saw was a wooden board painted with a rough human figure. The targets were vital organs and crippling points. Sasuke nodded his approval. Tenten walked over to the line drawn in the dirt. She hurled all of her shuriken so fast Sasuke could not see the movement. He heard five thwacks in succession. He looked up to see five vibrantly colored shuriken, all embedded in killing points on the 'enemy nin.'

"You wait here," Tenten trotted off toward the target, "I'll go get the shuriken."

She returned and handed the projectiles to Naruto ignoring Sasuke for the moment as she showed the boy how to hold one and instructed him on throwing. She guided Naruto with her arm. With the flick of a wrist the bright red shuriken flew at the target embedding itself in the would-be attacker's right eye."Good job…erm," Tenten looked at Naruto and then Sasuke, "Sorry I don't know your names." She rubbed the back of her head in a very boyish way and smiled sheepishly.

"I'm Naruto and that's Sasuke-nii-chan," Naruto chirped happily. Sasuke groaned under his breath, "Dobe." Neither of the other children caught it.

"Good job then, Naruto!" Tenten pumped her fist in the air, "Listen finish throwing those, but remember you should NEVER throw while someone is out on the field. You never point your weapons at friendlies!"

"Friendlies?" Both boys asked at once. Tenten rolled her eyes but then smiled, "You know! Your FRIENDS, your comrades, your allies!"

"Oh," Sasuke and Naruto shook their heads. Naruto turned to finish his throws. He did fairly well not as well as his first shot where Tenten guided him, but not bad. He made three near killing throws and one definitely crippling shot. He jogged out onto the field to collect the shuriken. Then he handed them to Tenten who merely turned and placed them in Sasuke's hands, "Here ya' go…Emo boy!" Sasuke quirked a brow but ignored her teasing. She was a girl and he DID NOT care what some stupid female thought of him. He threw five perfect killing shots. Three in major arteries, on in the heart and one, ahem, in the groin. "Wow! Four vitals and one crippling shot! Not bad, Emo boy!" Tenten argued that the last was a crippling shot but congratulated him.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, "It was five."

"What?"

"Killing shots. That last one was not meant to cripple. It would bleed out quickly killing the victim to quickly for aid to be administered. If it were a few centimeters to the left it would have been a flesh wound but that area of the body is full of blood vessels and arteries," He strode arrogantly to the target and retrieved the weapons.

"Well isn't he just full of himself?" Tenten snorted.

"That's just how he is, don't mind him," Naruto offered, "He just doesn't like girls."

"Hey! What did girls ever do to him?" She pouted as she sat down in the grass next to Naruto who had taken a seat shortly after he had handed the colorful practice shuriken to the girl.

"Well they chase him and try to kiss him and tell him he's cute, and that they love him," Naruto counted out on his fingers as he spouted off.

"Ewe! That's so gross. I don't see why…well he is cute, I guess. …But who would like such a grump?" Tenten grumbled.

Naruto smiled, "I like Sasu-nii. He's not so bad, maybe if you gave him a chance?" Alas, there would not be a further chance that day as Tenten's father called to her from the shop, "Tenten Lady Uchiha is all finished."

"Ok dad!" Tenten showed them back to their mother. Mikoto thanked her for keeping her boys entertained. Then she and her boys were off for the next store. By the time they made it home Sasuke and Naruto were ready for a big nap. Mikoto began fixing lunch and waited for her eldest to come home and report on his test scores.

"I am certain you have made your clan proud today son," She spoke softly to herself as she chopped vegetables. She decided Itachi's favorite dishes were in order. Weather he passed or failed (though there was no doubt he would pass) he deserved a nice meal…