--Okay, so Sasuke returned to the village, expecting some kind of reception, happy/mad out-to-kill-him friends, but nothing of the sort happens. Why? Does it have something to do with a pregnant Hinata, an agonized Naruto, and an overprotective Sakura and her huge group of bodyguards? ----Based off of Breaking Dawn---

Yay! This chapter's up! And Hinata's making an appearance in this chapter! Yay! She's awake! Oh, and you'll find out what the children's names are! Yay! But Sakura's not getting better… And you're all probably wondering about Kagome, Kikyo, and Inuyasha, right? Well, they'll be reappearing soon, just not in this chapter.

This chapter is named after the song "Garasu no Hana (Glass Flower)" from the Kannazuki no Miko OST. It's the song that Chikane plays in the anime. Yeah, I know the title doesn't fit the chapter, but I thought the song worked nicely with the Sasuke-Sakura conversation at the end of this chapter, so . . . yeah. Please enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-One

Garasu no Hana

"Hey, Naruto-oniisan…"

Everyone turned to the door, and there stood Hanabi.

"What's wrong, Hanabi?" the kyuubi-container asked.

"Oneesama has woken up." Hanabi said, bringing some cheer back into the hospital room.

"Hontou ni?" Ino asked.

Hanabi nodded. "Yeah… She's a bit dazed, but she's awake." Her face fell once she saw Sakura sleeping on the hospital bed. "Anoo . . . we haven't told her about Sakura-san yet."

"That's okay, Hanabi-chan." Naruto said. "I'll tell her myself."

"Okay, Naruto-oniisan. I hope Sakura-san gets better." And Hanabi left the room then, probably going back to her sister's side.

"Naruto," C.C. said, "You should go and be with Hinata."

"But what about--"

"We've got it covered here." Sai said. "Besides, Hinata and the rest don't know about Mao and what he's capable of. You should go and tell them what we know."

"Mao could very well be planning on targeting Hinata as well since she's so weak." C.C. added. "If that ever happens . . ."—she shook her head—"Just please make sure everyone else is safe."

Naruto nodded his head. "Daijōbu!" He flashed a smile and a thumbs-up. "The future Hokage is here to protect them! There's no way this Mao person will ever get near them!"

"If you keep talking, dobe, Mao will probably get there before you ever do."

"QUIET, TEME!!!!" Naruto yelled but was hushed by a chorus of shh's. "Gomen, gomen…"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"You're so cute…" Hinata cooed, holding her children. "Both of you are…"

It was true. Hinata wasn't just being biased. Her two children were beautiful—half Naruto and half her… The girl looked more like her mother, receiving the Byakugan eyes and her mother's hair color in a darker shade, but she also received her father's more . . . anoo, outgoing personality while her brother looked more like their father, inheriting huge blue eyes and his father's hair color just in a darker shade like his sister, but he received a bit more of their mother's personality. That was a plus. At the very least, Hinata didn't have to worry about a Naruto clone running through the house—and to top that, a baby-version of Naruto. She only needed to worry about one which was already more than enough.

"Oneesama, what are you going to name them?"

"I haven't really thought of it much." Hinata said. "I always wanted to name my son after my uncle, Neji's father, and I always wanted to name my daughter Naruko, but I don't think those names will do anymore."

"Yeah, definitely." Kiba said. "I don't think Neji would like it if you named Naruto's son after his father. Plus, your son doesn't actually fit the Hyuga description. Your daughter, on the other hand, would . . . but naming her Naruko, after Naruto's Sexy Jutsu girl, wouldn't really be . . . correct . . . in a way."

"I know…" Hinata sighed. She turned to the father of her children. "So . . . what are we going to name them?"

"Hm… I honestly don't know, Hinata. I haven't really thought about it either."

"Maybe Naruto Jr.?"

"Oneesama, I don't think Neji and Otousan would approve of that."

"Good point, Hanabi." Hinata wiped the back of her hand under her wet eyes. "I really can't think of anything…" Her eyes roamed around the room, her mind trying to process every single name she could think of. Hana? Yui? Fai? Ayame? Kino? Ayaka? Satoshi? Jin? Mamoru? None of them really sound correct to me.

Then the Hyuga heir's eyes fell on a small picture on a nearby table. The picture showed a tall, spiky orange-haired boy with brown eyes and a girl with black hair and dark blue eyes who was about thirty centimeters shorter than him. In the middle stood Sakura, wearing the same black robes they were wearing. They were smiling in the picture, and they looked very close.

"Who are they?" Hinata asked, gesturing to the picture.

"Who?" Choji asked, turning to look at the picture. "Oh, them… The guy's Sakura's cousin, and the girl's the guy's friend. Anoo . . . Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia, I believe."

"Yeah, we had a mission with them a month after Naruto left to train with Jiraiya." Shino explained. "They used to live in the village right on the outskirts of Konoha but, after the mission, they decided to stay in Karakura Town to continue helping its citizen. Sakura hears from them every now and then, but Karakura Town's so far away they're barely able to keep in contact anymore."

"But they're probably coming to the family reunion." Choji said, munching on a sandwich. "Even though his mother's dead, Ichigo's still Hibiya Chitose's nephew, and Rukia's bound to come with him."

"Ichigo and Rukia, huh?" Hinata said those names over and over again. She liked the ring to that pair of names. It was cute and a bit catchy. "How about it then, Naruto-kun? Uzumaki Ichigo and Uzumaki Rukia, it sounds good, doesn't it?"

Naruto muttered those names and came to the same conclusion. "I think it's perfect." He then grabbed one of each of his children's hands and shook them. "Uzumaki Ichigo and Uzumaki Rukia, welcome to life! And welcome to the family!"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Sakura's eyes opened to a dully lighted room. She sighed. When was she ever going to wake up in her own bedroom again? Oh Kami-sama, she did not like the sight of a hospital room as the first thing she ever saw once she woke up. It was depressing especially since her hands were all twisted up with clear tubes and something was taped across her face, under her nose. She lifted her hand to rip it off.

"No, you don't." And cool fingers caught her hand.

"You're so mean, Sasuke-kun…" She turned her head slightly, and his face was just inches from hers, his chin resting on the edge of her pillow. "What time is it?"

"Six in the morning."

"Really?" she turned her head to glance at her sister who was sleeping on the sofa, her head on her boyfriend's lap. "Well, at least she's having a more comfortable slumber… Where's Naruto and everyone else?"

"Tsunade's checking on Hinata. She woke up, you know."

"She did? That's great!" She smiled.

"They also named the children."

"Hontou ni? What are their names?"

"Uzumaki Ichigo and Uzumaki Rukia, named after your cousin and his friend."

Sakura's smile grew. "Yeah, I kind of figured after I heard the names… So . . . why aren't you, C.C., and Lelouch with them?"

"Someone has to take care of you while you're still frail from the poison."

Sakura nodded her head and sighed, but those two movements hurt her so much more than before. "How bad am I now?"

"Your chakra is almost completely depleted."

"How much longer until--"

"You won't die, Sakura." Sasuke said, making sure she couldn't finish her question. "Tsunade has got the whole village on the lookout for Mao. Even the Hyuga clan is helping us."

"Really? The Hyuga clan?"

"They want to return the favor. You did save their heiress."

"It was just once." She smiled again. "They don't owe me anything."

"Hn…"

"What is it, Sasuke?"

"I don't know why, but it feels like you know more about the poison that's in your body than you lead on and that you know more about why it's in your system."

Sakura sighed. "Mao can read minds, Sasuke. Assuming that he did read the minds of everyone that's in this house right at this moment, he could use any one of them to his advantage. He'll strike them at where they're at their weakest. In my case . . . I'm best at chakra control. Without it, I'm completely helpless…"

"So he gave you the poison."

"Yes, but it's not me he's after. He's after C.C., so why would he go through all this trouble just to poison me? He could've easily threatened me when he came as the Hyuga clan's envoy, and he could've threatened my parents who are completely unprotected from people like him, but he chose to poison me. He's working for someone, we know that, but . . . if that person is one of the Sound's shinobi or any of the Akatsuki members or is indeed Kabuto then they're not only after my sister; they're after you and Naruto, too, Sasuke."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I'm not. It's just that . . . that my world has finally become perfect—well, almost perfect—and I don't want to lose this fleeting moment of peace so soon. Hinata's stable now, my family is coming together here, and you just came back…"

The Uchiha held her hand. "I'm sorry . . . for putting you in this position."

Sakura raised her eyes to the ceiling. "Of all the things to apologize for…"

"What should I apologize for?"

"There's nothing you need to apologize for. This isn't your fault." Sakura's voice was comforting. Her finger fidgeted. "Though you could tell me why you said 'thank you' before knocking me out when you were leaving to go to Orochimaru…"

Sasuke scoffed. "Is that what you're trying to get out of me?"

"Well . . ." the kunoichi pretended to think about it. "Yes."

"Then I won't tell you."

Sakura pouted. "Aw, why not?" she whined.

"You have enough to worry about, as it is."

"But--"

Ring! Ring!

C.C. stirred a bit, but Lelouch woke up and took out his cell phone. He checked the caller ID, but there was no number. The ringing went on for a while longer until C.C. woke up and told him to answer it.

Lelouch put the phone to his ear. "Yes?"

"It's me, Lulu!" Mao's psychotic voice said. "C.C.'s there, too, isn't she? I want to talk to her alone. Put her on."

Lelouch's eyes widened.

"Who is it, Lelouch?" Sakura asked. "Is it Mao?"

Lelouch nodded his head.

"What does he want?" C.C. asked.

"He wants to talk to you."

Oniisan = older brother

Otousan = father

Yay, another chapter finished. Sorry it's short, but what do you guys think of the children's names? Yeah, I know it's not very creative since I got it off of the second most popular shonen manga Bleach, but I really liked those names. So, please tell me what you think!

Oh, and, about Itachi, I can't really put him into the story since he doesn't really fit right now. I'm sorry… I didn't feel it correct to put him in my story, so I put him and Kisame into a bonus story. Check it out.

Itachi and Kisame are walking, walking, walking, and walking when a piece of paper falls out of Itachi's pocket.

Kisame picks it up. "Hey, Itachi! Who's the hot chick?"

"My mother." [cue dramatic music]

"Oh, really?" Kisame asked, scooting away from the Uchiha who had a killing aura around himself.

✿｡.:*that noon*:.｡✿

Itachi is walking, walking, and walking while Kisame is limping, limping, and limping (because you don't call your friend's mother hot, not unless you want to be killed). Suddenly, another piece of paper falls out of Itachi's pocket.

Kisame picks it up . . . again. "Hey, Itachi! Who is this really, really old man?"

"My father." [cue very dramatic music]

"Oh, really?" Kisame asked, scooting away from the Uchiha who had a killing aura around himself . . . again.

✿｡.:*that afternoon*:.｡✿

Itachi is walking, walking, and walking while Kisame is wheeling, wheeling, and wheeling himself around on a wheelchair when, out of the blue, another piece of paper falls out of Itachi's pocket . . . yet again.

And Kisame picks it up . . . yet again. "Hey, Itachi! Who's the parrot?"

"My brother." [cue very, very, dramatic music]

"Oh, really?" Kisame asked, scooting away from the Uchiha.

But instead of killing Kisame, Itachi snatched the picture out of the shark's hands and looked at the image. "Does he really look like a parrot?"

"Yes, just look at his hairdo. It's shape like a chicken's ass."

"I made that hairstyle." [cue very, very, very dramatic music]

"Oh, really?" Kisame asked, scooting away from the Uchiha who had a killing aura around himself . . . yet again.

✿｡.:*that evening*:.｡✿

Itachi is sitting, sitting, and sitting while Kisame was resting, resting, and resting on the hospital bed when, abruptly, a fourth picture fell out of Itachi's pocket. (Jeez, how many pictures does this guy carry in his pocket?)

And Kisame picked it up . . . once more. "Hey, Itachi! Who's the colorblind girl with the huge forehead?"

"My brother's fiancée." [cue very, very, very, very dramatic music]

"Oh, really?" Kisame asked, trying to scoot away from the Uchiha.

But instead of killing Kisame again, Itachi snatched the picture out of the shark's hands and looked at the image. "Is she really colorblind? And is her forehead really that big?"

"Well, hello! Her hair's pink, and you could put forty humongous jets on that runway! She's a fashion disaster!"

"Are you saying my brother's blind? He thinks she's cute…" [cue very, very, very, very, very dramatic music]

"Oh, really?" Kisame asked, trying to scoot away from the Uchiha who had a killing aura around himself . . . yet again.

✿｡.:*that night*:.｡✿

Itachi is feeding, feeding, and feeding Kisame who's eating, eating, and eating and who can't pick, pick, and pick up his arms.

"This soup is great, Itachi! What is it?"

"Shark-fin soup!"

Kisame spits the soup out. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me: shark-fin soup!"

"I'm a shark…" [cue Jaws music]

"Oh, shit…" And Itachi ran out of the house with Kisame rowing his hospital bed after him.

"GET BACK HERE, UCHIHA!!! COME BACK HERE AND FEEL THE WRATH YOU'VE UNLEASHED UPON ME!!!!!!!!!"

Did you guys like it? Well, I'll try to make more of these funny mini-stories, but until then . . . see ya later!