13 years later in the forest of Konoha.
"Hana! Akira! Wait up! Why are we taking the forest path?" Hana and Akira turned to look at the young boy behind them. He wore a grey shirt with white pants. His hair was to color of a Raven's wing while his eyes looked like green emeralds peering at them. He was already out of breath. The two girls let go of each other's hands and pranced back to the younger boy.
"Come on, Shisui!" Either girl took an arm of the boy and began dragging him forward. "You do want to tell everyone that you passed your test. You are a ninja now! And we are taking this way because it's the fastest way home. You know that." Shisui groaned, but grudgingly walked with the two girls.
"Easy for you two to say! You are strong! Your parents aren't going to test you." Hana laughed.
"No worries, we will beat them up for you." Akira hugged his arm and scowled at her twin.
"No we won't, but we will always help you Shisui. You know that." A shape blurred past them in the bushes. The three children put their backs together. The shape kept circling them from the cover the trees. Always it kept just out of sight so none of the kids could identify it. An evil chuckle echoed around their heads chilling their blood in their veins. Shisui shivered and whimpered drawing a knife as Akira and Hana also drew their weapons. Akira laid a hand on Shisui's wrist. "We will be alright. Trust us and our teamwork." Shisui stopped shivering and nodded. Hana scanned the trees.
"Formation A." snapped Hana. Akira vanished and Hana and Shisui went back to back. The Sharingan rose in the two of them. Shisui caught sight of the creature first. It was a large black panther.
"Sighted." Shisui rattled off coded coordinates as the creature moved. Hana throw her knife and a yowl echoed through the forest confirming her success. Then suddenly the creature came crashing through the bushes, claws extended and teeth barred. It went straight for Hana. Hana and Shisui rolled to opposite sides and the creature slammed face first into the thin razor wire the two children held between them. Akira suddenly appeared on the panther's back a seal already worked and slammed it down on the creature's neck.
"No one touches my sister or cousin!" Air whooshed out of the panthers lungs and he collapsed. His body became like putty reforming into a human. He wore a simple white shirt and dark pants but his feet were bare. Hana knelt down in front of the man then grabbed a lock of hair and yanked on it.
"Uncle Eden, what on earth were you doing?" The man grunted as his niece continued to pull on his hair. A bad habit she had formed long ago.
"Your father and uncle thought testing you guys would be a good idea." Akira shifted her weight so she could sit cross legged on her uncle's back. He made a wheezing gasp as is niece shifted on his back
"Mom and aunt Sakura don't know you three planned this, do they?" mused Akira. Silence was Eden's response. In a sing song voice the twins chorused,
"Mom's goinna kill you. Mom's goinna kill you."
"Who am I going to kill?" All three kids whirled at the sound of Lily's voice. Hana and Akira jumped up and flung themselves into their mother's arms. Lily bent down and picked both girls up only to swing them around and placed them back on their feet. Then Sakura appeared beside Lily. Her belly swollen to the size of a basketball. She had yet to inform her husband of the fact she was carrying triplets. She was dreading the conversation about what their names would be. These thoughts were quickly banished when Shisui ran to her and hugged her. "Eden, what did I say about things like this?" The only things that gave hints to Lily's anger was her slightly clenched jaw and the stiffness of her crossed arms.
"Not to do it."
"Very good, now where is my husband?" Rustling in the bush beside Eden had Lily launching herself into them and pinning the very man she was looking for. "Hello love, going somewhere?" Itachi chuckled,
"No, I think I'm quite content here." Lily's eyebrows rose and she deliberately pressed her knee into her husband's ribs. Instead of wincing he laughed some more, knowing all too well his wife would never hurt him.
"Ah, good, because you and I are going to have a nice long discussion about your methods in training our daughters and nephew." Sakura glanced around and said,
"Sasuke, do I have to come get you like Lily did to your brother. Of course I have no problem with leveling this area in the process." An arm appeared across her shoulder and Sasuke leaned in to whisper,
"No need to strain yourself." He rubbed her belly affectionately. "Don't want our next son to be hurt." Sakura winced at the word son. She also hadn't had the heart to tell the triplets were all girls. That thought was quickly smothered by a very smug smile on Sasuke's face that was entirely male. Sakura simply smiled at him and pulled his arm off.
"Your charm will not get you out of trouble this time." Maybe, she thought wickedly to herself, I'm not too sorry, you can have a nice surprise. "Though points for effort." Sasuke merely shrugged.
"They were all fine. We know Eden would not lose control." Sakura stomped her foot and whirled on Sasuke, jabbing his chest with her finger.
"There was no way you could have known that. Eden himself said his control is hard to maintain in the panther form." Sakura was huffing and glaring at Sasuke but he was only smiling gently at her. A smile that held all the love and affection anyone could ever ask for.
"They are alright." He pointed to the three kids all of whom had the Sharingan alight in their eyes. Shisui was in the process of trying to tag one of the twins. But they seemed to dance and whirl just out of his reach. "They take after their parents." Sakura sighed in defeat.
"Yea, I guess, but no more of this." Sakura waved her hand at the whole situation. Sasuke nodded obediently. Itachi and Lily came to stand beside them. Lily's hand was firmly in Itachi's hand Sakura noticed. Ever since they had returned years ago Sakura had noted Lily always seemed to need physical contact with her husband to reassure herself, of what Sakura still wasn't certain. Lily noticed Sakura's stare and nodded reassuringly at her.
"Whatever you say my love." Sasuke replied breaking into Sakura's thoughts. Sakura grumbled but watched as the three children continued to played together, until Shisui came running up to her to show her his head band.
"I passed." Sakura smiled.
"I knew you would." Hana added,
"He is put on a team with me and Akira! We find out who are team leader is tomorrow." Sakura glanced between her nieces and her son.
"You did good, all of you. You will all make wonderful ninja."